CHAPTER 54: THE STATUS QUO AND THE AWAITING BATTLE
The Dark Lord maintained his presence in the concealed obscurity beyond the circle of illumination that cascaded through the oculus. The ethereal half-moon floated high in the heavens amidst ragged fragments of cloud, concealed stars just beyond the stained glass. A coterie of individuals, all shrouded in dark robes and adorned with gleaming silver masks, scrutinized every move the Dark Lord made.
Bella, her gaze darting between the enigmatic silver visages, sensed an undercurrent of intrigue. Among these devotees, one harbored a belief that they could outwit the Dark Lord. She suppressed a sardonic chuckle, mindful of the consequences. The game was a perilous one. Someone, in the end, would pay with their life.
"I am gratified," the Dark Lord's whispered words reverberated beneath the delicate frescoes and against the cold, white marble. "Our ranks are swelling, fueled by discontent within the European magical realms. The alliances forged by Grindelwald are rekindling as we amass strength. Our ancient allies, the magical creatures whose domains and sanctuaries have been usurped by encroaching Muggles, will rally to our cause once more. The day of reckoning approaches."
Bella traced a finger along her wand, the instrument of power and peril. The game, it seemed, had no end. Not as long as they drew breath.
The Dark Lord's pacing slowed, and he came to rest lightly upon the balls of his feet, bathed in the silvery moonlight. "Once Britannia falls under our dominion, we shall possess the foremost magical authority. We shall arrest its gradual decline and then rekindle its strength. The remainder of the magical world shall either pledge fealty or crumble in the face of our might. In the end, we shall be prepared to deliver our world from the creeping decay that festers within it. The powerful do not cower before the masses. The superior do not let the inferior dictate their destiny."
Muggles. A surge of disdain coursed through Bella's veins. Mundane, insipid creatures who aspired to drag down their kind into the abyss of their own suffering.
"Go forth, my devoted followers," the Dark Lord's voice, as soft as the shadows clinging to the room's corners, beckoned. He crooked a finger, and Bella sprang to attention.
"Yes?" She responded eagerly.
An unusual glint flickered in the Dark Lord's eyes. "Fetch Greyback for me," he instructed. "I've promised him a favor in exchange for his loyalty."
Bella cocked her head, a touch of curiosity in her expression. "A favor?"
"Something he believes will grant him the power to challenge me and unleash his curse across the land," the Dark Lord revealed with a cold, knowing smile. "Greyback thinks I am unaware of his intentions."
"I'll fetch him," Bella said with a mischievous giggle. "Perhaps he'll make a move he shouldn't."
"He's at the gates," the Dark Lord informed her, his eyes briefly closing. "Nagini is keeping a watchful eye on him. Do not harm him, Bella. I would be most displeased."
Bella beamed. "I'll only harm him if he tries to harm me."
The Dark Lord's intense crimson gaze bore into hers. "Not even then, Bella. But you may take liberties with him after I've dealt with him, should he provoke you. It will serve as a test of the favor I intend to bestow upon him."
Bella sighed inwardly. "All this secrecy and plotting is dreadfully dull." She pictured the tall, wrought-iron gates, the gravel path, and the harpy-topped pillars that flanked the entrance.
With a loud crack, Bella stepped onto the gravel. "What time is it, Mr. Wolf?"
A tall, dark figure emerged from the shadows, his yellow eyes gleaming in a face covered in dirt, matted hair, and rough features. "Dinner time, little witch," Greyback growled.
She giggled. "If you attempt to feast upon me, I'll ensure you dine on your own innards, Mr. Wolf."
Greyback shrugged casually. "I don't try to dine on anything. I bite once."
Bella extended her hand. "Well, let's be on our way. The Dark Lord is waiting."
Greyback's massive hand engulfed hers in a vice-like grip. He leaned in, sniffing her skin. "No point in biting you, you're too old for my taste."
"Too old?" Bella huffed, her veins heating up with indignation. "One should never discuss a lady's age, Mr. Wolf."
Greyback grunted as smoke wafted from beneath his fingers, and the faint scent of burning hair and skin wafted to Bella's nose.
"But I'll pardon you this once," she said. "Just this once."
