"…While popular belief in western countries explains that Maledictuses are somehow related to Animagus or Metamorphmagi. A new theory has come to life according to recent research by Qiang XingNa, head professor of Asian History of the Enchantry and Thaumaturgy School. Professor Qiang has stated the creature Nüwa c. 405- Unknown, a woman half-snake half-human from the Zhou dynasty, might be the first form of Maledictus just before the curse itself was perfected. During the Zhou era all through earlier years of Tang dynasty—just before the Secrecy of Magic law was applied by the Ministry in 630 B.C— Nüwa was regarded by the muggles as the Snake Goddess, a highly revered one too. She was called 'The one that repaired the heavens' according to muggle records. While Magical records of Nüwa are more down to earth. She was the daughter of a very influential wizard who governed large parts in the capital of Chang An. Educated by the best tutors available she grew up to be one of the most talented witches of the era…"
Hermione felt a small push on her head, similar to when someone softly knocked their knuckles on the surface. Her eyes rolled in mild exasperation.
"…Promised to wealthy landowner's son. Nüwa rebelled against his father's decision, for she had already a lover: Her brother, Fuxi. However, their forbidden love didn't last long, a servant allegedly saw them copulating one night. Word spread quickly among the servants, in no time arrived at the Lord's ears. Enraged by the disgraceful act of his children, he exiled them from the country, not before cursing his own daughter. Although there is no record of what specific spell Lord Yu used, he was widely known for being a blood magic practitioner. The curse intention was that if Fuxi and Nüwa were to procreate only snakes would come out of her. But what the father didn't expect was that by casting the curse, Nüwa would take the shape of a snake as well… Little is known of what follows after their banishment…"
Her nails scratched the cover of the book. "What do you want?!" Hermione turned to look at the culprit, sitting on the other side of the room innocently balancing on the chair.
"What are you talking about, mudblood?" Replied Bellatrix, cleaning the invisible dirt under her nails.
"Of you trying to use Legilimency on me."
The woman snorted at the tired voice of the little witch. "Can you blame? You are too easy"
The brunette gave her one last look, deciding that Bellatrix wasn't about to get more reactions out of her. To engage her meant more trouble than to ignore her. While the dark witch had been in an aggravating mood, she hadn't attempted to go further than that. That itself was a win. Hermione assumed the only reason the woman hadn't escalated her aggression was because of the current situation. Otherwise, little she could do to stop the woman.
In another time, she would be terrified of just sharing the same space with Voldemort's First Lieutenant. It said a lot that the infamous witch was even feared among her peers. This woman hated her kind, given the opportunity, she would Crucio her to her heart's content.
Still though, as brown eyes were fixed on a spot in the middle of the paged, Hermione wasn't scared. None at all. And it may be, she reflected, that the imprint had much influence in her actual feelings towards the woman. She found the witch unlikable in too many levels; nasty, vexing, childish, arrogant, — there were too many flaws to count, and no virtues point out— but not scary, she didn't find Bellatrix scary.
There was another explanation for her fearlessness completely unrelated to the imprint. Perhaps the imprint had nothing to do with not being scared of the woman. 'I'm a Gryffindor, bravery is our thing.' Except that she wasn't a Gryffindor. She was a Ravenclaw. Funny that.
Hermione stuck with being brave than a hypothesis that she didn't want to think about.
Coming out of her daze, her eyes searched for the last paragraph she read earlier.
With amusement still evident on the alabaster face, Bellatrix stretched her numbed limbs, yawning. Boredom caught up to her again.
Outside the pitter-patter of the rain and distant rumble of thunders were the only sounds traveling in the room, along with the occasional huff and sigh from the girl.
A pale hand with slim fingers extended on the table. Four fingers commenced drumming on the wood. Again, and again. The 'tap' of her long nails made the sound louder and acute. Again. She applied more force. Again. Fingers felt in perfect sequence. Faster.
She kept going.
Nothing.
The brunette kept true to her word; she wouldn't let the woman riled her up again.
Bellatrix rose from her chair; the usually imperceptible rasping sound of her black leather corset could be clearly heard across the room. The wood cracked and groaned under her heels. With hands behind her back, she advanced in slow steps towards the window.
The streets were empty by now due to the storm, which had been pouring down in the last 2 hours. Nighttime was one hour away at most. If this were to continue, long-distance visibility would be a problem in their search. Hermione knew Bellatrix was thinking the same because a curse was uttered.
Unable to read the last paragraph because of her lack of concentration, she turned the page to the next chapter. While the history and origins of a curse were very interesting in its own right, there was a pressing need to find the practical use that this book offered. 'Hopefully, this would contain something useful. Or I'll be back to the beginning again.'
