Masquerade Act One: Hidden Figures
The Eighth Dance: Devil's Court
A/N: Writing a court scene is so hard. I know there's like a shit ton on TV and stuff to take example from but their not exactly accurate and in the end I decided to make my own version of a court. Besides it's not like the court is in a human realm, they wouldn't follow human rules and therefore I found a way to justify lazily writing my way out of being accurate. LOL.
Additionally, for clarification, the three judges are made up characters and have no connections to the canon characters of the HP universe. I just simply didn't feel like forcing certain HP characters into the role of these positions and just made up new characters for it.
God's truth judges created things out of love, and Satan's truth judges them out of envy and hatred- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Hermione, Hermione! Can you hear me?" a voice called out in the dark to the brunette and she searched wildly for where the voice was coming from. She was standing in an all black space, such heavy darkness falling on her that she could feel it pushing down on her skin.
"What? What is it? Whose calling me? Is that you Bella?" Hermione asked, her voice muffled by the heavy dark. But the voice didn't hear her. It spoke again, ignorant of her cries.
"Hermione, we know you're strong. So please come back to us." It was a masculine voice, definitely not Bellatrix, so then who was calling to her? It sounded awfully familiar too, but she couldn't tell why.
"Please we need you. We can't go on like this." This was also a masculine voice but different in pitch, a bit more whiny and from the sound of it, close to tears. Who were these voices? And why did they know her? She span around hoping to get a glimpse of who was speaking but only darkness greeted her, the voices echoing around her pleadingly.
Then a third voice, containing the wisdom of a thousand men and more steady than the others, confident in her, spoke up. "Hermione. It is not your time to depart from this world. Come to us. I know you are strong enough to do so on your own."
Not my time to depart from this world? What was the voice going on about? Was he warning her to stay at this hotel?
"Wait. I have so many questions!" But the voices had already silenced and she was left alone in the dark.
Hermione awoke, beads of sweat rolling down her face. Was that a dream...? She stared at her surroundings. She was back in her room in Bellatrix's house so she hadn't left anywhere, but it was odd what she had just experienced. Never before had she had a dream in this place. Always it was blissful darkness when she went to bed, but this time it had been different. She needed to consult Bellatrix on this.
Hermione dressed quickly and rushed down the stairs, finding the dark witch watching the fire in the hearth and sipping her tea, lost to her inner thoughts. Her gaze redirected to Hermione as the young witch noisily bounded down the stairs.
"It seems someone has a lot of energy today," she commented casually, taking another sip.
"Bellatrix, I have something to ask you," Hermione announced, plopping down in the chair across from the dark witch. "Of course you do," she muttered darkly. "What is it now? Is it about the second key because I already told you we're waiting until it's safe to go back out again."
After they had removed the key from the first judge Bellatrix had ventured out to see how things were holding up outside. She hadn't been out for more than five minutes when she had come rushing back in, breathing harshly as she slammed the door closed behind her and pressed her back to it until she calmed down. "It's not safe. The hotel is in an uproar. They'll kill us if we go out now." And that had put a hold on their plan for retrieving the second key. It had been roughly two weeks since Bella had gone out and in the meantime they waited, with nothing better to do than to train with magic until the first judge's anger shimmered down. Hermione had found that there was more than attack and defensive magic and she had taken to magicking objects in their house to floating around, to changing form and she had even recalled a couple of healing spells when the older witch had cut herself on a knife while making food. It turned out the other witch didn't know how to heal herself and no matter how Hermione tried to instill the knowledge in her, the witch had serious troubles. Hermione put the burning question of why? out of her mind and moved on, feeling it was better not to push the witch on matters of the past.
Hermione had asked her several times throughout their stay in the house, but Bellatrix looked increasingly angry and uncomfortable by Hermione's inquisitions so the brunette had dropped the topic and went back to pondering over what exactly this place was. And that was what she had been doing up to previously.
"No, this isn't about the key, it's about a dream I had."
"A dream?" Bellatrix frowned over her cup of tea.
"I know. It's weird. I've never had a dream here before." Hermione quickly recounted her dream to the other witch whose frown only deepened.
"My opinion on this matter is that the hotel must be playing tricks on you again. Since they couldn't get to you physically their trying to mentally. They said that it wasn't your time to leave this place, clearly it seems like they are trying to dissuade you from escaping. And you said there were three voices. There are also three judges."
Hermione humph-ed. She hadn't considered that before. She couldn't recall Dorian's voice sounding like any of the ones in her dreams had, but then again one of them had seemed familiar to her, so it could be his. "So I ignore it?"
"Precisely," the witch lifted her finger in exclamation of this.
Hermione didn't entirely feel comfortable leaving it be, but if Bellatrix wasn't going to dwell more on it, or offer more words to clear the matter up then there was no point in pursuing it. If the dreams continued then she would become worried. As of now the judges would have to try harder than that to persuade her to stop trying to break free.
With nothing else to talk about the two witches lapsed into silence. Deciding to do something to stave off boredom, Hermione went and made herself something to eat. "Did you eat already?" she tossed back to the witch as she flipped the pancake on her pan.
