A/N: Thank you for the reviews and suggestions. They help.

Delenda Est – Rebooted

Lord Silvere

Chapter Seven: Allegiance

Harry strode through the castle toward his quarters. Pythia needed basilisk bones for a potion that could prolong her life, and now was as good a time as any for Harry to slaughter the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. With it being the beginning of a weekend, Harry calculated that he could devote his attention to the task for a couple of days without being missed by anyone in the castle.

Harry arrived in his quarters and began rummaging through his wardrobe, looking for appropriate attire. Among the purchases Bellatrix had made on his behalf, Harry found a couple of pairs of knee-high dragonhide boots. One pair was rugged, the other was dressy. Harry opted for the more practical pair, tossing the boots on his bed. He was considering the merits of a pair of dragonhide gloves when he heard somebody sneeze under the bed.

Already suspecting the identity of the sneezer, Harry drew his wand, knelt, and peered under his bed. As he had guessed, he found Bellatrix wedged under it.

Bellatrix met Harry's eyes with her own and smiled disarmingly. "I have a good explanation."

"I can assure you there is nothing under there worth stealing," Harry said drily, masking his annoyance.

He got back on his feet and continued sorting through his wardrobe as he waited for Bellatrix to extricate herself from under the bed. It was difficult, but she was soon on her feet. Sporting messy hair and clothes, Bellatrix peered suspiciously at Harry's preparations.

Harry returned her stare, and as he surveyed her disheveled appearance, he sighed. "If Dumbledore walked in here, we would both be in quite a bit of trouble." He drew his wand and cast a strong locking charm on the door.

"For more reasons than one," Bellatrix said as she cleared the clutter that had piled up in front of Harry's dresser-top mirror. She went to work, straightening her clothes and fixing her hair. "I am hiding from him at the moment."

"Why?" Harry asked, perplexed.

"Pythia uttered a prophecy in the Hospital Wing," Bellatrix announced as she adjusted her skirt and blouse.

"Fabulous," Harry grumbled as he decided in favor of the gloves and tossed them onto the bed with his boots. He began looking for suitable robes.

"Are you interested in hearing the prophecy?" Bellatrix asked as she worked on her hair.

"If you want to tell me," Harry replied, feigning disinterest.

"That depends."

"Oh, does it?"

"Yes."

"On what?"

"You will have to promise to take me off the school grounds until you have provided me with your interpretation of the prophecy," Bellatrix declared.

"What makes you think I can interpret the prophecy any better than you can?"

"Well, for one, there is your background. Or is it foreground? And then your lukewarm interest in the prophecy tells me that you probably already know what it is."

Harry twisted his lips distastefully at Bellatrix's clever deduction, but then smiled as he seized on the flaw in Bellatrix's logic. "If I already know what it is, then maybe I don't need to hear it from you."

"Well, it may be that you do not know what it is," Bellatrix backpedaled. "As I recall, you had never heard of Pythia before now. So, you cannot have ever heard a prophecy she made."

Harry shrugged. "Maybe the prophecy follows me regardless of who speaks it."

"Now look here," Bellatrix said, losing her patience and raising her voice. "There has been a prophecy, and it is important. You will need to hear it. I want to discuss it with you, but I am nervous about doing it in the castle or on the grounds where we can be overheard or waylaid. If I am your lieutenant, you owe me that much."

Harry shrugged. "Alright. But it will have to wait. It seems Pythia's condition and prospects would be greatly improved if she could get her hands on some basilisk bones. They are the key ingredient for some potion. So, I am on my way to kill a basilisk."

"What?" Bellatrix exclaimed. "Where are you going to find a basilisk?"

"Down in the Chamber of Secrets," Harry replied, picking out the rest of his attire for the job and adding it to his pile.

Bellatrix's mouth dropped open for a moment as she watched Harry gather his clothing selections up into his arms. "Is killing it strictly necessary?"

"How else am I to extract its bones?"

"Well, obviously," Bellatrix said. "It is just that if there is a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, isn't that significant part of Hogwarts property and history that should be preserved?"

"I don't know where else to find a basilisk," Harry said. "Besides which, the basilisk down there is a vicious creature and needs to be put down before the Heir of Slytherin pops by and uses it to murder a bunch of students. If we want to preserve history, we can leave the Chamber intact and charge for tours."

It was taking Bellatrix some time to wrap her head around Harry's casual revelation. "So, there really is a Chamber of Secrets with a monster, then?" Bellatrix asked.

"Yes," Harry said.

"And you can enter the Chamber?"

"Yes."

"I thought only the Heir of Slytherin could enter the Chamber."

"Yes, well, thanks to fate, the Heir of Slytherin and I happen to have a lot of similar characteristics," Harry explained. "This includes the ability to open the Chamber. Unfortunately, controlling the monster is another matter. The basilisk knows that I am not its master."

"If we are going to the Chamber of Secrets, I suppose that is as good a place as any to share secrets and hide from Dumbledore," Bellatrix surmised. "How are you planning to kill the basilisk?"

"Hopefully with a rooster," Harry said. "But tell me why you feel like you need to hide from Dumbledore."

"The prophecy is important," Bellatrix said. "No doubt Lily Evans, who also heard the prophecy, will tell him. And then he will want to make sure it does not spread. So, he might be tempted to cast a memory charm on me."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I have literally never heard of Dumbledore memory charming anybody."

"Well, you wouldn't, would you?"


James did not receive much of a hero's welcome when he arrived in Gryffindor Tower. Avoiding eye contact with other Gryffindors, he joined the other Marauders in the quiet corner of the common room where they were working on homework.

