VIII
Harry bolted upright in his bed, his hand immediately clutching his side as the pain had returned with a vengeance. Panting, he wiped the sweat from his brow absent mindedly. Bloody nightmares. This was happening more and more often. It had been two days since his battle with the giant and he was still awfully sore. His mind wandered toward the nightmares again and he winced. They were usually the same, the faces of the people he had killed over the past few months were haunting him quite severely.
Sure, they had been Death Eaters, werewolves and vampires, but still... What bothered Harry the most, however, was the self doubt that crept up behind him every time he woke up after a night of dreams, especially if they were accompanied by dreams of his friends, the death of Sirius and Dumbledore or Cedric. Even Quirrell was starting to make the odd appearance.
Groaning, Harry got out of bed and somehow managed to get dressed, hunched over as he was. He would get some breakfast, bathe and get in a good meditation before lunch. There was little else he could do until he recovered anyway. This, aside from the loneliness was the biggest issue Harry had with this quest of his. He could not risk going to St. Mungos. He'd surely be captured, or worse. At the very least, he'd be questioned by someone in authority, and then the game was up.
He could go to Tonks, he supposed, but if he showed up like this again, he just knew she and Remus would not be willing to keep it to themselves. There was one other place available, but he did not want to worry them, those sisters had enough to worry about.
Harry sighed. What was he thinking? He'd have to go there and have them take a look at him. They would be really rather cross with him if he did not and he knew they were quite good at demonstrating their displeasure.
Useful as the potions he had made were, Madam Pomfrey was an absolute wonder when it came to healing. He could attest to this, having been on the receiving end of her care more often than he cared to count. He could go to the library and look at the countless tomes on everything magical healing, given that the library was charmed in such a way that every book or scroll that was logged into the Hogwarts library was magically duplicated in here. But, as mentioned before, he was pants at potions, so...
Harry slowly limped over to the library and perused the shelves. He saw several books he recognized, original versions of some of his textbooks, along with the new ones. Harry also saw many tomes which he knew would only ever be found in the restricted section of the Hogwarts library. He briefly stopped by a book that covered the art of turning oneself into an Animagus. Harry had seriously considered attempting it, thinking he could accomplish it, but he and Gryffindor both agreed eventually to leave it be.
It took way too much time and the steps it required were not easily undertaken unless you had plenty of time. First, you had to keep a mandrake leaf in your mouth for a full lunar cycle. It could not be dropped or swallowed, lest you had to start all over again and you had to hope the latter moon was on a clear night, because the leaf had to be spit into a moonstruck container.
Then you had to brew a really complex potion (a sign in itself he should leave it alone), which required, among other things, a silver teaspoon full of dew, untouched by the sun or touched for seven days. A few further steps were to be taken, but ultimately, Harry had deemed it a waste of time. Also, they had no idea how it might affect his already transformed body or how it might interact with the spirits Harry had conquered within his mind.
When reading the various books on spells, curses, hexes and charms, Harry often wished he had his wand with him. The arm braces, wonderful conductors of magical energy that they were, were ill suited for any kind of finesse. Hence their primary use for battle. He could dabble in wandless magic, of course, but he would be severely limited in what he could do. He was strong, yes, but there was no real substitute for proper magical foci.
He could try and create one, he supposed, as it would not be registered by the Ministry, but opted against it. He doubted he had the skills required to craft it properly and he did not fancy the idea of it exploding in his face. He also needed something to use as a core, and none of those things were readily available. Not even a Phoenix feather, it turned out, as he had tried to summon Fawkes on several occasions, but his friend had not answered his call.
One day, Harry had found a staff, an actual wizard's staff on a stand in one of the rooms when he went exploring. Feeling a rush of excitement, he had grabbed it and Gryffindor had laughed good naturedly at the boy's enthusiasm, since he he knew that in many stories, wizards wielded staffs, instead of wands.
That particular staff, however was not well suited for Harr. At all. The energy generated, clashed with Harry's badly and his muscles twitched for hours afterwards. Needless to say, he left it alone after that. Some weeks after, Gryffindor was still laughing at it.
Harry found yet another book he recognized from his own personal collection. The heavily revised edition was lying in his trunk, back at Privet Drive, assuming the Order had not removed his possessions from that house, following his disappearance. Harry carried the book over to a comfortable chair and sat down. As he leafed through the book, his mind took off.
Christmas was upon the land and for the first time in Harry's life, he was completely alone. Sure, he had spent last Christmas at this stronghold, but back then, he had at least had Gryffindor to talk to. He wondered what the people in his life were doing this day.
Aside from getting ready for the festivities. The Weasleys had probably spent the morning in brand new Weasley sweaters. Harry smiled fondly as he thought about Ron in his Maroon coloured one. His best friend hated the colour and as such did not like the garment overly much. Fred and George did, though, calling them lovely and warm, which they were, of course.
Molly Weasley was such a caring mother, if a bit overbearing. Harry just hoped that, by now, Ron had finally truly understood and appreciated what he had in his mother. And his father, of course. To know the love of a parent... What Harry would give for such a privilege. He knew Molly saw him as one of her own, but it just wasn't the same. Not that he'd ever say anything, of course. She realised it, he knew, but hearing him say it would break her heart.
As the night rolled on, Harry grew restless. For some reason, thinking of Molly had brought to his attention the fact that he had never been to visit his parent's grave. He decided he was going there as soon as possible. He knew the village was a popular wizarding tourist attraction, given the fact that Riddle had met his previous downfall at his parent's house. Harry hoped it was not too crowded at this time, it being Christmas and all.
Aside from all the tourists, it was a village where wizards lived in unusually large numbers, so it was not a purely magical village. Only Hogsmeade could boast of such. Harry knew the Abbott family lived there and it had been the home of the Dumbledores as well. Godric Gryffindor had also been born there.
It was at New Years Eve when Harry James Potter walked into Godric's Hollow for the first time, wearing his charcoal coat and wool cap. He was wearing his arm braces, but not the sword, nor had he brought his Bag with him; he did not expect any trouble.
It was a nice little village, well kept houses and he could feel the cobbles on the street, beneath the fine layer of snow that covered the ground. It was nearing midnight and not a soul could be seen outside. Harry made his way along the main street and found himself on the main square shortly. What he saw there made him stop and stare for a long while before approaching it.
It was a statue of two people sitting atop of a large, square slab of stone. Lily Evans sat there, next to her husband, who had his hand across his wife's shoulders and Lily was cradling her infant son in her arms. The parents looked lovingly down on their son, who in turn stared back at them, a happy look on his face.
Harry's eyes misted over as he stared at the memorial for a long time. He laid a hand on the statue before turning away to head onto Church Lane. He felt the tell tale signs of a Muggle repellent charm on his left hand side as he walked along the street and decided to follow it. Eventually, he discovered the source and the lump that had formed in his throat got a little bigger.
His parent's home had once been a lovely two story cottage, with a thatched roof and white walls. Not unlike Lupin's house, just quite a bit larger. The windows had been small and cozy and the garden would have been lovely, surrounded by a hedge, which had grown wild over the years it had been left untended. The house had obviously been destroyed in the explosion that had taken place.
The right side of the top floor was missing, as was most of the roof. Harry found it likely that his room had once been in that part of the cottage. Harry assumed the rebounded Avada Kedavra had done the damage, though, he supposed the fight between his father and Riddle might be a more likely cause. Harry walked over to the sign by the fence, and read the gold laden inscription on the gate carefully;
"On this spot, on the night of 31st of October 1981,
Lily and James Potter lost their lives.
Their son, Harry, remains the only wizard
ever to have survived the Killing Curse.
This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left
in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters
and as a reminder of the violence
that tore apart their family."
Harry stared at the sign, then at the house, but could not bring himself to enter. He knew it was silly; it was just a bloody house, and empty one at that. Still, he turned away and found the graveyard some time later. He entered it and walked among the tombstones aimlessly for a while. He saw stones marked Kendra Dumbledore and Ariana Dumbledore, his former headmaster's mother and sister, respectively.
A while later, he came upon several Peverell graves and a few Abbotts. A deep sigh escaped Harry's lips when he saw the grave of Hanna's mother. Well, at least there was not one for Hannah herself. There were a number of Gryffindors there as well. No Godric though, to Harry's wry amusement.
At last, he found his parent's resting place. The snow in front of the white marble gravestone was trampled a little and there were several bouquets of flowers lying on the grave. Apparently he was not the only one who wanted to visit his parents at this time.
He sniffed the air and looked at a pair of roses on the side of the stone and smiled sadly. Tonks and Remus had been here, no more than a few minutes ago. Harry sat down in front of the grave, not minding the snow, tears running down his face. He noticed the inscription on the base of the grave marker:
'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death'
Harry was weeping freely now. Here lay his parents, then. For eighteen years they had lain here, resting peacefully. Harry felt the sorrow swell within him, followed by guilt. He knew it was unreasonable; he had been but an infant at the time, but if he had not been born, Riddle would not have had any reason to search for them specifically. He cleared his throat painfully.
"Hey Mum, Dad. It's me, Harry. Sorry I've not been by before. I've had a busy few years and Aunt Petunia couldn't be bothered to bring me here. I don't really know what I'm supposed to be talking about, to be honest. Riddle's is back, just in case you were wondering, but I suppose you probably know that, watching over me and all. And if not, then Sirius probably told you about it. Anyway, he murdered you guys way back when, but he obviously didn't manage to kill me, as you can see."
Harry sat there on the ground for over an hour, pouring out his soul to the grave marker. Once he was done, he rose from the ground slowly and placed his hand on the marble with a sad expression. He felt much better now, relieved, though he could not in any way understand why. He did know part of it was the fact that he had finally visited his parent's grave, which was something that had been hanging over his head for a long time.
Harry quit the graveyard and walked down to the main square again, simply wanting to walk around the village some more. He closed his eyes and perked his ears. He breathed in the air, noting smells and sounds of the village. Peaceful and beautiful. He just hoped it would last. It was doubtful, though. Soon Riddle would feel he was ready to make his big move. Harry sighed and took one last look around before Apparating away.
A few days later Harry was sitting in his chair in the basement of Gryffindor's stronghold, staring at the two former Horcruxes in his possession. He had to find Ravenclaw's diadem. Which, incidentally was a hard thing to do with no leads whatsoever. Well, he had one idea, but it was a bit of a stretch, if he was honest.