From the upper side of her field of vision, she saw a pair of boots with killer heels. "What are you reading, mudblood?" The woman sniffed down at her, looking as if Hermione just insulted her.
The brunette looked down again. "None of your business."
With a non-verbal Accio, the dark witch caught the book in her hand, taking the girl by surprise. "I don't like your tone, filthy mudblood." The woman said, voice full of warning. Her nose sticking up in the air,
"Again with the threats?" So much for staying away from Bellatrix. Her scent was quickly polluting the oxygen around her. Though still tolerable, the scent was stronger than before. That could only mean that the potion was losing its effects, soon she would have to take one more dose. Preferably far away from the prying black eyes.
The woman ignored her as she randomly flipped the pages of the book. "If you really must know, I'm learning about Maledictuses." Said the girl.
The dark witch closed the book. Her sight connected with the brunette, studying her with a look that dripped pure suspicion.
"Why? Are you planning to curse someone?... Maybe little ol' me?" She asked with a coy voice.
A humorless chuckle escaped the girl's lips "You realize that to curse someone is needed to brew different potions, right?"
"Of course, I know." Her tessiture changed from childish to harsh, as the mere question offended her. "But again, who are you planning to curse?"
"I'm not planning anything." Hermione extended her hand asking back for the book. "I just like to read stuff."
"Stuff?" Her voice was full of skepticism. "Maleficarum from elven tongue: One who is most flagitious. Maledictuses are the consequences of Maleficarum practices, a very gruesome form of blood magic. Requires months to prepare the spell, if you happen not to be a blood magic wielder. It is said that some ingredients are almost impossible to find in western terrain. Not to mention the price you have to pay to curse your victim is very high, even deathly. There are scarcely records of people claiming to survive the price of casting. But I'm sure you already did know all this."
Getting closer to the girl's face, Bellatrix spoke to her like she was talking to a little girl. "And that is why I don't believe you, filth. I can see when someone is lying." Her upper lip raised. "You whole disgusting face screams liar." No giving her chance to reply, the dark with continued "So, who are you planning to curse? Your boyfriend Potter? Is that somehow related to the reason why you faked your death?" She cocked her head, dark black curls cascaded to her side, revealing a long elegant neck, with an ugly 93 tattooed under her ear.
"It puzzles you, doesn't it?" A hint of realization laced in the accusative words. "You are frustrated because you don't know what I'm doing here. Do you think that by learning why I'm reading this will give you a clue into why the Lord has chosen me?"
"If I can't torture you for it…" Bellatrix replied with a shrug. Not bothering to deny that the girl was right.
Under other circumstances, Hermione would laugh out loud at the fractious tone of hers, but today she just felt tired at her petulant antics "You believe you can detect lies, how about this one: I don't plan to cast maledictus on someone."
Black eyes running through her face, looking for any sign of deception. She squinted at her but said nothing.
"Can I have the book back?" She extended her arm once more.
"Maybe later." She put it on the table, planting her hand on the cover. "You still haven't told me what else you found in your earlier expedition"
"If you hadn't interrupted me earlier, you would have known by now"
"I'm all ears right now"
Hermione easily relented, because what else could she do? "The informant sold books to Karkaroff. According to him, he has never read them. Actually, he was very scared to even mentioning those books. He said that this sort of information scared even the most seasoned dark wizards. Do you have any idea what that could be?"
"I might have some ideas" The woman adopted a thoughtful look.
Hermione waited a few seconds for her to elaborate. "Are you going to share?"
She frowned, then scoffed "No." Her hand made a motion telling the girl to continue.
"After that, I headed southeast and enter the forest bordering on the outskirts. To simply put it, the forest looked like it was dying." The brunette very lightly cocked her head to one side, trying to understand what she saw. "I saw, I know it sounds silly, but it looked like someone had sucked the life out of them. Patches of land were barren, while others were alive. And no, before you ask, I did all the possible charms and spells that might help trace any sort of magical residue. I found nothing. Something else that seemed highly abnormal is the fact that there was no sound of life."
Bellatrix started to pace around the room. Her face didn't show any emotion. Whether she was listening to her or not, Hermione couldn't tell.
"I checked in the map as well that my actual position matched with one of the possible locations of Karkaroff, which it did." She licked her lips. "Do you think—"
A hard knock came from the front door, startling both witches. The brunette quickly stood up from her chair; her wand instantly came into her hand. They weren't expecting anybody, that was for sure. Bellatrix, who seemed to be running a thousand thoughts in her mind at the same time, didn't react at all. After a second knock, the woman just made a motion for the girl to stay silent. She cast a non-verbal spell, for what Hermione guessed by the movement of her wrist was a Muffliato charm. Then proceeded to carefully approach the wooded door placing herself next to it. A sharp move of her head indicated the brunette to open it.
