A/N: The next chpater in which you find out about Harry's oh so mysterious teacher!
Warning: This chapter is rated M for graphic torture.
Burning Desire
Challenges
The wards Voldemort had put up around the manor only made magic undetectable for the ministry, they did not inhibit apparation in and out. Which was unnecessary anyways for no one would think of going there.
Voldemort and Bella apparated in the hall of the manor. He could sense Bella's excitement although she was trying very hard to hide it. Voldemort knew that if someone could teach Harry Potter the unforgivable curses it was Bellatrix, only she would be able to drive him far enough. He would just have to watch out that Harry did not come to serious harm during her teachings. Azkaban had not increased Bella's patience.
Nymphadora Tonks had advised him against choosing Bella as Harry's teacher and told him of Harry's furious reaction when she had mentioned Bellatrix. But that did not matter. Harry would have to learn to get along with Bella and the other way round. The moment for that could as well be now.
Besides he needed Bella to check how much the boy's Occlumency had improved. He could not test it himself since their link opened Harry's mind farther to him than to anyone else, including Dumbledore. Bellatrix was the most skilled Occlumens among the Death Eaters besides Snape. And he did not trust Snape enough to reveal his relationship with Harry to him, especially not when Snape was so close to Dumbledore. And Voldemort could not risk Dumbledore finding out that his precious weapon was not willing to play the weapon anymore and that Harry knew about himself being a horcrux. There was a possibility that Dumbledore already knew that Harry was a horcrux. If that was the case Dumbledore obviously was not in a rush to inform Harry. What was Dumbledore playing at? Did he want to tell the boy that he had to sacrifice himself in the end? Voldemort would not be surprised, it sounded exactly like the kind of thing Dumbledore would do. He had no doubts, should Dumbledore find out about Harry's secret he would immediately kill the boy. But Voldemort would not let that happen.
He already had lost two horcruxes and although that had been beneficial in the end, he did not want to loose a third one, especially not one as entertaining as Harry... Harry Potter fascinated him. Of course he was special because he carried one of Voldemort's soul pieces which gave him the rare gift of speaking Parsletongue. But it was although his innocence that intrigued Voldemort. An innocence he was going to taint until it was completely gone. And he would not miss any opportunity to let Dumbledore know that. Harry Potter was his prize, his trophy and his possession and he would decide what to do with him. Voldemort truly enjoyed the thought that the one person Dumbledore's order had put their faith and hopes in, they believed destined to destroy him, had given himself willingly to him. Instead of trying to defeat Voldemort, Harry was turned on by being hurt by him, being possessed and dominated. This was Voldemort's real victory. And it would be so much sweeter when not only two persons were aware of it.
They found Harry and Nymphadora upstairs. Voldemort could already hear Nymphadora's voice as they were climbing the stairs.
"Not that I would need it," she was saying and laughed.
Voldemort entered the room they were in, Bella close behind him. Nymphadora and Harry turned around at the sudden interruption. They were both hard to see since they resembled the color of the wallpaper and curtains behind them. Obviously they had been practicing the disillusionment charm.
As Nymphadora saw them she waved her wand at Harry to break the charm before she morphed back herself.
"Good evening, my Lord," she said, bowing to him and winked at Bella. "Aunt."
Voldemort nodded in greeting, his attention focused on Bella who had slowly moved around him.
"Harry Potter," she drooled. "Apparently you're not as innocent as I thought."
Harry glared at her but he did not grace her with an answer. Voldemort noticed that he was not wearing his glasses, which made him look a surprisingly great deal better. Harry turned to him.
"She?" he asked, unconsciously stopping to speak English. ::She is going to teach me? Why her of all people?::
Voldemort saw Bella and her niece watch Harry with curiosity and fascination. They had never heard anyone speak Parsletongue besides himself and that only in Bella's case.
