The Dark Corners of the Earth
Chapter 7 – The Sightless Hero
23rd of August 2003 – St. Petersburg, Russia – Buyan island, Hermione's private quarters.
Hermione had to give the Walpurgis Union one thing; they knew how to make the softest and nicest of beds. She turned around to lie on her stomach and kept her eyes closed while smushing her head against the pillow as she snoozed the early morning away. Birds could be heard tweeting in the distance and she felt the morning sun on her face. Hermione didn't feel like getting up yet, however. This bed was so nice... so very nice...
"WAKEY, WAKEY, WAKEY, LITTLE MUDBLOOD!" was suddenly shouted in her ear, followed by a cacophony of lights and sounds exploding through the room.
A startled Hermione almost shot through the ceiling, her groggy mind trying to make sense of what was happening. Obviously, Bellatrix was in her room, her wand raised about her head while it brought forth sparkles and loud noises. A lopsided grin was on the dark witch's face while giving her appraising looks.
Even though she was dressed in pajamas's, she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the intruder. "W-what are you doing here?! Why are you in my room?! It's seven in the morning on a Sunday!"
Bellatrix put away her wand and narrowed her eyes at her. "This is my palace! I go where I please in my own keep! Now get dressed, we're going on a field trip."
"W-what?" Hermione blinked. "Field trip? To where?"
"You'll see," Bellatrix winked. "Now get dressed! If I have to ask again, I'll drag you out in your pajamas!"
"Wait, I should take a shower first," Hermione stressed while gathering her clothes. Thankfully, being as meticulously organized as she was, she had lain folded fresh clothes for her to wear on the chair next to her bed the previous day.
Bellatrix let out an impatient snort. "Just use perfume," she sighed. "Showers won't help, you'll just smell of mud anyway."
The young witch felt her nostrils flare in anger, but wisely decided to keep her mouth shut.
"Honestly," Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "I'd think you'd jump at the chance to get away from the palace for a bit after being here for months. Perhaps you like it here after all?"
"I am only reluctant," said Hermione after putting her clothes on the bed to be put on while looking for her shoes. "Because I'm not sure what horrors you might possibly subject me to."
"Tut tut," Bellatrix obviously faked a hurt expression. "It's almost as if you don't trust me."
Hermione stepped to the side of the bed and grabbed her clothes. Before she put them on, she hesitated and turned to offer a pleading look at the dark witch who was studying her intently. "Uhm, do you mind..."
"No, I don't. Hurry up!"
"I meant, uhm, could you turn around, please?" Hermione asked while a blush crept to her cheeks.
In response the dark witch let out a snort and a sigh, but she at least was decent enough to turn her back to her. "Nothing I haven't seen before, girl," Bellatrix replied while Hermione changed into her clothes fast enough to make the Guinness book of records for fear of the dark witch getting bored of standing around and resume watching her change.
"I'm done," Hermione said, ready for whatever twisted ploy Bellatrix had gotten in her head today.
Instead, she found herself under the dark witch's intense scrutiny. "Oh, I don't think so," she said, produced a bottle and tossed it to her. The angle was a little off, so Hermione only just barely caught it.
"Drink," Bellatrix demanded.
This was a moment to take a stand. Hermione looked eyes with Bellatrix while tossing the potion onto the bed. "I'm not drinking some random potion because you say so."
"Fine," Bellatrix sighed. "It's a long-lasting polyjuice potion. Where we are going, it would behoove you not to be recognized."
The young witch hesitated for a moment. Still, she knew going against Bellatrix would be pointless. If she refused, Bellatrix would just have her minions pour it down her throat. To save herself the aggravation, she relented and popped the top off the potion. She put the bottle to her lips and downed the sweet-tasting liquid. Her entire body tingled as she felt the uncomfortable and familiar feeling of her features twisting, her skin stretching and her body changing. When the transformation was done, she turned to the mirror and found herself looking at Samantha Morris, one of the nurses working at the infirmary. She had spoken to Samantha on several occasions; she was a nice girl from England about her own age who had a more rounded face and long black hair.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.
Bellatrix smiled broadly. "To a party! And I do say you are in dire need to let your bristly hair down."
"Wait," said Hermione, remembering that the journal belonging to Luna's mother was still lying on her nightstand. "I should return this to Luna first."
Judging from her expression, Bellatrix was getting well and truly annoyed with her by now. "Leave it," she hissed. "I've sent Lovegood out on a mission. She won't return until her mission is completed. Give her back her little book afterwards!"
