Concurrent Existences

Chapter 16: Memoirs

Goblins.

Crazy Wizards.

Incompetent Death Eaters.

Weasels.

- Bellatrix's Current to-Kill List

For now, they would have some lunch with the remaining time in the Great Hall and then proceed to the other new professor's class.

Helena Ravenclaw teaching Defense against the Dark Arts.

Should be interesting.

Both witches entered the class and saw Ginny and Luna sitting on the last row. Hermione decided to sit by Ginny since Luna was already on the far side.

Helena Ravenclaw quickly floated out from the wall and into the middle of the class. The ghost smiled as she hovered and began to interact with the class.

"Good afternoon class. I'm Helena Ravenclaw and I'll be teaching your Defense Against the Dark Arts class this year. Any questions before we start?" The Ghost of Ravenclaw or the Gray Lady still looked the same as ever. The ghost still had her wavy black hair, but everything else was pale or gray as always. Hermione saw the look in the ghost's eyes though, it wasn't as empty as when she saw the ghost all the other times.

Hermione quickly raised her hand. A lot of questions were going through Hermione's mind, but nothing really pressing at the moment, she was just curious. "Professor, why have you decided to become the teacher for DADA?" It was the simplest question, but really the most important one.

Helena smiled at the brunette, one-third of the Golden Trio that helped make her decision. "I have seen wars before, but none so close to home that would involve Hogwarts own students in these past two Wizarding Wars. I have chosen to teach to help our students better defend themselves if another tragedy, such as the war, happens again." Hermione nodded and accepted the reasoning, but knew there were still other reasons the ghost had, but knew not to press. More personal reasons could be heard elsewhere at another time.

"How old are you!" One shouted out from the back. A lot of the females in the room turned angry glances at the guy who uttered the question-that-must-never-best-asked.

"Twenty-one. Any other questions?" Twenty-one, for a few centuries maybe.

The Ravenclaw Ghost was about to start the lesson when another hand went up.

"Yes, Miss Lovegood?" The ghost was actually surprised at Luna raising her hand. Helena had always been roaming the Ravenclaw tower, but every time she saw the dreamy eyed girl, the girl always seemed withdrawn when trying to talk to her peers.

Luna halted for a moment, rethinking her own words for a second. "The Bloomlings on your shoulder, they've bloomed a lovely shade of pink." Groans could be heard all over the classroom. The mutters including words like "crazy", "loony" and other whispered derogatory remarks. The professor however had a small smile.

"The Bloomlings on your shoulder have a pretty shade of pink and tinge of red I see?." Most assumed the professor was merely humoring the dreamy girl, but the truth was far from that.

It was so very far from that, but it would be a tale for another time.

"The Silixies on Miss Black and Miss Granger do look quite fetching as well." The professor winked towards Luna then began to start her lesson.

The only ones who couldn't really believe what they heard were Luna and Hermione.

Luna's eyes were as wide as could be. Someone else could see them. Someone else knew about them. Never in her whole life had someone actually seen the things she'd seen. Luna knew her father had only been humoring her all this time, but this person, this ghost, could see what everyone else could not.

Luna was determined to learn more about Helena Ravenclaw.

Hermione was quite stunned as well hearing about the 'Silixies'. The professor just mentioning the name of the creatures Luna could see was surprising. It proved that her theory about Luna's creatures were correct, they existed; well, some existed.

Helena Ravenclaw just went from unimportant and boring House Ghost to interesting and noteworthy House Ghost.

The dark witch that had her face on the table looked up towards Hermione a bit. "Luv, the fuck is a Bloomling and a Silixie?" Bella crunched up her face. Of course, she knew absolutely nothing about these imaginary and possibly mythical creatures.

The rest of the class was still interesting even though it was only the first day. Too bad Hermione knew everything that could be taught. She didn't even bother to wake the dark witch who had her face back on the table, dozing off.

Ginny was bored. First day of classes always sucked. Ginny took a glance at Luna to see her dreamy friend look dreamily towards the professor.