"Did you get in trouble?" Peter asked.

"Not really," James sighed. "Ashworth docked Snape points and said he would report him. So, he might get double punishment. He then held me back after Snape left and accused me of bullying Snape."

"That's not entirely fair of him," Remus observed. "You did nothing wrong tonight. In fact, you were fairly impressive with your defense."

"Yeah," Peter cheered.

Sirius was frowning. "Maybe he has a point."

"Really?" James asked, surprised that Sirius was not in his corner on this one.

Sirius shrugged, the set of his jaw betraying a certain amount of moodiness. "You were smirking at him. You've smirked at him other times, too. Maybe that was not necessary."

"So have you!" James exclaimed. "I'm not the only one here who dislikes him!"

"You two have both been a bit hard on him, if I'm being honest," Remus said, intervening.

"Yeah, well, now Professor Greengrass is in the Hospital Wing, isn't she?" Sirius shot back. "She didn't deserve that!"

"It was an accident," Remus emphasized. "Snape used that spell when he should not have used it. And honestly, maybe Professor Greengrass should have thought twice about having James and Snape face off against each other."

"I know," Sirius sighed. "I just hate to see her get injured."

Remus winked at James and then deftly changed the subject. "What's on the agenda for after curfew?"


When Harry and Bellatrix emerged from the castle and began picking their way down to Hagrid's hut in the dark, Harry had on proper attire for a minor skirmish. Bellatrix, on the other hand, was wearing a mixture of her school uniform and items she had appropriated from Harry's wardrobe, including Harry's knee-high dress boots.

She had insisted that she needed proper attire for a basilisk killing expedition but had refused to return to her dormitory until the business of the prophecy had been sorted. Since Harry had no intention of wearing knee-high dress boots at any formal events, he had not minded Bellatrix appropriating that set of boots and using transfiguration to make minor alterations.

In short order, Harry was knocking on Hagrid's door while Bellatrix hung back. The half-giant answered the door, surveying the two with a quizzical expression on his face. "Hello, there," he said.

"Hi, Hagrid. My name is Harry Ashworth. I teach Defense up at the castle," Harry explained. He gestured toward Bellatrix. "I assume you are somewhat familiar with Ms. Black. I was hoping you could tell me about some creatures I might be teaching about soon."

Hagrid was confused, but gracious and eager to share his expertise. Soon, they were all seated around Hagrid's table, coping with his rock cakes. Harry was polite enough to pretend to eat them. Bellatrix was polite enough to toss them out the window only when Hagrid was looking the other way. As an added bonus, she aimed for windows that were open.

While Bellatrix looked on impatiently, Harry chatted easily with Hagrid, almost forgetting why he had come in the first place. Eventually, Harry casually inquired after whether Hagrid had any roosters. Hagrid regretfully informed Harry that the only rooster had recently been eaten by another one of his babies.

Harry expressed his sincere condolences for the rooster and guided the conversation toward a conclusion. Pretty soon, Harry and Bellatrix were standing in the dark not far from Hagrid's hut as they attempted to identify an alternate source for their rooster needs.

"I could probably just transfigure something into a rooster," Harry surmised.

Bellatrix shook her head. "This is not the situation where you want to experiment on the qualities of a real rooster versus a transfigured rooster unless that happens to be your specialty."

Harry sighed. "You are probably going to recommend that I not steal one from Hogsmeade, too, aren't you?"

"Firstly, I would hope that nobody down there has roosters. Secondly, that depends on whether you want to risk it getting back to Dumbledore that you or some anonymous person was seeking or stealing a rooster on the same weekend that you were purchasing basilisk parts. Your little conversation with Hagrid was risky enough."

"I was very careful with Hagrid," Harry muttered. "Now, where are we supposed to find a rooster on a Friday night?"

"You can knock on doors at farmhouses or find a farmer having a pint in a local pub," Bellatrix said brightly. "In either case, we will be straying from the Hogwarts grounds." She drew her wand and cast Summoning Charms for a quill, a bottle of ink, and some parchment. "You need only sign another permission slip for me."


Lily was attempting to maintain a stiff upper lip. It was not going well, and her friend Alice cornered her as they crossed paths in the communal washroom.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just worried about Professor Greengrass," Lily lied.

"You already told me that Dumbledore said she would be fine," Alice pointed out.

"Who is Slytherin's dark heir?" Lily whispered.

Alice sucked in her breath. "Where did you hear that?"

"I can't say."

Alice glared, and Lily shrugged apologetically.

"Should I ask Professor Ashworth?" Lily wondered. "He is the Defense professor, after all."

"No! He could be the heir or at least he answers to the heir," Alice shot back.

"Surely not. He is nice."

Alice sighed. "He hops, skips, and jumps on pureblood commands." She glanced around the washroom as a couple of other Gryffindor witches wandered. "I'll tell you about the heir later," she said, her voice low.


In his wanderings in the year or so before being summoned to teenage Bellatrix's bedroom, Harry had gained some familiarity with England's small villages. This familiarity helped Harry to Side-Along Apparate himself and Bellatrix to the outskirts of the village of Cranleigh, where they walked into town and claimed a booth in a pub.

It was a quiet evening in the pub. So far, the locals were not inclined to be social with the oddly dressed strangers. Bellatrix, with her schoolgirl skirt and knee-high boots, had attracted a few speculative looks from some dirty old men. But Harry, with his stern glances, had kept those ones at bay.

