What Have I Become?

While looking for Lestrange's manor, Harry discovered a feature about the Invisibility Cloak he had never realised until then. It wasn't just making him Invisible to the eyes of others, creatures or humans, but also to any protective enchantments or repelling spells. He had been exploring the area in which Tom remembered the manor was unsuccessfully. It is only when he had pulled the Cloak around him, when he heard voices one night, that he noticed lights in the distance. To his relief, the voices were from a group of Muggle hikers. He let them pass and headed towards the lights. Soon, he found himself in front of a giant mansion with a Victorian style. The lights were coming from magical torches on the sides of an alleyway leading to the stairs. He approached carefully under his Cloak. The manor was silent. He figured that going through the main entrance wouldn't be a very good idea. But he couldn't just wait around either. He walked around the small castle and motioned his wand.

'Revelio!'

As he was starting his second tour, he saw on the right side of the manor, a little door concealed behind a bush where might have been flowers once. He slipped behind it and put his hand on the doorknob while thinking about the unlocking charm. Maybe there were some protective enchantments on, like the Caterwauling Charm. But the Invisibility Cloak was of a magic so old and powerful, it kept Harry hidden as he entered the manor.

He arrived in a dark room with a heavy oak scent. It had been waxed very recently. Which confirmed that Bellatrix was here. She must have demanded that her manor was flawless in case Voldemort came here. Harry felt his stomach make a weird loop. This is a detail he had forgotten to think about. What if Voldemort was here?

He tightened the cloak around him and advanced slowly. Now wasn't the time to back off. He pushed the door leading in the corridor delicately and looked for the stairs. It was the middle of the night. The most logical place where he would find her had to be the bedrooms. As he was climbing them up he noted in his head that he had never seen a railing so… complicated. It was forming a sort of fresque along the stairs. And it hadn't been done magically. Someone must have spent a life working on it.

He arrived at the first floor. Which way to go?

'Revelio Hominem,' he thought.

A slight pulse of magic came from the right and he headed in this direction very carefully. He had never been this aware in his life. The corridor was making an angle at the end of the aisle and he could see a soft light coming from the bottom of one of the doors. Gripping his wand, he approached and listened.

At first he heard nothing. Then a regular and rasp respiration came to his ears. Someone was sleeping. He reached for the doorknob but stopped his arm midway. What if it was a trap? He opted for a different approach. He was so close to his goal he just wanted to enter the room and cast his Curse, but this was too risky. He needed to be patient. He backed off in the shadow of the corridor and crouched. He would wait for her to wake up. At some point she would need to leave her room. That's when he would strike.

He stayed there until dawn, aware of all the little noises that were coming from the manor. He focused on his breath to be as serene as possible. When the time would come, he would have only one shot as he would need to formulate the Curse. He was able to yield wandless nonverbal magic. But for such a powerful spell, he'd rather trust the traditional way.

Before the first sunray lightened the house, Harry heard the respiration become less regular and the floor squeaked. She was up.

He heard her paced a bit in a room and finally the footsteps headed towards the door. He refrained from casting the Curse as the it opened. He needed a clear shot.

Harry had never seen the woman anywhere but in pictures. The reality was way more terrifying. Her bulging eyes were filled with madness. She must have been pretty in her youth. But a life of sadism and cruelty was now reflecting on her face. She passed her head through the door, looking suspiciously in the corridor and for a moment, Harry thought he had been spotted. She loudly smelled around and Harry silently thanked Tom who had advised him to apply enchantments to lower the sound of his steps and suppress his bodily odor. Once she was done, she looked satistisfied and opened the door widely. Her back was turned to Harry as she was heading to the stairs. The scene was completely surreal. When he raised his wand, Harry felt the weird impression of watching it from an external point of view.

'Imperio!'

It was like a part of his mind had been projected against a wall. But he was so determined, he completely destroyed it and passed through. He was feeling nauseous. When his senses came back to him, Bellatrix Lestrange was turned towards him, her murderous gaze riveted on him. At first he thought he had missed and that she would kill him or worse. But she stayed still, unable to move. He had succeeded in casting and Unforgivable Curse and adrenalin was starting to pump heavily in his system. He needed to keep a cold head. He breathed deeply and removed his Cloak.

'Potter,' she spat with a voice full of rage.

'Lestrange,' he replied in the most casual tone he could pull. 'You and I are going on a little adventure, and I expect you to behave.'

He didn't know where he had found the audacity to speak to her in such terms, but somehow he was liking it.

'Yes,' she replied with a horrible grimace. He could see she was fighting the spell. He remembered what Snape had told him that if he had been able to repel the Imperium curse, then he could resist Legilimency. It clicked in Harry's head. It was all a mind game. And unfortunately for her, he was starting to be quite proficient in this domain. He reinforced the grip his mind had on hers by spreading it in the area he had found behind her wall. Every little barrier he could find, he was wiping it away. Once he saw her features relaxed, he stopped. It was enough.

'We are going to go together at Gringotts and your Vault. If you don't mind there is a specific artefact you keep here that I would like to retrieve.'