He had contemplated entering Riddle's mind once more, but quickly dismissed the idea as foolish and reckless. He had almost been caught last time and Riddle could absolutely not discover what he was about. That was the reason. The whoooole reason. Yes. Definitely.
It had absolutely, in no way whatsoever, anything to to with the fact that he was not interested in seeing a rerun of the hit reality TV show 'Sexy and Psychotic', starring Bellatrix Lestrange and Tom Riddle. No, he was not about to risk that. As fun as being crazy sounded, he actually did value his sanity. A little bit, anyway.
He thought about the idea that had formed in his mind. After his first year at Hogwarts, while he was recuperating in Poppy's care, Dumbledore had told him of Quirrell and how Riddle had possessed him, that it had taken place in Albania. Now, why would Riddle's spirit travel such a long way?
There was no obvious connection between the diadem and Albania, unless the thief had brought the diadem all the way over there. But why? Still, there had to be a reason why Riddle's spirit made the journey. Harry wondered if Quirrell had gotten wind of the diadem being somewhere in Albania and encountered Riddle and been possessed. Then, perhaps spirit had ordered his slave to take the diadem and hide it?
If that was the case, then Harry felt there was a excellent chance of the diadem being hidden at Hogwarts. Riddle was certainly arrogant enough to hide a piece of himself under his enemy's nose. Or, perhaps the diadem was still in that forest, carefully hidden? After thinking about it for a long while, and turning it this way and that in his mind, Harry decided he had to go and try and find evidence of the diadem in Albania, before he went to Hogwarts.
Going to the school was risky and if he got into trouble, he wanted to make certain it was not lying in a hollow trunk in an Albanian forest. Bertha Jorkins had also been murdered over there by either Riddle or Pettigrew and that was too much of a coincidence for Harry to be comfortable with.
It would take several weeks to get ready, to brew less than half decent potions and the like. The Ministry carefully monitored the sale of many of the potions Harry wanted to brew and some could only be bought at either Saint Mungo's or at some shady shop in Knockturn Alley and he was not willing to buy them there.
Harry wanted to be as prepared as he could be, for once. He popped over to Flourish & Blotts one morning and bought a bestiary containing information on the various known beasts and creatures that inhabited south eastern Europe and the Balkan area.
He also felt it rather prudent to familiarize himself with the area, its legends and folk tales. Knowing himself, he was certain he was bound to run into some mythical beast or other. He brewed healing potions, blood replenishing potions and some type of vitality potion.
It was similar to the Muggle energy drinks, but much more potent and took instant effect. It was also heavily addictive, if used irresponsibly. Thus, he only brewed three vials of that potion; he would only use it if the situation was truly desperate.
Most of the potions he was brewing required a long time to complete, so he suspected Madam Pomfrey always had her cauldrons going. Either that, or she bought hers pre-made, but somehow, Harry doubted that. No, that didn't feel right. From what he could guess from his interactions with the mistress of the Hogwart's Medical ward, Poppy most definitely brewed her own potions. On an unrelated note; she was also nice.
Harry was afraid he was making a mistake by going to Albania, but he had to chance it. If there was even a shred of information to be gained, he had to at least go and investigate, even if it meant he would not be able to respond should Fawkes send him a vision of something that warranted his attention. Question was how to travel to the mainland. Apparating between countries was not something people did, even if the knew the other place really well, the distances were too great.
There was something called an International Portkey, but as things were, they were out of Harry's reach because you had to register your travel with the Ministry and they had ways of discovering illegal Portkeys. He needed a broom. Preferably a fast one.
His Firebolt was not available and he hoped Ginny was using it for Quidditch at Hogwarts, so that was that. He'd have to buy a new one. Using the speed of his current Firebolt as reference and a map, he deduced it would take him some fourteen hours of hard flying to reach the general area of the forest Dumbledore had mentioned when telling him about Prof. Quirrell.
January had come and gone and it was well into February when Harry found himself heading to Quality Quidditch Supplies, to purchase a new broom. Harry tugged his Bag a little higher upon his shoulder and headed inside. He walked straight over to the counter and rang a bell.
The store was practically empty as kids were back in school after the holidays. Eventually a middle aged, pot bellied man appeared. His bored expression told Harry how riveting it had to be, selling Quidditch supplies in the dead of winter. The clerk kept eyeing Harry with the same bored expression.
"Yes?"
"I need a broom. The fastest one you have. Gold is not an issue."
The man's expression changed abruptly and he became a lot more energetic. The lad needed a fast broom, eh? Well, the Firebolt 2.0 would not hit the market until next week and it was the fastest broom ever made. He had his doubts about the lad, but if he had the money and was willing to pay a little extra... He walked over to a display case in the middle of the store, plastered on his best fake smile, and waved Harry over.
"Step over here, lad and feast your eyes on the Firebolt 2.0, the fastest broom ever made, almost half again as fast as the original Firebolt, if you can believe it. It has better handling as well."
Harry stared at the broom, absolutely mesmerized. It was perfect, no less than perfect. It looked strong, but sleek and delicate at the same time. He was so distracted, he barely even heard the clerk ask him if he played Quidditch.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. I played Seeker."
"Huh... Never would have guessed, with your physique. I would have bet on you being a keeper, or a beater. Oh, well, appearances can be deceiving. So, lad. Will you be leaving my humble establishment today with a brand new Firebolt 2.0?"
"Yes, I believe so, sir."
"Excellent! Now there's just the matter of payment and after that, the registering of your broom and you can be on your merry way."
Harry frowned. Brooms had to be registered? He'd never even considered that possibility, but now that he thought about it, it made sense. The Ministry could not monitor Apparition, only ward against it, but they did monitor the Floo and Portkeys, so why not broom purchases? While he did not think the Ministry could trace a broom, the knowledge of who owned one could be very valuable, similar to the Muggle car registration system.
No matter how much Harry pressured the man into not registering the broom, he was adamant. He could lose his store, after all. Harry sighed in resignation and thanked the man, then proceeded to apologize for wasting his time. Harry quit the store deep in thought. He looked up and gazed upon Gringotts some distance away.
Now, he could go to Stan's Second Hand Brooms which could be found in a side alley of a side alley of Knockturn Alley. There was no doubt he could buy an unregistered broom from Stan, but there were three main reasons why he was against buying anything from that man. First, he was terribly sleazy and wore the most ridiculous purplish, plaid coat he'd ever seen.
Second, he insisted on wearing a hybrid of a pirate and ten gallon hat that always seemed to be closer to a twenty gallon hat, but then, it had to be, in order to fit onto his large head. And lastly, his massively exuberant hand gestures made Harry think the man was trying to take flight himself. In short, Harry did not fancy falling to his death somewhere over the Channel because of a faulty broom.
Scratching his chin absent mindedly, Harry stared at Gringotts in the distance and he felt his face slowly split in a mischievous grin. Well, he could always go and fetch that...
Harry entered Gringotts and was soon greeted by Guybrush and Threepwood, who led him into an unscheduled conference room.
"What can we do for you, good sir?"
"I'm going on a little trip and there's an item I would like to grab from one of my vaults and I would be very grateful if we could exit the bank through a less crowded way than the main lobby. The reason being, the item I require is somewhat of a rarity in the magical community, I'd imagine."
The twin's faces broke out in massive grins. They would most certainly help him get that thing out of storage. At Mr. Potter's request, they had been going through the Potter and Black vaults and this particular thing they suspected Mr. Potter was after excited them to no end. They were after all, highly curious by nature.
There was, however, a matter which required the young man's immediate attention. A trio of documents he would need to sign in order for them to take effect. Guybrush produced a pair of folders from a briefcase and placed them on the table and opened them, before he slid them over to Harry. An arched eyebrow prodded Threepwood to explain to Harry the contents of the documents on the table. He did so in a manner that was very formal and it made Harry uncomfortable.
"It was most fortuitous you visited the bank this day, Mr. Potter. These documents were drawn up at the behest of the late Sirius Black a short time before his death but were never signed, so they could not be finalized. They," Threepwood said and gestured with his hand, "are documents which terminate the marriage contracts between Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black and one Rodolphus Lestrange and the one which binds Narcissa Malfoy nee Black to one Lucius Malfoy, due to a breach of contract. These ones are the original marriage contracts." The goblin motioned the other folder.
Harry arched an eyebrow. "A breach of contract?"
"Indeed, Mr. Potter. In both contracts, there exists a clause which enables the current Head of House Black to terminate each of them, should either Mr. Lestrange or Mr. Malfoy bring dishonour upon the name of Black. Sirius Black took a dim view of the pair of them being sentenced to Azkaban, and sought to terminate both contracts."
"Bellatrix was sentenced to Azkaban herself," Harry supplied with a frown.
Guybrush acknowledged that fact with a nod of his head. "Irrelevant, in this case, Mr. Potter. The clause does not in any way mention actions perpetrated by the sisters Black, only their husbands. This would not change things too much, should the women themselves not wish to be separated from their husbands, but it does allow us goblins to remove their dowry from the vaults of both men, and let me tell you, the sum is substantial. I imagine they will be most displeased once they regain control of their vaults."
Harry was a bit confused. "Hang on. I thought the Ministry froze all movements of the vaults of the Death Eaters caught after the battle of the DoM. At least, the contents of the Lestrange vault is currently in storage at the ministry, so Lestrange and Malfoy should not have access anyway." A thought came to Harry then. "Unless they have accounts in other countries. Which makes sense, I suppose."
"Aye, they do have accounts with the goblins of Switzerland, a rouge element of our people. Now, the contents of the vaults are protected by ancient magics. Nothing can be removed from the storages at the Ministry unless in the presence of a goblin. Additionally, any human that wishes to remove anything from that storage will have to be in possession of the master key. Conveniently, both keys are now held here at Gringotts, and have been ever since the mass escape of Azkaban."
"And why is that, Guybrush?" Harry asked.
"A safeguard put in place after we learned of Riddle's return in nineteen ninety five. Through our contacts, we learned the identity of the men that appeared in Little Hangleton. We realized of course that Riddle would eventually make a play for the Ministry and in case their vaults were confiscated, we could ensure they were cut off from their wealth, should the Ministry become corrupt. Well, more than usual."
