Breaking the window: Expedition to Hyperborea
Chapter 32: In madness we suffer…
"While I know many will criticise what we did at the heart of Hyperborea, Hermione and I both stand by the decisions we have been forced to make in the heat of the moment. When enemies out for your blood are hounding you through the city with the intent to plunge a knife in your back, there is no time to consult Ministry officials or an international committee of experts. We were in the middle of the bloody Arctic, as far away from civilisation as one can get. Honestly, what did the Ministry pencil-pushers expect us to do? We were there. We were in danger. And we had to act."
- Bellatrix Black, Expedition to Hyperborea, published 2006
One thought that went through Bellatrix' head was how well suited this place would be as the subject of one of her stories. A once thriving living space, now for ages long empty and abandoned seemingly in a hurry, now being explored by a hapless visitor who had no idea what she was getting herself into. There could monsters hiding the shadows. It could trap her here and devour her soul. Or she would ironically starve to death in what was once a place of plenty.
It would be exciting were it not for the fact that she herself was the hapless visitor in question.
One thing she did note, however, was that these living quarters were a hell of a lot nicer than the ones at the Panopticon prison she and the crew had visited earlier. Perhaps these were for the upper-class wizards? Or maybe something else was going on.
Then, she saw it. The first sign of Hermione's passing. Honestly, Zipper saw it first and shot towards it. On the ground, near some sort of pillar, lay Hermione's camera. A gift from her father, Bellatrix was quite certain that she would never leave it willingly. So question remained, what had happened? She knelt down beside it and gently picked it up. The strap had been broken, but the camera itself seemed to be in perfect working order. She whispered a quick reparo to fix the strap and hung the camera from her neck.
Emboldened by the first real evidence of Hermione's presence, Bellatrix cupped her hands to her mouth. "Hermie?!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the endless terraced halls. "HERMIONE?!"
Zipper buzzed in front of her, looking a tad concerned.
"Yeah," muttered Bellatrix. "Probably should stop announcing my presence."
Her eyes fell on the pillar that was close to where the camera had lain. Some sort of raspy sound emitted from it, but Bellatrix could not make heads nor tails of it. A large purple orb was set in the middle of the pillar. When she took a step closer to inspect it, a purple beam shot out and hit her straight in the eye. Immediately, her head felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing her in the brain. Next thing she knew, she lay on the floor with her head still pounding. Her blurred vision started to fade and the pillar… was speaking.
"Greetings visitor," spoke the pillar with a pleasant tone. "Welcome to the habitant ring. Your security clearance is level 1."
Bellatrix was amazed to see that she could now read the myriad of signs placed everywhere. From warnings to menus to directions. The term 'Habitat Ring' was displayed prominently.
"You can talk?" Bellatrix asked the pillar after getting to her feet and steaded herself against the pillar.
"Acknowledged," said the pillar. "Please state query."
Bellatrix thought a moment. "Is this… Hyperborea?"
"Working," said the pillar. "The term Hyperborea is not known. Please rephrase."
"So… where am I now?" asked Bellatrix.
"Working. Please wait. Loading introductory program. Playback commencing. Welcome to Facility 001 basic orientation,"
The next few moments were spent watching in awe as the pillar showed her things beyond her imagination, to the point of sending her into near existential crisis. About Facility 001, apparently Hyperborea, about visitors from other dimensions and about some sort of machine at the heart that… generated magic. It was reeling and heartrending to find out that magic was not a natural phenomenon but something generated by an ancient machine. Bellatrix wondered… yes, wizardkind had a right to know, but would the wizarding world survive the knowing? She felt numb, betrayed, angry, scared… all her life she had been proud being a witch, having great powers at her command. To find out that it was all… artificial? How could she ever cope?
Of course, magic have had to have come from somewhere, that much was true. And would anything change at all? Knowing that magic wasn't natural did not stop the power from coursing through her body, after all. She commanded just as much power as she had before.
But Merlin above, ignorance truly was bliss. The brain understood, but the heart was much slower on the uptake.
The pillar continued its tale. "Facility 001 is already being used to make Chthonius III a better place for our people to settle," said the voice. "Facility 002, also known as the Seeding facility, is being used to alter and creature life-forms. Specific life-forms from Chthonius III have been chosen to be uplifted and infused with the genetic markers to interact with the Khramphstar quanta. Infused creatures will be bred and raised at Facility 002 and released to predetermined habitats on Chthonius III. Tranche one and two have already been finished and infused creatures have been released into the wild. Tranche three is currently 3.572.188 planetary axial rotations behind schedule, but is expected to launch soon."
"Look, Zipper," chuckled Bellatrix. "It's your home. Apparently the people who made this place also made the Fae Realm. And you. And all magical creatures."
But any and all illusions of benevolence were crushed when the next section of the introduction played.
"To survive in the third dimension, our people require the use of host bodies best suited for this world. You have already been provided with a host of your choice and, rest assured, all your friends and family from the homeworld will be provided one in due time. Suitable hosts are locally sourced from the very hands whom have built Facility 001, their final and ultimate reward will be becoming a vessel to a member of our noble race. Their markers infused in their genetic codes will allow you to tap into the quanta's energy matrix generated by the 145 Khramphstar reactor and you will be able to use fifth dimensional ability just as if you're home! Though linear time will be confusing and perhaps frightening at first, the pioneers who have taken this difficult step before your coming will be there to aid you with the transition. Yes, your vessel will eventually cease to exist, but rest assured there will be plenty of new ones to choose from when that time comes. Mixed with the myriad of sensations the vessels can provide, you will truly experience the best of both worlds! Be proud, for you are the vanguard for the rest of our noble race. We will rule over the primitives as gods and will guide them to shape this young world in the image we desire."
