Lucy's face was white with fear as the goblins approached her house. Her parents would still be sleeping. It was so early in the day.
"I wonder if they're looking for a six-year-old?" Lucy wondered nervously. She glanced at the baby basket next to her, and at the signed picture of Harry Potter she had with her, as if asking for help.
She walked to the door and reached out her hand to push it open, but instead of the rough, hard knob, there was firm but soft flesh.
"Mmmm," mumbled Lucy's mother, still half asleep, as she bent over to kiss her daughter awake.
"Mum, the goblins are here and they say we have to leave," Lucy whispered.
"How, dear?"
"Shhh," Lucy replied, again trying to whisper as the goblins banged on the door. "They're at the door. Mum, I've come home and nothing's here. Mum, mum, mum!"
The same baby toot-toot noise was filling the room as her mum got up to go answer the door. Lucy huddled back as her mum opened it.
"What a great morning it is," Mrs. Norris said loudly as the goblins barked, waving their tridents and spears, their yellow eyes like fire behind their pointed berets. She was trying to look cheerful, but the goblins were clearly very angry.
"Don't make us shoot you, Mrs. Norris, I'm feeling kind of mean," one of them growled, pulling the trigger on his gun, firing an orange ball out of it at her husband, who was still in bed on the other side of the house.
"Where's the prophecy?" the goblin shouted.
"I think I know where it is," said Lucy nervously.
"Then you'll come too, we need to question you anyway," said the goblin.
"Mother!" cried Lucy, her voice quivering.
"I told you, dear, we have to leave," her mum said turning around, about to close the door again, but gently to allow Lucy to enter. That's when things began to go downhill. Lucy watched all of this from behind her mum, as her mum turned her back to the goblins with a look of contempt.
"Nothing, I assure you," Mrs. Norris said.
"Oh, you'd better believe it, or you'll be sorry," said one of the goblins, turning around to write something down on the map of the house where all the goblins were gathered.
"Where is she?" snapped the goblin.
"Where is the child?" the other goblins disagreed.
"Where's the prophecy?" screamed the first goblin.
"Nowhere, never mind," Mrs. Norris yelled, as she pulled Lucy into the house.
"I told you I was just gonna speak to her," the goblin shouted.
"Well, a child shouldn't be without her mother," Mrs. Norris retorted as she looked at Lucy.
"Where's the prophecy?" the goblin roared, reaching out to grab her.
"Well, you'll have to kill me first," said Mrs. Norris, as Lucy leapt towards her as the other goblins pulled out their knives, as she pulled Lucy behind her and slammed the door. "I can always dream."
"What are they? They're not goblins," Lucy whispered, as she heard their screams of pain.
"They're human, dear. This whole thing is a human plot, dear. You're better off with me," Mrs. Norris said curtly.
"There aren't any wizards here. Why are they here?" Lucy asked.
"Oh, for goodness sakes. I wish that Cyrus would have kept still. They're looking for the prophecy. That's what this whole story is about," Mrs. Norris said.
"Now the prophecy is a baby, mum?" Lucy asked.
"Dear, it's the only tool it has," Mrs. Norris said quietly.
"What's the prophecy?" Lucy asked.
"We're not sure exactly. You see, we're only part of the prophecy, we're not the whole story."
"Who's we?"
"Well, you're part of it, dear. The rest of the prophecy involves all sorts of interesting people from other stories. It's like a puzzle," Mrs. Norris explained.
"What's a puzzle?" Lucy asked.
"It's a story, of course," Mrs. Norris said with a sigh.
"Oh," Lucy said, nodding dumbly.
"We've gotta make a deal, dear. It can be that easy, or it can be very hard," said Mrs. Norris.
"Making a deal is my line, mum," Lucy said.
Mrs. Norris glanced up at the door near the staircase.
"Is that what you've come to do?" she whispered to herself.
"I guess so," Lucy said. "That's why I'm here, mum."
"It's simple, my child. I admire your smarts," said Mrs. Norris. "There's a secret passage to the hidden vault, if we can give them the baby."
"What's a vault?" Lucy asked.
