After spotting the golden cup, Kyle suppressed the surge of excitent within him. Turning calmly to the goblin behind him, he said in a composed tone, “This one, Mr. Griphook, is correct, isn’t it? Could you please help retrieve that golden cup?”
Griphook remained motionless, his sharp voice cutting through the stillness. “Sir, only Mr. Black has the authority to remove anything from this vault.”
“Are you sure that’s the one Bellatrix wants?” Sirius interjected, his tone edged with caution. “We can’t afford to get it wrong—we won’t have another chance to co back.”
“Yes, that’s it,” Kyle replied confidently. “It’s a small item, not particularly valuable, but it holds great sentintal value for Madam Bellatrix.”
“You heard him,” Sirius said to Griphook, his impatience evident. “Hurry up, grab it, and let’s leave this miserable place.”
“As you wish, Mr. Black,” Griphook replied with a slight bow.
With a snap of his fingers, the golden cup rose smoothly from the high stone ledge, floating gently through the air toward Sirius. He caught it in one hand and imdiately passed it to Kyle.
The two stepped back into the open space outside the vault, watching as Griphook secured the heavy doors once again.
“I need not remind you, Mr. Black,” Griphook said, turning toward Sirius after confirming the vault was locked, “you will never be allowed to retrieve anything from this vault again.”
“I know,” Sirius muttered with clear disdain. “And believe , I don’t plan on coming back here if I can help it.”
“Good,” Griphook said with a satisfied nod, clearly pleased that only a seemingly insignificant golden cup had been taken.
The three climbed back into the cart, which sped through the labyrinthine tunnels once more. Fortunately, they erged into the dazzling sunlight outside Gringotts before Sirius’s queasiness could overwhelm him.
As they stepped onto the cobblestone street, Sirius turned to Kyle. “I don’t understand why you only took such a worthless trinket.” He glanced back to ensure no goblins were within earshot. “There was a lot of genuinely valuable stuff in that vault. For instance, that crown—crafted by a renowned dieval alchemist and treasured by the Lestrange family for generations. It’s worth tens of thousands of Galleons.”
“Tens of thousands?” Kyle said, patting the leather bag containing the golden cup. “That’s certainly impressive, but…” He smiled faintly. “It pales in comparison to this.”
“Huh?” Sirius scoffed, clearly unconvinced. “It’s just a golden cup. How valuable can it be?”
Kyle’s expression didn’t change as he replied, “Hufflepuff’s Cup. It’s on the sa level as Slytherin’s locket. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Sirius froze mid-step, staring at Kyle with wide-eyed disbelief. “Hufflepuff’s…” His voice rose instinctively before he caught himself and imdiately lowered it. “You an Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup?”
“Who else?” Kyle replied matter-of-factly.
“But…” Sirius’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Why is Hufflepuff’s Cup in the Lestrange vault? And how do you even know about it? You’ve never been here before.”
“Of course not,” Kyle said calmly. “I was only a year old when Bellatrix was captured. Obviously, I couldn’t have been here. But…” He paused slightly before adding, “Helga Hufflepuff himself told about it.”
Sirius blinked, his mouth slightly ajar. “What?”
Kyle shrugged, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. “You’ve heard about it from the professors, haven’t you? I once t the Founders.”
“This…” Sirius looked utterly stunned.
He had indeed heard about this from Lupin, who had recounted the story with a mix of fascination and disbelief. But the idea that Kyle—standing here before him—had interacted with the Founders, figures from over a thousand years ago?
It seed impossible.
Sirius had dismissed the tale as an exaggerated rumor, even laughing at Lupin for believing it.
“You really t Helga Hufflepuff?” Sirius asked again, his tone a mixture of skepticism and amazent.
“Absolutely,” Kyle said without hesitation. “Professor Dumbledore can vouch for it.”
Sirius’s expression grew even more perplexed. “Incredible...” he muttered under his breath.
Seeing Sirius’s confusion, Kyle didn’t elaborate further. After all, he was the only wizard alive who had t the Founders, and his word was final. If anyone doubted him, they were welco to confront Helga Hufflepuff herself—though how they might do so was their problem.
With that, Kyle turned and resud walking, intending to return to Hogwarts via the Leaky Cauldron’s fireplace.
Just as he reached the entrance, Sirius’s voice called out behind him.
“Wait a minute.”
Kyle stopped and turned as Sirius caught up. The man seed to have shaken off his disbelief, perhaps recalling that he had seen the Slytherin locket before and had learned to accept the extraordinary. After all, so much had happened recently that a golden cup tied to Hufflepuff seed almost routine in comparison.
“We’ve got five hours,” Sirius said. “No need to rush back. Co with .”
Kyle assud Sirius wanted to pick out sothing for Harry again and followed without objection. It was the holidays, after all, and there were no pressing school matters that demanded his imdiate return.
However, instead of heading back to the Leaky Cauldron, Sirius led him in the opposite direction—toward Knockturn Alley. They stopped at its entrance, directly across from Gringotts.
“You’re buying sothing here?” Kyle asked skeptically.
Knockturn Alley was notorious for its assortnt of dark magical artifacts and other dubious items. Surely Sirius wasn’t planning to gift Harry anything from such a place?
Sirius shook his head quickly. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. Even if I wanted to shop here, I wouldn’t bring you along—this place isn’t fit for students. No, I’m showing you that.” He pointed at a shop across the way.
Kyle followed his gesture to a storefront with no sign. The door was shut, and a thick layer of dust coated the windows. It was obvious the shop had been abandoned for quite so ti.
“What’s so special about that shop?” Kyle asked curiously. “It’s strange, though. It’s got a pri location right across from Gringotts. Why has it been left empty for so long?”
“That’s because I’ve been... unavailable,” Sirius said, his voice tinged with sarcasm. “This used to be my uncle’s shop. When he passed, he left it to . A while back, when I went to Gringotts to withdraw money, I discovered the magical deed for it.”
“Ah, I see,” Kyle said, nodding. That explained it. With Sirius imprisoned in Azkaban for twelve years, the shop had naturally fallen into disuse.
“What do you think about opening a shop here?” Sirius asked with a wistful look. “I’ve dread about it countless tis... When Harry graduates, we could run it together. We wouldn’t need to make a fortune—just enough to get by and spend ti together every day.”
“Not a bad idea,” Kyle agreed. “What would you sell? Potions? Magical props? Herbs?”
Sirius hesitated, his expression faltering for a mont. “Er… I haven’t thought that far ahead. Maybe a dessert shop—selling ice cream, pudding, that sort of thing. I found out yesterday that Harry really likes pudding.”
Kyle glanced toward Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour, only two shops down. It was the most renowned iced dessert shop in Diagon Alley, with a century of history and countless loyal patrons.
“Are you sure?” Kyle said, raising an eyebrow. “If you try selling ice cream here, you might as well just stay ho and eat your savings.”
“Just an idea,” Sirius admitted sheepishly, scratching his head. “Harry can decide what we sell.”
“Why not sell the knick-knacks you used to make?” Kyle suggested. “Your maps and badges were really popular at Hogwarts.”
“You an the stuff we made during school?” Sirius asked, considering it. “That could work. Sales might not be as strong outside of Hogwarts, but it wouldn’t lose money. And I could start with the designs you’ve made—see how they do, then expand.”
Kyle shrugged. “I don’t have a shop, so I’d have no use for them. You might as well take everything.”
“No, you do have a shop,” Sirius said with a sly grin, pointing to another unused storefront next to his. “That one’s yours. Consider it my Christmas present to you.”
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