Concurrent Existences
Chapter 14: Back to School
An old life dead, a new life born.
Finally, a life without much scorn.
Target's locked, sights are aimed.
Plans will fail and thus be shamed.
The waving tentacle quickly disappeared under water before Bellatrix could see it, but the message was clear to the brunette.
Welcome home.
A few days after the farce of an explanation, classes were finally set to resume after over a year of repairs. McGonagall had given a room to Bellatrix to occupy, but the two girls were able to persuade McGonagall to let her reside in Hermione's room due to fear of being alone. It was a bunch on hogwash, but the hag didn't know that.
SCREEEEEEEEECH!
"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix had a finger pointed at the piece of shite alarm clock that Hermione bought. Nothing was going to screw with her beauty rest.
Not even the end of the world. Nothing!
"Bella, we have to get up. The opening banquet starts in thirty minutes."
Shite.
"Nuu." Bellatrix had her face stuffed in the pillow while Hermione to her right began to sit up from the bed. Bellatrix had a body of a fifteen year old, but she was still lazy. What kind of forty-ish year old wanted to attend a shitty banquet or even seventh year classes? Not this one.
"Bella."
"Nuu." Bellatrix burrowed further into the pillow she was hugging. Why did she agree to this plan? What was the point in going to class! She always hated those blasted classes!
The plan Bellatrix had in mind was to sleep as much as she wanted too, blow some stuff up, create a bit of chaos, screw Hermione silly and then get more sleep. Was that too much to ask after everything? The two witches went through so much shite and now they just go back to class? Nuu!
"Stop with the 'Nuu!', Bella! Hurry up and-" Before Hermione could finish, the door to her room was opened up. So much for knocking, but the dark witch didn't care. Whoever had opened the door bought her a few more minutes of snogging her pillow.
I won't hex you for a week, whoever you are!
Hermione was surprised when the door to her room was opened. She was already seated up with her chest on display due to their extracurricular activities that night, but seriously? No knocking?
The brunette quickly pulled a sheet up when a head popped in sideways with long dirty blonde hair flowing down.
"Hey Hermione... I just wanted to see you after- Whoops." Whoops indeed. Hermione looked straight at the newcomer, but couldn't really be mad at the intruding blonde.
"Luna, it's good to see you again. Could you give me a few minutes?" Luna was probably surprised in seeing another woman in bed with her without clothes, but that wasn't her main concern. How did Luna Lovegood get passed all the wards without notifying her?
"So sorry. I'll let both of you get ready and wait. Oh, and I followed the Silixies. They told me to wait, but I couldn't wait to see you again." Luna smiled, still just her head seen popping out of the slightly open door. It had been so long since she saw Luna and would've been happy to catch up if not for her current state of dress.
"Silixies?" Hermione couldn't help but be curious. A lot of the knowledge she gained over the past few frozen decades were of creatures that exist in different planes. It was something that needed further research, but it wasn't at the forefront of her list. Still, Silixies? First time the brunette heard that one from Luna.
"Mmm. Sex pixies." And with that Luna quickly retreated from the door and closed it. Not even a day at school and the cat was already out of the bag. At least Luna wasn't one to spread rumors or secrets. It would also be nice to catch up with Luna, but first, she had to wake up a lazy witch. Hermione poked the dark witch still trying to burrow herself into a pillow. The dark witched merely twitched from the poke.
"Nuu."
Hermione sighed. She'd have to restore that alarm too. Thank Merlin that the wards wouldn't let the magic casted from inside her room be detected or else someone might notice an Avada cast every other day.
Still, Hermione was hoping for the peaceful days to continue, for the moment at least. The time she was about to spend with Bella, she wouldn't trade it for anything else.
It would be a different story if someone tried to disrupt that peace though.
Hermione was finally able to drag Bellatrix from out under the covers with ten minutes to spare. A few waves of the Hermione's hand and both witches were dressed.
Bellatrix's back story was still not known to the general public. McGonagall had decided to bring it up with the Ministry first before chaos could ensue. The Ministry would be sending a representative to checkout Bellatrix and see if the story was actually true, but that wouldn't be in another few days or weeks.
It wasn't easy guessing how everything would go after the world knows about Isabella's existence. Who would? Knowing that a child from Bellatrix Black and Sirius Black actually existed would cause much controversy. Bellatrix was probably just waiting for a chance for a debut since the dark witch always got bored way too fast.
"Hi, I don't believe we've met. I'm Luna Lovegood." Luna smiled sweetly while arcing her head slightly to the side. The aura of innocence surrounding Luna was blinding as always, but Bellatrix only squinted, groaned and leaned on Hermione after closing her eyes.
Something struck Luna though. Nostalgia. The person looked familiar. The Darlixels surrounding the young looking witch were familiar too, in a smaller amount, but familiar nonetheless. Darlixels weren't very common either, the last time Luna saw the Darlixels were during the war against the Death Eaters. The tiny shadow beings weren't very nice either.
