Walking through the ship, Hermione clings to the walls, holding on for dear life as she makes her way towards the common room in search of food. Bellatrix was right to be surprised. Hermione has no idea how she and Rose managed to sleep through this storm, without even stirring. She takes a step forward and the floor disappears from beneath her feet as the huge vessel falls off the back of a wave.

She lands heavily on her knees, gripping hold of the rail that lines both sides of the narrow corridor, grateful to have something to anchor herself against as she tries to get back on her feet. All thoughts of food disappear even as her stomach rumbles. How does anyone force themselves to eat when the sea is throwing them around like a rag doll? She stumbles through the doorway of the common room, coming to an abrupt halt when she realises she has run out of railing.

"Mum!" Rose calls, patting the seat next to her at the table. "Are you hungry? Harry made banana pancakes!"

Hermione swallows dryly, shaking her head as she makes a dive for the table and slides in next to her daughter. "Not for me," she manages to croak out, pursing her lips back into a thin line afterwards.

"Not hungry?" Andromeda asks, walking into the room with a sympathetic smile on her face and Ginny on her tail. "Might take a while to find your sea-legs."

"If you're not eating, come up on deck with me," Ginny suggests. "It might seem like the last thing you want to do right now, but you'll feel better if you can see the horizon."

Hermione furrows her brow. "I don't see how. I think I will feel worse if I see it bouncing up and down."

Ginny shakes her head, holding out her hand for Hermione to take. "You'll feel better, trust me."

Reluctantly, she takes the offered hand and stands, still holding on to the table with her spare hand. "Will you be okay here, Rose?"

The girl nods happily, pointing to her lap where Hermione can see a strap pulled tightly across the tops of her legs. "I'm perfectly safe."

"I'll be here with her," Andromeda assures her. "Ginny is right. Being on deck will help you adjust more quickly."

Resigning herself to her fate, Hermione allows herself to be led towards the small, steep stairs that lead up on deck, glaring at Ginny when the woman has the nerve to laugh at her. How the redhead is walking so easily, when they are being thrown around like they weigh absolutely nothing, Hermione has no idea.

The woman is right, though. When they push open the hatch that had been closed to keep the rain out of their living quarters, the fresh air hits her and she sighs with relief. Salt stings her skin as the wind whips around them, with enough strength that it nearly knocks her back down the stairs. As she allows herself to be pulled up onto the deck, she has to admit that it feels good to be up here, even as she is being lashed by torrential rain.

Ginny grins widely. "This storm is amazing! Look at the waves!"

Hermione holds on to her hand tightly, not trusting her own balance or legs in the slightest. "It's… dramatic."

"You'll learn to love it," Ginny promises, until she spots Ron near the bow of the ship hanging over the side. He's quite some distance from them, but it's not difficult to realise that he's throwing up over the side of the ship. Ginny gestures with a nod in his direction, a wicked smile on her lips. "Or… not. Ron still hasn't found his sea-legs."

"I don't understand how you're so steady?" Hermione complains as they walk back towards the helm, where Narcissa and Draco are chatting next to the wheel.

"It's all in the legs," Ginny confides, coming to a stop and turning to face her. "When the ship moves, you have to move with it. You know what your problem is? You're too stiff."

Hermione frowns looking down at her legs. They are straight and locked into place, and she realises there might be some truth in what she is saying.

"Like this," Ginny indicates, as they rise up over another wave and she bends her legs, absorbing some of the upward motion. "As the ship rises and falls, you have to counter it in the way that you hold yourself."

Hermione accepts Ginny's other hand too, and they stand there facing each other when the ship rises up over the next wave. Hermione bends her legs, straightening them again when they fall down off the back of the wave, though not allowing them to fully lock. She grins at Ginny, her confidence soaring. "You were right," she calls over the howling wind.

"Told you," Ginny replies, but there is not even a hint of smugness in her words. She seems genuinely happy that she has been able to help Hermione.

Ginny releases one of her hands, keeping a tight hold on the other as they walk side by side to join Narcissa and her son.

"Impressive, Hermione," Draco greets them, casually leaning back against the railing behind the wheel in a way that makes Hermione's stomach drop.

"He's right," Narcissa agrees, hands on the wheel looking as relaxed as ever. "A lot of people struggle at first, even in calm seas. To find your feet so soon in a storm like this is certainly an achievement."

