Chapter 4: Rings, Revel, Revelation
A/N For those worrying about Azor's past, you'll find out though not too soon I should think (Not everything about his past will be explained.) Also, as you can see I changed the story name to something better, I think. :)
PS: Thanks for all the reviews! I appreciate it.
(2 months later)
Harry walked into his home, a huge grin on his face. In his hand he held a small silk bag, its contents clinking together metalically. He ran through the hallway and banged the living room door open, rushing up to Bellatrix.
She had curled up in a chair, a thick winter robe draped around her shoulders. When he came in, she didn't even raise her eyes and pointedly turned a page of her thick book.
Harry paused and glared at her, shaking the bag in her face. "Well? Aren't you wondering why I'm so happy?"
"No." She said shortly, noting down a few wand movements on the parchment in her lap. The only sound in the room was the scratch of her quill while Harry gawked at her in surprise.
"Well, you should be." Huffed Harry recovering from his surprise and sitting down on the armrest next to her head, giving her a crooked grin.
With a long-suffering sigh she carefully bookmarked her page and closed the tome, stowing it on the desk next to her with the parchment. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, doing her best to not look inquisitive. She knew he was up to something for the past two months because of all his absences but she was too proud to beg to go with him, and he wouldn't tell her what he was doing no matter how much she threatened.
God she hated the man sometimes, even if he was surprisingly likeable after the first few weeks. He even made her blush a few times, which was an accomplishment in itself, no one could fluster the Queen of Pain. Of course, it had nothing to do with any affection. He was just a partner in crime, nothing more. She decided to ignore the small part of her brain who protested at those faulty words. He wasn't her friend.
"Alright Potter, what is it?"
"Rings!" He said joyfully, pulling out two solid black rings with small silver designs on them and tossing one to her.
"A bit forward, aren't you?" She replied with a small smirk, inspecting the item carefully. She could feel the dark magic in it, but couldn't exactly identify it.
"Don't be silly Bella, I'll make sure your ring has diamonds when I propose."
"What?" She hissed, jackknifeing up and eyeing him suspiciously.
He burst into laughter, falling off the armrest and sliding down to the ground, grabbing his stomach. "Your...face.." He said between gasps.
She glared at him furiously and smacked him smartly on the head. She had long ago learned that her wand wouldn't work on him until the contract was over, luckily she had found that mild physical violence wasn't part of the contract and abused the loophole regularly. He really could be annoying and she hadn't tortured any mudbloods in ages.
"Oww..." He groaned, holding his head tightly and wincing. Even after two months she didn't seem to tire with the beatings and thoroughly enjoyed them, of course, he still hadn't learned to stay away from her when he cracked jokes. He also enjoyed her company, even if he would never admit it.
"Yes, ha ha, hilarious Potter. Now how about you tell me what these rings are ?"
"Okay, but try not to interrupt until I'm done." She nodded and he quickly walked over to the sofa, sitting down comfortably. The wind was howling outside and the moonless night gave the room an eerie look. Harry smiled slightly, it was the perfect weather for dark secrets and evil plans. He looked at the woman across from him thoughtfully. She had changed much across the last months. At first her temper had been erratic and she was prone to bouts of nonsensical mumbling.
Now however she was aristocratic grace incarnated. Not at all the Bellatrix he had known before. While she certainly hadn't lost her sadistic and cruel nature, she was hardly insane anymore and he liked it that way. Of course, he had seen the mad gleam in her eyes when they dueled or in the few heated arguments they had but he brushed that aside. No one was perfect. He probably wasn't exactly sane anymore either, was he?
Gathering his thoughts, he began.
"Over the last two months I've gathered paperwork and certain items to create new identities for ourselves. You are now an expert in Dark Arts while I am a researcher who tries to find new counterspells or modifies Dark Arts spells to make them legal. These rings where the last step towards our new personas and took me a long time to find. They are dark rings that will create undetectable glamours for us. Though they only work for twelve hours at a time, then they need to recharge for three hours." He took a deep breath and cast her a worried look. This wouldn't go down well. "Please don't get angry until I'm done, okay?"
Bella glared at him but after a moment's consideration she nodded sharply.