Bellatrix blinked. At least she now knew why the ancient wizards had fled this place. This was no grand city where wizardkind living a Utopian existence: this was a fucking nightmare factory! The ancient wizards were little more than livestock to these builders. Her mind was still reeling from the implications. It was obvious that power lay here, but what was it that Chandra was after? Perhaps… control of the machine? That reactoring thingy the pillar mentioned?
Bellatrix swallowed hard. None of this mattered if she couldn't find Hermione and then a way out of this nightmare. Part of her wished she had never came here, but after sliding her arm over her stomach, she knew she had a very good reason to keep going.
So, with a heavy heart and new knowledge in her head which would undoubtedly lead to sleepless nights and premature greying of her curly hair, she stepped further into the habitat ring. She passed what looked to be apartments and offices until she came to something which looked to be some sort of entertainment hub. There were things which resembled cafes or restaurants and one of the larger buildings seemed to be some sort of museum. Knowing that Hermione would be attracted to libraries or museums, that would be an excellent place to search.
No Hermione was to be found, sadly, but she did come across another pillar showing off some images. Apparently, this museum was meant to show off the magical creatures that the Fae Realm was producing. Mostly information regarding the first and second tranches of magical creatures released in the wilds of Earth from the Fae Realm. There were informationals on Dragons and Nifflers, Centaurs and Selkies, Phoenixes and Lethifolds. Some were completely new creatures, others were alterations of native Earth species, such as the unicorns. The builders of this place were going all the way to create a magical ecosystem, all part of the plan to terraform Earth into a world they desired.
She passed the exhibits and, on her way out, she stopped when she saw one for guardian creatures. "Pillar?" she asked. The pillar, apparently being able to move locations, sprang to life and rattled out the usual exhibit talk. "Guardian creature 001 is a genetic reworking of one of the dragon species recently seeded on Chthonius III. Much larger, intelligent and powerful than a standard dragon, it also has many more enhancements such as immortality, improved eyesight and a terrifying breath weapon. With Guardian creature 001 patrolling the skies around Facility 001, none will ever need fear invasion or attacks."
Bellatrix gasped when she saw another image appear. A black unicorn. It looked younger and less scarred, but it was obviously Unicornis Rex beyond the shadow of a doubt. "Is that…" Bellatrix gasped as the pillar cheerfully continued the tour. "Guardian creature 002 is a recent creation. Though Guardian creature 001 was deemed a massive success, its bulk and airborne nature introduced certain limitations. Guardian creature 002 is a smaller, ground-based alternative which implements many lessons learned from earlier iterations of Guardian creature experiments. Based on the standard unicorn creation. Guardian creature 002 will see use in smaller outposts which are yet to be constructed and serve as an escort for expeditions to the surface of Chthonius III. Guardian creature 002 was designed to serve as an obedient vessel for those of our noble race who have chosen a dissident path and will give them opportunity to survive the death of our world while paying their debt to society at the same time. Currently, only one prototype exists at Facility 002, but mass production is slated to begin after the creatures from Tranche 3 have been released. Soon you will be seeing Guardian creature 002 at all our facilities, looking out for your safety!"
Apparently that mass production never happened and Bellatrix certainly was glad for that. Still, that gave a lot of insight on what Unicornis Rex actually was. Zipper, in the meantime, was having a whale of a time flying through the exhibits and making them flicker. Until they came face to face with a translucent giant wasp. Zipper stopped in his tracks and hovered in front of the exhibit, regarding the holographic wasp quizzically. "Project X-57 involves the uplifting of a local species of aggressive social insects. Size, intelligence have been greatly enhanced while their aggressive nature has been toned down significantly. Being imbued with fifth dimensional ability has given them the power of short-range teleportation. Project X-57 individuals will be used as beasts of burden, messengers, servers, maintenance and companions. They require only the most basic of care and are especially suited for maintenance tasks which benefit from group-work. Though Project X-57 has yet to be given an official classification, their design has been deemed a success and thus will become part of the third tranche when it launches."
"Well, Zipper," said Bellatrix. "Took a while, but you and your friends finally made it home. Come. Hermione obviously isn't here."
After enough fun had been had, the two companions stepped back onto the promenade and resumed their search. In the distance, she could see that the promenade kept curving to one side. It stood too reason that this habitat ring was round… hence the word 'ring'… and would eventually loop back to where she had started from. So far, she hadn't seen any part she recognized. But, more worryingly enough, she hadn't found Hermione either. She did come across more platforms leading to other parts of Facility 001, but these seemed to be inactive. So either Hermione hadn't been through here or the platforms simply didn't respond to her presence. She hoped it would be the former.
When a larger section of the promenade came into view, there were more avenues for searching. A nearby sign giving directions told her that the upcoming section contained something called a 'temporal observatory' and something called the 'control deck'. Both sounded promising. She put some stride in her step and had almost reached the section when a large black shadow came sauntering out of the building labelled 'temporal observatory'. Bellatrix gasped as the creature from her nightmares stepped onto the square ahead and quickly dove behind a pillar, pressing her back to her.
Shit. Shit shit shit.
And, of course. Of fucking course that thing was here now too!
She was exposed here and started looking for a better hiding spot. Unfortunately, the pillar she was hiding behind was in the middle of a wide open space. Though there were some shops and living spaces near, the doors were closed and possibly locked and she had no doubt that the unicorn would see every move she'd make. Bellatrix took a deep breath. She had to think.
It was then that the pillar sprang to life.
"Please specify query!" the pillar cheerfully announced far more loudly that Bellatrix would have liked.
"Shut up! Shut up!" Bellatrix hissed angrily, trying to keep her voice below a whisper.
"Unknown request," said the pillar. "Please specify query."
"Be quiet!"
"Unknown request," said the pillar again with equal cheer. "Please specify query."
Bellatrix bristled. "What do I need to make you keep quiet?"
