Another chapter. Kinda short, but it is what it is.

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The next chapter will be published the coming Saturday.


Harry Potter: A Flaw in Fate

The Blackest of Nights

XIV. The Spares

Steam wafted from a cup of porcelain, filled with what Harry could only hope was hot chocolate.

Knowing Hagrid's cooking, it isn't likely.

"Thanks, Hagrid." said Harry, accepting it anyway. He shivered, raising the mug to his lips, "It's bloody cold out today."

Warmth slid across his lips. Harry sighed, his eyelids fluttering as he lowered the hot chocolate back to the table.

That's better.

"Coldes' day we've had in over a decade." said Hagrid somberly, "I would know. It's my job, keepin' track o' the weather durin' the winter months."

Woosh.

The pair turned. Frost crept along the windowsill, and the ghost of tattered robes and leathery skin slipped past the glass.

"Dementors." Hagrid growled, making his way across his hut to close the curtains, "They've got abou' as much business at Hogwarts as You-Know-Who."

Harry shifted uncomfortably, fingering his mug again. He took another slow sip.

"I've been reading about them." said Harry, "I reckon I've found a way to deal with them, but it'll definitely be hard to manage -"

"'Course it is." boomed Hagrid, "Didn' think the Patronus Charm would be easy, did yeh?"

Harry frowned.

"How'd you know about the Patronus Charm?"

"The war." If possible, Hagrid's expression darkened further, "Those were dark times, Harry. They used teh work for You-know-who. Those of us fightin' had a hard time dealin' with them. I reckon only a dozen o' so members o' the Order ever managed a full Patronus."

Hagrid turned to him, his giant hands wrapping around a barrel-sized mug of hot chocolate. His bearded lips curved into an odd sort of smile.

"Yer parents both managed it. I'm sure yeh can do it, too."

Harry smiled weakly.

"I hope so." he mumbled, "Wouldn't want to let them down."

"Yeh couldn'." assured Hagrid, beaming, "Not ever. They'd be the proudest o' all, if they could see yeh now.

"James might not be so happy 'bout that, mind yeh." added Hagrid, pointing at the silver and green tie wrapped around Harry's collar, "But Lily'd knock some sense in ter him. She always did."

His deep brown eyes stared off into nothingness. Harry watched as the giant caretaker slowly shook himself back to reality, shaking his head.

"Nevermind that." Hagrid mumbled, "What abou' school? Yer classes just started up again, didn' they?"

Harry nodded, his eyes narrowed. Hagrid frowned.

"Somethin' wrong with 'em?" he asked.

"With Snape, maybe." Harry muttered darkly, "He's trying to sabotage me again."

Hagrid waved an oversized hand.

"He ain' out ter get yeh, Harry." the man paused, frowning, "Well - er - what's he done this time?"

"He's partnered me with Longbottom." hissed Harry, "I spent six months of my life actually trying in his stupid class, and now he's trying to counter it. I'm not great, either - I'm not like Hermione or Daphne, not at potions - I can't survive a Longbottom accident."

Harry imagined the thick, viscous green potion he had seen Neville brew in his first potions class. He shivered.

The survival bit might have been a bit too accurate.

"Nonsense." Hagrid shook his head, pushing his barrel aside, "I'm sure Neville's tryin' his bes'. An' besides," He leaned closer, flattening his cooking apron, "he's got a lot on his plate right abou' now, what with Bellatrix an' all."

Harry frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

But Hagrid only shook his head.

"It ain't my story ter tell, and I shouldn' be the one to tell yeh." said Hagrid with another shake of his head, "But there's a reason he's bin brought up by ol' Agusta, an' it ain' a pretty one."

-(xXx)-

Harry looked around. Light streamed into the Defense Classroom from the tall, thin windows. The candles danced atop Professor Lupin's desk, and the dragon skeleton swayed somewhere behind him.

"That's five minutes." Nott murmured. He was staring at a silver and black watch that sat wrapped around his wrist. His lips curved into a slight frown. "Odd. He's never late."

"Why've you got a watch?" asked Harry curiously, "They're muggle things, aren't they?"

"We've had them longer." explained Nott, "The muggles only got it down in the last few centuries, I think. But we've got magic."

Harry smirked, sliding his finger along the edge of his desk. He watched as the line of desk floated up into the air, curving into a delicate pattern.

Yes, we do.

Slam.

The door behind him slammed open, crashing against the wooden walls. A greasy-haired, hook-nosed man strode down the center aisle. The curtains nervously slid shut, and the dragon skeleton fell still.

"As Professor Lupin is feeling . . . ill," Snape paused, his lips curling in distaste, "I have been asked by the headmaster to take over his classes for the day."

