The old goblin behind the counter clapped his hands, and a younger goblin approached.
"I shall need the Clankers," he told the goblin, who dashed away and returned a moment later with a leather bag that seemed to be full of jangling metal, which he handed to his senior. "Good, good! So, if you will follow me, Madam Lestrange," said the old goblin, hopping down off his stool and vanishing from sight, "... and Sir, I shall take you to the vault."
The old goblin hurried toward one of the many doors leading off the hall. As Voldemort was walking, his cold voice echoed throughout the hall.
"I hope that goblins have not forgotten about their code of confidentiality. Make sure it does not come to the point where I will have to personally come to each one of you and give you a reminder."
With that, Voldemort passed into the rough stone passageway beyond, which was lit with flaming torches. The old goblin whistled to summon a little cart that came moving along the tracks toward them out of the darkness.
Then, the three got in.
With a jerk, the cart moved off, gathering speed, and then the cart began twisting and turning through the labyrinthine passages, sloping downward all the time. The only sound was the rattling of the cart on the tracks.
Bellatrix laughed in adrenaline; her hair flew behind her as they descended even deeper into the earth, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.
They took a hairpin bend at speed and saw ahead of them, with seconds to spare, a waterfall pounding over the track.
They zoomed through it.
The old goblin turned around to see that both Voldemort and Bellatrix had been drenched by the water, with Voldemort staring right into the goblin's eyes.
Voldemort could have easily avoided the water, but it was quicker to prove his identity.
"Sorry, Sir. This is the Thief's Downfall, a defensive mechanism to protect the lower and most secure vault. The water washes away any concealment or enchantments that are used by the occupants of any mining cart that ran through it, as well as causing the cart to derail and crash, preventing the thieves from progressing any further."
The goblin wanted so much that the cart would stop revealing the occupants as thieves. But as the cart continued downward, the goblin now had the full confirmation that the wizard next to him was indeed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
After a few more turns, the cart finally stopped, and they got out onto the rocky platform. Unlike the upper vault, they were not directly in front of the vault's door but instead saw a passage.
After they exited the passage, they heard a loud roar.
A gigantic dragon was bound to the ground in front of them, blocking access to four or five of the deepest vaults in the place. The beast's scales had turned pale and peeling during its long captivity underground. Its eyes were milkily pink. Both rear legs bore heavy cuffs from which chains led to enormous pegs driven deep into the rocky floor. Its great spiked wings, folded close to its body, would have filled the chamber if it spread them, and when it turned its ugly head toward them, it roared with a noise that made the rock tremble, opened its mouth, and spat a jet of fire.
The goblin began running back through the passage to escape the hot fire as it normally happened. But unlike other wizards that the goblin had ever accompanied, Voldemort stood still.
The fire was almost on him.
Voldemort pointed his wand, and a wave of water erupted to meet the fire. The elements collided in a spectacular display, water vaporizing in contact with the intense heat, creating a cloud of steam that formed between Voldemort and the dragon.
The dragon recoiled, confused by the sudden appearance of the hot steam in the air.
"The Ukrainian Ironbelly is the final line of defense to protect the last vault. A real savage this one, as it is partially blind, but we do have a means to control it. It has learned what to expect when the Clankers come." The goblin pulled out a number of small metal instruments that, when shaken, made a long, ringing noise like miniature hammers on anvils.
The goblin handed one to Bellatrix and moved forward, shaking the Clankers, and the noise echoed off the rocky walls.
The dragon let out another hoarse roar, then retreated.
At last, when they reached the vault, the goblin pressed his palm to the door, and it melted away to reveal a cave-like opening crammed from floor to ceiling with golden coins and goblets, silver armor, and the skins of strange creatures.
This was Lestrange's Vault.
Ignoring all these treasures, Voldemort's attention was focused on a small cup nestled among the treasures.
"Helga Hufflepuff's cup," Voldemort murmured.
Bellatrix was about to step forward and retrieve the Cup for his master, but before she could even move her feet, Voldemort took flight and hovered midair just near the Cup. As soon as Voldemort grabbed the Hufflepuff's cup, he felt a burning sensation on his hand, and countless Hufflepuff cups burst from his fist, raining down into the vault.
The old goblin cried, "It has Gemino and Flagrante Curses."
Voldemort knew well about this from the memories, but for him, it was no issue as he flew back to the entrance and got out.
As soon as Voldemort left the vault, both the Gemino and Flagrante curses stopped.
Voldemort switched the cup to his other hand. The one holding it was slightly burnt from the Flagrante curse, which caused objects to emit searing heat when touched.
Upon seeing the blistered fingers of his Lord, Bellatrix rushed to his side and took the burnt fingers. Bellatrix's lips enclosed Voldemort's burnt fingers without hesitation, her tongue swirling over the blisters to give whatever comfort to her master.