::Because Bella is sweated best to teach you.:: he answered coldly. ::You can finish your business with her today but she will teach you and she will also help you to perfect your Occlumency.::
Harry stared at him. Voldemort could feel fury and aversion radiating off Harry. ::What!?:: he hissed. ::That's worse than Snape!::
Voldemort smirked. It did not matter how much or how furiously Harry complained. He would get his way. He always did. ::My decision is final.:: he said.
Harry opened his mouth but Bella spoke up before he could say anything.
"Is there a problem, Harry?" she asked innocently although she had not understood one word they had spoken. Nymphadora suddenly seemed to find the floor very interesting.
Harry turned to Bella, redirecting his anger at her. "A problem?" he spat. "You killed Sirius!"
Bella laughed. "So self righteous, little Harry?" she snarled. "You dare to judge me?"
"Yeah, indeed," he answered.
Bella narrowed her eyes, then she shrugged. "I don't need your forgiveness," she said dismissively.
That only agitated Harry more. His hand shot to his wand but Bella was faster and before he could do anything she had disarmed him.
"Such a bad duelist, Potter," she sneered, her eyes flashing with anger. "Shall I show you how it works?"
"Bella," Voldemort interrupted her in bored tones. "Don't hurt him."
Harry glanced briefly at him, then back at Bella. His envy - although he had denied it, Voldemort knew it was there – was rather amusing. Bella still looked angry but she did not do anything.
"You hated him anyways," Harry said bitterly, his aggression drained away.
Bella suddenly folded her arms over her chest. "Believe what you want," she said coldly.
Harry scowled at her. "Well, what else, you killed him," he asked almost sarcastically, but Voldemort could feel confusion from him.
"So you noticed that?" Bella jeered. "Then maybe you noticed that I did not use the killing curse."
"You blasted him through the veil. That's the same," Harry insisted.
"And you knew how the veil worked, what it did, didn't you Potter?" she shouted. "Why do you think it's called the Department of Mysteries?"
As Harry said nothing, Bella went on: "Is it my fault that my damned cousin decided to join Dumbledore's rotten Order? Not even you want to be with them anymore! He made his decision and I made mine. That's how life works. Learn to cope with that." Harry still said nothing, he only continued to glare.
"I will teach you what you need to know," Bella finally said. "But you better be good."
Now Harry looked up. "Maybe better than you'll like," he purred.
"I'm looking forward to that," Bella repeated.
"Good," Voldemort said. "You can go now, Bella." Bella glanced at Harry a last time, then she bowed and disapparated.
"That went rather well, didn't it?" Nymphadora asked no one in particular.
Harry threw a sour look at her. "We shall see," Voldemort said. ::Follow Bella's instructions, Harry, and you will learn fast.::
Harry nodded. ::Will you stay here tonight?:: he suddenly added. Voldemort could feel the desire behind those words. His gaze glided over Harry's body and stopped at his eyes which were of the same green as the killing curse. Voldemort wanted Harry just as much as Harry wanted him.
::No, not tonight.:: he said. ::Soon.::
Harry nodded again. Voldemort touched his chin and lifted his head up so that they were looking each other in the eyes. ::Remember, you belong to me.:: he hissed. ::I will allow no one else to touch you.:: The boy's pleasure at his words was unmistakable.
He leaned down as if he wanted to kiss Harry and millimeters before their lips touched, he vanished.
His breath was going heavily and his feet hurt from running. With narrowed eyes Harry stared in the darkness of the surreal landscape. Sparse light shone down on the waste, dead hills. He could almost feel the breath of his pursuers in his neck. He had to run faster or they would get him. His muscles protested as he tried to increase the speed of his flight. Suddenly he lost his balance and painfully hit the hard ground. He turned around to see what he had fallen over but he could not spot anything. He picked himself up to continue his run but now Harry was not sure anymore: from which direction had he come? Where were his pursuers? If he chose the wrong direction he would run straight into their arms. But he could not stay here either. Harry turned around in rising panic, trying to see something in the dark twilight...
He was standing in a well lit, huge room with parquet floor. It was warm there and he only remembered dimly where he had been before. He looked around and realized that he had to be inside the Ministry of Magic. Then he noticed that he was not alone. Had the woman been there with him all the time or had he been alone before?
