"I'm not very angry for some strange reason. Although, maybe I'm just too tired right now." Harry said thoughtfully as he removed his armor and changed his clothes. He gave the robes that Voldemort had changed to gray a disparaging look. Whatever charm had been used in the capsules was now wearing off, making the wearer appear to have been frolicking in a puddle of gray paint.
Bellatrix smiled grimly as she studied her clawed-up face in a mirror. "That's a sign that you are no longer emotionally attached to that mess. If you can think and plan without having your mind clouded by emotions, it will be better for you in the long run."
"A mess? More like a disaster." Harry muttered as he watched her prod a couple of cuts and speculated as to whether or not he should say anything about her fight. Maybe later. "I think that I'll go to my study and brainstorm some plans of action against everyone. Tomorrow, I can consult with what allies I have."
"You do that." Bellatrix advised vaguely as she abandoned the mirror and began to see to her own clothes. She could patch up her face later. "Narcissa had quite a few shocks tonight. I'd better go check on her after washing up my face."
Harry nodded and left the room. As soon as he was gone, Bellatrix drew one of her cherry wands and whispered a quick incantation. "Maternus observiosso." A blue light flared at the end of her wand and dimmed to a pulsating glow. When she pointed the wand toward herself, the glow changed to a healthy looking green. Bellatrix sighed in relief, put the wand away, and quickly finished putting on a fresh set of robes. She then gave herself a once-over in the mirror and departed the suite to find Narcissa.
Hermione finished removing her clothes and undergarments and slipped into the warm and soothing water of the bath pool in the prefects' bathroom. Though the water was soothing, it did little to wash away the emotional pain brought on by the confrontation in the Muggle village.
At the thought, Hermione brought one of her hands to a cheek and winced. Despite the fact that the bulk of the pain had faded away somewhat, it caused her to burst into irrational tears. How could Harry go off and marry that… that woman? And why did she care? He was a traitor and murderer after all.
In an attempt to distract herself from the painful feelings and confusing thoughts, she slowly attempted to swim some laps. This only exhausted her. She returned to the shallow end and sat, leaning her back against the wall of the pool, crying even harder.
What had Bellatrix called her? A treacherous slut. Was she right? Even if Harry was guilty? Probably. Bellatrix certainly seemed to believe it. The damage that the older woman had done to her face was plenty evidence of that.
She was saved from drowning in her thoughts when Ginny Weasley entered the bathroom. Ron's little sister didn't say anything until she had joined Hermione in the pool against the wall. "I thought I might find you here." Ginny commented. "Ron told me everything. I hope that Bellatrix didn't injure you seriously."
"Just a few slaps here and there." Hermione replied carefully.
"Ron was worried about injuries. I'm more worried about your emotions." Ginny stated clinically. "What Bellatrix said to you was rather harsh."
Hermione chose not to reply for several moments. Finally she broke down and told Ginny about the dilemma she was facing. Her apparent feelings of jealousy and the fears that going against Harry was wrong, despite his guilt.
"You're jealous of Bellatrix then?" Ginny asked carefully.
"I don't know." Hermione whispered.
Ginny hid a smirk. "It certainly sounds like it."
"That's beside the point." Hermione said. "Am I doing the right thing by standing against Harry? He was my friend since our first year at Hogwarts."
The youngest Weasley quietly observed the colorful bubbles and variable shapes as she considered Hermione's question. Finally, she answered. "If Harry is guilty, then you would be doing him no favors by standing by him and trying to justify his actions. If he's too foolish to value your counsel with regards to his crimes, then you're not at fault."
"Do you think that Harry is guilty of killing the Muggles on Privet Drive and in that town? He claims that he did neither." Hermione asked Ginny.
"Yes." Ginny choked. She and Harry had not really been friends, but she had always felt a special bond from him saving her life in the Chamber of Secrets. "I think that he was fundamentally good at first, but any normal person would eventually crack given the situations Harry has gone through I'm with Ron on this, he's most definitely guilty."
A sigh escaped from Hermione's lips. Her conversation with Ginny should have comforted her at the very least. For some reason, she still felt the same as she had before Ginny had shown up. "What would you do if Harry was proven innocent of all accusations?" Hermione asked, mostly out of curiosity.
There was a very long silence before Ginny replied in a quiet, but grim voice. "I would crawl to him and beg him to either kill me or torture me until I could not remember my treachery."
Hermione's face blanched. "That's extreme."
"Living and consciously knowing that I had betrayed him with my heart, let alone actions, would be worse." Ginny whispered.
"There's suicide." Hermione suggested. "I don't know if I could even stand his presence if he was proven innocent."
Ginny shook her head. "That would be the coward's way out. Besides, he saved my life in the Chamber of Secrets and nearly died for it. That act created a magical bond between us. It is impossible for me to commit suicide. I'm glad that it's impossible, because I would hate to find out whether or not I'm a coward."