Well, someone has a crush. Ginny sighed. First time that Luna should interest in someone and it's a ghost that's like almost a thousand years old. Well, at least someone else will humor her imaginary creatures.

Ginny took a glance towards Hermione and remembered a certain issue the brunette had with her family that was being kept under wraps. The redhead always did the best she could to bring Hermione over to the Burrow to make Hermione not feel alone, but as for the present? The Burrow felt unwelcoming even for her.

"Psst." Ginny tried being discreet, but Hermione missed it.

"Psst!" Ginny still tried being discreet and got the attention of Hermione and a middle-finger from the sleeping girl to Hermione's right side.

What a bitch.

Hermione looked towards Ginny and gave a small tilt of the head.

"Hermione, I just wanted to ask since that witch over there kept keeping you busy a while ago. What's the deal with you and my parents?" Ginny was curious. Everyone in her house was avoiding the Hermione topic like a plague. She tried asking every single one of her family members, but most just shook their heads.

A little more than a week ago, her mom wanted Hermione as a daughter-in-law and all that, now it felt like Hermione was infected with the plague or something.

"I had an altercation with Ron. It's actually all in the newspaper, although, the newspaper version is skewed. Don't worry so much about it." Hermione gave the redhead a small smile before looking back at the DADA professor.

Ugh. Ginny knew that everyone was hiding all this stuff from her again. It was like all the other years all over again. She would have to get the juicy bits another way. The newspaper would be a good starting point, but she would need more information.

Her boyfriend would croak easier than Hermione most likely.

I hate being left in the dark, Harry Potter.

The rest of the other classes weren't noteworthy. Hermione still held a bit of interest with her classes, but started to slowly realize that she knew everything.

Everything.

It was different from what she had planned before. The brunette thought it would be so much fun to take her last year again with Bellatrix, learning more while Bellatrix was able to integrate back into society.

It wasn't. It just felt hollow.

Her first day of classes and she was already feeling like this. Like... it wasn't enough. Bellatrix could care less about Hogwarts, she knew that already. The dark witch continued to nap throughout most of their classes without a peep. Hermione tried poking the witch a few times, but in the end gave up. She surmised that Bellatrix deserved all the rest she could get. After all that's happened to Bellatrix over the years, this may be the only time that the dark witch actually had time to rest without the burden of enchantment spells.

The dark witch only perked up once classes were over and when both of the witches were in Hermione's private quarters.

Hermione watched the now-energetic dark witch that had been able to sleep through all her classes. The now fifteen year old Bellatrix was shorter. The elder form of Bellatrix wasn't that much taller, but the heels and the very intimidating aura always seemed to make her bigger than what she really was. At least one thing in the world was right.

"You staring at my bum?" Bellatrix said while changing her clothes.

"What bum?" Bellatrix quickly threw a dark look over to Hermione indicating that it wasn't funny making fun about her missing tits and arse. Hermione didn't really care about Bellatrix's tits or arse anyway, but the issue came from the dark witch herself.

Bellatrix Black, insecure.

The world is ending.

"So, how are we doing this shite?"

Hermione went towards the bed while dragging little Bella long. Both witches took a seat before Hermione told the dark witch what the plan was.

"It should be simple. I'll access the remnants of the dolls memory core with a offshoot of the spell I used. Using the artifact we both have as a foci to include you into the memories will be a trifle thing. We will be able to see each and everything the doll was able to see during the battle in a Pensieve-like way." Bella shrugged, it made enough sense.

"So, I'll finally get to see what my evil sex doll self did in the war. This should be interesting." The only thing she really wasn't looking forward to was getting reduced to dust by Molly. Seriously, Molly Weasley?

"Vas Inane Memoriae." Hermione's left hand held Bellatrix's right hand to keep a connection between them. Hermione's right hand conjured a milky white orb that held all the memories her doll had acquired during its brief life.

"Ready?"

"I'm actually kind of hungry."

"Videre!" Hermione quickly activated the seeing spell to view the memory. Bella could get her food later.