"Request lower auditory feedback volume."
"Yes, do that! Lower auditory feedback volume already!"
"Specify desired volume."
"Zero! Nada! Nothing! Zilch!"
"Desired volume is out of available range. Please specify different level of volume."
Merlin, this thing was so dumb! "One!" Bellatrix hissed.
"Acknowledged," said the pillar, sounding barely audible this time. Bellatrix felt Zipper buzzing around on top of her head and closed her eyes when she realized what had happened. Adrenaline coursing through her body, she slowly turned her head to the side and saw the massive head of Unicornis Rex as the creature stood right next to her, three eyes on the side of its skull boring into her. She was woman enough to admit that she almost shat herself on the spot when the head turned towards her, the tip of its massive horn mere inches away from her forehead. Six eyes now bore into hers, but the creature was yet to make a move.
Unicornis Rex was surprisingly passive, but she knew the creature could be smart and devious. It could just be up to something. But it just stood there, staring at her.
Zipper, sat on her head, had his stinger unsheathed but seemed equally curious. His antennae twitched nervously while staring the massive black unicorn down. Guardian creature 002, prototype. And it never stopped staring.
Bellatrix swallowed hard, her nervous voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart in her chest.
"D-do you know where Hermione is?" Bellatrix asked. Honestly, she had absolutely no idea why she had just asked that. No idea at all. It was as if her mouth had formed the words without any input from her terrified brain.
The unicorn let out a brief snort, startling Bellatrix. A curt distorted whinny later and the unicorn started walking away, towards the square. Bellatrix started breathing more easily now that the creature was out of sight, wondering what the hell had just happened. However, she jumped out of her skin when a more urgent and impatient whinny sounded.
"I… I guess it wants us to follow?" Bellatrix turned to an equally disturbed Zipper, who was hovering rather erratically. The pair carefully stepped out into the open and indeed found Unicornis Rex rather impatiently waiting for them. The moment it saw them appear, the creature turned to move towards the square. It angled to the side and stood next to a large door leading to a room labelled 'Control Deck'.
Bellatrix steeled herself, never taking her eyes of the creature while keeping her distance. Zipper landed on her head again, also staring the unicorn down with equal intensity. Unfortunately, the door would not open for her. "Alert," spoke the pillar again in a much softer tone. "You do not have the proper security clearance to enter the Control Deck. Please report to security to upgrade your security level if eligible."
"What?!" Bellatrix exclaimed and slammed a fist on the three-pronged metal door. "Let me in!"
As the pillar was repeating its rant, the unicorn suddenly moved. It turned around, lowered its head and surprised Bellatrix by kicking both its hind legs against the door. A loud pound sounded. It kicked again and again. Dents appeared. More kicks. More dents. After one final massive push, Unicornis Rex bashed the door clean off its hinges. Immediately a red light started flashing above the square and the pillar started blaring a loud alert.
Bellatrix looked at the now again docile unicorn. "Uhm. Thank you," she muttered before she and Zipper entered the control deck.
Her heart skipped a beat when she finally found Hermione, but not in a state she would have wanted to find her. "Hermie!" she exclaimed whens he passed consoles and found Hermione suspended above the central control panel. A beam emanated from the control panel and a large purple bubble surrounded Hermione. Hermione herself had her eyes closed and was motionless inside the bubble. There was no way to tell if she was even alive or not. The magic surrounding Hermione was thick and dense, of a level she had never felt before. She barely had eye for the reactor in the cavern the control deck was overlooking; this marvellous source of all magic meant nothing to her in that moment. How could it when the girl she loved so much was in such a state?
"Ah, there you are," sounded the bemused voice of Chandra. With wand in hand, Bellatrix whirled around and saw the woman sat in one of the chairs near the window. Chandra looked like a woman who should be dead: someone whom had fallen off her broom during a high-speed chase and decided simply not to die after hitting the ground. The woman sported many wounds on her body which ranged from potentially lethal to simply detrimental. Hell, there were bones sticking out of her body and half of her face had no more skin on it. But so far Chandra didn't seem to be bothered by this in the slightest. "I'm impressed you made it this far," she spoke with a voice seared with false flattery.
Bellatrix grit her teeth. Between Chandra and the unicorn, she was in a bit of a pickle. But she stood between Chandra and Hermione all the same, ready to defend.
"Don't worry," said Chandra. "I won't hurt you. There no longer is any need."
"What have you do to Hermione?!" hissed Bellatrix. "Answer me!"
"Me?" Chandra chuckled. "Nothing. This is all of her own doing. Her own choice. This is going even better than I ever could have imagined. There are about 1637 potential outcomes here. Only 5 end in our failure. Oh… computer, cease alarm."
The alert stopped blaring and the red lights stopped flashing. That, at least, was somewhat of a comfort.
"What are you even on about?" Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. "Why would Hermione want to be inside a dense magic bubble?"
Chandra chuckled again. "The curse of knowledge. The zeal to learn. When presented with an endless ocean of knowledge, a thirsty girl like Hermione will drink and drink and drink until she bursts," she smirked inhumanly. "Thirsty and eager little Hermione will throw open the gates for us just as we always intended. We need to merely wait."
A moment of clarity came over Bellatrix when she thought back to a few days ago. "That story you told, back at the camp. The girl you knew who worked on the orichalcum artifact," said Bellatrix. "That was all true, wasn't it? Only it happened to Chandra, the real Chandra. And the creature she was in contact with, the one whispering in her ear… that was you, wasn't it?"
"Very astute," replied the creature that wore Chandra's face. "Humans are curious. Humans want to know everything. Even when it's not in their own interest. They want to look further than is wise. Chandra was one of those people. I whispered in her ear and that was all that was needed. I learned so much from her as well. About the current state of the world. About wizardkind. About your habits, your structures, your government and culture. As for Chandra, over the years, I hollowed her out until only I remained."