"You killed Sirius!" he screamed and she began to laugh like a maniac. He hated her, he wanted to hurt her. And as he searched for his wand she stopped laughing.
Harry froze and suddenly he felt uncontrollable, cold fear as he saw the calculating expression on her face.
"That's a lie. You. You killed him. It's all your fault," she breathed. "Your fault."
"No!" he shouted back but she did not hear him. Only his own echo answered him, the long "noooooo" sounding like sneering laughter.
And whatever had frozen him before, it made him want to run away now, but he could not, someone was holding him back.
"It's not my fault!" Harry almost sobbed one more time while he tried to break free, but the arms which were holding him only got tighter the more he struggled.
"It doesn't matter," Harry thought that he knew that voice but he was not sure. "There is no good and there is no evil. There is only power and those who are to weak to seek it. Are you weak?"
This question made Harry stop to struggle and now he did not know anymore why he had wanted to run away before. He realized that whoever was holding him wasn't holding but embracing him. He thought about the question. Was he weak? He wanted to answer but he could not concentrate enough to speak. Instead he turned around to see who was standing behind him. Was it a man? The face seemed so familiar but while he looked at it the dark hair got longer and the features more feminine. The woman stared at him from beneath her heavy lashes.
Suddenly he remembered who it was. "Bella?" he asked weakly. He could barely keep his eyes open.
But the moment he had said her name she dissipated and with her the whole room. He was alone again in the twilight world and an icy wind tore at his clothes. His head shot around, someone or something was watching him...
Harry shot up in the bed. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. His body was covered in sweat and his shorts and blanket were plastered against his skin. Exhausted he stood up and walked over to the window. It was still completely dark outside but he needed some fresh air. Harry opened the window wide, and let the night breeze in. The cool air felt good on his hot, sweaty face.
He thought about his dream. There was no doubt that it was mainly a product of his own imagination, although it had briefly resembled his confrontation with Bellatrix at the ministry.
It's your fault. Bella had said in his dream. Harry slowly sunk down to the floor, his back leaning against the wall beneath the window. He thought once again about Sirius' death. It was true Bella had not used the killing curse. Harry himself had not even assumed that Sirius might have died as he had fallen through the veil. He had not expected it in the slightest. In retrospect it seemed more like an accident.
Harry frowned. It was hard not to blame Bellatrix. But what about himself? He had instinctively felt guilty because he had brought them all to the ministry. Because he had not practiced Occlumency. He had believed Kreacher. He had fallen for Voldemort's trick. Voldemort had started it. He had sent Harry the dream that finally lured him to the ministry. Because Voldemort had wanted to hear a prophecy that was not even true. That was Dumbledore's lie.
And after Harry realized that Sirius was not in the ministry he had instead of going back to Hogwarts tried to protect the prophecy. He had also wanted to hear it. So who was guilty? All of them? Or no one?
There is no good. There is no evil. Harry remembered Voldemort's words. He started to agree to them. Good and evil seemed to be mostly depending on the perspective.
There is only power and those who are too weak to seek it. Again Harry asked himself: am I weak? He had been the victim for all his life, the suffering hero. He did not want that anymore.
I am not weak. He belatedly answered the question from his dream.
His thoughts returned to Bellatrix. Voldemort had asked him if he was envious and although he had not admitted that it was true. He was tired of being ignored. Harry knew it was pointless to try and manipulate Voldemort so he would have to do something about Bella. Harry would think of something... when he was not... so... tired...
Tonks found Harry sleeping on the floor. What had he been doing? He was sitting beneath the opened window his back leaning against the wall. His head was sunken on his chest and all in all the whole position he was in looked very uncomfortable. Giving him an amused glance she threw herself on the bed which made an unhealthy noise. It was not like she was heavy, she rather suspected that the bed had already seen better days and was far older than Harry and herself together. But still, it was soft.
"What's the bed done to you that you prefer the floor, Harry?" Tonks asked loudly.
