A/N: So, I have the feeling that many of you will be unhappy with me. This is the last chapter, and it may not go as you expected, but this was the plan I had for this story from the beginning. I would like to thank you all for sticking with me, through the inconsistent updates and long waits. Your support means more to me than I can describe. There will be no epilogue to this story, nor will there be a sequel. Check out my other stories if you feel inclined to.
Tell me, what would you die for?
When you're looking down the barrel of a gun
You let your loved ones cry for it
But you held your own when it's all said and done
-WWYDF, Zero 9:36
Bellatrix rushed to usher the essentials into a bag. Even with magic, she could feel time running out.
"Bella?" Hermione asked, watching her with a dawning realization, "You don't think Narcissa did it."
"Of course not. My sister may appear strong but I saw how the war broke her. She chose Draco over Voldemort, over me. Even if she doesn't think she'll betray me again, she will. She'll choose Draco until her dying breath." Bellatrix slung the bag over her shoulder, holding out her hand to Hermione.
"Why did you give her the choice?" Hermione tilted her head to the side.
Dark eyes darted to the side as she murmured, "Because I will always choose not to see the look on her face when I kill someone. Just like you will always choose me. We are flawed, Hermione. Our insanity does not save us from the fatality of our attachments. I had to teach you the hard way because that's the only way I could be sure you'd understand."
"But the plan-" Hermione began.
"The plan was always going to go this way, Hermione." Her eyes darted from window to window.
Hermione looked up at her. "What if they put up anti-Apparition wards?"
"We'll know they're here long before they're able to set any wards in place. Pureblood families value their privacy, that's why the closest you can get is the driveway. Between that ward and the house are several layers of wards for protection. The Aurors will have to tear through four before they'll be able to start." Bellatrix narrowed her eyes, following perceived motion. "The first is a protective ward, the second is a secrecy ward, the third brings them within range of the bomb, and the fourth is an alarm. When the fourth ward falls, it will trigger a magical alarm that you and I will be able to sense. As soon as it falls, press the button and I'll Apparate us out."
"How much time do we have?" Hermione's thumb hovered anxiously over the button that would activate the bomb.
Bellatrix placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "Not much."
Hermione nodded, her eyes catching sight of motion. Bellatrix and Hermione watched the influx of Aurors make their slow approach. With the number of Aurors that were sent and still arriving, it took less time for each ward to fall. They were still as statues while they were waiting. They had a very small window for their plan and they couldn't afford to be a moment too soon or too late. Hermione felt a tingle begin to climb up her spine and she moved her thumb to rest on the button. From the corner of her eye, she saw Bellatrix nod. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and pressed down, feeling twisting in her gut at the same moment she heard the Aurors yell out orders. They were both breathing hard as Hermione looked around. Hermione could feel her heart in her throat, almost like she was going to be sick.
"Hermione, I need you to look at me," Bellatrix ordered.
She met dark eyes with uncertain brown ones. Bellatrix placed both her hands on her shoulders and leaned forward, whispering something she didn't understand. The first thing Hermione felt was anger, and she latched onto it. She shoved Bellatrix away from her.
"I thought you trusted me!"
Bellatrix grabbed her hands to keep them from hitting her. "I do trust you. I trust you to let me do everything I need to and I trust you to do as I say. This was not because I don't trust you, Hermione."
"Then why did you?" Her voice cracked even as she fought for it not to.
"Because I don't trust everyone else," Bellatrix whispered, pulling her into a hug, "I needed to elicit these specific reactions through you. I needed them to look at you and see what I wanted them to see and believe that everything you were feeling was the truth. I needed it to be true to you." Bellatrix struggled to pull Hermione closer in an attempt to calm her.
Hermione continued to fight her way out of Bellatrix's grip, anger and hurt fueling her attempts. "How long?"
"Right before you left to go see Ginny," she mumbled.
Hermione felt some of her anger dissipate. "How much of what happened did you have planned?"