Bellatrix hissed angrily. "You're a fucking monster," she said.
Chandra smirked and leaned forward in her chain, broken bones cracking as she did so. The sound caused Bellatrix to wince. "Correct," replied Chandra. "I am what your kind made me. And, Bellatrix, remember this. You are like Chandra too. So is Hermione. Always searching, always hungering for more knowledge, for more power, for more truth. And in those far-away shadows, we lurk. We wait. As long as people like the two of you exist, there will always be ways for us to crawl back into this reality."
There was something deeply disturbing about the way she spoke those words. There was an eagerness to it, a gleefulness. Whatever was controlling Chandra was assured of its victory and was gloating to her. Bellatrix turned to Hermione again and her heart broke seeing her float lifelessly in the air.
"Go ahead," said 'Chandra'. "Touch the bubble and join your Hermione. It's not like it'll make a lick of difference anyway. But, I warn you, you might not like what you'll see in there. Ignorance really is bliss. Ah, but then again, I know you, Bellatrix. I know your type. You can't leave well enough alone, but it's simply not within your nature to do so."
As much as Bellatrix hated to admit it, that monster was quite right; she couldn't leave well enough alone, not like this. She couldn't stand not knowing. And even if she were to fail, at least she'd be with Hermione.
"Zipper," she told her friend with a smile. "Watch over over us, okay?"
The wasp looked at her and unsheathed his stinger. He took up a position and started hovering between Chandra and Bellatrix. The young curly haired witch didn't hesitate one moment further and touched the bubble with her hand. Magic engulfed her and reality started to fade away, as did Chandra's mocking laughter.
Once she regained a measure of awareness, Bellatrix found herself in an all-encompassing black void. It took her a while to gather her thoughts as she found herself wobbling on her two feet, though she did not know why. She was about to grab her wand to cast a lumos when a light appeared overhead. It startled her to a point; she had merely thought about it and a point of light appeared. Even so, she still stood alone in this void stretching in every direction. To her sides, in front, in back, above and below her. It was rather disorienting and irrationally frightening to stand on top of a void and she tried her best not to look too far down.
However, she had thought of a light and the light appeared. Apparently, her thoughts had power here. She thought again, willing the entire void to light up. This time, thinking wasn't enough as the light remained limited to her own small area of the void. Perhaps she could do something else to make this place more comfortable, she wondered. She closed her eyes and, when she opened them again, she found herself stood on a grey-white tiled floor. Though the floor only stretched a few meters in every direction, she still had the idea she was stood on something more than just emptiness.
Now, to find Hermione. What was it Chandra had said?
Thoughts of Chandra triggered something in this place. With fascination, her mind was hit with thoughts, images and sound. It was a cacophony of distortion at first before her brain could make sense of it. In front of her was Chandra, stood on the deck of a ship. At first she thought it was an image of her on the Kingfisher, before she realized that Chandra looked much younger. Some ten years younger. There was a very different impression to her. The woman was young, demure and looked very unsure of herself. This was a far cry from the Chandra she had come to know on board the Kingfisher. Bellatrix felt something inside of the young woman; the thing which was now driving her body was still a small seed within her, but the spreading corruption was painfully obvious.
Bellatrix felt sad for the young woman Chandra had once been and wondered if something of her might remain, either still within her body somewhere or in the afterlife.
She realized that this ship was not the Kingfisher, but the Orpheus! She watched in fascination as the Orpheus had nearly reached Facility 001, only to be plucked out of the sea by the Ur-dragon and carried away. Chandra somehow managed to get off the ship before that happened and stumbled through the ice caves, only to be halted by a magical barrier. It was then that the Ur-dragon detected the intrusion and returned to the city. Somehow, Chandra survived and managed to return to civilisation. The trek over the ice to the south must have been brutal and arduous. The only reason she survived was undoubtedly that Chandra had been forced to give up more control over to that monster growing inside of her.
Chandra and her keeper waited for years until they found a solution to enter the city in lockdown. Bellatrix and Hermione moving forward through time and bringing back both her necklace and Unicornis Rex provided the key to both, as Bellatrix had described both in her book in exquisite detail, after all. Chandra manipulated Eleanor Snowbell, who in turn manipulated her and Hermione to join a new expedition. Chandra used guile, the odd sexual favour and her Ministry connections to obtain and smuggle the unicorn on board the Kingfisher. She also managed to smuggle another one of its kind on board in the form of Chiputec, the poor man having been taken over in a far less subtle fashion in his home country. All they had to do was bide their time.
There was little which went on aboard the ship which Chandra did not know about. Goneril having been smuggled on board, for example, something that could be used in its favour. The Neo-Viking raid presented the first real risk, as Queen Ealdwynn had come very close to exposing Chandra's plan. Coming across the wreck of the Orpheus presented another problem, as Chandra at the time hadn't bothered to hide herself. As such she featured prominently in the ship's log and in pictures with the crew. If these were to be found there would be… uncomfortable questions.
Bellatrix watched in horrid fascination as Nymphadora stood in the Orpheus' captain's quarters reaching for the log, when Chiputec cast a darkness spell upon her and slit her throat with ruthless efficiency, claiming the log while Nymphadora lay dying on the frozen deck.
When the Kingfisher ran aground in the ice, Chandra again forced the issue. Aware of Goneril, Chandra ordered Chiputec to put a potion of compulsion in her drink after which she freed Unicornis Rex to move things forward. Later, Chandra ordered Chiputec to do the same to Hermione so that she would open the door to Facility 001.
Bellatrix closed her eyes and sighed. None of this would matter if she couldn't find Hermione and make her escape with her by her side. She was all that mattered, especially now. She slid her hands over her stomach and thoughts of their child sprang up almost immediately.
