Isle of Wight, One Hour Later
Albus Dumbledore apparated onto a wide, rolling plain with his wand raised above his head, ready to bring down a powerful curse that would shock everything touching the ground in his vicinity. He would not let the boy escape this time.
He was met not by the sight of Harry Potter, but of Remus Lupin and Alastor Moody, both crouching and pointing their wands at him.
"Where is he? What's happening?" Dumbledore asked hurriedly.
Moody spat disgustedly on the ground. "No idea. There's nobody within miles of this bloody place, Albus. Look around."
Dumbledore took stock of his surroundings, and saw nothing but green rolling hills in every direction. In the distance he saw sheep grazing on a hillside, but no sign of human habitation.
He looked in confusion at his colleagues.
Lupin just shrugged. "I have no idea either, Headmaster. Harry used his wand less than a minute ago, and we tracked it to here. Somebody must have apparated him away immediately, but why would they come to the middle of nowhere on the Isle of Wight?"
Dumbledore furrowed his brow in thought and then raised his wand. He cast several types of detection spells, but could turn up no other signs of recent magic in the area.
"I don't understand," Dumbledore sighed tiredly, "but we need to search this area thoroughly. Alastor, have someone cover for you outside Gringotts, then gather a small team and split up. See if you can find anything of magical significance around here. Question muggles if you have to; just be sure to obliviate them. Remus, please go ahead and start searching."
Lupin turned obediently to begin his task, leaving Dumbledore and Moody to apparate away from the mystifying scene.
Diagon Alley, outside Gringotts Bank
While Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody were swearing at their lost opportunity and wondering what had just happened, Harry Potter and Nymphadora Tonks were walking up the steps of Gringotts Bank, followed at a distance by disguised Auror Julian Savage. Tonks had reacquired her dowdy, middle-aged appearance, and, just to amuse herself, had restored Harry's doe-eyed dandy glamour charm. It wasn't as if he could curse her in retaliation, after all.
It had been just over an hour since their initial meeting with Madam Bones, and Tonks' ego had taken quite a beating during that hour. She had spilled her guts to Madam Bones as much as her oath allowed, something which caused her both immense relief and immense guilt.
She didn't feel like a traitor in the fight against Voldemort, but disobeying Albus Dumbledore's orders didn't sit right with her either. She didn't know what to think of the day's revelations, except that things were a lot more complicated than they first appeared.
She knew that Moody was watching the entrance to Gringotts, and so she and Savage had planned a little misdirection to get him to move. It worked like a charm, and now Harry could enter Gringotts without being detected by Moody's roving magical eye.
Leaving Savage to stand guard outside, Harry and Tonks entered the bank and approached the nearest teller.
"Excuse me," Harry began, looking at the goblin a little nervously. This was only his second time in Gringotts, and he had really never had a chance to interact with them.
"Yes?" the teller responded.
"I need to see someone about my vault. In private," Harry nearly whispered.
"Key, please?" the goblin answered in a bored tone.
Harry handed his key over warily. The goblin looked at it closely and then ran his finger along a thick ledger. His eyebrow rose slightly when he discovered the identity of the key's owner.
"Please follow me," he said in a more professional tone. "You will need to verify your identity with a manager."
Harry and Tonks followed the diminutive creature to a small antechamber at the far end of the lobby, where he stopped and held up his hand. "My apologies, but only the key holder may enter this chamber. It is for security reasons, to prevent coercion and ensure privacy. There are no exceptions."
Tonks looked a little uncertain at this, but Harry reassured her. "It's alright, Tonks. I don't think it will take long, and you can go with me to my vault."
Tonks nodded, and watched Harry disappear into the room.
Harry found himself in a marble-walled room with sparse decorations and the occasional shield or dagger on the walls. An older-looking goblin looked up at him from a massive desk.
"I am Drecksack," the goblin said imperiously. "How may I help you?"
"Hello," Harry responded. "I'm Harry Potter, but I'm under a glamour charm. I need to know how much I have in my vaults and make a withdrawal."
The goblin stared at him for a moment, then pulled a piece of parchment and a small dagger from within his desk.
"Very well, Mr. Potter, I need you to confirm your identity. Please place a drop of blood on the parchment."
Harry complied, careful not to cut his hand too deeply.
Satisfied with whatever information the parchment conveyed to him, the goblin relaxed slightly and motioned for Harry to be seated. He slid Harry's vault key toward him across the desk.
"Have a seat, Mr. Potter. I shall return in a moment with your vault information."
Harry nodded as the goblin rose and departed, and took a moment to look around the office. It was not what he would have expected to find in a goblin office. It was a bank, he knew, but Harry had envisioned the goblins inhabiting dark rooms with low torchlight and rock walls. This room was bright and practically gaudy despite its sparse decoration.
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