Chapter 2- The Ghost of Fred
Wanted Bellatrix Lestrange
Whilst He Who Must Not Be Named has been brought down for once and for all, it appears that the wizarding community is not out of the woods yet. Writes Rita Skeeter special correspondent.
Whilst everybody thought she had been died in the great battle of Hogwarts, it turns out that the person who had died was merely wearing her appearance with the use of Polyjuice Potion. Bellatrix Lestrange was He Who Must Not Be Named second in command and is extremely dangerous. The Minster of magic asks all magical community to remain Vilagent and stay together at all times, but he has no doubt she will be captured and brought to justice.
He also wishes for everyone to carrying on celebrating the end of the war, as he suggests that this who Lestrange situation is a mere blip for the brighter future.
Turn to page 4 to see the list of crimes against Bellatrix, Page 5 for the golden trios first exclusive interview and page 6 for an extract of my new book Severus Snape, Scoundrel or Saint
"And Kingsley has no idea where she could be" Hermione whispered to Harry. They were sitting in the great hall at breakfast. The skies now grey, threatening to rain.
"No clue Hermione none". Harry replied, feeling agitated. How could she slip away? He thought all this panic was over. He knew Lestrange was mad and extremely powerful which makes her even dangerous compared to other wizards.
"The Malfoys?" Ron suggested. "Maybe she is there. I mean they are family"
"No it will be risky, there are wizards constantly watching the manor" Harry said. "Just in case they go back to the dark fold"
"Wouldn't put it past them," Ron said darkly.
"No. She out there, probably planning her next move, wanting revenge" Hermione said. "She scares me Harry. She will be after us"
Harry considered this. "Well let her come. I am sick of fighting. We will have her. And finish the death eaters for good"
They all became quiet at these words. Harry looked around the Great Hall. Most people seemed relaxed about the whole situation. They underestimate her in Harry opinion. They don't know how dangerous she is.
It was officially the end of term in a week's time, and all the students were staying and enjoying the time they had around the now nearly fixed castle. Most of them were buzzing for the ball, which was this evening. Harry really wanted to enjoy himself but he just couldn't.
"George" Hermione said abruptly, Harry looked where she was looking; himself, sat George away from his family and friends, gazing intently at his spoon as if trying to make it melt with his eyes. "Ron maybe you should…"
"Got it" he said standing up, He kissed Hermione on the forehead, and moved over to him.
"Do you reckon he will get over Fred death Hermione" Harry said
"Times a healer" She replied sadly looking over at him. "Twins are extremely close, they were best friends. Twins with magic do have that telepathic bond that muggles believe in, when Fred died so did some of George, I wish there was something we can do?"
"Kill Bellatrix" suggested Harry,
"Harry, she is not part of your destiny anymore" Hermione said, " Its not our job to bring her down, it's the ministries"
"I know, I just want it over.
Hermione perked up, "Well there is no point fretting about it now. We are all protected here and we have a ball to go to. You going to cheer up? You have a lot of time to spend with Ginny now"
Against his will, Harry's spirit rose. " I suppose it wont hurt to have some fun".
"Good" Hermione said briskly, she stood up.
"Where you going?" Harry asked,
Hermione gave him a look. "Getting ready of course. Takes ages to straighten my bush of hair. You know this" She departed, waving to Ron as she did so leaving Harry to daydream about the ball later.
Bellatrix was standing at the edge of the forbidden forest, staring at the castle, at the place where her master had been killed. The people responsible for his death were in there now, probably laughing about him. Oh she couldn't have that. Her fingers itched. She just wanted to get that Potter and rip his heart out. Slay the Mudlbood with a sword and destroy the blood traitor Weasly using the horrid of curses she knew.
The teachers of Hogwarts worked their magic well. She was unable to pass a certain point; an invisible shield still protected the school, which now looked gleaming and new. But she had a plan. She had read all the deaths in the prophet and knew how to get some sort of revenge.
She raised her wanted and done a complicate wave, "Gemin abiit ad maiores Phasma Phasmatis" Out of her wand came shot out a golden light, that span and whirled like a twister. It got faster and faster, the air around Bellatrix became breezy as leafs and forest debris was flung in to the air by the gust created by the magic.
"Gemin abiit ad maiores Phasma Phasmatis" she repeated but louder. A flash of lighting hit from the sky as a down pour of rain fell from the sky, all the while the wind getting heavier.
Then it stopped. The light fading, the wind easing and in place of where the golden light twister had been was Fred Weasley. As tall as his alive self was but pale, and cruel looking. He did not have eyes. Instead skin sewed in crosses laid in place where his eyes should have been. He still head Fred's wicked mischievous smile but it was now dangerous.