"I want to infiltrate Hogwarts. You would be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. To allow both of us to get in I had to make us…" He cringed and shrunk away from her. He could be a hundreds year old Necromancer, she was still a scary witch. "Fiancee.."
The tension in the room seemed to thicken and he could almost feel her anger boiling beneath the surface as she sent him a murderous look. He hastened to explain.
"I tried to find any other rule that allowed both of us to get in, but none worked since I couldn't be a teacher without using magic, and I can't since it corrupts my Necromancy. We don't even have to pretend to like each other, there are a lot of loveless marriages."
He looked at her hesitantly, hoping to avoid her wrath and was shocked when he saw a feral grin cross her face. "Oh I love this! I am going to enjoy making you squirm Potter." She giggled and he blushed, cursing his Potter emotions and awkwardness around women. Azor was never like that. He sometimes wished he had kept a bit more of Azor when he melded himself together.
"We're also invited to the Christmas ball by Dumbledore." He spat out the name like poison, glaring a hole into the carpet. "Where he wants to get to know us. Apparently it's some big ministry get up and it is in a few days. My father wasn't the most proper of nobles so I'm not sure..I was hoping you would be able to make a good impression for us, since I'm not sure what to do."
She looked through the window wistfully, her eyes glazed over. It had been a long time since she had been able to do something so normal as go to a ball and it scared her. She wasn't even sure if she could do it anymore, being surrounded by all those air headed dimwits.
"It's been a long time...But I can try, if those fools don't annoy me."
"Excellent! I'll make sure to keep you on a tight leash."
"Do you want another slap potter?" She asked sweetly.
Harry walked into the ballroom with Bellatrix clutching his arm possessively, her body pressed against his. He had long ago resigned himself to his fate, Bellatrix was going to make this as uncomfortable as possible for him.
He stole a glance at her as they stepped into the entry hall of the Bones Manor, where the ball was being held. She was under her glamour, her dark ring on her finger. She now had straight black hair that came to the small of her back, and piercing green eyes with a straight nose and full lips.
She had dressed in black and silver robes that hugged her for form perfectly and turned more than a few male heads as they walked by.
He himself had dressed in deep red robes and transformed into a tall and lean blond-haired man with blue eyes.
They showed their invitation and were quickly ushered into the huge ballroom. It had been festooned with decorations and the tables groaned under the weight of food. In the center of the room was a cleared off place for dancers. It was already filled with couples swaying to the tune.
Harry felt Bellatrix tense next to him as he gaze fell upon some of the more prominent Light families around the room. He lifted a hand and rested it against her shoulder lightly, making her turn her burning gaze towards him.
"Calm down Venus, we don't want to attract unwanted attention."
"Of course dear, how silly of me." She gave him a sweet smile and turned back towards the crowds, dragging him onto the dance floor forcefully.
"I hope you can dance, Potter." She whispered into his ear as she pressed her body against his and laced her arms around his neck, a smirk playing across her lips.
"Of course." He replied smoothly, unable to hide the tinge on his cheeks when he felt her generous curves against him. He put an arm around her waist and held her delicate hand with the other, pointedly ignoring her triumphant smirk.
They continued to dance uninterrupted for the next few songs, and were both surprised when they realized that they were enjoying themselves. Harry had found out that he could now dance, even if it was a bit rusty, and that he enjoyed it. Bellatrix however, found the Ball comforting, it reminded her of her youth when everything was simpler and less painful. Times long gone.
Their peace was shattered when someone bumped into Harry's back and he almost fell over Bellatrix, who squawked in protest. Harry quickly spun around and instantly stiffened, his eyes hardening. Before him stood a blushing Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
"Sorry, Didn't see you there...Mr..?" Said Ron with an easy grin.
"Jacob, Jacob Sternstein, and my fiancée Venus White, you are..?" Harry forced himself to keep up a pleasant façade, even as he felt his inside burn with anger. What right had they to smile? They had done nothing but give him pity at his trial, they were weak, they had not acted and if the papers were anything to go by, still did nothing!
Ron's smile faded slightly at Harry's tone and Hermione shifted from side to side awkwardly. It confused Harry until he saw Bella eyeing her like a bird of prey, her eyes cold. She was inappropriately close to Harry, her chest pushed up against his arm, a smirk on her lips.