"Just Apparate us there, little witch," Greyback requested with a sinister grin, revealing jagged, sharp teeth. "I have plans for tonight."
Bella rolled her eyes and Apparated them back into the hall. "Greyback has been retrieved," she announced. "Though, really, he should've been the one fetching, considering he's the one with canine tendencies."
Greyback responded with a low growl. "The last person who cracked a joke like that lost their life."
She chuckled. "That's not how you play fetch, Mr. Wolf. You're supposed to fetch the stick for me."
"Bella..." The Dark Lord's form swirled in the center of the room, resembling smoke. "Greyback will require his full strength to endure the bestowal of my gift. Go entertain yourself elsewhere."
Somewhere like Andi's house, Bella thought.
"Alright," she replied, beaming, and Apparated to the humble, squat muggle dwelling.
The harsh, white muggle light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting eerie shadows in the street. The glass bulb atop a metal pole flickered briefly, then died.
"We should knock, Bell," Bella suggested, eying the door and the neatly manicured garden. "But we mustn't get caught, Bella, or the Dark Lord will be displeased." Bella disillusioned herself and slipped around the side of the house through a small gate.
Short grass stretched out to a slender, blue wooden fence. A smattering of inexpensive wooden chairs surrounded a small patio overlooking a small pond, just before a pair of glass doors. The Muggle she had seen earlier, with his arms around her sister, sat within, a glowing cigarette hanging from his lips.
"What an unattractive house," she remarked.
"The hell!" The Muggle jumped to his feet and retrieved his wand from his pocket.
Bella swiftly disarmed him and tucked his wand into the girdle of her dress. "Don't be troublesome. Where's Andi?"
"Like I'd tell you where my wife is," the Muggle retorted.
"Tell me," Bella insisted, stamping her foot. "I want to see my sister."
"Are you Narcissa?" The Muggle eyed her with suspicion. "I'm Ted. Ted Tonks."
"Don't care," Bella replied dismissively. She peered through the windows. "And no, I'm not Cissy. Cissy is off being miserable and dull."
The color drained from the Muggle's face. "Bellatrix."
"Just Bella!"
A strained chuckle escaped the Muggle's lips. "Just Dora," he muttered. "God."
"Where's Andi?" Bella demanded. "She needs to come with me and help make Cissy more lively again."
"You're completely deranged, aren't you?" the Muggle-born man sneered, crossing his arms and clenching his jaw. "Well, I'm not telling you where Andi is. She doesn't want to see you or Narcissa. You can try whatever you want, but that's not going to change."
The glass door slid open, revealing a familiar figure with long, dark curls and gray eyes stepping out onto the patio. The hem of her blue dress whispered around her knees. "Teddy? Are you done smoking?"
"Andi!" Bella bounced on her feet, her face lighting up with joy. A wave of warmth coursed through her chest. "I've missed you, sister, but I'm back! We can play together again now!"
Andi turned around and stared at Bella. A storm of emotions swirled in her gray eyes, casting shadows on her face. "My sister is dead. She died when she was nine. She fell four stories, and her skull shattered on the floor. I killed her. You're just a ghost."
"I'm not a ghost!" Bella retorted, her anger bubbling up.
A shockwave of air burst from within her, ripping the neat grass from the soil, shattering the cheap garden furniture, and tearing through half of the house. The Muggle-born man tumbled to the ground, smacking into the wall and then crumpling onto the floor, reminiscent of one of Cissy's dolls. Bricks and glass rained down into a pile of rubble behind Andi.
"We're sisters. Sisters forever," Bella huffed, crossing her arms. "The weird sisters, like the band you love."
"You're not my sister, ghost. You've never been my sister," Andi declared, tears streaming down her face as she pulled out her wand. "But it's time you moved on."
"You're not making any sense, Andi," Bella said, stifling a surge of frustration. She glanced at her reflection in the pond, her eyes shimmering like violet stars. "Of course I'm your sister. We've always been sisters."
Andi took a deep breath and raised her wand. "I'll do it myself. It's all my fault to begin with."
Bella tracked the tip of Andi's wand, uncertainty giving way to understanding. "Maybe she's just playing, Bella. She's our sister, and she wants to play with us."
