Disclaimer: See chapter one.
A/N: Another first! Chapter Ten received 110 reviews! First time I have had a chapter break 100 reviews. You guys are great! I am truly humbled by the interest in this story. I love hearing back from you all and reading your thought and comments. So without further ado here is Chapter Eleven of Passageways. Hope everyone has a Wonderful Holiday! Merry Christmas!
Chapter 11:
Harry stared at the disappearing back of Bellatrix Black as the door to the ROR closed behind her. Her last statement caught the raven haired boy slightly off guard. If this were the Bellatrix of his time he would definitely be suspecting the premature death of the newest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
But she had left without him, meaning that she was going after the Delores Umbridge of her time. Bella had told him that she was not the nicest of people but he doubted she had done anything yet to deserve the wrath of the girl who would one day become the most dangerous witch in recent history.
"Uh…Aunt Walburga you don't think Bella will…you know…do anything permanent do you? Harry asked as he felt another wave of nausea hit him.
"Whatever she does Harry, it will not nearly be severe enough." Walburga sniffed contemptuously. "She has tortured the head of our family and that does not go unchallenged!"
"In my time Auntie, not in her time." Harry tried to reason with the portrait.
"Bella will not see it that way dear, and Bella also has another motivation as well." Walburga grinned.
"What other motivation does she have?" Harry asked.
"Why you dear. She is very taken with you and she will take that woman's attack on you as an attack on someone she cares deeply for, as if it had happened to one of her sisters, she will take it quite personally." Walburga explained.
"Oh bugger!" Harry exclaimed as he dived for the rubbish bin and relieved his stomach of what remained inside of it.
oooOOOooo
The castle seemed eerily quiet as Bellatrix slowly made her way from the seventh floor down to the dungeons where the entrance to the Slytherin commons room lay hidden. The quiet in her travel did nothing to diminish the roaring fire she felt in her chest. No one attacks the House of Black like that, no one tortures her Harry.
It struck her as she walked beneath the invisibility cloak just how quickly she became possessive of Harry, almost obsessive. She had always been a passionate person; though she kept up a cool mask of indifference to those she did not consider her family. But Harry brought out a whole new level of passion within her, one she was most willing to explore. She felt she could be herself around him and that in and of itself was something Bella prized above all else.
She could not really be herself around anyone else and that was why she was so selfish in keeping him secretly to herself. She was not ready to even share the knowledge of him with her sisters either…not completely anyway.
Bella was shocked to see that she had already arrived at the Slytherin entrance, her mind had been so focused on what she was going to do to the toad faced pygmy puff, she had not realized the passage of time. She gave the password and silently entered the den of the snakes. Fortunately no one had paid attention to her entrance not that they would have seen her while underneath the cloak, but she thought at least someone would have looked up to see who had entered with the doorway opened.
Bella looked around the dimly lit commons room and noticed that there were still a few small groups lingering at the few tables and couches that adorned the room. A shock of blonde hair drew her attention to a group of four boys huddled together near the fireplace. It seemed that Malfoy was holding court with a few others including Rabastan Lestrange, Rudolfus was oddly not there.
Her curiosity got the better of her and she made her way carefully over to the group. They did not seem to be too concerned with others hearing them as they were not speaking in hushed tones. It was the top-dog or alpha-male syndrome Bella sneered to herself. The knowledge that you are the master of your domain; hence you do not fear the presence of others or deem them a threat.
It wasn't very Slytherin in Bella's eyes. Never give a potential enemy any ammunition that can be used against you no matter how inconsequential you may deem it. Bella moved to within just a few feet of the group and tapped her earring that she had used at the Three Broomsticks to listen in to another conversation where an older Malfoy was present.
"I tell you she just disappeared!" Gregory Goyle spat.
"Need I remind you that apparition is impossible within the castle?" Malfoy asked in a condescending tone.
"I am well aware of it Lucius! But nevertheless one moment she was there and then she wasn't!" Goyle reiterated.
"Did you see her disapparate?" Rabastan Lestrange asked.
"Well no…I was following her as ordered right after dinner. She headed up the grand staircase so I followed. She went to the fourth floor and turned a corner, but when I got there and rounded the corner there was nothing there but a wall." Goyle explained.
"A wall?" Vincent Crabbe asked with a confused look.
"Yeah a wall!" Goyle spat.
"Where were you on the fourth floor?" Malfoy asked the upset boy nearly the size of a young troll.
"I was following her down the south corridor from the Library and she took the first left, and then she was gone and there was this wall about five feet down that corridor."
"Were you drunk Goyle! There is no wall there, that corridor runs to the exterior east wall idiot! There is a large plate glass window there that looks out toward the Quidditch pitch!" Lucius fumed.
"I tell you there was a wall there!" Goyle spat, jumping to his feet with his fists clenched.
'Well that's unnerving.' Bella thought. 'They have been trying to follow me, bastards! The wall being there is a little odd though." Bella reflected on it for a moment before grinning. She would need to thank the Lady Hogwarts next time she saw her.
"Calm down Goyle!" Rabastan growled. "This bickering isn't helping. Rudolfus wants to know where the bint is sleeping and what she is up to. She hasn't been in the dorms since we returned."
"Why does he care so much?" Crabbe asked looking bewildered. "It's not like he's lacking for company at the moment." He chuckled.
"That's not your concern or any of your business!" Rabastan glared menacingly at the bulky sixteen year old. "Your orders are to keep track of her until told otherwise. Or need I remind you that the Dark Lord has made Rudolfus his personal representative here and he has a personal interest in the Black Family and wants to know their every move." Rabastan hissed under his breath.
Crabbe swallowed hard and nodded his understanding. "W-what about a tracking spell on her?"
"No good, I've tried." Malfoy commented. "She must have some sort of repelling charm on her."
"Maybe we should ask her sisters." Crabbe opined.
"Not likely mate." Goyle replied. "That Andromeda has a wicked temper not to mention casts a nasty scrotal enlargement charm. Last bloke who hit on her had bollocks the size of coconuts for a week!" All the boys shivered at the comment.
