When I entered the courtyard of the head of the goblins, I couldn't help but think how wealthy and powerful he may be. They controlled Gringotts, and through it, they could control the lives of countless wizards. Would they, though? It had to be a delicate situation, and they had to balance around the factions, walking a tightrope. If they ever fell in with one wizarding group, that could easily mean that all the other wizards joined up against them in an attempt to bring them down.

Quincy was right; I bet that war between wizards profits them more than taking either of their sides. If they remain impartial, they can play both sides and remain in a position where neither group could slight or attack them, in fear of pushing them into the arms of the other. Crafty. And... I had an inkling that any other goblin family, especially those Gold... Gold, whoever would jump on the opportunity to take over.

My thoughts were interrupted by arriving at the villa and walking in, greeted by a giant hall made of marble and statues, furniture crafted from precious metals. To my surprise, a human butler greeted us. Wait, no, it was a wizard; I noticed the wand hanging on his side.

"Please, come this way. The Master will be with you shortly," he said courteously, but he only looked at Grindelwald and ignored the rest of us. Following the butler, he led us to a conference room and served us drinks and snacks before leaving through another thick, golden door.

"You can eat and drink; it won't be poisoned." Grindelwald said with a chuckle, watching Quincy tap the food with the tip of her wand. To demonstrate it, he picked up one muffin and bit into it while looking around calmly.

"Would it be below their standard?" She asked, following suit while I tasted the tea, which was superb.

"No. They would do it anywhere else. Here? Too many eyes. We walked all the way here so everyone in this city knows our arrival and our connection to old Hammerstrike. If anything happened, it would come to light very quickly. He won't do anything that makes him open to attacks from rival families."

"Like from the Goldhands?" Quincy asked, following up with another question: "Was that really a wizard before? Do wizards serve goblins? I never heard about it!"

"Yes, and yes." He nodded, washing the muffin down with a cup of tea, "It isn't rare, but of course, any wizard in service of a goblin family would be shunned back home. So, they are usually exiles or runaways. Escapeeds, if you will."

"Dark wizards?" I chortled, looking at him, and sure enough, he nodded his head.

"I was also given an option to become a servant. Of course, don't be mistaken! They come with special contracts that are as binding as any wizarding, magical oath. But, for some who are talented enough, becoming a goblin's servant is much better than being thrown into Azkaban."

"Yeah, but some families would die first than accept an offer like that." Quincy added quickly, "I know that some of my ancestors would be so offended by the notion of such an offer that they would send back the head of the messenger as an answer."

"True enough," Grindelwald agreed, "I also felt the same way. Some goblins even use it as a tactic to get rid of someone. Sending a poor guy to a wizarding family who they know would kill the messenger. Anyway, it is what it is, so don't be too surprised."

"What's up with the Gold... Goldhands!" I remembered, finally, "Do you know them?"

"A bit. Not a lot, as I wasn't interested in goblin-kind that much. I knew enough to work with them and to use them, but my focus was on a wholly different purpose. They are just as ancient as Hammerstrike; in fact, they are related."

"I'm not that surprised. Big families, with centuries of power usually all related." Quincy interjected with a shrug, "I am probably also related to almost half of the remaining sacred wizarding families. I do know, that there was some relation between me and Draco."

"Ugh, when you say it like that..." I shivered, making her laugh and hug me.

"But it is true." Grindelwald continued, "Both families trace their bloodline back to Ragnuk the First. He was one of the most brilliant rulers of goblins because he was one of the best smiths who ever lived. Believe me, goblins rarely say something like that, but in his case, it is true."

"Oh, I remember him!" I snapped my finger, "We learned about him when we were taught about the four founders of Hogwarts. It is the same goblin Gryffindor was tasked with making his sword."

"Yes. Since its creation, that sword had been the source of trouble for both sides." Quincy added while shrugging.

"Not wrong." Grindelwald agreed with a smile. "Ragnuk fell in love with the sword, but, as I said, Gryffindor was crafty. He probably asked his good friend, Slytherin, to help him design the contract so he could fool Ragnuk and force his hands to hand it over. Later, the goblin tried to steal it back, but he never succeeded. There were even rebellions fought for the sword later on... many, bloody events but none succeeded."

"And because of their customs," Quincy finished for him, "They still think the sword is theirs, and it was stolen from them. They never gave up on getting their hands on it, huh?"

"No, we did not." 

The answer came from Silver Hammerstrike, the old goblin himself, who entered the room, followed by multiple human servants. I wanted to laugh, watching him climb up to a unique chair to reach the same height as us, but I made sure my face didn't even flinch. I let Grindelwald do the talking as we sat next to him, listening in quietly. Luckily, Quincy could also follow this time as they were not using the goblins' tongue to speak.

