So from henceforth, I'm changing the format from italics to the regular font. I doubt we'll make any transitions from time-turner to Hogwarts any time soon. This is basically me saying that what used to be a mere dreamlike state, has now become a reality. And I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 4
"Wait! Where's your rush? Where's your hurry?" Bellatrix sang in an eerie voice. She cupped Harry Potter by the jaw, looking into his eyes.
"I like young men, but I swear... You remind me of that James Potter. Haven't got his eyes though. Strange indeed. And I like strange."
Rodolphus walked up behind her, whispering something in her ear. She cackled with delight. "Interesting day you chose to visit me. We're having a bit of a reunion, you see."
Out of the shadows, Narcissa emerged with a hand on her wand and the other on her hips. Unlike the rest of her family, she did not swagger with only confidence, but that of grace. Her light hair glimmered in the light and a few dark brown streaks of hair could be seen if one looked hard enough. It was Harry's own opinion that she may not have the dark beauty of her sisters, but she was beautiful in her own right. "Oh Bella, you have all these guests already... Should I have even come?" Narcissa looked Harry up and down. He was a shorter fellow, but did favor that James Potter. Then again, almost all wizards and witches resembled each other in some way. That was thanks to the interbreeding between most pureblood wizards. Disgusting, but often necessary.
"Looking for your friend, Jane? Seen her not to long ago... Tucked away in the parlor. She suits her name, no doubt. A plain little Mudblood..." Without hesitation, Harry pushed forward at her. She moved out of the way, her movements quick and precise. Harry fell to the ground. This Narcissa was nothing like the one he'd met before. Her husband didn't have to make all the snide remarks for her nor was he more agile. There was no evidence that she was pregnant yet, so he assumed it would be sweet motherhood that would soften her cold heart. Wouldn't be very long now... Perhaps a month?
"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO ATTACK MY SISTER?" Bellatrix screamed at the top of her lungs. "Crucio!"
Harry was unable to ward off the spell and the pain he felt, but he sought to overcome it with as much dignity as possible. The feeling of being stabbed a thousand times was nothing new to Harry Potter, but since Voldemort's defeat, there hadn't been many chances for someone to use a Cruciatus curse on him. Narcissa Malfoy interjected... "I'm fine, Bella... Leave him with this warning. Perhaps he won't be foolish and try to pull a stunt like that again." She knelt down to take another look at the man. She began to whisper in his ear "... Do as you are told. My sister is much less kind than I."
"Rabastan is here, Bellatrix" said Rodolphus, who seemed unfazed by what had occurred. Bellatrix hurried out of the room and to what Harry assumed, was the front door of the mansion. Narcissa began to instruct Rodolphus "Put him away with the other girl... I don't intend on letting them ruin our day."
00
"How did you manage it? Getting here? Honestly, I wish you would have stayed. I have absolutely no idea how we will return." Hermione continued to pace about the room. Harry thought perhaps she'd be grateful for him trying to rescue her. His plan may not have been completely thought through, but it was a very brave thing to do. "And where is Ron? Too afraid to come, huh? Oh that's typical."
"No, he wasn't afraid, but I didn't give him nor Ginny... Much of a chance to come after me" Harry's eyes darted to floor. "
Oh" Hermione said in a whisper. "How do you suppose we'll get out of here?" Harry sighed. He honestly did not know how they could escape. "Have you got your wand?" Immediately, Hermione whispered an incantation and the wand appeared in her hand.
"Might want to hold onto that for now," she whispered, handing it to Harry. "No, I have a feeling you'll need it, if we ever want to get out of here."
It was nightfall. Everyone who'd came to see the baby had left. There hadn't been that many. The truth was, Bellatrix was growing impatient of the Dark Lord's orders. He'd instructed her not to harm Jane, but never said anything about the other.
She made her way to the parlor. "CRUCIO" she screamed, sending the curse directly towards the boy. "You will tell me who you are... Unless you'd rather reach the point of insanity." Harry screamed in agony but Bellatrix's curse was only growing stronger. Hermione thought to grab her wand, but not yet. She couldn't afford to lose her last asset. She began yelling "Don't hurt him" but Bellatrix did not listen. Flashes of light had been cast from Bellatrix's wand, as if it was supplying more power than ever before. Harry wasn't moving anymore and Hermione knew she'd have to do something.
With Bellatrix's attention on Harry, she crept up behind her, holding her wand against the witch's dark mane. "Let him go or I will not hesitate to harm you," she said. Bellatrix cackled, as if she'd just heard a joke and continued supplying power to her wand. Hermione pushed her wand against the Bellatrix's skull. "Finite Incantum!"
She pointed her wand towards the door saying "Colloportus." Her only way of escape, was now locked.
Bellatrix's reflexes served her well as she had already made her way back up and was looking Hermione dead in the eyes. She didn't dare kill the girl, but perhaps she would have some fun. The girl seemed enlightened, knowing enough spells to protect herself. Bellatrix would see how far her powers went. She began to back away from Hermione, but kept her position. When far enough, the two began circling around the room, waiting for the other to start a duel.
