CHAPTER - 23

"This way." The goblin said, touching the wood door. It disappeared, and Lily walked through. Gringotts had never ceased to amaze her, be it the extensive paranoia of their security system or greed of their bankers. But then, they ran the wizarding economy, so it wasn't her place to complain.

"Have you found anything that was stolen?" Lily asked.

The goblin shook his head. "We do not keep records of how much is in a vault." He said. Probably because it was never necessary, Lily assumed.

"I'll have to check to make sure nothing was stolen." Lily realized.

"Yes." He replied. The vault was large, an endless pile of gold stretching as far as her eyes could see. Lily bit her lip.

"What? How am I supposed to check?" She demanded, looking at the mountain of wealth James had left her. She sighed. Of all the things James could have left her, it was this.

The goblin appeared sheepish, if that was possible. "Perhaps see if any important personal items were lost?" He asked.

"And why would anyone flip through my Gringotts vault for personal items?" Lily asked.

A silence ensued as the goblin's face became more green. "You have our apologies, Mrs. Potter. We will be relocating a few dragons as guards. But we cannot offer anything else." He said.

Lily sighed. "I don't blame your bank, Griphook. It must have had many security measures, I'm sure. Don't worry about it, I see that the gold is still here. But I have a small favor to ask, if you don't mind."

"Of course, Mrs. Potter, what would you like?" He asked.

"I've been taking some Mandrake leaves lately to prepare brewing a potion. They are useful for many, but one of which can draw the entirely wrong type of attention if word gets out. I'm not planning on breaking the law, of course, but still-" She was cut off.

"Of course, Mrs.Potter. You have my word that nobody else will find out. Mandrake leaves, you said? Yes, yes, come here." Griphook moved forward, digging a few tattered leaves out of a large pile of gold. He found a bag to stuff them inside, and handed them to Lily.

"Thank you, Griphook." She said, preparing to leave. Perhaps this wasn't so bad after all.

Then, she saw the dog.

A bark sounded as a large black dog bounded towards her, fur matted and wet. She saw a few bruises on it's skin, and several cuts on it's paws. It was panting, haunches raised as it came close. If this was any other dog she may have been shocked, but she recognized this one.

"Padfoot." She whispered without thinking.

She spun towards Griphook. "I certainly don't remember a dog in my Gringotts vault." She exclaimed.

He looked at Lily, then at the dog. "I don't either." He said, walking forward. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Potter, here, let me, ah!" The black dog leaped with a growl, and Griphook fell with a yelp. Lily snarled, and rushed forward.

"Flipendo!" She shouted. The dog flew back with a crash. "Idiot." She muttered under her breath.

"It's just a dog, Griphook, leave him. I don't suppose your defenses were meant to protect against your animals, it was probably just a false alarm." Lily said.

Griphook stared. "But, how?"

Lily shrugged. "Don't ask me, I don't work here. This one must have been very smart, or very lucky. I can't say which, but it would not be a regular occurrence. Whatever the case, I'm taking him." She said, scooping him up.

"Mrs. Potter." Griphook protested.

She glared. "This dog was found in my vault, Griphook, so he's mine. Now, leave me in peace please. Unless you think he stole something?" Griphook opened his mouth, then closed it.

"As you wish, Mrs. Potter." He said, bowing. The goblin scrambled out of sight.

Her glare turned to Sirius, still a dog. "Well?" She demanded.

She heard what might have been a chuckle or a pant. "So you did come! I was afraid you might come late and leave me to break out." He barked.

This was not the first time Lily wanted to switch him with her wand. "You idiot! What were you thinking, breaking into Gringotts to force me to come? Why did you have to stay? How long have you been doing this?" She growled in his face.

Sirius shrunk back. "Well, I just wanted to, you know, get a surprise ready." He said.

"You fool! Why couldn't you have just told me? I'm no idiot, I would have agreed!" Lily screamed.

Sirius nearly bit out his own tongue. "I… I didn't know that. Besides, I did this hundreds of times before." He mumbled.

"Oh, have you now?" Lily asked.

He yelped. "No! No! I was joking, just a bad joke, a bad joke."

"I hope so." Lily said, dragging him on the ground by the tail. "Now let's get out of here. I will be visiting a potions master, and you will be staying out of trouble. If I catch you doing something like this again." Her words hung in the air as Sirius barked for mercy, his fine black coat of fur becoming rugged against the vault floor.