A late chapter. It should've been last Saturday but with my birthday and finals I ended up being a bit preoccupied. The climax of year three, which is indeed the next chapter, will still be posted the upcoming Saturday.
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Read, review, and feel free to point out any errors/inconsistencies.
The next chapter will be published the coming Saturday.
Harry Potter: A Flaw in Fate
The Blackest of Nights
XVII. The Dagger Slips
Something stirred. Harry watched as a shadow bustled through the gaps in the curtains, blocking the golden light that leaked from Hagrid's hut. A hand the size of a dinner plate reached towards the windows, pulling the curtains close. The glowing embers vanished from sight.
"Saturn's here." Daphne tapped at the sheet of parchment that sat between them, "Mark it, will you?"
Harry nodded, fumbling with the quill in his hand.
It was, for once, a cloudless night. Brilliant stars sparked across the night sky, twinkling merrily. With their enchanted telescopes, the third year students could make out even the finer details of the many stars and planets -
Not that you'd want to. Some are a bit too bright for my liking.
"Harry," Daphne reached for his hand, dotting the spot on the parchment she had tapped earlier, "Pay attention."
"Right. Sorry."
Harry lowered his gaze from the flashing lights of the sky, hastily marking the parchment. A large, feathery creature lay just outside Hagrid's hut. Harry watched as its chest slowly rose and fell, frowning slightly.
"You've got fifteen minutes!" called Professor Sinistra as she wandered through the tower, "Best finish up as much as you can!"
Harry tore his eyes away from the sleeping Hippogriff. He forced himself to gaze past the tattered cloaks that hovered along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, only to find himself face-to-face with none other than Daphne Greengrass. Her hair, as usual, was tied up in a delicate braid, her icy eyes almost glowing like the stars. She watched him carefully, lowering her quill and pushing the telescope aside.
"Are you alright?"
Harry thought for a moment.
"No."
Her eyebrows furrowed together. Harry heard her fingers tapping uncertainly atop the table beside them.
"The Dementors aren't affecting you from here, are they -"
"No." said Harry firmly, "They aren't a problem anymore."
Daphne stared at him. After some time, her lips curved into a soft smile.
"I knew you'd get it, in the end." her smile faded, "What is it, then?"
Harry shrugged.
"I don't know." he mumbled, "I'm not really sure."
His focus wandered, slowly edging back to Buckbeak. Daphne followed his gaze.
"Is it Hagrid's Case?" she asked worriedly.
"A bit." Harry stared at the Hippogriff, his lips sliding into a thin line, "The hearing's in two days. I reckon I'll skip Defense tomorrow to help Hagrid prepare -"
"That isn't a very good idea, Harry."
Harry frowned.
"Why? Lupin wouldn't care -"
"Professor Lupin won't be teaching us tomorrow." muttered Daphne, "Chances are we'll have Snape, and you know he won't be happy if you skive classes."
"Snape? How do you know we'll have Snape -"
Daphne nodded upwards, pointing towards the night sky. The moon shone beautifully tonight. Almost full, it cast the Hogwarts grounds in a silvery-white glow. Harry stared at it, nonplussed.
"So?"
"Think, Harry. Lupin gets very ill once a month, right around -"
Oh.
"He's a werewolf." Harry realised aloud, "How come you never mentioned it?"
Daphne shrugged, retrieving their map of the solar system.
"It doesn't really matter. He isn't much of a threat most of the time."
Harry nodded.
"That's probably for the best. Some git might try to use it against him."
In the corner of his eye, Harry watched as Buckbeak yawned.
Some git like Malfoy.
"That's time!" Professor Sinistra called, sparks flying from the tip of her wand, "Bring your maps to me, if you please!"
Harry watched with unseeing eyes as Daphne rolled up their half-finished map.
His gaze never left Buckbeak.
-(xXx)-
Bright red ink stared back at him, slipping along the sheet of parchment like blood.
"June eighth." Harry read quietly.
Buckbeak's getting executed on June eighth.
His eyes rose from the parchment, resting upon the sobbing mess that was Hagrid. Thick, wet tears matted his beard as he wobbled around his hut, doing his very best to make himself tea.