Hermione smiles bashfully. When was the last time someone told her she had done something well? It's certainly been long enough that she doesn't specifically remember. "Thank you. Ginny helped me, a lot."

"It was Narcissa that taught me," Ginny reveals. "It's all in the legs," she parrots, along with Draco, as they share a grin.

Hermione laughs. "It works, though I'm not sure I want anything to eat yet."

Narcissa keeps one hand on the wheel, reaching for her wand. She flicks it quickly and reaches out to take the small flask that materialises in front of her. "This should help."

"What is it?" Hermione asks, taking it from her. She slides the flap to one side, revealing a small slit in the rim that she can drink from. She raises it to her nose, sniffing cautiously.

"It's breakfast," Narcissa replies ambiguously. "Drink up. I promise you'll feel better."

It smells nice enough. Vaguely fruity with a savoury undertone that she can't quite place. Trusting that she isn't about to be poisoned, she raises it to her lips, sipping the thick mixture that rolls out over her tongue. The effect is almost instantaneous, and Hermione's eyes immediately brighten.

"This is good," she informs the blonde with a smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, I don't think you're quite ready to learn to sail, but we do need to get you acquainted with the general running of the ship," Narcissa reminds her. "All crew earn their place on board, which I'm sure you've been told, but more than that, you need to look like you belong. The hair suits you, by the way, as does my sister's coat."

Hermione blushes, though she's not sure why. It's innocent, isn't it? Borrowing someone's coat in a storm, when they are safely tucked into bed and won't need it. The thought warms her. Bellatrix ensconced in the sheets her own body had been laying in only moments before. It's intimate. Intimate in a way that leaves her skin hot and prickling, even as the cold rain lashes against her face.

Narcissa clicks her fingers in front of Hermione's face, turning to Ginny. "I think we've lost her," she jokes, with a knowing smile on her face.

"The Captain has that effect on most of us," Ginny adds, grinning as Hermione squirms uncomfortably.

"I wasn't thinking about the Captain," Hermione lies stubbornly, startled when Narcissa bursts out laughing. "What?" she demands, a little petulantly.

"She's a Legilimens, Hermione, and a damned good one, too," Ginny informs her, and Hermione has that feeling all over again that she is missing something.

Draco takes pity on her. "Legilimens can read people's thoughts. Trust me, you can't lie to Mother."

Hermione lets out an unintelligible sound, turning her face away from Narcissa's so the woman won't see her blush. She only distantly hears Narcissa chuckling and then the woman instructing Ginny to show her the rigging, so she knows her way around the ship.

When Hermione lets herself be guided away, she can still hear the blonde laughing gently behind her. It's teasing, and she finds she doesn't mind it too much, even if she's mortified that the woman knows the way she has been thinking about her sister.

"Avoid her eyes," Ginny whispers conspiratorially. "If she can't see your eyes, then she can't use Legilimency."

"Thank you," Hermione whispers back gratefully, linking her arms through the redhead's as they stagger towards the foredeck. As they walk, she finishes the rest of the flask Narcissa had given her, feeling better with every step they take.

The horizon disappears from view every time they go up the side of a wave, and the sea is the only thing in their sight when they come down off of the other side of it, but Hermione no longer feels ill. She keeps her legs loose, moving with the ship just like they had told her, and allows herself a self-satisfied pat on the back for mastering it so quickly.

-xXx-

"How we doing up here?" Bellatrix greets her sister several hours later, a lidded vessel of coffee in her hand that she passes to the blonde. She takes the wheel so that Narcissa can step back and take a well-earned break, holding it steady with one hand.

"We're through the worst of it," Narcissa notes, gesturing upwards to where the sun is finally beginning to peek through the clouds.

"And how are our new recruits?" Bellatrix asks casually.

"Rose has taken to it all like a duck to water," Narcissa says with a fond smile. "And Hermione? Well, see for yourself."

Bellatrix looks forwards towards the bow of the ship where Hermione and Ginny are unfurling the main sail. At the peak of the storm, the sail had been reefed significantly to avoid the risk of capsizing. A smaller sail means less danger when the winds are strong and the sea is rough. Now that they are coming out of the other side, they can bring the ship back up to full power.

Hermione is walking along the boom, unclipping the sail from the bottom of the wood with the confidence of someone who has been at sea their entire life. She calls to Ginny, who starts pulling on one of the ropes. Hermione jogs along the deck with the grace of a gazelle, and takes hold of the rope, working with Ginny to pull the sail all the way to the top of the mast again.