With her arm behind her back, Hermione confidently walked towards the iron handle, gave one last look at Bellatrix, and opened the door.
A man dressed in wizard clothes appeared in front of her. Hermione recognized him immediately, he was the man she saw earlier, the one from the house across the street. His dirty old clothes left behind, this time the wizard was well dressed. The clothes even looked costly; definitely hand-tailored. The girl noticed that he carried a healthy color on his face, unlike the many villagers she saw on the street. Seeing him up close, the stranger didn't seem to be older than 50 years old at most.
"Goodnight, Miss." A polite smile formed on his lips. His voice was soft and cultured, hardly a tilt in his words. "This weather is quite dreadful, isn't it?" Tilting his head to the side, he pointed with his thumb at the pouring rain. The smile never left his lips, but his eyes flashed a hint of apprehension. "Do you think we can talk inside?"
The brunette understood clearly it wasn't a request. This couldn't be good. Denying entry would come up as outright suspicious, she knew this. And accepting the request opened another door with dangerous possibilities.
She returned the polite smile. "It is always a pleasure to meet someone of our kind, please do come in" hiding her weapon under her arm, Hermione stepped further inside allowing the man to follow her. The door immediately closed behind him.
"I must apologize, but I have no tea or coffee to offer you, Mr…" Hermione tapered off, trying to concentrate on his face and not in the woman stalking behind him.
"Mr. H, and that's fine, Miss."
'Mr. H?... What a silly way to remain anonymous'
"I won't be much longer here to require sustenance." His eyes scanned the sight in front of him "I see you still have to fully furnish your ho—"
He was cut off by Bellatrix trusting her wand into the back of the wizard's head. For a moment Hermione pitied the man, his face said everything.
"Move a muscle and you die." Her voice was dangerously low. "Your wand, now!" she demanded. The brunette took three steps behind and rose her wand too. He carefully reached for his wand from inside the pants pocket. Bellatrix quickly snatched from his fingers. "On your knees!" She pushed her wand further onto him.
The flickering fear on the man's features had faded. "Well misses, I believe we find ourselves in quite a pickle" The man sounded confident as he kneeled. An odd response which the girl frowned upon. "As it happens, there are men, well, wizards are outside waiting for me, if I don't get out after some time. They'll come in looking for me." He explained.
Bellatrix cackled. "So, before you came here, you called for reinforcements? Are you so afraid of a little girl?"
Hermione saw how his features became slightly confused at the response. Apparently, he was expecting a very different reaction. The wizard turned his body to catch a glimpse of the woman who was stabbing the wand at him.
"…Bellatrix Lestrange." From this angle, the brunette couldn't see his face, but his voice said everything and more. Surprise and fear vibrated in his throat.
"Glad to hear my reputation precedes me" Red lips spread into a wide smile, enjoying the effects of her presence. "Voldemort's first lieutenant, at no-one's orders" She did a mocking bow.
The man turned to face Hermione. "And who are you, miss?"
"My apprentice." Answered Bellatrix while looking at the brunette with a warning look.
"I see." Said Mr. H, trying to display a dignified look. "I just came from the tobacco store; the owner is a good friend of mine. I'm sure you've met him, miss." His eyes hardened at Hermione "I just came from helped him to cure some nasty scars on his chest and stomach. He says he doesn't recall what happened to him. He merely remembers a pretty brunette with a kind smile, his words not mine, with a book in hand that apparently she bought there." His eyes pointed at the dark leather book on the table, then turned to an unfazed Bellatrix. "Your apprentice tortured one of ours"
"And you came here to scold me or perhaps looking retribution, is that it?" Asked Hermione, her wand pointed at his face.
The wizard swallowed. "I came to ask you what is your business here."
Bellatrix chuckled at his words. "I don't think you are in a position to ask anything."
"We may be criminals but we have a protected community here." The man-made an affronted expression. "You just tortured a man for what? Nothing!"
'Criminal?' This man didn't look like one. Hermione carefully assessed him, he was well educated, very well-groomed, his teeth were white and in perfect condition considering his age and where he lived. And above all that, he seemed none violent at all. Yet, he called himself a criminal.
'Ah! financial criminal then.'
"Your friend and I had a business deal. He didn't want to fulfill the end of his bargain; I had to throw some persuasion." The brunette calmly explained.
