Although the dance was over, the students' enthusiasm had not diminished at all. Even after returning to the common room, they were still discussing it instead of choosing to go back to sleep.
This also caused everyone to get up very late the day after Christmas. When Kyle went to have breakfast, there were few people in the huge auditorium.
"Kyle, you're here." Sirius walked in from the door and said with a smile, "I was just wondering whether I should go to the Hufflepuff common room to find you."
"Looking for me?" Kyle asked, "What's the matter?"
"Have you forgotten..." Sirius looked around and said in a voice that only Kyle could hear: "The key to the vault during the holidays..."
Hearing this, Kyle couldn't help but stand up from his seat.
"So, you can go to Gringotts now?"
"It could have been a long time ago," said Sirius, "where do you think I got the money to buy the Firebolt?
"But you still have to go to school, and I have other things to do, so I just happen to have time now...
Of course, or at the end of the school year if you have other plans for the Christmas holidays.”
"Yes, right now." Kyle said immediately, "But there is a question. Can I leave the castle?"
"Not on principle," said Sirius, "unless we get the headmaster's permission."
"Then what are we waiting for..." Kyle stuffed the remaining bread on the plate into his mouth in a few bites, and went to the principal's office on the eighth floor with Sirius.
…
"You want to leave school?" Dumbledore was a little surprised by their arrival. "Yes, Principal Dumbledore." Sirius looked at Maxim and Karkaroff in the office and said in a very normal tone: "I prepared a special Christmas gift, but I can't send it to school, so I want to take him to see it."
Dumbledore hesitated. "But this is a special period. Kyle is participating in the Triwizard Tournament. Many eyes are watching him..."
"The place we're going to is Diagon Alley," said Sirius. "It's safe there."
"That's right." Kyle also said.
"If we're just going to Diagon Alley..." Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Okay, I agree...
"But how are you going to get there? The train left yesterday and won't be back until the holiday is over."
"Train?" Sirius showed obvious disgust on his face. "That thing is too slow. I've had enough of it when I was in school. We are going to Hogsmeade and borrow the fireplace of the Three Broomsticks."
"If that's the case, there's no need to make another trip." Dumbledore pointed his finger in the direction of the fireplace in the office.
In the blink of an eye, the flames inside turned green.
"Hogwarts is also connected to the Floo Network?" Sirius asked in surprise.
"Although it is usually closed, it can be temporarily opened for a few hours." Dumbledore said, "How about five hours, or even longer."
"That's more than enough, we'll probably be back before lunch," Sirius said, leading Kyle over.
As the two men disappeared from the office, Maxim and Karkaroff's faces changed slightly.
Before the second task began, Kyle, as a warrior, suddenly left Hogwarts... This abnormal behavior seemed very abnormal to them.
And the gifts couldn't be delivered to the castle... This reason was a bit too fake. Did they really think that everyone else was stupid? "Olim..." Karkaroff couldn't help asking, "In Beauxbatons, can students who stay in school leave the school so easily?"
"Of course not," said Ms. Maxim. "Unless they have not signed the detention list in the first place, students are not allowed to leave the school even during holidays."
"It's the same at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said with a smile, "But this time the situation is special. Kyle helped Professor Black a lot during the holidays, and he probably wants to express his gratitude.
"Okay, don't worry about them. Where were we just talking about? Oh, by the way, regarding the Warriors' scoring criteria in the second event, I think..."
Faced with Dumbledore's deliberate attempt to change the subject, Maxim and Karkaroff became more certain that Kyle's trip this time must be related to the Triwizard Tournament.
Thinking of this, when the two looked at Dumbledore again, their eyes changed slightly.
I didn't expect that even though Hogwarts is their home ground, they still want to do such tricks... Bah, so shameless.
Dumbledore, on the other hand, didn't care at all and continued to express his views calmly.
The other side.
After coming out of the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron, Kyle and Sirius headed straight to the backyard.
Because it was just after Christmas and it was still early in the morning, there was no one in the bar except Old Tom, who was wiping a row of empty glasses behind the bar.
"Little Kyle, and Blake?" He greeted the two with a smile, "Would you like something to drink?"
"No, Tom, maybe next time." Sirius shook his head.
The two then went through the entrance to Diagon Alley and made their way to Gringotts.
Looking at the shiny bronze door from before the New Year, Sirius asked, "Do you have the key?"
"Of course, I always carry it with me." Kyle reached into his leather bag, took out a golden key and handed it over.