"What about the youngest sister…Narcissa? She's not a bad looking bird for a first year." Lucius hummed. "I'm sure I can sweet talk her into telling me whatever I want. I do have my ways with the ladies." He smirked while licking his lips lasciviously. Bella would have unloaded a barrage of hexes on the blonde ponce right then and there if she was not already on a mission. But she would not forget and Lucius just made it to the top five of her "hit" list.
The topic of the conversation turned to the latest conquests of the blonde haired dandy, which turned Bella's stomach. While the goon squad was thusly engaged in conversation, Bella thought it a good opportunity to scout the seventh year male dorms for the satchel with the rings. If she were lucky maybe she could get hold of one tonight.
She made her way to the stairs that lead down to the male dorm rooms. Arriving at her destination she cast a silencing charm on the hinges of the door and then slowly opened it. The first thing to reach Bella's senses was the sound of a wet slapping. It was quickly followed by a female voice moaning and panting. Bella entered the room and silently closed the door. What she saw nearly made her puke.
Her friend Olivia was naked and straddling an equally naked Rudolfus Lestrange. Her fingernails scratching into the seventh year's chest leaving red marks with a trickle of blood in their wake. Olivia was bouncing up and down on top of the oaf while Rudolfus was lying motionless with his eyes closed and his arms folded underneath his head with a stupid grin on his face. Bella's gag reflex threatened to expose her as she fought off the stomach turning horror of seeing the hairy Sasquatch looking boy getting his rocks off with her "friend".
She averted her eyes and began cautiously looking for the satchel she had seen earlier. Five frustrating minutes later she finally saw it under the pillow the uni-browed oaf was lying on.
'Shite! How am I supposed to get at it without lover boy knowing? I suppose I could stun them both but I'm sure they'd figure that out once they came to and that would be the first thing he would check.' Bella was about to give it up as a lost cause for the night when suddenly Rudolfus began to breathe faster and his hands flew to Olivia's bare hips. He began to thrust in to her with abandon and within a few moments was releasing his seed into her.
He fell back catching his breath as Olivia continued to grind on him, but he had already softened and Olivia would get no satisfaction tonight.
"Get off wench I need to shower and get your stench off of me." Rudolfus callously spoke shoving the girl off of him. Olivia looked like she was about to cry as he dismissed her like a common whore. She gathered up her cloths and stormed from the room. Bella heard the girl begin to sob as the door closed behind her.
Bella was furious and wanted to kill the Lestrange scion right where he stood, not for her sake but for all womankind. No one should be subjected to the presence of such an arse. Bella in her rising anger was not watching her surroundings and bumped into a small desk in the room while she was moving away from the door.
Rudolfus stopped what he was doing, startled by the sudden noise. The eldest Lestrange brother took stock of the room but did not see anyone. But Lestrange was not a simpleminded fool like many wizards and knew just because you couldn't see anyone did not mean there was no one there.
As casually as he could he reached for his wand that was also under his pillow. He spun around with his wand coming up. "Homenum Revelio!" He cast the human revealing spell. Bella nearly wet herself as she thought she would be discovered and a fight would ensue that would surely alert others.
A few seconds passed by and…nothing. Rudolfus had a confused look on his face as he slowly pivoted around to take in the entire dorm room. Bella realized that his spell had not worked. It did not reveal her. Bella wondered if it had been Harry's cloak that defeated the spell. But what she knew of invisibility cloaks told her that a cloak could not defeat that particular spell. That's why Rudolfus had cast it. It would reveal any hidden person whether disillusioned or under an invisibility cloak.
Whatever happened, Bella was relieved, but she was still not out of danger yet. Rudolfus after casting the spell two more times, finally relaxed, figuring something must have fallen when Olivia had slammed the door behind her. Rudolfus grabbed a towel from his trunk and entered the adjoining washroom to take a shower.
Bella did not move for a few more minutes just in case Rudolfus was not truly gone but listening for anyone in the room. Taking a chance she moved toward the satchel under the pillow. She cast a silent revealing spell to check the bag for any spells, jinxes or wards. Surprisingly she found some sort of blood ward on the locking mechanism. It would take someone's blood to open it, most likely keyed to Rudolfus' blood. It was pretty advanced magic for Rudolfus. Someone must have set it up for him.
'Damn! Now what!' She raked her mind for an answer to the problem, but none came to mind that would not raise suspicions. 'Wait Olivia scratched his chest! It may not be much but there may still be some of his blood still under her finger nails. That is if she hasn't showered yet and washed her hands.
Bella moved quickly to the door but had to jump out of the way as it suddenly opened. Bella pushed herself flat against the wall as Rudolfus' dorm mates entered in. Before they could shut the door she managed to get out. She wasted no time and headed to the fifth year girls dorm and entered. She saw Olivia's clothes thrown unceremoniously on the floor, but no Olivia. Just then she heard the girls' showers running. Panicking she ran to the showers.
On the floor underneath the spray of the water sat Olivia, she was curled up into a ball sobbing. Olivia's hands were soaking wet and were entwined in the girl's hair which seemed keen on ripping it all out. The girl began to rock herself back and forth and was mumbling angrily at herself.
Bella would have felt sorry for the girl if she hadn't been so frustrated by the loss of the blood. But Olivia had brought this upon herself Bella mused. She, like many pureblood girls, and especially those brought up with Slytherin values, aspire to attach themselves to the politically or socially powerful, and the Lestranges were a politically powerful family.
To Olivia, Rudolfus Lestrange was a means to bring her social and political status in this new regime that she like many other purebloods believed would replace the current magical administration. So it was hard for Bella to feel any sympathy for the girl, who even knowing about the existing contract between the Lestranges and Blacks attempted to seduce the seventh year troll.
Olivia's renewed screaming shook Bella from her musings. Bella looked at the blonde who seemed to be struggling to pull her right hand from her hair. A closer look showed that the blonde's hair had become knotted in the Dark Mark ring. With a sharp yank Olivia managed to free her hand but had pulled out a large clump of her hair at the same time.
