Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction based on the Harry Potter Universe. All recognisable characters, plots, and settings are the exclusive property of Joanne Kathleen Rowling.

I make no claims to ownership, nor am I making any profit.

Type: 6th Year AU Story. It involves bashing and the complete revamp of morality and ethics as compared to the canon universe.

Pairings: Harry Potter/Bellatrix Black

Author's Notes: I'll be taking a lot of liberty with some canon knowledge of events. Specific facts have been liberally changed to facilitate the plot of the story better. This story has elements of darker themes, such as murder and torture. So reader discretion is recommended.

Sortes Qui Facit and Tales of a Dying Heart are another two HP stories of mine. Feel free to check them out.

I NEED A BETA. PM me on FFN or Discord if you're interested.

Dulce Periculum

by

Ares Alexander Peverell

Chapter5- Rebirth of the Blacks

The magical backlash knocked both of them unconscious. Harry fell on the floor, with an exhausted Narcissa falling on top of him.

A green cloud could be seen roaming around the room, looking for a way to escape its inevitable demise.

[5 days later] [Bellatrix's POV]

Bellatrix Black was not a happy witch at the current moment. Seeing her sister lying on top of Harry Potter after he removed the Dark Mark stirred something inside of the witch. Something which she had buried inside her a long, long time ago.

She knew that it was just due to exhaustion and nothing more. It was a wonder that he was able to remove the accursed mark at all. She would always be grateful that her sister had been free from the bond, but the witch just was making excuses at that point.

Maybe they even kissed. Her brain supplied her rather unhelpfully. It wouldn't be out of the question for Narcissa to do so. She was rather generous with her rewards. And Harry was just a hormonal teenage boy.

NO. It was just exhaustion. Bella consoled her brain, urging it to stop thinking.

She gave a humourless laugh. There was a time when her Occlumency was exceptional. But decades of Azkaban had an impact on her being. It was no wonder that her body and mind looked terrible. She was just a pale shadow of her regal former self.

Why would he even like you? You look like a bint and your sanity isn't even remotely close to what Narcissa has to offer. Why would you think he would love a woman who's old enough to be his mother. Her mind continued the self-deprecating talk.

SHUT UP! Bella Screamed, punching the mirror in front of her as she was looking at it. She felt the pain soon enough as the shards of glass embedded themselves deep inside her flesh. It helped her focus as she savoured it, seeing the crimson liquid seep out of the wound.

Taking her wand, she spelled some bandages before haphazardly wrapping them around her wrist. The throbbing pain was enough to keep her in check. Moving towards her room, she dressed before preparing for the events of the day.

[Harry's POV]

It had been several days since Harry had removed the Dark Mark of Narcissa Malfoy of all people. For Merlin's sake, she was the mother of Draco Malfoy. When he had been carted off to Azkaban, he was sure that his life was fucked up. But this was a fuckery on a level of its own. He cursed the entity that was responsible for all this but couldn't be amazed by the ways fate enjoyed its irony.

He gently pulled the clothes that Andi (as she insisted on being called) to wear as he pulled them over his body.

He was going to Gringotts today. While he likely had several arrest warrants in his name by now, the bank was a sovereign Goblin's territory. And they disliked any interference by humans or the ministry. Their neutrality in the war wouldn't hurt matters either.

Getting the Black lordship would tremendously help him. While he was still sixteen, the End of Line Clause would allow him to try the rings a year early. He knew that he was hunted from three sides right now. Voldemort would no doubt be after him. Ministry had already announced a bounty on his head. The Order of the Phoenix was looking for him in order to capture him since Nymphadora had been providing the details of their meetings.

[Flashback][3 days ago]

Harry had no mood to play mind games.

"Tell me why should I trust you?" he had asked her, catching the young metamorph off guard.

"W- what?" she asked him, shocked by the sudden inquiry. She had not even comprehended that Harry of all people would ask him this question.

"You heard me. I know that you work for Order of the Phoenix. You're likely a member of Dumbledore's inner circle. What stops you from relaying all our plans to him?" he questioned her.

