I'm back! For that I have to thank all the authors that are writing new Bellamione stories right now that got me back into the fandom, as well as the new chapter of The Black Prophecy, one of my absolute favorites. If you haven't read that, I don't know what you're doing here and you should go do so immediately.
That being said, I can't promise another 50k words, but I will do my very best to finish this and give it the ending it deserves. I have quite a bit of time on my hands for the next month or so, so I'll try to get this wrapped up quickly.
Also - I've now heard about the Bellamione discord. (Just learned what discord was thanks to Swanqueen Supernova. I'm not great with technology sometimes. I have a tumblr with nothing on it). Anways, does anyone have the link to send me, or know who I contact to get in on it? Thanks 3
Two days later, Hermione could no longer put off the inevitable and had agreed to meet with the Dark Lord. She was nervous and unsure of what he was going to say and what she was going to say. Frankly she was also a bit unsure about just being in the presence of the man, as he had made her quite uncomfortable during the ritual. The amount of magic contained in him just seemed unnatural, she didn't like it. But obviously she was with Bella, and that meant to a certain extent that she was on the side of the Dark Lord. She certainly was NOT on Dumbledore's side.
Exactly where her moral compass lied, she didn't know. What exactly was right, or wrong? She didn't know nearly enough about the truth behind the pureblood prejudices to know whether she agreed with them or not. Bella had briefly explained some of the science and her work as an unspeakable, but Hemrione was nothing if not thorough, and wouldn't take a stance either way until she had researched the topics herself. She knew that during the first war, both sides had taken many losses from the brutality of the other side – as was the norm in a war, no matter how much the history books tried to sugarcoat it. When all was said and done, Hermione had a feeling that she wouldn't agree completely with either side, but that she would have to choose the lesser of the two evils, and then try to actively work to improve the wizarding society in the aftermath.
Voldemort had asked to meet with her, and requested they be alone. She knew he must want something, she just didn't know what. If he asked her for help with information gathering, research, potion brewing, or anything of that sort she would be more than happy to help. If he asked her to hurt Harry or Ron or any of her friends, or even plan or be complicit in something that would hurt them, she would definitely decline. And well, one does not turn down the Dark Lord, so that worried her.
Having Bella there would have made her feel much better, but Bella had reassured her that she would be safe and that if Hermione needed her she wouldn't be far away. Hermione had a feeling that Bella already knew what the Dark Lord was up to, and therefore she trusted her wife and agreed to the private meeting.
She opened the door of the study and walked in to where Voldemort awaited, trying to project an aura of poise and confidence even though she was feeling anything but. She was thankful, more than ever, for her proficiency in occulumency, which meant that he at least wouldn't be able to see inside her scattered mind. Her fingers itched to grasp at the hem of her robes but she resisted, holding her chin high and emulating her wife. She could do this.
'Madame Black…' He greeted her calmly, his red eyes taking in her appearance so thoroughly Hermione felt the gaze in her very bones. 'Marriage suits you. May I offer my congratulations. The amount of power released during the ritual was quite astounding which bodes very well for your future.'
'Thank you, my Lord.' Hermione didn't love the epithet, but anything else would be rude. He may not be 'her Lord', but it was a way to show respect. She might not like the man, or totally agree with him, but she respected him all the same.
'I assume you're wondering why I asked to meet with you, and in the interest of saving time I'll be direct. You've heard the prophecy regarding Mr. Potter and I?'
Hermione nodded in affirmation, indicating for Voldemort to continue. She was thankful not to have to exchange pleasantries with the man, as she had never loved small talk and was quite sure that there was some sort of pureblood dialect that she didn't yet grasp.
'I've had Bella look into some things and my suspicions have been confirmed. A little magic lesson, first, as they've no doubt not taught you this at Hogwarts. Committing murder actually causes a tear in the soul, which can, with remorse, be mended, but most of the time the tear remains. Too many such tears can weaken the soul, and with an extremely difficult incantation, it is possible to remove a portion of one's soul and transfer it to an object. This is called a Horcrux. I have made many such objects, with the objective of immortality, all of them done quite deliberately. However, something rare and unusual happened that night in Little Whinging. A bit of my soul recognized something in Mr. Potter, and I couldn't quite bring myself to kill him. When I tried, that bit of soul broke off, and latched itself to young Harry. We, quite literally, share a soul.'
Hermione didn't know what to say. It certainly hadn't been what she was expecting to hear. Her mouth was slightly open and luckily Voldemort wasn't finished speaking and didn't expect a coherant reply just yet.
'The ramification of this are as follows. As Harry carries part of my soul, he is incredibly powerful, and is the only wizard uniquely equipped to kill me. However, if he killed me, he would also die himself, due to the connection, and vice versa. If I kill him, I die. If Potter dies in some other circumstance, which is unlikely though I believe it may be possible, I lose much of my invulnerability. If Potter and I were to be united, or simply have a truce, well then we would both live forever. Either we both die, or neither, and I think you and I would both prefer the latter.'
It was a bit of a mindfuck, to put it crudely, but after a few turns in her mind Hermione believed that she understood. 'So Dumbledore has been raising Harry to have him kill you, knowing that he'd die in the process?'
'Exactly, well put. I believe the muggle phrase is 'raising him like a pig for slaughter'. This is where you come in. I understand your moral dilemma and I respect Bellatrix too much to pressure you into anything, especially as I have full confidence that you will come to agree with my views in your own time. We both have interests in protecting Harry, and that is what I'd like from you. Do your best to keep him from harm, and attempt to teach him occulumency. You can tell him about the prophecy as many times as you want, but until he learns to shield his mind, he will always be vulnerable to Dumbledore's mind manipulations. The goal is to get him out from under Albus' thumb.'
Hermione relaxed a bit, glad to hear that she wasn't going to have to attempt to say no to Voldemort. He was asking for something that she would have done already, and having confirmation that at least one of his goals aligned with hers was relieving. Even if they didn't agree on much else, having Harry as common ground would create a bridge towards working together.
'I'm assuming that, by now, Dumbledore will have tried to turn Harry and Ron and the rest of the Order against me, so I can't guarantee that he will listen to me, but of course I'll try. I would have, even if you hadn't asked me.'
'Good, then we are in agreement. Step carefully at Hogwarts this year, and never let down those walls of yours. Your occulumency is quite impressive, though you could due with a little bit of subtlety. I'll have Severus give you a few lessons on creating false memories, as you may find that useful. I have a task for Draco, and if he so chooses to confide in you, which I suspect he will, feel free to assist him as needed, if you wish. I'll let you get back to your wife, as I'm sure she's paced a track into the carpeting by now, if I know her as well as I suspect. Do send in Draco when you see him, he should be waiting just outside.'