Olivia cursed as she stood and went to a sink. She pulled the ring off her finger and pulled the clumps of hair out of it. She set the ring down on the sink and began to run her fingers through her hair to see the damage.
Bella saw an opportunity and quickly neared the sink. With the cloak still firmly around her she was able to grab the ring with barely a finger becoming visible. She moved to the door and before she left cast a silent charm on the sink pipes which caused then to clink as if something had fallen down the pipes.
The noise had its intended effect, as Olivia spun around looking for the ring fearing it had fallen into the drain. She screamed as she desperately tried to force her fingers down the drain in a vain attempt to find the ring that was now securely in Bella's robes. Bella exited the washroom and only briefly wondered what the consequences of Olivia losing the ring would bring down upon the blonde Slytherin.
It was getting late and Bella had one more visit to make and that was a visit to the toad, who was due her comeuppance. Bella entered the seventh year girls dorm still concealed beneath Harry's cloak. Umbridge's bed was easy to spot as its bed curtains were a gaudy pink in color. At first Bella wondered if there was a bear in the bed the snoring was so loud, and wondered why her roommates weren't cursing the squat witch.
A quick revealing spell made it all clear. Her roommates had placed silencing wards around their own beds. That would make things easier for Bella; she would not need to worry about anyone hearing her in the room.
Bella hadn't really thought through what she wanted to do to the toad, she just knew that she wanted her to suffer pain and humiliation, and maybe something worse. A stray thought of just killing the girl came to mind…it would be so easy to immobilize her and then smother her. She would never get the chance to hurt anybody…ever.
Bella suddenly heard an echoing cackle that came out of nowhere and yet it shook her to her very core. It sounded so evil and unhinged that it caused her to involuntarily shiver. The voice sounded eerily familiar it sounded like…her!
Bella gasped as the images of her future self filtered into her head. A cackling mad woman killing students indiscriminately as she stormed Hogwarts castle along with a hundred other black cloaked and masked individuals. She saw herself covered in the blood of the innocent, their voices crying out for their mothers as they lay dying on the bloodstained earth.
Hundreds of faces, both young and old swam before her vision in frozen horror. She saw herself shooting killing curses at fleeing first years, mocking them with a baby voice as each one fell to the ground never to rise again. It was horror on a scale she could not imagine, yet she knew that in Harry's world they had already happened.
Bella collapsed to the ground and wept bitter tears at what she had done or would do. Agony like she had never felt welled up in her chest. Suddenly a hand rested on her shoulder though it didn't startle her, but she felt comforted by its touch.
Bella looked up to see the spectral form of the Lady Hogwarts, looking down upon her with a sadness that a parent shows for a child whom they must discipline for an indiscretion. But there was compassion and understanding in her gaze as well.
"I needed you to see Bella…I needed you to understand that allowing yourself to even contemplate the killing of another could lead you down a familiar path. With just one act of murder Bella, you could set yourself on that path that you have sworn not trod." Hogwarts counseled.
Bella hung her head and sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall. "She tortured Harry." Bella softly whispered.
"No Bella, she has not. Not yet. You must not punish her for a crime that she has not committed."
"But she will milady, she will. And she has in Harry's time!" A distraught Bella replied.
"Think Bella, you do have an opportunity to stop her, but there are other means in which to accomplish your goal. Harry is not the first or the last to have suffered from her less than tender mercies, and I am confident that you will find a non lethal way of making sure she never gets the chance to repeat history.
Defend the ones you love Bella, but let the punishment fit the crime and only use deadly force when you must. There is a difference between killing in self-defense or to protect the life of another and murder." The ancient manifestation counseled.
"What can I do to stop her then?" Bella asked pulling herself together.
"Are you not a daughter of the Blacks? Do you not possess the gift that has been in your family for generations, passed from mother to daughter since Morgana." Lady Hogwarts smirked at the shocked face of the raven haired girl in front of her.
"Yes I know your line my dear. I know you have the blood of the first enchantress in your veins Bellatrix Black of the House of Black. The gift of enchantment runs rich within your veins. No mere spell, jinx or curse has the permanence of a strongly placed enchantment. The true knowledge of enchantment may have disappeared from the Wizarding World, but a thousand years ago those of your bloodline were the most feared of magicals. Use your gift now and have your justice." The spectral form declared and then faded from view.
Bella was standing in the dark room digesting everything the Lady Hogwarts had shown her and told her. The vision of what her future self had done was more than enough to sober her up and rethink her strategy with dealing with Umbridge.
Of course she knew she was an enchantress, every girl born of the Black line had been blessed with the gift, but the incantations took a lot more time than a simple spell and required more power to do so as well. That's why she assumed the practice had been forgotten by others who possessed the gift, given up because spells with a wand were so much easier and quicker and enchantments' were heavily driven by intent and emotion.
Bella breathed in deeply to center herself and collect her thoughts on how she wanted to proceed. An evil smirk spread across her face as she thought of the appropriate punishment for the toad. She moved to the head of the bed and hovered over the contorted face of the snoring seventh year.
Bella slowly unsheathed a silver dagger that had been hidden at her waist. The blade gleamed in the soft artificial moonlight that came through a spelled portrait that showed the night sky similar to the Great Hall ceiling but on a much smaller scale.
She placed just the very tip of it on Umbridge's forehead and made the shallowest of cuts. The blades razor edge sliced the skin as if it were made of warm butter. Umbridge did not even stir, she remained oblivious of her attacker presence and what she had done. Bella then brought the knife to her own left thumb and poked the pad of the thumb and watched as blood began to well up.
She positioned her bleeding thumb over the small cut on Umbridge's face. Bella let three drops of her own blood fall onto the cut and smiled devilishly as the blood was drawn into the cut. Her own blood would anchor the enchantment making it impossible for anyone else to remove.
Bella then began the long incantation that would be triggered by the cows own hubris:
Through your hate will your magic be bound,
your words of bigotry shall force you to ground,
on your belly will you crawl,
in the mud and marsh shall you sprawl.