His eyes scanned the desk before him. It was practically bare, aside from the dancing candles that now refused to move. Sneering, Snape pulled his wand from his robes, pointing them at a projector near the back.

"Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far -"

A hand near the front of the classroom shot into the air. Snape ignored it, doing his very best to look anywhere but at Hermione.

"As such, I will be taking matters into my own hands." he strode across the classroom, waving his wand, "Turn your textbooks to page three-hundred and ninety-four. We will be learning about -"

"Werewolves."

Harry turned. Daphne sat just to his right, sharing the double-desk with him. She was staring uncertainly at her copy of 'The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts'. There was a strange glint in her icelike eyes.

Click.

The projector sputtered to life. At the front of the classroom appeared a large, moving image of a man writhing and twisting, his skin being swallowed by fur and his eyes turning a bright amber. Harry grimaced, turning away.

"The Werewolf." said Snape from behind him, "A disease that afflicts the witch and the wizard, causing them to transform into a beast as the full moon appears. There is no true cure, though there are ways to - ease the transformation . . ."

Snape's voice turned into a soft, slow muddle of words. Clouds were beginning to form outside. Harry could hear the raindrops that tapped against the window panes. His fingers tightened around his desk as he listened to the drops, his eyes sliding from the image on the projector to the worried expression on Daphne's face.

-(xXx)-

"Expulso."

Bright blue light streaked across the withered shack, slamming into a shield of brass and iron. Harry watched with satisfaction as it burst into pieces, coughing as a cloud of dust fluttered through the room.

That's better.

"Diruo!" cried a voice from behind the cloud. Harry flinched as the spell hissed past his ear.

Not good enough, though.

A flurry of magic burst from the dust, and an angry witch with long, dark hair emerged from within.

"Now that wasn't very nice, was it, Harry?" Bella crooned, wiping a thin line of blood from her face. A clawed finger raised to her lips, and her tongue pressed against the crimson specks. She grimaced, "That hurt."

Harry frowned, watching as her wand slowly rose. Her curly hair fell across her face, strands of long, dark hair obscuring her features. She pouted, gently blowing them away, and a harsh giggle fled from her lips.

"This'll hurt more."

The air crashed around him, rippling violently as violet magic spewed from Bella's wand. Harry grunted as a blast of magic slammed into his shoulder, just barely managing to stay afoot. A silver shield sprung to life before him, baring the brunt of her remaining onslaught. It crumbled within seconds.

"Not so fun, is it?" Bella stood in the corner of the room, frowning as he hunched over, breathing heavily, "Not very nice at all . . ."

She turned around. Harry watched as she lowered her wand, yawning irritably.

"You haven't been practicing, Harrykins." she muttered disappointedly. There was a bored lull in her voice, "I expected more. I expected better."

Something tightened in his chest. Harry glared at her back, his fingers curving into crude fists.

I am better. I have to be.

Cracks stretched across the wooden floor, jumping from his feet to the far ends of the room. A soft, sweet giggle reached Harry's ears.

"I just knew you could, Harry." she smiled wickedly, "That's what makes you special. That's why Master thinks you're special, too."

They walked a slow circle around the room, their wands drawn. Bellatrix watched him with wonder all the while.

"Go on." she whispered excitedly, "Do something special. Don't think, just do - instinct, that's all it is."

Harry grimaced. His eyes slid shut, his thoughts flowing freely across his skull. A girl with hazel eyes stood in the center of his mind, waiting for him.

"Special." she whispered happily, "Like me. We can be special together."

Something changed. Her form turned away, shadows pooling by her feet. They covered her from head to toe, arching around her body into robes as black as night. A crimson glow emerged in the darkness, and she faced him.

"We could be special together." she corrected slowly, "But you're scared."

The woman edged closer. Soft, pale lips were all Harry could see beneath scarlet eyes and a dark, silky hood.

"That's okay." Her form flickered, warping back into a girl of around sixteen. Her eyes remained as red as ever, "I am, too."

Harry's eyes slid open. Magic prickled across his skin, coiling around his neck like a serpent. Across from him, Bellatrix led out a heavy breath, her eyes alight with excitement. She smiled as he pointed his wand at her skull, a single thought bubbling in his chest.

Destroy.

Wooden planks tore themselves from the floor. The shack nearly collapsed in on itself, the walls splintering into bits. The debris swirled around Harry, crashing into the ground and ceiling like lightning in a storm.

From just outside the sphere of magic, Harry could see Bella. She was staring at him with wonder, bouncing up and down with excitement. Harry glared.

More.

Something tightened in his gut. Air tore through the shack, crushing the room to bits. Harry could see the pure white sky above him.

Outside the ever-growing sphere, Bella still continued to dance. Harry's fists tightened.