"Yes, but whatever it is you're making smells absolutely delicious and I think I might just have to have some of it." Hermione smiled at the other witch's honest answer. The older witch wasn't as proficient in cooking as Hermione was for some reason and she wondered if this was because Bellatrix had been royalty or something; she certainly carried herself like one. Usually princesses and princes would have servants prepare their food for them.
When she was finished with the food she plopped two plates down for them on the dining table. "What are we doing today?" Hermione asked as they set to work on eating the food.
"Training with magic. As usual." Bellatrix had drowned her pancakes in syrup and Hermione eyed them disapprovingly. "You'll get ill if you put so much sugar on them."
"Nonsense. A little sugar never hurt anyone," the witch haughtily responded, stirring her pancakes into the syrup and making sure they were completely soaking in it. For some reason the witch loved sugar, especially chocolate. The brown sweets made her feel warm when her body was overcome with a inexplicable chill, one that brought screams of pain and fear into her mind, images of ghostly beings cloaked in black rushing through her head. These moments never lasted long but when the came they frightened Bellatrix to the core. Did the other witch get these too, or was it just her? Bellatrix blamed the judges for it. They must have done this to her.
"That's not a little, that's a lot. You'll get cavities at this point and there's no dentist around here to help you pull them out."
Bellatrix's fork paused in it's journey to her mouth. "What's a dentist?"
"You don't know what a dentist is?" How did one not know what a dentist was?
Bellatrix shook her head, taking a bite and putting her fork down.
"It's a person who checks your teeth to make sure their healthy. And if your teeth aren't healthy then they pull them out," Hermione said, in a manner of a parent explaining to a child they couldn't do something.
"How utterly barbaric! I'd just use magic if my teeth hurt."
"It's not barbaric!" Hermione rose to the defense of dentist's, not knowing quite why she felt so defensive of this practice. She then went on a spiel of how dentists procedures were entirely humane and beneficial to their patients. Bellatrix mainly gave off an air of disinterest as she finished up her food.
"Magic is still better," she sang when Hermione had finally finished.
"It is not!" The brunette shot back. Bellatrix waved a hand dismissively over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes. "You might want to eat your food before it turns to complete ice on your plate."
Hermione looked down to see her forgotten pancakes were now cold. Frowning she used her wand to reheat them.
"So, it's safe to go now?"
"Yes," Bellatrix hissed, urging the younger witch to shut up. "It's been roughly what, four weeks by now? I've lost patience to wait any longer and I'm sure they've given up looking for us now." Last time the dark witch had been out staff had been running back and forth in the halls, up and down the stairs; the whole place was literally crawling with them. And Dorian the judge, well, his wrath had certainly been visible. The hotel had shaken to its very foundation as he let out roars of anger and frustration as yet another staff member came back with news of failure in capturing the two girls.
This time, the hotel was calm and quiet. She knew they would still have to be careful to not draw his attention but not as careful as before. "Follow me," she instructed to Hermione and the two of them pressed on, using spells to open up multiple portals in the walls to send them to their destination. They made their way to a giant courthouse, set in an outside garden. It was the first time Hermione had been outside in a long time and she sighed in content as the warm rays alighted on her skin. The garden they were in had high walls made of shrubbery that trapped the guests inside it into a neat rectangle. Hermione briefly contemplated if it was possible to burn a hole through the shrubs and make their way out. Surely it would be easier than the task they had set forth for themselves.
Bellatrix, as if sensing Hermione's thoughts, shook her head no. "I've already tried, pet. Nothing on the other side but fields of flowers. And a strong spell that prevents me from even stepping foot past the shrubs once I burn them."
They made their way casually past patrons who were sipping drinks and chatting with one another as they observed the nice weather and the topiaries in the shapes of various animals and mystical shapes that interspersed the garden they were in. At the end was the giant courthouse, an imposing building of stone with high pillars coming up to support the entrance. The black dome gleamed menacingly in the sun.
This was the courthouse where the judges made their rulings on the patrons of this world. Only one would go up at a time, each judge having a set time period for when they would be in session. What they judged people for, no one knew, but the wait to get in was long and no one was certain if they were to be judged next. The only way one could enter was if they were going to be the judged. Those who were selected were given a special card for it with the date of their appointed time on it. Bellatrix had managed to snag two such cards, knocking out the real people whose places they were taking before tying them up. The two girls had glamoured their appearance to match the individuals on the cards and left for their appointed court date. Bellatrix was a stout old witch with streaks of gray in her black hair and a perpetually upset face whereas Hermione was a small mousy old woman whose gray locks had been pinned in a bun.
Hermione clutched her card, feeling sweat gather on her palms. She felt nervous. What if they failed in this? What if their glamour failed them? She took comfort in the fact that her wand was hidden in her bra and that Bellatrix would be here to help her as well. They walked up the stairs, two guards with ripped muscles and stern faces greeting them.
