Chapter 219 - Chain Reaction (2/2)
Dumbledore seems to suddenly be lightheaded as he staggers into his chair unable to believe that his old friend and mentor are dead. ”How?” Dumbledore asked as Fawkes let out a sad cry.
”Four wizards broke into the vault and destroyed the Philosophers Stone,” Grok confessed.
”Who?” Dumbledore asked with a sharp gleam in his blue eyes.
”That won't work on me, Headmaster,” Grok snapped feeling an intense headache at Dumbledore trying to see into his mind.
Letting out a sigh of relief at the pressure vanishing, Grok spat out, ”Wizards so utterly impatient!”
Dumbledore has the grace to flush in embarrassment and guilt at least. ”I'm sorry, but he and his wife were good friends of mine.”
”I know,” Grok said as he walked over to tiredly slump down in a seat.
”I'm too old to be doing this,” Grok murmured as he rubbed his aching head.
”What this or the job?” Dumbledore lightly said in jest.
Grok snorts and says, ”That boy of mine is far too greedy only seeing short term profits and not the long-term ones. And as for the others vying for my position, there isn't a single good one among them. But there are some promising prospects at least. We'll see.”
The fire crackling is the only sound for some time as the two men stare into the distance. Finally hauling himself back to his feet, Grok says, ”I don't know what foul game is afoot, Headmaster, but you best be careful.”
Dumbledore was never one to be said no to. ”Please Gringotts. Anything,” Dumbledore pleaded.
Seeing the distraught expression on one of the most powerful wizard's faces made Grok feel a tinge of guilt and satisfaction. ”They served some sort of Dark Lord and had a tattoo with a snake intertwining with a skull.”
A flicker of recognition flashes through Dumbledore's eyes as Grok angrily says, ”Do you know who they are Headmaster? Because I've got two dead goblins that I will have to inform their families Christmas Eve that they won't be ever coming home!”
Dumbledore for a moment seems to be torn and weighs the pros and cons. After a moment, Dumbledore carefully says, ”According to the Auror department said symbol was found hanging in the sky the day that Auror Vinovich was killed. And according to the surviving Auror's present at Caithness, those were the same masked figures responsible for the attack on Malfoy manor last year.”
”So, they're all interconnected,” Grok whispered as the same thought had long since occurred to Dumbledore and was only being reaffirmed.
The two of them are silent for a moment, before Grok says, ”I best leaving you to rest, Headmaster. It is late and I'm sure, you'll be needing to make arrangements for the Flamel's in a few hours. I'll make sure that the goblin clerks will be available to you at any hour while the arrangements are finalized.”
”Thank you,” Dumbledore said as Grok nodded and tossed a pinch of floo powder into the flames, before shouting his destination and vanishing away.
Fawkes trills softly and flaps his tiny wings as he struggles to fly into the air, but someone manages to land on the desk. Leaning over to rub his head softly against Dumbledore's hand, Dumbledore subconsciously begins to rub the head of his feathered friend. ”Thank you, old friend,” Dumbledore said, before remaining at his desk thinking all night long until his office was bathed in warm tones of yellow and orange.