"Well, I'm Ron Weasley and this is my girlfriend, Hermione Granger." He tried to keep his eyes away from Bella's chest as she rubbed it lightly against Harry's arm, but his eyes occasionally flicker over it, much to Bella's delight.
"Hogwarts students?" She asked sweetly, gripping Harry's arm even tighter when he tried to edge away slightly, her perfectly painted nails digging into his skin. She ignored his warning look and held back a giggle, she knew he would want to leave his two former friends as soon as possible.
Hermione brightened at the mention of school and stepped forward, standing in front of Ron eagerly. "Yes, we're seventh years, we start in January, well, we normally would be done with school but we were absent last year because of H-" She snapped her mouth shut and blushed, looking down at her feet quickly, her head bobbing. "Well, the war."
It was Bellatrix's turn to rest a soothing hand on Harry's shoulder to make sure he didn't lose his composure. She wondered if the mudblood still had the marks of her torture session from the year before. A small smile played on her lips, a smile Hermione misinterpreted as a friendly gesture which she returned eagerly.
"Ah, Well perhaps we shall meet again then Miss Granger, Mister Weasley. I am to be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for the year."
"What about your husband?" Asked Ron.
"Ron!" Cried out Hermione at his lack of tact, looking embarrassed.
Bellatrix ignored this and wrapped an arm around Harry, who had stayed silent during the discussion. She squeezed him in a one armed hug and winked. "My fiancée is a researcher and will probably be accompanying me and perhaps even assisting me in my classes. Now if that is all, we have a meeting with your Headmaster.."
Without giving them the time to answer she swooped away gracefully, pulling Harry along behind her. They quickly left the brightly lit hall and made their way towards the study where they would be speaking to Dumbledore. Harry's face quickly fell from forced smile to snarl as they walked.
A few feet from the door, she grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall, her wand pointing at his throat before he even had time to react. She glared at him furiously.
"This was your plan Potter! So don't mess it up by acting like a spoilt brat. Get your act up or go back home."
She jabbed her wand in his throat once and plastered her sweet smile back on her face, lacing an arm around his once again. Harry frowned at her for a few moments before breathing in deeply and smoothing out his features.
They both took a moment to strengthen their mental shields, then Bella knocked on the door.
"Come in."
They stepped inside the study. It was spartan with a simple wooden desk, two chairs in front and a leather armchair behind it. Bookshelves lined the walls. It was impersonal, efficient.
'Probably like the Bones bitch', thought Bellatrix dryly.
"Ah, my charming Defense teacher and her husband. Please sit down." Said a genial voice. They both looked around in surprise, and found Dumbledore in a corner of the room, his wrinkled fingers running along the dusty bookshelves. His brilliantly colored Phoenix clutched his bony shoulders in its talons.
"Headmaster." Said Bellatrix civilly. She was the better actor of the two, Harry was still coming to grips with his irrational Gryffindor attitude and simply nodded, taking a seat.
"Please, no formalities between teachers. You may call me Albus, if you allow me to call you Venus and Jacob." Dumbledore smiled warmly at them, his old eyes twinkling happily.
"Well, if we aren't going to be formal…" Said Bellatrix with a mischievous smirk. She slid into Harry's lap and laced her arms around his neck, her smirk widening.
Harry blushed deeply and glared at her, he slowly put his arms around her hips, still blushing deeply.
After a surprised look at the two of them, Dumbledore smiled and sat down facing them. "It is heartwarming to see such affection growing, after so many years of war." He lifted his hand and Fawkes jumped off it then quickly hopped on the desk next to his master.
"Now, before we start I hope you do not mind if I make a few tests, to be sure you are who you say you are. Unfortunately, imposters have slipped through the Hogwarts wards before."
Bellatrix stiffened in Harry's arms, but he gave her a reassuring squeeze and a tiny wink only she would have seen. After his initial embarrassment, he found that he liked his current position, and had no qualms in holding her closer, even if it disturbed her. After all, she had been the one annoying him all night, his revenge was justified. Was it not?
She relaxed slowly and cast him a weary look, too preoccupied with the current situation to care about his games. He might trust in his rings, but she knew next to nothing about them and it disturbed her.