I said more.

Pain flared across his chest. Harry could see the emerald glow of his eyes as it reflected off his glasses. The air around him tightened, and the wood almost disintegrated at once. Something powerful clawed at the inside of his chest, and Harry set it free -

"Stupefy!"

Bright red light swam through his vision, surrounded by flames of gold and orange. They all quickly vanished, and the world around him faded to black.

-(xXx)-

"You stole my cauldron, my favourite black hat. Purloined my owl, then flew off like a vampire bat. You claimed that you loved me, said we've never part. Then you stole my cauldron, but you can't have my heart . . ."

Harry groaned. He blinked up, trying to see more than the blurred outlines up above him.

"Ooh, you're awake!" chirped a familiar voice, "Just a second - there!"

Thin fingers pushed his glasses onto his face. The world slowly swam into focus. Harry sat up, flinching as pain erupted in his chest again."

"Stay still." snapped Bellatrix irritably, "I don't like patching people back together. You owe me one."

Harry balked.

"Back together?" he sputtered, "What d'you mean, 'back together -'"

"Relax, ickle Harry." Bellatrix waved a hand, "Just a couple bruises, and a touch of magical exhaustion, too. You aren't deranged or anything - well, any more so than usual -"

Harry snorted.

"But," Bella frowned, "You shouldn't have done that. That was dangerous. You could've been hurt."

Harry stared at her, bewildered.

"You didn't get hit in the head with some of the wood, did you?" he asked uncertainly, "You're acting funny -"

"Fiendfyre." Bella straightened up, her eyes narrowed, "That was Fiendfyre you conjured, you foolish child. You nearly burnt the place to ashes."

Harry paused, his breathing heavy.

Fiendfyre. I conjured Fiendfyre.

His eyes combed around the shack. It looked just as it always had, only now the wood was coloured a dark -

"Black." Harry frowned, "Why's the wood black?"

Bella shrugged.

"It's better this way." she answered, "Black's better than brown, you know that."

Harry snorted again. An aching pain flared across his chest again, and he grimaced.

"I told you not to move." hissed Bellatrix, "Stay still. No more magic today, understood?"

Harry nodded tiredly, ducking out of the way as Bellatrix ruffled his hair with the tip of her wand.

"It was beautiful, just so you know." Bella whispered. Harry could vaguely see the glint of excitement in her eyes, "I could feel it, in the air. It . . ." she shivered, smiling, "I loved it. It felt perfect."

Bellatrix looked up, and the smile slowly left her lips.

"But you can't do that again." she warned him, "Not for a while. Fiendfyre's very difficult to control. If I'd been even a second late, we might've both been dead, and then Master would've killed us both."

"I don't think that's how dying works." mumbled Harry. Bella ignored him, jumping onto the couch opposite him. She lay there, watching him for a few minutes before turning away.

"Talk about something different." she said seriously, crossing one foot over the other and placing her head in her hands. She looked up, studying the newly repaired ceiling, "What do brats your age talk about?"

"I dunno. The weather, maybe?"

Bella stared at him, blinking furiously.

"Er - maybe Quidditch, then?"

"That's better." Bellatrix sank back into her couch, "Do you play, then?"

"No." Harry frowned, "People say I should, though. I'm a good flyer."

Bella nodded slowly.

"Your father was supposed to be really good, too." Bella mumbled, "Cousin Sirius never used to shut up about it. And Cissy never used to correct him, so he must've been right, too."

Harry stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"I wouldn't know." he muttered, "My dad's dead. Until I was eleven, they used to tell me he was a drunk and a deadbeat."

He turned. Bella was lying flat on her back, staring determinedly at the ceiling. Her fingers were wrapped very tightly around one another, so much so that her skin was turning pale.

"It's not so bad, really." Harry added slowly, "You know what they say - 'Can't miss what you never had . . . what you've never known . . ."

He stirred. A pudgy boy with short hair flashed before his eyes, fumbling with a tie of gold and scarlet. Harry watched as he turned around, waddling after his grandmother.

"Does Neville Longbottom know them?" he turned to Bella, "His parents, I mean."

Bella's frown tightened. Harry watched her nails pressed tight against her skin.

"They're alive, yes."

"But not enough to take care of him?"

Bellatrix sat up, and for a second Harry worried he might have gone too far. But she rose to her feet, strode across the room and sat on the couch beside him.

"No." she said simply, "My husband, his brother, another Death Eater and I tortured them into insanity."

Harry shivered. He felt his fingers clasp tighter around the edge of the couch.

"Why?"

"To throw Dumbledore off." Bellatrix explained, "He knew we were after someone, he just didn't know who."