Harry was impressed with the foresight. "Smart."
Both goblins grinned happily at that. "Quite," Threepwood continued. "Now, after the appointment of one Pius Thicknesse, the Ministry has, on several occasions demanded the return of the master keys. However, the keys can only be removed from our care by Lucius Malfoy and Rodolphus Lestrange. And since both men are known Death Eaters, and escaped felons, we are well within our rights to deny them their keys, should they approach us. However, we believe we can only delay it for so long. I would imagine the Ministry will force the revoking of both men's status as criminals soon enough. And of the rest of those people. It may prove difficult, however."
"And why is that?"
Threepwood sighed. "Because, there's barely any semblance of a working government in Britain but, despite that, Riddle has not yet managed to gain full control of the Wizengamot. And as long as that's the case, some of the things he'd like to do are impossible, unless the Chief Warlock, Augusta Longbottom, signs off on it with the majority of votes. He has seemed reluctant to go on a murder spree against the mostly pureblood Wizengamot, most likely, because it will undermine everything he's supposedly stands for. And some members have not been willing to attend meetings, citing security issues, which prevents the termination of their seats."
"Wait, Madame Longbottom is Chief Warlock? When did this happen? I thought Thicknesse was Warlock," Harry said, frustrated at his lack of knowledge. It had simply slipped his mind to keep track on the Wizengamot. Not that he could do anything about it.
"No, the Wizengamot threw him out almost at once, since they realized he is an idiot and quite likely in Riddle's pocket and with the Ministry as corrupt as it is, they have been unable to investigate."
Harry inclined his head in understanding, before turning his gaze onto the last piece of parchment. "And the last document?"
"The last document officially welcomes one Andromeda Tonks nee Black once more into the House of Black as well as her daughter, Nymphadora Lupin nee Tonks. Nymphadora is of course a Lupin now, so reinstating her as a Black is mostly a formality, although it does protect her, should something befall her husband. And with Theodore Tonks' death, it only makes sense to prepare for the worst."
Harry stared at the goblin. Tonks's father was dead? He made a mental note to ask her about it if he met her one of these days. He idly wondered if it had happened before he had rescued Lupin and if so, why she had not mentioned it. Putting it aside for now, Harry pondered the rest of the information. To welcome Andromeda into the House once more was a kindness he was most willing to offer her.
If Tonks was any indication, Andromeda was a decent person and Harry assumed Ted Tonks had been as well. Harry was more than willing to end Bellatrix's and Narcissa's marriages, just to mess with Riddle a little bit. He knew, of course that Narcissa's marriage was over in all but parchment, considering Malfoy's actions.
And Bellatrix... Well, who knew what that crazy woman was thinking? Harry found himself incredibly relieved he in fact did not understand the inner workings of her mind, because if he did, then it might be time to reserve a nice, cozy bed next to the Longbottoms at St. Mungo's.
As Harry stared at the documents on the table he heard a little voice in the back of his head that recalled Narcissa's lamentations into the night and, unknown to her, to a captivated audience of one. By her words that night, neither sister had been a willing wife to the sods they had been contracted to.
Both of them had been subjected to an injustice, brought about by yet another archaic tradition in the wizarding world. He felt his mood darken. Something clearly had to be done about this ass backwards world he lived in. Furthermore, Narcissa's words made it seem Bellatrix had not been the insane woman she was now before she'd been given to Lestrange.
"All right, let's get this over with, I have places to be, lads."
The brothers shared an uncomfortable look. Then their faces turned grim and Harry became distinctly uncomfortable. A grim goblin was not a pleasant sight, and they were oh, so cute and cuddly usually. You know, the same way a Gremlin offspring was cute, after the transformation...
"There's one more thing we must discuss before we allow you to sign these papers, Mr. Potter. You can sign Narcissa's and Andromeda's documents right now, but there are problems with Bellatrix' contract you must be made aware of before we can continue. You may want to sit down, because what we are about to reveal to you will affect your life and a number of others."
Harry sat down and the goblin removed the original marriage contract between Bellatrix and Lestrange from the open folder. Harry eyed the piece of parchment curiously.
"There was a compulsion placed upon Bellatrix's contract, Mr. Potter," Threepwood said and frowned down on the document and tapped a bony finger on the lower left side of the parchment, revealing the name Rodolphus Lestrange.
"We believe Mr. Cygnus Black placed a compulsion upon the parchment before Lestrange signed it, his blood effectively binding Bellatrix to him. That does imply it was not a consensual marriage, does it not? That's not the worst of it, however. The witness to the signing of the contract placed his own compulsion upon the poor woman, most likely unbeknownst to Lestrange and Black. I believe you are acquainted with the man in question?"
Guybrush moved up and tapped the parchment on the other side, revealing another name, written in neatly flowing handwriting. Tom Marvolo Riddle. Harry's eyes narrowed and he leaned over to stare at the parchment. Threepwood cleared his throat to catch Harry's attention.
"Have you ever been placed under the Imperius, Mr. Potter?"
Harry leaned back and nodded "Twice. I managed to throw it off after a few seconds both times." Both goblins nodded sagely, a rather weird look, considering their somewhat mischievous nature. They could probably give the Weasley twins a run for their galleons, if Harry was any judge of character.
"Most people don't feel a thing, but whenever a strong mind is attacked by the Imperius, that person feels the presence of another and a voice that usually gives the victim commands, as you are aware, Mr. Potter. You also know that, in order to throw it off, one must make a conscious decision and actively fight it. You may not know, however, that it is your subconscious that starts the process. It detects the intruder and notifies your higher brain functions of the breach." Threepwood said, and ran a hand through his sparse hair, before he continued.
"We have consulted with a curse breaker, as well as an experienced mind healer and determined that these particular compulsions work in a similar way, but they are much more vague, not as direct as the Imperius. They are much worse however, in the way that you cannot throw them off. Your subconscious does sense the intrusion and immediately starts fighting it. However, these disgusting compulsions are designed to corrupt the signal sent toward the higher brain functions, and in doing so, prevent the mind from sensing the alien presence and eject it, and in order to preserve the victim's sanity, the brain stops fighting and retreats."
Harry raised an eyebrow at that. 'In order to preserve the victim's sanity'... Bellatrix was completely insane. No doubt, years in the maximum security ward at Azkaban, with no Animagus form to soften the impact of the Dementors was certain to leave anyone insane, but she was like that even before her incarceration. He told the two goblins as much. They seemed slightly affronted at his comment.
"Yes, we took that into account, Mr. Potter. We goblins are very good at our job and we are extremely thorough," Guybrush said with a scowl. "What the healer believes to be the main cause for her apparent insanity are the two separate compulsions on the parchment. If one had been stronger than the other, she might not be in such dire straits, but unfortunately, both are almost exactly the same. Imagine, if you will, two separate Imperius', fighting for dominance, and your mind pulled one way and another, with neither one managing to emerge as superior. That is what we believe is happening in her mind even as we speak."
Harry was absolutely fuming by now and his mind was racing. The implications this revelation brought about... The fact the woman had been mind raped for over half her life was making him shake with anger. Harry's mind drifted to that time when he had seen Bellatrix and Snake Eyes going at it, and it made him feel even worse about it than before.
Riddle was a rapist, on top of everything else. Harry resolved he'd castrate the bastard when they met for the last battle. Or let Bellatrix do that, if things worked out that way. Harry picked up the parchment and read it carefully.
According to the contract, she had been sold to Lestrange on the fifth of April 1969, right out of Hogwarts, a few years before the start of the war. Harry wondered why no one had taken notice of Riddle's name on the contract, but quickly realized Voldemort's real name was known to but a few in this day and likely to even fewer back then.
Harry was also certain that this contract had not been brokered by the goblins because they would never have let it be finalized with these compulsions in place. And in the end, they had not had any reason to go through any of House Black's magical contracts until Sirius started sticking his nose into things.
Then there was the matter of Bellatrix's trial, or lack thereof. The trial Harry had witnessed in Dumbledore's Pensieve had been a farce and he would not be surprised to find that no one had even bothered to make certain Bellatrix had been under her own persuasion when she had supposedly tortured the Longbottoms into insanity.
Aurors out for blood and typical Ministry corruption and incompetence had seen two Blacks sentenced to Azkaban without due process and innocent, no less. How many people had been unjustly damned by those hacks over there? Harry slapped his palm on the table and glared at the goblins.
"Let's fuck a little with old Riddle, shall we?"
Guybrush brought forth a black wooden case and removed from it a familiar looking black quill. Harry scowled and his right hand clenched into a fist, the words 'I must not tell lies' stark white and puffy against his tanned skin. A blood quill. He wasn't surprised; he had been expecting it, in fact, but his mind still travelled to all those nights spent in detention/torture with the bloody Toad.
He grabbed the quill and brought it to the document annulling Narcissa's marriage and signed his name. He did the same with Andromeda's document, feeling the familiar sting as his name appeared on his hand for a moment before disappearing once more. He looked at the brothers, as a thought entered his mind.
"Will Malfoy and Narcissa not be notified of the fact that they are no longer married? The same applies to Andromeda's notification of her re-induction into House Black. I am trying very hard to be 'missing', you know."
Guybrush and Threepwood shared a mischievous grin before putting the papers into the briefcase. "The Director has suggested, unofficially, you understand, that we forget to send Ms. Narcissa Black her notification. Apparently we tried and tried to get a hold of Mr. Malfoy, but being a wanted criminal in hiding made it all but impossible. Oh, and we must be awfully forgetful, despite our tender years, because we will have forgotten to owl Andromeda's letter as well."
Harry grinned at the pair of them. He liked them quite well, and the director seemed like a person he'd get along with famously as well. At last, Harry grabbed Bellatrix's contract and held it in front of him.
"How do we break the compulsions upon Bellatrix, boys? Will it be enough to void the contract?"
"Yes, you could simply sign your name on the line there with the blood quill, and should effectively break the charm and remove the compulsions from the poor woman. Our mind healer, however advices against removing them without taking certain precautions first. He believes being placed under such strong charms for so long will no doubt have taken its toll on her mind," Guybrush explained.
"I don't doubt that," Harry said. "What might happen to her?"