Hermione nodded, put the journal in the drawer of her nightstand for safe keeping and shot a last mournful look to the soft, warm and inviting bed before letting out a sigh. She turned towards the dark witch and watched her with a sense of trepidation. Just what did she have in mind for her this time? Before she could ask, the impatient Bellatrix apparated the both of them away.
23rd of August 2003 – Norway – Hekstreet town
When Hermione opened her eyes she gasped at the spectacular sight. She was standing on a wooden dock overlooking the sea beyond the bay it was in. The bay was lined by thick, tall trees as far as the eye can see while the sun cast a pleasant orange morning glow over the water. When she turned around, she saw she stood at the edge of a sizable wizarding town which she could tell by the slanted shape of the buildings. Hermione concluded this entire bay must have been enchanted to be hidden from the sight of Muggles passing by on boats.
Wherever they were, they were in the heart of the Walpurgis Union. The Walpurgis flag was flown from many buildings and there were propaganda posters with Bellatrix's visage on it spread all over the town.
"Where are we?" Hermione asked.
"Norway," said Bellatrix. "Hekstreet, to be precise. This is a town Rookwood picked for one of my surprise visits during the festivals we paid for."
Hermione blinked. If they were in Norway, that meant that Bellatrix had just casually apparated the both of them to the other side of Europe. Considering that apparition, especially side-long apparitions, got more unreliable as the distance increased, it was a testament to Bellatrix's sheer power.
"Do they know you're coming?" Hermione asked.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Surprise visit, girl! Do I honestly need to explain that concept to you? Also, don't even think about trying to make a run for it. I'll be watching you like a hawk and if you so much as blink in the direction of a wand, you'll get to experience just how loyal my people can be! And trust me, a group of merry party-goers can turn into a frenzied lynch-mob at the blink of an eye."
If she had to be honest, escape was still on Hermione's mind. But she knew that the dark witch would very much make true on her threat. The two of them casually strolled from the docks into the high street, the heels of their boots tapping on the cobblestones. "Where is everybody?" Bellatrix frowned. "I seem to have lazy subjects."
"Bellatrix, remind me to explain to you the concept to timezones," said Hermione. "It's seven in the morning in Russia. It's five in the morning here. Most decent folk are still asleep."
The dark witch scowled angrily at her. "I know what timezones are!"
They came to a central square which had been adorned with flags, lined with stands and podiums. Braziers were set to be used and kegs of ale stood ready to be tapped. This was all for the festival the Swiss gold was paying for, no doubt. Bellatrix's visage was everywhere here. Aside from the posters, there was a small stand which had a basket full of rag-dolls. They were silly little things some enterprising witch had sewn together for the children and were ready to be sold. Pale skin fabric, a nicely stitched black dress, black wool for curly hair and two black buttons for eyes, these Bellatrix dolls were actually really cute.
Hermione made sure the dark witch wasn't looking before quickly stuffing one of the dolls in her bag and put a galleon in the small basket on the stand for payment. Whenever she'd feel threatened or frightened by Bellatrix in the future, she'd think of this silly doll. That should make her feel better.
Just as Hermione was about to approach the dark witch, they heard a whistle coming from across the street. A boy, about ten years of age, came around the corner holding what looked like a fishing rod. However, as soon as the boy saw the two of them, he stopped dead in his tracks. The young boy's jaw hit the floor when he saw Bellatrix raising her chin imperiously at him. His eyes flicked from Bellatrix to the propaganda poster and back to Bellatrix. And again to make sure. The fishing pole clattered to the ground as the boy ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. "Pappa!" he shouted. "Pappa! Pappa!"
"Well," Bellatrix snorted. "It's nice to know that I'm still able to frighten small children."
What happened next was as surreal to Hermione as could be. All the wizards and witches living the village were out of bed, dressed and packed onto the square in record time. At least two hundred men, women and children were literally in awe of the fact that the woman they called their Lady had deigned to visit them.
One person, a rather rotund man wearing a top hat carefully shuffled forward and spoke in an accented voice. "L-lady Black. This is... a tremendous honor for our humble village."
"Yes, yes, yes," Bellatrix rolled her eyes impatiently. "I'll be joining you in the celebrations. Let's see what you do with the festival I paid for."
"You will be our guest of honor!" proclaimed the mayor.
"Oh," Bellatrix hooked her arm through Hermione's. "This young lady here is my assistant. Now, she's a bit shy and prone to getting lost. So please do keep sure she doesn't wander off into your lovely village and loses her way."