"Now is as good a time as any for you to interpret the prophecy," Bellatrix said smugly after Harry's inquiries about chickens had turned up no results.

"Maybe we should just move to another pub with a friendlier crowd," Harry replied.

"The night is early," Bellatrix said. "Give it some time. The late night crowd will come, get plastered, and be friendly."

"Perhaps so," Harry said, deciding to wait a little while before giving up on the pub. He sat back and relaxed. "Tell me the prophecy, and I will tell you what I think."

Bellatrix recited the prophecy, perfectly, from memory. Harry's response to hearing the prophecy was to grunt noncommittally.

"Well?" Bellatrix demanded.

"Well what?"

"What does it mean?"

Harry shrugged. "Slytherin's heir is going to cause trouble, and I am trying to stop him. The part about 'blackness" is cute. I don't understand why these prophecies are issued at all if they are just going to hide the ball."

"They need to be phrased so that only certain people can understand them," Bellatrix explained impatiently. "Now tell me about this business of no one being more powerful than he."

"The Heir of Slytherin is a very powerful magic user," Harry confessed. "I guess I should also clarify that he is more commonly regarded as a Dark Lord."

"Hence being an heir and a dark one at that," Bellatrix snipped. "What about when the line is repeated?" Bellatrix asked. "Is that just a repeat or is it referencing you as also being powerful?"

"The Dark Lord and I are of equal magical strength," Harry clarified. "Hence, nobody is more powerful than him, and nobody is more powerful than I."

"Are you sure?"

"That's what another prophecy said in clearer terms. Everything I have observed seems to confirm that as being reality. He attempted to kill me many times, and I survived, despite being woefully incompetent, compared to him. Sheer power, and some other lucky things, saved me."

"Okay," Bellatrix said, seeming to accept Harry's assertions at face value. "Now tell me more about this Dark Lord. Who is he? What is he going to do? What are your plans?"

Harry sighed. "I am not sure I am comfortable giving you too many details unless there is an immediate need for you to know."

"Why not?"

"Well, to be completely honest, I have a hard time trusting you," Harry said. He hesitated and then explained. "The fact is that in my version of the timeline, you were one of the Dark Lord's most devoted servants. I guess you could say that you were his lieutenant before you were mine. And to be even more brutally honest, there were times I wanted to kill you. In fact, I tried on more than one occasion."


Alastor Moody's peaceful Friday night was interrupted when Albus Dumbledore came knocking on his front door. The knocks triggered several home-brewed warning mechanisms, including ones Moody had long since forgotten. As the alarm chaos raged, the two wizards set about restoring order and were soon able to relax in a neglected front parlor.

"Merlin's beard, Albus," Moody said, slumping in his chair. "You should know better than to just drop by."

"I assure you that it is an urgent matter that brings me to your doorstep," Dumbledore said.

"Oh?"

"Pythia—"

"Oh, no. Not another one of her useless vagueries. Has it occurred to you that she is kind of manipulative?"

"I realize that," Dumbledore admitted. "However, I assure you that she never has ill intent. Tonight, she was not being vague or manipulative." Dumbledore then repeated the prophecy.

Moody shook his head. "If I can't go make an arrest, it is vague."

"It is definite enough to put us on warning. We are looking at the imminent rise of a Dark Lord who may be more powerful than I and who will inflict terror."

"Two Dark Lords, if you ask me," Moody opined. "If the first operates in blackness."

Dumbledore was not ready to agree, but did not want to argue the point. "Is Director Foxe up to the task of putting down a Dark Lord?"

Moody laughed bitterly. "No, just get me the identity of this Dark Lord and the second one, and I'll bring them in myself. Or kill them."

"As the prophecy implies, they are quite powerful," Dumbledore countered, wondering if he dared suggest that Moody track Tom Riddle's whereabouts. He did not want to send his friend into a situation where he would be outmatched. "For now, maybe you can keep an extra sharp eye out and get a feel for attitudes."

"I'll do you better than that," Moody promised. "I think I will insist on extra training for everyone. Maybe you can tell your new Defense professor to step it up a notch."

"He already did," Dumbledore said. "He's started a dueling club."

Moody arched his eyebrows. "Marshaling an army? Perhaps one of the Dark Lords is under your nose."

"He seems to be recruiting the wrong people, if that's his game," Dumbledore opined.

"Maybe I'll drop by one of these days and see what that chap is teaching," Moody said.


The revelation that she had been the Dark Lord's lieutenant and that Harry had even attempted to kill her on occasion shocked Bellatrix to the core, but not for the reasons one might think. She readily believed that she could have chosen to become the disciple of a Dark Lord. There was no denying that she had the right skillset and emotional disposition to do a Dark Lord's bidding, even if it involved things that would be unpleasant.

Rather, the shock Bellatrix was feeling had more to do with the threat that this newly revealed information posed to her current aspiration to become Lady Black and have control over the Black fortune. Despite her sociopathic tendencies, Bellatrix understood that it might be difficult for Harry to work closely with somebody he had tried to kill on multiple occasions.

With inspiring nerve, Bellatrix absorbed the information Harry had revealed and rebounded. With her violet eyes, she looked into Harry's green eyes with all of the intensity she could muster. Her intensity, combined with her youthful features, was hypnotizing. "Surely you realize that my serving the Dark Lord in this timeline is out of the question."

"Is it?" Harry asked quietly.

"I already know that serving the Dark Lord did not work the first time," Bellatrix said persuasively. "I am not going to try that path this time."

