Having found the cup, the remaining task was to retrieve it and escape.
If it were the original trio of heroes, taking the cup from the towering piles of treasure would be quite challenging.
After all, the cup was too far for the Summoning Charm to be effective.
Climbing up to get it was not an option either, as the fire and duplication curses posed a serious threat.
Even if they managed to climb the treasure mountain without being burned, the constantly reproducing treasure could crush them.
Moreover, the cup itself was protected by fire and duplication curses.
Even if it were right in front of them, they wouldn't be able to take it.
However, for Penelope and Cho, retrieving the cup was not difficult. Many spells could accomplish this.
Cho acted first, pointing her wand at the cup. Blue ribbons shot out from the tip of her wand, wrapping tightly around the cup.
The curses placed on the treasure by the goblins had their loopholes.
As long as the treasure wasn't touched directly by an intruder, these curses wouldn't activate.
Thus, they could use this indirect method to retrieve the cup.
Then, Cho pulled back, and the ribbons began to shorten, bringing the cup down as if it were a lantern hanging from her wand.
Penelope followed suit, casting her own ribbons.
Her ribbons were thicker and more numerous, soon enveloping the cup completely.
With the cup wrapped in layers of ribbons, they could safely hold it.
"Now, we need to leave quickly," Penelope urged as Alaric put the cup into his bag. "They should be arriving soon."
Penelope and Cho hurried out, but Alaric lagged behind.
"What are you waiting for?" Cho asked anxiously. "Hurry up!"
"Just a moment, I want to cause them some trouble," Alaric said with a familiar mischievous grin.
Alaric waved his wand and shouted, "Water and fire are invincible."
This protective charm against water and fire was quite effective. For a short time, Alaric was immune to the fire curse affecting the treasure.
He quickly grabbed a piece of armor from the pile.
Despite the intense heat radiating from it, Alaric, protected by his charm, seemed unaffected as he moved swiftly.
However, although the fire curse had no effect on Alaric, the duplication curse was still active.
Behind him, replicas of the armor continued to burst forth, filling the cramped space with white-hot bodies.
Fortunately, Alaric managed to exit the vault in time. The vault was soon filled with copies of the armor.
Alaric then used the Mending Charm to restore the vault door to its original state.
While it might be discovered, he hoped to avoid Voldemort realizing that his Horcrux had been stolen.
Outside the vault, countless copies of armor began to appear, quickly forming a small mountain that emitted waves of heat, preventing Penelope and Cho Chang from approaching.
"Let's go to the fire dragon," Alaric said, dragging the armor forward. "We can ride it out."
The three began running towards the fire dragon.
Since they hadn't cast Dragon's Roar, the fire dragon wasn't frightened away but roared threateningly and approached them.
"I'll handle it!" Cho Chang shouted, running ahead.
In the next moment, Cho Chang transformed.
Her body swelled, wings sprouted from her back, a long tail grew, and her hands and feet were replaced by claws.
Her whole body was covered in sapphire-like scales.
She had become a blue dragon, about four to five meters long.
Though only a young blue dragon and smaller than the fire dragon, a blue dragon's bloodline was far superior.
The Dragon's Roar emitted naturally without her needing to activate it.
The fire dragon, supposedly untamable, cowered and trembled as if it were a servant seeing its master.
Cho Chang flew onto the fire dragon's back and tightly controlled it.
Cho Chang then transformed back, gripping the dragon's bone spikes and sitting on its back.
Still paralyzed by the Dragon's Roar, the fire dragon was unresponsive as the blue dragon disappeared.
Penelope and Alaric approached the fire dragon.
Penelope raised her wand and shouted, "Reducto!"
With several loud bangs, the heavy shackles on the fire dragon's legs turned into scrap metal.
Alaric discarded the armor and climbed onto the dragon's back, bending down at the dragon's hind leg.
He extended an arm, and Penelope grabbed it, pulling herself up.
In a second, the fire dragon realized the Dragon's Roar and the chains controlling it were gone.
In front of the fire dragon was a mountain of armor duplicates, completely blocking their exit.
The mountain was like a fiery mountain, emitting intense waves of heat.
On the other side of the mountain, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder.
From atop the dragon's back, the trio saw a large group of goblins, armed with short swords, pouring into the passage from the other side of the mountain.
They shouted, "Catch the thieves! Catch the thieves!"
Several wizard guards also came running from around the corner.
However, they were blocked by the mountain of armor duplicates.
No one was eager to experience the scorching metal or risk being buried under it.
But while the temperature was terrifying for the goblins, it meant nothing to the fire dragon.
To the dragon, the heat was no more than a warm bath.
Alaric cast fire and water protection spells on the two girls, and they donned invisibility cloaks.
As they got ready, the freed fire dragon roared in fury, causing the goblins to retreat.
Then, the fire dragon stood, spread its wings, and soared into the air.
Alaric squeezed his knees tightly, gripping the serrated dragon scales with one hand and holding Penelope, who was clinging to him, with the other.
Cho Chang, sitting in front of him, gripped the dragon's back spikes while being pinned under Alaric's weight.
Their positions were close but securely fastened on the dragon's back, ensuring no one fell off.
In the air, the fire dragon surged forward, knocking over the armor mountain like bowling pins.
The wave of hot, silvery armor quickly engulfed the unsuspecting goblins.
Despite being airborne, they could see below the goblins struggling in the sea of armor.
But this was not an ocean of water but of molten metal or magma.
Hundreds of goblins were submerged, and those who surfaced were covered in bubbles, screaming in distress.
As the sea of armor continued to rise with each touch, it seemed these unfortunate goblins were on the brink of total annihilation.
.
.
.
Guys, do leave some power stones and reviews.
✌patreon.com/bobthewriter✌
If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to 30 Advance Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.