"Now, don't move. It will over in a few minutes."
Dumbledore spent the next quarter of an hour casting dozens of charms at them, but nothing happened, much to Bellatrix's relief. When he finished he set his wand down and stroked Fawkes's head.
"Now, if I may, one more thing."
Fawkes let out a trill of beautiful music. Dumbledore felt a soothing warmth pass through him.
Harry and Bellatrix felt the complete opposite.
Harry almost fainted and blinding pain flashed behind his eyes, who rolled back in his skull. His 'fiancee' convulsed once and winced. The sensation was unpleasant but paled in front of Harry's, who was still trembling violently.
She glared at Dumbledore, who was watching them warily, gripping his wand once again.
"What have you done to H-Jacob?" She snarled, baring her teeth at him.
"Only those have delved deep into Dark Magic react like that..I think you should put your han-"
"Of course he reacts like that, you fool! He is a researcher, he tries to find counter curses and healing spells for the Dark Arts. He uses those spells all the time!" She shrieked, straddling Harry and holding him firmly by the chin, shaking him. She was to angry to even realize she was worried for him.
Dumbledore frowned and looked away, feeling guilty. He had not even considered the possibility that they would react badly and had completely forgotten about the footnote in Venus's application.
"Come on Jacob, snap out of it." She hisses at him, shaking him again.
He moaned and shifted feverishly, his brow pale and covered in sweat. She looked down at him for a few seconds, before quickly leaning down and kissing his lips with her own full ones. The instant she realized what she was doing, she pulled back, looking a bit flustered.
Harry opened his eyes and looked up at Bella in confusion. His mind was a bit blurry but had she..kissed him? He frowned and wiped away the sweat from his face as Bellatrix grabbed his arm and glared at Dumbledore. "I will be seeing you in January, Headmaster." She manhandled Harry out of the room and marched to the entry hall.
He smirked at her and whispered. "So..Did you kiss me in there?"
She flushed and gave him an evil look. "Don't get your hopes up, Potter. You're lucky I had to play for the Headmaster."
He nodded and wisely let the matter drop. It wouldn't be smart to push her any more. She was already in a terrible mood. He let her pull them out into the garden, and before he had a chance to move she apparated them both to Knockturn Alley.
The moment they landed she flicked her wand again and transfigured their expensive clothes into heavy cloaks. Her wand out, she stalked towards Diagon Alley. As if sensing her ire and the aura of danger she expelled, every lurker in Knockturn stayed well away from her.
Her cloak billowed behind her like the wings of a giant bat. Bellatrix needed to vent her confusion and knew no better way than killing and hurting. She didn't know why she had kissed him. She wasn't a stranger to kisses, but this was different. She held feelings for Harry, whether they be friendly or more she didn't know, and she didn't like not knowing. He was just a partner, she shouldn't be trying to encourage him!
Ignoring Harry's increasingly annoyed questions she burst into Diagon Alley and located a patrol of five aurors. Without even pausing for a breath she lifted her wand up at them.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry groaned and rubbed his face slowly as the flash of green light illuminated the Alley and the passers-by ran around screaming. He knew she was irrational but why did she always have to do stupid things? Folding his arms slowly, he bored holes into her back with his eyes and waited for her to deal with the situation. He didn't see the point in randomly killing people. But she seemed to enjoy it.
A cackle brought him back to the real world and he looked up at Bellatrix. She had let her cowl fall, fortunately she had the presence of mind to revert to her true face. Her eyes were alight with cruel glee as the last surviving Auror writhed under her overpowered cruciatus curse, foam dripping from his mouth.
Harry leaned against the rough brickwork and waited for the reinforcements that were bound to come soon. He watched with mild amusement as Bellatrix crooned over the screaming auror. He knew she would never be completely sane again. But without Voldemort influencing her, she seemed to have regained most of her sanity when she wasn't in highly emotional or stressful situations.
There were a few audible pops and much to Harry's surprise, Dumbledore appeared, followed by Ron and Hermione as well as their parents and a few other order members. They ran towards Bellatrix but were too late to save the unfortunate auror. In a flash of green light he fell to the floor limply, his face twisted in pain.