"Ah, my pretty" Bellatrix said, " Find your twin, bring him to me"
"Yes Mistress" Fred's doppelganger replied, in a voice that could give you chills. "Anything you want" With that, he turned around and walked through the protective barrier as easy as it was water.
Bellatrix spun and spun, laughing madly. "I hope you can see me now my lord" She said looking up, as the pale figure of Fred Weasley floated its way to the castle.
The common room was had an amazing sense of excitement, infecting even those of a cynical mind. Sitting on his favourite armchair with Ginny on his lap, Harry gazed round watching everybody with a look of excitement. The females rushing up and down from their rooms comparing make up, dresses and notes, while the males flew around looking very self-conscious.
"You look fine Ron" Ginny said to her brother for the tenth time. Ron grimaces and sped back up to the dormitory to check for something or another.
"Hermione has got him whipped already" She laughed and Harry nodded in agreement.
Bless them, he thought.
Harry looked across the room; only one person wasn't joining in on the festivities. George was sat on the chair by the fire burning rolls of parchment, looking anything but cheerful.
"Maybe you should try and convince him to come" Harry told Ginny. She looked sadly and replied, "I have tried, I will go over now" she sat up, as Harry felt the weight move from his lap.
But then it happened. The room went pitch black; "Harry?" came Ginny's voice from the darkness. But Harry wasn't paying attention. Behind George he saw a tall, red haired figure, so pale he glowed, whispering in his ear. George stood up, and the figure turned around, Harry gasped. The imitation of Fred was something beyond terrible. The eyeless figure smiled his evil smile at Harry, just as the lights came back, where it disappeared.
"Harry" Ginny said softy. Obviously she did not see what she had, Harry ignored her and stared at George who now appeared to be listening to something, and then he moved, walking as though in a trance, up and out the portrait hole.
Harry jumped. Sense rushing in his head. He was sure something dark was happening.
"We need to follow George, now" Harry said urgently and made to go after him.
Startled, Ginny followed Harry; grabbing Rons arm as he appeared from the door.
"Come on Ron, something's happening", they all jumped out the portrait hole.
The corridor was deserted; The Fat Lady snoozed in her portrait. But the sound of footsteps distantly told Harry where they needed to go.
They ran and ran, George still nowhere in sight, through the castle, down its many staircases, through the marble hall, where to the left in the Great hall, they were setting up for the ball and down through the main doors.
The bitterness of the air hit Harry hard, despite it only being in June. And Harry saw, down the lawn, heading past Hagrids hut, was George and the ghost of Fred.
Ron and Ginny shrieked as they saw who was with George.
"Harry, Fred" Ron spluttered.
"Its not, I saw its face, that's dark magic" Harry replied and broke in to a run.
Ron and Ginny followed suit, barely time to catch breath. "George,
"GEORGE"
"Stop GEORGE"
From a distance, Harry saw that George halted; he turned around lifted up his arm. Confused Harry ran forward but only to be thrown back by a shield.
"No" he said angrily, as the other two pounded at the impenetrable barrier
Ron raised his wand "Accio Hermione" If the situation was different, Harry would have laughed at the thought of Hermione zooming through the castle at high speed, but right now she would probably be the only one to break the shield.
Hermione appeared from the front doors looking disgruntled, "Ron you arse, I almost wasn't dressed"
"Hermione, we need your help" Harry said quickly. "Something bad is happening and George is going to get hurt, he is entranced by the ghost of Fred. But it's not Fred.
Hermione ran forward but got hit by the barrier.
"Oh, and we cant do anything about it" Ron said.
Hermione observed the space ahead of her. Pulled out her wand and done a tricky wave. An outline of a door appeared and she run through it. The others followed and all four of them was running down the steep hill after George, who now was nowhere in sight.
They stopped by the edge of the forest. "Lumos" Hermione whispered whilst the others followed suit.
The forest looked as dark and intimidating as ever, but Harry led the way through the tough thickets, and bushes until.
BOOM
All four of them, were thrown back in to the air, writhing and squealing where they then landed with a hard thud.
Harry raised his want, and what he saw made his heart stop.
Bellatrix Lestrange, standing on top of a dead tree trunk, points her wand at him, with a face alive of malice.
"Baby Potter" She said in a voice of dead calm.
"You bitch," Harry said aggressively, he made to stand up but he was on the ground again with a lazy flick from Bellatrixs wand.
"Not going to outsmart me Potter no. Now you be a good bye otherwise, your ginger friend will be flayed alive" She whipped her wand, and George unconscious was flung in to the air, where he hovered, bound by invisible magic.
"Now, Now. I have a score to settle. You kill my master Potter, I kill your friends. And you will watch"
Harry pointed his wand at Bellatrix and shouted "Stupefy" She blocked the spell and waved hers, Harry's wand, along with Ginny's and Rons went flying through the air.