"It's more than a week from now." Harry mumbled, "You could always just . . . you know, set him free."
"I've tried!" Hagrid howled. The teapot screeched in the corner, "But Beaky j-just won't l-leave, he won't!"
Harry turned back to the parchment again.
There's got to be something. Anything.
"An' don't t-try nothin', either!" the giant boomed, slamming an oversized mug on the table, "I know yer like ter sneak aroun' durin the n-night. But - I don't want yer ter have ter see it, that's all. No point gettin yeh in trouble, too"
Harry frowned. Howls pressed against his ears as his fingers wrapped around a mug - once from Hagrid, once from the raging wind, and once from a monster Harry might never know.
-(xXx)-
"I wanted to ask you something."
Harry stared determinedly at the earthen floor, kicking at tufts of grass with his shoe. He waited uncertainly for a response.
"Then ask already, you little git."
"You remember the Hippogriff I was trying to help?"
"The one that belonged to the half-breed?"
Harry frowned but nodded.
"Buckbeak." Harry clarified, "He lost his case. He's meant to be executed right after finals."
Bellatrix stared at him.
"And?"
"And," Harry paused, "I wanted to do something about it."
Bellatrix sighed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. Harry watched as violet sparks slipped from the tip of her curved wand as it sliced through the air.
"What's the point?" snapped Bella, "If it wanted to live, it'd have flown far away by now. But it hasn't, has it? So why bother?"
"Because it matters." Harry hissed, "To me, at least."
Bella paused. Her fingers curved uncertainly along the sides of her dark robes.
"You could always set him free." she murmured, "That's what cousin Sirius and his silly little friends would've done."
Maybe . . .
"And you?" Harry frowned at her, "Why can't you do it?"
"Because it isn't my purpose." Bella turned her wand, flicking it gently along her palm. Grass wilted by her feet, "I am here to serve, to ensure your safety and to help you -"
"Then why won't you help me now?"
Bellatrix leaned closer. Harry felt her breath press against his cheeks.
"I'm not here to help you, or the half-breed, or the oversized bird-horse of his." she hissed, "I'm here to help you become . . . something."
"Something?"
"Something." Bella agreed, "Something special. Something great. Someone great."
Someone powerful. Someone powerful enough to beat Voldemort.
Bellatrix straightened up. She spun her curved wand along the palm of her hands again, watching with delight as the grass that remained crumbled to ash. Bits of wood burnt to nothingness, leaving little but black soot upon the earthen floor.
"You'd best prove yourself great, by the way." added Bella. Black soot rose to the tips of her fingers with a wave of her hand. She toyed with it curiously, "Can't have you embarrassing yourself in your finals. You'd best beat mini Ophelia, and the Nott, and the mudblood with the curly hair, too."
Harry snorted.
"You don't seem the type to care about exams."
"I don't." The soot slipped from her fingers, "Master does, though. She was one of the best when she was at Hogwarts. Still is."
Harry nodded curiously.
"Better than Dumbledore?"
Bellatrix glared at him. Harry's gaze slid across her heavily-lidded eyes and down to her lips, which were pulled into a thin line.
"Much better. Better than him, and Grindelwald, and all else, both before and since."
"Even me?"
An eyebrow, soft and angled, rose gently. Bellatrix's features fell into a smug smile.
"Without a doubt."
But something flashed in her eye. Harry grasped it for a moment, soaking in the uncertainty of her words. It was faint, silent and unspoken, but still it was there, hidden behind curved lips and crinkled eyes. Words lined the inside of her skull, etched like an obituary in tattered stone.
'The Dark Lady's equal shall soon arrive -'
Crack.
The world spun. Harry could taste the dirt in his mouth. His body stung, aching as though it had been hit repeatedly by Aunt Petunia's frying pan.
A shadow loomed before him. The soft, tattered silk of Bellatrix's robes rubbed against his ankles, her wand pointed between her eyes. The air suddenly felt very thin; Harry was struggling to breath.
Her eyes bore into his. They were a grey as dark and stormy as the sky above them.
"Don't," she warned him, "Never again, understood?"
Harry nodded, frowning.
Weird.
