The Veil

I do not intend to plagiarize either works by Rowling or Tolkien; I am merely using my imagination and applying it to their fantastic worlds. I've just tweaked some things to make the story relevant.

Chapters:13 of many

A/N: It is to my understanding the Bellatrix was 47 when she died, and it is also to my understanding that Wizards have longer life spans than Muggles, so therefore I am assuming that they also physically age slower. Must be all that magic, no?

oOo

Her legs successfully avoided the puddle she made as she, well, peed. She had raised her skirts about her waist, since she had gotten rid of the men when they went into the dark door in the mountain and no one would be seeing her 'goods' anyways.

Not that it mattered. Not like they would like to see it.

She had never had a relationship with Rodolphus. She preferred to stay as far away from him as possible, and they had only really ever seen each other in the meeting places of the house like the parlors or when receiving guests, before they were sent to Azkaban of course. They hadn't slept in the same room, never mind touch or kiss or have sex. She supposed her mother would have wanted her to have had grandchildren for her, ones that she wouldn't be ashamed to call of her own flesh and mainly blood after Andromeda had gone and married that muggle-born, but that wasn't an option for Bellatrix. She had only married the man out of what was expected of her.

But it wasn't as if she had never touched or been touched by a man.

She had been beautiful once, before Azkaban. Her hair had been beautiful curls of noir, her skin pale and fair, her eyes mesmerizing. Even her voice had a certain grace to it, and even though she had not been a singer by any means at least it had not discovered the rasp and squeak that it now had.

Before Rodolphus she also had had a healthy sex life. During her Hogwarts years boys from all different houses had attempted to make her theirs, but she was a sly little minx, and eluded many of their prying hearts, and made away with a select few whom she deemed worthy. She had kept this lifestyle effectively until her mother had put some sense into her and demand she marry, pure of course.

The only man she'd ever had any sort of true adoration for was her lord.

And look how that turned out.

It hurt her deeply to think of him. She had admired and been loyal to him perhaps far more than any of the others, and now as she reflected she realized how stupid she once was.

All the years of deep devotion had only culminated a deep regret in the pit of her stomach. How could she have been so stupid? Throwing her life away for some horrid man who couldn't even see past his non-existent nose to even notice her; how could she have been so daft?

She had been blinded as well, of course.

She needed to stop using that as an excuse.

Finding her bladder emptied and checking for any need to use the back door and finding it not necessary, she quickly penguin walked over her puddle a safe distance away where she used her wand to deal a scouring charm on herself, effectively cleaning without the need for paper. She dropped her skirts to their proper place and returned back to her puddle, using her wand again and turning the urine to water.

"Goodness knows this place needs it." She said to herself, frowning at the sheer gloom of the place.

The wind was still blowing from the door, and it rippled the water she had made. It caught her eye, and she looked at her reflection in it.

She hadn't looked at herself in the mirror in perhaps what was far too long, since before she had been freakishly transported here even.

"Oh, deary!" Her reflection yelped, "Do you need some help with that?" It said gesturing to her hair, "Looks like you've really let yourself go!"

She hadn't heard her reflection speak to her in so long, a thing every wizard went through each time they looked at their mirror self, and she could definitely say that they had respectively had a good relationship, but that was ages ago.

"Shut it." She snapped.

"No need to get nippy." Her reflection pouted at her, "You need all the help you can get."

She knew some of her old looks had faded with time, but she was not expecting what the puddle showed her.

Her hair was frizzed and shapeless. Her skin was entirely too opaque, and in places she could clearly see her own veins poking at the surface. There were wrinkles everywhere. Her eyes and every crease in her face were hollowed and darkened. Her eyebrows were wild and in need of a dire tweezing, and there was a shadow on her upper lip.

She cringed at her excess of body hair, knowing that her legs probably belonged to a Wildman and her armpits probably harbored a colony of little gnomes.

She winced at the thought, and as she did, finally caught sight of her teeth.

"Merlin's baggy Y-fronts!" She screeched.

Yellowed all over and spotted nearly black-brown in others, her teeth peered out from under her lips. Nearly all were cracked, some even chipped in half. Her had jolt up and covered them from sight before she saw anymore. The nails on her hand were in just about the same state her teeth were.

Her eyes were wide as she stared at herself, noticing that blood vessels in her eyes were popped, staining the white with splotches of red.

"I told you sweetheart." Her reflection gently said.

Her vision went blurry.

How could this have happened? It looked as if she were… She couldn't think of a description. She couldn't see any of her old beauty, none of it.