"She could have been born to this life, couldn't she?" Narcissa says quietly, and it's easy to hear the pride in her sister's voice.

"It suits her," Bellatrix replies, nodding. "She looks happy."

The sound of Hermione laughing reaches them both from across the deck and it's infectious, drawing a smile from both of them.

"She's got a difficult road ahead, and it won't always be easy." Narcissa reaches out to place a hand on her sister's arm. "I don't know what is going on between you, but you need to remember what it's like. Things could be up and down for a while."

Bellatrix shakes her off with a scowl. "There is nothing going on, and I know, okay? I'm not an idiot. I remember how hard it was for you when you first left Lucius."

"Bellatrix, you cannot deny that there is an attraction. You forget…" Narcissa taps a finger against the side of her head, a subtle reminder of her skills.

Bellatrix sighs heavily. "Attraction or not, I'm not what she needs. She's the kind of woman that will always need more than I am able to give, and I won't seduce her into my bed under false pretences."

"Maybe you should let her decide for herself what she wants or needs," Narcissa suggests dryly, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not what she needs," Bellatrix replies stubbornly.

Narcissa opens her mouth to disagree, but they are interrupted by Draco calling down from the crow's nest. "Land ahoy!"

"We're not done here," Narcissa warns, but her words are tempered with a soft smile. "I'll go and make sure everyone is ready."

Bellatrix nods distractedly, unable to tear her eyes away from Hermione as the woman chatters happily to Ginny. It burns slightly, seeing her so relaxed and comfortable with another member of the crew, especially one that would be far more suitable for her. She pushes the thoughts away, calling across to them.

"Make sure you're ready, ladies."

"We will," Ginny calls back, and Hermione's head whips around to stare at the Captain. A smile spreads wide across her face and she waves cheerfully.

Bellatrix lifts her hand to wave back before she can second guess herself, rolling her eyes when she realises how eager she looks. Narcissa was right, there is an attraction between them. It might even go further than that; a connection she has not felt for a long time. That doesn't mean she's going to act on it though, and she hates how much she wants to walk across the deck just to bathe in the warmth that Hermione effortlessly radiates.

The woman looks good in her clothes, especially with her new hairstyle. The short, choppy layers frame her face perfectly, highlighting delicate features rather than hiding them from view. There is no doubt about it, Hermione really is beautiful. Bellatrix forces herself to turn away, but her eyes are drawn back to the woman anyway, a smile curling up the corners of her lips when she sees her flick Ginny with the end of one of the ropes.

Bellatrix might not think it's a good idea to act on whatever this is that's brewing between them, but she would be remiss not to get to know the newest member of the crew a little better, wouldn't she? Sailing around the world takes a lot of skill, but it's more than that. The crew need to work as one when things get rough. Communication and trust are key, and how can you have either of those if you hold yourself at a distance from someone? Satisfied with her logic and reasoning, even as her inner voice chides her for being a liar, she calls Hermione over.

The young brunette arrives by side, laughing and breathless. "Captain," she purrs. "You wanted to see me?"

Bellatrix is momentarily taken aback by the unabashedly flirty tone Hermione is using, but then smirks. "I was under the impression I had seen everything you have on offer," she replies, with a small wink.

Hermione splutters, and then laughs as she recovers herself. "What can I do for you, Bellatrix."

"I wondered if you would like to accompany me on shore? We're arriving at Port Terra soon."

"I would love to," Hermione enthusiastically agrees without any hesitation.

"Good. We should make land in the next few hours, as long as the wind stays in our favour. Make sure you're ready."

"Will do." Hermione nods, turning towards the hatch to head down beneath the deck. "It's a date, Captain," she calls over her shoulder as she walks away.

"It's not a date, Hermione," Bellatrix calls back, rolling her eyes when she is answered by breathy laughter.

"It's not a date," she grumbles to herself, but Hermione is long gone now, and her words are lost in the wind.

-xXx-

Port Terra is nothing like Hermione imagined. The city itself is three times the size of Port Solis; immense man-made hillsides housing the inhabitants in luxury apartments, all leading down to multiple harbours around the city's edge. The Black Serpent is expertly guided in using only the inboard motors, and tied to a mooring on the east side. From where they are hitched, Hermione can see a huge landmass only a few hundred metres away from the edge of the city.