"He theorizes that such abrupt removal may be akin to removing two thirds of her mind, resulting in her mind completely breaking, or she might enter a vegetative state. Either way, it is not deemed feasible," Threepwood said.
Harry frowned darkly. His heart went out to Bellatrix. It truly did. No one should be subjected to such brutalities. "What do you suggest, then?"
For some reason, Harry instinctively knew the answer to his question and he did not like it. Not one bit. Guybrush nodded, then reached into the briefcase and brought out yet another folder, this one containing a single piece of parchment, identical to the one Harry had been looking at earlier.
"As you can see Mr. Potter, this is another annulment document, identical to the one on the table. This one, has been charmed with a compulsion. Once you sign it, Riddle's and Lestrange's charms will cease to function and the new charm will take effect, instantly transferring the power over Bellatrix to you."
Harry scowled unhappily at the goblins. His hunch had been right, then. "So, Bellatrix is simply being handed from one master to another? Will I have to be her master forever, in order to prevent her from descending even further into insanity?"
Guybrush and Threepwood looked at Harry with a sad gaze. They had known the lad would not be happy with this, but they also knew that he would do it, his noble heart more than apparent to anyone who spent more than a few moments in his presence. Threepwood, the bolder of the twins, decided to answer these questions.
"You must not look at it in that way. We are removing a pair of highly toxic compulsions from her mind, replacing them with what we hope will be a much more benign connection. According to the mind healer, removing just one of the compulsions already in place would result in her mind immediately starting to heal itself. A connection with a mind of a completely different nature than those two vile humans will help things along immensely. You, Mr. Potter are a kind, caring and honourable man and the connection will reflect that. Her mind should react accordingly."
"This will help her recover, Harry," Guybrush said almost pleadingly. The young man sighed. There was no way he was going to be able to refuse now, damn it.
"I'll ask again; how long will I have to maintain the connection? How long until she is stable? You understand I'm fighting a war. What will happen to her, should I die?"
The brothers smiled at Harry. He was going to go through with it. Of course he was.
A smiling Threepwood continued. "The fact Bellatrix is even moving around suggests an incredibly strong mind Mr. Potter. The state of her mind may be much better than it has any right to be. Her stay in Azkaban may actually have been in her favour, as the Dementors will have dampened the connection to Lestrange and Riddle's connection will have all but disappeared during his time as a spirit. The mind healer believes it may even take her a mere few weeks to stabilize enough to remove the compulsion, which will happen on its own."
"That's clever," Harry said.
"Yes, quite. Now, the stronger her mind grows, the weaker the link becomes, until it fades away completely. But, just to be safe, we recommend taking her to someone she should care about. A family member, perhaps? As it happens, Andromeda Black is a mind healer of great skill and a master Legilimens. Having Bellatrix stay with her would be the best thing for her, as her sister will be able to help things along. If she's willing, of course. Andromeda may also prove to be strong enough to have the connection transferred to her, should the worst happen and the connection to Bellatrix severs with you too soon."
"Will Riddle and Lestrange know who broke the compulsion?"
"No, the connection will simply disappear from their minds and I see no reason to think Riddle or Lestrange should trace this to you," Supplied Guybrush. "Gringotts has many, many ways to break such charms. This is just the easiest way to do so in this instance and really the only way to save Bellatrix. They may even believe her to be dead, which would be best, I think. Now, once the charm on the new document takes hold of Ms. Black, she will be compelled to seek you out Mr. Potter. As a result, I would suggest you postpone your trip, at least while you sort things out with Bellatrix."
"So, how does this work exactly?
"Simply go somewhere you believe her to have Apparated before and will her to be there and she will be compelled to arrive in short order," Threepwood said and smiled at him.
Harry sighed. Yet another thing on his mind. Literally, literally, this time. He readied the quill and brought it to the parchment. Once he was finished, he let out a long breath through the nose and stood from the table and thanked the goblins.
As he prepared to leave, he turned to the brothers and asked them for the notifications of the voiding of the contracts. When the tiny goblins inquired as to why, he told them his identity would obviously not remain a secret once he brought Bellatrix to her sister. Once he had those in hand, he hurried out of the bank and into Knockturn Alley.
Voldemort twitched in his seat as he felt a small throb disappear from the back of his mind, a feeling he'd had whispering to him since 1969, ever since the day he had placed the compulsion upon Bellatrix. The connection was gone, he realized. He quickly called a Death Eater to his side and placed a long, bony finger on the man's Dark Mark, focusing on Bellatrix. Waiting for a few moments, he became restless when she did not appear.
He Apparated to a safe house in London and searched every room in the house, only to find it empty. As he slowly made his way to the living room, Rodolphus Lestrange appeared as well, looking very flustered. Noting the rage on his master's face, his servant dropped to his knees at once. Tom motioned for him to rise.
"Milord, it's Bellatrix. The connection. It's gone, I cannot feel her any more. She's not here, is she?"
"Indeed, she is not, Rodolphus. It seems the goblins have removed the charms placed upon the contract. Not overly surprising, I suppose, but it is a most troubling development, my friend. She was privy to a lot of information, after all. I wonder where she will go? Narcissa is in the wind, as well as her sister Andromeda. No doubt they are hiding under the Fidelius, somewhere. Stay alert, Rodolphus. If there's even whisper of a rumour regarding her whereabouts, investigate. We must find her! But first, take a team of followers and change every password where applicable and vacate every safe house, in case Bella has been taken by the enemy."
The servant nodded his head gravely and Apparated away. Voldemort sat down in a nearby chair, his hand tapping his chin repeatedly, deep in thought. Of course, they could not ignore the chance that she might be dead. Well, better that than in the hands of the enemy.
Bellatrix Black walked along Knockturn Alley, her face hidden beneath the hood of her robes. She was thankful for the evening darkness, which further helped hiding her features. She felt light on her feet, light in her soul. Lighter than she had for decades. For one thing, she did not feel the urge to kill every person she came across, nor did she feel the need to torture them, which was strange, because it was her favourite pastime.
At least, it had been. Only a few minutes earlier, something had snapped in her mind and it felt as if a cloud had been lifted from her mind. She had been disoriented for a few moments and she had almost panicked, but then a light, soothing blanket had descended upon her mind and she had calmed down once more. It felt good and wholesome. Benign, and she felt warm whenever she thought of it.
She turned to the right and into a side alley. When she was halfway down the alley, a man stepped into her path. She stopped dead in her tracks. He was the same man she had fought at Malfoy Manor and at the Snatcher's HQ.
Her initial reaction was to reach for her wand, but she found she could not. She felt compelled not to. The man in front of her smiled at her, a kind, caring smile, with a hint of sadness to it. Quick as a flash, he grabbed her hand and without warning, Apparated them away from Knockturn Alley.
She found herself standing by a park bench, bathed in the glow of a nearby light post. The man sat down and smiled at her, then motioned for her to sit as well. She did. She had not felt compelled to do so, but his smile was so nice and disarming. Not to mention sincere. Very different from the devious grins of her master she was used to, or the mocking sneers of her husband Rodolphus.
"Hello, Bellatrix," the man said. "You must be wondering what you're doing here, with me, of all people. I suppose it would be good form to show you who I am before this goes any further."
The man removed his cap and Bellatrix's eyes immediately focused on the lighting shaped scar on his forehead. Potter? She could scarcely believe it. For months her master (somehow that thought felt strange and wrong now), had been searching for him and here he was, sitting with her in some park, without a care in the world. She could not help it, she started laughing, which turned into raucous bellows. Oh, this was simply smashing. She eyed the young man, who was watching her with a bemused expression on his face.
"Harry Potter, in the flesh. You're looking fit for a dead man. Quite a bit different from the little boy I fought in the Department of Mysteries," she said with a teasing lilt in her voice.
Her eyes lingered on his ears for a bit, before finding his emerald eyes. Harry noted her own were a beautiful violet, marred by a sadness she did not feel. Not yet. He felt the last of his resentment toward the woman evaporate. He had been certain he would hate her, hell, he wanted to hate her, even knowing what he did. It would be so much easier.
Instead, he saw a woman, a woman who'd been dealt an awful hand in life and it showed. He saw it in her eyes, clear as day. Still, he was not about to let her teasing go unanswered. Bellatrix noticed a mischievous glint form in his eyes.
"I regret to inform you that you're looking mostly the same, Bellatrix. You need to eat more, get some meat on those bones." The woman leaned her head back and let out a surprisingly lovely, velvety laugh. At least it was not the insane cackle he had always associated with her. Both of them noticed a pair of Muggles, walking their dog. She returned her gaze to Harry and gave him an enigmatic smile.
"So why are we here? Why did I feel so compelled to meet you? And why could I not draw my wand and hex you into oblivion? I feel strange tonight, strangely... clear and level headed. No sense of seething hatred, either, and very little anger. I look at those Muggle fools on the other side of the street, picking up their dog's droppings and I don't mind them much. Or at all, really. I know for a fact that less than and hour ago, seeing Muggles perform such menial acts would have caused me to look at them with disgust and contempt and most likely I would have tortured and killed them."
Harry inclined his head slightly. "I'm not surprised, Bellatrix. There's no easy way to tell you this, so I will just go ahead. I assume you're aware that on the fifth of April 1969, your father, Cygnus Black signed a marriage contract on your behalf to Rodolphus Lestrange."
"Of course I'm aware, Potter," Bellatrix snarked. "It's no secret."
"Alright," Harry said. "What I'm certain you don't know about is the compulsion charm your father placed upon the contract, which bound you to your husband. What's more, the witness to the contract, Tom Marvolo Riddle placed his own charm upon the contract, binding you to him as well. To be fair, it is believed he did so without your father's consent or knowledge."
"A compulsion?" she asked with a frown.
"Yes. I am certain a smart witch such as yourself understands the ramifications of having two such links fighting over dominance of your mind. As your Head of House, I have voided the contract, thus releasing you from the bonds. Unfortunately, due to complications with releasing you from the charms, I had to place you under a compulsion of my own, which will disappear in time, as you recover and become stronger. Do you understand what I am saying, Bellatrix?"
Bellatrix stared the young man in the eyes, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. She wanted to tell him he was crazy, that he was a lying bastard and he was lucky she did not hex him into next week, but she knew he was telling the truth. Somehow, she knew those eyes would never lie to her.