She was ugly.

Grow a backbone! The harder voice inside her head drilled.

"I—I can't." She whimpered.

There was a wetness on her face, and she didn't have to raise her hands to wipe it away for her to know she was crying.

Don't act as if you don't know how this happened!

She shook her head in denial. But she knew. Turning her heart to the dark side had paid its price, and only now, in the face of a whole new world and different circumstances was it coming to life.

But she wanted none of it. Even then, back in the place she no longer thought of as her home she hadn't really wanted to be evil. The only thing she wanted was Tom, her Dark Lord, and the Dark Arts was a means of achieving him as her prize. Something that she had used to make him as impressed in her as she was with him. She had been so attached to her Lord she had not even noticed what her actions were doing to herself. Decaying her body and mind. Then, not even Azkaban was a barrier to her.

But now she could see clearly.

Maybe that was why she was here.

Somehow she knew. Her life wasn't a life back on Earth, and perhaps this was fate's way of giving her a second chance.

Abruptly, she swallowed back her tears.

She would not settle for less than she knew she deserved.

Gripping her wand tightly, she turned to the door to where the others had disappeared.

It was a terrifying and unknown place. But Bellatrix Black was no longer scared, and this time, she would do things the right way around.

She ran through the doorway, ignoring the howling wind, fully intent on catching up with the men whom had become a part of her new life.

ooo

Although running had seemed a good idea initially, she soon learned that it was one of her less wise decisions.

The hallways of the cavern were so dark and long, she couldn't she where she was going or what it was exactly she was stepping on that gave a great crunch each time her feet met the floor, and she had a feeling she wouldn't want to know.

She could see a bright light ahead of her after a few moments of running, and was glad that they chose to walk. She kept her pace, and effectively met with them mere seconds later. Aragorn was holding a torch, and when he heard her footsteps they all turned to meet her, him lighting up the area where she appeared from, panting heavily.

"Where were you?" he hissed, thinking that she had been at the back of the party the entire time but learning the truth after hearing her fast footsteps.

"Oh, pish-posh!" she gasped, breathing deeply. She raised her arms up in a shrugging position, "I've been here the whole time."

He looked at her with and expression that said otherwise. His sword was drawn, and she could see the sigh of disappointment that rolled off his shoulders. Legolas was standing more erect than usual, but his breaths were quick paced and shallow. He seemed… dimmed somehow, as if the light inside his eyes had grown dark in the wake of the mountain. Gimli was paler than usual; he was gripping his axe tightly with both hands, and his eyes were darting every which way.

"What?" She yelled.

Aragorn grunted, and turned back around, "We don't have time for games Bellatrix."

"Oh, fine!" she admitted. "I had to take a little potty break, that's all."

He turned back his head and looked at her again but led the party forward. She felt like a child under his gaze, and looked away from his face. She was starting to get used to everyone's face being slightly disapproved whenever they looked at her.

Legolas stared openly at her, and she remembered what she learned about him being able to see clearly in the dark. She adverted her eyes from him also, knowing that he would have seen the extra redness in them that had yet to clear. He turned from her too, his hair lifting in the wind of his movements.

They resumed their walking, and she took her usual spot at the rear, behind Gimli.

The hallways were really cramped, and even though she knew she would probably be yelled at again, she walked in the extreme shadow of Gimli's steps, her foot going down as his came up. It was perhaps by far the darkest place she'd ever been, and only now as her companions were silent and her breathing slowed did she hear the voices.

There were whispers being carried on the wind, but she felt no breeze. The air was still but yet she could feel it rippling at the parts of her legs that were bare.

She looked down, and nearly stopped. She jerked her back head up and quickened her step with her eyes wide open. She really hoped that those were not hands grabbing at her shins that she had just seen.

Ahead of her she could see the others with molesting hands of her own, and slammed her eyes shut in what she would never admit was fear.

She collided with Gimli as he stopped in his tracks. She could feel him shaking badly, and slightly pushed him, hearing loud crunches as he stepped on a larger quantity of whatever it was that she had ran over earlier.

He made a sound that she guessed was a manly whimper, and took it as sign to shut her eyes tighter.

"Do not look down." Aragorn whispered.

Too late.

Her arm found their way to Gimli's shoulders just in time to feel him hop on his spot as he tried to escape whatever they were standing on. If he was scared, then she was terrified at what was making him scared. She nearly jumped on his back for a piggyback as he sounded out again.

"Wa-gah!" He yelled, "Legolas!"

She lost her hold on him as he raced forward, opening her eyes to just catch the back of him as he followed a golden sheen around a bend.

