Thank you all of you who have read this story and to every one of you who took that extra minute to post a review. Thank you, lisa, Harriverse, shina and Raine
Harry Potter and the Trip to the Past
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Chapter – 25
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'Hey Hermione!' Harry called, walking into the King's Cross station. He had just waved goodbye to Sirius and Remus, who gave him many instructions to be careful, all because Bellatrix had escaped Azkaban. The topic of the last week of holidays had only been Bellatrix's escape. Harry had been forbidden to go to Diagon Alley and he had been told so many do's and don'ts that he was close to screaming in frustration and was never more happy to escape Grimmauld Place.
On the first of September, Harry thankfully walked along the platform, after seeing off Sirius and Remus, and seeing Hermione called out to her. She was standing with her parents and hearing him shout; turned and beamed at him. Harry grinned back at her and greeted her parents and chatted for a few minutes before saying his goodbyes to the Grangers and got on to the train. They walked through a few compartments before they found an empty one and went in thankfully hoisting their trunks on the luggage rack and sank down on the seats.
'Did you see the papers Harry?' Hermione asked him at once in great excitement and some fear after they sat down waiting for Neville to join them. Harry nodded his head and smiled at Hermione's expression. 'I did and this last week, Sirius and Remus have been so worried, it has been crazy, really.' Harry finished with a sigh and a second later the door opened and Neville peeped in and seeing them, walked in.
Harry smiled at Neville and Hermione greeted him softly, but Neville only nodded his head at both, sitting down stiffly. Harry was inwardly shocked at the changes in Neville. He looked pale and had come down to half his size and he was holding himself as if he would break any moment. His face was taut and stressed. Harry wondered how this last week had gone for Neville. It was frustrating for him, but for Neville it must have been terrible. Hermione smiled sadly at Neville and Harry watched as Neville caught her eyes, flushed and turned away. Harry did not speak and neither did Hermione. A few minutes later, Neville spoke, as if unable to bear the silence.
'Gran almost did not send me this year.' He said, leaning back on the seat. The train began to move and Harry smiled sympathetically without saying anything, while Hermione simply nodded. Bellatrix's torture of the Longbottoms had been splashed all over the papers and she and Harry could understand just how the conversations would have been in the Longbottom household.
After a few minutes Harry spoke. 'Sirius and Remus too, were very reluctant to let me go. Bellatrix has escaped Azkaban and Sirius was paranoid about it. It was only after I told him that I would be in Hogwarts, the safest place in all of Wizarding Britain that he allowed me to come.'
'She is related to Sirius, he is naturally concerned Harry. Besides she is evil.' Hermione said with a trace of anger remembering all that she read about Bellatrix. 'I hope she is captured soon.' She finished softly and then fell silent, seeing Neville was very uncomfortable.
'I wonder who the defence against the dark arts teacher will be this year.' Harry asked both of them after a small silence.
'Have no idea. Poor Professor Lockhart. He was attacked and somehow lost his memories and now is in St. Mungo's. They are not sure when he will get his memories back, if at all.' Hermione looked angry for Lockhart. Harry grinned at her and watched her frown. 'Harry, why are you smiling? Surely you don't think Lockhart's position is funny?' she asked huffing a bit at him.
Harry of course thought Lockhart very much deserved it, having oblivated so many others to take their stories to make a name for himself, but he could hardly say so and he smiled at Hermione's indignation on behalf of the now memory less Lockhart. Harry shook his head, 'I don't mean it badly Hermione, but well, I really couldn't care much about it either. He was a bit of a fruitcake.'
Hermione looked affronted by Harry's casual dismissal and relapsed into a silence that told Harry he would need to break it first and with an apology. Neville had not said anything at all and Harry looked out of the window, wondering about his third year. Last time Sirius had escaped and Remus had been riding with them on this very train. Now, though it was very different. Bellatrix of all people had escaped and the whole Wizarding World was now looking for her. Harry also did not know who the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher was and he also did not know if dementors would guard the School. There had been a lot of articles about the safety of the people at large a few articles about the protection of students at Hogwarts. Perhaps, Harry thought, Dumbledore might still allow the dementors into the school, if the Ministry made a loud enough noise about it.