Her eyes narrowed in desperation as the implications of his words hit her. She had done such terrible things in her life. All the lives she had taken, all the pain and suffering she had caused. An image of the Longbottoms writhing in pain on the floor of their home flashed through her mind.
Sirius.
She had killed little Siri. Her own cousin! While she had never really gotten along with her cousin, she had cared about him when she was young. And his brother Regulus. Walburga had been a crazy bitch, but every family had that one crazy relative. And Orion, well, he'd been mostly the same as her own father, so it was no wonder Sirius had left to live with the Potters, who she knew to have been good people.
There were other things going through her mind as well. Memories that involved her, her former Lord as well as Rodolphus in... intimate situations. They had... She felt something wet on her cheek. She brought a finger to her face and scooped up what turned out to be a tear. She stared at it as if it was some foreign substance. She had not cried in decades.
More tears fell and she started shaking as her body was racked with sobs. She felt Harry hesitantly grab a hold of her and bring her to him and wrap his arms around her. At first she recoiled, the touch of a man revolting, but after a while she gave in and buried her face in his shoulder and the floodgates opened. She wept for herself and she wept for her victims.
For a long time, she wept, until she could weep no more. All the while, Harry was silent. What could he possibly say to ease such terrible, heart wrenching pain? Once no more tears would come, she brought her feet upon the bench and laid her head in his lap.
Bellatrix was physically and mentally exhausted, Harry knew. He himself felt utterly defeated and helpless when thinking about the woman whose head rested in his lap. He could not even begin to imagine what she was going through as the weight of her actions, involuntary or not, crashed upon her. She did not even have the strength to stand on her own two feet.
She stared dully into the darkness beyond the light. Harry rose with her in his arms. She placed her arms around his neck and looked listlessly up at him, her violet eyes dead and empty. Harry felt the anger and disgust he had felt toward Riddle and Cygnus and Lestrange earlier in the day, erupt in his chest once more. He was careful not to let Bellatrix feel it through the bond, however.
"Where are you taking me? To Azkaban?"
"No, Bellatrix. If I can help it, you will never see the inside of that accursed place ever again. I'm taking you somewhere safe," Harry said and Apparated away.
Harry walked up to the small cottage where Tonks had patched him up after his fight with Greyback, holding an unconscious Bellatrix in his arms. She had faded as soon as they had appeared on the other side of the street, her exhaustion finally getting the better of her. Tonks and Lupin were at home. Thankfully, there was no one else there.
He lightly kicked the door a few times and heard Tonks walk to the door. She yanked it open and glared at the person who she was certain was a door to door salesman, momentarily forgetting about the notice-me-nots placed upon the property. Her face lit up and she smiled happily when she recognized Harry.
"Oi! Remus! Harry's here!" She eyed the woman in Harry's arms and grinned wickedly. "Wotcher, Wonder Boy! Who's the girlfriend? She have a bit too much to drink? Ya need a place to crash? I can expand the sofa, but I do not condone..." Bellatrix moaned in her sleep and turned her head a little and her niece got the first good look at her face. Tonk's reaction was immediate. She backed away quickly and drew her wand and pointed it at her aunt.
"Bloody Hell, Harry! Did something rot your brain? What the devil are you thinking!?"
Remus came running at his wife's outburst. He recognized Harry at once and his eyes widened when he saw who was cradled in his arms, sleeping like a baby, despite Dora's yelling. He stared at his friend's son. "Harry, why are you holding Bellatrix Lestrange in your arms?"
"Sorry to bother you Remus, Tonks. A lot happened this afternoon. But first, can we put Bellatrix in a bed? She's exhausted and needs rest. She won't do anything, you have my word. If it makes you feel better, know that I have her wand in my coat pocket." The Lupins moved out of the way and Harry carried Bellatrix over the threshold and Remus closed the door.
"Your bed?"
At their reluctant approval, Harry carried the beleaguered woman up the stairs and dressed her down in the bed. As he made to leave the room, he glanced at her; she looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. Harry sighed and closed the door. It would not last. Once he descended the stairs, he removed his Bag, coat, and armbraces, then he rolled up his sleeves.
Remus motioned for him to join them in the kitchen for a cup of tea. Tonks was pretty much glaring at him, while Remus waited patiently, since he knew Harry would have a good reason for all this. Harry rubbed his face wearily, before taking a drink of his tea.
"Care to explain why you brought that murdering psycho bitch into our home, Harry?" Tonks asked and looked him up and down. "You don't look any worse for wear, so I'll assume there was not a big fight."
Harry gave her a stern look, which seemed to deflate a somewhat confused Tonks. Her hair turned a mousy colour. Harry did not stare people down. He was a gentle and shy boy.
"I suggest you curb your tone, Tonks. There are things you know nothing about and I assure you, you will be ready to sick up once I'm done tonight. Can you contact your mum and your aunt Narcissa and ask them to come here? They need to hear this and I would really like it if I could tell you all together. I don't particularly want to go through this more than once."
Tonks gave Lupin a look, before she nodded and went to send a Patronus to her Mum's. "Narcissa is staying with Mum. I told her it was urgent, so they should be here in a few moments," Tonks said as she took her seat once more.
Harry nodded and took another sip of his tea. He made a note of the fact that Draco's name was not mentioned. Nor was Snape's. Putting his cup down, he reached over and grabbed Tonks' hand. She arched an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry about your Dad, Tonks. I heard about it today. Fucking Snatchers. At least they won't be any trouble any more, yeah." Tonks smiled weakly and thanked him for his kind words and his part in blowing up their operation. "I only wish I would have gone after them a little sooner," Harry said bitterly. Tonks squeezed his hand in return.
"You can't save everybody, Harry. Nor can you do everything by yourself. You're already doing more than most. And don't you dare blame yourself for his death. I don't and my Mum certainly doesn't." Tonks smiled at the look on Harry's face when he realized what she had said.
"Mum knows, Harry. As does Narcissa. Aunt Cissy figured out who you were after that rescue of yours and when she and Mum started to fix things between them, Narcissa told her, in a show of good faith. You don't have to worry, Harry, they're Blacks and Blacks know how to keep a secret," Tonks said and tapped her temple with her index finger.
"I suppose," Harry said. He glanced up at the ceiling as he became aware of moaning and thrashing on the upper floor. He sighed deeply. He had known this would happen, being something of an expert on nightmares himself. He suspected his own where kid's stuff when compared to hers, though.
"Bellatrix is having a nightmare, and it's a bad one, by the sounds she's making. I'm going to see if I can't calm her. I'll be back when she's settled down again."
Harry left the small kitchen and hurried up the stairs, making his way to the room. He entered and closed the door. Bellatrix was twisting and turning on the bed, moaning out names he did not recognize, well, except Sirius' name, of course. Or Frank and Alice. Harry sat down on the bed and gathered Bellatrix in his arms. She barely noticed that he'd taken her in his arms, rocking her back and forth. Eventually, she buried her face in the crook of his neck and started crying.
As Harry worked to soothe the troubled woman, he wondered how twisted fate seemed to be. Had someone told him, just that morning he'd be doing this, he'd have told them they were insane. He dimly heard the front door open and a pair of women rush into the house. He closed his eyes and tuned out everything but Bellatrix; she deserved his full attention and by Merlin, she was going to get it.
Remus and Tonks jumped slightly as Andromeda and Narcissa came striding through the front door. They had apparently left the house in a hurry as they were both a bit untidy. Andromeda was not one to care overly much about appearances, whereas Narcissa would, as a rule, not leave the house looking anything less than perfect. However, they had been told it was extremely urgent and they had dropped everything and Apparated right over.
"Well, Nymphadora, we're here," Andromeda said as she entered the kitchen with her sister, two years her junior, following in her wake. "What is the emergency?" Tonks glared at her Mother.
"Don't call me that, Mum! It's Tonks."
"I refuse to call you by your surname, Nymphadora," Andromeda said, with an emphasis on the name. "Your dislike of your name is both juvenile and foolish," Andromeda huffed irritably. "I've told you a thousand times, Nymphadora is a perfectly fine name. Just be grateful your middle name is not Euphemia."
All the while, Narcissa had been staring at the coat and backpack lying on the floor by the sofa. She thought she recognized both. She looked over to her niece, who smirked at her, confirming her suspicions.
"Harry's here."
The effect on Narcissa was instantaneous. She conjured forth a mirror and started making herself as presentable as she could, her wand tying her dark brown hair in a messy bun. She applied a little glamour to her eyes, cheekbones and lips. She was careful not to use too much, she was certain Harry preferred women as natural as possible. She could not explain why, but to her, he just seemed to be a man of simple tastes and she was quite fond of the idea.
Andromeda and her daughter watched in amusement as the woman busied herself in front of the mirror, while Lupin took a very sudden interest in the kitchen sink. He had thought Andie had been laying it on thick for her daughter's benefit, but it was quite apparent, Narcissa really was enamoured with Harry, going by her reaction. After a while, Andromeda turned to her daughter.
"Surely you did not contact us with your Patronus just to get a front row seat when your aunt embarrasses herself in front of Mr. Potter," she said, her tone teasing despite her serious expression.
Her sister made a face and vanished the mirror, then took a seat at the table, accepting a cup from Remus. Narcissa eyed her niece curiously. There was something big going on, judging by how serious Dora's demeanour went all of a sudden and Remus was unusually grim, even by his standards.
Both sisters shuddered when Tonks placed a very distinct, curved wand on the table. A wand both Narcissa and Andromeda knew very well. The sisters stared at the wand, then at each other. The only way Bellatrix would ever give up her wand was if she had been caught or killed.
"If you're wondering where Harry is, he's upstairs, with Bellatrix. Apparently, she's having a nightmare, and he went upstairs to calm her down." The sisters stared at Tonks, their faces locked in a mask of disbelief. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Narcissa cleared her throat and spoke, her shaking voice betraying her fear of her deranged sister.
"I'm sorry, did you say Bellatrix? And you say Mr. Potter, of all people brought her here?" Narcissa watched her niece's face turned from serious to grim and her hair turned dark grey. Lupin answered the afeared women sitting on the other side of the table.