The mayor made some obsequious bows while the rest of the people dared to slowly approach Bellatrix. Meanwhile, the dark witch grabbed her by the arm and hissed in her ear. "Don't even think of trying anything. Not only are there two hundred eyes on you, but I put a tracking charm in place."
Hermione nodded silently. At least she was out of the palace for a bit.
With all witches and wizards being up and about, there was no reason not to get an early start in for the festival. The townsfolk constructed a podium in record time and put the most expensive and luxurious chair in the village on top of it for Bellatrix to lounge on. For her part, the dark witch rather imperiously observed the festivities from her make-shift throne while Hermione dared to mingle somewhat.
She was lucky to have picked up a Bellatrix doll, seeing it had been sold out rather quickly. Children were running around playing with them and, to her credit, Bellatrix found the whole thing rather amusing. Soon enough, Hermione actually started to enjoy herself. She chatted with folks while happy people around her were dancing, cheering and launching spells in the air. The young witch tried some of the local treats, with flat bread and kringla standing out.
As the day progressed, she admitted that it was a good idea that nobody knew who she was. Hermione Granger was a war hero with her own frog card, after all, and thus very recognizable as a member of the Phoenix Alliance. The 'Nixies' were rather unpopular here, a fact which was brought home especially after they burned an effigy of Snape at the stake. Burning at the stake was, for obviously reasons, a powerful image in wizarding culture. Of course, Bellatrix loved it and cheered when what she called the 'Scare-Snape' went up in flames. All in all, Hermione figured it was a good thing that she wore Samantha's face today.
In the afternoon, Hermione sat down in a chair next Bellatrix and merely observed. To her credit, the dark witch was taking the time to talk and listen to her people as they told their stories.
A little blonde girl named Hanne carefully approached the throne and, barely audible over the sounds of the festival, asked her question. "When are you going to take back Denmark?"
Bellatrix leaned forward and pinched her cheek. "Already making plans, cookie-face," Bellatrix smiled.
The next person was a middle-aged gentleman who scraped his throat. "My three daughters have taken up wands for the cause. I hope you will take good care of them."
As the dark witch thanked his family for their devotion, Hermione had to wonder where all this adulation had come from. All these wizards and witches here, even the children, worshipped the ground she walked on! What was stranger still is that they showed this deference in spite of her well-known past. How could this be?
An elderly woman with a sad expression approached Bellatrix and bowed briefly. "My son fought for the Union and was captured. Now the Nixie bastards have put him in their Azkaban. Will you free him?"
Hermione felt a pang of regret... if only that prisoner exchange had taken place, this poor woman wouldn't have to worry about her son. Meanwhile, as soon as Bellatrix heard mention of Azkaban, her expression darkened considerably. The dark witch reached out and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "There will be a day when I personally raze that wretched place to the ground!" Bellatrix snarled angrily. "Until then, be strong. I have survived Azkaban for fourteen years. If I can do it, so can your son."
Hermione blinked. Bellatrix Black showing sincerity? Compassion? In what parallel universe had Hermione found herself? Then it hit her; if she really wanted to know why these people loved Bellatrix so much, this was a perfect opportunity to ask. She'd have to be careful about it, though. The young witch found a table with a few older people sitting away from the festivities for some peace and quiet and she struck up a conversation. It seemed they were quite interested in the day to day life at Buyan palace and, having been there for three months, she could tell quite a bit about.
"I am wondering something, though," asked Hermione. "You're effectively living under a dictatorial regime. Doesn't that bother you?"
One of the older men, whose name was Hans, let out a hearty laugh. "You're showing your age, Samantha. We've always been living under a dictatorship. All we got to choose was which opportunistic bastard got to squeeze us dry every four years."
Hermione was not surprised by this answer. The wizarding world sometimes copied an ideological movement from the Muggle world and gave it their own spin. As a result, the democracy in the ministries was not a true democracy but an approximation of one, which led to widespread corruption and political opportunism. This was easily evidenced by the Ministry's actions under Fudge not so long ago. Not to mention Voldemort's coup in 1997; though there were some changes in management in key positions, it was mostly the same people came to work every day under the new regime and did their jobs without question. Add in the dubious roles played after Voldemort's fall, and you ended up with the common wizard or witch in the street having a deep distrust of the system. Supposedly, the other Ministries were cut from the same wood.
"When Lady Bellatrix was on the rise, every two-bit politician in our Ministry fell over themselves to win her favor. I'll tell you one thing, though, unlike those parasites, Lady Bellatrix has kept every single one of her promises," spoke an elderly woman.