Harry took a deep breath; this year was already beginning in a way his last time did not and Harry did not know what to do; he was deep in thought when the door of their compartment opened and Draco peeped in. Seeing Harry, he smiled a bit and was about to walk in when he noticed Neville, who was looking away from him and straight out of the window.
Draco flushed and stepped back and then a few seconds later shuffled his feet and moved forward, straightening his shoulders, as if determined to face whatever Neville might throw at him. He stepped inside and raised his eyebrows asking Harry the question. Harry smiled at Draco and nodded to him and Hermione too called out to him, but Neville sat straight and stiff, without looking at him and not saying a word either.
"Hey! How have you been?' Harry asked him, with a smile.
Draco shrugged. 'Okay. What with Aunt Bellatrix's escape...?' Draco wound down seeing Neville turn deliberately to glare at Draco and then look away.
'Go on what happened?' Harry asked interested to see what Draco would tell him, and if Lucius would have warned Draco about his Aunt who was on the loose. Draco smiled a bit nervously and cleared his throat. "Father is very worried and so is Mother. We don't want her, and really everything's been a bit tense. I was glad to get on the train, you know.'
'It is not your fault Draco, don't beat yourself about it; she's your aunt on one side and Sirius's cousin on the other and he's foaming at the mouth too. We just have to be careful, so that if she's got any plans of coming to the school, we can be prepared, though I doubt it. Thirteen years in Azkaban; Merlin! She must be insane to say the least, with only the dementors for company.' Harry finished and then they were largely silent the rest of the time. Draco was sitting there almost defiantly, not moving until the announcements came for everyone to change into their robes and get ready to alight at Hogsmeade.
Draco had had a strange holiday; in fact a strange few months. He was looking at everything and everyone, with a different eye, ever since he came to know that Lucius was responsible for the Diary. While he never said anything outwardly his time with his parents had been different from his point of view, because he saw them and their motives differently. He knew they loved him; he loved them too, but it was somehow different, because he was not agreeing with them on everything. Only he was not doing it openly. He was, he realized this holidays, seeing everything through Harry's eyes. Wondering, if Harry would agree and if so, then it was somehow okay with him; and if he knew Harry would not like it, he too, found reasons to disagree.
The last week had not been tense only for the Longbottoms, but also for the Malfoys, though they would of course never show it. When the news of Bellatrix's escape reached Lucius Malfoy, he was displeased at first. The Malfoys knew about the escape through the papers and Lucius had almost fainted with shock. He contacted the Ministry and spoke to the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge and had had it confirmed. He told the Minister that he very much hoped that the death eater would be captured soon and closed the floo connection.
He had turned to Narcissa and they had walked into their study and spent some time there. Draco had been watching all this and he sat in one corner unobtrusively, observing all that was going on. Lucius had come out looking better and Narcissa had a resigned air about her. They had come to a decision and they had chosen a side. Not that they had much choice, the dark mark on Lucius's left forearm would not allow him to do anything else.
He had called Draco and told him about his Aunt Bellatrix's escape and warned him to be careful. And for the first time, Lucius also told Draco to stay away from Harry, because things were different now. Draco had heard him silently, nodding in all the right places and knowing full well, he would not obey this command of his father at all. Only he would need to be careful. Draco was amazed at his own rebellious attitude and suddenly felt very happy, even though he did not know why. He decided to slowly talk to Pansy, Blaise and whoever would listen to him in Slytherins House and start them thinking.
He knew it was only a matter of time, before Bellatrix would come to Malfoy Manor and he also decided if he came to know it, he would tell Harry about it. He had spent his week after Bellatrix's escape doing a lot of thinking.