Bellatrix gave her a sly smirk. "I had most of it planned. I didn't expect Draco to be there when you went to see Ginny, but I had a feeling he would've found out anyway. This was the best way for us to weaken the Aurors without a direct confrontation. I'm not sure how many will be killed, but there will be plenty of serious injuries. The news will spread and the villages you've visited will become the army we need to solidify my control."
Awe caused a chill to travel down Hermione's spine. "So, even if they believe the news, you think they'll still side with us?"
"Maybe not all of them," Bellatrix shrugged, "But enough to stand a chance. I'm sorry I had to manipulate your mind, but don't think I won't do it again if I feel the need."
Hermione stepped toward her, finally giving up the fight she was giving the older witch. "I told you when we started that I would do whatever it takes."
"Does that still apply?" Bellatrix asked, her hands framing Hermione's face.
The brunette nodded. "What now?"
"We lie low until we hear news about what happened. If things went exactly as I planned, we'll be presumed dead, but it's possible we won't be. Once we find out, we'll adjust as necessary." She rummaged through the bag she had brought, pulling out a radio.
Hermione made herself comfortable on the ground, leaning her arms on the boulder Bellatrix balanced the radio on. "Have you ever been camping?"
"A long time ago." Bellatrix frowned as she sat next to Hermione.
The faint sound of the radio filled the silence as they sat there for a while, processing the events that had just transpired. Eventually, Hermione pushed herself up and began pitching the tent before it got too dark. It was easy to do with magic but it helped if she knew what she was pointing her wand at. Bellatrix's eyes followed her as she worked, weaving protective wards just in case. The radio was nothing but drivel for the time being but she wasn't sure what was left of the ministry could keep it under wraps for too long, especially with Rita Skeeter alive and well.
"You coming?" Hermione asked, half inside the tent and holding it open.
"Sure," Bellatrix mumbled, snatching the radio off the boulder and bringing it with her. Hermione let the flap of the tent fall closed, zipping it with a flick of her wrist.
Days passed before they heard anything of significance on the radio. What they did hear was regarding Narcissa and her arrest, but nothing about whether they were suspected to be alive or dead.
Hermione's eyes had darted nervously to Bellatrix, but her only reaction was to push herself to her feet and say, "She made her decision."
They didn't talk about it more than that. Hermione worried that Bellatrix was burying her emotions, but truthfully, she had stayed as calm as she usually was and hadn't had an outburst so far. She supposed Bellatrix had expected this outcome and had time to prepare herself. Hermione decided to follow suit, mentally preparing herself for the eventuality that she would have to fight Ginny, maybe even Draco. She knew she would win, even if she fought them both at the same time, but she felt some lingering...attachment that might make it more difficult.
"Bella?" Hermione asked, "Can we train?"
Bellatrix's head swiveled to her and she had a mischievous grin. "That sounds like an excellent idea."
She stood, snatching the radio to bring it with her. There would be no dueling for them, it would be too distracting and she had to stay alert, but there was always magic to be learned. Dutifully, Hermione followed the dark witch to a safe distance away from the tent, awaiting her instruction.
"You see that tree?" Bellatrix asked, pointing to a smallish one about five meters away. At Hermione's nod, she continued, "You have one spell to turn it to dust. The whole thing. No wand, no words."
Hermione surveyed the tree from up close while Bellatrix perched on a stump, observing her while she listened attentively to the radio. The tree was probably only a decade old, much younger than many of the other trees growing nearby, but Hermione still had to crane her neck up to see the top of it as she walked backward. She didn't want to be too close to the tree just in case something did go wrong. Idly chewing her lip, Hermione wracked her brain with furrowed brows for a spell that would turn it into dust, only to come up empty. She mentally facepalmed, realizing that the whole purpose of this exercise was for her to come up with something creative. Hermione rolled her shoulders, fixing the tree with a steady gaze.
