Chapter 50: The (Near) Death Experience
When Hermione Granger appeared in the middle of the Grotto Island's apparition circle early on Thursday afternoon her biggest ambition for the weekend was to persuade Bellatrix Lestrange into another kiss.
There were other, less uncertain, things on Hermione's mind too, like studying and work.
The end of term was just a little over a month away.
Hogwarts Restoration Progress and Planning presentation to Wizengamot was scheduled for the first week of December. Minister Shacklebolt, Commissioner Tonks, and Headmistress McGonagall, all informed her separately about it just a day prior. The session was going to be open to the public. All three expected the hearing to reflect on their own performance. That made the initial draft Hermione was tasked with a very important assignment.
Yet, the thought of explaining away the stupid test scores to the dark witch, and defending the genuine nature of her part in their kiss, occupied most of Hermione's mind and worried her the most. The risk to run into some sensitive topic and offend the mercurial witch even more was real. The risk of a zero score for their physical connection for the next seven years was quite real too.
Such outcome wasn't as welcome for Hermione as it would have been a few months earlier.
'Granger!'
In a forever first, Bellatrix was waiting at the aparition circle. This wasn't a good sign.
'Missed me, darling?'
The impatient glare turned annoyed at the drawled moniker.
'Narcissa is missing.'
Not again!
Hermione started towards the house trusting the witch to follow.
'Bellatrix-'
'She is!'
The witch was very agitated. There was no point in arguing... especially if Hermione wanted to increase chances of success for her weekend plans.
'Alright, I'll drop off my things, change, and go to the Manor!' Manor gates, she added silently.
'No!'
Of course not, why keep it simple...
'No?..'
'You can't go to there. Have your useless friends go.'
'Oh for Merlin sake! Why?! I promise not to desecrate the bloody place! Honestly, Bellatrix-'
'Fuck'
Hermione whirled around at the quiet but very distinct mutter.
There was no need for such language.
Hermione's ready reprimand died, and her mind silently echoed Bellatrix's sentiment.
Two wizards stood in the middle of the aparition circle. Each had a grip on a witch standing unsteadily between them.
The group faced away, and hadn't noticed them yet.
'Behind the bench,' Hermione whispered and pointed.
Black eyes narrowed.
Hermione's wand trained on Bellatrix.
'Now, Lestrange! Or I will petrify and levitate you there!'
Bellatrix glowered but complied.
The two slowly and quietly backed to where Hermione indicated.
'Incarcerous'
'So unnecessary!' Bellatrix whispered angrily as invisible rope tied her wrists to each other and fastened to the stone bench. She pulled at the binds and moved her fingers trying to counter the spell without much luck. 'We are about to die, spawn! Release me!'
A bright flash and a crack of thunder made the two witches jump.
The gaps in berry bushes and fruit trees revealed a crumbled body of the blond wizard lying half inside the aparition circle.
'We aren't going to die,' Hermione whispered back. 'Wards will take care of it!'
Dark brows rose mockingly and the witch glared pointedly towards the still standing wizard.
The wizard stood well outside the aparition circle with the witch… with Narcissa Malfoy… limp in his grip.
The blond witch didn't look great. The incessant tiny tremors shook the usually statuesque frame.
As Hermione watched, the wizard let go of Narcissa and went to check on his fallen mate.
Hermione held her breath and waited for the thunder...
And waited...
And waited...
The supposedly strict and deadly wards stayed inert.
Hermione's eyes flicked to Bellatrix.
The witch kept fighting her binds. There was a worried look in her eyes, and absolutely no surprise on her face.
That was very suspicious.
'Bella!' The wizard screeched and cackled madly in a very Bellatrix-like fashion.
The responding cackle sounded next to Hermione.
The wizard whirled towards the sound.
'Bellatrix, darling! I've been looking all over for you!' chortled the wizard.