Again the void responded. It was as if Bellatrix was looking through time itself. What she saw was their family area at Catterborough Woodhouse, the room they were in being the common room she had once shared with her sisters, now one she shared with Hermione. And soon she would share it with her family. Bellatrix watched with amazement when she saw herself and Hermione, both looking about ten years older than they were now. It was snowing outside, she could see through the window, and behind the sofa stood a tall Christmas tree. Rather than an angel shaped tree-topper, there was a depiction of Cernunnos, antlered and holding a torc. A compromise between the pagan and Christian belief system of both their families.
Most strikingly, and something which made Bellatrix' jaw fall open in sheer joy and amazement, were the three girls running around the room. Three identical girls with messy curly brown hair, pale skin and dark eyes.
"Triplets," Bellatrix smiled, grasping her stomach. "Three sisters… with an unbreakable bond."
Athena, Aphrodite and Artemis. They stood lined up as Bellatrix was fitting their shawls and coat. Hermione had just come in, clad in a snazzy looking business suit. Apparently she had just gotten out of a meeting and had yet to change clothes. Bellatrix was playfully teasing Hermione that she would be late for her own family dinner at her parents' house. Zipper was there too, flying around and teleporting from head to head. The girls loved Zipper as much as she and Hermione did.
The girls were eager to visit their muggle grandparents. Athena, Teeny for short, was smart as a whip and an eager study. Aphrodite, Ditey for short, was the social one of the bunch, and could sweet-talk just about anyone into seeing things her way. Well, anyone except her own parents, that is. Artemis, Missy for short, was the athletic one and always running about breathlessly.
Bellatrix smiled as the image faded. This was her future, their future. And this was worth fighting for. Now more determined than ever, Bellatrix closed her eyes and willed herself to be close to Hermione. And when she opened her eyes, she saw finally saw Hermione.
This part of the void was different, shaped to the whims of its master. Hermione was sat in an office. Papers, books and hundreds upon hundreds of screens all showing different kinds of images or scrolling lettering, surrounded her. Hermione sat on a chair, taking it all in and moving from paper, to book, to screen, all the while muttering to itself.
"No, no, no," she heard Hermione muttered. "That'll end with the destruction of Jupiter, gravitational disruption and the death of the solar system. No, no, no, that won't do. Hm… that will delay the formation of the Sarian empire for another thousand years. Can live with that… But… No, no, that's all wrong. Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating! One little change and the whole bloody time-line collapses!"
Oblivious to her girlfriend's frustrations, Bellatrix rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Hermione. She buried her nose into Hermione's soft brown hair and took a moment to kiss her shoulder. "Hermie!" exclaimed Bellatrix. "I was so worried."
Hermione's reaction was not what Bellatrix expected. Or rather, she should say, Hermione's lack of one.
"Oh, it's you," said Hermione in a monotone almost bored voice.
"Hermie?" asked Bellatrix, loosening her grip somewhat. Her brown-haired girlfriend had her eyes fixed on a screen on which lettering zoomed by too fast for Bellatrix to read.
"Did you know we are in a story?" said Hermione, her tone still one of weary apathy.
Bellatrix furrowed her brow. "Excuse me, what?"
"We are characters in a story," Hermione droned softly. "Look deep enough to the universe and you will find reality malleable. Pull on the threads, the strings of the story and you will find that you can enact subtle changes. That's what this 'magic', this reactor, can do. Destiny is no longer set in stone. You will no longer be part of the story, you will become its architect. Its creator. Its GOD!"
"Hermie?" Bellatrix said. "You're not making any sense."
"How could any of this make sense?!" Hermione exclaimed loudly. "I just found out that I and everything I've ever known isn't true or relevant! If anything can be changed, then nothing is bound by rules. And if I can change nothing, the story becomes my prison! Nothing outside of that story exists. And that's not the worst of it. There are thousands of stories. Thousands of iterations with endless possibilities. But all of them are just as much prisons as ours!"
"Enough of this rambling!" exclaimed Bellatrix. She withdrew and spun Hermione around, away from the screens.
Her Hermione was more than a little annoyed at being torn away from her work and scowled angrily at her. "What are you doing?!" Hermione hissed. There was a disturbing coldness to her voice.
"What am I doing?" Bellatrix said. "What are you doing?! Hermie? Do you even hear yourself speak? Come on, I have to get you out of here. We have to find the crew and get out of this city. I don't know if you've noticed, but this Lost City isn't exactly a friendly place to us."
Hermione chuckled without an inch of humour, as if chiding a particularly petulant child. "None of that matters," she replied harshly. "There are hundreds of iterations of you and me. And we don't exist. Not really."
"Hermie…"
Hermione suddenly grabbed her by the lapels of her jacket and pulled the stricken Bellatrix close enough to shout in her face "I HAVE SEEN THE TRUTH! I WILL NO LONGER BOUND TO THE CONFINES OF THIS STORY! I WILL MAKE THIS STORY MY OWN! I WILL BE THE GODHEAD OF THIS UNIVERSE!"
Right. Though she had no idea how long Hermione had been here, it was obvious to Bellatrix that her girlfriend was becoming dangerously unhinged. This void had a maddening effect on people, that much was certain. Hermione had likely already been here too long and Bellatrix now knew she had to get the both of them out of there as quickly as she could before she too would be affected. "Hermie," Bellatrix said carefully. "You're… not well."
Hermione gave her an incredulous look. "There is no such thing as sanity! There is only reality as it is and one's willingness to accept it!"
Before Bellatrix could react, Hermione turned away and raised her arms to the void, throwing her head back and basking the glory of true nothingness.