Now, seeing the way Neville treated him on the train and how Harry supported him, Draco; Draco felt that he was doing the right thing. He would speak to Harry, Neville and Hermione and take it from there. Having decided that Draco had felt very relieved and light. He sat there quietly his head held high and when the announcements came he nodded to Harry and Hermione and looked at Neville, who was still not looking at him, and walked out.
The train journey had been tense and silent mainly because of Draco who stubbornly refused to leave, but there had been no dementors this year. No fainting for Harry and no listening to his parents' voices. Though, Harry was not sure he would hear his parents' voices this time. He had seen too much and he was sure, Harry thought with a frown, that he would see his children reaching out to him. Harry turned his head sharply towards the window to conceal a sudden spurt of pain.
It was almost three years and he was still weeping inside; Harry talked sternly if rather sadly to himself, telling him to stop this emotional outburst about what had already happened and which was not likely to change ever.
When Hogsmeade station came, the three silent third years alighted and walked out into the crisp breeze that was flowing around them. It was still dusk and steadily beginning to get dark and Harry looked around him breathing in deeply and taking in the scenery around him. The little station was surrounded by mountains that seemed to go on forever and nestled in their midst was the fully magical village of Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade was a very small village of a few streets, an owl post office, the main market place where The Three Broomsticks, The Hog's Head, Madam Puddifoot's and other small shops were lined up on one side of a long street, which then branched off to join a small pathway cum lane that lead to Hogwarts.
The students except the first years got into the horseless carriages, and Harry saw the threstals which he was sure Luna could see as well, and they went up to the castle. Harry's heart filled up with love as he saw the castle gates and the stately Hogwarts, her towers floating high up proudly in the air, and with the Forbidden Forest looming darkly on one side. Harry once again felt he had come home and leaned back in his carriage, very happy and extremely content. There were no dementors at the gates and Harry hoped he could get through this year without much fuss.
They trooped inside and entered the Great Hall. Harry glanced at the Head Table almost automatically and saw Snape's eyes on him. Seeing Harry, Snape glared at Harry who grinned at him and raised his hand in a small wave. Snape scowled and turned to speak to Dumbledore who was watching this exchange with much amusement in his eyes. He looked at Harry and smiled, and his smile slightly widened when Harry grinned at him and inclined his head in a greeting.
Soon, Harry was sitting with his friends was eating hungrily, enjoying the vast feast laid on the table before him. Hermione seemed to have forgotten about Lockhart and was back to smiling and talking with him. Harry looked at everyone in the Great Hall and idly listened to the conversation around him, which was unsurprisingly about Bellatrix.
'I hope the insane death eater does not come anywhere near us.' Said Seamus stuffing roast potatoes into his mouth.
All the others nodded fervently and Dean who had been told about the insane death eater was also nodded his head. 'How could she escape anyway? I thought this Azkaban thing was guarded by what's that Seamus? Yeah, dementors and no one can get past them?'
'Yeah, but you see Bellatrix was almost as feared as You-know-Who and she was terrible in the first war. Who knows what kind of dark magic she did to escape?' Ron chimed in. he was looking well, Harry noticed with a pang and so was Ginny.
'After thirteen years?' Hermione entered the fray. 'I doubt it.' She said. 'If she had powers that could help her escape why wait for all these years? She could have escaped long back. Staying there for such a long time; I hope no one in the ministry helped her?'
'No, no!' Seamus hastened to tell her. 'The prison is guarded by dementors Hermione. They suck souls and leave a man worse than death. They won't let anyone inside.'
'They won't know. They'll think that the aurors came in with Ministry permission. The ministry is not saying anything except that they are looking for her and they will capture her at any cost.' She said, frowning at no one in particular, trying to remember all that she had read the last week. Neville was still not saying a word and Harry decided that he would need to talk to him, if he continued this way. This could end up stressing Neville in a way that could affect him badly.
At the end of the meal Dumbledore stood up, asking for attention. The smile had vanished leaving a serious looking Headmaster and all the students fell silent.