"There are more than two paths," Harry countered. "Surely what led you to follow the Dark Lord can lead you in other paths that run contrary to my goals."

"My alternate self chose you," Bellatrix pointed out.

"I was the only choice. You were dying."

"She did not have to say that I would be your lieutenant," Bellatrix argued. "By saying that, she was telling me that I need to align myself with you and be devoted to your cause."

"I don't know," Harry said, breaking away from Bellatrix's hypnotic gaze. "Let's go find another pub. This place is only getting sleepier."

Bellatrix recognized Harry's avoidance tactic for what it was. However, she followed him out of the pub and into the street to continue the debate. It was more efficient than starting a new debate about whether he was avoiding the subject or just trying to find a rooster as quickly as possible.

"Let's try this way," Harry said, pointing.

He began to walk up the sidewalk, but Bellatrix grabbed him by the shoulder, causing him to turn around.

"We need to reach the point where you can trust me as your lieutenant," Bellatrix insisted. "How can we get there?"

"I don't know," Harry said, shifting uncomfortably and avoiding eye contact. "Let's just build trust. Eventually, I will feel better about confiding in you. I'll tell you what you need to know as we go along."

"Harry, if you have a history of trying to kill me, I think it will take too long for you to begin to naturally trust me with the most important secrets. What will it take for you to feel like our interests are aligned and to trust me with your secrets right now?"

"Do we have to do this now?" Harry asked, attempting to postpone the conversation.

Feeling a rush of boldness, Bellatrix took Harry's hands and knelt on her knees, cringing as she felt the contours of the cobblestone dig into them. She looked up into his face. "Harry, if you will consent to marry me, our marriage will unify our interests. I assure you that the terms of the marriage contract would be very favorable to you. We can include provisions that there will be severe financial consequences if I ever serve the Dark Lord." She widened her eyes and nodded for emphasis. "Very severe."

Harry wrenched his hands out of hers and threw them up in the air. "You're a lunatic!" He whirled around and started walking away.

"What else am I supposed to offer?" Bellatrix called out loudly, still on her knees as Harry walked away.

"Not marriage!" Harry retorted, turning around and walking back toward her. He grabbed her hands and tugged her up onto her feet. "I realize that some of you purebloods look on marriage in a transactional sense. But for me, marriage is about attraction and romance. There shouldn't be a contract or financial deal."

"Romance?" Bellatrix asked incredulously. "Are you talking about sharing a bed? Because that's gross, Harry. Especially while I am your student."

Harry threw up his hands again. "I am not asking you for romance. You are the one proposing marriage. You're the gross one." Harry started stalking up the sidewalk alone. Bellatrix rushed to follow.

"If we were married it would be like a secret alliance," Bellatrix explained. "It is the easiest way to combine assets. Plus it is a good way to show commitment to each other."

Harry stopped abruptly and looked at Bellatrix. "So, those are the purposes of marriage?"

"Certainly!"

"What if I want a child?"

Bellatrix winced. "We can look at acquiring an heir in as soon as … maybe fifteen years. I'll put it in the contract."

"What if I want two children?"

"Two children is a lot."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"I still don't know what else to offer to prove that you can trust me," Bellatrix grumbled.

Harry let out a frustrated sigh and started walking. "Let's find another pub."


After curfew, Alice snuck into Lily's bed. The two witches shut the curtains and cast silencing charms.

"Okay, now tell me," Lily demanded.

"Are you going to tell me where you heard it?" Alice demanded.

"No," Lily whispered. "I can't."

"Tell me this much," Alice demanded. "Is this just an academic question or is this more of an immediate concern?"

"I would say kind of an immediate concern. But maybe not too immediate."

Alice sucked in her breath. "Then we have got to double our efforts in the dueling club."

"Double?" Lily asked. "How? There aren't even that many days available."

"Never mind. Now here is what I can tell you about the Heir of Slytherin," Alice said as she launched into an explanation of the history of Hogwarts.


The next pub proved to be crowded and friendly. Harry soon found a fellow who was willing to sell him a rooster. However, the farm was a fair distance outside of the village, and Harry's new friend was not about to leave the pub early on a Friday night just to sell a chicken. Harry agreed to wait around and even serve as the designated driver.

When Harry returned to the booth where he had left Bellatrix, he found her scribbling away on paper serviettes. When she spotted him, she grinned. "I've figured out the solution."

"Please not tonight."

"Unbreakable Vow."

This gave Harry pause. In vain he searched for a good reason to shoot down her idea.

"Well?"

"I suppose that would work," Harry admitted grudgingly. If she made an Unbreakable Vow, he could trust her to keep secrets. However, the idea of sharing secrets with her still made him squirm. He did have to admit it would be nice to have a confidante, though.

"With conditions, of course," Bellatrix clarified.

"Of course," Harry sighed as he realized her proposal might be too good to be true. "If there are too many conditions, then let's not bother."

"We will negotiate," Bellatrix said, scribbling away. "Where are we on the rooster?"

"We can pick it up later tonight," Harry said. "Meanwhile, we're stuck here until my new friend Davey is good and ready to leave." He gestured toward the bar where a young man was laughing with some rowdy looking friends.

Bellatrix shot an appraising glance toward Davey and his friends. "Have a seat and order something to eat before the kitchen stops taking orders. We are going to be here a while."

Harry obliged, and while they were waiting for the pub's kitchen to produce an appetizer-sized dish for him, he and Bellatrix began debating the terms of the Unbreakable Vow.

"I am willing to vow allegiance to you on certain conditions," Bellatrix explained. "The first condition would be you never harming me."