Bellatrix watched with a smirk of amusement. She was excited to see what Hermione would come up with. Narrowing her eyes at the tree, Hermione flicked her wrist, nearly being knocked off her feet by the force of the magic that left her. The magic hit the tree, dispersing through it and for a moment, nothing happened. Without a sound, the tree crumbled into dust, eliciting gleeful cackles from Bellatrix and surprised laughter from Hermione.
"According to several reports, it is believed that Hermione Granger," they both fell silent, "And Bellatrix Lestrange have perished in an explosion at an undisclosed location after being confronted by several Aurors. It appears that Miss Granger was working alongside Ms. Lestrange to bring down the Ministry of Magic."
"Now the real fun begins. If I'm right, the villages we visited should be up in arms as soon as the news spreads, which won't take long." She strode to the tent, shoving their belongings into the bag with a wave of her wand. "With the Aurors largely out of commission, they'll be too busy quelling the riots to stop us from breaking into their new headquarters and planting the last of the bombs. Once they know we're there, they'll come back and then we blow it sky high."
Hermione grabbed the bag with the bombs, placing the detonator in the pocket of her hoodie. "I've never done an anti-Apparition ward before."
"It's easy," Bellatrix winked, slinging the bag over her shoulder, "Just remember to leave a loophole for us."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but the radio stole her attention before she could. "Just in, reports of unrest all across Europe. All volunteers to help handle the situation are being asked to report to the temporary ministry headquarters."
Bellatrix shut the radio off, initiating a mental count of how long she approximated it would take before it was empty enough for them to go. Of course, they could sneak in during the chaos of arrivals and departures, but if they were caught it was much more likely they would be overtaken. Hermione's hand gripped Bellatrix's forearm, waiting for her to Apparate them. Bellatrix wished she had gotten the invisibility cloak back from her sister, but it didn't really matter now. They were so close now, she could already taste her victory. It would be so sweet.
The ministry headquarters had settled down when Bellatrix and Hermione appeared. Their arrival was such a shock that most of the people there didn't even have the chance to draw their wands before they were stunned. Many of them held their hands up in surrender, especially as they encountered less and less. Those were just the people that saw them coming, but most didn't and were paralyzed or bound before they could even process what happened. Hermione took a deep breath, channeling her magic to create the ward that would keep people from leaving. Bellatrix took the opportunity to secure the bombs, taking the bag from Hermione and placing them in such a way that the structure would collapse. Only people inside would be killed, and they had moved the people they considered a non-threat outside. It just wouldn't do if everyone was killed. Hermione began to feel people apparating in, their magical signatures moving through the ward she had placed and becoming trapped.
"Thirty seconds," she said, turning to Bellatrix, "I just need thirty seconds."
"You know where to take us," Bellatrix replied, sliding her hands around her waist, "As soon as you're ready."
"You really think they'll fall for the same thing twice?" Hermione asked, pulling the detonator out of her pocket.
Bellatrix shrugged. "They don't have to. They'll be crippled by the unrest and this explosion, they won't stand a fighting chance against the number of people that are unhappy with the way things are. When I command them to, they'll surrender if they're smart, and if they aren't, well, they probably didn't have much of a future under my rule, anyway."
Hermione nodded, pressing the button that would activate the bombs and Apparating them away. Bellatrix was quick to blow the radio broadcaster's door off its hinges, and Hermione was close behind. They stunned everyone they came across, avoiding lethal spells for the time being. The fewer civilians they killed, the better. Hermione had no idea the station was so large, it seemed to take them an eternity to reach the actual microphone that was used to send out reports. Bellatrix wasted no time stunning the man, his chair spinning from the force of it. She sent Hermione a look and the brunette quickly rushed forward, examining the controls that would broadcast Bellatrix's message across Europe. With a few educated guesses as she liked to call them, the station was ready to transmit Bellatrix's message.