"She did. Harry arrived at our doorstep a little while ago, carrying her in his arms. Bellatrix Lestrange, the second most wanted criminal in the whole of magical Britain was actually sleeping in the arms of Harry Potter. Though I must point out that he seems to be making a habit of holding the Black sisters in his arms. I do believe it is your turn, Andie." Narcissa huffed in mock annoyance and turned her head, not quite managing to hide the slight blush on her face. Andromeda was not so easily distracted, however and she pressed the issue firmly.
"Why is Bellatrix here?"
"I believe I should answer that, everyone."
The people sitting at the table jumped at the sound of Harry's voice. He smiled apologetically and ventured into the kitchen, where he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. Giving the sisters Black a once over, he was surprised to see how alike Bellatrix and her sister Andromeda were. Add thirty pounds to Bellatrix and lighten her hair colour a little bit and they'd practically be twins.
Turning his attention to Narcissa, he was glad to see she was looking better than the last time he'd seen her. She seemed happier, at least. He noticed her hair was dark brown now and he had to admit she looked very much like her sisters, even though her likeness to Bellatrix was less striking than that of Andromeda.
His eyes found her hair again. Evidently, before all this, she had charmed her hair blonde, most likely in an effort to fit in with the Malfoys. Inwardly, he smiled. She was much more preferable as a brunette and it complemented her skin tone much better than her formerly blonde locks.
Narcissa and her sister were both absolutely gorgeous. Shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts, he noticed Narcissa smiling demurely at him, clearly enjoying the attention. No one else seemed to notice, thankfully. He cleared his throat.
"So, I had an interesting meeting at Gringotts this afternoon..."
Andromeda pressed the fingers of both hands to her temples and rubbed them slowly, before she sighed deeply and shook her head. She was clearly frustrated and angry. Narcissa was much the same while Tonks and Remus shared a look, but said nothing. They had not known Bellatrix before everything that had happened to her, so this was not the time to say anything. It was a time to listen and learn.
"This... explains so much, Mr. Potter," Andromeda said. "The sudden change in her personality, the mood swings, everything. How she went and chased after that bastard Vo... Riddle. She is an extremely intelligent woman, and smart people generally don't go and join a cult."
Narcissa picked up where her sister left off. "Bella was always the one of us sisters who was most accepting of the Black family motto 'Tojours Pur'. Always pure. But she was also loving and caring, if a bit cold to those she did not know. A trait we sisters all share, I suppose. I must confess, I took to it as well, as you know. Andie, well, she always hated it and was smart enough to leave when she had the chance."
"So, you'll help?" Harry asked Andromeda in a hopeful voice.
"Of course I'm willing to help," Andromeda said. "Bellatrix is my sister and I could hardly do anything less, especially knowing what I do now. You made the right choice when you brought her here. Being with family will certainly help with the healing process and we sisters have missed our Bella terribly. If it is at all possible, I do believe you should visit her regularly until the bond disappears. I am going to have to insist you stay the night as well."
"And why is that?" Harry asked Andromeda.
"In her vulnerable state, she will need someone she trusts when she wakes up in an unknown house. Even if she was exhausted, the mere fact she could relax enough to fall asleep in your arms speaks volumes. The bond also helps, naturally. She will sleep here tonight and Cissy and I will take her to my home tomorrow. After Cissy came to live with me, I put it under a Fidelius. I am my own secret keeper and I will reveal its location to you when we get there."
Harry accepted Andromeda's reasoning. "All right. Now, I have further news for you." Harry walked over to his Bag and pulled out a pair of envelopes and a satin pouch. He handed the sisters one envelope each, placed the pouch on the table and sat down again. He waited in silence as the sisters read the parchments and allowed a small smile to adorn his face as the realization dawned on the pair of them.
"I had a rather productive day, all things considered," he admitted.
Narcissa put down the document and closed her eyes for a moment. She smiled a beautific smile and a look of absolute contentment found its way onto her face as she opened her eyes again. She reached across the table and took hold of Harry's hand. She squeezed it tightly and looked him right in the eyes. The look in her icy blue eyes startled Harry in its intensity. All common sense told him ice should never look so warm and inviting, and yet...
"Thank you so much for this Mr. Potter. I know I do not deserve this kindness, even if you did it mostly for the benefit of the House."
Harry moved to say something, but Narcissa shook her head to stop him. "Please, Mr. Potter, I need to say this, to get this off my chest. I knew about many of the things my ex husband did in the name of his... master and I did nothing to stop it. In all fairness, I would not have been able to do much, even if I had brought my knowledge to the Auror office. Amelia would have taken it seriously, I'd imagine, but the Wizengamot would have swept it under the rug. Too many of them are, or were in Mr. Malfoy's pocket. Most likely, it would have cost me my life and I was too much of a coward to chance it."
Narcissa sighed softly. "So I ignored it. I need you to understand, Mr. Potter, that I was raised a pureblood and have spent most of my life among people who view all those with less than pure blood with at least a measure of disdain. I even helped Mr. Malfoy raise our son in such fashion and he took to it wholeheartedly, a fact I have come to sorely regret. I do not know if I will ever be able to completely rid myself of that way of thinking, but my sister has helped me. Andie and I come from opposite ends of the spectrum, and living with her has afforded me a different perspective."
Narcissa's eyes became desperate and pleading, a look that did not seem at home on her lovely face and it made Harry uncomfortable as Narcissa soldiered on. "I wish to beg your forgiveness for my actions, or inactions. I am aware of my son's behaviour and actions toward you and your friends and again I would like to apologize for my part in that, even if it was indirect. I would do more, but I do not know what more I can do, except express my sincere hope that you will allow me to stand at your side, to let me help you realize your hopes and dreams."
Harry stared at Narcissa. Where was she going with this? He realized she was apologizing, of course and what's more, she seemed sincere. She was not making excuses, she was accepting her role in whatever happened in the past, during her marriage to Malfoy and it made Harry glad. They had not spoken since he had exploded at her the night of his raid on Malfoy manor and he'd had the feeling she hated him, but this seemed to prove otherwise.
He managed to keep his face neutral, for the most part, but in the back of his head, he realized he was entirely too happy to find that was not the case. He also did not mind she kept holding his hand. Not at all. In fact, he quite liked it. He gave her a small smile and was surprised when she blushed a little and averted her eyes, before forcing it under control.
"Narcissa, I would like to apologize for my outburst that night in the forest. I was out of line, even if what I said was true. I could have been more gentle, given what you all had been through. Now to the other matter. I did not dissolve your marriage to that blonde bastard in some ploy to benefit House Black, though it most certainly does. You were given to him via contract which you had no control over, same as your sister, even if it was not charmed to hell by some sick, meddling bastards, forcing their own twisted ideals upon their children."
And Harry went on. "Anyway, I voided it because it was the right thing to do, especially after his actions against you and Draco. Lucius Malfoy had a family once and he should have protected the two of you. He chose himself and his ambitions instead. After the way I grew up, family is a sacred thing to me and it sickens me that he could throw it all away, Narcissa. And the fact that your father was willing to basically sell his own daughters off in a bid to increase his power and influence... I wonder how many young men and women have been forced into such marriages? I can't..."
Narcissa stared at the boy in wonder. He was practically shaking, his eyes reflecting a myriad of emotions; anger, passion, disgust, even sadness. The sincerity of it astounded her and it made her squeeze his hand even tighter.
It also reinforced her belief that he would need all the help she could give him when he took his place on the Wizengamot, if he so chose. Honest, noble men did not survive in that place. It was a place of cutthroats and back stabbers. In essence, perfect for her and her machinations.
She stole a look over at her sister, who stared at Harry in wide eyed fascination. She imagined she herself had a similar look on her face. She noticed the smiles on the faces of her niece and her husband. When Harry continued, she leaned over the table slightly, all her attention on her young Head of House. He looked at both her and Andromeda, a fiery determination shining out of his eyes.
"I am your Head of House, Narcissa and the way I see it, I have an obligation to take care of you. All three of you sisters. Even if you do not accept the offer to become a Black again, Andromeda, I consider you a part of this family and you will always have a place in my House. The same goes for Tonks and Lupin. To that end, I had these commissioned today," Harry said and reached for the pouch and removed a pair of smaller ones.
"They are directly connected to a vault I had the goblins set up and with a drop of your blood, they will be keyed to you two. I know Sirius left Remus and Tonks a lot of money, so they should be fine. You received a good amount as well, Andromeda, but Narcissa and Bellatrix got nothing, which was understandable at the time. In the pouch, there is one more, intended for Bellatrix."
A warm feeling slithered through Andromeda and she smiled at Harry, who smiled back. A slight fluttering in her heart surprised her, but she managed to keep a straight face, though it was hard! To hear such words being said by the Head of House Black was a dream come true for her.
He had the makings a proper Head and a man she could easily throw her lot behind. She gave the parchment in front of her another look, her smile never faltering and she reached for Harry's other hand.
"I gladly accept your offer of becoming a Black once more, Mr. Potter. I never regretted leaving, but it always hurt to know I was not considered a part of my family any more, even if I did not share their ideals. I imagine you plan to change things, to make House Black stand for something nobler and genuine and I would be honoured to stand with you and my sisters as a force for change in the world once this war is over."
"We stand with you, of course, but you knew that, boyo," Tonks said and smiled at him.
Harry looked at the people present in the room and smiled, happy at the way things had turned out. There was a question that had been eating at him for a while though, and he felt he needed an answer.
"How is Draco doing these days, Narcissa?" The woman retracted her hand and crossed her hands under her breasts. She gave him a pained look and averted her eyes for a moment, while Harry kept his eyes focused on her. When she returned his look, however, her eyes were frigidly cold and her voice even more so and Harry was quite surprised.
"Severus and I, along with my... son, had been hiding at a house Severus keeps if his other home has been compromised. A few days after the rescue, before the Order had responded to Severus' contact, Draco disappeared, leaving a note for us to find. He went to find his father, Mr. Potter. Apparently he was not willing to abandon his teachings, despite what Mr. Malfoy did to him."
Harry stared at Narcissa at that revelation, then shook his head in disbelief. Narcissa shrugged her shoulders and continued.
