[57] Heirlooms of the Serpent

Helena had found the badge and given it to him on the eve of Hall's departure. She couldn't leave Hogwarts — she didn't want to leave, and Dumbledore wouldn't allow it. She'd reluctantly handed him the badge, then curled up pitifully on his pillow.

Hall had thoroughly searched the Chamber of Secrets. He'd only seen objects depicting this badge, never the actual object. Helena must have hidden it. She was reminding him — remember to help her find her master.

A family crest was also proof of identity. As long as the goblins recognised it, Hall didn't need other verification. He hoped for a lucky break. Having Slytherin blood, using their badge to open an account was perfectly normal — the only uncertainty was whether the goblins would accept it.

Fortunately, the goblin before him clearly recognised it. Goldfang saw the Slytherin badge and its pupils contracted sharply. It looked up at Hall, then hesitated, its eyes fixed on his hair.

"Is there a problem?" Hall asked, pretending not to notice.

Goldfang snapped out of his daze. "Please wait a moment." He descended from the high counter, took the badge, and ran to the highest seat at the centre of the hall. A goblin sat there — from his attire and seating, clearly a leader.

Goldfang handed the badge to the leader, pointing at Hall and speaking. The leader took the badge, visibly startled, put on his glasses, and examined it intently. Then he looked up at Hall, his eyes showing obvious excitement.

Hall frowned. The goblin's behaviour was strange. The relationship between goblins and wizards wasn't usually friendly, but this goblin's face showed clear intimacy.

Something was amiss.

The leader leaped down from his high position and walked to Hall's side. Hall looked down. The goblin wasn't much larger than a house-elf, not even reaching Hall's waist as an adult. The nameplate on his chest read "Ragnok."

"Greetings, esteemed Mr. Slytherin." He bowed humbly, his eyes brimming with excitement.

"Greetings," Hall replied.

This content has been unlawfully taken from NovelPhoenix; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"The Slytherin family already possesses a vast vault in Gringotts. You need not open another one."

Hall raised an eyebrow. Such a good thing?

"Then take me there."

Ragnok gestured forward. "Please." His face was visibly excited. Didn't he even consider the possibility that Hall might be an imposter? The situation was shrouded in mystery. Hall heightened his vigilance, clutching a wand tightly — his old, discarded wand. He wasn't sure if any traces of magic remained on it, so he didn't want to use it unless necessary.

Moreover, Hall was puzzled. He remembered the Slytherin family lineage being the Gaunt family, and the Gaunts were notoriously poor. How could a vault have suddenly appeared? This was why he'd tried using the crest.

The stone corridor leading to the vault was narrow and dimly lit by torches. Ragnok took Hall on a ten-minute high-speed cart ride, heading underground. The cart sped along maze-like passageways. Icy air whistled past, stinging his eyes.

When the cart stopped, Hall stumbled, utterly dizzy. He steadied himself against the rocks. He'd known the vault was underground, but not this deep — almost at the very bottom of Gringotts.

The largest and best-preserved vaults belonged to the oldest wizarding families. That was where Hall stood now. Vaults closer to the surface were smaller with less security — like the Weasley family's.

He looked up. Before him stood a massive circular door made of gold. Even as an adult, Hall felt incredibly small standing before it. On either side of the golden door crawled enormous golden serpent statues. The snake head was almost twice the size of Hall's, its gaping maw revealing sharp fangs. It looked completely different from Helena — extremely ferocious, its eyes fixed on the visitor, as if wanting to tear him apart.

Ragnok stepped forward and touched the massive door. At his touch, the two giant snakes seemed to awaken, slithering along the doorframe before returning to their positions. Their eyes were no longer as ferocious.

Ragnok handed the crest back to Hall, pointing to a dent in the door. He indicated how to twist the crest. Hall followed his instructions, but it wouldn't budge.

A slight pain shot through his fingertip. Blood again? Couldn't this security system have new tricks?

After the stinging sensation, Hall felt the badge come to life. He applied force, and it spun. After one rotation, it clicked into place. He released his grip.

Click. Click. Click.

The entire cave trembled. With a muffled thud, the golden gate opened. Pitch black inside. Ragnok gestured for Hall to enter.

Hall cast a protective spell using wandless magic and stepped carefully into the darkness. With each step, candles on the walls lit up one by one, illuminating the entire enormous cavern. It was as if a mountain had been hollowed out.

Hall gasped.

The cavern was empty.

---