Let your loathing become the croaking
that echoes through the night…
Bella continued for another ten minutes before the incantation for the curse was complete. She felt herself sway not use to the amount of power needed to perform this type of magic. She was satisfied however that it would be Umbridge herself who would cause the curse to initiate. She just hoped she was around when it happened, she would love to see everyone's reaction to the…um, changes to the girl.
It was nearly two in the morning when Bella returned to the Room of Requirement, but Harry had obviously awaited her return seeing him sitting in a chair facing the door. Before he could ask her anything about what she had done she had curled up on his lap with her arms draped around his neck and her head on his shoulder and with a couple heart beats was sound asleep. Chuckling softly to himself he stood with the girl in his arms and made his way to her bedroom. He carefully placed her on the bed but her arms refused to release his neck. Sighing good naturedly he laid down on the bed with her.
He didn't know if she was truly asleep or feigning it but as soon as he had stretched out on her bed she instantly cuddled into his side and wrapped her arm around his waist pulling him tight to her. He kissed the top of her head and with a swish of his wand the comforter covered them and another flick and the lamps were extinguished. He could get answers from her tomorrow, but right now sleep did sound pretty inviting, especially with a beautiful girl on his chest.
oooOOOooo
When Harry had awakened the next morning Bella was already gone. She had left him a sweet note explaining that she had gone to the owlery early to send a letter to her mum, she also asked him to meet her back in the ROR at lunch time and that she had something important to show him. Harry had a free period this morning and so didn't need to be up if he didn't want to but his rumbling stomach had other ideas.
He decided to check on Luna to see how she was doing so he quickly showered and dressed and headed down to the Great Hall to see if he couldn't find the quirky but sweet Ravenclaw. He was still upset that her fellow housemates had treated her so poorly just because she was a tad odd. But Harry knew all too well the feeling of being ridiculed and bullied and felt a kind of a kinship for the small blonde.
Harry entered the Great Hall and immediately found Luna sitting by herself at the Ravenclaw table eating what appeared to be three slices of French toast stacked on top of each other and covered in oatmeal topped with a fried egg and a sausage that seemed to be cut to look like the Eifel Tower coming up through the middle of all of it. Harry just chuckled as he took the seat in front of her.
Good morning Harry Potter. Are you my Harry Potter or are you the other Harry Potter?" Luna asked airily, not looking up from her creative breakfast masterpiece.
"Huh? I'm the only Harry Potter as far as I know Luna." Harry replied, confusion in his voice.
Luna looked at him and tilted her head to the side as if deep in thought. "You could be my Harry Potter, yes, I think you are. But I fear the other will be here soon and I would have lost my Harry. I hope he will be as nice as you have been when he comes." Luna stated with a resigned sigh, and then returned to her breakfast.
"Um…okay." Harry shook his head, he did not know what she was getting at, so decided to change the subject. "So how have you housemates been treating you lately?"
"Much better, I think Professor Flitwick spoke to them, either than or the wrackspurt infestation in our commons room has been cleared out. But I'm rather inclined to suspect the former. It is very difficult to get rid of an infestation of wrackspurt without a generous supply of orange marmalade to tempt them with, and I haven't seen any orange marmalade lying about."
"That's good to hear Luna, but just remember if your things go missing again the elves will help you get them back." Harry told his friend.
"Yes they've been quite helpful." Luna smiled.
"Luna…who's that man sitting next to Professor Sinestra?" Harry asked seeing an unfamiliar face at the head table.
Luna gave Harry a concerned look at his question. "That's the Defense against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Hedgeburn. Are you okay Harry, I don't see any nargles around you but sometimes they're even invisible to me."
"What happened to Professor Umbridge?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Who?" Luna asked.
"Professor Umbridge…you know the pink cardigan wearing toad." Harry stated with a look of disgust.
"Harry, even I know a toad can't teach DADA, they would be much better at Herbology I would think." Luna replied.
"No Luna, Umbridge is that ministry employee that began teaching here this year." Harry tried to remind her but she still had a blank stare on her face.
"Oh dear!" Luna exclaimed.
"Oh dear? Oh dear what Luna?" Harry asked.
"Are you sure you're not the other Harry? No, no I don't think you are." She corrected herself. Harry was getting a bit confused.
Suddenly Luna's face lit up, oh I have heard of an Umbridge though. My dad told me something about a Delores Umbridge who was a seventh year when he was a sixth. It was the first story he wrote for the Quibbler, it was its inaugural publication. Let's see…what was the story about? Oh yes! It had to do with Professor Slughorn creating his own toad army to conquer Wales."
"Huh?" Harry felt a headache coming on from trying to follow his friend.
"Well according to father, Umbridge was undergoing some sort of breeding regime to produce a master race of human-toads, when something went wrong and she turned into a rather large toad the size of a large dinner plate in the Great Hall exposing the conspiracy. She was quickly gathered up by the professors and never seen again." Luna retold the story as best she could.
"Do you have your DADA book with you Luna?" Harry asked curiously.
"I do!" Luna said pulling the book from her bag. I was the same book as the one Umbridge had passed out. So this Hedgeburn must also be following the same orders as Umbridge had, but he wondered if he was as nasty as she was.
"Luna, have you had this class yet?" Harry asked her handing her book back to her.
"Yesterday." Luna replied taking the book and putting it back in her bag.
"How did you like him as a professor?" Harry asked trying to get what information he could get about the new addition to the staff.
"Well…" Luna began looking thoughtful. "He is a little timid for a DADA professor, and he doesn't have a very strong magical aura. It's a little frustrating that there is no practical wand work for the class. If you ask me I think Fudge is planning on taking over the school with his army of Heliopaths and he doesn't want us to learn how to defend ourselves. But fortunately I know how to defend against them." Luna stated.
Harry couldn't resist so he asked. "And how do you defeat a Heliopath?"
"With fizzy drinks of course. The sugar attracts them but the bubbles create a natural gaseous toxin that his deadly to the Heliopaths causing them to explode. You see they can't belch the bubbles back up." Luna whispered conspiratorially.
Harry grinned at his friend. "Maybe I'll have to buy a case of fizzy drinks. Just in case." Luna smiled at Harry and nodded her head.