Blood trickled from his nose. His fingers pressed against his philtrum as he rose to his feet. A warm, thick liquid coated them as he pulled back.
"Episkey." Bella muttered. His nose snapped painfully back into place.
"I'd best be going now." said Bellatrix hastily, "Places to be, things to do -"
"- people to kill, that sort of thing." Harry finished. She didn't laugh.
"You do well on your finals. I'll be by the forest when they're over, I want to hear about them."
"So you can report them to Voldemort?" asked Harry exasperatedly.
As if she gives a shit about what grades I get.
"Something like that, yes."
Harry watched as she fastened her cloak around her, throwing the hood over her curly hair. Her eyes seemed stuck on something just above his head.
"I'll see you in a week." she said, "Oh, and good luck with the half-breed's bird-horse."
"Hippogriff."
"Right."
Snap.
The world spun around her before quickly fading to normal. Harry stared at where she had just been, frowning.
Weird.
"The Dark Lady's equal . . ." he muttered softly, "The Dark Lady's equal . . ."
I like the sound of that.
"I can do better, though. I can be more."
The Dark Lady's equal . . .
Harry tossed his hood over his head, heading back down to Hogwarts castle with a confused expression etched upon his face.
-(xXx)-
"Lumos!"
A white light lit up the dark corridor. It was long and narrow, flooded with water up to Harry's knees. The liquid was unusually dark; for some reason, Harry could hardly make out any of its many contents. The ends of tattered portraits and shelves stuck out from the watery surface. Up above, a broken gothic chandelier swayed softly, creaking as the water swayed.
I'd love to know how Lupin got Dumbledore's permission to do this.
Something whirled. Harry's arm spun through the air, the light of his wand falling upon -
"An otter?"
Harry stared at it, bewildered. The otter swum merrily through the flooded corridor, slowly edging closer to him.
An otter? No, that can't be right - think, you've got to think -
"Depulso."
A gentle breeze shoved the otter back along the hall. Harry listened as it whined sadly, edging closer once more.
Maybe a shapeshifter, like the boggart.
Harry frowned at the thought of it.
"I'm not scared of an otter." he reassured himself.
The creature - whatever it was - was getting closer still. The gloomy waters rippled, bending gently out of the otter's path -
"A Kelpie!" Harry realised aloud, "A Kelpie, it's a bloody Kelpie -"
The otter went still. A second later, so did Harry.
"Shit."
Wham.
The water whirled through the air, spinning as though a tornado had suddenly formed within it. Harry could just barely make out what was at its center - a horse, with a mane of algae and dark, glowing eyes.
What's its weakness? A cucumber - no, that's for Kappas -
"A bridle." Harry sputtered, jumping out of the way of a torrent of water, "That's how you subdue it, with a bridle -"
Wham.
Harry sputtered, coughing up water as he pushed himself off the floor.
I've really got to stop shouting my plan.
Soft leather covered his vision. Bits of metal littered it, latching onto each other and holding the piece together. Harry twirled his wand, forcing his vision to life.
A leather bridle fell from the edge of his wand. Harry caught it nimbly, holding it out for the Kelpie to see.
"You going to behave?" he asked, "You know what'll happen if you don't."
The Kelpie stared at him, then the bridle, then at him again. For a second, Harry wasn't sure what would happen - the next, there was a soft 'pop', and the horse of algae vanished from sight. Harry watched as a stoat swum along the length of the flooded corridor, singing merrily to itself.
He slowly trekked down the hall. Harry waited for the Kelpie to transform, but the creature seemed more than content as it was. He reached the door at the corridor's end, and with a tap of his wand, it slid open.
The final room was almost empty. It was small, shaped like a box. In its center was a glossy black cube. It floated in the air, looking more than a little alien.
The door behind him slowly shut. Harry barely had time to marvel at the water which, despite the opened door, had remained in place.
"Hello, Harry."
Harry turned. A familiar face was waiting for him - one with high cheekbones, perfect teeth and glistening hazel eyes.
"I was expecting you, you know." admitted Harry, "I'm glad it wasn't the other you. The one with the red eyes."