'Missed you too, Rabsy,' singsonged Bellatrix rising from behind the back of the bench as high up as her bound situation allowed.
The wizard responded with a hex. Bellatrix promptly ducked back behind the stone.
Rabsy… Rab… Rabastan… That was Rabastan Lestrange?!
Hermione peaked over the bench too. Of course. The tall slender form brought back the memories of the mad dash through the Department of Mysteries with Harry and Neville.
'Come face me, you murderous treacherous hag!' Shouted the wizard as he dragged Narcissa towards Bellatrix and Hermione's hiding spot. 'Your mudblood won't save you, and you know it!'
'Come on, Rab! Let it go!' Bellatrix sang and cackled. 'It was Rod's fault! It wasn't personal! And you know that!'
'Ha! Not personal!' the man screeched. 'Not personal! Let it go she says! Not personal she says!'
The wizard cackled madly.
And Bellatrix joined in, sending cold sweat down Hermione's spine.
The war was supposed to be over!
Bellatrix was supposed to be not completely mad!
Hermione deeply regretted not adding Harry to the wards after she learnt how to do so. She kept putting it off. She worried about the potential for conflicting priorities, worried about Bellatrix's reaction, wondered whether to even tell the witch. So now, she had no other option but to somehow resolve the situation herself. She could attempt to aparate away to get help... and hope no one died in the meantime.
Hermione stood up.
'Put down your wand, Mr. Lestrange! Surrender! Aurors are on the way!'
She felt something connect with the back of her knee and her leg buckled.
'Do you want to die?!' Bellatrix snapped as a hex flew over the bench. 'Where's your shield?!'
Bloody hell!
The bench shuddered as the next curse hit the stone.
For once, Hermione appreciated living in the old wizarding estate. Everything was magic. Everything was made with the thought of magical inhabitants, of every age, in mind. Permanent and semi-permanent structures, for instance, absorbed magical energy and redirected it towards the wards, air or earth, to minimize consequences of accidental magic outbursts, and pranks, of young witches and wizards. The bench won't even shudder at the assault soon. Nothing was indestructible, of course, but the amount of energy required was quite high and unwise to expend in an active duel. Hermione scoffed at the endless privilege old rich families enjoyed when she first learnt these things about the property. She wasn't scoffing at the moment. She hoped whichever Black installed and warded orchard benches was very thorough in their spellcasting.
'Come out or I'll start cutting off pieces of Narcissa! Would you like that? Let's see how impersonal that is.'
Bellatrix pulled at the invisible ropes.
'Release me!'
Hermione wasn't about to do that just yet. Instead she once again rose up from their cover. Her shield was firmly in place this time.
'This is your last warning, Mr. Lestrange! Lower. Your. Wand!'
'Aren't you a darling!' The wizard chortled. Then he lowered his wand, grinned nastily, and spread his arms in invitation. 'One free shot, filth! On account of your disgusting heritage.'
'Kill him. He's shielding. Surprise him.' The rapid whisper next to her urged. 'Like I showed you. Distort the shield. Use your best spell. Repeat. Until dead.'
Hermione however had no plans to kill anyone over the weekend, or at all. She managed to get through the war without killing… without killing anyone face to face at least. Some goblins might have perished during the Gringotts escape. Some Death Eaters might have fallen into deadly situations after running into her spells throughout the war...
Those case were very different from what Bellatrix demanded.
'Stupefy!'
Rabastan Lestrange slammed into a tree trunk a few feet behind him... with a look of complete astonishment on his face.
Hermione didn't have much time to wonder about the look. Surely he didn't expect her to just ignore the open invitation...
Bellatrix cackled gleefully.
'Expelliarmus... Petrificus Totalus... Confundo...'
Rabastan's obvious astonishment changed to fury as each new spell hit his shield.
'You realize he will kill you too?! Use grown up spells, stupid witch!' Bellatrix screeched.
Hermione startled and lost her concentration.
