Massive thanks to the best and most detailed beta in the world, CatherineMorgenstern. You. Are. Fabulous.
Potter really was the most putrid specimen Bella had ever laid eyes on. How he'd survived his time at Hogwarts astounded her. She'd only thrown a few measly curses at him and he was already curled into a ball and shivering like a wind-tossed leaf. The fact that he'd beaten the Dark Lord was beyond belief, still, he wouldn't stand a chance against Stewart. She pushed the pointed tip of her boot into his ribs.
"Get up and face me, Potter! I want to tell you about the look on your pathetic girlfriend's face as I killed her!"
Bella watched him tense. His bound hands fisted as he uncurled and twisted to face her. Pure hatred suffused his features, causing Bella's skin to warm with pleasure as his green eyes met hers. A smile crept onto her face at the despair she spotted in the depths of his gaze. He would be easy to break. She saw that he hovered on the edge of madness and knew that the slightest tap would send him over. News of his traitor friend fucking her would be the perfect push, but she was reluctant to share that with him. What fun would there be in tormenting him when he was already mad? No. She'd save it for another time. A time when she became bored playing with him.
"She looked surprised." Bella crouched down next to him and petted his hair as if he were a dog. "And she was in pain. A lot of pain."
"You-"
"Hush! Where are your manners? Did no one teach you it's rude to interrupt?" Her fingers curled in his hair, scratching his scalp as she grasped a handful of dark strands. "Do that again and I'll be forced to slice your tongue in two. Understood? Now, where were we? Ah, yes! Pain."
She closed her eyes and searched for the memory of Ginny's death. It came slowly, unfolding sinuously like a snake in glorious detail as she began to hum. Bella allowed those images to replay twice, basking in them, before she opened her eyes to look at Potter. She'd just found the perfect words to describe what she remembered when a noise broke her concentration. A frown rumpled her brow and she cocked her head, trying to pinpoint the sound.
It came again, a light tap of something small and hard hitting the windowpane. Mice in the eaves? Rodent droppings littered the cottage and the ivy covering the outside made the perfect ladders for the pests to climb with the nuts and berries they'd collected outside. Last night scratching in the attic had kept her awake for hours and now they sought to annoy her during the day? It was on the tip of her tongue to shout for Peter, but then she remembered the stinky beast was dead and could no longer deal with trivial matters like mice for her.
"Stupid rat," she muttered.
The light tap sounded again, making Bella hiss. How was she supposed to torture Potter with these kinds of distractions? She used her hold on the young wizard's head to push to her feet.
"Don't you go anywhere."
Harry didn't say a word.
"Did you hear what I said?!" she screeched, stamping her foot next to his knee. "Answer me when I speak to you!"
His lips mashed together in reply.
Rage bubbled up from the pit of her stomach. "You horrid, putrid-"
Tap.
Bella's head whipped to face the window. Her eyes narrowed as she marched towards it and ripped the mildewed curtain aside. Ivy met her furious gaze as she tried to spot the mouse between the leaves. A small hole in the frame caught her attention and she leaned closer to prod at it with her finger. The wood crumbled under the pressure and she felt sure this was the entry point for the little buggers. Lifting her borrowed wand, Bella sifted through her mind for a suitable spell, but before she could cast, another tap came from the glass. This time she saw what made the noise. A chip of slate from the roof, no bigger than the size of a pea, tumbled through the ivy and onto the outside windowsill. Her lips pressed together in anger as she realised it probably wasn't a mouse responsible for the noise, but a bird looking for a nesting site.
She huffed out a breath and turned to face Potter. "I'll be back before you have the chance to miss me, Potter."
Without waiting for his reply, Bella made her way to the door. It took a hard pull to get it to open, the hinges squeaking in protest as she made a gap big enough for her to slip through. Long tendrils of ivy blocked her view. She shoved it aside and stepped into the dull sunlight. Birdsong and the rustle of leaves were the only sound. Taking a few steps forward, she turned and tipped her head back to look for the bird. She had the most perfect curse to throw at it, one she hadn't yet mastered, but practised whenever the opportunity arose. Perhaps she would practise on Potter once she'd dealt with the bird.