"Lestrange!" Screamed Hermione furiously, her whole body shaking with rage. The Alley was deserted now, apart from Bellatrix, the Order members and Harry who stood in a dark alcove, a cruel smirk on his lips.
Bellatrix stood tall, looking down her nose disdainfully at Hermione. Her chest heaved with excitement and her hair was once again in a dissarray.
"Mudblood...So good of you to join me..Wanna finish what we started a year ago?"
"Don't touch her you bint!" Bellowed Ron, sending a powerful cutting curse straight at her chest. Bella shrieked in delight and lifted her wand to counter attack when Ron's spell was absorbed into the shield Harry had just lifted.
He stepped out of the shadows, his eyes glowing green in the shadow of his cowl. He carefully stepped over a mangled auror and set a hand on Bella's shoulder, whispering. "You already got the aurors, don't be selfish."
The glare on her face slowly melted into a smirk and she nodded, stepping back to give him room.
"Ronald Weasley.." Said Harry coolly, green fire flickering around his fingers. He enunciated each syllable precisely.
The Order members shifted uncomfortably but kept their wands steadily trained on him. He grinned and released the Necromancers aura, laughing softly when a few of his adversaries paled and stepped back. He knew the effect it had on the untrained or unprepared. It was like a Dementors aura, except instead of instilling fear, it gave you a wiff of a hundred rotting corpses, of a man dying by the black death, it made you feel dead inside.
"W-Who are you?" Stammered Ron, taking an uncertain step back.
"Well...I think your precious Headmaster can answer that...He must recognize my..Aura."
Every head turned towards Dumbledore, who was bone white and looking upon Harry with horror. "You died…" He said weakly. "You died sixty years ago."
"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. I was sent to a most unpleasant place, where I met someone who has helped me out enormously…"
Harry slowly lifted his hood off and grinned cruelly at the Order members, who gasped in shock and fear. This was not the Harry they had known before. He was thinner, with sharper features and a much, much colder face. His smile sent shivers down many a spine.
"Harry! You must fight him, don't let him control you!" Cried out Dumbledore, who looked shaken and hesitant.
They all flinched when Harry threw his head back and laughed loudly. When he finally got himself under control he turned to Dumbledore with his burning green eyes. "You are a fool Dumbledore, to think I would possess as your old enemy would have. Tom Riddle was a fool. Harry and I came to an agreement. We..share this body."
"You bastard!" Roared Ron. He lifted his wand and sent a blasting hex straight at Harry. Once again, his shields simply absorbed it.
"Ronald Weasley...You have not learned your place. Stay out of what does not concern you."
"It bloody well does! Yer a dark wizard Harry!"
Harry sighed deeply and snapped his fingers, conjuring a small ball of fire that he sent flying at Ron. Before anybody could react it smashed into the side of his face and threw him back. The fire was gone as soon as it came, but it left horrible burns all across his face. Hermione screamed and ran to his side, tears beading in her eyes.
The other Order members lifted their wands angrily, but Harry was faster. He grabbed Bella's arm and turned to Dumbledore, all traces of amusement gone. "I will come back for you Albus Dumbledore, and I will make you watch as your world falls apart around you, before I kill you."
He disappeared in an explosion of black flame, leaving their spells to impact into the ground behind him.
Bellatrix and Harry appeared in their living room and she lost no time in grabbing him and dragging him to the couch, shoving him down. "Explain what that was about. NOW!"
He quailed under her commanding glare and nodded meekly, patting the couch next to him. With a huff she sat down and crossed her arms, staring at him expectantly.
"You know, you're a good kisser."
"Don't try to change the subject, dimwit!" She snapped, her high cheekbones coloring slightly.
"All right, All right. Tell you what, once we're at Hogwarts I'll get Dumbledore's pensieve and you can help me extract the memories, all right? It will be clearer like that.
She gave him a suspicious look and nodded, rising and dusting herself off. "Well, if that's all I'll be going to bed now."
"Goodnight."
She nodded stiffly and let Harry to his dark thoughts, sweeping out of the room.
A/N: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it and of course, review! :)
As usual, if you have any questions worries or ideas, I welcome them.