"Cards," they ordered in unison, coming to block the entrance as if Hermione wanted to run in there. Nope, she wanted to run the opposite way. She couldn't see anything past the entrance, it was just pitch black, none of the outside light penetrating in. She could feel a cold chill emitting from the doorway and held in a shiver. She and Bellatrix both held out their cards. The guards gave them a once over and moved to the side, satisfied with what they saw.
"Best of luck," one of them said and the other smiled foreboding before adding, "You'll need it where you're heading."
"Don't worry we'll be fine," Bellatrix tried to reassure the younger witch, squeezing her hand as they stepped into the building. Instantly all sounds of the outside faded away, replaced by only an eerie silence and the noise of their heels moving hurriedly on the stone cobbles. The inside wasn't as dark as Hermione thought it would be. In fact, there was a lot of light coming in from large high up windows that were illustrated with stained glass depicting scenes of a man with a cross and men with wings and halos and men with tails and horns doing various arduous tasks.
The window in the back was divided into three panels, each with one man on it. On the left was a man with a tail, horns and red skin, his hands clenched in front of his chest. His face was distorted in evil delight, a snaked tongue slipping out from his opened mouth, yet his face closely resembled that of Dorian's even if his eyes were black in this depiction. His eyes seemed to follow the two girls as they crossed closer to the court room in the middle of the building.
The man in the middle was older looking, his skin a normal tone, and he was balding, tufts of white hair decorating his round head. He was smiling, his grin stretching his fat face and he held two pudgy hands out to his sides as if extending them to the figures on his right and his left.
The last figure had blue skin and was unnaturally thin, a yellow ring around their head and white dove wings curling all the way down to his bare feet. His hands were at the sides of his white robes, one clutching a feather quill and the other a scroll. He was turned away from the fat man's hand, looking up at something in the distance.
"Are those the three judges?" Hermione whispered, her heart pounding in fear. Being in here made her feel small and exposed. She didn't like it.
Bellatrix nodded her head, her face tight. Even she was affected by the aura of this place. "Yes." She didn't elaborate on this.
"I see the accused have come to stand judged," a jovial and booming voice echoed across the court. The judge, the man who had been on the middle panel, stood up from the judges podium, a smile on his face. "You both came a bit early but that's fine I suppose. Have no other choice but to accept you now that you've come here." The two girls exchanged a confused look at this but remained quiet. There was no time in this place so how could they be early? "Come closer. I won't bite." He gestured with his large hand for the girls to come closer and they did but hesitantly.
"Lovely day outside, innit?" he casually spoke as he sat back down, his judge robes swishing down around him. He picked up his gavel and pointed it at Bellatrix without waiting for her respond. "I'll judge you first. Step forward into the booth." He indicated for her to come to the defendants box. Bellatrix shot Hermione a look from the corner of her eye but didn't say anything.
"Now, let's see what you're here for..." he mumbled to himself as Bellatrix took her spot at the podium that was for her, below the judge. He rifled through some papers, having put on half moon spectacles to read through them. Hermione stayed where she was, uncertain of what she should do. Did she just stand here?
"Oh, you can make yourself comfortable over there," the judge picked up his head, noticing Hermione's dawdling. Hermione nodded her head and sat down in the jury's booth, wondering why the man wanted her to sit here.
Humming to himself and giving the papers a last look he tossed them to the side, took off his spectacles and banged his gavel. "Court is in session." On his words the court filled with people that seemed to appear out of thin air. There was a full audience of masked folks, no doubt patrons of the hotel. The jury box where Hermione was seated was filled as well, although not all the people here wore masks. Some were mask-less, and completely gray, their faces scrunched up in pain or anger. A strong chill emitted from them and Hermione shuffled back to her end of the box, hating the way her teeth chattered, and shot them a confused glare. One of the unmasked noticed and bared his teeth at her. "What you looking at?" He had a thick Irish accent.
"Nothing," Hermione mumbled and averted her gaze.
There was a lawyer standing by Bellatrix's side, having set up his briefcase on the table next to her.
"What is the meaning of this?" Bellatrix snarled and rattled the chains around her wrists. As soon as the judge had banged his gavel they had appeared and pinned her wrists painfully to the table top. She couldn't move them to reach for her wand or to even move to leave if she wanted to.
"You're being judged. I can't risk having you escape," he explained. "Will Justice bring the scales?" A blindfolded woman exited from a set of double doors by the jury's box. She was carrying a heavy gold scale in her hands. She placed it in the table in between Bellatrix and the judge.
"What is that?" the black haired witch asked, trying hard not to panic. She had to have faith in the plan working. How she had devised it was that she would undergo the trial as the person she was mimicking, to lull the man into a sense of false security but before she could be even fully judged she would knock the judge out with Hermione's help and then they would grab the keys and escape. She hadn't know she would be shackled and that there would be other people here. She supposed that was the risk of entering into a judge's domain.
"It is what we use to weight your heart against your decisions in life."
"What?" Bellatrix barked out as the blindfolded Justice approached her and stuck her hand into her chest. Bella's fingers clawed at the desk surface as she pulled uselessly on the chains in reflexive reaction to getting those hands digging in her chest out. By Merlin's beard did this hurt! She held in a scream as the Justice calmly continued what she was doing before pulling out her heart. Bella felt a bit faint as her organ, red and still beating, was carried over to the scale and placed on it.