Harry stared up at the head table wondering if this subtle change in the time line would have any serious repercussions or if it was small enough to not have really made a difference. It was odd though that if Hedgeburn had been here since the start of turn he had no memory of him. Would his memories not change?
Harry leaned back on the bench he was sitting on with a pensive look. "Bella what did you do to Umbridge that changed the time line?" Harry looked down at his right hand where he was forced to carve the words "I must not tell lies" and noticed that they were still there. Harry frowned at that.
'If Bella somehow changed the future why do I still have the cuts in my hand?' Harry thought to himself.
"Are you feeling well Harry?" Luna asked, worried about her friend's sudden pensive appearance.
"Uh…yeah Luna, I'm fine. Just thinking." Harry replied mechanically. "Uh I need to go Luna, I need to look into something." Harry stood from the bench and turned to go but was stopped as Luna called to him.
"Harry…" Luna began softly; her eyes looked wide and sorrowful. "I will miss you when the other Harry comes. I hope that I don't forget you though when he does."
Harry gave her a concerned look and grabbed her hand. "Luna I'm not going anywhere okay. I'll talk to you later right?"
Luna jerkily nodded her head and smiled tearily at him. "Okay Harry, the other you may not be here for awhile yet anyway. I just wanted you to know." Harry gave her a confused but sincere smile and then left the Great Hall. Harry made his way back up to the Room of Requirement deciding to skive of his first class. He was hoping to ask the Lady Hogwarts some questions about the time lines.
oooOOOooo
Bella entered the Great Hall with Lily Evans by her side; she had run into the first year Gryffindor after she had sent an owl to her mother and invited the vivacious redhead to join her for breakfast. Bella was beginning to really like the intelligent girl and could see why Narcissa had become such quick friends with her. She was warm and unbiased and was so open to this new world she had been introduced to that you couldn't help being drawn in to her enthusiasm.
"Lily!" Narcissa waved from her seat next to her sister Andromeda. The redhead waved back and joined her friend. Bella took a seat across from her sisters and began to plate her breakfast.
"Have you heard about Olivia?" Andromeda whispered across the table.
Bella looked up at her sister. "No, what happened?" She asked in interest.
"Apparently she fell down a few flights of stairs this morning, was hurt pretty bad from what I've heard. She was sent to St. Mungos about an hour ago."
"Really?" Bella asked looking down the table looking for Rudolfus but not seeing him.
"Yeah, odd that though." Andromeda added.
"Oh?" Bella asked.
"Well Madam Pomfrey is one of the top healers in the country. It's odd that she wasn't able to take care of her here." The second eldest Black sister mused.
"Maybe she was just being overly cautious and wanted to make sure there was no permanent damage." Bella offered.
Andromeda shrugged. "Perhaps, anyway I thought since she was your friend you might know more about it."
"No, I don't." Bella looked down at her plate, pushing her eggs around. "But thanks for letting me know."
Bella knew that Rudolfus would most likely be furious with Olivia if she had informed him that her ring was missing. And maybe she was being naive or maybe just didn't care what those repercussions were at the time, but now she was feeling a little guilty. Not much, but perhaps a little.
"What is the Noble House of Slytherin coming to when a mudblood is allowed to sit at our table?" A simpering voice vocalized for the table to hear.
Lily cringed and lowered her head. "Don't do that Lily!" Bella order the redhead, getting the first years attention.
"Lift your head, be proud of who you are, don't let people make you feel inferior." Bella told the girl, who nodded with a watery grin before straightening her back and glaring at the witch who made the comment.
"Oooh look the mudblood thinks she…*croooaaak*". The short curly haired witch blushed.
"I-I don't know where that came from." She embarrassedly grinned.
"My Delores what big EYES you have." Bella cooed.
Students around the arrogant witch watched in fascination as her eyes seemed to slowly grow to twice their normal size. They were literally bulging from her eye sockets. Some students began to scoot away from her at the sight.
"Oh my Delores what a big mouth you have." Bella continued in mock concern.
Delores Umbridge's head began to flatten and elongate and her mouth grew impossibly wide. Her hair began to fall out in large clumps leaving a smooth bald surface exposed, the smooth surface then began to sprout large brown warts. Students torn between running in fear and watching in morbid fascination at the sight in front of them were frozen in place.
A large fly that had landed on the table was suddenly grabbed by a rather large and sticky tongue. Students who hadn't moved away before suddenly jumped in shock as they watched one of their own swallow the pest in a loud gulp.
"Wha-wha-wha is going…*croak!*"
Delores Umbridge was in a full panic as her body was slowly morphing into something reptilian, she brought her hands in front of her face and witnessed as her thumb shrank back into her hand and the four remaining fingers separated and elonganted.
She was feeling cold now and seemed to be shrinking, her neck all but disappeared into her shoulders her legs folding underneath her. Her shoes popped off revealing long scaly toes. The disturbance had finally attracted the attention of the professors at the head table. Dumbledore, Slughorn and McGonagall raced to the scene.
"Oh my, is that Miss Umbridge?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes professor." A Student in Slytherin robes informed her in a voice that hinted at shock and wonder.
"Finite incantatem!" The Scottish professor cast to no avail. "It's not a spell Albus." She told him in a worried tone.
"Perhaps a potion?" Horace Slughorn tested all the food and drink where she had been sitting finding no potions.
"Fascinating." Dumbledore remarked with an impressed raised eyebrow as they watched the transformation of Delores Umbridge complete.
Before them, on the bench, surrounded by student robes was an extremely large greenish brown toad with dark oozing warts. It was as large as a dinner platter and probably weighed at least twenty pounds. Students looked on with mixed emotions on their faces. Some were of shock, other of disgust, but no one seemed to notice the triumphant smirk on Bella's lips.
Movement overhead alerted all in the hall that the post had arrived as dozens of owls swooped into the Great Hall to deliver their parcels and posts. The large toad did not go unnoticed by the owls that had in many cases traveled long distances and were a bit famished. Toads being a natural food source for owls brought a lot of attention to the rather juicy looking toad. Dumbledore sensing an approaching feeding frenzy quickly shielded the toad.
