Sitting at the same table, both Quincy and Grindelwald were looking at me. While the former was curious about the same thing I was, the Silver of Ugnok, the latter's eyes were filled with a different kind of curiosity.

"You know about it?" I asked, looking up at Grindelwald.

"Somewhat, yes. I do know that it is supposedly a treasure of the very first goblin king. Ugnok the Unalloyed. According to ancient legends and goblin beliefs, he united their race as their very first king, but only for a short time. He was later killed, or they say."

"By a wizard?" I asked, already expecting the answer.

"If you want to listen to the goblins, yes, by a wizard. But we don't really know if Ugnok truly existed, as there is no legitimate claim to his bloodline. Many later kings proclaimed they were descendants of Ugnok, but none had any proof to back it up."

"And this silver would be that?" Quincy asked, leaning forward to look at him.

"If it exists. We don't even know what it is. Many goblins died searching for it all their lives, only to find nothing and die poor and broken."

"Why would Old Silver help us out then?" I whispered, thinking to myself.

"For two reasons. Like many other goblins, he would not miss an opportunity like this. Plus, if your clue results in absolutely nothing, he will hold the list he is bringing to you as a favor and remind you of it forever."

"Herpo!" I shouted in my mind, and to my surprise, he answered immediately.

"Relax. He will find something. Not Ugnok or his treasure, but evidence that he was real."

"Are you sure?" I asked, feeling a bit nervous.

"Yes, because I killed Ugnok. The bastard was stealing from me and reneging on our agreements at every turn he could. So when I had enough, I turned him into a liquid and forged a statue out of him that I kept in my palace. The Silver of Ugnok refers to that statue. Anyway, that thing is long gone; it was destroyed when I was defeated the first time. So, they will never find it, as I said... but! They will find clues about his silver and its true origin, sending them on a wild chase for another millennium. Good on them, greedy little bastards."

"You really hate goblins..."

"Yes, I do. Ugnok's mind was so greedy that I could not control him. He broke free every time to enrich himself and steal anything moderately valuable. Worse, his greed was so powerful that he could break my control over others of his kin, turning them into his followers. I won't lie, I was impressed..."

Well, this is another reminder of who's descendant I was. Geez. After that, we just sat there, waiting for an hour, when the door opened again, and Old Silver returned. He walked in unhurriedly and climbed back to his chair before pressing a lone parchment toward me. He said nothing, simply waiting for me to take it and read it through. I did not want him to think I was unsure, so I took it without hesitation and read it through.

"That's... a big list..." Quincy murmured, leaning close to me, reading it with me. 

I had to agree. It was... Plus, the vault number and its location were left off it. I wasn't surprised, so I ignored the fact and kept reading, memorizing everything, holding back my smile. I already had found what I thought I would. There was a ring hidden within, described perfectly on the list, with a little stone embedded into it. This description alone made me 80% sure it was the resurrection stone. The shape and form matched Grindelwald's teachings.

"I think we are done with our transaction." I answered, giving back the list, making the goblin nod, looking at me. Maintaining my gaze, I saw his long ears sometimes twitch and his fingers spasm, almost tearing into the paper. Was... was he receiving news? How? Through what? I didn't feel any magic pass through here... Are they copying some kind of muggle technology, like their TV? To talk over a long distance?

"Mhm. We did." 

He had just finished his sentence when the door opened again, and a human walked in, carrying a brown, unassuming suitcase.

"You did have it." Grindelwald whispered, knowing well the old goblin was lying when he said he needed time. He also realized my little clue had to be useful because he was ushering us out as fast as possible without saying it out loudly. Grindelwald was not about to argue, so he stood up, grabbed his suitcase without checking it, and nodded toward us to follow him.

I wasn't pleading against it either; I did not like it here. Goblins are kind of weirding me out with all their little schemes and mind games. With the multiple traps I was warned about, I wanted to go anywhere else but be here. I would deal with Death Eaters and the Order at once, then live amongst them for even a day! But, our walk out of the city, heading towards their border to apparate away, would not be as smooth as coming in.

"It seems that your information was not a lie, Conrad." Grindelwald exclaimed, and I could see why.

"It seems so..."

