"You can't do this to me!" the lone goblin cried.
"What we can and cannot do is based completely on your willingness to talk!" Barchoke shouted. "Take him away!"
Gropegold was hauled towards the far end of the hall, his panicked cries lingering far longer than he did.
"Auditor, tear his office apart if you have to. I want answers. Litigator, lock down the assets of his entire extended family. No one gets away until I clear them."
"Yes, Overseer," they said in unison and moved off at once with practiced strides leaving Harry and the Overseer in the quiet hallway once more.
"Was there a point to that?" Harry asked incredulously once he had gotten over his shock.
"Forge fires are hot-," Barchoke said with a smile that actually reached his eyes. "-To burn away impurities. He'll be learning that - very soon."
"Come," Barchoke said, the word having a strangely friendly tone after what Harry just witnessed. "We'll see about getting you some answers."
....
Harry followed Overseer Barchoke back down the hall, the faint whisk-whisk of his robes and a faint squeak with every other step the goblin took the only sounds to be heard. He briefly wondered if the stillness of the hallway had been magically induced.
He was led to a small door directly across from the large bronze door he had first entered. The only thing that distinguished this door from any of the others was the noticeable lack of any handle. Only a tiny silver key-hole marred its smooth surface; it was placed at precisely the right height to make anyone not-a-goblin have to stoop uncomfortably to reach it.
A tiny silver key to match the tiny silver lock was attached to a tiny silver chain on the Overseer's belt. That produced, and a simple turn to the right, had the goblin motioning him to stand clear. A moment later the door shot open to reveal a room he'd be hard pressed to lie down in and no wider than the two of them abreast.
"After you," the goblin motioned him inside.
With nothing else to do, and confident he was as confused as he could possibly be, Harry entered the cramped little closet. He wasn't sure if it was the claustrophobic closeness of the walls or something about their puke-green color but Harry was forcefully reminded of the wonky chocolate movie where some mad singing candy-maker crammed a load of tourists into a room like this only to take them back out the way they had come - only for them to find themselves somewhere else entirely.
He was wondering just how much of the magical world had bled its way over to the muggle one when the door closed, sealing them in. A small puke-green panel, invisible while the door had been open, sprang to life to the Overseer's right. After inserting his key into another tiny silver lock and pressing the button second to the top in a vertical row of five, the goblin gave out a warning.
"Hold on to something," he said as he closed the panel again.
Before Harry could even wonder what he was supposed to hold on to he felt the most disturbing thing in his life. He was turned upside down, right-side up, upside down, spun around, and corkscrewed halfway so he was right-side up again all in the split second before he could have the chance to fall.
For the first time Harry regretted not being deprived of breakfast. Feeling like his stomach was inside out and in his mouth had him regretting every bit of food he'd ever eaten. Slumped against the wall with his eyes closed helped fight the dizziness but it did nothing to put his stomach back where it belonged.
"You coming?" the goblin asked, now standing outside the little room again.
Harry made his way out of there before the flipping closet could do again whatever it was it did. 'At least now I know why it was painted puke-green,' he thought as he attempted to swallow his stomach.
The small antechamber Harry found himself in was nothing like the hallway they'd left. He had trouble even believing this was the same building. The floors weren't covered in carpet to begin with; these were a dark gray marble tile. The walls were also marble, though they were a silver-gray. Also gone were the torches and metalwork, replaced by softly glowing orbs clutched in the claws of various stone dragons that seemed to be growing out of the walls.
Every surface he saw was polished so much that it shined. Everything was so immaculate even the Dursleys would be tripping over themselves for the chance to eat off their floor. Harry heard the faint tinkling of water coming from somewhere which added to the cooler feeling of wherever he was and had a pleasantly soothing effect on his stomach.
"My office is this way, Mr. Potter," Barchoke said as he gestured to the hallway proper.
.....
Want to read ahead. Then Join my Pa*treon 60+ exclusive chapters that are waiting for you.
Even Free members can enjoy 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: pa*treon.com/Lotus_Lover (Remove the *)
Join Right Now