"I think we should take Miss Umbridge to Poppy. She may be able to determine what has happened. If not I'm sure the perpetrator will come forward and undo what has been done." Dumbledore told the other professors.
'Not likely!' Bella thought to herself.
oooOOOooo
Several minutes later Harry was entering the ROR, and too his surprise stood the Lady Hogwarts smiling at him knowingly as if she already knew his mind and what he wanted to discuss.
"Come, sit Harry." She gestured to one of the chairs in the familiar commons room that he and Bella shared. Harry sat in the offered chair and the Lady sat in the other.
"You have questions for me." It was a statement not a question as the beautiful spectral image of Hogwarts in the image of Helga Hufflepuff began their discussion.
Harry cleared his throat and opened his mouth but then closed it a moment later. He wasn't entirely sure how to ask what he wanted to ask or what to ask truthfully. He folded his hands in his lap and looked down at them. Seeing the scars on his right hand gave him reprieve and he began by lifting his hand.
"Milady, something has changed…in my time." Harry stated in a rush. Hogwarts looked at him to continue.
"Well, Umbridge is no longer there, I mean here anymore. I think Bella did something to her." Harry stated.
"Indeed she did." Hogwarts chuckled. "Very inventive of her I must say."
"She didn't…you know…kill her did she?" Harry asked.
"No Harry." She reassured him. "Though it was a close thing." Hogwarts didn't elaborate further.
Seeing no further answer from her, Harry continued. "So anyway, apparently Umbridge never came to teach." Harry began to rub his hand feeling the raised scars. Hogwarts noticed the action.
"And you are wondering how it is you still have the scars on your hand if in your present she never was your teacher?" Hogwarts asked him and received a nod.
"And why do I still remember it and I don't have any memory of the other professor?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow.
Hogwarts stood and swept her arms around the room. "Harry, the enchantments that I placed on this room has made it in a word "outside" of time. While you remain in this room when changes are being made your memories will not be altered. You and Bella will stay the same while everyone else around you will have changed."
"So, I don't understand. If Bella or I alter the past, my present –her future is changed but no one else will know about it? How is that even possible? What if we stop people from being killed in the past? Will they suddenly be alive and what about all the missing years in-between will they just magically be filled in. What if…what if we stop my parents from being killed…will I just know them and have new memories of them? I don't understand the logic behind it, is there logic behind it?"
Hogwarts countenance fell as she looked upon the boy that fate had treated so poorly. She had hoped that she would have more time before she had to tell him, to tell them the full truth about their unique situation. She needed to explain things to the both of them and she expected that she was going to have a pair of irate teens on her hands. But it needed to be done and they truly did have the potential for a wonderful future together. It was one of the possibilities she had seen at least.
Harry jumped as the entrance door suddenly opened and a winded Bella came running in. Her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing heavily like she had just run a marathon.
"Are you okay Harry?!" Bella asked looking between him and Lady Hogwarts.
"Yeah, I'm fine. The question is are you okay? You look like you were being chased or something." Harry told her.
Bella stood as straight as she could but seem to have a stitch in her side that she was holding with her left hand. "I was in class when I felt this extraordinary strong need to return here." Bella related.
"I apologize for the alarm Bella, but it was I who summoned you." Hogwarts told the panting girl. "I needed you here to explain a few things I neglected to tell the two of you earlier. Please take a seat." Bella grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him to sit next to her on the couch.
The Lady stared back at the two teens who's hands were interlinked and drew strength from the bond the two had already formed, and it gave her hope that what she was about to confess to them might not be as unwelcomed as it could be.
"You both know that I brought you two here for your protection and to help me protect the school and its students by changing the events that would lead to so much death and sorrow within and without my walls. I have seen your future Bella, all the atrocities' and horrors committed by Bellatrix Lestrange. I know how your mind fell into madness. But I also see an alternate path, one that leads to a long and happy life." Here she glanced knowingly over to Harry.
"Harry, I have also seen your future firsthand. I know what becomes of you; how you meet an untimely end through treachery and deceit by those you had trusted most on these very grounds. You were the lamb brought to slaughter, unprepared, you blindly, though bravely went out to confront a monster who would show you no mercy. But the path is not set in stone.
And I have seen my own near destruction; it was because of so much magical blood spilled on my grounds that I was able to create this place. Through siphoning every bit of released magic from that horrible battle, I was able to collect enough power to create this room. And thus bring you together.
However, time is a fickled thing, and every change creates a ripple. Those ripples are impossible to predict. For example when you cast a stone into a calm lake you create a distinct pattern of ripples that begin to spread out, but in a way you can still somewhat predict.
However, now if you toss another stone and yet another stone, all those ripples begin to collide and distort and the original ripples are completely lost, and you have something completely different. Do you follow me so far?" Hogwarts asked. The two teens nodded their understanding.
"The past and the future have already begun to shift and even I am not completely sure what the end result would be. So this room creates a constant to the chaos. From the moment you stepped into this room you no longer belonged to time. You exist outside of it. This room shields you from the ripples.
These ripples won't affect Bella as much since we are working forward from her time. But it will have a very significant affect on you Harry and your time. And this is why I must ask you Harry to forgive me." Hogwarts apologetically spoke.
"I don't understand, I knew there would be changes. Why would you need to apologize?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow.
"Should you continue on this path? And succeed." She gestured to him and Bella. "You, the Harry of your world will cease to exist. The person you are right now will have never been."
"What, do you mean… am I going to disappear or something?" Harry asked in a panic, Bella paled and tightened her grip on Harry's hand.
Hogwarts placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "No Harry, you will not vanish. You, as you are now will continue to exist. But the world you come from will not know you; it will have its own Harry Potter. One that has not lived the life that you have, a Harry who has not suffered at the hands of his relatives, one that has not faced the horrors and dangers that you have faced.
This creates a dilemma, a paradox if you will. There cannot be two Harry Potters that exist in your time. Eventually Harry, you will have to make a decision. And this is where I have not been as forthcoming as I should have been Harry, and why I must ask your forgiveness for not telling you before you started this journey.