"This is Isabella Crescent. She'll be in our year too even if she looks a tad bit younger. Family circumstance, I would explain more, but Minerva asked me to not release more information until things with the Ministry get cleared or when she deems the information ready for the general public." The three witches began to walk towards the Great Hall while Hermione and Luna engaged in small chat.
It felt like things were back to normal.
"So, Luna, what have you been up to? It has been a while."
Luna looked a little confused. "A while? We just spent time out two weeks ago. Well, nothing much... Aside from helping with the restoration of Hogwarts, it been the same."
Hermione did remember that she spent time out with Luna a few days before the whole Ron incident began. Not seeing someone for over fifteen years would make memories a tiny bit rusty.
"True, true. How's Neville then?" Hermione quickly changed the topic from her tiny slip up. The brunette expected Luna to turn slightly red from her comment, but the blonde barely bat an eye. Neville had been pursuing Luna ever since the end of the Wizarding War, but she never really heard what happened to that particular plot.
"Oh, Neville?" Luna seemed to dreamily pause. "He asked me out quite a while ago, but I refused." Luna flashed a smile while talking about it like it was the weather.
It looked like Hermione needed to pay more attention to the other people surrounding her more. Well, now that she ran out of books, she might have a bit more time to spend with others. Bellatrix and her experiments would always take precedence over everything though.
The three witches continued on while Bella was still dozing on Hermione's shoulder.
Hogwarts was fully repaired and cleaned up. The scars of the battle could still be seen around, but everything else had gone back to the same boring routine.
Hogwarts actually had a decent influx of students when it reopened. The news that Hogwarts professors and students were able to defeat the onslaught of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters was really good for reputation.
Many students, old and new, began waving, thanking and kissing Hermione's cheek for all her contributions to the Wizarding War. It looked like the Golden Trio's fame wasn't going to expire anytime soon. Thankfully, Bella was still half dozing on Hermione's shoulder or a hex or two might have been shot towards the ones brave enough to touch Hermione.
The entrance to the Great Hall was finally in front of them.
The doors that seemed so big and daunting before, felt so trifle now.
The three witches entered the noisy Great Hall. Hermione instantly spotted Ginny sitting on the Gryffindor table. Ginny was waving towards Hermione to join her and the brunette decided to oblige. Luna took a seat beside them, not really caring that she wasn't sitting in the Ravenclaw table, she didn't really care about her house anyway. Bellatrix was still leaning on Hermione's shoulder trying to get more sleep.
Loud chatter continued for around five more minutes. Hermione could pick many tidbits of conversations from all around. Conversations about the end of the Wizarding War, stories about how the Golden Trio destroyed Voldemort and even some love stories concerning some of the heroes, that kind of annoyed her though. One thing she caught in whispers was Bellatrix's fake name, Isabella. It seemed as if the Ministry was not even secure enough to keep it a secret and rumors already begun flooding even the school.
It was unavoidable, but Hermione thought that it would be another few days before people started to question it. Or even after they heard Bellatrix's name being called.
The Great Hall begun to quiet down as the Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall entered, followed by the professors that were going to teach this year. It still surprised Hermione how the Great Hall could hold so many people with an ancient Extension Charm.
If a dark witch or wizard ever thought to destroy the charm while the people are in the Great Hall.
Hermione shook her head, that idea wasn't a good one. She'd probably bring it up with the Headmistress to find a good precaution against that. It might give sandwiched a new meaning.
Most of the professors that followed the Headmistress, Hermione already knew. Hagrid, Professor Vector, Sprout and Flitwick came in first followed by- Oh Merlin- Sybil Trelawney. Her distaste for the Divination Professor still hadn't cooled over the years in isolation. True, there were some merits in Divination, but actually studying it? Most prophecies just randomly came, most of them don't even come true in the century they are uttered in. Well, Hermione would not be taking that class anyway.
There were a few more professors that weren't as important, but there were two new professors that came in last. It looks like a ghost would be the replacement for Defense Against the Dark Arts class and the other one was a goblin.
"That goblin is so bloody ugly!" Whispered the not-really-sleeping-anymore-Bellatrix, well, she tried whispering, but the comment was heard by a good amount of Gryffindors that began snickering. Hermione quickly shushed the table and her witch before they were called out.
"That goblin has a Mongrub dancing on his head." Luna dreamily said ignoring that Hermione had just shushed the table. Hermione didn't know what the hell a Mongrub was, but avoided asking to avoid more noise from their table.
"The shite is a Mongrub?" Of course Bella would be curious and not head her shush.
"They're creatures attracted to shiny things." Luna was about to continue her explanation till she saw the look in Hermione's eye, she quickly quieted down.