Andromeda's fingers moved towards her wand, in case it resulted in a confrontation. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that Bella already had her wand in her hand. To his surprise, even Narcissa was ready to interfere if things escalated. Guess he had earned her loyalty after all.

"Bu- But aren't you two on the same side? Both you and Dumbledore want you-know-who gone," she enquired.

"Not anymore. Both Dumbledore and Voldemort can play their little game of war and ideology until they're blue in the face. While I am certainly against genocide, Dumbledore's agendas aren't any better either." he proclaimed, surprising everyone except Bella, who smirked at the gobsmacked expressions of everyone

"Will, you not fight the Dark Lord then, Mr Potter?" Narcissa interrupted.

Harry was sure that she just wanted to ensure that her son didn't get caught in the crossfire.

"Unless he comes after me or the people I care about, he can do all he wants. Same for Dumbledore. The war between the two has gone for a long time." he proclaimed his intentions.

"I see. That's rather sensible of you," she told him, observing him in a new light.

"I will have the Black and Potter lordship. That would stop even that intellectually malnourished Fudge from trying to play with me. I can easily get myself and Bella a trial and get cleared. Plus, I'm not lacking in allies, you know. My fame was something that I had always despised. Time to use it for some good." he spoke, the passion clear in his voice.

Tonks did not doubt that Harry would burn the Ministry if they tried to play with him.

"I'm no Dumbledore or Voldemort," he accepted, snapping Tonks out of her musings. "But I'm powerful enough to give them a run for their money. I have resources, money and support. A fourth side is not a farfetched possibility in this stupid war," he reminded her, coldness seeping into his voice.

"What do you need?" she spoke after some time. Truth be told, she had been tired of the way the war was being fought. Stunners were worth nothing when you were facing Killing Curses from the Death Eaters.

"Just an oath that you won't betray me and my secrets and that's it," he spoke, looking around the room.

Bella already had given him a subservient oath, He trusted her fully. But Harry knew that he had lost the ability to trust others. The duo had proved that quite well.

[-Flashback Ends-]

Now, he could safely trust everyone in the house. Harry preferred to keep things clear and to ensure that they had no reason to doubt each other. He did not want a Pettigrew in his midst.

Getting a trial would be quite difficult, but Narcissa knew the ins and out of the ministry like the back of her hand. Her assistance had been invaluable to their little team, faction?

Harry did not know what to call it. He silently wondered in amusement if he was having the same "followers" as Dumbledore and Voldemort. It was ironically amusing in his opinion.

Tonks was a ruthless fighter with experience surpassing even his own. While he had Riddle's knowledge and was very powerful, he had seen first-hand that power was not everything. Riddle was leagues above in power than Dumbledore. But the old coot's skill was something to marvel at. Andromeda was a brilliant healer and lawyer in her own right.

And Bella, sweet Bella! she was not so infamous for nothing.

Wait! When did she become Sweet Bella to me? He questioned himself, shaking his head at the current dilemma. Still, he would ponder on his thoughts later on. The rest could wait.

[Gringott's Bank][2 hours later]

"So let me get this straight. The foolish ministry decided that you were into the league with the Dark Lord just because you tried to kill him with several unforgivables?" asked Ragnok, the Head Goblin of the branch after he listened to the entire story of his incarceration.

"That and the words of a manipulative old coot, Lord Ragnok" Harry replied to the astonished looking goblin.

Harry was currently in a meeting with Narcissa and Bellatrix. As the Malfoy matriarch had told him, he was not immediately arrested upon arriving in the bank. On the contrary, the trio was escorted to meet the Head Goblin himself to discuss the matter.

"There have also been several inconsistencies in both the Potter and Black accounts. What do you have to say for that?" he questioned, although there was a hint of threat in his voice that conveyed that someone would dearly pay for it if he didn't get his answer.

"As Harry said, he had no idea about any aspects of holding a lordship. Further, he did not receive any contacts or missives from Gringotts in this regard," Narcissa smoothly replied, summing it up.

The regal goblin sharply looked at Harry as he sent a piercing glare towards him, testing to see whether there was a hint of lie to it.

"Indeed. The only time I have been in this bank was in my first year. I have never received a single missive or letter from the bank. Nor was I informed about anything of this regard," Harry replied, a bit unnerved by the stare.