"No!" Hermione screamed as she watched this. This wasn't part of the plan!
"Silence in the jury," the judge banged his gavel and Hermione was forced down to her seat by some force of power, unable to rise again. Frantic eyes met Bella's who were barely restraining the fear she felt. Her chest was missing the tell tale thump of her heart and the hole were it had been ripped out of her chest remained, bleeding down her sides. She felt like she was about to be sick and she looked away. So now, not only did they have to get the key, but they also had to get her heart back.
"The feather of truth," the judge instructed and Justice, her hands still coated in Bellatrix's blood, pulled out a feather from her robes silently. She held it up, let the light catch it. The feather glowed brightly for a few seconds, washing the courts in white light before it dimmed down. "This feather is what will determine your fate. If your heart is heavier than it, only damnation awaits you. If your heart is equal with it then you remain here for the rest of your days. And if it is lighter than the feather, you will ascend. The feather is the accumulation of all that should be proper and expected in a mortal being." The feather was put on the scale. Neither side moved. They were equal for now. Did that mean Bellatrix was to be doomed here forever?
"For now the scales are even," the judge continued. "But the weight of the heart shall change depending on the words that the jury shall speak." The jury? Was Hermione expected to speak up as well? But wasn't she here to be judged herself as well, then why would she be participating in someone elses trial?
"Do I have no say in this?" Bellatrix asked, pulling on her chains in hopes they had loosened somehow. They hadn't.
"You have a lawyer, a man who will justify your actions. For example, if there had been an uncontrollable circumstance for these actions, like self defense or being a victim of one's upbringing, then it shall be considered. And the feather will adjust its weight accordingly to that." The judge banged his gravel down. "Will the first of the abused come forth." The man on the other end of Hermione's jury box stood up and took his place on the witness stand.
"She killed muggles, who she viewed as dirt beneath her feet." There was a loud swish as the scales tipped, the heart dropping down. Bella's eyes opened wide. Holy shit, she didn't know what a muggle was, but killing them seemed to be a very bad thing.
"The defendant, do you have anything to say?"
"Yes, she does," Bella's lawyer smoothly spoke up, adjusting his tie and pacing around the court room, addressing the silent audience of masked members. "She only did it because it was how she had been raised. As a young child a hatred of muggles was instilled in her and she did not know better than to dispute this ideology that her family had followed and practiced for centuries."
The judge banged his gavel. "Rebuttal accepted." The heart went back up, but it was still not even with the feather. The lawyer smiled, relieved that the judge had accepted his words.
"Next."
Another person from the jurors box stood up and took the previous person's place on the witness stand. "She killed my father in cold blood!" The heart went back down.
"An order from the dark lord. She couldn't resist it. She was unwaveringly loyal to him because of how he had taken advantage of her weaknesses and molded her into a maniac that would kill and maim for him on a dime." The heart went back up.
"Next!"
"She tortured my family into the point of insanity!"
"She was tortured in Azkaban for 14 years!"
"Next!"
And the cycle continued this way, a whirl of accusations, rebuttals, banging of the gravel and ups and downs on the scale. Hermione's head was spinning. What was going on here? What did she do? She exchanged a look with Bellatrix, needing a signal from her on what to do but the dark witch was in her own world, her eyes elsewhere even as she stared at the scale. Hermione wanted to tell the older witch to snap out of it. It wasn't the real them on trial just some other women.
"And our final witness." Hermione felt her body move on its own and with wide eyes she watched herself crawl into the witness seat. What was she doing?
Bellatrix noticed her appearance there and sent a questioning look but Hermione couldn't answer her. Her mouth was already moving and spouting out accusatory words.
"You tortured me for information! You carved the words mudblood onto my arm and killed my friends!" Hermione clamped her hands to her mouth in shock, tears pricking at her eyes. She felt such anger swirl inside her, such resentment, but why? She wanted to rush out of her seat and hurt the woman in front of her. Had she been a victim of the woman Bellatrix was masquerading as or was it...? This made no sense. The judge couldn't know who they were right? He gave no indication of it. He would have said something by now. So it couldn't be the real Bellatrix she was blaming this for.
"She had to do it for the war," the lawyer justified but this barely moved the scale and he frowned. As it stood, Bella's heart was heavier than the feather and she had been on her last witness.
"No no no nononono!" Bellatrix cried as she strained on her restraints, her eyes white with fear. Everyone had melted away into the dark shadows that suddenly crowded the sides of the building, swirling and hissing ominously.
"Bella!" Hermione screamed in panic. That was it, she wasn't waiting around anymore. She made to get up from her seat but found she couldn't move, invisible ropes tying her hands to her sides.
"We have reached a decision. Given the state of your heart and the words of your witnesses, only one choice remains for you. You have lived your life in darkness, bringing with you chaos and pain and blood to those who were your family and to those whom you barely even knew, and so to darkness you shall return. Many a life you have cut short. And for that I judge you fit for eternal damnation!" The judges words rang mercilessly around the court room and he seemed to grow taller, his figure stretching and melding until his head brushed against the ceiling of the building. His eyes were black and he pointed his giant gavel at her.
