A/N Hello my dearest readers! Did you think I would forget to update today? Never fear, chapter 27 has arrived. I know you have all been waiting ever so patiently for an explanation for the torture of the Longbottoms. It shall be revealed in the next chapter. Do not fret about the events of this chapter, all has been taken care of. Trust me, readers.
And now I would like to present to you, CHAPTER 27! Go forth and enjoy!
"Welcome all. We have a new face at our table tonight, but I'm sure you all recognize it. It is my pleasure to announce that Hermione has received her Mark for succeeding on her mission," the Dark Lord spoke to his followers.
Cheers filled the room, excited for the young witch. They had known of her mission and its success but had waited to congratulate her until it was formally announced. She smiled, blushing slightly at the praise the Death Eaters were giving. She had not expected to be so welcomed into the group, but she supposed she had not expected a lot of what happened. A year ago, she would have never imagined herself where she was now. It had all started with a book.
The Dark Lord watched as his followers celebrated Hermione's initiation, absently stroking Nagini's head. He was proud of the girl for her success on her first mission and for handling the Cruciatus so well. Narcissa told him where the spell had hit after she examined the girl and he was relieved she was not harmed more than she was. She was an incredibly powerful witch and he would help her hone her power. Deciding to continue, the Dark Lord called for silence with a hand.
"We have important matters to discuss. The wizarding world now knows we are back. The Order has succeeded in twisting my goals to serve their purposes and keep me from gaining followers. But there are those that cannot resist the truth. We must find these people, as we did with Hermione. Severus, what can you tell us about the Order? Do they know of Hermione's defection?"
"The Order knows of her choice of guardian. Sirius and Mad-Eye are proclaiming she was a double agent the whole time. Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks have not said anything on the matter, nor have Ginny Weasley or the twins. Aside from Ron, the other Weasleys are on the fence, wanting to see the best in Hermione but unable to disprove anything. There has been no mention of the incident on the train as of yet, but Dumbledore has called a meeting, so I suspect I shall know for sure in a few days. Since she refused to be a spy for him, he feels inclined to side with Sirius and Mad-Eye. Potter still thinks Hermione can be convinced to come back. He doesn't-or refuses to, I'm not sure- believe she has chosen the dark side over the Order. He is the only one to think this," Severus said, glancing at Hermione occasionally. Hermione could see his concern for her and smiled, hoping to ease his worry.
"Thank you, Severus. I apologize for the life you have been forced to live because of this war. I know it is taxing."
"Thank you, my Lord."
"Draco and Hermione, I have a task for the both of you. There is a set of Vanishing Cabinets in need of repair. Hermione, you will work on the one in Borgin and Burke's. Draco, you will work on the one in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts once school begins. Hermione will not be returning to Hogwarts with you, so you will only have Severus there with you."
"Yes, my Lord," they replied in tandem.
"Very good. We have one more thing to discuss before I will answer questions. Which one of you would like to kill Albus Dumbledore?"
The room was cacophonous as the Death Eaters argued among themselves. They all had a strong dislike for the wizard, having endured his prejudice against them while they had attended Hogwarts. It was part of the reason a lot of them joined the Dark Lord instead of the Order. The Dark Lord watched in amusement at the childlike behavior of his followers. Narcissa was grateful the Dark Lord had not asked her son to kill Dumbledore. She knew he would soon bear the Mark, but Draco was her only son and barely more than a child. She wanted him to be spared from killing anyone. She knew this was unlikely, but she could only hope he would retain some of his innocence. The Dark Lord held up a hand for silence again.
"Bellatrix."
"Yes, my Lord?"
"You have been strangely quiet. Do you not wish to be the one to kill Dumbledore?"
"I do, my Lord. After all he has done to Hermione and everyone here I want nothing more than to see the life leave his eyes," Bellatrix said darkly.
The Dark Lord watched Hermione for any signs of fear, pleased when he found none. The girl was not afraid of the darkness in Bellatrix. She had accepted it and her own.
"Bella, you will be the one to kill Dumbledore when the time comes."
"Thank you, my Lord."
"My Lord, I had an idea, if I may?" Hermione asked, bowing her head slightly.
"Go ahead, Hermione."
"I was thinking, my Lord, that Draco and I could use a more efficient way to communicate than owl post. I have not worked out the finer points, but I believe I can alter the spell you used on your journal in my second year to create a secure two-way communication so Draco and I do not have to worry about letters being intercepted. It would also allow us to send messages at any hour should we need to. That way we can keep each other updated on the status of repairs and bounce ideas off each other."