'I have information for all of you. Last week Bellatrix Lestrange escaped Azkaban. She was one of the more fearful death eaters following Lord Voldemort and this is not good news at all. The Ministry has appointed the dementors to guard the School in case Bellatrix would try and enter. Please do not leave the School without permission and do not approach the gates where they would be stationed.' Dumbledore looked for a second at Harry and continued, 'The Forbidden Forest is forbidden as usual and Mr. Filch has a list of things that are not allowed and has posted a list for those interested in his office.' The students were still as they looked at Dumbledore and he continued, 'On a happier note, we have a new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Jim Tim.'
A small, thin man who looked as if he needed to be defended stood up and bowed and then sat down. The students looked at each other and then looked away, trying not to laugh. Dumbledore sat down and then it was time to leave the Great Hall and Harry got up and left with Hermione and Neville, grinning at Draco, Pansy and Blaise
The Gryffindors walked up to their tower and feeling tired, Harry, Hermione and Neville walked up to their dorms and after changing and setting his things in place Harry walked over to Neville's bed and called out softly to him.
'What is it Harry?' Neville asked him.
'Can I come in for a minute?'
'What is it?' Neville said opening the curtains and Harry walked in.
'How have been holding up Nev?' Harry asked him, abruptly the moment he sat down on Neville's bed.
Neville blinked at the frankness of the question and looked at Harry for a few moments trying to find the right answer and decided to tell the truth. 'Pathetic!' he said. 'Gran has been a wreck ever since that…that hag escaped Azkaban and she has also been very worried. We went to St.Mungo's and asked for additional protection for my parents and she almost decided against sending me to Hogwarts. It was only because Uncle Algie told her, that I would be safest here, with Dumbledore that she reluctantly agreed. It has been terrible. I…I just want to kill her Harry.' Neville finished with a snarl that looked so out of character. He also felt relived that he had spoken out and got it off his chest and looked at Harry a little defiantly.
Harry was silent for a few minutes, giving time to Neville to calm down. 'Well we will be safe here. Along with Dumbledore, we also have the dementors and powerful wards that would protect all of us.' Harry sighed. 'I hate her as well. Sirius feels very bad; they are related you know and he was also very worried. I really, had to work to convince them to come here this year. Don't let it stress you out Nev. She's not worth it.'
Neville smiled a bit, and Harry after sitting with him for a little more time, stood up, and saying good night to Neville, left to his own bed to sleep the first day of his third year, leaving Neville feeling somehow better for having got all that out and knowing that someone else understood his feeling of extreme frustration, anger, helplessness.
The first morning Harry, Neville and Hermione walked to the Great Hall and met the Slytherins at the door.
'Hey Draco!' Harry called. Draco turned with a smile and stopped when he saw Neville. Coming to a decision, he nodded to his Slytherins friends to move on and spoke to Harry in a low voice. 'I want to talk to you three. Meet me tonight somewhere?'
'In the second floor classroom. All three of us will be there. You'll be careful? If Snape catches you…' Harry left it there and Draco and the three Gryffindors went into the Great Hall for their breakfast.
Harry looked at the Head Table to see Snape glaring at him; he smiled and waved cheerily and grinned when Snape snarled. His good deed for the day being done, Harry ate his breakfast, wondering what Draco would tell him and how he could meet Snape to talk with him. He would have had news about Bellatrix from Dumbledore and hopefully from Lucius Malfoy as well. If he didn't, well, then Harry could suggest it.
Finishing their breakfast they collected their schedules from McGonagall and walked out. Harry noticed they had potions the last class of the day, and he wondered if he could get detention somehow. Harry had taken Runes and Arithmancy this time along with Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Grubby-Plank was the Professor this time and Harry resolved to do something about Hagrid; even if he was not made Professor, the least he could do for Hagrid was to somehow help him to prove his innocence.
On that note Harry spent the rest of his day, learning about animagus transformations and attended his first Ancient Runes class. He sat with Hermione, smiling at her enthusiasm and then all of them went to the last class of the day. Potions.