Adjuro Vas Inane.

Consciousness.

Existence.

Life.

Augurium Commutationem.

Pain.

Slave.

Controlled.

Eyes opened staring blankly at the two human beings.

Memory core inserted.

Hatred.

Rage.

Death.

"Go and act as the memories indicate." Follow. She smirked and quickly changed into smoke to follow her orders. The smoke quickly dissipated as the area was reached.

There were Death Eaters in the whole area. Allies. The ache on the arm with the dark mark quickly faded.

"Bellatrix, what took you so long?" Master. Follow. Listen.

"Just preparing myself for the battle, my Lord." Submit.

Voldemort did not continue to pursue the issue and began giving out his orders. The orders and the speech kind of melded together, but the gist was easy enough. Infiltrate the castle and subdue or kill all the inhabitants.

The one hour ceasefire given to Harry Potter was almost done. Lo and behold, the boy was quickly sighted by the Death Eater camp giving himself up.

The Dark Lord fired an Avada Kedavra killing Harry Potter. Narcissa checked and confirmed Harry Potter's death.

The Dark Lord, all his Death Eaters and her all went to Hogwarts to proclaim Harry Potter's death and finish the battle.

The battle quickly resumed. Fight and kill. Memory reflexes were easy to follow. Avada. Infiltrating the castle had been easy. Avada. Several had already fallen to her wand.

Other Death Eaters had followed her lead. Dolohov had quickly finished off Remus Lupin. Continue to the hall. She split from the other Death Eaters. Energy is sparce. Continue to the hall.

She continued towards the hall to kill more. Nymphadora Tonks bolted to the side firing spells that she easily countered and blocked. Continue to the hall. There was not much time, she had to continue to the hall.

"It can't be-" Nymphadora's voice died out. She quickly inspected the scene to the side of her.

Albus Dumbledore. Nymphadora Tonks was dead from a Killing Curse from Albus Dumbledore. Continue to the hall.

"My dear, don't you have to continue to the hall?" She continued to move to the hall. Energy was almost depleted.

Continue to the hall.

"I knew it. Dumbledore is alive! I knew that old man wouldn't just die." Hermione knew that somehow, someway, Dumbledore was still alive, and here was all the proof.

"The old man killed Nymph. Well, shite. This doesn't make jack sense at all."

Hermione looked straight into Bellatrix's eyes to show how serious this all was. "He knew. He knew that the Bellatrix there was only a doll. How? Why?" So many questions. Hermione barely had any guesses to any of them.

"Hey, finish the memory!" Bellatrix quickly prodded Hermione with a poke. The memory was nearly at the end. The only battles left were the three versus Bellatrix and the final fatty versus Bellatrix fight.

"What? We have all the information we need! Bella! Do you know what this all means?"

"Play it!"

"Bella!"

"It means squat! I want to finish it! See how the fat bimbo killed Bellafaux!"

Hermione's jaw dropped at what she heard. "Bellafaux? You named the sex doll! And you did so by adding faux at the end? Seriously?" It was ludicrous how Bellatrix was taking all this. It was ridiculous, but also comforting that the Bellatrix she had known had never truly changed.

"Play it!"

Bellatrix didn't really give a shit that Dumbledore was alive. Potter stayed alive somehow. Voldemort stayed alive with his horc... horescrux? Fuck that! Everyone was somehow managing to stay alive! Now, she, herself, was a living hypocrisy!

Some stupid shite. No one stays dead anymore!

Bellatrix briefly wondered if Rodolphus could be alive. Well, if he was, she'd just have to place him back in the grave. No big.

Hermione quickly rolled her eyes and continued the memory spell. Bellatrix continued to watch while Hermione began to mull over the fact that Dumbledore was alive, knew that the Bellatrix in the war was a fake and killed Nymphadora for some reason.

This was going to give her a migraine.

"Seriously? The awesome, that was yours truly, was beating you, the she-weasel and the looney-"

"Ginny and Luna, use their names!"