As she had expected Harry was woken up by her voice. He groaned and lifted his head. First he looked a bit confused and only then he seemed to realize that he was sitting on the floor when he spotted her on the bed. Still sleepy he picked himself up and and groaned again. His hand shot to his probably stiff back.
Tonks grinned. "Bad night?" She asked. She was sure Harry had not intended to sleep on the floor.
"I had a strange dream," he said, had a stretch and yawned.
"And that made you sleep on the floor?" Tonks mocked him. Although her words had been said lightly she watched his reaction closely. She could very well imagine that he had had a disturbing dream after his conversation with Bella last night. She still did not like the idea of Bella teaching Harry but she had to admit that their confrontation could have been worse.
"I needed some air to think," Harry explained as he put on jeans and a shirt.
Tonks nodded. Reluctantly she touched his arm.
"I know this sounds stupid and I know you don't want to talk about it," she offered a little apologetic, "but if you should change your mind..."
Harry smiled. "...I can always talk to you," he finished for her. "Thanks, Tonks. But it's okay. Really."
He hesitated. "How do you feel?" he asked. Although he had not said it she knew what he meant.
Tonks sighed. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she answered. "I liked Sirius a lot. It was hard not to like him. But it's like Bella said, we made our decisions." She hesitated. "I know that it sounds cruel but what happened was unfortunate. Bella did not mean for him to die. They fought. It just happened. Sirius knew the risk. I'm sorry." she ended.
Tonks knew she was not good at this but Harry seemed to understand her.
He nodded and said: "I know."
They both smiled, a little sadly maybe. Tonks felt like she had to say something more but she could not think of anything solacing so she changed the topic.
"I just wanted to tell you I was against Bella teaching you...," she started but Harry interrupted her.
"I'll get by." Then he added: "Is she here yet?"
"Nope," Tonks shook her head. It was a good sign that he had accepted the situation. "I came here to give you a... sneak preview on your lessons." That was not quite right but he would see what she meant.
Harry frowned but looked interested. "A preview?" he asked.
Tonks nodded eagerly. It would be better if he was prepared.
"Come." she said. "I'll show you."
She went downstairs and Harry followed behind. In the library – Harry called it living-room, she called it library since there were way too many books for a living-room – a rather young woman was lying on a couch, asleep.
"Who is that?" Harry asked, but Tonks could see in his eyes that he already knew the answer.
"I don't know," she responded. "But you didn't think you were going to practice the unforgivable curses on me?"
"I haven't really thought about that," Harry admitted. The expression on his face was hard to read. He was certainly startled and a little uncomfortable but also determined.
Tonks looked at the woman. She had been alone in the club and already quite drunk when Tonks had found her. Her messy hair was dyed blond but a dark roots were visible. Muggle magic. Incondite.
Tonks shuddered. "I hate to impost a man," she murmured.
Harry frowned. "You could have taken a man," he said, what he obviously would have preferred.
Tonks rolled her eyes. "Bella insisted on a woman," she explained. "Probably because she thought it would make you uncomfortable."
Harry snorted and Tonks chuckled. Bella had assumed correctly, it seemed.
"Shall I wake her up?" she asked innocently.
Harry folded his arms over his chest. "Sure," he answered casually.
Tonks knew that she was being unfair and that Harry's reaction was mainly motivated by defiance but she liked him and it was better when she confronted him than when Bella did it.
Tonks leaned over to the woman and pointed her wand at her. "Enervate." she said.
The woman sprawled and slowly opened her eyes. Sleepily she looked around. "Wher'am I?" she asked. Obviously she was not disturbed by waking up in an unknown place.
As she got no answer she sat up and looked around. She frowned as she took in the old furniture and book shelves. She probably felt as much elation as Tonks when she had first come here. Tonks had an aversion against old houses.
"Who're ya guys?" the woman asked Tonks and Harry, eying them with uncertainty and suspicion now.
Before either of them could answer the door was forcefully opened.
"Ooh, can't you wait to start, Potter?" Bella cooed.