"Court adjourned!" At his words the entrance of the court house, which they had come through only a mere hour ago, widened dramatically, a gaping mouth that only lead to pure darkness. Screams and cries of pain came from it, as a wind swirled, sucking at Bellatrix to pull her in. She held onto the desk she was at, thankful the chains were wrapped around her wrist. Her dress and her hair swept past her face as the wind got stronger and as the screams got louder and louder. A deep chuckle reverberated from the portal to whatever fate it was Bellatrix had been condemned to and the sound of rattling chains and dogs barking and snarling rose from the depths.
"Do not fight it. It is what you deserve," the judge rumbled, his cloak billowing along with the wind that tugged at everything in the room, hungry to gulp it down.
Shit, we're in a deep mess! Hermione narrowed her eyes against the wind and tried once more to break free of her bonds but she couldn't. She knew a spell that would work but she couldn't get her wand. Maybe if she...Hermione ducked her chin inwards and tried to grasp the tip of her wand that was just poking out from under her bra line. Her teeth clamped around it and she pulled, careful to not let it slip back. It was tedious work and she felt time was slipping away from her but she kept at it, knowing Bellatrix was completely useless right now.
"Holy FUCK!" Bellatrix's exclamation almost broke Hermione's concentration but she ignored it even though every fiber in her body told her to look up. If she had, Hermione would have been frightened thoughtless at the sight that awaited Bellatrix. The braying of dogs had drawn to a terrifying crescendo as a massive three headed and entirely black dog stuck it's three heads through the passageway. It's mouth salivated at the prospect of its next meal, its red eyes trained greedily on the black haired witch in front of them. The doorway was still too small for them to get through but it was gradually widening and soon their shoulders would be through and after that their whole body and-Bellatrix didn't want to continue thinking that pattern of thought.
"Hermione!" she screamed, hoping the girl had a plan because every rational thought had been flung from Bella's head except for the primordial fear she felt in her chest. But the girl had already freed her wand, and unbound the invisible ropes around herself. "Accio!" she shouted, snatching Bellatrix's heart from the scale and into her hand. She tried to ignore the revulsion at the sensation of the pulsating organ and jumped out of her booth, running forwards to the frightening black haired witch. She tapped on her chains and they snapped open.
"Thank god," Bellatrix breathed, grabbing her wand. "We need to get out of here," she stammered, the hairs on the back of her head standing up as the dogs snarled and got closer, their process a bit slowed down by the fact the three heads argued with one another over who would rip into Bellatrix first.
"God cannot help you here," the judge rumbled. He watched them with contempt in his eyes.
"Bella, you take the key from him. I'll take the dogs," Hermione ordered, her jaw hard.
"Are you mad? Have you bliddy lost it?!" Bella yelled, pointing at the massive dog. "It's going to tear you apart. Forget the bloody key and let's just focus on getting out of here alive!" But Hermione wasn't going to be so easily swayed. Bella had been frightened off for some reason from the dogs, Hermione didn't understand why exactly, but she knew if they turned tail now they would never get another chance like this.
"Just do it," Hermione muttered and ran towards the dog.
"Wait!" Bellatrix's hand caught only air as she tried to stop her friend. She watched as the younger girl fearlessly walked up to the monstrous dog. She was so stupid! And rash! Bellatrix grit her teeth. No matter. If Hermione was going to take on the dog regardless then Bella supposed she better do her part and secure the key.
For some strange reason Hermione wasn't completely scared of the dog. She felt like she had faced one before and she knew how she had defeated it. Conjuring a harp out of thin air, she hide her wand in favor of it. If the older witch had seen this, she would have told the girl she not only lost her mind but had it trampled on. As it was Bellatrix was engaging the judge in a heated battle.
"Think you're so bloody above us all?" Bellatrix snarled, more at ease now that her wand was in her hand and power thrummed through her veins. "Reducto!" Her spell hit him in the chest and he began to shrink. He didn't go quietly, in his rage swinging his massive gavel down. Bella dove out of the way, roughly rolling to her side, as it smashed several benches to bits, cracked the ground and disrupted the scale which fell with a great clatter to the floor. He swung down again with a mighty roar and again she ducked, just barely getting to her feet and missing it. A chunk of shattered concrete hit her in the forehead and split it open, blood running into her eyes. She wiped it hastily away and crawled to her feet, running to avoid his third strike, thankfully this one easier to bypass as his gavel had reduced by five times in size.
"Just accept your fate! You little vermin!" he snarled as he shrunk even faster till he was back at his average height.
"Accio key!" was Bellatrix's answer and with joy she saw the key, which had been attached to a necklace and hidden under his robes, floating towards her.
"No!" he roared angrily, reaching with his pudgy fingers for it but it was too late. The key, an old fashioned object that looked to be made of plain metal, was in her grasp.