Harry shook his head. "If we do a demonstration for the dueling club and I hit you with a hex, the vow is canceled."

"Good point," Bellatrix said, already writing down the critique. "I suppose we need to amend it to be based on your intent. I will get back to you on that one. Next condition is that you need to tell me everything."

"No. I am willing to be honest with you. But I am not going to tell you everything there is to know."

"Giving me information is the whole point of the Unbreakable Vow!" Bellatrix protested. "I want to be trusted with information that you would not otherwise share."

"This is going to be a long night, isn't it?" Harry mumbled.


While Alice's snores echoed through the dorm, Lily lay in her bed considering the information Alice had shared about the Heir of Slytherin and the deep prejudice that many purebloods held against Muggleborns. As Lily looked back on her Hogwarts career, she could see minor instances where she had been slighted or disadvantaged because of her status.

Despite this, Lily did not have much about which to complain. One could live a happy and fulfilling life despite jerks in the world. However, the thought of an Heir of Slytherin who was to inflict terror chilled her blood. Deep down, she knew he would come for people like her.

Alice, who had imparted her knowledge to Lily and then had promptly gone to her bed and fallen asleep, did not seem terribly concerned. But she was a pureblood, had not heard Pythia's prophecy, and had not seen the urgency in Professor Dumbledore's eyes.

As Lily turned over the problem in her head, the only solution she could think of centered on Professor Ashworth and the dueling club. If she could become a better duelist, she could perhaps be safer in what might turn out to be a dangerous world after her time at Hogwarts.


"How about we trade spots?" Bellatrix proposed.

"I am pretty sure you don't know how to drive," Harry said as he carefully guided farmer Davey's pickup truck down the road to his farm some distance outside of Cranleigh. He shifted gears and winced at the grinding noise that resulted.

"Sounds like you're doing a bang up job yourself," Bellatrix observed drily as she rebuffed another drunken attempt from Davey to go to sleep on her lap. She shoved him away and awkwardly slapped his face.

Sympathizing with Bellatrix's troubles and worried for the safety of Davey's more tender body parts, Harry was about to relent and take over management of Davey. But it was at that moment that Davey announced in a slurred voice that he was about to be sick. As Harry stomped on the brake pedal, Bellatrix bailed out of the cab just in time to avoid a torrent of vomit.

Maintaining an ominous silence, Bellatrix went around to the driver side of the truck and looked at Harry expectantly. Harry shrugged, hopped out, and set about cleaning up the passenger side of the pickup while Bellatrix climbed into the driver seat and familiarized herself with the controls.

Within a couple of minutes, they were on their way again with much more gear grinding than before. Harry had taken the middle seat and was masterfully managing Davey when he was not helping Bellatrix with the gear shifter.

Bellatrix's driving skills left much to be desired. However, after only two drive-by barfings, the pickup truck eventually screeched into the barnyard at Davey's farm where it crashed into a stack of hay bales on account of Bellatrix pushing the clutch instead of the brake pedal. Groaning, Harry and Davey exited the truck as a commotion erupted in what appeared to be the farm's cottage.

As Bellatrix emerged from the truck, Harry consummated his purchase of a rooster from Davey. Not wanting to wait for the drama that would ensue between Davey and whoever else lived on the farm, Harry and Bellatrix darted around the corner of the barn with their newly acquired rooster and vanished.


"I can't wait to see the look on his face," James snickered as he used his invisibility cloak to ferry Sirius forward from one hiding place on their route to the next, where he had left Peter and Remus at the next safe spot. "He'll know it's us, but he will never be able to prove it without incriminating himself."

Sirius offered a courtesy snort, but was still acting a bit sullen over Pythia's injuries. It did not help that there was no news on her condition. Their only opportunity to learn anything had been Lily Evans. But when she had eventually wandered into Gryffindor Tower, she shared no updates. Instead, she retreated to her dormitory, looking shaken.

Then, curfew had arrived. Of course, curfew was not stopping the Marauders from engaging in some weekend mischief and a quick trip down to Hogsmeade. But it did preclude them from stopping at the Hospital Wing to make inquiries.

James and Sirius arrived at the suit of armor where James had left Remus and Peter. "Are you guys there?" James whispered.

"Yeah," Remus said, holding his hand out from behind the disillusionment charm he had cast around the alcove behind the suit of armor.

Suddenly, the sounds of a chicken squawking and some loud thumps echoed through the corridor. It seemed like they were coming from near the one-eyed witch statue, which was where the Marauders were headed.

Startled and unsure of whether the person or persons making the sounds were friendly, the Marauders scrambled for cover in the alcove behind the suit of armor. As they did so, Peter slipped and kicked over the suit of armor. It promptly fell apart and crashed to the floor, making several loud clangs.

As the last clang echoed through the corridor, a profound silence settled in as James, Sirius, and Remus quickly cast half a dozen different charms to help themselves stay hidden. Whoever had the chicken had apparently also been startled. After a couple of moments, they heard Professor Ashworth's voice echo down the corridor in the darkness.

"Why are you out of bed after curfew, Miss Black?" Professor Ashworth asked, his voice carrying down the hall. "And what are you doing with that bird?"

"None of your business," came Bellatrix's loud retort.

James could feel Sirius's body rocking with silent laughter. James was also having to work hard to maintain his composure.

"Well then maybe we should go find someone whose business it is," came Professor Ashworth's acerbic retort. "You, come with me right now."