"It's land! Real land!" she remarks excitedly, her hand on Rose's shoulder as they wait for the Captain to be ready.

Rose puffs up her chest. "Captain Bella told me about it. It's the first place that they abandoned, so that the real land could be repopulated with trees. One day, if enough new trees are planted, they hope it will repair the atmosphere," she proudly informs her mother.

Hermione suspects that her words are almost verbatim what Bellatrix has told her, but she doesn't say that. Instead, she smiles warmly. "That's amazing, sweetheart. What else can you tell me?"

"Um…" Rose wrinkles her forehead, and Hermione gives her a moment. "Oh! What we can see is the very top of a mountain range. They used to be called the Alps!"

"I'm so proud of you, Rose. You're learning so much," Hermione praises her, hugging the girl tightly. One of her main concerns about leaving the life they knew, was pulling Rose out of school at such an early age, but she needn't have worried. The whole crew is teaching her, and it's being done in such a way that Rose doesn't even realise. They're gentle with her, letting her ask questions about the world around her. It's knowledge that will give her a much more rounded education than what they teach in the city schools these days.

A throat clears behind them, and they both turn around to see Bellatrix striding across the deck. She ruffles Rose's hair affectionately, earning herself a hug from the girl. "You be good for Cissa," Bellatrix warns with a smile.

"I will," Rose replies, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss Hermione's cheek. "See you later," she says, skipping off across the deck to join Luna who is laying out on the foredeck, sunning herself.

"Ready?" Bellatrix checks, gesturing to where the gang plank has been lowered down onto the deck below.

"Yes," Hermione replies excitedly, her eyes glowing.

Bellatrix leads them to the side of the ship, slipping a foot into a gap in the wood next to the plank, and stepping up until she is standing on the wide edge of the ship. She offers a hand to Hermione, but Hermione is determined to show the Captain that she doesn't need to be coddled, copying the Captains moves until she is standing next to her, holding onto the rigging triumphantly.

"Stubborn," Bellatrix mutters, holding back a smile. They walk down the gangplank down onto the harbourside, and Bellatrix guides them towards the small shanty town.

"Much as you look good in my clothes, we need to find you something of your own to wear," Beatrix informs her.

"Oh. I…" Hermione trails off awkwardly. "I don't have money."

Bellatrix scoffs. "Of course you do. You're crew."

"I do?"

"We need to get you your own account sorted out, but yes, Hermione. As a member of the crew you are entitled to the same pay as anyone else on your level, which in this case is Ginny and Ron. The more you learn and the more you contribute, the higher your pay will be."

Hermione walks in stunned silence. She's not had access to her own money since she was a teenager, working to try to support her parents when their business had begun to fail. As soon as she was married off, her parents no longer needed her to work. The marriage itself had been part of a much larger business deal which benefitted them greatly. Cormac never allowed her to work again and with the loss of her employment, came the disappearance of the last semblances of freedom she'd had.

Bellatrix carries on, ignoring the silence that has sprung up between them. "If it's one of the more established places, then for now, you can use my credits to buy what you need. If it's one of these places around the harbourside, then we can make a trade. We carry bags of soil that are in high demand around these parts."

"You trade soil? For things like clothes?"

Bellatrix nods. "Soil is a huge commodity. It might sound really basic, but most of it is underwater now. There are huge mining platforms around the world, but by the time they go down beneath the water and get it, and then put it through treatment works to remove the salt, it becomes a really expensive product."

Hermione shakes her head, baffled by this information. "I have a lot to learn."

Bellatrix flashes her a smile. "You do. You'll get the hang of it quickly though, I'm sure. Life in the cities is very sheltered from how it is everywhere else."

"I feel ignorant," Hermione admits. "I can tell you the names of every major player around the world, I can tell you the best political strategies for winning a campaign. I can write pretty little speeches, and win over the difficult adversaries in the political world, but did I know that soil is expensive? Not a clue."

"It's not really your fault," Bellatrix consoles her. "Living with the super elite, everything is done for you. You pay for the luxury of never needing to know where your food comes from or how it's grown. Your technology is provided without you ever needing to know how it all works. All you need to be able to do is use it. Life out at sea is different. It's essential that we know this stuff. If we didn't, we wouldn't survive very long."

"How did you end up like this? Living at sea, I mean?"