"A vault is where a lot of treasure is kept, dear."
"What's treasure?"
"Well, you see, dear, it's really complicated," said Mrs. Norris.
Another explosion was heard in the distance, as Lucy peeked her head around the house. The goblins were banging their spears on the door, trying to break it down. Mrs. Norris quickly opened the door to the stairway and marched into it. Lucy followed closely behind.
"Don't worry," Mrs. Norris promised. "I think we're safe."
"But they can shoot us with those guns again," Lucy said.
"Oh, no. They can't. I've just counted them. We have time," she said, giving Lucy a knowing look.
But Lucy had other ideas.
"I'm going to make a deal with them, mum," she said as they headed down the dark staircase.
"Oh, right, right. That's a good idea. It's probably safer if we split up. I'll head on through there," Mrs. Norris said pointing to a door at the bottom. "We'll meet at the secret vault. Good luck, Lucy."
"It's lucky, mum," Lucy whispered.
"Yes, it is, my child," Mrs. Norris whispered back.
Mrs. Norris took Lucy's hand and gently pulled her through a dark part of the secret passage under the stairs.
"Are you scared?"
"No, mum," Lucy said bravely.
"Good, good. You're a smart girl, Lucy."
Mrs. Norris's voice seemed to echo as she explained what to do, pointing out which way to go, to get to the door in the other part of the tunnel. Lucy soon turned down a corridor, that seemed to stretch for ever and ever, growing dimmer until it felt as if it were leading to oblivion. The corridor was empty except for Lucy and Mrs. Norris's lantern.
"This is the secret way," Mrs. Norris whispered.
"What's a way?" Lucy asked.
"It's a place you can get to on foot. Men don't use these ways, because they're too long and hidden," Mrs. Norris explained, as she turned her lantern up high.
"Why didn't they know about it?" Lucy asked.
"Well, it's been used since the Roman Empire. It was only used by the military during the Napoleanic era. I remember it when I was your age, dear. Many weren't used after that."
"I see," Lucy said, as they kept walking.
All of a sudden there was a knock on the wall to their right.
"Who's there?" Lucy whispered.
"I'm here," a ghostly voice said. "Don't let the goblins find the village."
"How can I stop them?"
"You must make a deal with the goblins," the ghostly voice instructed.
"I heard you," Mrs. Norris whispered.
"Who are you?" Lucy asked.
"My name is Reginald."
"Why are you here?" Lucy asked.
"I serve the prophets."
"Why?" Lucy asked wiping her nose.
"Didn't I just tell you?" Mrs. Norris said, snapping her fingers.
"What?" Lucy asked.
"You must make a deal with the goblins," Reginald repeated.
"I heard you!" Mrs. Norris said, panic in his voice.
With a small shriek, Reginald's voice was gone.
"Water, Lucy! Water! " Mrs. Norris uttered, holding out her hands.
"I've heard and met extraordinary people," Lucy said breathlessly, as she brought out a flask.
Lucy walked a long time in silence, with Mrs. Norris and Reginald as they disappeared, further into the tunnel. At last, they disappeared completely. Lucy heaved a sigh of relief and wondered why no one came. Everything was quiet.
"Maybe they're dead," Lucy said to herself.
Lucy heard a faint voice echoing off the walls. At last, she heard screaming, and she walked down the tunnel. Almost as she rounded the corner, she saw a light. Her eyes widened, and she ran towards it. When she got there, she found herself, and a strange group of goblins, all by the wooden door, trying to open it with their spears. All sorts of strange noises echoed in the tunnel. There was a loud crash as the lock broke. The goblins threw open the door. Mrs. Norris was standing there warily.
"Where's Lucy?" she asked Reginald as if he knew.
"I have it," one of the goblins said, and he bounded on the wall and caught her.
The goblins grabbed her, bound her hands and put her in a sack.
"Lucy!" Mrs. Norris screamed.
They ran after the goblins as Reginald led them past the bags of treasure and into a secret room, hidden behind a fake wall. Reginald pulled a rope to another rope behind a real rock. The boulder rolled out of the way, revealing a deep hole in the floor.