This didn't make sense, Hermione thought. Assuming her assessment was right. Why would a none violent man come here to ask questions? Was he the leader? No, that couldn't be right. If what the wizard said was true and there were people outside, the leader must be the one who sent him here.
"Are you going to make us leave?" Bellatrix asked, faking a sad voice.
"I don't think even you, Lestrange, can take so many wizards at once"
The moment his words left his lips, a set of emotions appeared in Bellatrix from a half-formed snarl on her face to a sadistic smile, her eyes sparkle with malicious glee.
'Oh, dear…' Hermione realized he made a huge mistake. The man had just challenged the dark witch.
"Then I better start with you!" The woman kicked his back with her feet, digging the sharp heel on his back. "Crucio!"
A deafening cry of pain followed. The veins of his neck and face rapidly protruded from his white skin. He rolled in a fetal position; feet kicking at nothing. As if moving them would somehow lessen the excruciating pain coursing through his veins. His body contorted and convulsed in such an inhuman way. Nails scratched the floorboards.
This was the first time Hermione saw Bellatrix torturing someone; it was intimidating. She held the Cruciatus curse effortlessly, made it seem as it didn't drain her magic at all.
As Hermione saw it, Cruciatus and Patronus spell were two different sides of the same coin. They have the same principles but completely different outcomes.
She recalled the first she tried to cast it, 'You have to mean it' Voldemort told her. 'You need to feel the hate inside you, the desire to cause pain. For them to hurt and suffer' That time it required so much magic from her to successfully cast it, even more, to hold it for less than 10 seconds.
And here Bellatrix was casting it without even a drop of sweat over her forehead; she looked able to keep this up for as long as she wanted to.
"Who do think you are?! Bloody filth!" Even though the cruel smile faded, the glee in her eyes never faltered. She was enjoying this too much. "Crucio!" She didn't last even 10 seconds before casting the curse again.
Hermione kept watching the wailing sack of flesh convulsing on the floor. It was moments like this, where she could attest to herself that the numbness in her body proved something fundamentally broken. It all happened the day Dumbledore betrayed her. She felt nothing at the scene. Nor pleasure neither disgust, just complete indifference at the suffering of a seemingly innocent man.
'Nobody is innocent. He could have minded his own business, but then he chose to interfere.'
This man, Hermione observed, seemed too soft to be here, by criminal standards at least. He said he had other people waiting outside, people like him and perhaps more dangerous, if that were true, they would soon come for him and then what? Bellatrix was making things worse by allowing her ill-temper control her.
'Wait…These people are watchful of who gets in or out.' The girl opened her eyes in realization
"Bellatrix, wait!" Hermione said, but the woman was lost in her own world. "Bellatrix, stop!"
Hermione walked towards the woman; tar-like eyes remained glued to the whimpering man, not acknowledging the upcoming presence. Not thinking twice, the reached for Bellatrix's hand. As soon as her fingers made contact with the pale skin, a jolt of energy coursed all across her body. It felt like static running from her arm to the fingers of her feet and the top of her head. A magical buzz, pleasurable as it was terrifying. Hermione had read this could happen; she chose not to believe it. The description itself didn't hold a candle to the actual experience. Her primal instincts demanded her to revel in the sensation, to let herself be overwhelmed by this magical hum.
Everything in her body screamed her for it.
'No.'
Except for her logical mind.
'Never!'
She willed herself to remove her hand, severing the invasive presence in her body.
Hermione didn't have time to decipher Bellatrix's reaction before a furious look took shape in her eyes. She definitely got her attention.
"What?! Mudblood?! What?!"
Schooling her feelings over what just happened, and ignoring that the woman's outburst, the brunette calmly said: "He knows what happens in this town."
Realization dawned on the older witch's face. Her face turned towards the whimpering man on the floor. She reached down for him, took a fist of his hair, violently yanking it for him to fully face her. "Well, well, we might need you alive after all!" She said it as if the man had won some sort of reward.
"We are looking for a man, white-haired, very tall. He likes wearing furs. Blue-eyed. Always looks in a bad mood. Rings a bell?" Bellatrix asked.
"What do you want with him?" the man murmured, barely able to articulate.
It was Hermione's turn to laugh. Either this old man was stupid or he was buying time "Are you really willing to risk torture again by asking stupid questions? Just bloody answer it."
He paused for a few seconds. "I have rarely seen him; I don't know where he lives."
The girl quickly took out the map and unrolled it in front of him, while Bellatrix violently grabbed his head with both hands and force him to look at it.
"Take a good guess." Hissed Bellatrix next to his ear.