And that is, whether you stay in your time or whether you go to Bella's, you will no longer be able to be Harry Potter."
Harry was stunned; he didn't know whether to feel confusion, anger, sadness, betrayal, or manipulated. So instead he settled for numb.
"So who will I be or become? I don't understand why didn't you tell me this before?" Harry asked tightly.
"I have no excuse Harry, in the future you were heading, saw you dying at the hands of Voldemort at the age of seventeen. Dumbledore in his arrogance believed that a battle between you and Voldemort would weaken him enough that Dumbledore could step in after you were killed and kill Voldemort himself. He didn't…and our world was cast into darkness.
"Harry, it may not mean much to you." Bella quietly spoke. "But, I prefer creating a new future with you than becoming the evil I might have been had you not come into my life. And had the Lady not brought us together I'm sure I would have. And for that, I am grateful to her for bringing you here."
Harry looked at Bella warmly. "Funny thing is, I should be furious, but I find myself okay with it. Being the Boy-Who-Lived has been more of a curse than a blessing anyway. I think I'd like a shot at happiness rather than an early death." He half smiled. Bella kissed him tenderly on the lips.
"As to who you become it is completely up to you Harry, there are many extinct lines within the Potter and Evans family that you could restart." Hogwarts stated.
"The Evans?" Harry asked.
"Your mother is the first active magical in a long line of squibs, Harry. The name was changed to Evans from Eveningshade in the early eighteenth century." Hogwarts continued.
"I've heard of that family!" Bella gasped. "They were a dark family weren't they?" Bella asked the ancient lady.
"More a dark shade of gray. They are an ancient house Harry, not a Noble and Ancient house like the Potters and Blacks and hold no titles, but they are just as old." Hogwarts informed him.
"So I guess I still have some time before I have to give up being Harry Potter right?" Harry asked
"It all depends on how fast you and Bella work. It could be a year or two, maybe more, before the new Harry makes an appearance." Hogwarts estimated.
"I wondered how she knew." Harry suddenly chuckled.
"How who knew what Harry?" Bella asked.
"Luna Lovegood." He replied. "She said something this morning to me that at the time made no sense. But now it does."
"What did she say?" Bella asked inquisitively.
"She said, that she hoped the other me was as nice as I was. And that she hopes she remembers me." Harry said with an impressed look.
Lady Hogwarts smiled. "Yes Luna Lovegood, I have watched her on occasion. She has a unique gift. Not the first in her family either."
"Is she a seer?" Bella asked.
"No, not in the traditional since. She is a magic reader. She can see and feel magic around her; sense its ebbs and flows. It speaks to her. Magic however is not linear it flows through space and time forwards and backwards, side to side. Again it is partly why this room can exist. She must have felt a change in your magic or the magic of the possible you. It would seem similar to her but different and she could sense that it was you but not you."
"Sounds confusing." Bella said with a shake of her head.
"It can be, she is trying to make sense of not only what her five senses are telling her but what her magical senses are telling her as well. And sometimes the two are at odds with each other, and why she seems so odd at times. That is why most people avoid her unfortunately." Hogwarts told them.
"Anything else that you want to know?" Hogwarts asked the young couple.
"Lots…" They chorused.
oooOOOooo
The next few days seemed to fly by for the couple. The change in DADA professors in Harry's time did not seem to have made any difference in the current time line. Harry went to his classes and although the glares had almost completely stopped there was still an air of discomfort for many of the students who shared classes with him.
He had not really spoken to Hermione except in the classroom and usually just about class related topics. During his free periods and in the evenings he continued to practice drawing the runes and practicing the incantation for the unbinding ceremony, and receiving lessons in Lordship from Walburga.
They only distraction from the norm was the occasional request by Dumbledore to visit him in his office. But Harry had managed to avoid the request so far by.
Bella had not been idol either. She had informed Harry about the Death Eater rings and her theory about them being a communication device and the possibility of placing a curse on one ring that could transmit it to all the others.
Harry was excited about the possibility, however Bella was having no luck so far in trying to figure out the arithmancy behind the rings operation and the charm work was well above her understanding. But Bella loved a challenge and she would not relent until she discovered its secrets. Then the next daunting task would be to weave her own curse into the rings spell lattice.
She had a working premise on how it could work. But it was all theory for now, and it would continue to be until she unraveled all the protective spells on the ring itself and bean to experiment. The danger came from accidentally destroying the existing mechanism of communication in her attempts to understand it. If the ring became inoperable it was back to square one, and somehow getting another ring seemed was not a pleasant thought.
Bella was sure that Rudolfus had made an example of Olivia to impress upon the others who had a ring not to lose them or let them out of your sight, or they could face similar consequences.
oooOOOooo
The time had finally come to attempt the unbinding ritual and Harry was a bundle of nerves. Walburga had tried to calm the nervous boy, but no words of reassurance could ease his frazzled nerves. He was about to perform a ritual he had never done before that could cause permanent damage to the girl he was quickly falling in love with. One simple miss stroke on a rune or a mispronounced word could be disastrous.
The only thing that kept him from falling apart was the faith Bella had in him. They had spent the night together holding on to one another. He had expressed his fears to her that night and she had told him that she knew that she was in good hands and trusted him completely. The reams of parchment he had gone through drawing and redrawing the runes was a testament to his dedication on getting it right.
She had distracted him from his obsessive musing by making sure his lips and mouth were to deliciously occupied to think of anything else but exploring her lips and mouth in return. But now that the moment was at hand those same nerves were threatening his confidence.
"The room is ready milord." Kreacher informed Harry who had been pacing in his room. Harry nodded and took another deep breath to center himself.
Harry exited his room into the commons area. He noticed that the couches and chairs were no longer there, but a large alter dominated the center of the room. It looked like shiny black onyx, he could see his reflection in the surface of it. He ran his hand down it and to his surprise found it warm to the touch.
A simple medical cart with wheels stood next to the altar with three vials of Bella's blood and what looked like several old fashioned fountain pens which would be used to draw the runes by dipping the head of the pens in the blood.