"Then all of a sudden mommy-weasel comes out of her hole all huffing and puffing before that doll loses all energy to use even a Protego!" The doll would have mopped the floor with everyone! It just ran out of juice!

Hermione sighed. Bellatrix was normally much smarter than this, but sometimes she's left with a whiny teenager. Merlin, she was calling a near fifty year old a teenager. I knew that her fifteen year old body would also mess with her mental age. The dark witch was still a gleeful cackling kid at heart. Well, one that liked to torture, hex and murder, hopefully guilty people at least.

"That was the point. You, the doll, dying to Molly was what happened in the original timeline! The only reason she beat you was because it was a doll and that I gave it a limited amount of energy!"

Bellatrix pouted.

"Bella!"

"Fine! So, what are we doing about Dumbledore? I don't understand his motive at all." Bellatrix knew that Dumbledore was crazy with the greater good crap and all, but killing a member of his own order made absolutely no sense. She could see Voldemort easily killing off any subordinates without a care in the world, but the old man? No sense at all. Voldemort was the one handing out killing curses while Dumbledore handed out candy balls.

Both witches continued to run scenarios threw their heads, but there just wasn't enough information. This couldn't be brought to someone else yet.

"Dumbledore's portrait. There may be some clue."

Bellatrix grinned. "Let's go! We can break into the place where his portrait is and then set it on fire!"

Hermione shook her head. "No. We will visit it during break time on Friday and we will not set it on fire." The brunette needed to curb this arsonist phase her girlfriend was getting into.

"But it's only Monday!"

Bellatrix pouted and was about to complain when she caught Hermione's eyes hardening.

"We'll ask the portrait our questions before we... decided what to do with it. For now, we rest. We still have class tomorrow."

The brunette wanted answers and she would get them one way or another. The supposedly peaceful days of Hogwarts were dashed away on their first day.

What a tragedy. She had a lot to think about.

The Friday quickly came for the two witches. Both had been slightly on guard due to the fact that Dumbledore was still alive. Hermione needed more facts before she could incorporate this into her growing plan.

The school day was over and most of the students had gone to their designated sleeping areas already except the two witches. Both witches were passing through the silent and empty hallways.

"Okay, rules. Don't set anything on fire and shush." Hermione quickly activated a stealth spell and let her earring artifact hold the spell.

Bellatrix quickly did the same, but poked Hermione in the arse. Hermione needed to hold back shouting out another 'Bella!', so instead, she glared at the witch while the petulant dark witch only stuck out her tongue.

The two quickly made their way towards the Headmistress' office where all of the past Headmasters and Headmistresses portraits were. During the time limbo, Minerva had yet to move into the ex-Headmasters office, choosing to stay within her own quarters during that time. Ever since the new term started, McGonagall finally moved her things to the ex-Headmasters, now Headmistress' office.

They eventually reached the gargoyle statue that would always ask for a password.

Hermione cast a quick Muffliato to be able to converse with Bellatrix. "What's the password?"

"What?! We came here without thinking of that? How would I know?!" Bellatrix eyes widened. She wasn't the one supposed to be remembering or thinking of these things! Apparently, Hermione had a lot of things going on in her head that she had been forgetting some of the simplest things.

"Gryffindor." Nope.

"Hag." Hermione quickly smacked Bellatrix.

"Quidditch." No reaction.

"Ugly hag." Hermione tried to smack Bellatrix, but Bellatrix was ready. The dark witch quickly took the hand that was going to smack her head and immediately tackled Hermione. Hermione's back was instantly planted onto the floor with a predatory fifteen year old right on top of her.

"Not helping, Bella. Let me up!" Hermione hoped the dark witch wasn't thinking of taking their indoor activities right outside the Headmistress' office, even if they were cloaked.

"We have time. Only the gargoyle is watching." The dark witch's knee went in between Hermione's legs making her begin to squirm, but the squirming only made the start of her arousal come quicker. The smirk on the dark witch immediately widened and was about to devour her prey.