"I see the dreams of stars!" Hermione yells. "I see galaxies devouring each other whole! I see light fold in on itself until nothing remains! All of this, all this truth, all this wisdom. Flows through me. I see through the very layers of existences! I can pluck the strings like a guitar to play the song of reality. I have become the blind watchmaker who has opened her eyes!"
Bellatrix almost took a step back when fierce brown eyes, once gentle but now gleaming with madness, bore into hers. There was a cruel detachment to her expression, one she had never seen on her gentle face before.
A chuckle, almost an alien sound, brought forth. "Cruelty?! What is cruelty?! Cruelty is for so much knowledge to be eternally out of reach of so many! But not I. But not I! I know more than any human has ever known and WILL EVER KNOW!"
Bellatrix' mind raced. What did 'Chandra' say? Hermione was willingly drowning herself in an ocean of knowledge? Well, whatever she had done, she had definitely drank deeply. "Hermie," Bellatrix started tentatively, motioning to the void behind you. "There's nothing there."
Hermione gave her an incredulous look and then sighed with disappointment. "You see only nothingness? I expected so much more from you. I see you have yet to understand. But I know a way to make you understand, Trix," she said. Her voice was menacing, dripping not with malice but with sheer cold detachment a scientist might regard a lab-rat.
And just like that, Hermione was gone and void around her started to change. Bellatrix needed a moment to reorient herself, but when she realized where she was, she wished she hadn't. This was the entrance hall of Woodchester Manor, from her story. Exactly as she had imagined it in her mind's eye. From the placement of the piano and the torn curtains in front of the mostly broken windows. She instantly felt unsafe and threatened, as if the very house itself wanted her not only gone, but dead and buried. Bellatrix was an intruder upon hostile sacred ground.
She herself had written this place and she knew of its dangers. Hell, she had created those very dangers. Above her, the unknown creature pounded across the attic. It knew she was here. Everything knew she was here. And, worst of all, she could see the sun was about to disappear underneath the horizon. With horror, she realized she was about to be in violation of Rule #1: do not be out in the corridors by nightfall. The moment she realized this, Bellatrix ran up the stairs where the door to the upstairs bathroom yawned open invitingly. But, as the writer, she knew better than to set foot inside. She knew the only safe place in this entire bloody house was the library. She knew this because that's how she had written the story. But she also wouldn't make it in time. No, the creatures were already emerging from the walls and would block her path. A forest of arms grasped out from the walls. Emaciated rotting flesh with taloned fingers felt around for her. If she pushed forward to the library, she would be caught and torn to shreds before she could even cry out in terror.
Cursing, she noticed an old wardrobe, yanked open the door and threw herself into it while pulling the door shut behind her.
She tried to keep her breathing under control and not move a muscle as she sat in the wardrobe with her knees pulled up against her chest. She heard the creatures waddle through the hallway, passing every so often, while only a thin piece of wood separated her from violent and gory death. How did she know? Well, that was the way she wrote the story. Those were the rules she had set.
Somehow, impossibly, Hermione was with her in this small dark wardrobe barely large enough to fit her. "So here you are now," whispered Hermione, her soft voice almost causing her to jump out of her skin. "Will you let the whims of the story carry you along like a river rapid, or will you take the reigns and steer your own destiny? Think, Trix. Think."
She was right. Even in her moment of madness, Hermione was right. This was her creation. Her story. Her rules. Bellatrix grit her teeth, rose to full height and threw open the doors of the wardrobe. The monsters, faces blank and eyeless, raised their claws, but Bellatrix merely swatted them aside with her magic, throwing them off the mezzanine like ragdolls. Bellatrix turned towards the door leading into the upstairs bathroom and stared into the endless void. She knew exactly what was inside that awful room.
Nothing.
Nothing was inside that room. Because she never bothered to describe the horror that was inside. She didn't have to. The implication of something terrible inside the upstairs bathroom had been more than enough to make the reader do all the work for her: the unknown was the most terrifying of all. Bellatrix closed her eyes and, almost against her will, turned her head to the library. There, in the doorway, stood her creations. The nameless Death Eater, tall and fierce with piercing blue eyes and jet-black hair which cascaded over her shoulders, though never described in the story, looked just as she had imagined her in her mind's eye. Next to her, her arm laying on the Death Eater's hip, stood her muggle girlfriend Celeste. A warm smile played on her tips. The both of them raised their heads, expressing a silent appreciation to their creator. For however horrible their existence might be at times, they still thanked her for their chance to be and for having been given each other.
Bellatrix smiled back, promising herself to revise the ending a little to make the outcome somewhat more favourable for them. Then, she turned her head toward the yawning blackness and, without a second thought, she stepped through it.
And found herself once more inside the void. Opposite to her stood Hermione, smiling at her. "See how easy it is? See how easy it is so shape reality to your whims?! You as a writer should have realized this."
"Well," chuckled Bellatrix. "It's not so much fun if you're the character being forced to run through hoops."
"It's still not as simple as it seems," said Hermione. "I have to adhere to causality, to logical and internal consistency. I weave through the threads of our story and I need to tie the knots in the right places or the entire tapestry of our fate will completely unravel. With far reaching effects. The smallest change could destroy half a solar system! Which is a bad thing if you're in said solar system!"
"So that's what you were doing back there," said Bellatrix.
Hermione nodded. "The first thing I will do," said Hermione. "Is to reset the reactor to as much output as it can muster. Which is hard because one of the processing facilities was completely destroyed because our ancestors just had to rebel against their creators. And then I will adjust the parameters to have it affect all of humanity and not just a lucky few who happen to have the right genetic marker."
Bellatrix blinked as she was hit with the implications of this.
"You… want to give magic to all of humanity?!" Bellatrix gasped. "Seriously?!"
"Magic is humanity's birthright!" shouted Hermione. "Rather than to be in the hands of a chosen few, it should be made available to everyone! Imagine the greatness we can achieve!"