The boggart flickered. For a moment, her features shifted, becoming older and more elegant. Harry watched as it vanished a second later. Emily frowned.
"She's not coming." she whispered, surprised, "She isn't needed."
"No, she isn't." Harry agreed, "She's not so scary, when you really think about it. She wouldn't have scared me. Not anymore."
The boggart smirked, a perfect eyebrow curving in the air.
"Oh?" she edged closer, "And why's that?"
Harry thought for a moment.
"She's nothing special. Just a monster. There's many of those out there. What's one more?"
The boggart faltered. The hem of her Hogwarts robes slid daintily across the stone floors as she slipped towards him.
"And what of me?" she asked curiously. Her eyes glowed, yet remained determinedly hazel, "Why am I here?"
Harry shrugged.
"Don't know."
The boggart's frown furthered.
"You aren't afraid?"
"I don't think so." he looked up at her, forcing himself to meet her gaze, "Should I be?"
The boggart flickered. Strange magic warped around the creature, shaking the room, but the boggart remained as it was.
"This is it." she whispered, "I'm not wrong. I can't be."
"You are."
Emily shook her head, leaning closer.
"That isn't possible. You should know - I know you love learning these sorts of random facts."
Harry stared.
"No you don't." he thought for a moment, "She does. You're not her."
The boggart smiled. It wasn't harsh - her lips curved gently, showing a smile that wasn't quite so perfect, or as flash or elegant. A real smile, one Harry had seldom seen on such a face.
"You could pretend." she whispered, "For a moment. It might be nice."
Harry fingered his wand nervously as she approached. She paused, smiling at him.
"Relax. You can trust me, you know. If you want."
Harry loosened up. He listened to the sound of her voice, the sound of her footsteps as she came closer -
"Close your eyes."
Harry listened. His heart was beating loudly in his chest - he was surprised at his own actions, but his eyes remained closed, his ears peeled as he listened with all his might -
Something pressed against him. Soft, silky Hogwarts robes wrapped around him. Harry felt her head rest atop his as she pulled him into a gentle hug.
"This is nice, isn't it?" she whispered kindly, "It feels nice."
Harry stilled. He forced his breath back to normal, keeping his eyes closed.
"Yeah. I guess it does."
The weightless feeling slowly vanished. Harry slowly opened his eyes.
She was gone.
An uncomfortable feeling welled up in his chest. Harry watched as the door at the end of the room gently clicked open, squinting as a harsh light spilled into the room.
"Full marks, Harry!" said Lupin with a cheerful smile, "You did brilliantly."
Harry nodded. He turned back as he exited the room, curiously watching the glossy black box that hovered up above. The place where the boggart had returned to, no doubt.
The strange feeling tightened in his chest. Harry wasn't quite sure what it was, exactly - but whatever it was, he knew he didn't like it.
Maybe the boggart was right, after all.
The door swung shut, and the glossy black box vanished from view.
-(xXx)-
"Finally." Nott sighed, sinking into a couch within the Slytherin common room, "No more finals. Thank Merlin."
Harry snorted.
"Didn't even enjoy them a little?" asked Harry, "You seem the type to get excited for a test or too. Like Granger, I expect."
Nott glared at him.
"And for that," he said, shuffling irritably along the couch, "You're not allowed any sweets from my stash for the rest of the school year -"
"So a few weeks, then?"
Nott paused, thinking carefully.
"And the first three months of the next school year, too."
Harry snickered.
"You two seem awfully cheerful."
The pair looked up. Daphne strode across the room, her book bag slung over her shoulder. She let it slip to the floor as she took a seat beside Harry.
"We are." mumbled Nott, fumbling with his book, "Finals are over. We haven't anything to stress about."
Daphne seemed unimpressed.
"You've done well on everything then, have you?"
"I've done well on everything worth doing well on."
Daphne rolled her eyes.
"They weren't half as bad as I thought they'd be." Harry admitted slowly, "The practical portions were downright easy."
"Lupin's bit was a bit tricky near the end." Nott pulled a chocolate frog from the pocket of his robes, quickly popping it into his mouth. He chewed it a while before continuing, "It almost got me."
Harry frowned. The memory of the Defense Final seeped back into his skull. He gently pushed it aside.