"Witches and wizards of Europe, the time has come to implement a new form of government. A better form of government. Your current ministry has failed you, reduced to rubble by a mere two witches," Bellatrix paused, allowing the listeners time to absorb her words, "Those of you that have met my associate, Hermione, know that I do not hold the ideologies I have been painted to possess. I value skill, dedication, unwavering loyalty. For those of you fighting to maintain the old government, this is your chance to surrender. Do so now and you will not be punished. Fail to do so and you will be imprisoned or killed."
Bellatrix looked to Hermione, giving her a slight nod. The brunette turned the microphone off, looking at Bellatrix with a relieved smile.
"We did it," she breathed.
"Make no mistake, Hermione, there is still plenty of work to do. But yes, we did it," Bellatrix said, caressing Hermione's cheek and placing a soft kiss on her lips.
Across Europe, Aurors were lowering their wands. In all the madness, they had neglected their duty to protect people. They had even attacked them for expressing discontent. The villagers, in contrast, were celebrating the victory. After decades of being forgotten, they had finally reminded everyone of their existence. There were only three people who had not given up in their hearts, but they had decided to live to fight another day. In the privacy of Minerva's cottage on the Isle of Man, Minerva, Ginny, and Draco sat in front of a fire. Their heads were in their hands and their mouths were dry with the sting of defeat. They had been fooled into thinking nothing bad would happen, and they had ignored their guts until it was too late.
"What do we do now?" Ginny asked, staring blankly at the floor.
Minerva sighed, weariness creeping into her bones. "We have no other choice but to wait. It will be years before people are unhappy enough that we could get away with changing anything."
"Then we wait," Draco said, lifting his eyes to the fire, "We bide our time until then."
Ginny and Minerva nodded slowly. Silence descended over the three, the weight of its implications crushing them. The reality of their defeat struck them to the core, but they knew as long as they were alive, there was still hope. So far, the rules Bellatrix had implemented were pretty standard, stripping Aurors of their power, placing it with the people who had risen up when she was presumed dead. They were safe as long as they complied and didn't draw attention to themselves. Ginny and Draco were particularly worried about their future, there was no way they would be allowed a peaceful existence under Bellatrix's rule when they had actively tried to bring her down.
Minerva worried for her two former students. She knew she would be fine, but Draco and Ginny had been the ones to inform the Aurors in the first place. She wasn't sure how safe this place was, considering Hermione knew about it, but hopefully the alterations she had made would protect them. It was hard to admit, but she was curious about what type of institution Bellatrix would implement. That didn't mean she agreed with the methods used to obtain the power necessary, but her system might actually work, for a few years, anyway. Corruption was unavoidable and the driving force right now for her reign was fear. There were plenty of dissenters, scattered though they were, Minerva firmly believed they would rise up against her if her ruling was unsatisfactory.
Narcissa perked up when she heard footsteps approaching. She hadn't been in Azkaban for more than a few months, but she felt so much less substantial than she had. She had lost weight, she was always cold, and her body was heavier than it had ever been. Still, the footsteps she heard were unmistakably Bellatrix's. Remembering what she had done, Narcissa sunk into herself, hoping to make herself too small to notice. Bellatrix, however, was not so easily fooled.
"Get up, Narcissa," she barked, throwing open the door and leaning against the stone that comprised the frame.
"B-B-Bella," she stuttered, partly out of fear and partly from the cold.
Bellatrix gave her a stern look, and Narcissa made her body rise from the bed, shuffling to her sister.
"I am a little disappointed that you chose not to obliviate them," Bellatrix said, gripping Narcissa's chin, "But it wasn't a surprise. Lucky for you, my plan hinged on you betraying me."
"Are you going to kill me?" Narcissa asked, flinching as nails dug into her chin.
Dark eyes flashed dangerously and Narcissa fought the urge to shrink away. "I should kill you. But I need something from you. Does Draco know that you have the invisibility cloak?"
"I never told him about it," Narcissa said, "It's in my wardrobe, tucked in the false bottom."
"One more thing, Cissy," Bellatrix growled.
Narcissa shook her head desperately, tears leaking from her eyes. "Please, Bella."