Hermione could only gasp as the dark witch's own mouth covered hers while one hand beginning to grope around. Bellatrix's eyes gleamed as she saw the brunette too distracted to stop her onslaught.

Public sex for the win.

"While this is kind of stimulating to watch, I suggest we move before we're caught."

Both witches immediately turned their gazes to the side where a smiling Luna was present.

"How the fuck-"

"Luna! How did you even get here?!" Luna was within the radius of the Muffliato spell making it no trouble to converse, but how the dreamy-eyed witch got there, Hermione had no idea. Luna could apparently be very stealthy when she wanted to.

Luna tilted her head sideward. "Well, I was following a Nargle, then I saw a couple of Darlixels and Silixies floating about heading towards the Headmistress' office. Oh! Is this like all those adventures you went on with Harry and Ron? Can I come?" Luna's dreamy smile got even bigger. "Oh, and someone's coming." Just as Luna predicted footsteps were slowly approaching their location.

"Transfiguration!"

"Fuck!"

Both witches began to guess the password again having no time to fully reply to Luna or try to send her away. It was actually questionable if the dark witch was trying to guess a password or just swearing though.

"Pussy cat." As Luna as the word, the wall began to rotate showing the spiraling staircase to the office. There was no time to stay in shock, all three witches quickly stumbled inside and up the stairs as the passage began to close. Hopefully, they were still undetected, well, by anyone else aside from Luna.

The three witches bumped and stumbled through the stairwell all falling over after reaching the room. Hermione and Bellatrix quickly moved towards a corner and dragged a dreamy looking Luna near them to engulf her within the cloaking spell in case the person incoming was Minerva herself.

Five minutes past with the three girls huddled up and there was no sound outside. Hermione finally let out a breath.

"Luna! How did you find us? And how did you even know the password?"

Luna smiled sheepishly. "Well, like I said, I saw the Darlixels and Silixies floating without a source and began following them. Once I got close enough, I saw both of you. So, what're we doing in the Headmistress' office?"

The brunette sighed and contemplated on what to tell Luna. Luna was trustworthy, one of the witches that fought hard against the Dark Lord, but there were so many things she didn't know. It felt like she would be taking away Luna's innocence once incidents like Dumbledore's were revealed to her.

Hermione decided not to.

Not yet at least.

"We have questions for Professor Dumbledore that couldn't wait." A simple truth that wouldn't hurt. Luna just nodded knowing that Hermione didn't want her to press anymore. Hermione's eyes moved towards the dark witch who was already poking Dumbledore's portrait.

"Dumbledore! Wake your bollocks up!" Hermione felt the urge to chastise her dark witch again, but let it pass. Dumbledore didn't deserve any respect. Not from her at least. Hermione adjusted the Muffliato to include Dumbledore's portrait, but not any other. Having the other old Headmaster's as witnesses wouldn't be prudent.

Several seconds and several threats from Bellatrix passed before the image of Dumbledore graced the portrait. He looked the same as ever, even with the annoying jovial smile that always made someone want to put their trust in him.

A mistake I won't be making again.

"Why, Hermione, what brings you and your friends here at this time?" Dumbledore asked while eating some sort of candy within the portrait.

Hermione needed to word her questions correctly. The portrait wouldn't be able to answer everything she asked since the portrait doesn't actually contain the consciousness of the person themselves. The portrait could imitate the general demeanor of a person and have some insights, she hoped it would be enough. She needed something, some clue at least to figure out what could possibly be going on.

The question to be asked was relatively simple though.

"How are you still alive?"

Surprise was the easiest thing the witches saw fly by Dumbledore's expression before resuming his old smiling demeanor.

"Alive, my dear? Are you sure you haven't had too many Sherbet Lemon drops? I find that they addle my brain quite a bit if I take too much of them. Would you all care for one?"

"Answer her question, old man!" Hermione quickly put her hand on Bella's shoulder to diffuse the dark witch. Her lover could be such a spitfire sometimes, but now wasn't the time to burn the only lead they may have.