"WHO'S THE MANAGER FOR THE POTTER ACCOUNTS?" he shouted, making almost everyone in the room flinch at its intensity. The guards around his throne jumped up before tightly holding their weapons in their hands.

"Snarkbull," a cowed Goblin guard replied.

"Bladeaxe and Skullcruncher, investigate everything on this matter," he ordered.

The two goblins bowed before swiftly moving out to act upon the orders.

It had barely taken them fifteen minutes before they both arrived, followed by a goblin restrained in ropes along with a small army of Goblin guards.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ragnok asked, clearly pissed off. This was a matter of the integrity of the bank. He would not stand for any misgivings.

"Milord! Snarkbull has purposefully withdrawn the essential details from Heir Potter in exchange for bribes and to keep him unaware. Further, we also found an illegal marriage contract along with several fake wills and has also purposefully kept the second copy of the Potter's will after the one in the ministry had "suddenly disappeared".

Harry was not stupid. It didn't take him to connect the dots and come to the conclusion. And judging by the raw fury on his face, he came to the same conclusion as him.

"On whose orders did you do so?" he thundered towards the restrained goblin.

"A-A-Alb-Albus Dumb-Dumbledore," Snarkbull cowered piteously.

In a flash, the Goblin King took out his sword before swinging it forwards. The next second, Snarkbull's head rolled on the floor.

"Send his entire family to the Gallows," he ordered, "We have no place for traitors and their bloodlines."

The Goblin King had taken his sweet time with dishing out punishments. After around half an hour, he returned and resumed his seat.

"From the entirety of Goblin Nation, we offer our sincerest apologies," the King spoke, surprising the humans and goblins present in the room.

"It seemed that many of the Goblins had some alternate loyalties," he proclaimed, eliciting murmurings from the goblins in the room. "Therefore, the Goblin Nation will cover the entire funds and offer compensation for all the losses that you faced along with any favour we could offer."

The black sisters looked at each other, clearly astonished. However, they knew that the end decision would be made by Harry as they had no right to comment on the matters of a different house.

Harry, on the other hand, was deep in thought. Here he was, likely being offered a large sum of money as well as a favour from the Creature king in front of him.

"I accept your apologies, Lord Ragnok," he spoke, raising several confused and surprised eyebrows in the room. "The sins of a few cannot be blamed on everyone. I would be no better than Dumbledore or Voldemort if I blame you for something you haven't done."

He shifted his stance, boring his eyes into the leader. Even Ragonk would admit that those bright-green eyes were truly unnerving.

"However, I believe that a mutual partnership between the Black and Potter families along with the Goblin Nation," his voice signifying the intensity of his intentions.

The Goblin gave a crooked smile at that. It was a pretty intimidating scene in the opinion of the three humans present in the room.

"A partnership?" he questioned, although there was a gleam in his eye.

"Indeed. With Voldemort resurrection, Gringotts would no longer be able to maintain their neutrality. The Order of the Phoenix is already trying to get you on their side. The Ministry of Magic hardly trusts you. The Death Eaters would never accept you as their equals. " Harry stated as a matter of fact.

"And what are you proposing?" the grin was back as the king relaxed on his chair.

"An alliance. I am rather sure that the neutral families are facing the same dilemma. I am already planning to create a faction of my own that will be supporting neither of the aforementioned sides," Harry spoke, stunning Narcissa as she realized where the conversation was going.

How cunning. She thought in her mind. For someone who had never navigated the political circles, he was like a shark. Silent, yet deadly.

"And what would an alliance with humans provide us?" he sneered, although it looked something more of a habit than actual hate at his proposal.

"I already hold the Black and Potter family seats. That alone gives me much power in the Wizengamot. And contrary to people's beliefs, I certainly have other allies that I can count upon in times of need," Harry stood up before he started pacing around the office.

"You can continue serving any side in the war. I will have no interference with that. We all know that an assault on Gringotts is not an implausible possibility. It's the second most secure place in Britain after Hogwarts for a reason. Voldemort would soon target this place,"

Harry looked at the several goblin guards stationed in the room. He could see the gears turning in their heads.