"I'd say it was fun, but it wasn't," Bellatrix said cheekily and aimed a stupefy at his forehead, knocking him back into his seat. Then she turned on her heel to see that all the barking had stopped. The three headed dog was asleep as Hermione stood above it, playing Mary had a little lamb on her harp. Well, that was certainly one way to defeat the dog. Bellatrix arched her brows and caught the brunette's gaze.
"He's sleeping now," she whispered. "But I don't think we can get around him. We'll have to find another way to leave." She was right. The massive beasts hind legs were still in the doorway blocking their exit. But not their only exit. With a mischievous grin Bellatrix eyed the three panel window at the back of the courtroom. She decided that the judge in the middle needed a little help with his image.
"Bellatrix, no," Hermione started, a warning in her voice, when she saw the raven haired witch had hiked her brow at the high up widows. She didn't like the look she was giving the brunette. "Bellatrix-
-No!" Hermione screamed as they smashed through the windows and free fell to the ground below them. The witch had cast a an unsupported flight charm on the both of them, thus propelling them outwards but it had only worked for mere seconds and now they could no longer fly.
"I don't suppose you have a spell for this?!" Hermione's arms waved helplessly behind her as the ground rushed up to meet them. Oh Merlin's right nut sack she was going to die! That crazy witch had sent them free-falling to their dooms! Could a protego protect her from a fall? She doubted it.
"I wonder, do I have a spell?" The dark witch asked playfully as she put her wand to her lips thoughtfully.
"Bellatrix!" They were now a few feet from the ground, and it looked really painful.
"Bellatrix what?"
"Oh do not play this game with me!" Hermione cried out a mix of panic and anger in her voice. When the witch was silent, and the wind continued to whistle through her hair Hermione added, "Bellatrix stop us please!"
Bellatrix merely smiled as the wind pushed the hair back from her face and swung her wand in a wide arch. They slowed down at the last possible moment, landing softly to the ground on their feet. Hermione immediately bent over and grasped her knees, taking in huge shuddering breaths. Bellatrix simply twiddled her wand in her hands as she gave the other girl a moment to recuperate. "If you," she said between pants, "do that, ever again," at this Hermione straightened up and glared at the witch, "I will feed your heart to the dog myself." She was clutching Bella's still beating heart and roughly shoved it into the other woman's chest. Bellatrix let out a hiss of pain, but now that her heart was there safely the hole in her chest closed up. She touched it, astonished that the skin showed no signs of struggle. Weird magic.
At the mention of it, a loud yap was heard. No doubt the three headed dog had awakened now that Hermione had stopped her playing.
"I'll feed your heart to the dog myself," Bellatrix mocked in a higher pitch as the two took to their heels. "It was just a little flight spell, no need to get your panties in a twist. I had to all under control," she muttered, disgruntled, as they opened up a portal and disappeared inside.
Once they had retired safely to their house, Hermione's anger at the older witch and their mishap with the flight had nearly disappeared. "Do you have it?" she impatiently looked over at Bellatrix as the witch collapsed onto the couch with a tired sigh. With a wave of her hand they removed their glamour. Her tired and pale face appeared, blood smeared across it from the wound she had sustained. Without the glamour it was visible and Hermione quickly became concerned.
"Are you okay?" she asked, rushing over to examine the wound. She pulled back the witch's hair so she could observe more closely.
"I'm fine, get your sodden hands off of me," Bellatrix grumbled, slapping the others hands away. "It'll stop bleeding in a few. All that matters is we got the key." She pulled out the trophy of their battle. This one wasn't as nice looking as their first key. It almost looked like a piece of rubbish.
"You're only saying that because you don't know healing magic," Hermione reprimanded as she pulled out her wand and muttered a few words. Instantly the blood cleared and the wound closed up. Bellatrix's forehead looked as good as new. The dark witch frowned and jumped up from her seat and away from Hermione.
"What? What's wrong?" Hermione asked, sensing that the other witch had been on edge ever since the court case, she was just holding it in.
"Nothing." She crossed her arms over her chest defensively."I can take care of myself. I don't need you coddling me like a baby."
Yup, definitely something had happened. Bellatrix's horror stricken face as she had seen the three headed dog come for her was etched into Hermione's mind. "Is this about the dog? Did the judge do something to you when he passed his jurisdiction?" Bella locked her jaw and looked away. Hermione ran through other things that the witch could be upset about. "Is this about me? Is this because of what I said?" Hermione recalled how she had been forced to the stage to shout those allegations at the person her friend was pretending to be. Bellatrix gave her a side look, but didn't say anything else. So it was about that. But why was it bothering the witch so much? It's not like Hermione had actually been hurt. How could the brunette prove this? That's right, if it were true then she would have a scar on her body with the words mudblood scrawled across.
The brunette rolled back her long sleeves. "None of that was true. Their just playing mind games with us. Look, there's nothing...here," Hermione's words slowed down as the light of the room reflected on the pale and faded but distinctly scarred flesh. Mudblood.