Harry and Tonks spun around. Bella smirked at Harry trying to agitate him.
Tonks could not help but think that she had absolutely ruined her preparation. And she could not help but think that Bella looked absolutely gorgeous. She had not told Harry the full truth. There had been another reason for her to join the Death Eaters. Her aunt.
-
Harry stared at Bellatrix. He would not let her taunt him.
"We just took a look," said Tonks.
"You can do more than just take a look," replied Bellatrix, still looking at Harry.
He had not expected to start immediately. He glanced at the woman. Would he be able to curse her? Or better: could he do it? Would he want to? Saying something and doing something was a difference, he knew that. But he also knew that he could not possibly back down now.
"What the fuck're ya talkin' about?" the woman asked again, frightened now.
Harry did not like the fact that she was a woman. It would have been easier with a man. But he did not want to give Bellatrix the satisfaction of admitting that. Besides did it really make a difference? Gender should not matter.
"She is unaware of what is going to happen," Bellatrix whispered, a little surprised. Harry could see a mean gleam in her eyes.
Tonks shrugged. "She was not unwilling to go with me." Bellatrix gave her niece an amused look but Harry did not miss the approval in it.
The fact that she was completely ignored frightened the woman further. "I know, you're some kinda sect, ain't ya?" she said and backed away from them.
Unexpectedly fast Bellatrix withdrew her wand and pointed it at the woman. Thin ropes shot from the cusp and wound around the woman's body, keeping her from leaving.
She screamed and started to shout: "Bloody shit-" but with another flick of Bella's wand she fell silent.
"Now, Harry," Bellatrix said. Behind her Harry could see the woman struggle silently against her bonds. "The Dark Lord ordered me to teach you the unforgivable curses." She grinned and Harry had the feeling that she did not mind that order at all. "Since we should not practice them on each other, especially not the third one, we need someone else." She gave the woman, who stared at her like she was out of her mind, a short look. Harry nodded to show that he had understood.
Bellatrix went on: "We will start out with the 'easiest' curse, the imperius. The curse itself is not difficult to cast. It creates a connection between your own mind and the one of the victim. The difficulty however is to hold the curse. You have to overpower the other one's will and make them do what you want them to do. You will soon realize that it is easier to make someone do something he would also do willingly than something he wouldn't."
Harry nodded again. That made perfectly sense. Bellatrix peered at him. Then she turned to the woman. The ropes disappeared. Bellatrix waved her wand again and said: "Imperio."
The woman stood up and walked over to them where she remained standing still, no longer looking afraid.
"You see. Coming here was not something she had a real aversion to so it was relatively easy to make her do it. Try." Bellatrix instructed.
Harry shifted in his position and withdrew his own wand. He was aware of Bellatrix' supervising gaze. He could not suppress the feeling that she waited for him to make a mistake. He frowned. This could not be too difficult. He pointed his wand at the woman and said: "Imperio."
Instantly he felt a connection to her mind like a warm flow of thoughts. What should he make her do? Something easy, Bellatrix had said.
Sit down on the couch. He thought.
Harry felt confusion from the woman. She flinched but did not move.
Sit down on the couch. He ordered, more forcefully this time.
Now the woman obeyed. Apparently indifferent she went over to the couch and sat down.
Harry looked at Bellatrix. She nodded. "Now that wasn't hard, was it, Harry?" she asked mockingly. "But you will barely need the curse for such things, for it is as I said something she would also do willingly."
Bellatrix went over to the woman and grabbed her arm. Harry's curse broke as Bellatrix pulled her up from the couch and dragged her to the middle of the room. Tonks had sat down in an armchair and watched them with curiosity.
"The next one will be easy," Bellatrix said to Harry, far too innocently for his taste. "Make her stay in place."
He narrowed his eyes. Considering Bellatrix' lurking look on him this could not be everything. Did she think he could not do it? Of course. It was time to prove her otherwise.
"Imperio." Harry said.
Again a connection to the woman's mind was opened.
Stand still. He ordered. Bellatrix let go of the woman who remained in place.