"We would help in times of need should YOU," here he gestured to the throne and the person sitting on it. "Provide that you provide us asylum from the ministry. I'm sure that you wouldn't mind pissing off those incompetent buffoons there. This would also assure that you have a say in the Wizengamot and we'll ensure that all those derogatory laws will be removed for sure," Harry finished, a predatory grin on his face.

Ragnok contemplated the demands and how would they affect him. It was true that Voldemort already controlled a significant portion of the Ministry, Dumbledore may be powerful, but he was too much of a pacifist. The ministry was such a pathetic joke that he wouldn't even laugh at it.

On the other hand, Potter already was a national hero. He had the might of Black and Potter families, significant allies if he was to be believed and his tales and deeds had not gone unnoticed by him. It was honestly a deal from which they had very little to lose.

"You have a deal. Heir Potter."

The trio nodded at the statement before standing up and taking the leave of the Goblin Leader. Thirty minutes later, three cloaked figures exited the bank. With significantly heavier bags of gold and artefacts along with two new shining rings on the finger of Harry.

[Harry's POV]

Holy Shit! This was Harry's reaction when he saw the total status of the houses. The total galleons in both the vaults alone exceeded fifteen million galleons. According to his new manager, he was one of the wealthiest people in entire Wizarding Britain.

He had appointed Griphook as the manager of both the accounts. The lordships rings had accepted him immediately. They also had several benefits.

The Black Lord Ring detected hidden poisons and provided minor shielding against Mental Intrusions while the Potter family ring provided him with the ability to see through illusions. Their magic also somewhat told him about the members of the family. He could even sense Bellatrix and Narcissa through it.

Exiting the bank with a cloak raised over his head, he contemplated on what he should do. He had purchased several lockets that would provide him with cover for his identity. While they were not foolproof, they had been enchanted by the goblins. Therefore, they usually passed through most detection spells. They had been quite expensive, but their worth was more than enough to purchase several of them.

"You two have been awfully quiet since I negotiated with the goblins," he questioned the two women, curious about what suddenly happened to them.

"Nothing. We're just taught not to question the decisions of the Lord of the family in front of us or speak without his permission," Bella spoke after some time as they walked towards the entrance to Knockturn. Seeing that the two witches with him were not bothered by it, he presumed that they already knew their way around the shady area.

Harry could only nod at her answer. While he didn't agree with every pureblood custom, they had their reasons behind them. Narcissa had somewhat drilled him the very basics in a very short amount of time.

"What shops are actually worth entering here?" he questioned Narcissa. He had never visited the damned place and Bella was likely seeing the place after quite some time.

"We need a wand for you and Bella, some fitting clothes and several general-purpose products. Loughry's shop would be sufficient. For the wand, we'll likely have to go to Gregorovitch in Germany," she simply stated.

"Very well. We'll complete most of our shopping here. We already have somewhat functioning wands and there is no use getting an inferior one," Harry said, although he had a sudden shiver run down his spine when he saw the looks of the two women at the mention of shopping.

How right he was. Poor Harry!

Geez! I somehow managed to bring another chapter for this story today. Pardon me but my beta system has somehow crashed and so I'm completely relying on Grammarly and my inferior ability when it comes to betaing my works.

The next chapter would likely be on the Tuesday after the next one. My apologies for no chapter last week. I was not feeling well and was therefore unable to do anything at all.

Therefore I made this chapter 3k instead of the usual 2k ones I post. I'll try to progress with the story now that I've gained momentum and inspiration for it.

I have a request for my readers. I have a Discord server where I post contents that are relevant to the SQFverse, and I'd appreciate you there. The community also has several fellow writers and if you're interested in writing, that's the place you can get all the guidance and the start you need. You can also ask all the questions regarding my fics.

I'm also doing a Q/A session for SQF, All your questions would be answered in the next update as a chapter. I plan to do the same for DulPe after Ch5.

Discord Link- /6ngeKHXktN

You're all welcome to Thestral Manor. Our server is a lot more open-minded than most others, along with having several other writers. I also post a lot of spell and story aspects that are not feasible here. I'd love to see you there. :)

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Ares Alexander Peverell,