"She's wonderful," said Hans. "She's exactly what the wizarding world needs. We should have gotten rid of those old traditionalists ages ago. The world has changed and we should change with it. I don't longer want us to hide away from the world. Why should I fear my Muggle relatives?"
"I was sort of worried when I learned she served Voldemort," said Hermione. "And the things she's done in his service."
"That's another thing that's so wonderful about our Lady," said Hans. "She admits her mistakes."
"You can't have been too worried if you're her assistant now," said another older man. "It must be so exciting to work with her so closely."
'Yes, it's always so much fun and games to be around your Glorious Leader...' Hermione bit her lip. "It's certainly... an experience."
Eventually, the time to leave came which led to many disappointed faces. There was a chance for the people of Hekstreet to take photographs while Bellatrix held a short speech. "Your hospitality has humbled me," spoke Bellatrix while the crowd as so silent one could hear a pin drop. "And you must remember that you are the backbone of the Walpurgis Union. Not me, not our armies, but you. My people. Together, we will take back our rightful place in his world instead of hiding away like vermin! We are wizards! We are witches! Believe in what the Walpurgis Union is doing. For your children! For your lives! For all of us!"
A cheer went through the crowd as Bellatrix picked up a little girl and raised her up high. The girl, for her part, loved the attention. Then, as it was time to leave, the dark witch waved just once before placing her hand on Hermione's shoulder an apparating the both of them away.
23rd of August 2003 – St. Petersburg, Russia – Buyan island, Bellatrix's private wing
With a resounding crack, Bellatrix and Hermione appeared in a lavish sitting room. Tapestries and leather sofa's were placed in this spacious with large open windows on one side and a large roaring fireplace on the other. Paintings of wizards past hung from the wall while a decanter of fire-whiskey stood next to the largest sofa.
Hermione had never been to this room of the palace, but, judging from the view of the garden outside the windows, she guessed they had apparated into Bellatrix's private wing.
"Well, little girl," said Bellatrix while pouring two glasses of fire-whiskey. "You've met my people. Do they seem oppressed? Do they seem unhappy? Do they seem deceived? How do they compare with Nixie propaganda, hm?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Our propaganda about your people are just as much a lie as your propaganda is about ours."
"Touche," Bellatrix smirked and handed her a glass of fire-whiskey. Out of politeness, the young witch took the glass but did not sip it.
"I could not help but notice," said Hermione. "That this seemed to be an outing for my benefit. I think you let me see what you wanted me to see."
Bellatrix took a sip from her glass and narrowed her eyes while peeking over the rim. "Merlin," she spoke with annoyance on her voice. "You are hard to please, aren't you? Such a suspicious little thing you are."
"And what about the people who don't agree with the way you're running things, hm?" Hermione challenged while crossing her arms.
"Oh," Bellatrix laughed in response. "You don't usually see those enjoying themselves at parties."
"I was afraid you'd say that."
"Oh, you're one to preach about the proper treatment of dissidents," said Bellatrix. And yes, Hermione had to admit the dark witch had a point there. Naturally, there were critics of the way Snape ran things on Alliance side too. They were 'dealt with' in a more subtle manner. Publicly smeared, discredited, disgraced... and sometimes they would disappear. "Snivellus and I are not as different from each other as we both would want."
Before the conversation could go any further, the was a knock on the door. The heavy oaken double doors leading into the sitting room were pushed open when Augustus Rookwood entered. There was a measure of concern on his face as he quickly walked up to them. "Bella, it's good you've returned to the palace. We have a situation that requires your immediate attention," he spoke solemnly.
"I suppose that means our attendance of the evening festival in St. Petersburg is canceled?" Bellatrix sighed while not bothering to hide her annoyance. "Such a pity. Looks like our date for the evening is canceled too, little girl. What happened?"
"A group of insurgents from the village of Zauberbach on the Austrian-Czech border have captured three of our scouts and have taken them to their village," said Augustus. "They have issued a ransom for their safe return."
Zauberbach... Hermione let the name roll through her head a couple of times. Where had she heard that name before? Then, it hit her.
Bellatrix let out a sigh of annoyance. "Why are you bothering me with this?!" she hissed. "Send in a squad of battle-mages to rescue our people and burn that little pimple of a village to the ground as punishment for this insult!"
"You can't," spoke Hermione. "Zauberbach is in the middle of one of the neutral zones, as stipulated by the Treaty of Vienna in 2000. I should know, I helped draft it."