"Hermie, you can't do that!"
"And why not?!" Hermione shot back. "I will command this machine to give magic to all people, just as was intended!"
Bellatrix reached out and grab Hermione by the shoulders, shaking her about. "Do you realize what will happen if suddenly everyone woke up one day with magical powers? If you think that will a good thing for the world, thing again! Humanity will burn itself to a cinder before the day is out!"
Hermione shook her head, scoffing at Bellatrix. "Typical pure-blood elitist attitude. Like them, you want to keep magic to yourselves! You and your need to feel special."
"This is not about elitism!" Bellatrix shouted back. "Do you seriously think humanity will survive being granted absolute power in an instant?!"
Hermione smiled. It was an eerie smile. "I didn't say that," said Hermione. "So I will be the one remaining firmly in control. I will oversee humanity's transition. With my guiding hand to steer humanity over the rapids."
Now Bellatrix understood. "Goddess Hermione the Great," she spoke softly. "All of humanity will love her and despair."
"Indeed they shall," Hermione spoke ominously.
"Why! Why are you doing this?! This isn't you!" Bellatrix said, but instantly knew that wasn't the truth. This was exactly a thing Hermione would do. She knew her well enough for it.
Hermione paced back in forth, seething with barely concealed anger. "Foolish, pathetic wizards, It was never enough, they always wanted more. That is why they rebelled against the builders of this wonderful place. Despite all their great gifts."
Ah. So that's what this was all about. "Let me guess," Bellatrix crossed her arm. "You didn't see the Panopticon prison, yeah? You didn't hear the words that pillar spoke to me. All this bollocks about the builders being benevolent, is just that. Bollocks! They wanted our bodies! They wanted to live in our bodies and ride us like broomsticks! And rest of humanity? Nothing more than livestock or slaves! They wanted steal our world from us and remake it into their own image! Our ancestors had every right to rebel!"
"LIES!" Hermione was beyond enraged and stared into her eyes, down to her very soul. She was looking for lies and betrayal, yet Bellatrix remained steadfast. When Hermione found none, all that was left was confusion.
"No," she spoke, her resolve clearly wavering. "I… that's can't be right. I… I didn't see that anywhere in the threads…"
"You didn't see it because you weren't looking for it," challenged Bellatrix. "Your entire premise was flawed from the very start! Don't you see, you're doing exactly what this creature wants you to do! You're playing right into its hands!"
Hermione blinked. "Creature? What creature?!" she demanded.
"The creature inside Chandra controlling her like a marionette!" replied Bellatrix. "But you didn't know about that either, did you?! More flawed reasoning."
Confusion, anger and terror was etched on Hermione's gentle face. Bellatrix gently wrapped her arms around her and held her tightly. "Hermie… why are you doing this? Just come home with me," Bellatrix whispered.
"I… I need to show you something," said Hermione. Again the void shifted around them. What started to take shape around her was Malfoy manor. Now, this was not Bellatrix' favourite place in the world. She had been there a couple of times, but never found the place as warm and inviting as Catterborough Woodhouse always was. It had never felt like 'home' to her, though Cissy obviously was quite proud of living there. But when Bellatrix gazed into what was one the ballroom with the large fireplace, she was started to see and hear Hermione screaming in pain and terror. Hovering above her was… herself. Much older, but certainly her. Her older self had a wild and mad gleam in her eyes and… was enjoying herself inflicting pain on Hermione. Bellatrix winched when she saw her older self grab a handful of brown hair and slam Hermione's head into the cold stone ground. Hermione cried and pleaded with her to stop.
Hermione next to her looked on impassively. "This is where it all began," said Hermione. "This is the moment my mind broke. Oh, plenty of other horrors I had seen during the war, but this broke me in a way I never recovered from."
"Is that… me?" Bellatrix asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer to that question.
"A possible you," said Hermione. "This is a you who never met me. Or met me and I failed change the timeline. It's… complicated. But yes. It is you. Of a sort."
"Shit…" Bellatrix swallowed hard.
"When I first saw you in the Fae Mirror, I wanted to scream and run," said Hermione. "But… something changed. We became friends. We fell in love. We went on grand adventures together. And time-line was changed as a result. But whatever happened was flawed. The universe corrected itself and crammed two Hermione's with two sets of memories together into one body. It wasn't until just a few hours ago that the computer of this facility corrected the issue and recompartmentalised my memories. I changed the timeline, yes. Some aspects were way worse, others way better. But it still all started here. I think… I think I can finally start to heal. Really heal."
"Hermie," said Bellatrix. "I'm so sorry…"
Hermione rolled up her sleeve to reveal her cursed wound. "You once asked me who did this to me, back in the Fae Realm," said Hermione. "It was you."
Bellatrix rolled up her own sleeve to show a cursed wound of her own. "Matching set," Bellatrix whispered. "Maybe I do deserve this wound."
"You don't," Hermione shook her head.
Bellatrix started sobbing softly, but when she looked up, she was smiling through her tears. "I'm glad," said Bellatrix. "I'm glad you showed me this. Because… because I now know that despite you knew everything I did or could do to you, you still became my friend. You still became my girlfriend. And now I am carrying your children. Hermie, you never gave up on me. And I'm never going to give up on you. I love you so much, Hermie."
"I love you too," Hermione replied with tears in her eyes. "And that's why it pains me so much to have to do this to you. Trix… you're going to die."
"What?" said Bellatrix as Malfoy manor faded away into the void.
"Those three babies in your stomach will be the death of you," said Hermione. "I've gone through thread after thread after thread and could not find the answer. Unless I do something now, I will lose you in childbirth. I cannot bear the thought of going on without you, Trix. I must… I must make sure it never happens. And there's only one way to make sure you will live."
Bellatrix' lips trembled as she started to realize just what Hermione was planning to do. And in this void where thoughts became reality, there was nothing she could do to stop her.
