Chapter 349

After the Amortentia incident ended.

The school conducted a major cleanup.

Not only was the Amortentia cleared out, but a wave of dangerous potions and items that had previously been ignored were also purged.

Because this incident was truly too egregious.

It caused dozens of students to be hospitalized due to the riot.

The Headmaster even held an all-school assembly for this, naming and criticizing the actions of Romilda Vane and her close friends, and even John, who knew but did not report it, contributing to the subsequent riot, was dragged out and criticized.

Gryffindor was deducted 100 points, and Ravenclaw was deducted 50 points.

When he heard the point deduction, John clearly saw Professor Snape's mouth stretch all the way to the back of his head.

Afterward.

John did indeed obediently report to the detention room.

Because those Gryffindor students who were injured in the riot were innocent.

He deserved to be punished.

John even took the initiative to take on the job of making recovery potions for them, guaranteeing that he would heal them one by one until they were full of life.

As for those in Slytherin.

At first, he was worried about whether he would accidentally hurt some innocent people.

But after hearing Draco explain what happened on that side, he immediately felt relieved.

Because Draco never actively distributed those chocolates.

They were stolen by those Death Eater reserves.

After Draco defected from Voldemort, his days in Slytherin these past few days had not been easy.

Often, people would maliciously destroy his items, steal his things, or even openly bully him when he was not around.

He endured it all in silence.

If he had actively distributed the chocolates at that time, it would certainly have aroused suspicion.

So he hid the chocolates like a treasure and left early the next morning.

It didn't take five minutes for that box of chocolates to be found by those Death Eater reserves, who then generously shared them with many people.

And then came the chain reaction of the collective Amortentia loss of control.

Although he was in detention, it actually had little impact on John's life.

It just meant he had to stay in the detention room to work after school until curfew.

During the day, he could still frolic as he pleased.

When it was time to go on a mission, he still had to go.

Like now.

Less than two weeks after the Amortentia incident.

News came from Bill.

The vault keeper on duty at Gringotts this week was a senior administrator with the authority to open all vaults.

So, the next morning.

Draco, John, and Professor Moody appeared together in the Headmaster's office.

"This operation will be carried out by the three of you."

This was the result decided after discussion.

They originally wanted Harry to go, just to temper him.

But in the end, for the sake of safety, it was changed to the more experienced Professor Moody, who could just happen to keep this lawless guy John in check.

"Remember, because of the Thief's Downfall, you cannot have any disguise."

"Nor can you control that administrator before reaching the lowest level."

"Otherwise, all magic will trigger an alarm when passing through the Thief's Downfall."

"You only need to enter the lowest level as friends and family of the Malfoy family, following the normal procedures with the vault keeper."

Dumbledore slowly explained the core points of this operation.

"Upon arrival, Alastor, you are responsible for controlling the administrator and opening Bellatrix's vault."

"John, you are responsible for finding the Horcrux in the vault; be careful not to touch anything randomly, in case there is anti-theft magic inside the vault."

"Finally, whether you find the Horcrux or not, you must release the control on the administrator and make him forget all of this."

"Then Draco, you open the vault as usual, go in and walk around to put on a show."

The three nodded in unison.

Draco also handed the Malfoy family medals he had brought from his father to John and Professor Moody respectively.

He himself held the pure silver Malfoy family crest, which symbolized the Malfoy heir.

The Head of Family's was pure gold.

"Good, go, and stay safe."

"If an accident occurs, John, I authorize you to use any means to escape."

As he spoke, Dumbledore pushed a Portkey to the front of the desk.

The three looked at each other and grabbed the Portkey together.

With a 'whoosh', they disappeared from the spot.

Diagon Alley was still incomparably desolate.

Before entering Gringotts, all three of them wore hoods to prevent being discovered by Death Eaters on their way to Gringotts.

It wasn't that they were afraid of Death Eaters.

It was just that during a mission, the fewer people who noticed them, the less trouble there would be.

Fortunately, in these turbulent times, there were many people dressed like them, so they didn't attract any attention.

The towering white marble steps of Gringotts gleamed coldly under the overcast sky.

The three climbed the steps and entered the Gringotts lobby.

At this time, Gringotts had many more wizard guards than it had a few years ago.

It seemed that even the goblins were affected by the shadow of Voldemort's rule.

The three walked all the way to the deepest part of the lobby, in front of that high counter.

Draco slowly took off his hood, revealing a pale but calm face.

"I need to open the Malfoy family vault."

As soon as the word 'Malfoy' was spoken, all the goblins in the room raised their heads to look over.

Including the vault keeper in the primary seat.

Because the fact that Voldemort was hunting the Malfoys was already known to everyone in the wizarding world.

Draco didn't waste words; he just showed the pure silver family crest.

John and Professor Moody behind him didn't even need to take off their hoods; they just wore the family crests on their chests.

The vault keeper squinted his eyes to size up Draco and the two people behind him.

His withered fingers slowly traced the surface of the silver crest, and then he spoke slowly.

"Of course, honorable Young Master Malfoy."

Although goblins were also afraid of death and could be threatened by Death Eaters.

But deep down, they still believed in contracts and ancient rules, and would not turn Draco away just because he was the person Voldemort had named to be killed.

"Please follow me."

The administrator slowly stepped down from the primary seat.

He led the three through a deep corridor to a steel track.

There was a strangely shaped mine cart there.

It was John's first time riding a Gringotts mine cart, and he looked at everything in front of him with curiosity.

The vault keeper went to the driver's seat of the mine cart, while John and the other two sat on either side of the cart.

As the mine cart started, they drove into the dark tunnel together.

The wheels rubbed against the rails, making a sharp screeching sound as the cart drove out of the tunnel.

A vast and deep underground vault complex suddenly unfolded before their eyes.

Countless vault doors were embedded in the rock walls like the fangs of a giant beast, and tracks connected those doors.

The mine cart sped through them, heading all the way down.

They traveled for almost ten minutes.

John suddenly heard a terrifying and hoarse low roar.

It must be the fire dragon that Draco mentioned, guarding the lowest vault.

As they slowly stopped, they arrived in front of a rock wall.

"We've arrived, please watch your step, Young Master Malfoy."

The vault keeper got off the cart first, guiding Draco and the others down.

Then they slowly bypassed the rock wall, and a small plaza appeared before their eyes.

In the plaza, a gray-white fire dragon locked by thick iron chains was crawling in the center.

It was a Ukrainian Ironbelly.

A giant beast with a huge body, scales as hard as steel, and a scorching breath.

Its golden-red pupils slowly opened, clearly noticing them.

However, the vault keeper skillfully took an iron object with bells on both the top and bottom from a wooden box on the side.

As the bells swung left and right, they emitted a crisp and rhythmic ringing sound.

Immediately, the low roar rolling in the fire dragon's throat gradually subsided, turning into a whimper that was almost tame.

Clearly, this fire dragon had been specially tamed.

If Professor Hagrid saw this, he would probably be heartbroken.

But there was a more important mission at hand, so they could only ignore it for now.

Then, under the sound of the bells, they successfully passed through the plaza where the fire dragon was coiled and stepped onto a steel staircase behind the fire dragon.

The lowest level of vaults was here, with two levels, totaling twenty-eight giant doors.

The twenty-eight vaults were originally set up for the twenty-eight Sacred Families, but with the changing times, many Sacred Families gradually declined, and some even died out.

So slowly, they were also purchased by other pure-blood families or wealthy wizards.

This included Bellatrix's vault.