The Marauders watched from their hiding place as Professor Ashworth came into view, guiding Bellatrix down the hall, his fingers firmly tugging on one of her ears. In his other hand, he carried his wand, which was lit. As for Bellatrix, she had a chicken secured under her arm and a rebellious look on her face. All in all, it was a comical sight, especially considering that Bellatrix was an inch taller than Professor Ashworth.

Upon discovering the suit of armor spread all over the floor, they stopped.

"What happened here?" Harry demanded.

"How should I know?" Bellatrix snapped back, her defiant posture compromised by Harry still holding her by her ear.

"Do you expect me to believe that you had nothing to do with this?"

"Yes."

"You must think I'm stupid," Harry growled. He let go of her ear and stepped up to the scattered pieces of armor, surveying them suspiciously.

Bellatrix shrugged and adjusted her hold on the chicken.

Scowling dramatically, Harry blindly kicked one of the pieces of armor toward the alcove and scored a hit on Peter's stomach. As the air abruptly exited Peter, Remus clamped his hand on Peter's mouth. James was now also rocking back and forth with silent laughter.

Seemingly not having noticed that the armor had disappeared once it crossed the threshold of the alcove, Harry whirled on Bellatrix. "If I find any more suits of armor broken up around here, you'll be in extra trouble. Now let's get going. You belong in your dormitory."

Harry and Bellatrix, who was still holding the chicken, disappeared down the hallway. Once they were completely gone, James let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding and began laughing quietly. "What in Merlin's name was she doing?"

"I don't know," Sirius chortled. "I didn't think she was the type to sneak around the castle at night. Maybe she has a lover?"

"Eww," Remus shuddered. "I hope not, for the lover's sake. Here, we can get this armor fixed in a jiffy."

"No, wait," Sirius said. "What if we just leave it and then go bust up some more suits of armor? Then maybe we can transfigure some stuff into birds and set them loose. Can you imagine how much trouble she would get into?"

They all began snickering mischievously.


"Who was the intended audience of that spectacle?" Bellatrix asked as soon as Harry had guided her into a girls' lavatory. She repositioned the chicken in her arms and began massaging the ear that Harry had used to tug her around.

"Your cousin Sirius and his friends," Harry said absently as he surveyed the lavatory, drinking in all the details that the scant light afforded. "I believe they were hiding in the alcove."

Bellatrix caught on quickly. "And that's why you kicked that piece of armor into the alcove."

Harry chuckled. "I'm pretty sure I scored, too. I'm sorry if the ear was too much."

"No, it was my idea from before," Bellatrix reminded Harry.

"I should probably also warn you that they will likely spend the night sabotaging suits of armor to get you in more trouble," Harry said, grinning slyly. "I might have to give you detention."

"As long as it's not real detention," Bellatrix sighed.

"It will give us an excuse to be able to meet and coordinate," Harry said absently as he turned his focus back to the bathroom. "It will also give you an excuse to prank them back. I'll help."

Bellatrix grinned, but changed the subject. "So, is this where the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"Yes."

"Maybe you should lock the door."

"Good idea," Harry said as he conjured a sign to signal that the lavatory was out of order. He opened the entrance door, posted his sign, and shut the door again, casting several intricate locking charms. "Now, just one more order of business. Myrtle?"

Bellatrix groaned. "I almost forgot."

"Who are you?" came a voice that was all too familiar to Harry. Moaning Myrtle emerged from her stall and stared expectantly at Harry and Bellatrix.

"I'm one of the professors and this is my assistant," Harry said, gesturing to Bellatrix. "If we do you a favor, will you keep some secrets for us?"

"What kind of favor and what kind of secrets?" Myrtle asked petulantly, looking at Harry with studied casualness. It seemed that she was developing something of a crush on Harry as she had in the other timeline. Bellatrix had also detected this vibe and was frowning at Myrtle.

"If I kill what killed you, will you promise never to tell anybody about us ever being here?"

"Are you really going to do that?" Myrtle asked, intrigued.

"Yes. There's a monster beneath this room. It killed you when you came out of the stall and came face to face with it."

"That's right," Myrtle said wonderingly. "How do you know that?"

"I've done my research," Harry explained. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to excuse us, we will take care of business."

"Can't I watch?" Myrtle asked.

"The monster is dangerous to you even now," Harry said. "It cannot kill you, but it can harm you badly." His voice somehow conveyed disappointment at Myrtle having to miss out.

"Oh, I see," Myrtle said. "Let me know when you're done, then."

Harry nodded graciously as Myrtle returned to her stall and disappeared.

Bellatrix arched one of her eyebrows at Harry.

Harry shot her a quelling look as he proceeded to the sink that had a snake carved into the faucet. Attempting to take something of a self-hypnosis approach, Harry focused on the snake carving, imagining it was real. "Open," he hissed.

Bellatrix gasped as the sink opened up the pathway to a large pipe below the bathroom. "I had no idea it was here," she whispered. "Ingenious! Do we just jump?"

"I was hoping to get around the jumping part," Harry replied, using his wand to generate some light. He squinted, looking for any sign of another snake carving. On the other side of the large pipe, Harry thought he could see a snake etched into the stone. Again, he focused on tricking his mind to see it as a real snake. Soon, he was hissing various words like stairs or ramp at the snake, but none of them were having any effect.

"Undulate," Bellatrix said.

Harry peered at her suspiciously, but tried her suggestion. "Undulate!"

The passage before them began to twist itself into a path on which Harry and Bellatrix would be able to walk without having to jump down a hole. As they walked forward, the giant pipe undulated around them, leaving Harry feeling dizzy. Somehow, despite walking straight forward, they were actually descending into the depths below the castle.

