Chapter 199 - Auction Invitation (2/2)
Quickly changing the subject, Tiffany jumps in and says, ”Did any of you read today's Daily Prophet?”
”No, why?” Rowan asked as she leaned back in her seat.
”The goblins have announced the auction of a giant basilisk snakeskin to held on Dec. 23rd with other valuable items,” Tiffany explained. ”Invitations have gone out to all the potion and alchemy guilds not to mention the Ministries of the world. Including sole alchemists and potion masters of renown have also been invited. Non-buyers have not been invited including the reporters, but the goblins did make an exception for that popular upcoming journalist, who wrote that scandalous biography on Armando Dippet, ”Armando Dippet: Master or Moron.”
Tiffany paused and made a face of dislike. ”Her name is Rita Skeeter. Though I don't believe she actually had Armando's Dippet's permission to write her said biography seeing as he lives in the southern France countryside. And Papa says, that she is a vapid upstart.”
Rowan almost chokes at the name as she drily says, ”No doubt, the news will be particularly tantalizing.”
”Well, whoever is selling the basilisk skin is going to earn a fortune,” Terry observed. ”A single square foot of basilisk skin goes for hundreds of galleons. I can't imagine how much that will end up selling for.”
Terry paused and furrowed his brow. ”On the other hand, where did the buyer get such a rare item? Basilisks have not been seen in Great Britain for hundreds of years!”
”Apparently it was an old family heirloom,” Bethanie helpfully answered. ”Or at least that's what the goblins claim as no other basilisk parts are for sale.”
”And if that's the case more than likely the seller is in urgent need of money,” Silvia wisely concluded as Rowan nodded her head in agreement. She really was in need of her own funds.
The rest of the conversation flows over Rowan until they retire for bed. Closing the curtains to her bed, she sits on her bed to meditate. Feeling the power course in her, she begins to ponder the invitation she had received only a few days ago from the goblins informing her of such a thing. It was too good of an opportunity to miss, while everyone else was occupied with the auction. It would be the perfect time to destroy the Horcrux within Bellatrix's vault. And as on the route to vault #113, they had rather conveniently passed nearby said vault. There was a good chance, she could get to it.
Since the last weekend of September, Rowan had carefully since sliced open the basilisk's venom sacks and managed to separate it into small parts. Presently in her trunk under very secure spells and carefully placed within a box are several vials full of basilisk venom. If all went well, she'd even be able to smuggle a vial into Gringotts without getting caught.
Everything and anything could go wrong always tended to happen, but that would be fine as long as nothing could be traced back to her. The most important part of the crime is to have the perfect alibi in order to not be implicated by the crime that was committed. And as she would not be stealing anything from Gringotts, therefore, there would be nothing to find on her person.
Though Rowan had to admit she was sorely tempted to take a certain side trip to a certain vault containing a priceless stone. But there was no actual guarantee said stone had been moved there yet. But still, it was nice to have daydreams. And to be perfectly honest, it was greed more than anything else as she wasn't sure she really wanted to be immortal.
Making sure to clear her mindscape of her plans, Rowan finally tucks herself into bed, when a thought occurs to her. What if she wasn't the only one who saw that day as amply full of opportunities? Plenty of guests and security though tight would be distracted keeping track of all the guests. It was the perfect setting for a crime.
Shaking her head, Rowan turns on her side. It's better not to worry about a hypothetical situation. But still, just in case, it wouldn't hurt to come prepared. With that in mind, she fell sound asleep as even in dreams her mind began to churn.