Narcissa, who Hermione decided to retrieve instead of wasting more energy on Rabastan's shield, was already over the bench but still in the air. Both Hermione and Bellatrix winced at the distinct sound of a breaking bone as the blonde witch awkwardly fell to the ground.
'Pet, now is not the time for your freak outs!' The dark witch hissed.
'Sorry! I'm sorry! Mrs. Malfoy, are you alright?'
Narcissa nodded.
Then, blue eyes rolled back and she passed out.
Meanwhile, Rabastan recovered and took advantage of a brief pause in Hermione's barrage of spells to advance closer towards them.
His face was twisted in utter contempt… directed at Bellatrix.
'A mudblood, Bellatrix! Really?' The wizard cackled mockingly. 'You submitted to that… thing...'
Hermione blinked. Submitted wasn't a verb she'd use for the dark witch. Ever. She glanced at Bellatrix. The witch was looking at the wizard with the murderous intent. She hoped Rabastan's mocking wasn't lowering her chances at kissing... if they lived.
'Shut up, Rabsy! Why don't you leave before aurors catch you. Again!'
That stopped the laugh. Bellatrix clearly knew how to push Rabastan's buttons too.
Several curses flew their way in rapid succession. Hermione deflected and responded with a few of her own.
Despite Hermione's effort the wizard was slowly gaining ground. It wouldn't have been an issue if they could move freely... but Narcissa was still out.
Bellatrix was the better duelist…
Hermione released the invisible ropes, and extended her wand to Bellatrix, hoping she wasn't signing her own death sentence.
Bellatrix pushed her hand away.
Hermione blinked stupidly at the witch and extended the wand again. They really didn't have time for theatrics.
'You are a better duelist.'
But Bellatrix pushed her hand away once more.
'Fight!' snapped the dark witch instead. 'Or you'll die!'
Before anything else could happen, a light beam went through one of the decorative designs in the bench.
Hermione was thrown into a tree behind them, paralyzed.
'Just bloody great! Granger!'
'Spawn! Wake up! Bloody Gryffindor, told you to kill him!'
And I gave you the bloody wand! Why don't you kill him! Hermione wanted to retort. Unfortunately, she could only observe. She couldn't even glare. And she really wanted to!
Something exploded close by.
A wall of earth rose up between the wizard and them. Hermione didn't realize Bellatrix's wandless and wordless magic was that strong already.
'Bella, drop the wall!' Rabastan called from behind the barrier.
Bellatrix cringed, and grabbed onto Hermione as she leaned close to mutter rapidly in her ear.
'When you come to... kill or run... don't negotiate... Rab's angry in ways you don't understand... kill or run... or you'll die... take Cissa... kill or run, spawn...'
'Drop the wall!' Rabastan demanded again.
Bellatrix let go of Hermione.
'Remember, kill or run...'
Hermione's wand lay close to the bench, perfectly visible. Much to Hermione's dismay, Bellatrix ignored it.
The barrier dropped.
From her slumped position against the tree trunk, Hermione could see most of the deadly dance the two Lestranges engaged in for the next few minutes.
Bellatrix giggled and sidestepped the blast. She twirled and leaned sharply to the side with mad cackle. Purple light flew harmlessly past her body.
The witch curtsied mockingly and suddenly the earth rippled where the wizards stepped next. Unable to change the direction in time Rabastan stumbled and fell. At the next moment the devil-snare-like growth made a grab for the wizards body.
The wizard bellowed angrily.
He send a hex at Bellatrix general direction.
Bellatrix sidesteped the magical charge easily.
The plant was dispatched off quickly enough too.
On and on it went.
The two managed to spit words abuse and mockery at each other in between their castings too.
Cat and mouse... or a performance...
Hermione worried the animosity between the two was a set up.
Bellatrix surely wasn't that good at avoiding the curses. Rabastan surely wasn't that bad at aiming. Yet, for the longest time Bellatrix had stayed mostly unharmed. And so had Rabastan. All the witch had done was create traps. Not once a hex or a curse or even a semi-malicious charm went directly Rabastan's way.