"What the bloody hell do I care?!" Bellatrix shrieked back. "They have attacked our people and our response will be swift and merciless, treaty or no treaty!"
Augustus shifted uncomfortably. "That is why I am here. I needed your permission to break the treaty. You've made your feelings on the matter quite clear. I will make the arrangements immediately."
An incredulous Hermione looked on when Augustus turned on his heels and was about to leave. "Wait!" Hermione cried out, causing Augustus to stop in his tracks and the dark witch to spin around. "You can't send troops into the neutral zone! The Phoenix Alliance will see it as a provocation!"
Bellatrix shrugged. "We'll deal with that when the time comes. I will not let an insult like this stand! Carry out my orders, Augustus."
The young witch's eyes grew wide in dismay. Didn't Bellatrix realize what she was doing? In desperation, Hermione shot forward and grabbed Bellatrix by the arm. The dark witch almost recoiled until Hermione looked her in the eye. "I can save them!" she pleaded.
The dark witch snorted. "Who? Our scouts or the village?"
"Both!" Hermione kept the confidence in her voice in hopes of convincing Bellatrix. "As well as all the lives of soldiers on both sides when the inevitable fighting breaks out. Look, I'm a diplomat. Let me do what I do best! You want me to join your side as a diplomat, right? Then show me some trust. Send me in and I swear I will get them to release your scouts!"
Augustus seemed receptive, looking at Hermione and then at Bellatrix. "Bella," he said. "Why not give her a shot? What do we have to lose?"
"Our guest herself," Bellatrix raised her chin. "It would be a perfect opportunity to try to escape. You are currently polyjuiced, yes, but if you reveal yourself as Hermione Granger, the villagers will have a far more valuable hostage to trade..."
"Please," Hermione stressed. "If you want me to join your side, trust has to start somewhere."
"You haven't earned it yet," Bellatrix sneered while crossing her arms. "You will make the unbreakable vow."
"W-what?" Hermione blinked.
"Consider this your trial by fire," replied Bellatrix while clasping her fore-arm. "Augustus, your wand."
Rookwood nodded and hurried to the two women's side. He tapped their arms with his wand and a tongue of brilliant flame shot from the wand to encircle their hands. "Will you, Hermione Granger, focus on negotiating the release of our captured scouts?"
"I will," replied Hermione with sincerity.
Bellatrix studied her intently for a moment. "You will neither seek escape nor will you willingly reveal your true identity during the negotiations?"
That was some relief. Bellatrix had added 'willingly' so Hermione would survive if the villagers would use something like veritaserum on her. "I promise."
"You will not reveal our plans to attack the village?"
And then, Bellatrix threw her a curve-ball. It would be much harder to convince the people of the village to give up their crazy plan of ransoming Walpurgis soldiers if they knew a group of battle-mages was on their way. She'd have to be craftier about it.
"Agreed," said Hermione.
"Very well," replied Bellatrix before clapping her hands. A house-elf appeared and, after getting his orders, returned later with a scroll and a wax seal. The dark witch walked to the desk and tapped the paper with her wand, causing to briefly glow. Lastly, she stamped the paper with the wax seal and handed the scroll to Hermione. "This letter of marque gives you the authority to negotiate on my behalf. You have until the stroke of midnight to secure the release of the scouts. The moment the clock strikes twelve, my battle-magi will swarm into the village and burn it and anyone in it to the ground."
Hermione nodded grimly. She had her assignment. Now to get it done.
23rd of August 2003 – No man's land between the Czech and Austrian border – Near zauberbach village.
After travel through three separate portkeys and meeting up with the commander of the battle-mages, Hermione found herself deposited in the no-man's land between the Czech-Austrian border.
This had been one of the first places where forces of the Walpurgis Union and the Phoenix Alliance met and, subsequently, one of the first battlefields. This has been one of the places in the war which had seen some of the worst of the fighting. The landscape all around her reflected this.
The sun was setting on a great swath of dead soil, broken trees and scorched earth. The wind swept through the impressively large impact crates while remnants of the magic the two armies had been subjecting each other too still hung in the air. The atmosphere was oppressive as a result. Every so often, she could see a blue crackle of dormant magic discharging along a dead tree sticking out of the ground. It would take decades before something would grow here again. Hermione herself had never been at the front lines, but if these were the results...