"Furthermore, he did not believe a group of filthy Mudbloods and half bloods and beings of even lesser standing had a chance of defeating the 'Great Lord' as he called him. I am ashamed that he would waste his chance at a new, better life. As yet, Severus has been unable to determine if he is alive still. I know you are aware that Severus made an Unbreakable wow to keep Draco safe, before the start of your sixth year at Hogwarts.
I have released Severus from the vow, given my son's foolishness. Knowing the Dark Lord as I do, I have my doubts as to me son being alive still. The Dark lord does not forgive as you well know, Mr. Potter. I was hoping Bellatrix might have some answers, so that I may put this behind me. If he's still alive, however, the things Riddle will have had him do in order to accept him into the ranks will undoubtedly have been horrific and vile"
"I am sorry, Narcissa," Harry said soberly. She waved away his words.
"Do not blame yourself for his choices. You are my Head of House and I will not have it. Mr. Malfoy's son chose his path, as we all must and whatever his fate, he sought it out on his own."
Again, Harry was surprised at the coldness in her voice when she spoke of her son. "If you ever want to talk, I'm here for you."
He gave her hand a squeeze, before he rose from the chair which prompted the others to do so as well. It was getting late and he wanted to get a few hours sleep. Tonks enlarged the sofa and conjured a pair of thick blankets while Andromeda and Narcissa walked to the door.
"We will return in the morning, around ten," Andromeda said. "I am anxious to meet Bellatrix, I have not seen her in many years and Narcissa has not met her either. Not really. I think us meeting Bella and moving her to my home shall be quite enough for tomorrow. For now, I bid you good night."
Harry bid the Lupins good night and went upstairs to the master bedroom. He found Bellatrix sleeping in the same spot he had left her before going back downstairs. He watched her for a few moments and walked around the bed and lay down on top of the covers on that side and was asleep in moments.
"So, what did you think, Andie?" Narcissa asked her sister when they had returned to the older woman's house. Andromeda made her way into the kitchen and got herself a glass of water which she finished quickly and then turned to face her sister. She was, Narcissa realized to her amusement, a little flushed and her eyes were a little glossy.
"It was a good meeting and I cannot wait to meet Bella in the morning." She smiled. "I was fine until he presented me with the chance of becoming one with my family again. I had to keep from crying, but it was so hard, Cissy. And I just know he will bring the Blacks to the Light. You cannot believe how utterly elated I am to be able to say the name Andromeda Black and feel pride and joy, instead of disgust and sadness."
Narcissa smiled at her sister, a smile that turned slightly smug. Andromeda suddenly felt somewhat nervous. Her sister did not smile that often and never did she smile in such a smug way. It was, after all rather unbecoming of a lady. It did not help either that Andie knew precisely why her sister was smiling at her in such a way.
"I was talking about Harry."
Andromeda blushed and averted her eyes and made a show of filling her glass again with water. Damn that Narcissa. She just had to notice the way she had been looking at the young man earlier. With a sigh, she turned to her sister, who stood in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the frame with a knowing smile on her face. Andie gave her a small one in return.
"He's quite something, is he not?" Narcissa remarked as she grabbed her own glass from the cabinet and with a slight wave of her wand, filled it with water.
Andromeda sighed softly. "I believe I must take back everything I have said to you regarding Harry, Cissy. I very nearly melted onto the floor when he smiled at me back there. I just hope he did not notice it. Or Nymphadora. Merlin! I would never hear the end of it, Cissy," Andromeda said and ran a hand through her luscious locks. "Merlin's wrinkled ass, what the hell is wrong with me? I've met the man once and my heart is fluttering like a teenager's! He's almost seven years younger than Nymphadora, for Merlin's sake! Then there's Ginevra."
Narcissa laughed at her sister's perturbed state. "Language, sister dear! I had similar thoughts and feelings at first, Andie. There's something about him that calls to me. Something that has been growing stronger and I cannot ignore it. Nor shall I try do so. I am aware of the youngest Weasley's feelings, but I am selfish and do not care. Then again, according to Nymphadora,Ms. Weasley has been spending an awful lot of time with the Longbottom boy, so it may not matter. Once there's time, I plan on making my feelings known. He may not return those feelings, but I must at least make the effort. If only to quiet my heart."
Narcissa Scourgified the glass and returned it to the cabinet. "I also wanted you to know Andie, that I will not be opposed to the idea of you making eyes at him, or even Bella, should it come to that, for whatever reason. You know the position he will be in once the war is over and you also know what he hopes to achieve, I've told you as much. Though, I doubt we know even a fraction of his plans. In any event, he will need the support of strong, intelligent people in the right positions and there are none as strong as the Black sisters, after all."
Andromeda stared at Narcissa, wide eyed. Thinking on it, she realized her sister was right. Harry was in a unique situation, but surely it was a bit early to be thinking about that. Narcissa was a master at plotting, however. Not that Andie believed her sister had anything untoward planned for Harry. On the contrary, she was quite certain Narcissa was nothing but sincere in her intentions and it was very refreshing. Deciding to tease her a bit, she awarded her sister with a coy smile.
"You never know, Cissy, I just might go for him before you do. Oh and those eyes!"
Lupin finished putting away the cups and joined his wife on the sofa and put an arm around her as she snuggled close. He stared at the ceiling, not quite believing who was sleeping in their bed at the moment. It was bloody mental. All of it. His thoughts drifted back to the small meeting they'd had earlier and how impressed he'd been with Harry. The maturity shone through and he obviously wanted to be there for these women.
Narcissa seemed very taken with Harry and if he was not mistaken, Andie was starting down the same road. He just hoped it was nothing but a little infatuation that would pass quickly. That didn't mean he couldn't tease his wife about it, though. Fighting a grin, he kissed her on the forehead, which made her purr low in her throat. He had to butter her up a little bit before mentioning this, else she would kill him. Slowly. He eyed Tonks, who was lying beside him with a thoughtful frown on her face.
"So, this meeting was interesting, Dora. Are you certain it's just Narcissa who's interested in Harry? Your mum... She gave him quite a few looks earlier when she thought no one was looking," he said in that completely neutral voice he knew drove his wife insane. Tonks raised her head and glared at her husband, who only smiled innocently at her in return.
"Not one word out of you, Remus Lupin. I'm trying to forget that happened. The idea of Mum and Harry..." Tonks shuddered before she lay her head down on Lupin's chest. She frowned as she kept thinking about it.
"Damn it, Remus, now I'm thinking about it... I'm STILL thinking about it, you bloody menace!"
Remus chuckled fondly at his wife's predicament. "You know, it is rather interesting to note that both of them react to him in such a way. They are exceedingly powerful women and we know Harry is no weakling. Perhaps that's what is calling them to one another? It is not unheard of, you know. They may not see it, but fairly certain Harry was reacting to them as well."
"Shut up, Wolfie and go to sleep, you perverted old man. It's just a phase. They'll be over it soon enough."
Tonks was soon fast asleep, but Remus found sleep hard to come by. His thoughts kept going to Harry and what he'd been through that day and how proud he was of how the young man had handled it. James had been a good man, but he was nothing, compared to his son.
Harry cared for people on a level Remus had never seen and knew he would brave any danger for anyone he held dear, but he'd need all the help he could get. With that in mind, Remus gently removed himself from Tonks' embrace, who fortunately stayed asleep. He entered the kitchen, grabbed a self inking quill and parchment and started to write.
Bellatrix woke up and found herself in an unknown bed in an unknown room. Managing to control her initial panic, she calmly looked around until her eyes came to a stop on a young man who was sleeping in the bed with her. Harry Potter. So it hadn't been a dream. He had freed her from her captors and, according to him, brought her somewhere safe. Wherever that was. She rolled over on her side and studied Harry at her leisure.
Tall, strong and powerful, she mused as she let her eyes feast on him. Those ears were quite something and they gave her a little pause. And the eyes... He had changed an awful lot since that night at the Ministry and she knew there was a story behind those changes. A story she desperately wanted to learn.
She somewhat fondly recalled their duel at the Snatcher's HQ. Even if she had been trying her best to kill him at the time, it had been the most fun she'd had in ages. She realized she was utterly fascinated by him. She let out a barely audible sigh and Harry stirred and blinked his eyes a few times before turning his head toward her. He smiled.
"Good morning, Bellatrix. How are you feeling?"
She grimaced at that. "I'm alright, I suppose. It helps being a master Occlumens. I can hide the bad thoughts and memories away."
Harry frowned at that. "Hiding behind your shields is not a solution, Bellatrix."
They were both silent for a few moments, before Bellatrix spoke up again. "Where are we?"
"I brought you to your niece's home. She and Remus allowed me to bed you down here for the night. Your sisters are coming around at ten to speak with you and take you with them, if all goes well."
Bellatrix rolled over onto her back again and let out a long breath. Was she ready to meet her sisters? She did not think she was, but perhaps it would be best to get it out of the way. If she was going to be mending any fences, she reckoned she needed all the time she could have. Andie, she had not met in over twenty years and their last meeting had been a terrible one.
The things she had said that day were fresh in her mind, as if she had spoken them only the day before. The Andromeda she remembered had been a practical woman, not one to hold on to petty grudges, so perhaps it might not be so bad.
Narcissa was another matter. Narcissa was both proud and haughty; a proper pureblood and people like her did not take lightly to offence and she had the ability to hold and maintain a grudge for years. Bellatrix accepted what she had done to Draco was horrific, but she hoped her sister could forgive her. She felt Harry grab her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. She felt warm and safe at his gesture. In fact, she revelled in it and wished the feeling would never stop.
"It'll be alright, Bellatrix. I've spoken with Andromeda and Narcissa, they know everything. Perhaps it was not my place to tell them, but I felt it was a good idea to give them a chance to digest and discuss what happened to you before they met you, and to figure out where to go from here."
Bellatrix smiled at him appreciatively. That certainly made things much easier. She noted that Harry had not let go of her hand, nor did he seem to be in any hurry to do so, as he stared at the wall with a weird, blank look on his face. There was something bothering her; she would very much like to understand why he was helping her.
After all, she had murdered his late father's best friend, the boy's godfather and the closest he had for a family aside from the Weasleys, if Malfoy was to be believed. Not to mention all the other ghastly things she had done over the years.