"Confringo" Bellatrix whispered, her mouth barely moving enough for Hermione to make out her words. It was until a huge ball of fire hurdled towards her, that she cast Protego, returning the spell, which would ultimately be snuffed out by Bellatrix.
The two continued to move around, casting some spells that Harry Potter had no clue what they were for. It wasn't until Hermione cast Stupefy, only to be countered by Bellatrix, that he knew there was no hope. He could not fight Bellatrix without his wand. Hermione was on her own and she knew it.
So bored of the games, Bellatrix sought to end the duel as quickly as possible. She looked at the boy lying on the ground. One last trick. A bright light poured out her wand. Hermione hadn't heard the spell, but she remained focused on her opponent.
"Well, well, well... Jane. You seem fond of your friend, but how fond? I mean, he's not much of a looker, now is he?" Hermione turned around, but not before Harry had a firm grip around her neck. He was using his arms to strangle her. Bellatrix had cast the Imperio... Go figure. With Harry Potter in her control, there was nothing Hermione could do but fight for every breath. "Oh just wait until the Dark Lord hears that I wasn't the one to kill the mudblood!"
Harry's grip only tightened, bringing Hermione to her knees. She was near faint and she knew Bellatrix would sentence her to death at the hands of this man. Her mind began to think of spells that she could use to counter with hurting him, maybe it was the lack of oxygen, but she was drawing blanks in her mind. She cast the only spell that she could, to get her out of this bind. Of course, she cast Flipendo... As loud and as hard as she could. Harry held onto her until he could no longer and she fell to the ground, knocking her head against the stones. She fell into an unconscious state.
Eyes blinking. Headaches. Blurry vision. Concussion? Maybe. Hermione lay in the small pool of blood she'd created. She put her hand to a cut on her forehead, which had undoubtedly been the source of the blood. She hadn't meant for Harry to take her with him. Perhaps not the smartest spell she could have cast. Where was he anyways? Looking side to side, she seen his legs out the corner of her eyes.
She made no hesitation to stand, turning around so fast, she became dizzy an unable to focus on what stood before her. It was only when she regained her composure that she screamed in horror. Harry Potter was against the wall, standing tall and proud as ever, but she hadn't noticed that. What she noticed was the object that was sticking out of his abdomen. Hermione tried pulling the object out, but it wouldn't budge. Placing her hand on his neck, she checked for a pulse. There wasn't one. His mouth was gaped open, as if he were in shock. A small drop of blood had fallen from his mouth, down his chin. Hermione pulled his body off the nail-like object and laid him on the floor. He'd been pushed onto some sort of nail? She screamed for him to wake up. Over and over until her voice cracked. She wiped a tear of her face with her hand. She could not bear to look him in his eyes, which were more distant than ever before. The boy who'd once lived... was dead.
Hermione held his stiffening body in her arms, hanging on for life and for hope... But there was none. How long had she been unconscious? There was hardly any light in the room, besides a few candles. It must have been a couple hours and she wondered... Did he suffer? She paced across the room frantically. This happened so suddenly... What would she tell Ron and more importantly, what would she tell Ginny? Her eyes began to sting at the mere thought of telling them. They wouldn't understand, would they? It was her fault that Harry was dead... No. It was that bitch, Bellatrix's fault. Something began to burn in Hermione's soul. She didn't know what it was. Like twigs in a fire, something snapped within her. The pain she felt, had been replaced with an antidote.. Anger. She kissed his head, before getting up to bang her fists repeatedly on the door.
She didn't have her wand anymore, but she would devise a way to escape this hell. She continued to bang her fist against the doors until her fist were battered with blood. Hermione yelled for Bellatrix repeatedly, swearing each time the name escaped her mouth... And when it was apparent that Bellatrix would not come to her, Hermione gritted her teeth as she repeated the words Alohomora. Wandless magic was still uncommon among witches and wizards, but Hermione hadn't cared. She repeated the word until her voice was near complete rage. The lock on the door clicked and Hermione made her way down the hall, when she found the small baby's room, she attempted to pick her up. Damn the magic that had previously prevented her from doing so and damn anything that dared to stand in her way... Especially time. She smiled at the small baby in her arms, who she'd awakened from a long nap. She ran out the room, towards the large doors, she'd believed would be an exit. As she opened the door, a bright light peaked through the cracks. She continued to open it until a bright light flooded the room. Any chance of leaving the mansion was shattered. Hermione screamed, startling the baby in her arms and causing it to cry. She was stuck in a memory. Bellatrix's memory, and this memory had taken place in her mansion. Any access to the outside world... did not exist.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Finishing it took longer than expected, considering I was debating what to do with Harry... Please leave a review, good or bad, I want to know what you think! Be sure to follow this story for updates! There are more twists and turns to come!