"Let's see how long you can maintain control over her," Bellatrix drooled and conjured a whip.
In one a fast swinging movement that showed experience she hit the woman across her back. The woman screamed soundlessly and immediately broke from her position and fell to the floor. Appalled by Bella's action and the woman's sudden pain Harry had let his control slip.
Bellatrix grinned. "Now what didn't you understand about this exercise?" she asked in mock confusion. "I said: make her stay in place. Again Potter."
Harry scowled. "Imperio." he said pointing his wand at the woman.
When Harry had mused about Voldemort's theory he had come to the conclusion that muggles were indeed inferior to them but still... did the woman deserve this? On the other hand he had decided to do this, he wanted to know how to cast the three unforgivable curses. Should he already fail at the first? It was not in Harry's nature to step back from a decision so quickly.
Stand up. Don't move. He demanded. Now there was a lot of aversion in the woman. She hesitated but as he increased the mental pressure she obeyed.
Again Bellatrix struck with the whip. It sliced through the clothing like a knife, leaving bloody cuts on the woman's back. Again she screamed and tried to curl up. With great effort Harry made her stay in place. Bellatrix hit her again and with the augmentation of her pain, the woman's mental resistance increased.
When she was struck the third time Harry practically screamed in her mind: Don't move!!
The fourth time Harry was not able anymore to uphold control. Again she threw the curse off and curled up on the floor, sobbing. Her clothes were torn and she was bleeding.
"Now what was that, Harry? I wasn't finished," Bella raised her eyebrows. "Maybe we swop positions and I show you again how it works?"
She held the whip out to him. Harry only stared at it. "Ah, it's like I thought," Bella said, sounding highly satisfied. "You don't have it in you, Potter. You pity this filthy bitch."At the last words she forcefully kicked the woman in the rips who only curled up further.
Harry felt furious. Furious towards himself. He wanted to deny it, he wanted to let the woman suffer, to prove that he was capable of doing so. But he just...could not.
"You don't need to pity her," Tonks suddenly interfered.
She stood up and walked over to the woman. With a flick of her wand she lifted the silencing spell. Now the woman's sobs could be heard.
Tonks grabbed her chin and made her look at her.
"P-please...stop," the woman sobbed.
Tonks said nothing and slowly she changed her features into male one's. Her jaw got stronger, her cheekbones more distinctive. When she was done Harry guessed she had to resemble the man she had imposed when meeting this woman.
Now the woman looked panicked. Before she had been frightened to death but now unreasonable panic was visible in her eyes.
"O, fuck," she breathed. "What 're you? What the fuck're you? Is this some creepy 'orror movie shit?"
Tonks still made the woman look at her and changed her features to a resemblance of the woman's.
That only agitated her further.
"Freak. Leave me be, ya bloody leach," she screamed. "O my god, I must be 'aving a nightmare..."
Tonks stepped away from her again. "Do you understand, Harry? She fears magic because she doesn't understand. She's too dumb and too unworthy to understand our nature. You don't need to pity her."
Freak. How Harry hated this word. How could he have forgotten? All his hatred for the woman's kind. No, he did not need to pity her.
"Let's try again," he said calmly.
Bella grinned. "If you want. Remember: If you really want her to do your bidding she will. You have to want to control her."
"Imperio." he said once more.
Stand up. Do not move. He ordered fiercely. Shakily the woman stood up.
Bella lashed out with the whip and with a loud snap it hit the woman's naked flesh. This time the woman's screams could be heard loudly.
She struggled against the imperius curse the best she could but Harry made her stay in place. Bella hit her over and over again but she did not move. Harry smirked. He felt completely in control over someone else for the first time in his life. Bella was right: he had to really want that she obeyed him. And he wanted it. He wanted the woman to receive her punishment. Slowly he moved around the woman, to probably see the wounds Bella inflicted on her. All the blood was a new fascination for him. It was freeing not to think that he was obliged to care.
"That's enough," Bella finally said after she had given the woman about twenty whippings. "It would not work in our favor if she died before we're finished."