"Neville and I." whispered Harry. He took in a deep breath, "You were after us."

"We were after you." corrected Bella, "But Dumbledore couldn't know that. He still wasn't sure which. We had to cover our tracks."

Harry grit his teeth, glaring.

"That's a pretty poor reason to take someone's family from them." he hissed.

"I'm aware." Bella frowned, straightening up, "But that's war. It isn't always so fun, you know."

Harry grimaced.

"I beat Voldemort that same night, didn't I?" he asked.

Bella nodded. Harry frowned.

"So it was for nothing." he surmised, "They didn't have to be hurt."

"No, they didn't."

Silence overwhelmed him. Thoughts leapt at him, pressing against the inside of his skull -

"Why didn't you kill Neville?" asked Harry, "Why'd you let him live?"

Bellatrix shrugged slowly.

"The Aurors had arrived by then." she answered softly, "It didn't really matter whether he lived or died, in the end. Just that Dumbledore was fooled."

"And his parents?" Harry stared at her, his lips tight, "Why didn't you kill them? Why did you break them instead?"

Bellatrix thought for a moment before answering.

"Better to be alive and broken than to be nothing forever." she whispered, "To die is to be consumed, to lose everything, to become nothing."

Harry glared.

"Did Voldemort tell you that?" he asked angrily.

"She did." said Bellatrix, "And she's right. You'll see, eventually."

"I doubt it."

Bellatrix slowly rose. She fiddled with the edges of her robes before forcing herself to look at him.

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

Harry stared at her in disbelief.

"I don't know." he mumbled, "I already knew what you did. You just shouldn't have done it."

Bella stared at the floor.

"Master said you didn't like that sort of thing." she whispered. She forced herself to look up again, "It wasn't personal, you know -"

"It was to Neville." snapped Harry, "How many other families would you and - and her - be willing to tear apart just to get what you want?"

Bellatrix's brows furrowed, and her features tightened. Harry could feel her thoughts swimming towards him, playing in his skull as though they were his own.

As many as it took . . .

"Don't do that!" hissed Bellatrix, her eyes narrowing. Harry flinched as her trail of thoughts crumbled to ash, "That's private."

Silence stretched for ages. Harry stared at the woman with the curly hair, waiting for her to speak. She eventually did.

"I'd do it for you too, you know." she mumbled.

Harry scoffed.

"You'd kill Neville's parents for me too?" he asked, "Thanks, Bella, that's really sweet of you -"

"I wouldn't do that for just anyone." she whispered angrily, "Just you and her, that's it."

Harry sat up, ignoring the sharp pain in his chest.

"And that's supposed to be a good thing?"

Bellatrix looked away.

"If you hadn't beaten Master back then, it would have been." said Bellatrix, "It would have bought her some time."

"Time." Harry repeated, standing up, "A bit of time isn't worth breaking a family apart."

"It is to me." said Bella, "It would be worth it if it meant master would be safer. It'd be worth it for you, too."

"No, it isn't." Harry snapped. He glared at her, "I know what it feels like, you know. I get why he hates you. Neville, I mean. And he should."

Bella stirred angrily.

"And yet you don't hate her." she whispered darkly, "Little Nevy must hate me, shouldn't he, but you can't hate her -"

"I do -"

"No, you don't." snapped Bella, "And you want to know why? Because she means something to you."

She straightened up, brushing bits of dust from her robes.

"We do strange things for the people that matter to us." muttered Bellatrix, "You're not any different."

"I wouldn't kill anyone." Harry hissed, "Not for nothing more than a bit of time."

Bellatrix looked up, a knowing smile on her face.

"You're lying, Harry."

Harry schooled his features.

"No, I'm not -"

"You are." she murmured, "Your Occlumency needs a bit more work, too."

Harry looked away. Bellatrix walked a small circle around him, her heels grinding into the polished black floors.

"You're the opposite of me, really." Bella noted, watching him carefully, "I'm not very good at Legilimency, but Occlumency -" she paused, sighing, "Now that's something I'm brilliant at. Master's better than either of us - she's good at both."

Her gaze snapped back to him, and she came to a sudden stop.

"Say it again." she told him, "Say it again, and mean it. Like the Cruciatus Curse, you know how it works - you've used it before, after all -"

"I hate her." hissed Harry, gritting his teeth, "I hate her, and when I get the chance I'll destroy her -"

"Liar." Bellatrix leaned closer. Harry could feel her cool breath on his face, "I don't even need Legilimency to see it. You're lying, Harry - it's all there, in your eyes . . . I see it so clearly now."

She straightened up once more, slowly backing away.

"She doesn't hate you either, you know." Bella whispered quietly, "I wonder why . . ."

There was a loud crack, and Bellatrix disappeared.