Harry twisted the Black signet ring around his finger nervously and began to recite the incantation in his head. He would not mess up, he continued to tell himself as he paced. The room was warmly lit by the roaring fire in the hearth, and several torches lining all four walls, and four bluebell flames hovering above the altar illuminating it in soft light.
A door opening to his right caught his attention. He turned to see Bella step out of her room. Her long curly dark hair was piled up on top of her head to keep it off her shoulders and neck. She was wearing a forest green silk robe that clung sinfully over her feminine curves. The robe was pulled tight around her by a silk belt that just accentuated her femininity.
Bella gave him a shy smile as she made her way slowly to him, her own nerves for the first time visible in her violet eyes. She pressed herself against him as his arms encircled her narrow waist. They stood silently in each other's embrace for a few moments, each gathering up their courage.
"I know you can do this Harry." She whispered, her head tucked under his chin.
All Harry could do was nod; he did not trust his voice not to expose his nervousness at that moment. She needed to feel that he was confidant and he would be that for her. She stepped back but still in his arms and gently kissed him.
"I'm ready Harry." Bella told him. Not breaking eye contact with him she stepped out of his embrace and pulled the silk belt loose and with a small shrug the silken robe slid to the floor pooled at her feet.
She stood before him in all her vulnerability. Harry lost the power to think or speak, for the very first time he was seeing her, all of her. He was sure at that moment that not even Aphrodite could match the beauty that stood before him.
Bella reached for his hand and pulled him with her as she approached the altar. The altar lowered itself to just above Bella's knees. Still holding on to Harry's hand she sat down on the edge of the altar and with Harry's gentle help, she lay back and stretched out on the black shining surface.
As soon as she was completely reclined the altar rose again to allow Harry easy access to her body. Bella continued to look deeply in to Harry's eyes, her breaths quickened and her chest with its perfect breasts began to rise and fall in nervous anticipation.
Harry closed his eyes and focused his thought on the task at hand. He would start from the tops of her feet and work his way up until her entire body was covered in the ancient writing. Harry took pen in hand and dipped it into one of the vial of blood on the tray. He gently wiped the excess blood from the sides of the pen.
Coming to the top of her left foot he made the first stroke of many. Harry sighed in relief as the first rune was drawn perfectly. That success eased the rest of his nerves and he proceeded with the next. Within an hour Harry had drawn twenty-four runes that covered Bella's feet and legs.
The next three runes would be directly above Bella's smooth womanhood. Harry felt the soft skin below as he prepared to draw the runes that would affect her fertility. He lowered his head over her and could smell her intoxicating scent as he began to draw the first rune.
Bella had to fight to keep herself still, she had to remain perfectly still, and the slightest movement on her part could cause a miss stroke and would be disastrous for her. But Harry's proximity and warm breath around her warm nether regions was making the poor girl struggle to keep her sanity. She had an overwhelming desire to wrap her legs around Harry's head tightly and feel what his wonderful moist lips could do to her.
An agonizing fifteen minutes later and Harry had finished with that part of her anatomy and had moved on to her hips then belly. But as soon as he had reached her breasts she fought another internal struggle not to force Harry's mouth down on her nipple and order him to suckle her.
He was so methodical and so close to her body she could feel the warmth of his body and breath, it was torture not to just reach out and pull him on top of her and have her way with him. She knew her juices were already starting to flow from the eroticism of the moment; her scent was already heavy in the air.
Harry had finished the runes that encircled her breasts and was now moving on to her shoulders and arms. Two hours later and Harry had completed the runes. Harry stepped back and sighed heavily knowing that he had finished the most taxing part of the ritual. He had struggled with himself constantly throughout the procedure, his mind continually tried to run away with thoughts of an extremely beautiful and not to mention naked Bella in front of him. His trousers had become painfully tight around his manhood as it begged for release.
Harry picked up a silver dagger that was on the tray with the blood and pens. He sliced the palm of his left hand and then with the Black signet ring on his right hand ring finger dipped the stone into his blood.
He pressed the blood soaked gem to Bella's forehead and began the spell that would initiate the runes that covered her body. Calling upon his magic and stating his position as head of the Black Family he called for the removal of the chastity bindings.
Harry felt a pull on his magic as one by one each rune began to glow a brilliant red. It began from where he had touched her forehead and slowly made it way down her body. He stepped back and watched as Bella's body began to glow and tremble like a current of electricity was going through her.
Suddenly the glow and her shaking stopped and the runes that had been drawn slowly faded into nothingness. Bella's eyes were closed and she was not waking, but Harry noticed that she was breathing.
Walburga had watched the entire ritual and could see the worry in Harry's eyes. "She will be fine Harry; it just takes a lot out of a girl when they go through this process. Take her and put her into bed." Walburga told him. With a sigh of relief he gently scooped her up into his arms and held her tightly to him.
Harry walked into her bedroom and discovered that her bed sheets and blankets had already been turned down for her; most likely Kreacher had anticipated the need. He knelt on the bed and then gently laid her down. He brought up the sheets and blanket and tucked her in. Even asleep she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him. He kissed her forehead and attempted to turn and leave so that she could sleep but a hand had grabbed his own.
He turned around to see a pair of sparkling violet eyes looking back at him. Her eyes spoke volumes to him, they spoke of gratitude, and love, but the dominate feeling they were expressing at that very moment was desire.
She spoke in a low husky voice, her eyes sparkling with mischief and passion. "We're not done yet."
oooOOOooo
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter would love to hear your comments and thoughts.
S/N: Before anyone gets angry at me, the next chapter will have Bella and Harry consummating their relationship-tastefully done of course. Don't want the story pulled. : )
Also some of you might be upset with how Harry reacted to Hogwart's revelation about his unique circumstance or rather his lack of reaction. And yes it was manipulation on Hogwarts part. But I think when faced with either an early death or a new life with Bella, Harry would choose the latter, probably after a good long rant, but I didn't want to go all angsty in this chapter, so Harry was a little out of character. I don't think it diminished the story. I hope anyway. Thanks again for reading!