Harry lifted the curse. Momentarily the woman fell to the floor. She groaned and sobbed quietly, apparently refusing to move anymore.
Bellatrix vanished the whip. "Now that was fun, don't you think Harry?" this time she wasn't mocking him and her mischievous grin reminded him of her cousin.
Harry returned her grin. "Yes, that actually was fun, even more for you than for me."
-
In the evening Bellatrix wanted to examine Harry's Occlumency skills. Harry hated that he had to do this with her but he was confidential that she would not be able to see in his mind like Snape had. He was not sure to what degree but he had gotten a lot better at Occlumency over the summer.
For this 'lesson' they met in another room, which Harry believed had been some kind of dining room since the one they had previously used was still occupied by the muggle woman.
Tonks had magically chained her to a wall so that she could not leave. Harry doubted that she would try that in her state but still, she might cause problems somehow.
Now Harry sat across from Bellatrix regarding her unemotionally.
"Before we actually start the practice, I will examine how strong your basic Occlumency shields are," Bellatrix started. "To do that I will simply cast legilimens on you and you try to protect your mind with another spell you see fit. You may be acquainted with this method."
"Indeed," Harry said. He grinned. Bellatrix had undoubtedly set up a challenge. If he used another spell then protego he would be able to see in her mind. Like he had been with Snape. It would be quite interesting if he could turn things around.
"Good," was Bella's only reaction before she shouted without warning: "Legilimens!"
Instantly images flooded through Harry's mind...
...Ginny was crying, confessing to him what her family had done... seeing Ron and Hermione again in Diagon Alley... he pretended to be their friend... his relatives... Dudley laughing... Vernon started to beat him...
No, it's one of those memories! She can't see it! Harry thought fiercely. There was so much pain, so much hate in this memories... but he had practiced it. Clear your mind. He was not weak. He would not submit to his personal nightmares.
"Diffindo," he exclaimed.
Distantly he heard Bellatrix scream and then he could see into her mind...
...a black haired girl, about eighteen, screaming at her sister who was almost a complete resemblance of her... a young woman in her bondage ceremony with a man who was about ten years older than her... Bellatrix, when she was dragged away after her trial's end by Dementors laughing uncontrollably...
"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed and the immense pain made Harry snap out of her mind.
His body was shaking violently, but the curse did not last longer than a few moments. When it was over, Harry was almost surprised to find himself on the floor. Bellatrix was looking down at him, her arm bleeding from a nasty, deep cut. She frowned furiously at first but then the corners of her mouth curled up to a smile.
"That wasn't bad, Potter," she said. "Maybe you'll at least show some potential."
"I'm glad you have such confidence in me," Harry remarked sarcastically as he got up from the floor.
She waved her hand dismissively. "We'll see. Some things require will, Potter, not only talent. I wonder if you're strong enough to fulfill the Dark Lord's expectations or if you'll crawl back at Dumbledore's feed, yearning for his protection-"
Harry grabbed her roughly at her injured arm. "I will never do that! Dumbledore is going to die and I will make sure that it will be slow and gruesome," he hissed.
Bellatrix did not more than flinch at his violent grip. "Only words, Potter," she spat. "Words mean nothing."
Harry glared at her. Again a challenge. He would not step down from it. She would only see it as cowardice. He shook her. "What do you want me to do, then?"
Bellatrix smirked. She knew she had him. "If you should be able to cast the unforgivable curses it won't mean much," she said mockingly. "It's just some filthy muggle slut and you could imagine her to be anyone, someone you hate maybe. No, I want to see if you are really able to make someone suffer."
"You want me to torture the muggle? Is it that?" Harry asked. He was getting annoyed by her constant taunting.
"I'm open minded. Be creative," she said patronizingly. "And stay alert. Crucio."
Again Harry tumbled over in pain. He had let her distract him, made him forgot she still held her wand. The curse was quickly lifted again but when Harry looked up, Bellatrix had already left the room.
"Bloody bitch," Harry muttered.
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EDITED 01/19/10