She turned her arm over back and forth, to check if she was imagining things. If this was some trick of the light or something. She let her fingers trail over the raised flesh. It felt so real. Had this always been here? How come she hadn't noticed? Bellatrix saw the scar and she swallowed thickly before she silently raced up the stairs.
"Wait, Bellatrix!" Hermione was torn out of her musings by the running footsteps. "Wait!" She ran after her but the witch was too fast and had gained too much ground. She dove into her room and locked the door behind her, letting her back touch it as she slowly slide down into a puddle onto the floor.
"Bellatrix, open up this door this very instant!" Bellatrix merely put a silencing charm on the door. The loud pounding grew muffled until it finally stopped all together. If the brunette was trying to magic the door open, she would fail. Bellatrix had encrypted her door with the best of protection spells. It was better if the brunette just gave up on her.
All throughout the trial Bellatrix had been uneasy. She had known it wasn't really her on trial and it gave her comfort to know this, when she stood accused of those terrible crimes against not only humanity but witch kind as well. She had even been shocked when Hermione, hidden under the appearance of being an old lady, spouted out her own list of grievances against her. And then, when her heart had been too heavy for the feather and the judge had condemned her to eternal damnation, to an eternity of fire, pain and pure terror, something in Bellatrix had cracked. The sight of the dog coming for her, for her and not her false persona scared her to her wits end. And she knew it was here for her because she could hear it's whispers in her head, it's barks translating into words of malice.
Bellatrix, we come for you. We come to feast on your organs, to cover our claws with the filthy and malignant blood that runs through your veins; to wipe away the stain of your evil existence forever in the belly of a doom brought to you by your own hand and actions.
She had stared into the red eyes of her destiny, one that she couldn't back out of. Only Hermione had been able to break her out of this blanket of fear that had enveloped her. With her wand in hand Bellatrix had focused on getting the key from the judge. That was something she could face. Fighting him threw her previous thoughts out of her head and it was only when they had returned to the safe house that she had let them resurface. Something nagged at her, left her skin feeling like it was crawling. She couldn't erase the dogs haunting words from her head no matter how hard she tried.
Those things, she couldn't have done them, right? The judge hadn't known it was her, he gave no indication of it. But then Hermione had rolled up her sleeves and there it had been, the words mudblood carved crudely into her flesh. The brunette had been confused-why would she have something like that-but Bellatrix felt her worlds collide as an idea, one so terrible it took her breath away ran through her head. She needed to get as far away as she could from Hermione and now.
She had ran up to her room and collapsed onto the floor, her fingers raking through her long black locks. She had thought all this time it was her persona who had been judged, but it was her heart on the scale. No one elses, but Bellatrix's. The judge had been able to know that as soon as he saw it and he had judged her accordingly for her actions. Bellatrix closed her eyes. She had done all those things to other people. She had hurt them. She had hurt Hermione. That was why the girl stood in the jurors box with them. And because of what Bellatrix had done, the gates of Hell had been opened for her.
And she had just barely escaped them. Barely escaped who knows what kind of torments and tortures for the rest of her existence. Her hands were shaking now.
That's why all the judges told her her efforts were fruitless, because she hadn't been a good person. She had been a killer.
Bellatrix let out a long shaky breath as she leaned her head back on the door. Where did she go from here? What did she do next? And did she tell Hermione the truth? They had made a pact about not keeping secrets from one another-swore on it. Bellatrix shook her head, determined to keep this hidden. She wasn't going to drag the girl into her troubles.
She wasn't ever going to tell Hermione.
A/N: I modeled this court scene on a mixture of modern proceedings (thus the Justice figure and the scales) and on the way the Egyptians did things. Originally they would weigh a persons heart against a feather and if the heart was heavier than the feather a dog looking monster would devour their heart. The dog in this chapter is not from Egyptian myth but from Greek. It is the three headed dog who guards the underworld, Cerberus. So you could say I drew from a lot of various influences to make this scene. And this is because I wanted to include a variety of different myths of the way people have their souls judged. I also alluded to symbolism of the demons and angels for good measure with those stained glass windows and their images.
Outtake: Scars
A/N: Another scene that I didn't put in the finalized chapter but which I was really tempted to put in. Still, I thought it might be interesting to read as an outtake from the series, so here you guys go. Again, leave me any thoughts that you have on it and if you prefer this scene or the current one.
Bellatrix had scars on her skin, crawling around her wrists like crude bracelets and going up and down her ribs, nicking them like someone had tried to count the number of ribs she had by attempting to cut through her flesh to rip them out. She had no idea where they had come from. She was certain she hadn't received them in this hotel or else she would have remembered, her memories of her imprisonment in this place crystal clear. She deduced they had to have come from her past life, as well as did the tattoo on her neck, a number branded onto her skin like she was nothing more than cattle. If Hermione noticed the scars, which Bellatrix made sure to keep covered up with long sleeves and a glamour on her neck for the brand, then she didn't say anything.
Bellatrix had thought she had been the only one with scars but then she had seen the girl sitting silently in a room, all her focus on something crude on her arm. Bellatrix had strode quietly into the room, eyeing the girl with curiosity.