"Why are you doing this, Harry? Why are you so good to me? You should hate me for all the things I've done, Merlin knows I hate myself. I understand you loved Sirius like a father, despite the little time you had together. I took him from you, so why?"
Harry scratched the back of his head and he looked at her, a pained expression on his face, which made Bellatrix wince. She really had not meant to hurt him by mentioning Sirius. "I am the Head of your House and it is my responsibility to take care of you."
Bellatrix' eyes narrowed. "Is that the only reason?"
"No, I suppose not," Harry said and sighed deeply. "By all rights, I should hate you and I wanted to. I mean, I really, really wanted to, it would have been so much easier. But I can't bring myself to do it. You were subjected to a terrible injustice, Bellatrix and I will not be able to live with myself if I do not do whatever I can to help you. Voiding the marriage contract was just the first step in doing so. I have done the same with Narcissa's contract to Malfoy. You might want to know I also extended an invitation to Andromeda, offering her to become a part of the Black family once again and she has accepted."
Bellatrix smiled happily and the warm feeling from before spread throughout her body, nearly making her breathless. Such selflessness and nobility. And he had given her the chance of reuniting with her sisters. She wanted to feel more of this warmth, but something held her back.
She instinctively realized the warmth she felt this time was different from the kind she felt through the bond she now clearly felt between her and Harry. This feeling came from within herself and it frightened her. She had never felt this way and she had trouble understanding it. Harry got out of bed and she eyed him as he stretched lazily.
"Tonks and Remus are up. I'll go and ask if she has any clothes you can borrow." He looked at his watch. "I reckon you have about an hour before your sisters get here, so you may want to take a shower. I'm sure Tonks and Remus won't mind. It's just down the hall. Leave the door unlocked and I'll put the clothes just inside the door."
Bellatrix gave him a grateful smile, which turned mischievous. "Leave the door unlocked? You could just ask to join me in the shower, Harry. I'm sure there's room in there for the both of us." She had expected to embarrass him, but to her delight, Harry gave as good as he got.
"I would, but I don't think the hot water charm would last the time it would take for us to 'get clean', Bella."
She let out that wonderful, velvety laugh and Harry found it infectious. They shared a good, long laugh before Harry turned to leave. When he was about to close the door, he heard the woman call out to him softly. He turned around in the doorway.
"I'd like it if you'd call me that, Harry."
"Pardon?"
"Bella. I would like you to call me Bella. I was called that by my sisters before all this. Then that bastard Riddle took it as his own. I want you to call me that, you've earned it, Harry and it would make me very happy."
Harry eyed the woman sadly. Sure, he could call her by her nickname, but for something so simple, so small to make her so happy? Give her comfort? And from a complete stranger, well, maybe not a complete stranger, and there was trust now. The bond saw to that.
"If you're sure?"
"I am, Harry. I am at the beginning of a new life and I want you to be a part of it. After all, you're the one who freed me and put me on the path."
Harry drummed his fingers on the door frame a few times before he nodded and left the room. He headed down the stairs and found his friends having a spot of breakfast. They regarded Harry as he leaned against the door frame. Tonks gave him a small smile and motioned for him to sit at the table.
"How is she?" Remus asked carefully.
Harry shrugged. "I don't know, Remus, I've never done this before. As good as can be expected, I suppose? She did not have another nightmare, at least. Tonks, do you have any clothes she can borrow? She went to take a shower, I hope you don't mind."
Tonks nodded and went into the wash room and gathered a few things. The clothes would fit well enough, as the Black sisters all had a similar build and Tonks took after her mother strongly. She handed her friend a small bundle, as well as Bella's wand when Harry requested it, and returned to the kitchen, while Harry went upstairs and put the clothes where he had told Bella he'd put them.
Bellatrix stepped out of the shower and slowly dried herself with her wand. Once done, she turned it on the mirror and vanished the fog off it. She studied herself in the mirror and she was very unhappy with what she saw. Her pitch black hair, which had been her pride and joy once, hung limply down to her lower back. She had dark circles under her dull eyes and her teeth were completely rotten.
She did not understand why she had not fixed those. And her body... She was rail thin, though she had curves still, the Black sisters had been blessed with gorgeous hourglass figures and a very generous bust. The years in Azkaban and complete lack of personal care in the months since her escape had taken their toll, however. Would any man look at her again and find her desirable and enticing? Would Harry?
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Now was not the time for such thoughts. It was much to early and he was not a man who would rush into anything, of that she was certain. She would have to get closer to him, get to know him properly. In any case, she doubted he would do anything while the bond was active. He would feel as if he was taking advantage of her. Not that she would mind terribly, if it was him. But he would not.
Bloody noble git. She found it somewhat alarming, that she was thinking of him in such a way. Less than twenty four hours since he had rescued her and bound her to him and she appeared to be falling for him? It was mental. Well, Bella was certain she was mental, so perhaps it was not so far fetched.
Now, it wasn't as if she was ready for such a relationship. Not even remotely. In front of her lay a long road to recovery, both physically and mentally. And Harry was right, of course. Hiding the pain and horrors behind a wall of Occluded shields was not a permanent solution. It would help her function in day to day life. Other than that... Bella imagined Andie would be the one to help her there.
She grabbed the clothes and put them on, irked by the way the garments hung about her frame. She put her hair in a ponytail and quit the bathroom, to find Harry leaning on the wall by the stairs. He gave her a reassuring smile and walked over to her and grabbed her hands.
"You ready? Your sisters just arrived and they're waiting downstairs. It'll be fine, Bella. Trust me. I'll be there with you the whole time and we will confront them together, or you can do it alone, if you wish. It's up to you. Not that I think there will be too much trouble. In fact, I'm certain they will be quite happy to see their sister."
Bella took a deep breath, smiled at Harry and squeezed his hands before letting go and taking to the stairs. Harry followed in her wake, happy that she'd found the strength to take the lead. They came to the bottom of the stairs and found Andromeda and Narcissa sitting on the sofa.
As soon as the sisters saw Bella, they rose and eyed their sister carefully. To her credit, Bella did not shrink away from their gaze, but stood proud, as a Black should. Then the younger Black sisters both smiled and Bella rushed forward into their embrace.
What followed were a few hours of heartfelt apologies, reminiscing and reassurances that Andromeda and Narcissa did not blame Bella for anything that had happened in the past, which was just that; the past. All three were beginning a new life and they would brave the world together. A little after midday, the sisters were ready to leave.
They asked Harry to accompany them since Andromeda wanted to reveal the Secret to Harry and key him into the wards. Once that was done, he could come and go as he pleased. Harry grabbed his things and motioned for the others to go ahead, he needed to talk to Remus and Tonks.
"I'm going on a little trip and I don't know how long I'll be away. Hopefully no more than a couple of weeks at most. And before you ask, no I'm not telling you. The less you know, the better. Keep an eye on those sisters for me, would you, Tonks?"
"Can do, Wonder Boy! Just be careful, you hear me, you barmy bastard," Tonks said in her usual, bubbly way, but a worried look was clouding her eyes. Remus was no less worried, but kept silent.
"It'll be alright, Moony, Nym. I'll try to swing by once I get back, OK?"
And with that Harry left and joined the Black sisters on the side walk. Andromeda grabbed a hold of him while Narcissa did the same with Bella. A little while later, the foursome found themselves in an alleyway in Croydon. Making their way down the street, they stopped and Harry and Bella were each given a piece of parchment.
Andromeda and Narcissa Black live at Nr. 45 Lewisham Street.
Suddenly a house appeared and the travellers hurried inside, lest someone see the building. Once inside, Andromeda keyed Harry and Bella into the wards. She motioned for all of them to go to the living room and take a seat.
"So, what happens now?" Bella asked Andromeda.
"I will begin, Bella, by treating your physical ailments. Heal the body and the mind will follow holds true, after all. To a point, at least. I know a man who can get me all kinds of restorative potions and believe me sister, you need them. After that is underway, I will start on healing your mind."
Bella simply smiled at her sister and nodded her thanks. Harry let his eyes wander and found this house to be quite cozy and it had a warm feeling about it. In other words, it was a proper home, which was just what Bella needed. Harry was loathed to leave, but he had to go, there was no time to lose. An idea came to him and he removed a roll of parchment and handed it to Narcissa.
"Would you be willing to look over this, Narcissa? I could use your input."
Narcissa smiled at Harry. "Of course, I will, Mr. Potter."
"Well, I had better go. I trust you will take good care of your sisters, Andromeda?" Harry asked in a teasing manner as he placed his hand on the doorknob.
"I most certainly will, Mr. Potter and I must insist you call me Andie. My friends and sisters call me that and I have little patience for formalities."
Harry smiled at that. "A woman after my own heart. Well, then I'd like you to drop this Mr. Potter nonsense and call me Harry. That goes for you too, Cissy." The woman in question smiled happily at him. Harry walked over to Bella and took her hands in his own.
"I'm going on a trip, Bella and I hope to return soon. Please let your sisters help you, it will make everything so much easier. I will come by as soon as I'm able, all right?"
Bella smiled sadly at Harry and in a surprising move, kissed him on the cheek. "Go do what you must, Harry. We will be fine, we sisters are quite strong, you know."
Harry smiled. "Of that, there's no doubt, Bellatrix."
Harry smiled at her and inclined his head to the other two before he rushed out the door. As soon as the young man had left, Bella turned around to find her sisters eyeing with mixed emotions. Finally, Cissy clicked her tongue in mock annoyance.
"Well, it seems to me like someone works fast. We had better apply ourselves if we hope to stand a chance, Andie. After all, she has already spent the night with him."
At Andromeda's burst of laughter, Bella blushed prettily, but inwardly, she was almost deliriously happy. The teasing and laughing... This was how they had been, back when they had been teenagers at Hogwarts. She smiled at her sisters and took their hands in her own.
"Shall we?"
That's chapter eight. Hope you liked it. No action, this time, but I think this may be my favourite chapter yet. Thanks for reading.
The sisters Black, as I see them.
nastyaskaya/art/Yennefer-657286641 Bellatrix (a blue shade)
nastyaskaya/art/Vivienne-de-Tabris-665429752 Andie (a green shade)
nastyaskaya/art/Keira-Metz-657736387 Narcissa (a yellow shade)
NastyaSkaya is fantastic, you really should check her out on Deviantart.