While walking to Old Silver, I noticed that the city was kind of empty. But now? We passed multiple goblins who were hurrying somewhere, and we even saw different little cars coming out of the estates and heading away. It was like a beehive had been kicked, and as the preparator, I was afraid one of them would try to sting me.

"Stop for a moment." A raspy voice echoed, aiming at us right when we were just a few meters away from the border of their territory. Before us, the road was blocked by two trucks and around thirty goblins standing there, with a similarly old one in the middle, looking just like Old Silver.

"Old Gold." Grindelwald shrugged, remaining calm. "What is it?"

"A lot," he answered, walking closer and looking up at us while leaning onto a black and gold walking stick. "You come and visit my cousin, and now half of the city, the half that is under him, begins buzzing. I don't like it."

"And it is our problem... because?" He asked, tilting his head, unafraid.

"Because I said so."

"We can strike up a deal." I interjected, turning all the goblins' gazes at me, and this time, I was acting out of my own initiative. 

"And who would you be, child?" Clearly, he was not keen on conversing with me and was happy about my interruption. Still, before Quincy could snort loudly, expressing her displeasure, Grindelwald's laugh made Old Gold take me seriously.

"The boy responsible for why Old Silver is so in a hurry."

"What did you do, boy?" Old Gold grunted, now solely looking at me.

"As I said, I would be open to a transaction between us."

"Speak."

"You are at least more forthright than Old Silver..." I murmured, making the old goblin flash his sharp teeth at me. "Can you get us into the vault of the current Dark Wizard or not?"

"..." Well, at least I wiped his smug smirk off his face. But then again, he remained still for a long time, thinking. "It wouldn't be cheap."

"The Silver of Ugnok." I repeated the exact words, and his reaction was almost identical. 

"Impossible!" he exclaimed, gripping his cane even stronger. But then again, seeing how half of the city buzzed, he couldn't help but look at me again, trying to see into my soul.

"Decide for yourself." I shrugged, crossed my arms, and waited as long as needed for him to come to terms with himself.

"Tell me, boy."

"First, I want to see a contract." I countered, already waiting for it. This time, it won't be a simple 'transaction.' I wanted guarantees. I watched him grumble and mumble, but in the end, he produced two parchments, penning up the contract on the side of their trucks before giving it to me.

I wasn't as sure I could understand it, so I handed it to Grindelwald, who took more than ten minutes to read it. After finishing reading it, he suggested three additions, angering Old Gold, but nonetheless, he acquiesced and made the changes. When I stamped it with my finger, leaving a bloody mark on it, and he did the same, I told him the same riddle. Although I knew he was skeptical, the reaction from Old Silver was big enough to convince him that I wasn't lying, nor an idiot or a fluke.

"What else do you know?" He asked right when we were ready to leave.

"Nothing else. I only discovered this information by accident while studying the history of Herpo the Foul. I didn't know its importance until a few days ago. That is the truth."

I expected them to hold us up, but because Old Silver was ahead of them in action, they chose to leave instead, racing with time and their cousins. On the other hand, Grindelwald simply smiled, holding onto our shoulders, and we apparated out of there.

...

....

......

"Something happened with the Goblins, Albus!" McGonagall explained that the head of the Order was having a meeting on a moonless night. They were hiding away from prying eyes and any type of magic in their current headquarters, a lonely castle somewhere on the British Isles.

"And not just here." Moody added, "Almost all over the continent."

"Many of our contacts suddenly disappeared or withdrew, and we received multiple reports that many transactions within their banks have been... sluggish," Lupin said, finishing the reports, unsure what this could mean.

"Are they allying themselves with...?" Flitwick, the smallest of the group, asked, but he couldn't believe that would be the reason. "It can't be..."

"No, they did not." Dumbledore answered, letting out a long breath, only telling part of what he was thinking of. "Severus has contacted me; the Dark Lord had run into the same issue. This has to do something with the goblins and not with us. Something happened that caused a ruckus within them. For now, try to discover what its source is, but don't push too hard!"

Looking at the old wizard, McGonagall, and Moody already had an inkling of what could be the reason... they saw Grindelwald's return, and if anyone could create such a disturbance, it had to be the old friend and enemy of Dumbledore. The only good news was that they were not the sole target of whatever he was planning...