"How did you know that word would work?" Harry asked.

"Any Slytherin would know that you need to think like a snake," Bellatrix explained. "That's how a snake would move. What house did you say you were in while a student here?"

"Gryffindor."

Bellatrix shook her head sadly. "I am helping a Gryffindor cripple Slytherin's legacy. How humiliating."

"You can look at yourself as helping redeem Slytherin's legacy," Harry suggested charitably.

"I am here for my own legacy," Bellatrix pointed out. "If I can bring myself to swear loyalty to you to get what I want, you can rest assured I am not about to quibble over preserving Slytherin's legacy."

"There is no need for the Unbreakable Vow if you can just trust me to tell you what you need to know when you need to know," Harry reminded Bellatrix, wincing as he recalled the extensive negotiations they had undergone at the second pub. By closing time, Bellatrix had hammered out key points to which Harry did not object.

Most importantly for Harry, he would be able to withhold information about his timeline from her if he had a fair reason. For instance, Bellatrix did not need to know about his real surname or other personal matters. Bellatrix was not happy with the idea that Harry would be able to withhold information from her on his mere say-so. So, the concession in return was that Harry would not be able to deceive her about anything–especially about whether what he was withholding was being fairly withheld. Harry had also let her feel like she was winning on the provisions that she seemed to hope would make a marriage inevitable.

"All things considered, the vow is the best option, for me," Bellatrix argued, sounding like she was trying to convince herself. "It will benefit you, too. I can help you better if I know more about the background."

"True," Harry admitted even though he was only partially convinced of that. Deep down, he was hoping that Bellatrix would take time to consider the Unbreakable Vow and decide to forego it.

After a few minutes of walking through the undulating pipe, they arrived in the area Harry remembered having fallen into the first time he had visited the Chamber of Secrets. As before, it was covered with the skeletons of small animals.

"Disgusting," Bellatrix said under her breath. Suddenly, she brightened up. "Actually, we're not destroying Slytherin's legacy. We're just supplanting it. Or maybe it is a coup."

"I think killing his monster and then Slytherin's heir qualifies as destroying," Harry opined.

"No. We can say the basilisk died of natural causes and that this Dark Lord is just a pretender."

"Since he is a direct descendent of Slytherin, the Dark Lord is no pretender," Harry sighed.

"Says Lord Black who is not exactly a Black himself. I could argue you're a pretender. However, the Black family ring says otherwise." Bellatrix made eye contact with Harry and raised her eyebrows. It looked like she was asking a question.

"Fortunately, there is no Slytherin ring," Harry insisted, ignoring whatever question Bellatrix had in mind. "Even if there was, what would it get me?"

"Maybe it would be symbolic?"

"Of what?"

"Never mind," Bellatrix said. "Which way to the Chamber?"

Harry gestured, and they were soon proceeding toward the entrance proper. When they arrived at the doors carved with snakes, Harry hissed the command for the entrance to open, and it complied. Harry guided Bellatrix in and prodded her to take shelter with him behind a column in the back of the room.

"I am thinking that I should open the statue in which the basilisk is held, let it crawl out a ways, and then we unleash the rooster," Harry whispered. "Dead basilisk, just like that, and all stretched out where we can get at it to get some bones."

"Sounds better than fighting it or some other stupid Gryffindor plot," Bellatrix said approvingly.

"For your information, the Sorting Hat said I would do well in Slytherin, too," Harry informed her.

"Did it?" Bellatrix asked, suddenly sounding more cheerful.

"Yes."

"Oh. Well, it's up to you to decide how to kill it," Bellatrix said, handing over the rooster. "Just keep in mind that if things go sideways, I will be retreating. You simply do not mess around with this type of creature."

"Thanks for your trust," Harry said drily, removing the various charms they had put on the rooster and wrestling with it to keep it quiet. He peered around the column and squinted toward where the statue of Salazar Slytherin was located. "I think I can do this from here."

Bellatrix nodded encouragingly.

Checking one last time to see that he had the rooster under control, Harry looked back toward the statue. "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four," Harry hissed. Aided by the Chamber's acoustics, Harry's hiss carried toward the statue, and stone began rumbling as Slytherin's mouth began opening.

"It's happening," Harry whispered, ducking behind the column with Bellatrix, whose eyes had widened a bit.

Within seconds, Harry and Bellatrix could hear the sounds of the basilisk slithering out of the statue. The sound of the basilisk exiting the statue changed, and Harry realized that the giant snake was now slithering in their direction. Bellatrix had widened her eyes and was nodding significantly at the rooster.

Harry set the rooster down and used his wand to shoot out several fireballs toward the ceiling. The basilisk perceived the fire as a threat and let out a roar. After Harry cast a second batch, the rooster seemed to feel like it was sunrise, except the roaring basilisk seemed to be scaring it.

Bellatrix whipped out her wand and started shooting silencing charms around the pillar, apparently hoping to hit the basilisk. Harry was not sure whether the charms worked, but the basilisk stopped roaring. Harry nudged the rooster, and it began crowing. Instantly, the slithering stopped and there was silence, except for the rooster's repeated crows.

"I think that does it," Harry declared. He was about to step out from behind the column, but Bellatrix grabbed him.

"The eyes may still be open," she said.

"It's dead, isn't it?"

"Nobody has ever experimented with that theory. It may take some time for the power to fade from them," Bellatrix warned.

"Okay, let's wait here, then," Harry said, taking a seat on the floor behind the column.