The door was closed and they stood around the door when Snape surprisingly came from outside and he was in a foul mood. He glared at everyone, especially Harry, and banged the doors open and strode inside. 'Come in, and don't waste time. Get out your things and follow the instructions on the board!' a flick of his wand and there were instructions on the black board about how to prepare the pepper up potion.
Harry prepared his potion cleanly and neatly and at the end of the class walked up to Snape and tripped, tipping his potion all over Snape. There was a deathly silence for a minute. Snape looked at Harry with utter disbelief in his face.
'Detention, Potter!' he paused for a second. 'For a week!' he glared at Harry who managed to look shocked instead of nodding his head at Snape.
'You will start today Potter. Come here straight after dinner, to redo your potion you spilt.' He smiled nastily at Harry and turned that smile on the class. 'Get out! All of you! What are you waiting for?' he barked and watched with satisfaction as all of them pushed each other to get out first.
The moment dinner was over, Harry went down, and smiling at the sympathetic looks he received from Hermione and Neville, and walked to the Potion Master's office. Snape was waiting for him, and he took out his wand and warded the doors as soon as Harry closed them and walked to his chair, watching Harry plonk himself on the other chair.
'What's the news Snape? Did Dumbledore tell you anything?' Harry asked him, abruptly, coming straight to the point.
'Did this happen last time?' Snape asked one of his own, his eyes boring into Harry.
Harry shook his head. 'Last time Sirius escaped Azkaban. He saw Wormtail's photo in the paper when Fudge visited Azkaban and he escaped.'
'How? How could that be possible? Are you quite sure?' Snape asked sounding very suspicious, as if Sirius of all people could escape Azkaban and that Harry was lying, and even though Harry had told him that Sirius had escaped Azkaban long back.
'Yes, Snape. Sirius escaped Azkaban last time; I have told you this before. He is an animagus. He slipped out one day, apparently, when the dementors opened his door to place the food inside. I think Bellatrix is also an animagus. Sirius said the last time that when it got too much for him, that is when the dementors stayed near him for a very long time, he used to change into his animagus form. That used to make him feel better. To think Bellatrix may have done the same…' Harry's voice trailed away, very bitter.
'What was Black's form?' Snape asked after a silence. 'A grim.' Harry answered absently. 'Did you contact Lucius? What did Dumbledore say?' asked Harry, looking at Snape.
Snape sneered at the mention of Dumbledore, watching Harry carefully. Harry grinned at Snape and laughed when Snape glared. 'I have nothing against Dumbledore. I only think he need not know now. He is on the right side Snape.'
'Then why don't you talk to him?' Snape asked.
'Because he can seriously upset everything. Already so much is different from the original timeline. If I add Dumbledore to the mix, it will become explosive.' Harry explained.
'How?' Snape asked quietly, his black eyes watching Harry very carefully.
'He will act; he will not be like you. He will improve and act on the knowledge he will insist I give him. And then we would be in trouble because we would be seriously upsetting everything. I plan to tell him, no doubt about it, only not now. Already there is so much of a difference, it's scary.' Harry said looking pensive.
Snape was silent until Harry asked him again about Dumbledore and Lucius.
'Dumbledore is very worried and he asked me to get in touch with Lucius and see if Bellatrix has come to Malfoy Manor. As of this morning, she hasn't.' Snape told Harry.
'Are you sure Lucius is not lying?' Harry asked him. 'Bellatrix would go to her sister. I am sure of that. And the next step would be to gain her strength and resurrect Voldemort. Last time Voldemort came back to life in my fourth year. This time, I hope he will not return early.' Harry shivered as he thought of the graveyard; memories that still made him shudder.
Snape nodded. 'I asked him, if I could help. And I also know about his lost horcrux. I do not think he will lie, but I also don't think he will contact me when Bellatrix comes to their Manor; I doubt she would want it and I also think Lucius will not go against her. Draco is our best bet. Keep an eye on him and ask him for news.' Snape advised.