Only, Narcissa was definitely traumatized; and Bellatrix sounded too genuine in her warnings for it to be a performance... Surely...
Hermione hoped the curse would wear off before Rabastan remembered about her.
The two eventually moved out of Hermione field of vision.
And then Bellatrix screamed.
If she could, Hermione would have shuddered. That sound was most definitely not a performance.
Hermione wasn't sure what exactly was going on. She couldn't see anyone but the still passed out Narcissa. And Rabastan wasn't casting anything aloud.
When Bellatrix wasn't screaming she mocked the wizard's abilities as a wizard and as a man.
It felt like eternity passed before the tips of Hermione's fingers and toes tingled.
Bellatrix's screams turned into raspy whimpers by that time. And mostly wizard's mocking words were heard then, about Bellatrix's character and worth.
Hermione's fingers closed firmly around her wand.
An opportunity to run... or to attack.
Bellatrix was hidden by the shrubs some distance away. Rabastan's back was to Hermione, and his upper body was somewhat visible.
Hermione gripped the wand tighter.
The war was supposed to be over!
She could grab Narcissa and go get the aurors. This could still be a set up...
And even if not... was she really willing to kill for Bellatrix...
Let the two Death Eaters work out their differences in the meantime. They clearly had a lot to say to each other. Let the aurors sort it out...
Despite her doubts Hermione found herself edging closer to the two.
Bellatrix was sprawled on the ground. Blood seeped from multitude of tiny cuts all over her body. Her right arm was bent unnaturally, and so was her right shin. Both her hands were soaked in blood, either from cuts there or from being in contact with a heavily bleeding wound.
The wizard was too involved in dragging the last signs of suffering out of Bellatrix to notice recovered Hermione.
Bellatrix saw Hermione behind the wizard. There was no hope in black eyes, no pleading for help, no disappointment at the inaction, no regret, no apology.
The watery eyes squeezed shut and the witch whimpered as another curse hit her.
The same eyes looked into Hermione's in open wonder less than a week ago.
..about being good to each other... ..maybe I can try to want that…
The same eyes shone with glee as Hermione writhed in pain under the witch's spells and knife less than a year ago.
..I'm not sorry... ..I can't be sorry...
The same witch set the fortress full of people like Hermione to explode because she didn't like the place.
The same witch had a made-up constellation for her sister on her sky. The same which made their co-existence more bearable than Hermione ever expected.
You do realize there are expectations with this milestone, don't you?..
The same eyes... The same witch.
I love my lord...
Hermione took a step back.
It wasn't really a choice.
The wizard froze, then toppled to the ground, along with a few nearby tree branches. His shield wasn't even up. The head rolled away from the body on impact.
The effort of casting successful supercharged Diffindo made Hermione's hands shake and eyes water. Though possibly, the fact that she just killed a person caused the reactions.
She tried to collect herself and focus on the problems at hand, of which there were still many.
Hermione knelt next to Bellatrix.
'He is dead.'
The witch's eyes were squeezed shut, too tight for her to be unconscious.
'You are safe, Bellatrix.'
The furrow between the dark brows deepened.
'I'm going to get healing potions, and a healer...' Hermione glanced at the severed head nearby, and sighed, 'and aurors, I suppose.'
Hermione went to touch the witch then stopped. She better get some healing and blood-replenishing potions into the witch first.
'You'll be fine, Bellatrix, I promise. You'll be fine. Be right back!'
Hermione stood up.
'What a mess' she whispered to herself.
One fried-by-lightning wizard. One beheaded wizard. Injured Bellatrix. Tortured Narcissa.
And to top it off, she was now a killer.
And to think, Hermione's biggest ambition for the weekend, not even an hour ago, was to kiss Bellatrix again.
End of Chapter 50