At this point, both of the teenage girls were silently shedding tears. "I hope we're not wrong." Hermione uttered. "For both our sakes." That statement made Hermione feel much worse. For who hoped that their friend was guilty of murder? She couldn't win.
Narcissa was laying on the cold, stone floor next to the bed in her room when Bellatrix knocked on the door and then entered the room. She turned her attention from the plain ceiling to Bellatrix when the door closed behind her sister. "I see that you've survived your fight." she observed.
"Yes." Bellatrix said awkwardly as her face turned red as a cherry. She took a seat on the plain bed and motioned for Narcissa to get off the floor and join her. "Just a few scratches."
"You were always the calm and cool one." Narcissa said as she slowly sat up and then joined Bellatrix. "I never pictured you getting into a cat fight with a girl half your age. Then again, I never pictured you marrying Harry Potter either."
Bellatrix blushed even more, if that was possible. "That girl made me furious. I've committed some unspeakable atrocities in my life, and Harry has done nothing but good. When I heard her accuse him like that, I guess I just lost control."
"I'd say you did." Narcissa laughed for a moment before growing a bit more serious. "When I first found out about you and Harry, I vaguely considered the possibility that you were up to some scheme designed to undermine him, despite your claims to the contrary. You proved me wrong tonight."
"How?"
"Well," Narcissa began, "you are a very skilled and fairly powerful witch. You could have probably beat the snot out of that teenager without even resorting to physical means. I didn't see a conniving witch trying to prove her loyalty to Harry Potter tonight. I saw a woman reacting with a primal instinct to an insult against her mate's honor."
This embarrassed Bellatrix to no end, though she was pleased to know that Narcissa now acknowledged that her feelings for Harry were sincere. She changed the subject, to avoid further discomfort. "I came here to see if you were okay after seeing what you did in the village."
Narcissa sighed and slumped. "No, I'm not okay. My pureblood status and former connection with the Death Eaters makes me feel about this tall." She held out her hand and gestured with her thumb and index finger. "Your husband could probably make the world a better place by putting my head on a pike or something."
"My husband does not put heads on pikes!" Bellatrix said indignantly.
"Indeed." Narcissa said, smiling at a private joke.
"He doesn't."
"I know." Narcissa grinned momentarily, before becoming slightly more somber. "I've decided that I should probably talk to him soon, however. I'll confess to him every bad thing I ever did and ask him to help me come to terms with it all and change my ways. Do you think that he would be willing to help me?"
Bellatrix smiled happily. "Of course he will."
"After that, maybe I can help you and Harry by doing something other than scrubbing your floors and walls. I have connections in the wizarding world. Not all of them are necessarily trustworthy, but they can still be useful to us."
"That sounds wonderful." Bellatrix said with a smile. "It's late, so I'll leave you in peace."
The two sisters said good night to each other and Bellatrix left Narcissa's room and made her way through the dark fortress to the master suite where she found Harry just climbing into their large bed. "Any ingenious ideas?" Bellatrix asked.
Harry smiled. "I'm not sure as to how 'ingenious' they are, but I do have some plans that should prove beneficial to me in the long run at the very least. Thanks for uh… sticking up for me back at that village, by the way."
Bellatrix beamed at him as she changed into some nightwear. "I love you, Harry."
THE MINISTRY CHRONICLE
'A voice of truth, not wish-washy prophecy.'
"LORD POTTER" STRIKES
Yesterday, in a move that shocked witches and wizards worldwide, Harry James Potter violently lashed out and led his deadly forces in the decimation of a defenseless Muggle village on the north coast of Britain. Officials from the Department of Magical Law-Enforcement estimate that 'Lord Potter' as he has been dubbed, successfully massacred at least sixty percent of the village's population. An additional thirty percent sustained minor injuries.
As of yet, the Ministry is unsure of Lord Potter's motivation. A top aide from the Minister Fudge's office stated that Potter was very likely trying to establish his presence. "This is only the beginning." the aide said.
When Ministry forces led by Kinglsey Shacklebolt and assisted by Albus Dumbledore arrived at the location of the attack, they found Lord Potter's followers gathered in the central square. "He adamantly denied his involvement," said one eye-witness, "but it was painfully obvious that he was behind the attack. Everyone could basically see the blood dripping from his hands."
"The Ministry will not let Potter get away with this!" Cornelius Fudge stated in an emergency press conference. "We've begun an investigation and found that Potter owns shares in the Daily Prophet and other key companies. Steps have been taken to freeze his assets, thus the closure of the Daily Prophet. His resources must be cut off!"
The world can only hope that the Ministry will be able to successfully wage a two sided war against You-Know-Who and Lord Potter.
GOBLIN REBELLION! GRINGOTTS CLOSED!
Yesterday afternoon, Lord Gold- the head of Gringotts Bank, announced the closing of Gringotts. He stated that the bank will remain closed until further notice. However, arrangements were made for a small amount of every patrons account to be withdrawn and distributed.