Bellatrix was probably going to ask another question or use curse words, the brunette needed to quickly put a stop to that. Hermione quickly placed her hand on Bellatrix's inner thigh making the dark witch both shut up and look towards her with growing arousal.
Distraction complete.
The Headmistress held up a hand to stop the murmurs and began her start of the year speech. "Welcome to Hogwarts, new students and returning students. I shall keep this quick and short." Minerva quickly went through the do's and don'ts of Hogwarts, but most of the students listened towards the part introducing the professors, more importantly, the two new professors.
"As most of you may know, we've had a certain problem filling the Defense Against the Dark Arts class and will now be filled by Professor Helena Ravenclaw. Yes, to answer the questions you are asking within your heads, Helena Ravenclaw is the daughter of one of our founders. The DADA position in Hogwarts has been plagued with superstitions and luckily Helena has volunteered to teach the class." No one could argue that Helena Ravenclaw or the Gray Lady would be a bad choice for a professor even if she was a ghost. Since Helena was dead, there would be no real danger even if the curse on the position was real. Looks like they had enough of professors dying.
"Psst. Luv, any spells to smack a ghosts arse?" Bellatrix whispered.
"Bella!" In fact, Hermione did have a spell to interact with ghosts, but now was not the time to indulge Bellatrix's prodding.
"As for our second new professor in Hogwarts. This is Professor Grindhook, he has been personally sent from Gringotts Bank to teach a new subject namely Accountancy and Statistics. As you know, Hogwarts had gone under siege and was terribly damaged, but Gringotts Bank helped fund the restoration and had only requested that Professor Grindhook introduce this new class into our curriculum. This class may be taken as an elective due to being a new subject." Minerva's face looked the same as ever, but to those that knew her well, they could see the suspicion in it.
Helena, Hermione could understand taking over the DADA class, but a goblin teaching a new subject? From Gringotts? It seemed like the goblins were playing a new game.
"That little shite is up to something. Can I set it on fire?" Bella, ever the racist.
"Bella!" There was some truth to that though. Goblins never did anything for free. There was a catch. The goblins wanted something from inside of Hogwarts that they were generous enough to help rebuild Hogwarts, most likely to have a reason to send one of their own inside. Hermione once again shushed the dark witch.
"Now we shall move onto the sorting ceremony for our new students as well as a transferee." There were a bit of murmurs when 'transferee' was heard, but it quickly died down once the first years were called one by one to the center of the room to be sorted by the Sorting Hat.
Hermione looked around the Great Hall as the Sorting Hat began to sing its song and begin sorting. It was fairly obvious that many Slitherins were not returning for their seventh year. Draco, Goyle and Pansy were all missing. It seemed like this year there would be less noise and irritation from the Slytherins.
Unless one certain witch gets sorted into Slytherin.
"And last, but not the least, Miss Isabella Crescent Black." Loud gasps and murmurs broke out instantly. Bellatrix still had her doesn't-give-a-fuck look on.
"Quiet down. Miss Black's story will be released soon to the public since we already knew of the chaotic possibilities that this could garner. I implore all of you to treat her the same as anyone else as she has also been a victim of this war." The Headmistress nodded directly towards Bellatrix indicating her time to be sorted was now.
Bellatrix quickly stood up and elegantly walked towards the center of the room like she owned it. Bellatrix didn't even need to be named to be famous. It seemed as if half the student population were already enamored with her even without the witch doing anything. Fortunately, the witch's chest was small or they'd have more hungry boys after her dark witch's skirt.
Bellatrix sat on the seat while slowly moving her piercing eyes to survey the entire student body. Everyone under it felt like prey. Hermione rolled her eyes.
The hat was placed on Bellatrix's head and there was silence.
...
You know where to send me, you shitty hat.
Silixies - Sex Pixies, Luna sees them when a person recently had sex.
Darlixels - Tiny Shadow Beings, these gather around beings that have dark thoughts and use dark magics.
Mongrub - Creature that likes Money grubbers.
AN: After so many chapters... Luna is finally introduced! Well, Ginny too.
Before you say how dumb the new creatures Luna sees... I know! I'm bad at naming them, but eh!
The goblins are also making a reappearance. I'll have to make some goblins up since when I looked up the goblins on wiki, it said that nearly all of them are dead. x.x Grindhook o.o Hope it wasn't too bad of a name.
How's the replacement for DADA position? Let's see if the 'curse' affects ghosts. Helena or the Gray Lady never really had a big part in the story. I want to play around with her character a bit.
Sooooo~ New queen of Slytherin? Or will she end up in Gryffindor? Maybe Hufflepuff? :) Bellatrix is such a handful.
Oh and those guest reviewers who really like Tenty! XD I'll try to give him more screen time! No promises though!
Constructive criticism, questions and suggestions are all appreciated!