"You think, Potter of being the Dark lords second, you can take me down." She said dangerously.
"Oh I will Bellatrix, I will kill you just like I did your master. Your massive loser of a leader"
"YOU DARE" she shrieked. And she aimed a curse that hit Harry in the face as his nose broke. "My master was genius, powerful, and true visionary, he knew how the world should be, not infected by your mudbloods or half breeds, oh he knew. And I am here to finish what he started."
Ropes appeared out of thin air and bound Harry, Ron and Ginny, who struggled and writhed.
"Mudblood" Bellatrix softly, " I am going to teach you four a lesson. I am going to duel the mudblood Granger and if I win, which I have no doubt I will, it proves that purebloods are more superior.
Hermione stood up, shaking slightly but looking defiant.
"Fine" Hermione said, her jaws clenched,
Bellatrix laughed her insane cackle, whilst Hermione looked at Ron. "It will be okay" she reassured him.
"Oh it will, will it?" Bellatrix said. "For a mudblood like you who stole magic from my kind to have the audacity to stand up to me, thinking you are somewhat equal makes me want to kill you faster"
"AVADA KEDAVRA"
The jet green light flew out of Bellatrix wand, to Hermione who managed to dodge it by inches,
Hermione raised her wand and waved. The tree trunk in which Bellatrix was standing on came to life and began biting at her ankles, Bellatrix squealed,,jumped off and conjured a lasso of green fire, which she directed at Hermione, who raised her wand, but it was to late. The fire wrapped it self around Hermione, whose face looked terrified, but suddenly in a puff of smoke, Hermione had disappeared. Bellatrix gasped and looked around, Ron shaking uncontrollably trying with all his might to free himself.
"Where are you Mudblood" Bellatrix taunted, "We are not playing hide and seek".
"Here" Hermione voice came from behind Bellatrix, who turned around to receive a punch in the mouth. With a quick shot, Hermione conjured a dagger that flew at Bellatrix that with twist, turned in to a snake that flew at Hermione. The snake lunged, but in a second heartbeat, it turned, into fire, where a bird rose and flew out. A phoenix. The phoenix lunged it self at Bellatrix who placed silver shield around her.
"Relashio" Hermione cried, and the ropes that bound Harry, Ron and Ginny became loose, they snatched up their wands, whilst the phoenix carried on trying to penetrate Bellatrixs shield.
"Not bad for a mudblood" Hermione said, and pointed her wand at Bellatrix. Ron, Ginny and Harry doing the same.
"Oh you think you outsmarted me now" Bellatrix said. She raised her wand, and then pointed it to the ground, where it shook as though Bellatrix had created an Earthquake. They all lost balance, including Bellatrix, the Phoenix disappeared as did the shield.
Bellatrix issued the Avada Kedavra at Hermione but Ron pushed her out of harms way.
He sent a stunner at Bellatrix who blocked it, whilst Harry and Ginny aimed two good jinxes, however Bellatrix conjured up a body of steel, which blocked them,
"NO MORE GAMES CHILDREN", She whipped her wand around her hair, a steaming hot water, appeared from her wand tip, in which she spun and directed them at each in turn, knocking back offensive spells as she did so. Harry dodged the water but Ginny got hit, who screamed in pain.
Ron also got hit, however Hermione did not move at all. Bellatrix aimed the hot water at Hermione but she seemed unaffected. Harry noticed she was chanting, Bellatrix looking very shocked indeed and maybe even a bit frightened. Bellatrix now focused her spell solely on Hermione, Harry sent a stunning spell but she still managed to block it, Harry then went flying back, as Bellatrix desperately tried to make Hermione succumb to her water spell.
However Hermione was not even getting wet. Bellatrix was panting, as she made the spell more powerful.
"What are you doing Mudblood?" She shrieked, Hermione still chanting looked up and deep into Bellatrixs eyes.
" I win Bellatrix" Hermione said, and Harry noticed volts of electricity coming out of Hermione wand, which hit the water and sent a massive surge of power up the current, right back in to Bellatrixs wand. Bellatrix yelled as the electrical volt, threw her back where she shook violent, hair standing on end. Hermione carried on chanting, prolonging the electric shock but it suddenly it stopped. Hermione looked around, and then fell.
Hermione had fainted.
Bellatrix appeared to be in so much pain. She snatched up her wand, and ran. The surprise of Hermione power scared even her, and now she was weak and injured.
Ron was the first to meet Hermione.
"She's still breathing" he said. Hermione looked as though she was sleeping.
Ginny went and placed her hand on Hermione forehead. " She overcharged herself"
Harry was still looking around the forest, aware that she might return. George still hovered above them.
"Come on you two. Lets get them to the hospital." Harry said grimly.