After Sirius took the key, he walked straight into Gringotts.
In the spacious marble hall, about a hundred goblins sat behind the long counter, some weighing coins with scales, and some examining gems with eyepieces.
They came to the front where an elf sat, scribbling something in a large ledger.
"Ahem..." Sirius said, clearing his throat, "We need to get to Bellatrix Lestrange's vault."
After hearing the noise, the goblin on the opposite side raised his head and said in a sharp voice:
"I'm her...cousin." Sirius curled his lips as if he had eaten a disgusting multi-flavored bean.
"She asked me to help get something."
The goblin glanced at Sirius, then seemed to have thought of something, “Ah, yes, you can indeed meet.
"So...Mr. Black, do you have your keys?"
"Oh, here it is." Sirius threw the key on the table. "She gave it to me. This should be it."
The goblin picked up the key and examined it carefully.
"That's right..." he said, "Mr. Black, I need to remind you that you can only take one item from the vault."
"I know better than you." Sirius said impatiently, "I don't even want to look at that garbage."
"Very good," he said. "I'll have someone take you to the vault, Griphook."
Griphook was another goblin, and he led Sirius and Kyle out of the hall through a door behind the counter and into a narrow stone corridor.
A cart was parked nearby, and they got in and set off.
The location of Gringotts' vault was like a maze, and they rode the cart through the winding passages for nearly twenty minutes.
Sirius's face became more and more ugly. He covered his mouth with his hands, and it seemed that he might vomit at any time.
But Kyle didn't feel anything, just felt the wind was a bit cold.
Again, compared to the Phoenix's Apparition, this is as weak as a children's rocking car.
It was getting darker and darker, and the cart was moving faster.
They crossed a waterfall, their clothes were soaked, and they were shivering from the cold wind.
But there was no way. Without passing through the Anti-Thief Waterfall, Griphook could not lead them to move forward.
About ten minutes later, Kyle heard a whimpering dragon roar.
The voice was weak, without any trace of the pride that a fire dragon should have.
"This is Gringotts' highest defense," Griphook said proudly. "The dragon will make any thief who covets the gold here pay the price."
Kyle looked at him calmly, no expression on his face.
At this time, the cart finally stopped at a mountain stream.
A creature with a sphinx's body and a human face stood in front of them.
Sphinxes, professional caretakers among magical beasts, solve riddles and word puzzles, so they are often used by wizards to protect precious objects and secret places.
There was one in Newt's box, but since there wasn't much gold, silver, or jewelry in the box, it targeted the Moon Beast... Every time Newt went to collect the fertilizer produced by the Moon Beast, he would have to spend a long time with it.
Griphook was the first to come down. He stepped forward and said something, and the Sphinx returned to the negative shape in disappointment.
"Come here." Griphook waved his hand, and Kyle and Sirius followed immediately.
There was only one safe in the ravine. Griphook took the key, pressed it against his palm, and put his hand on the door.
Kyle watched the goblin's movements curiously.
"Except for us goblins, anyone who does this will be sucked in by the door and stuck inside, unable to get out." Griphook looked over and grinned maliciously.
"Could you please hurry up," Sirius said irritably, "and stop talking nonsense."
"As you wish."
As soon as Griphook finished speaking, the tightly closed vault door gradually disappeared.
For a moment, Kyle thought someone had turned on the lights in here, and the golden light dazzled his eyes.
He saw a mountain of gold nearly ten feet high, the skins of various exotic animals, potions in bottles, and a skull with a crown...
"Come on," said Sirius, "grab what you need and we'll leave."
"Okay," Kyle said, looking at Griphook. "Can I go in? Are there any special protective spells in there?"
"There are fire spells and duplication spells," Griphook said, "but you have the key, and the spells have been temporarily lifted until the door is closed. If you're worried, I can do that for you."
"No need." Kyle walked in and deliberately kicked a Galleon at his feet.
The gold coin was kicked far away and finally landed on other Galleons with a ding, and it never turned into two in the process.
Kyle then felt relieved and walked in. Griphook followed closely behind him, as if he was on guard to prevent him from taking anything extra.
Kyle didn't care. Although the gold here was tempting, he had more important things to do...
The vault was not small and contained a lot of things. Kyle walked back and forth inside for five minutes. Finally, he looked up inadvertently and found what he wanted.
Right on a raised stone platform at the very top of the vault, there is a small golden cup with a lifelike badger carved on it and two ear-like handles on the side.
(End of this chapter)