"Hey! Dwarf!" She yelled chasing after him, "Don't leave me!"

She didn't dare look at the floor, but she could feel the rounded shapes of the objects as they flew up hitting her legs mid-air.

"Bloody idiot!" She yelled at him, going around the corner. "I could have died!"

There was no answer for her as she came up to them. The cramped walls had turned into a vast underground courtyard, and not far from them was a run-down building. Aragorn raised his torch this way and that, hoping to illuminate the entirety of the space.

Down from somewhere deep below a thundering voice echoed, shaking the rock beneath them all.

"Who enters my domain?" It said.

"No one." She moaned, really not wanting this situation to get any worse.

There was a rumbling laughter, and near Aragorn a green apparition formed. It was a decaying man, with more bones visible than skin and a crown on his brow, and from what she could tell, he was smirking at them.

Aragorn stepped forward, "One who will have your allegiance."

This seemed to make the ghost a little peeved.

Maybe he'll drop dung bombs on us, she thought, thinking back to Peeves the Poltergeist.

"The dead do not suffer the living to pass."

Or maybe not.

"You will suffer me!"

At this the ghost erupted into a reverie of laughter. All around them more ghosts materialized, and with them more buildings appeared as if they had been living in them. It was the largest amount of ghosts she had ever seen. The Bloody Baron had nothing on these guys for sure. They were all in the same state as their leader, and every one of them were holding a weapon ranging from spears so long swords.

"The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. And the dead keep it!"

They advanced on them until they were surrounded by a vast circle of ghosts. They were all chanting, and still their king was laughing.

Aragorn advanced a few steps toward the king slowly.

Not a good idea…

"The way is shut. Now you must die!"

Definitely not a good idea!

Legolas notched and fired an arrow that passed through the king and clattered to the ground. The sound made her automatically react, shooting a random spell at the ghost, but of course not doing anything and running him straight through.

Aragorn continued his path towards the King.

"I summon you to fulfill your oath!"

"Uh, Aragorn?" she sneaked, "Maybe we should go…?"

Disregarding her he advanced still.

"None but the King of Gondor can command me!" he became irate, and from somewhere on his person he drew his sword, lunging at Aragorn.

Aragorn was just as swift, and from his side he retaliated by blocking with a sword that Bellatrix did not recognize to be his... Surprisingly, the swords met, and Aragorn swung the ghost's to the side.

"That blade was broken!" The ghost hissed.

"It has been remade!" Aragorn replied, grabbing him by the throat and throwing him back into the crowd.

It was silent for a few moments as all took in the events that just took place.

"Fight for me," Aragorn started, "and regain your honor." He made a circle around the perimeter, and then broke through the crowd, "What say you?" he told them.

Gimli stomped the handle of his axe on the stone. "Ach!" He spat, "You waste your time Aragorn. They had no honor in life and they have none now in death."

Bellatrix thought this would anger them, but they made no sounds.

"I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me and I will hold your oaths fulfilled."

The tension was thick, and he brandished his sword at them. "What say you?" he repeated.

The laughter started up again, but this time it was creepier than ever before. The army of ghosts started to disappear as the laughter became louder, resembling grand booms that teetered nearly to the point of unbearability.

"You have my word!" Aragorn's voice became desperate, "Fight and I will release you from this living death!" He tried to catch some of them, but they dissipated before he could reach them.

"Stand you cowards!" Gimli yelled.

Just as Gimli quieted, a thunderous crack was heard, and they all turned to catch sight of the lone building beginning to collapse. From somewhere above thousands of skulls began to fall toward them, shattering around them and pelting their bodies. The large cavern was beginning to crash.

Bellatrix screamed, but it was drowned by the sheer noise of the tumbling waves of skulls.

Now she knew what she had been stepping on.

"OUT!" Aragorn commanded them, and she followed as he guided them.

The skulls begin to form giant tumbling hills as they get closer, and in an attempt to block the party from them, she yelled, "CONFRINGO!"

The few skulls that it hit exploded in flames, but they were quickly replaced by dozens of others. They were soon enveloped, and had to push their way through, sliding down and falling from the force of the skulls. Somehow, they managed to fight their way through the sea, and made it under a little alcove that shielded them somewhat.

"Run!" Aragorn yelled at her as she paused for a moment thinking she was safe.

Miraculously, as she trailed after them once more, they burst through an exit, entering the outside air as skulls could still be heard and seen rolling.

She fell to her knees fighting for air as her body seemed too adrenaline pumped to suck it in.