"NO!" Bellatrix cried out. "You cannot just erase our babies from existence! Please, no! Give our girls a chance to live!"
Hermione shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Trix. This is all for you. I will gift you this world, even if you fight me with every fibre of your being. I know what is best for you. And for us. Even if I know you will never forgive me."
Bellatrix felt rage well up from the very core of her being; even if Hermione was the girl she loved more than life itself, this would not stand. "Athena, Aphrodite and Artemis Black! Those are the names of our girls! Say them! Say their names out loud before you erase them from existence! I dare you! I DARE YOU!"
"You think this is easy for me?!" Hermione challenged.
"SAY THEIR NAMES!"
Hermione looked away, tears streaming down her cheeks. "This has to be done…" she spoke softly.
"Stop, just stop and think a moment!" Bellatrix took a step back as if keeping the distance would placate Hermione's deadly whim. "Now that we know about me dying in childbirth, we can do something about it, right? We can prepare! With the best healers money can buy. You said so yourself: There are a thousand possibilities, a thousand realities. If you can shape reality, then shape that one! One where we can be together as a family! Where we can be happily in love without the spectre of death hanging over us!"
She could see the confusion in Hermione's eyes. The doubt. Bellatrix closed her eyes and willed the same image she had seen when she first come to the void. It formed all around them. The tree. The two of them. The three energetic girls running around before they got ready to visit their grandparents at Hampstead Heath. Hermione looked dumbfounded, disbelief making way for a broad smile as she saw their future, her own future, in a positive light. Likely for the first time since she had entered this void.
"How…" Hermione stammered.
"This place. It shows what you want to see! It's been showing you the worst possible futures! Because you've gotten so used to misery and depression you've started seeking it out! You're just looking for reasons to feel miserable!" replied Bellatrix. "You said it yourself, it's only now that you can start to focus on healing. All of this, it's a hellscape of your own making. A trap you made for yourself and now can't escape from on your own."
Hermione's control over the void wavered enough for Bellatrix' will to wrest it from her grasp long enough to show her what she wanted her to see. The void shaped into their bedroom at Catterborough Woodhouse. It was the middle of the night and both her and Hermione, some five years older, lay peacefully sleeping in their large canopy bed. Bellatrix and Hermione watched their older selves as they slept, both of them suddenly startled awake when the sky outside was lit up by a strike of lightning, nearly above their heads. Rain started slash violently against the panes of glass of the window. In the bed, they watched themselves. Their groggy older selves shared a brief knowing smile. It was as if they were waiting for something.
Lightning struck again, and this time, the door flew open. Two small girls ran into the room and dove onto the bed. Artemis and Aphrodite both trembled and sobbed in fear, quickly found the arms of Hermione and clutched her tightly while the older Hermione tried to calm them with gentle rocking and soothing words. The older Bellatrix merely smiled and looked to the door, where a third girl stood scowling. "STUPID BABIES!" shouted Athena Black, all of six years old and filled with righteous anger. "IT'S JUST CLOUDS BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER!"
The older Bellatrix chuckled and motioned to her. "Come here."
The scowling girl stomped over to the side of the bed, crossing her arms magnanimously as she did so. Once at the side of the bed, she allowed herself to be picked up by the older Bellatrix and lifted up onto the bed. She was still scowling angrily when sat in the older Bellatrix' lap. "My sisters are dumb," she said. "STUPID SCARED BABIES!"
Her sisters lay trembling in a cooing older Hermione's arms as lightning struck again.
"But you still love them," said the older Bellatrix. "And you'd do anything to protect them, because you're the oldest."
"Mum…"
"Older by three minutes is still the oldest," older Bellatrix smirked. "Teeny, do you really think I never yelled at your aunties Andie and Cissy? Or called them stupid babies? Of course I did. Often, in fact. But at the end of the day, we have an unbreakable bond. Just as you have with Ditey and Missy."
Athena grumbled, still scowling. By now, Zipper had woken up and poked his head from out of his hutch. With a crack, the wasp teleported right onto the bed and hopped onto Athena's lap. The scowling girl's expression softened and she quickly scooped up the wasp. "Hello, Zipper," said Athena. "Shouldn't you be trying to cheer up the two stupid babies?"
Older Bellatrix chuckled and whispered in her ear. "Zipper thinks you need cuddles more than they do right now," she replied.
Athena's eyes widened for a moment, being hugged by her mother while she was hugging the wasp. While her sisters still shivered in the older Hermione's arms, Athena calmed down somewhat.
From the side-lines, Bellatrix could hear Hermione sob loudly as they both watch their older version lean over to each other for a kiss. There, together in bed, in their home, with their children and Zipper, all alive and well.
"Please, Hermie," Bellatrix whispered to her. "Let me take you home."
Finally Hermione started to give in. The brown-haired girl Bellatrix loved so much sank to her knees and sobbed. Instantly, Bellatrix was upon her, taking her into a tight embrace while Hermione cried into her chest. "I…" Hermione stammered. "I don't know what's real anymore!"
"I'm real. And you are," said Bellatrix softly. "You never gave up on me. And I'll never give up on you. Come back to me Hermione, you're better than this."
Hermione wailed softly in her arms. "When I close my eyes, Trix. And I imagine my life without you... I am falling. Falling into a black abyss. Endless, suffocating and unforgiving. I can't be without you."
Bellatrix looked around her, finally understanding. "This is… an inter-dimensional library, isn't it? One you can actually manipulate reality with… somehow. I know some dark wizards who'd give their lives for this. I can see why you're so reluctant to give it up. I know how alluring such power can be. But don't forget why you came here and that you've already achieved your goal."
"T-take… take me home…" Hermione sniffed.
They kept holding on to each other while the void around them started to fade.