Bellatrix let out a sigh of relief and joined him.

After about three hours, an uncomfortable nap or two, and a lot of rooster crowing, Harry and Bellatrix deemed it safe enough to emerge from behind the column next to the Chamber's entrance. In the light of Harry's hovering fireballs, which had lingered, the rooster had strutted around the Chamber long enough to convince Harry and Bellatrix that it was either very lucky or that the dead basilisk's eyes were probably not harmful.

Still, as the pair worked their way toward where the basilisk carcass was stretched down the center aisle of the Chamber, Harry and Bellatrix avoided looking at where the basilisk's eyes would be. They did not relax their guard until Bellatrix had conjured a cover to place over the basilisk's head.

With the eyes covered, Bellatrix lost interest in the basilisk carcass. She walked toward Slytherin's statue slowly, drinking in every detail of the room as if it was one of the architectural wonders of the world. Harry followed, though he was much less intrigued. In fact, he was faintly amused at the Founder's narcissism.

At the foot of the statue, Bellatrix stepped onto its platform and turned to survey the entire room. "It is a tragedy that this part of Hogwarts has been hidden for so long."

Harry shook his head. "I think Hogwarts did okay without it."

Bellatrix shrugged off Harry's comment and then smiled mischievously as she lowered herself to her knees on the stone platform. Despite being on her knees, she did not look submissive in the least. Her back was ramrod straight, and the glint in her violet eyes threatened ulterior motives.

"Please, not again," Harry begged, having no desire to endure another marriage proposal from her. While he could see himself working with her, he was not about to consider turning it into a romantic relationship.

"Relax. I am only performing the Unbreakable Vow we already negotiated."

"You can do an Unbreakable Vow while standing on your own two feet."

"I know," Bellatrix admitted. "But the more theatrical I make this process, the better you will remember that you can now trust me more than anybody else in this world."

"Fine," Harry muttered. However, Bellatrix's comment about trust finally struck home. The more Harry thought about it, the more he realized that if his friends Hermione and Ron had come to the past with him, they would have demanded no less than an Unbreakable Vow from Bellatrix. In fact, Hermione would have proposed the Unbreakable Vow immediately on arrival. Perhaps Bellatrix, who was nearly as clever as Hermione, understood Harry's position better than Harry did.

Bellatrix shifted her knees and winced before holding out one of her hands and waggling it at Harry. "If you please. I would rather not stay on my knees any longer than I must."

Harry stepped over next to the platform on which Bellatrix was kneeling and took her proffered hand. As Bellatrix began speaking the vow, ethereal wisps of magic appeared and wrapped themselves around Harry and Bellatrix's arms.

"I, Bellatrix Black, in making this Unbreakable Vow, do hereby swear allegiance solely to Harry, Lord Black, conditioned on him maintaining good intentions for my welfare, on him not unreasonably withholding information from me, on him never attempting to deceive me, on him not allowing any other to supplant me as his primary lieutenant without my consent, and on him not preventing me from pursuing my own ambitions so long as they are compatible with his desire to defeat the Dark Lord and reform magical society to protect the welfare of Muggleborns, half-bloods, and other worthy creatures."

As Bellatrix ended her vow, the wisps of magic absorbed into Harry and Bellatrix's arms. Suddenly, light flashed around their hands. When it subsided, a silver-colored bracelet had appeared on Bellatrix's wrist. It was ornamented with relief carvings into which small rubies and emeralds had been incorporated.

"What is that?" Harry asked, having never seen something like that happen with an Unbreakable Vow.

Bellatrix was staring at the bracelet with awe. "Very old feudal magic," she whispered. A troubled expression suddenly appeared on her face. "You asked to see my wrists that night when you arrived in my bedroom."

"Yes," Harry said.

"Why?"

"To see if you had the Dark Mark."

"The what?"

"The Dark Lord's servants wear the Dark Mark, a tattoo of sorts, on one of their wrists. I am not sure how it works. But it is linked to the Dark Lord."

Bellatrix's face lit up with comprehension. "I think the Dark Mark must be a crude imitation of this magic," she said, gesturing to her new bracelet. "I am guessing anyone who received the Dark Mark never broke free from the Dark Lord—not in this life, at least."

"Pretty much," Harry confirmed, holding his hands out to help Bellatrix to her feet. "I had no intention of something similar happening here," he said, his voice apologetic.

"It was the circumstances I created and not your intent," Bellatrix said dismissively, accepting Harry's help to rise to her feet. "If anything, my intent would have been more controlling. Besides which, it is not nearly so restrictive. In fact, I suspect …"

Bellatrix used her other hand to twist the bracelet, and it disappeared from her wrist. "See? It is more fascinating than anything." She twisted again, and it appeared. Next, she slid it off her wrist entirely and threw it across the room, listening as it clinked on the ground in the distance. She held out her hand, and the bracelet zoomed back into her hand as if she had cast a wandless Summoning Charm.

Harry did not know what to say.

"I suspect if you wore your Black family ring, you could hide it the same way. Try it," Bellatrix said as she twisted her bracelet, causing it to disappear.

Harry removed the Black family ring from the necklace where he kept it and slid it on his finger. He then twisted it, willing it to disappear, and it did. "That's easier than keeping it on a necklace," Harry said, staring at his hand.

"Isn't it, though?" Bellatrix agreed, her smile oddly smug. "Shall we start harvesting Pythia's potion ingredients? Now that I have sworn allegiance, you can tell me all about the Dark Lord while we work."