"What have we here?" she asked and the girl startled, quickly going to cover up her sleeve.
"Oh, Bellatrix. Hello," Hermione breathed trying to look nonchalant. "You came in so quietly, I didn't notice you."
Bellatrix made a noise that said 'I bet you didn't' and approached the brunette. "What's that scar on your arm?"
"What scar?" Hermione said, attempting to hide the arm in question behind her back as she stood up, suddenly defensive.
"The one on the hand behind your back," Bellatrix said and grabbed for the arm but Hermione moved to the side, dodging her. "It's nothing really. I just thought I had a bruise there or something, but I healed it with my wand. All good now," the brunette squeaked as she tried to back out of the room, casting glances to how the far the door was and to how close Bellatrix was getting.
"Then you don't mind me looking, right?" Bellatrix poised, curiosity burning her up. She wanted to see what it was Hermione was hiding.
"I said it's fine," Hermione insisted, continuing to back up and watch the older witch warily. She was almost at the door. Then she could escape from Bellatrix and her sudden interest in her. But her heel caught on the edge of the thick carpet underneath her feet and with a yelp she cartwheeled backwards, her hands coming up to sides in a windmill motion to keep her from falling. Bellatrix's hand shot out as fast as a snake and grasped Hermione by the wrist of the arm with the scar, preventing her from falling any further. As it was the girl was at a 45 degree angle from the upright witch and she was struggling to pull herself into a similar stance, her free arm waving at her side as she rocked on the heels of her feet, the older witch's surprisingly strong hold the only thing preventing her from meeting the floor.
Bellatrix's eyes lit up in triumph as she slide up the long sleeve of the brunette's sleeve with her free hand. "What do we have here?" she whispered, running a finger over the bumps and edges on the inside of Hermione's inner arm. The witch was quiet for once and was looking away. Bellatrix tugged the girl upright but continued to stare at the mark. Mudblood was scrawled in childish writing roughly into the flesh. The older witch could sense the hatred with which these words had been permanently inscribed onto the flesh. She wondered briefly if whoever had given her her scars had also given Hermione's own. "Who gave you this?"
The brunette worked her jaw silently before answering, her voice a bit unsteady. "I don't know. But whoever it was despised me. This word is a vulgar insult meant to remind me of how I am nothing but trash, just mud." Hermione's voice cracked on this. "I can feel their malice every time I run my fingers over the word. It's like the person poured all their soul out into making sure I would forever be reminded of their hatred, of making sure that their vile feelings would linger with me everlastingly like some depraved ghost."
Bellatrix felt a surge of anger and empathy at this. Who could have carved such a hateful thing on this young girl's flesh? Who did such terrible things? And the older witch knew what the girl meant by feeling the ghost of whoever had created these scars. Bellatrix's scars certainly hadn't been made out of love and a shiver went through, so dark and strong, when she brushed her fingers against them that only the warm taste of chocolate would help away the shadows of despair that crowded her mind.
Bellatrix looked at the younger witch, who was still avoiding her gaze, having found the blank wall to her left suddenly very interesting, and felt like she had to say something to make her feel better. She wasn't alone in being marred, not that Bellatrix would ever admit to her own scars. She wasn't an open person.
"Hermione, I promise you that once we get out of this place," her hand had stilled on the girl's scar as she figured out what to say. "I will hurt whoever it was that did such a hateful thing to you." Hermione's watery eyes snapped to Bellatrix's serious dark orbs. "I'm being sincere." Then she dropped the girl's wrist from her hand and it swung limply to the girl's side.
"Thank you, Bellatrix. But there's no need for such violence. I'm sure a stern talking to will clear much up," Hermione said, using the corner of her sleeve to wipe away at the wet corners of her eyes. Of course the girl would insist on talking it through. Bellatrix felt action was better than words.
"Sometimes violence is the only answer. And I doubt that if they hate you so much they would want to listen to what you have to say." Hermione lowered her gaze and worried at her bottom lip at this. The girl was still upset. Bellatrix pulled out her wand. "How about we practice some jinxes. You think we should use the jelly legs jinx or the one that makes mushrooms grow out of their ears? Imagine the look on their face when they go look in the mirror and see a whole assortment of fungi sprouting out. Should we make them poisonous?"
Hermione gave a weak laugh at this. "As if you would even be able to tell the poisonous ones from the edible ones. Last time I caught you in a kitchen confused between a cucumber and zucchini."
"In my defense they both look the same."
"They do not," Hermione countered and soon the two were bickering about vegetables. Hermione did feel a bit better if she had to admit it. She had been frightened of the intensity of hate that looking at the scar on her arm dredged up in her. The dark witch's words had soothed her and the matter now no longer seemed as ominous as it had before.
(Originally I was going to make this a scene in the story because it was meant to draw the two characters closer to one another (also for irony purposes as we all know Bella was the one who created the scars and here she is cursing whoever had made them, unaware of the the truth) but I scrapped it and used the reveal of the mudblood tattoo in the court scene where it would have more impact and cause conflict between the characters, leading them to have to make the choice of whether they should continue working together or not.)