"That is a wonderful idea. I shall help you alter the spell in whatever way I can."
"Thank you, my Lord."
"My Lord, will the cabinet at Borgin and Burke's stay there while Hermione repairs it, or shall we have it moved here so she has better access?" Lucius asked.
"That is up to Hermione, but I believe it will be more beneficial for her to have it here."
"I'll be sure to have it moved here, my Lord," Hermione said.
"My Lord, will there be any targets between now and Dumbledore?" Greyback asked.
"Yes, I do believe there will be some havoc to bring about," the Dark Lord said, amused at the maniacal grins on several faces. They weren't the sanest group but they were loyal and honest. The Dark Lord wouldn't have it any other way.
"That will be all for tonight. You are dismissed," he said, Nagini slithering onto the table to Hermione.
The Death Eaters took their leave, save for Hermione and Bella. Hermione watched as Nagini approached, curiosity shining in her eyes. The Dark Lord was pleased Hermione was not afraid of the snake. Nagini would only harm on his order and he rarely did so. She reached forward to stroke the snake's head, her tongue poking out to touch Hermione's Mark. She chuckled at the sensation, slightly ticklish.
"Is there something you require, Hermione?"
"My Lord, I wanted to offer my properties for your use should you need them as well as my vault. There is also something I would like to request."
"Thank you, I hope it will not be necessary but I shall keep your offer in mind. What is your request?"
"There are a number of people who have sworn loyalty to me hiding within the Order for the moment. I ask that they not be harmed should there be a confrontation, if possible. I have instructed them to do the same. I felt they would be safest where they are for now so I told them not to reveal their side unless they have to."
"That is a reasonable request. I should have known you would have allies. When the time comes they have a place in my ranks if they desire."
"Thank you, my Lord."
Hermione and Bellatrix exited together, hand in hand as they always were. The Dark Lord watched their exit, happy that his Lieutenant finally found a more permanent sanity and Hermione had chosen the side that would accept them both. He had never doubted what the young Gryffindor's choice would be, but he was pleased she had decided so soon. The war would end sooner than he thought, and he knew they would be victorious. He had no worry that Hermione would become a spy for the Order. After being lied to for so long, she would not turn her back on the truth she sought. The Dark Lord did not fear the two witches would attempt to take power for themselves, either. They didn't seek power, it gravitated to them. Hermione and Bellatrix had no desire to rule, they just wanted to be accepted. The Dark Lord did not have to read their minds to know that, he could see it on their faces.
Bellatrix and Hermione sat in the library, pouring over the Transfiguration book from le Fay Castle. Bellatrix could sense Hermione's slight discomfort with the concept of becoming an Animagus and wanted to put her fears at ease.
"Would it make you feel better if I showed you mine?" she asked in a whisper.
"Yes. But I also just want to see."
Standing, Bellatrix moved some of the furniture away from the center of the room with a flick of her wand. She had only transformed a few times since escaping Azkaban but the skill had not left her. She could feel Hermione watching as her body stretched and shrunk, forming into a sleek black panther. Padding over to where Hermione sat on the couch, she rubbed her head against Hermione's knee, satisfied with the look of awe in the girl's eyes. She reached out to rub her chin and Bellatrix couldn't help but purr at the action, tail swishing happily. Hermione laughed, more at ease with the idea of becoming an Animagus. Bellatrix shifted back, sitting next to Hermione again and waving her wand to return the furniture to its original place.
"Thank you, Bella."
"Of course, love. I was going to show you even if you didn't want to become an Animagus."
"We both know I could never say no to learning such a thing," Hermione said with a laugh.
"I suppose you're right, but there's nothing wrong with that."
Hermione leaned against Bellatrix, reading through the walkthrough. It was mostly simple, but it would be a painful process. The whole purpose of taking months to become an Animagus was to lessen the pain. She would be skipping all of that, but she wasn't too worried about the pain, she was worried she would lose focus and end up semi-transformed. She knew she could do it, she was already able to hold her magic around her the way the book described. The chant would be the hardest part. It wasn't more than a few lines, but it was in Latin and it had to be memorized for the initial transformation. She would not have the book in front of her when she was attempting it and if she messed up it could be disastrous. She had plenty of time, though. She would attempt it when she was ready.