The attack caught her by surprise. One moment she was looking at the ivy, the next she was on the ground with her face pressed into the rotten leaves. A heavy weight lay across her back and strong fingers pried the wand from her hand. Breathing became difficult as the weight didn't lift and the chance of casting disappeared when whoever lay on top of her refused to allow her to raise her head.
"Hello, Sweetheart. Fancy seein' you 'ere."
Bella froze, fury rushed through her so fast she felt dizzy. She couldn't even answer the Snatcher because of the damp leaves pressed against her mouth.
"Now, now. Let's be civil about this, shall we?" Scabior said, shifting his body more firmly along her back. "Get the cuffs ready, Pet. We need to secure the bitch before we check on Potter."
"Okay, okay," the Mudblood muttered.
Small hands took a hold of Bella's wrist and twisted until it forced her arm to the side. Disgust made her wriggle, but she couldn't move more than a few inches because of the Snatcher's weight holding her in place. The cuff closed around her wrist with a metallic click. Her arm was yanked above her head where the Snatcher held it until the Mudblood could pull her other wrist next to it and place it inside the cuff. Air solidified and then hummed against Bella's skin as the spell melded inside the magical cuffs began to contain her magic.
"Umfh mmmh!"
"What was that?" the Snatcher questioned. "Didn't quite catch what yer said, Cockle."
Bella fought to turn her head, but the more she tried, the harder the Snatcher forced her face into the ground and the harder it became to breathe.
"I'm going to see Harry. You wait here," the Mudblood said.
Bella felt the Snatcher sigh.
"Just don't be too long, Pet. We got more important things to do than catch up with boy wonder."
Whatever reply the Mudblood gave was lost as Bella started to lose consciousness. Her vision swam and her lungs burned as she fell into darkness.
Something warm touched the length of Bella's back. It grew hotter when she shifted and attempted to open her eyes. She'd been placed in front of the fireplace, which was lit and throwing out heat as well as smoke. She tried to lift her hand, but moving it pulled her other arm up as well. Confused, she frowned as her eyes opened and landed on the Mudblood who sat beside Potter. She was leaning towards him and checking him for injuries.
"I'm sorry, Harry. We can't heal you until later." She brushed her fingers across the back of his trembling hand. "It'll be more convincing this way."
Potter nodded and clenched his teeth as the muscles in his body began to cramp. He started to shake as sweat beaded on his forehead. He was on the verge of passing out when he suddenly folded at the waist and threw up.
"Breathe, Harry," the Mudblood said as she patted his back. "As soon as we catch Stewart, I'll untie you. Just a little while longer, okay?"
Bella hissed as she struggled to her feet.
"Careful, Pudding. Yer gonna land in the fire." The Snatcher stepped into the cottage and smirked at her. "But then again, I ain't seen a witch burn for a long time. And I can't think of a better fucker than Bellabitch Lestrange for it to happen to."
Bella squawked as she felt the flames from the fire lick at the hem of her skirt. "You dare to kidnap me! I will boil you in oil you putrid waste of space! I'll feed you to-"
"Stuff something into her mouth, Scabior. I don't care if it's a piece of cloth or your fist. I don't want to hear another word from her." The Mudblood calmly reached into the bag she had by her side as Bella gaped like a fish as the meaning of her words sank in.
The audacity! And from a Mudblood to boot!
Bella made to step backwards as the Snatcher came towards her, but remembered the fire at the last moment and instead stumbled to the side. She cursed as her heel caught on the uneven tiles, almost tripping her. It cost her the chance to run. The Snatcher gave a nasty smirk as his hand circled her bicep. His fingers dug into her flesh and his smirk grew wider as he pulled a scrap of fabric from his pocket. Bella clenched her jaw, determined to prevent the dirty rag from entering her mouth. Her eyes narrowed as the Snatcher brought his fingers and the fabric up to her cheek. For a brief second his touch was gentle, but then he squeezed until she felt like her bones would break. Her nostrils filled with the sweaty stench from the rag. Tears formed in her eyes as he increased the pressure, pushing her cheek muscles between her teeth until her mouth was forced open. The rag was immediately pushed inside.