Bellatrix smiles sadly. "My story could well have played out the same way that yours did. Our parents sold us off into marriage before we could walk. Andy ran away, and I left soon after. I stowed away on a ship, and when the Captain found me, he took pity on me, taking me under his wing. We parted on bad terms, but I owe him everything. Tom probably saved my life, and the life I live now would not have been possible without him."

Curiosity sparked, Hermione turns to look at the Captain as they walk. "Tom? As in, Tom Riddle? Captain of The Voldemort?"

Bellatrix shrugs. "Yeah, that's him."

Hermione lets out a slow breath. If rumours are to be believed, then Bellatrix is lucky to have escaped with her life. Once you join Captain Riddle's crew, you are initiated into his ranks of Death Eaters, and no one leaves with their life.

Bellatrix interrupts before she can ask anymore questions. "I met a guy in a bar, and the cocky son of a bitch couldn't keep his mouth shut. Didn't want a woman in his favourite bar, let alone a well known witch. So I hustled him. We played cards, and I won this ship."

Hermione doesn't know the Captain all that well, yet she can tell the woman is holding back. "Just like that," she asks, incredulously, one eyebrow raised.

Bellatrix smirks. "Maybe."

"What really happened?" Hermione presses, giving the Captain a lop-sided grin.

"He didn't like to lose, so he challenged me to a duel. He lost that, too," Bellatrix informs her with a laugh.

"You killed him?"

"I didn't want to," Bellatrix defends. "I let him walk away the first time, but the sly git threw a dagger at my back. A dagger, Hermione. When I was walking away!"

"So then you killed him?"

Bellatrix cackles. "Yes. Then I killed him."

"Sounds like he deserved it," Hermione says mildly, giggling when a flicker of shock and then amusement passes across the Captain's face.

"We'll make a pirate of you, yet," Bellatrix promises. "Here, this place has good clothes. Strong and durable, they're great for sailing."

Hermione follows the witch into the shop. When they walk out again, her arms are laden with clothes, and other accessories the witch had insisted she needed. Bellatrix laughs and holds out a bag the size of her palm. "Here, we'll put them in this."

The Captain pulls out her wand, and guides the clothes into a seemingly, impossibly small bag, where they disappear out of sight. She gives the bag to Hermione, laughing when Hermione lets out a squeal of surprise.

"It's an undetectable extension charm," she informs Hermione. "You can put whatever you want in that bag and it won't weigh anything. You can keep this one, if you want."

"I love magic," Hermione says with a wistful sigh. It's been less than a week since she left Port Solis, but she already wonders how anyone survives without it. How witches and wizards are not ruling the world, she has no idea. Muggles have advanced technology, but there seems to be very little limit to what a witch can do. Ginny has explained the one exception, and Hermione rolls it over in her mind now.

"It's impossible to make good food out of nothing! You can Summon it if you know where it is, you can transform it, you can increase the quantity if you've already got some. It's one of the five exceptions to Gamp's Law."

They spend a surprisingly pleasant morning walking around the harbourside, making deals with the locals as they go. Bellatrix arranges a slew of fresh supplies to be delivered in the morning before they are due to leave, and makes arrangements for their current cargo to be offloaded later that day. She pays a man and his son to arrange delivery to its final destination.

Feet aching, Hermione is happy when Bellatrix suggests they head back to the ship, walking side by side in quiet contentment. They've talked non-stop all morning, and Bellatrix has revealed much about the crew and their lives. Far more than Hermione had been expecting her to say. Now, in the stifling midday heat, it's nice to walk in companionable silence.

"What the fuck?!" Bellatrix exclaims, her words breaking through the peaceful moment between them.

"What?" Hermione asks, but as the words leave her mouth she spots what has caused Bellatrix's outburst. A crowd of people up ahead are kicking an unidentified lump on the floor that Hermione realises with sudden nausea is a person.

Wand drawn, Bellatrix Disapparates, only to appear again by the group of people. Hermione can't hear what is being said, picking up her pace and running to where the dark witch is standing over the body on the floor, protecting them from further harm.

Hermione arrives, out of breath, just as the group of people disperses. "What's going on?" she pants.

"Bastards," Bellatrix replies, crouching down next to the young man on the ground. She flicks her wand, and something whizzes past Hermione's ear and into the Captain's hand. She realises it's another wand, broken in half and held in place by a strand of something she can't identify. The Captain tucks it into her sleeve with a sigh. "They disarmed him, and then, well, you can see what they've done. We need to get him back to the ship."