The sunlight blanketed her body, and she never felt so thankful for it.

"Well," She looked up at the others, "That was an absolute waste!"

But they were looking off into the distance.

She gazed in that direction as well and then she understood.

Within the valley was a river with a small village along the banks. There was an armada of ships floating on the river, and as they passed the village the houses erupted in flames, the smoke rising up high and black. Even from as high up as they were they could hear the distant screaming.

Fuck. We're fucked.

Aragorn fell to the grass, and she couldn't see his face but she knew. He was crying.

Legolas came up to his side and placed his hand on his shoulder. Squeezing it. Trying to console him. Gimli gave a huge wail, and knocked into her from the side as he lost his balance. Legolas bowed his head in what she assumed was lament.

We're really fucked.

From behind them the rock cracked, and they all turned to see what the commotion was.

The King of the dead suddenly appeared, coming through the rock. Aragorn stood swiftly, and they were eye-to-eye.

There was a pause, unto which the King looked upon them, judging their state of character. His eyes fell to her, and under his stare she felt stripped of everything.

"We fight!" He said.

Fuck yeah!

And before Bellatrix could blink, he vanished.

There was a renewed hope in Aragorn's features. Legolas seemed to become brighter in the light of the sun, as blocked as it was by the forecast of darkened clouds. Gimli began to laugh, and she joined him with her own high pitched cackles.

"Let us meet these mercenaries." Aragorn announced, and with his words she could feel her heart begin to beat in her throat. He looked so relieved, and happy; she knew the tides had majorly turned, and in their favor.

She liked him like this, not the usual and gloomy—slightly bitchy—Aragorn. This way he was very attractive, she couldn't stop her thoughts.

Bellatrix took off in a run, her hair and skirts whipping the wind behind her. The other three were at her heels, and she felt the speed of her legs increase as the decline of the hill coaxed them. She raised both arms in the air, and she knew she was flying.

She became a zooming column of black smoke, soaring like a long flag on a waving banner.

"Bellatrix!"

One of them called her, but she was too preoccupied with the fact that she was freer than ever before.

She laughed loudly, and the sound carried in the valley, echoing infinitely. She came to the edge of the river, and on the bank she landed, swirling in the smoke like some crude dance. The ships were close, and she could smell the villages burning.

It didn't take long for them to catch up with her, but by then the ships were crossing the river directly ahead. Gimli took long labored breaths, but tried to cover it up as they halted by her sides.

They came close to the bank and Aragorn was first to speak.

"You may go no further!"

The men looked like a cross between goblins, Fenrir Greyback, and Santa Claus. Their hair was in disgusting dreads and she could distinguish their awful smell from the burning villages from where she stood.

Their leader began to laugh at them.

"You will not enter Gondor." Aragorn continued.

"Who are you to deny us passage?" The others began to laugh with him this time, and it irked her.

Aragorn got impatient, "Legolas, fire a warning shot. Don't hit anyone."

As Legolas bent his bow string, she aimed her wand at the ships.

"I'll do it." She muttered, singling out the boson.

But before she could utter a spell the arrow flew, but there was an odd feeling behind it. It landed square in the chest of one of the men.

"Legolas!" Aragorn said, but Legolas was looking at Gimli, who had his hand over his mouth that was shaped in an O.

"Oh!" He mocked, "That's right, we warned ya!" He took a wide step forward, waving his axe menacingly. "Prepare to be boarded, scum!"

More laughing, "You and what army?"

Oooo, should not have said that!

Aragorn drew his sword, "This one!"

From behind the dead rushed the ships, and she charged along with them.

ooo

"Aragorn! I don't know what I'm doing!"

"Just pull hard Bellatrix, and insert it in the hole!"

"Ahhh!"

She fumbled around with it in her hands.

"Here, let me." Legolas pushed her aside, and took hold.

She watched as he made the knot, his long fingers weaving the rope successfully.

"These sorts of things are much better off doing using magic."

"I'm sure of it my Lady, but it does not do any hurt to use your own strength sometimes."

Easy for you to say.

It wasn't hard for her to see the muscles rippling beneath his tightly fitting tunic.

The other seemingly unoccupied ships were being manned by the dead, and so that left this one for the four of them.

Gimli took the wheel, holding onto it and steering with one hand and leaning on his axe with the other. He looked a little too cocky for comfort. Aragorn ordered the two of them around, while he 'lead' the armada.

It was a small moment of contentment before they approached what she knew would probably be their deaths.

This time, she would die knowing she did the right thing.

oOo

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