"Ah, Isabella Crescent Black. Welcome to Hogwarts. You do look so much like your mother." The ex-Headmaster continued to play coy, but Hermione needed something from him.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but this is not a social call. I know the truth." Hermione spoke knowingly even if she really didn't know anything aside from the fact that Dumbledore murdered Nymphadora, but she hoped the bluff would work.

"The truth you say, Miss Granger? Have you read the book?" Dumbledore questioned, but somehow Hermione knew it was a statement.

"What book?"

"What book indeed?" And without warning, Dumbledore from the portrait disappeared. Bellatrix tried a few times to get the old man to appear again, but it was for naught.

What book could he mean though? A lot of Dumbledore's old things were hidden away after Minerva took over Dumbledore's office.

Hermione quickly told the other two witches to check the bookcases that were there while they still had time. The longer they stayed within the room, the more chance of the Headmistress actually going there. Bellatrix grumbled and Luna just nodded and all three witches began to scour the bookshelves for any suspicious book.

Maybe there was another of Dumbledore's Evil Diaries? Hermione shuddered remembering the other diary she had read. Those diaries could be some kind of horror series.

Hermione continued to scan the books until one thing caught her eye. It looked familiar. Bellatrix and Luna were conversing on the far left of the bookshelves, but for some reason Hermione couldn't concentrate on what they were saying. Hermione reached for the familiar book that was also housed within the common room's shelves.

Death and his Dementors.

It was the book that knocked Ron out all those years ago. It was the book that she had started to read, but somehow wasn't able to finish, which was not like her at all.

Hermione turned the book around and checked the cover page for anything, but there was still no information. Still no author, publication date or anything, just a symbol that looked like the Deathly Hallows, but more intricate.

Hermione flipped a few pages and came upon a chapter that she felt compelled to read.

Death.

The three Deathly Hallows were but the start of what Death created. Death wanted further grip within the mortal realm by creating more artifacts for people to use in his name. The essence of Death began to slowly dissipate though. Too many splits had Death did with his essence that it could not hold itself together.

Slowly, Death bled. Each and every drop of Death's essence and soul began to seep into the created artifacts to make them even more powerful, to let them create more Death in Death's name.

Death was never happier.

And thus Death disappeared, but the Deathly Hallows remained empowered by Death's soul to continue to create death.

"-mione. Hermione!"

Hermione just realized that Luna and Bellatrix were calling her. She apparently fell into a daze while reading.

"What in blazes got you in a daze?" Bellatrix quickly looked over the cover of the book Hermione had in her hand. "Oh, Please use Protego? Is that a trashy porn novel?"

Huh.

Hermione quickly looked down and the book she was supposedly reading was gone. What in Merlin's name. She was absolutely sure of what she was reading. Yet another mystery that couldn't be explained had fallen right into her lap.

Apparently, something doesn't want to be within her perfect calculations. This is giving me a migraine.

There was nothing in connection to Dumbledore. No clue or anything. They would just have to wait till another possible lead came out. There was no point in focusing with no evidence.

The contents of what she had just read made her mind churn though. She still had two of the three, albeit destroyed, Deathly Hallows within her possession. Reading the mysterious book had just given her inspiration on what to do with them.

The brunette needed more things in her arsenal. The goblins, Dumbledore and the leftover Death Eaters all had plans, she was sure of this. It never hurt to be more prepared. Besides, creating new things was always fun.

The weekend started tomorrow.

It was time.

Time to continue some experiments.

Adjuro Vas Inane - Conjure Empty Vessel

Augurium Commutationem - Enchantment Exchange

Vas Inane Memoriae - Empty Vessel Memory

Videre - See

Bloomling - Creature that feeds on a person's aura and changing depending on what it feeds on. Pink is for innocence, red is for love.

AN: Guess I was able to make the chapter after all. Turned out to be the longest.

I kind of want to make a Luna focused chapter. Contemplating.

Any feedback would be awesome!

Edit: Few grammar errors corrected.