Without a word, she went into her room and Harry waited patiently for her to get ready. He was in her mind, observing all of her actions. He wouldn't let her warn anyone. She came back with travelling clothes. Harry wondered if rich people had different types of clothes for all of their activities.

'I suggest you don't play games with me, Lestrange,' he continued in his unusually soft threatening voice. 'I want you to Apparate in the Gringotts entrance reserved for special clients.'

Tom had warned him about this entrance. Apparently there were special clients who could benefit from preferential treatment at the Gringotts Bank. If you were rich enough and with a special rank, you would be served, no questions asked, no matter your status. Harry realised that this is how Sirius had been able to get the money, despite the fact he was known as a mass-murderer, to gift him his Firebolt in third year.

She nodded absently and raised her arm towards him. He wrapped himself up in his Cloak again and soon, he felt the uncomfortable feeling somewhere behind his navel.

They Apparated in a warm and richly decorated lounge with comfortable chairs. Bellatrix Lestrange sat on one of them. She had a weird look like she wasn't totally herself and Harry realised the Goblins would see it and maybe notice something was wrong. And he wasn't versed enough in mind magic to make her act normally.

'Hide your face,' he whispered. 'Pull on your hood!'

With a sudden gesture, she pulled her cloak over her head and sat straight. On the far side of the room was a buffet with food that looked excellent. Harry hadn't eaten anything for two days. Fortunately for him, if we could say, he was used to starvation. And it didn't prevent him from using his magic. But once all of this would be done, he made a mental note of finding something to eat as soon as possible.

A Goblin arrived and greeted Bellatrix in his most charming tone. Harry thought fast. Bellatrix was rooting for Voldemort and was a strong believer of her natural superiority due to her blood. Goblins were inferior. He commanded her with his mind to answer coldly and disdainfully. Which she did so naturally he knew he had been right in his assumption.

Soon they were in her Vault. The amount of gold didn't impress Harry who had way more than this in his own Vault. However she had a collection of artefacts he had never seen before.

The Goblin closed the door behind her. Thanks to her rank in the bank, she deserved privacy. Perfect.

'Get me the Cup of Hufflepuff,' he whispered while pointing his wand at her. 'No tricks!'

She nodded and went to a huge stack of objects from which she retrieved a small golden Cup. Harry's heart was beating so hard he was sure the Goblin could hear him through the door.

'Good job,' he said in a snide tone. 'Now let us gently walk out of here and back to your manor.'

They Apparated at the same place they had left the Manor. Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak and folded it in his bag. He handed his hand towards her and she reluctantly gave him the Cup.

'Very good, Lestrange,' he said while putting the Cup in his bag. A grumble came from his belly. 'I don't want to intrude more than what's needed, but would you have something to eat in this house?' He could have burst out laughing when he heard himself pronounce those words. And she looked a bit shocked too. However, she headed toward the stairs and he followed her until they reached the kitchen. Under her disgusted look, he rushed to the pantry and pulled as much food as he could and sat at the table to eat.

'You're not like He told us you would be,' she finally said with a concerned face.

'Ah? And what did He say about me?' He replied between two bites.

'That you were weak!'

'I reckon that I'm not then?' He said with a taunting smile.

'You casted the Imperium Curse after setting a trap in my own house. You stole an artefact from my vault under the nose of those Goblins and now you're casually eating in my kitchen like nothing happened.' She was looking bewildered at this point. 'He told us you would be easy to get to! You're much stronger than what I expected!'

'Strong huh?' Repeated Harry. He wasn't smiling anymore. He contemplated the rest of the food and wrapped it in a towel which he then put delicately in his bag. 'You're wrong, I am not strong.' He raised his eyes on her. 'I am desperate.'

'That's weird,' she whispered. 'You have the same eyes as…'

'My mother, I know,' said Harry impatiently. 'I've been told many times already thank you.'

'Your mother? No,' she smiled. 'You have his eyes. Tom's eyes.'

Harry glanced at her. She was standing in her kitchen, but her mind was somewhere else.

'Well it has been a pleasure talking with you,' he said while standing up. 'But surely you'll understand that I must leave. Ah… and this.' He pulled his wand out reluctantly. He despised what he was about to do more than casting the Imperium Curse.

'Potter what are you doing?'

'Believe it or not, but I am doing this to protect you. Not that I wanted it though, but someone else asked me.'

'Asked you to do what?'

'Wipe your memories out,' he answered, a bit ashamed of himself.

'How is that possible…' She whispered.

'Huh… with a wand…'

'Don't act stupid Potter, I know how this spell works,' she smiled wickedly. 'Though I have found a better way to make people forget everything up to their identity,' she added with a sly tone. 'Ah, you wouldn't understand,' she sighed. 'All right do it!'

Harry was a bit surprised by her reaction, but he didn't have the time to ask questions. He raised his wand.

'Obliviate!'

She was pushed backward under the impact of the spell. Harry just had the time to motion his hand to move a chair behind her to prevent Bellatrix from falling. He didn't wait for her to wake up and left immediately.

At this very moment, he hated himself and wanted to throw up.