They were silent after that. Snape took out an old book which was tattered and started reading it, making small corrections and frowning over certain paragraphs. Harry sat there lost in his thoughts until it was time to leave.
'You may go.' Snape told him. 'I will take your next detention in two days. I shall see if I can find out a bit more.' Harry nodded and left the dungeons.
From his detention Harry went to meet Malfoy. Hermione and Neville were already there along with Malfoy and all three of them were sitting rather silently.
'Hey!' Harry called out and all three of them jumped and Hermione beamed at him. Neville and Draco looked very relieved to see him.
'Bad detention?' Draco asked sympathetically.
'Not really.' Harry said. 'He made me do some cauldron cleaning; that's all.'
'Why does he hate you so?' Hermione asked him unable to understand.
'I dunno.' Harry told her. 'I still admire him, though. He gave me a few pointers while I was cleaning and they would help immensely in potions. That man knows his stuff!' Harry said and added, 'Really!' when all three of them looked unimpressed.
'What is it Draco? Tell us? We should not be here and if Filch catches us, we could get into trouble.' Harry urged him and all of them went and sat on the desks in the middle of the classroom. Harry cast a few spells at the door and a few wandless ones around the room. Then he turned to Draco, who was now pink and staring at the board, instead of at them.
'I just wanted to tell you Harry that I will pass on any information I get about Aunt Bellatrix.' He said stiffly and fell silent. Harry blinked and his mind processed what he had heard and then he beamed at Draco.
'You are such a friend Draco.' He said and Draco flushed. It was, apparently the right thing to say and Draco looked at Neville. Neville was staring at him in shock and when Draco looked at him, he stared at Draco before he nodded once. Draco turned away. Neville and Harry had understood.
'I would suggest one thing, though.' Hermione spoke up softly. All the three boys turned to look at her. She blushed and continued. 'I think Draco; you should not be friendly with us openly. Tell Pansy and Blaise too. If your aunt is even half the things I read, I think it would cause problems for you, especially now that you've agreed to pass on any information you get about her to Harry.'
'That's brilliant, Hermione.' Harry told her admiringly. 'You are correct of course. We should be careful. Draco, be careful and warn the others too. Let us not get into hostility, but let us not be very friendly either. People will think we are drifting apart, because of Bellatrix.'
Draco did not like that, but he could see the logic in those words, because his father had said just the same thing. He nodded reluctantly. 'I will send you an owl if I have any news and we can meet here, alright?' he asked and on that note all of them went to their respective dorms to sleep.
The next two weeks went by without anything much. Bellatrix had not made an appearance at Malfoy Manor, and Harry, Snape and according to Snape, Dumbledore were all very tense. Harry had told him about Draco and Snape had been astonished. After that, he went out of his way to favour Draco and the other Slytherins and soon earned more hatred in the school than before.
The new DADA Professor was a quiet man who taught them well. Harry was amazed at this. He had looked at Harry on the first day, when he had called out the names. He had not said anything, though and treated Harry as any other student. He knew his subject well and he was fair, and also took no nonsense from anyone.
Snape was also giving detentions to Harry at the rate of one or two a week. He used all kinds of reasons that Harry and Snape hoped would do the rounds and be established that Snape thoroughly disliked Harry. 'It is true; I hope you do not have thoughts to the contrary.' Snape asked him, his eyebrows raised and his lips twisted in amusement.
'Not at all, Snape.' Harry assured him with a huge grin remembering the way he had got his detention that evening.
'Well, Potter,' Snape had said softly, his eyes glittering and Harry thought he saw amusement in them, rather than anger, 'do you call this a perfect potion?' he had lifted up the potion vial and had sneered at it and Harry.
'Yes sir. I know that potion is perfect.' Harry had replied to gasps all around the room.
Snape's face had darkened in anger. 'Detention!' he had hissed. 'I do not take cheek even from the boy who lived.'
'Please sir, what is wrong with it?' he had asked.
'I will tell you Potter when I meet you at detention tonight.' And that was that.