"Narcissa," she gripped the blonde's chin tighter, "I will not kill him. He will be in the cell right next to you, but if you don't help me, I will kill him when I find him."
Sobs erupted from her throat and Bellatrix couldn't help but sneer at her youngest sister.
She leaned in, whispering in her ear, "This is your fault, Cissa. I gave you the choice to Obliviate them both to save them from me. But you have my word that if I can bring him in alive, I will."
Her sobs only intensified and she clutched her oldest sister's shoulders tightly. Bellatrix was beginning to lose her patience and was about to push her away when she felt a small nod against her shoulder. Smiling predatorily, she stroked her sister's hair almost gently.
"You've made the right decision," she whispered.
Narcissa wasn't sure it was the right decision. She had thought that she couldn't choose between Bellatrix and Draco, but that was foolish. She had sacrificed everything she had to for Draco and she had never done that for Bellatrix. Her loyalty to her sister was based on fear. Fear of losing her. Her loyalty to her son was based on love. She had always thought they were the same, but she realized now that they weren't. She had feared Voldemort and she had lied to his face to save her son.
A hand tightened on the back of her hair and she gasped in surprise as Bellatrix whispered, "If you try anything, and I do mean anything, to save him from this, both of you will die."
Narcissa nodded her understanding, feeling tears dry on her cheeks. She would not allow Draco to suffer in Azkaban for the rest of his life. After just a few months, she knew it was worse than death. As much as she didn't want to die, or for him to die, she would save him from Azkaban, even if she had to kill him or her sister. She would do anything to protect him. Narcissa felt the burden of her chains evaporate. Bellatrix gripped her tightly, Apparating them to Malfoy Manor. Hermione was lounging on a chair, her legs over one arm and her back against the other when they arrived. She regarded Narcissa with a skeptical look before turning her gaze to Bellatrix.
"Fourth floor, third door on the left. The cloak is in the false bottom of the wardrobe," Bellatrix instructed, pushing her sister onto the couch and perching on the arm.
Hermione nodded and set off to carry out Bellatrix's instructions.
Narcissa fiddled with her hands, refusing to look at her sister. "Why did you need me to tell you where it was?"
"I want to see if you're telling me the truth," Bellatrix said, fixing her with a burning gaze.
She swallowed hard, smoothing her hair with the palm of her hand. It wasn't long before Bellatrix felt the tingle of Hermione's magic letting her know that she had found the invisibility cloak right where Narcissa had said it would be.
"Send him a Patronus," Bellatrix commanded, tossing Narcissa her wand.
With shaking hands, she did as her sister told her. Her hands trembled more as she waited and prepared herself for what she knew she had to do. She willed her hand to be still and her aim to be steady when the time came. The wait was agonizing, and Bellatrix's calm demeanor only served to make it worse for Narcissa. She wanted to sob, to run, to scream. She wanted her son to live, and Bellatrix had only given her one choice. Bellatrix felt Hermione's invisible presence beside her and she knew the brunette was watching Narcissa carefully. She was no fool. Narcissa still had her wand, but it would hardly do her any good, even if Draco brought Ginny along. With Hermione invisible, Narcissa had no idea how close she was being watched. If she so much as lifted the wand, Hermione would stop her.
A satisfied smile formed on Bellatrix's face as she heard her nephew running. There was a second set of footsteps close behind him, and her smile transformed into a smirk. It would be so much easier to end any chance of rebellion with both of them dead, and she didn't even have to hunt them down. The pair burst into the room, immediately drawing their wands. Narcissa prayed her aim would be true as she took advantage of the distraction her son had caused. The spell was on the tip of her tongue when her sister's wand flew out of her hand and clattered onto the floor. And then she couldn't move.
"Mum!" Draco shouted, leveling his wand at his aunt. Ginny did the same.
"I wouldn't be too hasty," Bellatrix said, inclining her head to Narcissa. Hermione let the invisibility cloak fall to the floor, her wand pressed into the skin of Narcissa's neck.