Top of Form
"A game!" Bella exclaimed, tilting her head and bouncing on her feet, her wand emerging from the waistband of her dress. "I always beat you at these games, Andi!"
"It's not a game, ghost," Andi responded, and a flash of red light erupted from her wand, striking the gatepost. "I don't play games. Not anymore."
Bella grinned, her certainty unwavering. "It's definitely a game. She'd never call me 'ghost' like that for real."
"It's all games," Bella giggled. "But okay. If you win, I'll go until you've calmed down, Andi, and we can play another time. And if I win, you have to come back to Cissy and me, and play with us right away."
Andi turned to the still figure of the Muggle-born on the floor. "Teddy, get somewhere..."
Bella furrowed her brow as crimson seeped from under his head. "He's already lost, Andi. You should pay attention. You won't beat me if you're distracted."
Andi hissed, "Avada kedavra."
Green light whizzed past Bella's shoulder. High stakes, Bell. A thrilling sensation coursed through her.
"That's better!" Bella ducked another green beam and playfully stuck her tongue out. "My turn."
With a flourish of her wand, she unleashed a dazzling array of colors, including pretty purples, bright pinks, and shiny yellows, all directed at her sister.
Andi deflected some of the colors and conjured a bright shield. Flashes of color burst against it, white sparks showering down into the wreckage, before the shield burst like a bubble. She transfigured the garden furniture into a steel mesh and hurled it forward. Bella retaliated with a wave of bright pink fire, sending molten metal splattering over the ground and across the patio.
"Avada kedavra," Andi cried again.
A green beam arced past Bella's thigh.
Bella pouted, crossing her arms. "That's not a nice spell, Andi!"
Andi pointed her wand at Bella's chest, blinking back tears. "Avada kedavra."
The green light splashed against her stomach, not even singeing the purple silk of her dress.
Bella sighed, her frustration simmering. "You've got to mean it, Andi. It's not fun if you let me win. Don't let me win! That's cheating!"
A shimmer of power surged from Bella, throwing Andi backward into the wreckage of the house and scattering debris across the garden.
"Oops," Bella exclaimed, clapping her hands to her mouth. "I didn't mean to do that." She skipped across the dirt and the steaming spots of cooling steel, standing over her fallen sister.
Four iron rods jutted through Andi's chest, resembling the pins from Cissy's butterfly collection. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, forming a red pool beneath her back. "Guess you won, ghost," Andi gasped weakly. "How does it feel?"
A chilling sensation swept through Bella. "Don't die, Andi," she pleaded, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "You can't die. Who will play with me and Cissy?" Her magic surged beneath her skin, agitating like boiling water. "I didn't die when I lost. You don't have to die either!"
Andi's gray eyes darkened. "It's better to be dead than to become something like you did, Bell." She dabbed a hand against Bella's foot, blood smearing on her blue dress. "But I'm sorry, Bell. I'm so, so sorry I killed you. I ruined everything."
Bella watched as the light slowly faded from Andi's eyes. "You said we'd be sisters forever!" She prodded Andi with her toe and stomped her foot. "Don't die, little sister! You're not supposed to lose yet!" Fire raged through her veins. "Andi! Andi!"
A crackling bubble of violet light emanated from within Bella, sweeping over Andi's lifeless form and the Muggle-born's smoldering corpse. The mudblood's remains burst into flames, and the last standing walls of the small house trembled before crashing down into a heap of shattered brick and stone. A thick shroud of plaster dust hung in the air, resembling a soft, dense fog.
Bella watched the dust settle over her sister's ashes, grappling with the knot of frustration and the thorny tangle in her chest. Who will come to play with Cissy and me now? I can't cheer Cissy up on my own!
"I'm sorry you lost, Andi," she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. "I wanted to play with you again so much." Bella stumbled away from the wreckage, a hot, constricting knot tightening in her throat and around her heart. Tears trickled down her cheeks. "Goodbye, Andi," she whispered. "Goodbye."
Cissy is going to be even sadder now. Bella paused and gazed at her reflection in the pond. White dust speckled her long curls, tear tracks etched her cheeks, and her violet eyes glowed as brightly as candle flames. Everyone loses, Bella. Even we'll lose someday. This game is over, so we find another one. And another one. And another one. And we never get bored or sad again.
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