Something stuck out to his right. He turned, frowning at the uncertainty on Daphne's expression.
"What?"
She paused.
"I thought you'd be in worse of a mood." she whispered, "Since summer's approaching, and term's about to end."
Oh.
"There isn't exactly a point, is there?" he muttered back, "I've got to go back to them - that can't be changed. Why waste time worrying about it?"
Daphne smiled half-heartedly.
"I guess." she mumbled. Her eyes trailed across the room, searching for someone.
Astoria, probably.
Crackle.
They looked down. Daphne frowned, staring at the golden sparks that slipped from the tip of Harry's wand.
"What's the alarm for?" asked Nott lazily. He didn't bother to look up from his book.
Harry shook his head.
"I don't rememb-"
Bellatrix. She wanted to talk after my finals were over.
Harry jumped to his feet, turning to the grandfather clock on his left hand side.
Five minutes.
"I forgot something." he mumbled quickly, fastening his robes, "I'll be back in a bit."
He scrambled towards the portrait hole, through it, and along the dungeons. His fingers reached into his robes after some time, and he pulled out a folded, oversized sheet of parchment.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good!"
Red ink spread across the parchment. Harry scanned the Marauder's Map, his eyes eventually resting on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. A single name stood there, lying in wait.
'Bellatrix Lestrange'
Harry raced up the corridor. He hopped up the steps two at a time, occasionally glancing back at the map. He raced down first floor, through the entrance hall, and along the courtyard -
Crack.
Harry ignored the pain, pushing himself off the wall and staring worriedly at the map. Three names had appeared upon the map. Three sets of footprints, all stood very close to where Bellatrix was hidden -
'Neville Longbottom. Hermione Granger. Ronald Weasley.'
"They're too close." Harry muttered, horrified, "They're way too close."
They'll see her.
Harry scrambled through the courtyard and out onto the grounds. There, along the path that led to Hagrid's hut, the trio stood. They were stood still, watching something down the hill.
"Any minute now." the wind carried Ron's voice towards him, "They can't be chatting for too long."
Beside him, Hermione was crying. Harry winced as her sobs cut through the wind.
Buckbeak's execution. I almost forgot.
Something shifted. Harry turned back to his map. More footsteps were gathering nearby, a number of which he didn't recognize. Several were seated within Hagrid's hut, including -
Dumbledore and Fudge. Fuck, fuck, fuck -
There were more. Two pairs, which had been pacing along the entrance hall had suddenly gone quite still. They were tilted down towards the grounds, as though they too were watching something.
Harry slowly turned. Professors Lupin and Snape stood at the edge of the courtyard. Their eyes were latched upon something to Harry's left.
The Gryffindors. They haven't seen me yet.
Snape beckoned closer. Harry watched with bated breath as Lupin stuck out an arm, watching the trio closely.
Dumbledore, Fudge, Snape, and Lupin. Dumbledore, Fudge, Snape -
His heart was going a mile a minute. Harry clamped a hand to his mouth, scared that his breathing would grow too loud -
My cloak. I need my cloak.
He slowly reached into his robes, fumbling with a soft, silky cloth. Harry tossed it over as quickly as he could, sighing with relief as he vanished behind it.
Just get Bella away. That's all.
Crack.
Harry spun again. He clamped a hand to his mouth, watching as Lupin kicked aside the twig he had stepped on. He and Snape were closer now, slowly making their way down to where the Gryffindors were stood.
Fifteen feet . . . ten . . . five . . . gone. They're gone.
Harry felt his breath leave him again. He turned around again, hidden beneath his cloak, and watched as the two Professors slowly approached the Gryffindors.
They were crying now. Harry could see the hot, thick tears that streamed down their faces, even from where he stood.
Their day's about to get a lot worse.
His gaze shifted, turning from Ron and Hermione to Neville. The colour drained from his face.
Neville Longbottom wasn't looking at Hagrid's Hut. He wasn't crying, either.
He was staring at something - someone. Someone who stood at the very edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Behind him, Snape froze. Lupin did, too.
"Lestrange."
Harry heard the whisper that flew through the wind, his eyes wide with horror.