"That sword is rightfully ours." Hammerstrike repeated, but our Master was not about to argue about it.

"It is a millennia-long debate, and I have no interest in reigniting it, Old Silver. I am more interested in our agreement."

"Of course. But you need to realize that your sudden appearance here caught me unprepared. It will take time to transfer your belongings to my home."

"You should have known I left Nurmengard, as you helped me build it. You would have been the first being in this world to know when I die so you could keep my belongings for yourself."

"Knowing that you perished is different from knowing you escaped; you have to understand." The old goblin answered him in a natural yet kind voice, but I knew he was simply avoiding the points Grindelwald was raising and countering him with.

"How long will it take?"

"A day at most."

"We will wait it out here, in this room." Grindelwald stated clearly, and although I saw the goblin's eyes flash, thinking of offering to host us, he finally decided to gulp back his words.

"Fine. With our transaction coming to a close, a very long cooperation is about to end. Maybe it is time to look into the future."

"I don't plan to do much after this." He countered the goblin again, and it was the first time I had seen the surprise on its wrinkled face. "I no longer have grandeur ideas and plans, Old Silver. I will take my things, and that is it."

"It is hard to believe it is coming from your mouth, Gellert Grindelwald. Your ambitions were the main driving point behind every action of yours. You were almost goblin-like."

"I changed."

"But the world did not. Another one like you emerged amongst your kind, and no matter where you are, he won't stand still if he finds out about your return."

"Probably. Should I fear him? Is that what you are getting at?"

"Yes." The way he said it surprised me this time. I couldn't help but exchange a look with Quincy, curious about where this was going. "That particular wizard is troublesome. Gringotts had been finding it increasingly hard to operate in one of our most profitable regions. There is always a new rule, a new edict from the Ministry that we need to work out and adapt to... it has been... frustrating."

"Are you thinking about joining the feud, Old Silver?" Grindelwald asked, smiling softly.

"You know it is not what I mean. We host both sides, and our safes are open to everybody who can pay for them. I am simply talking about potential future problems if the current events escalate even further."

"You just want a third party to enter the fray because you are afraid that no matter which side wins, they will try coming for you?"

"I'm just looking for more security. Decades of warfare are less profitable in the long run than peace."

"I have to refuse." Grindelwald said after a moment of thinking.

"Conrad, follow my lead." Herpo declared, suddenly speaking to me, almost making me jump in my chair.

"What are you thinking of?"

"Just say what I tell you. Trust me."

"I do have a proposition, though." When I opened my mouth, everyone was surprised, including Quincy, Grindelwald, the butler standing at the door, and lastly, Old Silver.

"What is your name, young wizard?"

"Conrad Anguine."

"Mhm. I am listening, young Anguine." He fully turned towards me, and I could see the curiosity in his eyes, especially because Grindelwald quickly regained his calmness, not interfering with my interruption.

"Silver of Ugnok."

"...!" The moment I spoke those words, coming from Herpo, I watched the goblin shudder and sit up straight in his chair. Even Grindelwald looked at me deeply, trying to read my thoughts. Yet, I think only Quincy realized what was happening, and she leaned back, enjoying the show like we had watched muggle TV for days. "Boy... how do you..."

"I only have a clue for it, Silver Hammerstrike. It's a riddle that I came across, to be precise.

From Knossos' glory to rugged peaks,

My beauty and wonder forever speaks.

I am not telling you that what you are looking for lies at the end of it. I just know that it can lead to more clues to finding it."

"You are not lying..." He whispered, only breaking eye contact and blinking after he made sure of it. Was he using some kind of goblin magic? Maybe... I don't know.

"What do you wish for in return for this information, young Anguine?" He asked, taking a deep breath, betraying his frustration that he felt I played him here.

"Nothing."

"That won't do." He countered, unwilling to go into debt.

"Then..." I leaned forward, "Let's say I would be happy to read what is stored within a certain Dark Lord's vault. I don't need to see it, nor do I need to enter the vault. Just a simple list of what is inside right now. That's it."

"..."

I wasn't hurrying anywhere. I patiently waited for the goblin's answer, looking into his eyes, unafraid of his gaze. Luckily, after more than five minutes, he nodded his head. He didn't say a word; he climbed down from his chair, waddled out of the room, and left us there. I expected Grindelwald to say something, but instead, it was Quincy who couldn't hold it back.

"What is that Silver of Ugnok?"

"That... I would want to know too..." I replied, trying to force Herpo to spill the beans already.