As for the Muggles, they were none the wiser. Powerful magics folded the land upon itself, causing any Muggle to pass over the nearby motorways from one end of the no-man's land to the other without it being revealed. The effort of hiding the results of the war all over Europe had almost been solely the Phoenix Alliance's responsibility, as the Union did next to nothing to hide battlefields from the Muggles. She supposed that was another tactic; hiding results of the heavy fighting cost the Alliance a lot of resources which could then not be used in the actual fighting itself.
Zauberbach was smack-dab in the middle of this no-man's land. She was quite familiar with the history of the town and regarded it as one of the many tragedies of this five-year war. Being in a political hot-zone, both the Czech and Austrian ministry pulled their hands of it. The village's own indecisiveness meant it was being actively targeted by both sides. Lastly, when the Alliance and the Union agreed upon a cease-fire in the region, they had been seen as a complication and conveniently swept under the rug. All in all, Zauberbach and its people had been screwed over no less than three times in a row and were currently stateless.
Hermione carefully stepped towards the village. Zauberbach was in stark contrast to the pleasant and cozy Hekstreet she had been to this very morning. She could already see the devastation from the distance. Almost all houses had seen some sort of damage and there were several burned out husks on the village's edge. She could see the occasional flare of a magical shield around the village; it seemed that they were expecting trouble, but Hermione considered it foolish to think that this minor shield would protect them from Bellatrix's wrath.
Some haggard wizards and witches could be seen mulling about the streets and it didn't take long for Hermione to be spotted. Two wizards and three witches left the village with wands drawn. Immediately, Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, put her hands on her head and sank to her knees. While four of them surrounded her, one witch carefully approach her to pat her down.
"No wand on her," said the witch. "Only this scroll."
The young witch had to admit to being a bit nervous here. Though she had confidence in her ability, these were desperate people who would be capable of desperate deeds. She found a wand being pressed into her back as they led her into the village. The inside of Zauberbach looked even worse than the outside; muck-covered roads, a broken well, ruined walls, and the people... sheer hatred in their eyes when they looked at her. Strangers obviously weren't appreciated here.
She was led into what seemed to be some sort of administrative office. The town-hall, perhaps? Or maybe the local law enforcement office? Papers were scattered about, but nobody had apparently bothered cleaning them up for months. A man wearing a long dusty coat sat behind a desk and he looked much older than his years. He stroked his beard as Hermione was being led in front of him.
"She was alone," said the witch who led her here. "We scanned for others, but found none."
"So, a tourist, then," spoke the man with an edge of sarcasm. "I am Zacharias Zauberflote, mayor of this beleaguered little town. I take it your visit has something to do with the scouts currently in our local dungeon, yes?"
Hermione nodded and handed him the scroll. "I am Samantha Morris. I have been given mandate by Lady Bellatrix Black to negotiate the release of her scouts."
"Are you now?" Zacharias handed the scroll to an assistant. "I find it curious, really. We plead to be heard by the great powers in the wizarding world. We share our plight, we beg for supplies, our children cry out in hunger now that our food-stores are all but empty and all of that falls of deaf ears. But now that we are holding three of your soldiers, you suddenly have all the time in the world for us."
'It's ten o'clock. You have no more than two hours' Hermione thought wryly. She'd have to work fast. "Does it truly matter?" said Hermione. "We are here now and we are listening."
The assistant was done reading and analyzing the paper, having gasped after confirming Bellatrix's magical signature. "It's legit," she blinked. "She really is here on Lady Black's authority."
Zacharias closed his eyes and seemed... relieved? "Finally," he spoke. "Our pleas have finally reached the highest possible levels."
"Naturally, we want our scouts released," said Hermione. "First of all, I need to confirm that they are in good health."
Zacharias agreed and, after five minutes later, led the scouts out on parade. Two women, one man, all clad in a Walpurgis uniform. They seemed in good health, though they did not speak. Hermione suspected they had either been stunned or brought under the imperius curse. Otherwise, they seemed to be in good health. That was a relief, as it would make negotiations easier.
"Let's get straight to the point," said Hermione. "What are your demands?"
Zacharius slammed his fist on the desk, causing Hermione to start. "We want to live! After years of war and being trapped in this forsaken place, we have no more food left in our stores. Neither side will trade with us, neither side will allow us to travel into their territory because they think we're spies for the other side! If something doesn't happen soon, this village will hold nothing but corpses! Our demand is that we want to keep on living! We need supplies, we need food, we need to be able to travel freely!"