Hermione gasps when she looks down at the bloodied man on the floor. His face so swollen that it's difficult to pinpoint features that normally stand out so prominently, like his nose. "Bellatrix, he doesn't look good."

"I know," the Captain replies, a hint of desperation in her tone. "Hold on to me," she commands, and Hermione grips her arm tightly, wholly unprepared for the sensation of side-along Apparition.

As soon as they land on the ship, Bellatrix is all action, calling loudly for Narcissa. The blonde pokes her head up from the hatch and on spotting them, runs up the stairs and across the deck.

Bellatrix raises her wand, summoning her Patronus. "Andy, get back to the ship right now. We have an emergency."

"Shit, Bella," Narcissa mutters, dropping to her knees next to the man. "Can you hear me?"

"Y…Yes," the man replies, a devastating cough wracking through his lungs as scarlet rivers run from his lips. Narcissa summons a cloth, wiping the blood from his mouth. "What happened?"

"Trusted… the wrong… person…"

"Okay, shhh now. We're going to help you. Is there someone you need us to contact?"

The man doesn't reply, coughing violently, just as Andromeda arrives on the deck. She takes less than a second to understand the situation, raising her wand and summoning the medi-kit Hermione remembers from her first day on the ship.

Her patient shakes his head. "Too… late. Dying…"

"Not if I say anything about it," Andromeda replies grimly, opening up her case and removing a potion. "The pain just makes you feel like that's true. Swallow this."

Hermione can see that he wants to protest, but he allows the witch to pour the contents into his mouth. His features slacken slightly as the potion begins to work.

"Who did this to you? Why?" Beatrix demands. "Seven muggles against one disarmed wizard, it's disgraceful."

The man holds up his hands, with a thumb on one and all five digits on the other raised. "Six muggles, one was the wizard who disarmed me."

"But why?" Bellatrix insists, moving out of the way so that Andromeda can get to work. The middle Black sister raises her wand, casting diagnostic spells that Hermione remembers all too well. Andromeda shakes her head sadly and Hermione can only imagine what that means. When Andromeda doesn't attempt to heal the man, Hermione immediately understands; he's going to die.

"There is… an island. It's cloaked by magic… so… muggles can't… find it," he informs them with difficulty, the blood still dripping from his mouth and nose. "I trusted the… Wrong person…"

"And they told the muggles? That's why they jumped you? They want to know where it is?" Bellatrix guesses with a growl.

"What's your name," Andromeda asks, and it's obvious why. He doesn't have long left, and no one should leave this world as a stranger.

"Cedric Diggory," the man replies, spluttering blood onto the wood under his cheek. He furrows his brow, and turns to face the blonde.

Narcissa gasps, and Hermione turns sharply to face her, wondering why the woman looks so startled. Bellatrix grips her arm and she understands the warning, keeping her mouth shut. She remembers what Ginny had told her about Narcissa needing to look into a person's eyes to use Legilimency. Judging from the intense connection between the blonde and Cedric, she gets the impression that a whole conversation is taking place without a word being spoken.

Narcissa reaches for his hand. "We'll tell them. We'll find them and let them know, don't worry."

Cedric smiles gratefully, his eyes slipping closed. Hermione waits for him to open them again, but they never do. Instead, his breathing shallows and eventually the rise and fall of his chest comes to a stop. He's gone.

Tears prickle at her eyes, and Hermione blinks back the moisture that gathers there. She's never been around someone when they have departed from this life, and it's a heavy thing to witness. The man, Cedric, is young. He can't be more than a year or two older than she is, and underneath the blood and bruising there is what was a strong and healthy man. Being confronted by death in this way is a startling wake up call, and Hermione isn't sure of her decisions now the reality is settling in.

Andromeda drapes an arm over her shoulder, hugging her from the side. "He's not in pain anymore, Hermione, and death is a part of life."

Hermione nods. "I know," she whispers quietly, her voice breaking.

"What did he tell you?" Bellatrix asks her youngest sister, who looks just as shaken by the encounter.

"It's real, Bella. Everything we were told in stories growing up, it's all true."

"What is?" Bellatrix asks with a frown.

Narcissa smiles, the light coming back to her eyes. "The lost city of Atlantis. It's real. Not lost at all, just cloaked by magic."