Life went on normally and Harry was waiting for some kind of news of Bellatrix. There was nothing.
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Once Bellatrix left the Ministry yard….
Bellatrix had left the wards and slithered away to freedom. She was exhausted, but did not dare stop and moved on until she could move no more. Stopping at the foot of a huge oak tree, she looked around, but she could not see where she was, only that there were trees all round her. She did not dare to transform and try to apparate. She knew she had not the strength. She coiled up at the foot of a tree and went to sleep. She slept for more than three days, waking up weak with hunger.
It was daytime and she glanced around her, but could not see any kind of human habitation. She seemed to be in the wilderness. She slowly moved and winced inside at the pain, movement brought her.
She moved slowly until she spotted a small rabbit just ahead of her. Drooling inside at the sight of food, even though, uncooked, she went very quietly behind the rabbit and in a sudden swift movement, caught it and swallowed it.
She went back to the tree and once again lay down to digest the rabbit and gain a little strength. She had lost count of the days, but she was not bothered, because she was still alive and free.
More than ten days passed, with Bellatrix changing very rarely into her human form, scared about the dementors, and slowly moved a little around the tress everyday, gaining her strength. It took her more than three weeks to even think of trying to apparate. She finally managed it one day just three weeks after her escape. She had cleverly not ventured outside the woods she had spent the first night in. It was very close to the yard and yet it was lonely and wild. The dementors and the Ministry were searching for her in London and in the homes of all those who were suspected to be death eaters.
Even Lucius Malfoy had received a visit from the aurors, led by Moody and Kingsley. They found nothing and went away still suspicious, especially Moody. Fudge had apologized profusely to Lucius, who brushed it off, saying that no one was above the law and it was a good thing that his home was searched, because now he was in the clear. He also assured Fudge that if Bellatrix ever came to his home, he would apprehend her and turn her over to the Ministry of Magic.
It was the third week, when Bellatrix felt that she could try and apparate successfully. She changed back from her animagus form and slowly stretched herself. She carefully stowed her wand away, not wanting to do magic until she was safe behind wards. She walked, stumbling a little and getting the feel of being in her human form for sometime. She had not dared to be in her human form for more than a few minutes at a time and the last three weeks had been spent in her animagus form and she was rather disoriented.
She apparated close to Malfoy Manor and changed at once to her animagus form and started slithering. She met no one and she successfully reached the Manor. It was night time and she went to the wards and slowly pushed her way inside. A few minutes later she was at the door and she changed and knocked at the door.
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Lucius Malfoy and his wife were relaxing after a nice dinner. They were very relaxed and Bellatrix had almost left their minds. It was three weeks after her escape and there was no news about her. As Lucius thought, she may have died even. After living in Azkaban for almost 13 years with the dementors she would have lost her mind and hopefully her life as well, he thought, sipping his wine and sighing in appreciation. Narcissa was sitting her head resting lightly on his shoulders and Lucius was never more content.
It was at this time there was a knock at the door and Lucius frowned and then stiffened in alarm. The wards had not alerted him; his heart suddenly pounded with fear; what if it were HER? Could…could she have escaped and found her way here? She was keyed into the wards, her whole family were, and Lucius after the fall of Voldemort, never thought to change it.
He stood up, his fear spreading to Narcissa, who understood, the moment she heard the knock and saw Lucius stiffen and placed a warning hand on his shoulders, when he was about to stride away to open the door.
Both Lucius and his wife walked to the door and hesitating only for a second, Lucius threw open the door and took a step backwards. Standing in front of his smiling insanely and triumphantly, her hair all dishevelled and knotted her robes in tatters, her frame skeletal, gaunt and horrible. He tried to stretch his face into a smile and say something welcoming, but Bellatrix was not looking at him; her eyes were looking at her sister, who was standing in the shadows, behind her husband. Her voice unused to speech and weak with exhaustion and hoarse with screaming against the dementors in Azkaban now croaked.
'Cissy?'
End of Chapter – 25
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