"You're monsters!" Ginny yelled, training her wand at Hermione.
The two witches shared an amused look.
"Let me explain why what you're planning to do is a terrible idea. Neither of us needs a wand or words. Even if you did attack us, Narcissa would die because the spell on Hermione's tongue is the Killing Curse and I guarantee she could cast it before a spell hit her." Bellatrix shifted her weight to her feet, moving away from the arm of the chair. "Make no mistake, if you so much as cast a Stupefy in our direction, we will not hesitate to kill the three of you. I did tell my sister that if she tried anything, I'd kill you on the spot, but Azkaban is so much worse than death. Give up your fight or die where you stand."
Draco and Ginny shared a glance, weighing their options. This had become their last stand, unintentional as it had been. They could risk it all and maybe come out on top, or they could die fighting for what they believed in. The decision was easy. Their chance may have been slim, but they had faced terrible odds before, and they would do it again. If their opponents were going to use lethal force, then they had no choice but to do the same.
Hermione and Bellatrix knew what their decision would be from the start. It was Bellatrix's fatal attachment to her sister that even gave Draco and Ginny a chance at life. As much of a life as it could be. Hermione was unbothered by the pressure of the moment. She already knew that as soon as Ginny moved her wand, she'd have to kill Narcissa and roll behind the couch. As soon as the blonde witch was dead, the real fight would begin. She watched Ginny carefully from the corner of her eye, waiting to see the way her eyes narrowed right before she began an attack.
It was barely a second later when Hermione saw the tell, easily firing the Killing Curse at Narcissa and rolling behind the couch as a green jet flew past her, crashing into the wall. Bellatrix had sidestepped Draco's curse, anticipating Hermione's move. It sailed harmlessly over the couch, dissipating against the window. In perfect synchronization, Hermione and Bellatrix cast the Killing Curse. Hermione's sailed toward Draco and Bellatrix's sailed toward Ginny. Both of them barely avoided it, but before they could breathe a sigh of relief, their breath was stolen from their lungs as their hearts stilled in their chest. The only reaction they had was a subtle widening of their eyes before they crumpled to the floor in a heap.
Minerva often mourned the deaths of all who had died fighting against Bellatrix and Hermione, but she had never fought them herself. It was painful to think about. The shame she felt at never being able to take a stand against them haunted her every day, but she could never bring herself to want to fight Hermione. Even with everything she had done, Minerva cared for her as much as she had before she had changed. It was her greatest failure. The decades under Bellatrix's regime had been better than she could've predicted. The rules were surprisingly fair, even if they were extreme. Anyone who spoke against the system was imprisoned or executed, so many people kept their mouths shut and played along, herself included.
Bellatrix's reign had been oppressive and productive, thanks to Hermione's influence. As with all things, it too came to an end. Bellatrix had died of natural causes. Hermione had been the one to find her, and no one had any idea where she had gone. Minerva suspected she had followed Bellatrix to the afterlife, unwilling to continue living without her. She had no idea what would come next, but she hoped the two witches finally found peace. It was nearing her time to depart the living world, she could feel it. She was ready. It had been a long life, and often felt much longer. Whatever plan there was for the world, she would no longer be part of it. It was for the best.
To those of you that made it this far: In many ways, this story was everything I wanted it to be. All of us, no matter how independent, have a fatal attachment, and that was the overarching theme of the story, but this chapter especially. It is meant to serve as a reflection of the complexity of human nature. Be it lovers, friends, family, or what have you, we all have or will have at least one attachment that can destroy us. There are multiple paths to destruction, which I tried to exhibit in this story. The formation of that fatal attachment and the consequences of it are what I attempted to express through these 32 chapters. We can deal with loss, heartache, and betrayal in different ways, and those ways play a part in determining our outcome. I urge you all to consider what you want your outcome to be and take the necessary steps to get there.
I love you all.
Ace of House Slytherin