"Thatta girl," the Snatcher muttered.
Incensed, Bella tried to spit the fabric out, but before she could succeed another strip of fabric was placed over her mouth and then tied at the back of her head.
"Try gettin' round that," he hissed. "Pet? You might want to cast something to settle her down."
Bella heard the Mudblood murmur something and then she found herself on the floor. Her limbs felt like noodles and when she tried to shift, she couldn't. She let loose an internal scream of rage, so angry that her vision blurred.
"Everything's ready. I just need something from her."
The Mudblood's voice drew Bella's attention away from her fury. A small bottle was held in her raised hand. Light did not penetrate the familiar murky-brown liquid. Polyjuice.
Bella's eyes widened as the Mudblood strode towards her, intent on collecting the last ingredient. The Snatcher chuckled as Bella tried to scream around her gag.
"Yer choose which part yer want, Love?" His foot gave Bella a light tap. "I can get yer some bone if yer wish or a strip of skin?"
"Hair is the least offensive. I have to drink this, remember? Besides the potion tastes foul enough without adding her skin, bone or blood."
"Truer words 'ave never been spoken, Pet." The Snatcher reached down to grasp a handful of Bella's hair.
She tried to thrash about, to spit out the gag, to make them suffer for daring to treat her in such a way. And she would make them suffer. They wouldn't be recognisable when she finished with them. She'd start with the Snatcher and she'd glue the Mudblood's eyes open so she had to watch as she took him apart piece by piece. After he died, she'd start on his Mudblood whore. A sharp tug on her scalp pulled her attention away from her thoughts of revenge. Several strands of her hair were caught in the Snatcher's clenched fist. He held it out to the Mudblood with a grin.
"Take yer pick, Love."
Bella tracked the Mudblood's hand as it reached forward to pinch a strand of her dark hair from the Snatcher. It floated in the air as it was pulled towards the glass bottle. The cork had already been flipped from the top and Bella watched as her hair was placed inside. The Mudblood then put her thumb over the opening before shaking the potion to mix the hair strand with the Polyjuice.
"Bottoms up and all that," the Mudblood muttered.
Without another word, she tipped the Polyjuice into her mouth.
It took several seconds for her to transform. First, she winced as her stomach began to cramp and then she bent over as a burning sensation spread throughout her body. Bella snarled when the girl's skin started to stretch and contract, changing colour to match her own. The tangled mass of brown curls atop her head darkened and lengthened until it trailed down her back in a knotty, black sweep of hair. Her body grew shorter and curvier and her face filled out until it resembled Bella's. Disgusted at seeing herself wearing Muggle clothes, Bella glared with enough force to make her eyes ache.
"God!" the Mudblood wheezed. "I'd forgotten how awful it is to wear this skin."
The Snatcher chuckled and reached across to pat her bum. "Always wanted to do that, Pet. Never dared try with the real Bellabitch."
"Umh hfun garjri!"
The Mudblood looked at Bella and narrowed her eyes. It was an expression Bella had often seen when she'd looked in the mirror.
"Be quiet. Whatever you're trying to say is irrelevant. You've lost and so has Stewart." She reached into her pocket and withdrew a tiny vial. "Sleeping potion. You'll wake up in Azkaban and in the cell next to yours will be your precious leader."
Bella squealed as the gag was removed and her lips held open. Bitterness spread across her tongue and the effects of the Sleeping potion started to take effect. Sleep tugged at her and even the sharp tug of Hermione tearing the necklace containing the memory of Ron's rape couldn't prevent her from dropping into oblivion. The last thing she heard was the Mudblood's scoff and the Snatcher's chuckle.
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