Upon hearing this desperate plea, Hermione's sympathy increased tenfold. These people were only guilty of being at the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught in the middle of an ugly war they had never asked for. Her keen mind was running overtime, thinking of a possible solution. Sure, getting them supplies or even access through the border would be a temporary solution at best. A plan started to form in her mind.
"How attached are you to this village?" Hermione asked.
Zacharias cocked his head sideways. "I don't know follow your meaning, miss Morris."
"What I am suggesting, is that the Walpurgis Union will allow you to evacuate your village into their territory," said Hermione. "What I am offering you is an end to your stateless existence."
"As prisoners, you mean?" asked Zacharias. "I doubt Lady Black will forgive us for capturing her scouts."
"No," said Hermione. "As citizens. I can arrange for the construction of a new community for you at a location of your choosing."
"But... this is our home," said Zacharias.
Hermione nodded. "If there's one thing I've learned about the wizarding world, it's that there are so many traditionalists who hold the past as sacred and forget to look towards the future. Look around you. Look hard. Do you see a future for this village?"
Zacharias thought for a moment. "No," he finally spoke, apparently a difficult admission.
"But your people do have a future," said Hermione. "You have been wronged, yes, but now I am offering you and your people a way out of this mess. All you have to do is take it."
The four people in the room exchanged glances. If Hermione had read the situation well, she was certain they were going to accept. The next hour was spent discussing the finer details. Locations, value of the rebuilt property, compensation for almost five years of being shelled. Small stuff, really. However, the hard part was still to come. When they had agreed on a potential location in the Czech republic, Hermione had to maneuver her next question carefully. "Zacharias," she started. "Lady Black is willing to take a risk by helping you. But, you will have to show her a sign of good faith. If you release all three of the scouts, you will prove your sincerity."
Zacharias narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her. "Those three scouts are the only leverage we have. If we let them go, how do we know that you will keep your word?"
"Lady Black has given me full authority to act on her behalf," said Hermione, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "That means any agreement I draft is equal to a decree from Lady Black herself."
It was a lie and she knew it. There would be nothing stopping Bellatrix from sending in a force to wipe out the village the moment the three scouts were released. She just hoped she could convince the dark witch otherwise when she'd get back to the palace. It was a risk, yes, but a risk worth taking.
Zacharias put his finger to his lips and give her a stare that pierced down into her very soul. He slowly got up from his chair. "Give me a moment to discuss it with my people," he said. That said, the four persons were out the door. Wasting no time, Hermione used one of the scrolls on his desk to draft an agreement for both her and Zacharias to sign the moment he'd step out of the room. When she was done, she kept a nervous eye on the clock. Ten past half twelve. Quarter past twelve. Oh, god, the battle-magi were getting ready to strike. Ten to twelve... nine to twelve... eight to twelve...
"We have an agreement!" sounded a smiling Zacharias as he threw open the double doors leading into his office. Hermione let out a breath she didn't knew she was holding.
24th of August 2003 – St. Petersburg, Russia – Buyan island, Bellatrix's private wing
Once again, Hermione found herself back in Bellatrix's private sitting room, this time under scrutiny of both Bellatrix and Augustus. A now rather tired Hermione sat close to the fire, taking a draught from her glass of fire-whiskey. After today, she figured she had earned it.
"Well," Bellatrix chuckled. "You certainly like cutting it close. As it stands, mind explaining why we now have a group of dirty vagabonds knocking on our door?"
Hermione took a deep breath. She made her promises to the people of Zauberbach, but now it was time to convince Bellatrix that she had made the best possible deal for both parties. She started off telling about the state of the village and some of the details about her conversation with Zacharias. However, judging from her bored expression, she was already losing Bellatrix's interest. Time to adjust her tactic.
"Look at this way," said Hermione. "The scouts are free, the treaty remains intact. Yes, there is a cost to rebuild the village in your territory, but those poor long-suffering people are going to be grateful to you for helping them. They gain a new home and you gain loyal subjects who will tell everybody about your generosity. I'm sure your propagandists can make good use of that."
The room fell silent while Bellatrix stood up and strolled towards the window. Meanwhile, Augustus raised his glass to Hermione. "You're good," he smirked. "You're very, very good."
Truth be told, though Bellatrix could certainly benefit, she'd done this for the poor people of Zauberbach, the scouts and the people who would have died if that particular front would have opened again. Sure, the treaty was safe, but the fate of the people of Zauberbach was still in Bellatrix's hands.
'Please don't make a liar out of me', Hermione felt her jaw tense up when she regarded Bellatrix by the window. The dark witch dipped her head slightly, rubbing her chin as she was seemingly lost in thought. Every second seemed to be an eternity. Had she convinced Bellatrix?
Bellatrix kept pacing a moment longer, until she finally gave her answer. "We will honor our agreement," she said. "It's not as if we can't pay the bill. At least I should be happy that you didn't give away St. Petersburg, little girl."
Hermione closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. And suddenly, she felt just how damn tired she was.
"Crisis averted, it seems," Augustus nodded. "Scouts released, gained new supporters and avoided a costly conflict. I call that a victory."
"Yes," Bellatrix winked at her. "Better go to bed now. There's more festivals and more early wake-up calls for the rest of the week."
Hermione let out a strangled groan upon hearing this, which visibly pleased Bellatrix to the point of being giddy.
"Oh, don't fret, little girl," Bellatrix winked. "We're going to have so much fun together."
"If god exists, he hates me," Hermione muttered under her breath. Thankfully, Bellatrix let her go without further teasing. By the time the young witch reached her quarters, she was ready to throw herself onto the bed and sleep for a week. She decided to take a nice hot shower first, figuring she'd earned one. Hermione stepped back into the room when she was done and magically dried her hair. After putting a clean set of clothes for tomorrow on her chair, she changed into her pajama's, and crawled into bed. It was then that she remembered the little rag-doll was still in her coat pocket.
Hermione chuckled to herself when she held out the little Bellatrix rag-doll. Certainly a lot cuter than the real thing. She put it next to her pillow, rolled to her side and looked at it for a bit.
'She listened to me.' The realization hit her like a sledge-hammer to the face. What happened today was profound. Hermione had negotiated an agreement, Bellatrix had listened to her reasoning and had agreed to honor the agreement she had crafted. The dark witch, this cruel and capricious woman whom had tormented her in past, present and certainly future... had listened to her.
'She listened to me,' Hermione let this implication roll through her mind before sleep claimed her.
24th of August 2003 – Norwich, United Kingdom – Phoenix Alliance Headquarters
Snape started awake at his desk, having had a rather difficult night. Truth be told, he had become rather insomatic over the past few years. He felt his cup and found the tea was still warm, so he couldn't have nodded off very long. The black-clad wizard took a sip and once again settled his eyes on an interesting report from Austria.
His plan to provoke the Wallies into breaking the treaty of Vienna had been thwarted. His agent in Zauberbach had done her best to goad the local leader into capturing a Wallie scouting party. Certainly, he had expected Bellatrix to send in troops to wipe the village off the face of the Earth with a tremendous show of force. And that would have been all excuse he would have needed to re-open up that particular front. When Bellatrix would move troops to the Czech border, he'd look for weaknesses to exploit elsewhere.
It was a gamble of a tactic, yes. He put down his tea and wondered. Just wondered. All these lives, throwing them away like an errant chesspiece. He had never been like that before, not when Dumbledore had still been alive. Snape knew quite well he had never been a very pleasant person, but he had always done his best to save lives while spying for Dumbledore. How come he was so eager to sacrifice people now?
He grunted in agony while he grabbed his forehead with both hands. For a sliver of a second, he could see impossible images of incomprehensible shapes folded over each other, and as quickly as it had come, it was gone.
No. No, he was on the right path. It was Bellatrix and her insanity which had made this all a necessity. If she got her way, the wizarding world would be no more. She had to be stopped. She had to be ended by any means necessary!
He once again focused on the report. His agent reported that, rather than a battalion of battle-mages, she had sent in a lone diplomat. One Samantha Morris. Not only had this diplomat thwarted his scheme, but she had also cut off any future attempts by letting the villagers into Walpurgis territory. Naturally, his agent had balked and mentioned she would attempt to flee in her last report. She hadn't been heard from since, so he guessed her attempt hadn't ended to well.
What was Bellatrix up to? Diplomacy had never been her weapon of choice. But if she had managed to find a diplomat of skill like this Samantha Morris, Snape had to pick up the pace and shore up his own diplomatic efforts.
Loathe as he was to admit it, he needed to have miss Granger back in the fold. He clapped his hands twice and a house-elf appeared. It looked up at him with a pathetic smile as it waited for his command. "Find Auror Potter. Tell him to come to my office at his earliest convenience. I have an assignment for him."
An assignment far away from the front, as usual. He hadn't protected Lily's boy for years only to have him fall to a stray spell. Besides, who else would be qualified enough to find miss Granger and convince her to return?