Experts caution the public not to panic in any way. Minister Fudge in his press conference concerning 'Lord Potter' stated that he hoped that everyone could calmly adjust to the immediate decrease in the money supply. It is estimated that the economy will be able to function if everyone co-operates.
While some worry about the future of our economy, others have wondered why the goblins decided to shut down the bank. "It's a rebellion, pure and simple." stated Percival Weasley. "The Ministry suspects that Harry Potter may be responsible for the problem. As I speak, we are striving to iron out these problems.
Harry chucked his copy of the 'Ministry Chronicle' into a nearby fireplace and laughed. "Those blokes certainly have lying through their teeth down to a science. Pretty soon they'll be blaming me for indigestion."
"I don't think that it's very funny." Bellatrix scowled as she viciously speared a sausage link with her fork. "Rotten jerks."
"Maybe it's my turn to be a rotten jerk." Harry snickered.
"They already think you are."
"True." Harry said thoughtfully. "That means I won't have to try very hard then."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes with a smile. Harry's jests had managed to cheer her up. "Whatever. I'll leave you to your own amusement. There is some research I'd like to do today."
Harry stood up. "I'd better get to my study. Snape, Moody, Tonks and Neville should be arriving soon. Forcing them to wait won't be a good idea."
"Tell Neville that the doctors are hopeful." Bellatrix told Harry as he made his way from the dining room. "They haven't had a chance to work on him, but he can visit them at least."
"Will do." Harry called back to her as he exited and made his way to the study. When he arrived, he found that the group of expected visitors waiting him in his office. "Thank you for coming. I apologize for making you wait so long." Harry said, waving toward chairs that had magically appeared.
"Wotcher Harry!" Tonks said in greeting. "Nothing to apologize for, we were only here for a few seconds."
"That's good to hear." Harry said as he took his seat. "I take it that everyone swears by the 'Ministry Chronicle.'"
Snape wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I always thought that the Daily Prophet was a filthy rag. That 'Chronicle' exonerates it though."
Moody barked a laugh. "They're both filthy rags. No offense Harry, I'm sure you would have redeemed the Prophet if you had controlled it longer. Everyone believes the Chronicle though. What are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to wage war against both the Ministry and Voldemort." Harry announced. "A war of words to win the popular opinion of the population, and a war of blood to destroy Voldemort. I need you all to double your efforts to convince people that I'm not the creep I've been painted out to be. Find people who don't particularly like Fudge and work from there."
"Fudge is turning into a hero." Snape muttered.
Harry nodded. "True. Is there anyone in the Order that might be open to an approach from you guys?"
"I don't know." Moody said thoughtfully. "I'm mostly close to Dumbledore, and he isn't open."
"You could try the Weasley twins." Neville suggested mildly. "From what I've heard about the Order from you folks, they haven't been as involved as other members and they certainly haven't done any Harry-bashing."
Tonks nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's a wonderful idea, Neville. They would also be a valuable inside resource if they could be convinced to join Harry."
"Do any of you care to give them a shot?" Harry asked.
"Don't look at me." Snape said sourly.
"I'll do it." Tonks said resolutely. "I'll even have a memory charm on hand in case they decide against you."
Harry smiled. "That might be good protocol for approaching anybody. How is Potter's Legion doing, Neville?"
Neville grinned. "We're all learning quickly and our growth is exponential. Everyone is getting a little impatient about not doing anything in the way of fighting though."
"That leads to a key part of my plan." Harry announced with a smile. "All of the members of Potter's Legion have parents or guardians. A great many of those parents are involved in the wizarding world. Convert the kids and the parents will be forced to listen. Especially if their kids can testify without a doubt that I have nothing to do with Voldemort's attacks?"
"Attacks?" Tonks echoed.
Harry nodded. "Yes, attacks. Voldemort won't stop with that one attack. From now on, whenever his Death Eaters lead a raid or make an attack on someone, they will be wearing gray cloaks. I'll be blamed for every single thing he does."
"So how do they know you have nothing to do with the attacks?" Moody probed.
"They'll know because they'll be right there counter-attacking this summer. Assuming of course that they're interested in helping out. I can't guarantee that none of them will get killed, but I can provide armor and weapons that will greatly improve their chances." Harry outlined.
Neville sat up. "You can count me in. I'll even lead the counter-attacks for you."
"That would be appreciated. You'll need a new name so that you aren't associated with me though. Potter's Legion must go."
"I'll come up with something by the time the term ends at Hogwarts. The week or so after the final exams would be ideal for organizing everything before people are sent home." Neville said.
"Good." Harry said, grinning. "That should do it."
Snape leaned forward, "That won't be enough, Potter. The Ministry can still cause trouble."
"That's why there's another part to the whole plan." Harry rebutted. "While Neville and his band of merry men and women are off doing their thing against Voldemort this summer, I'll be working from behind the scenes to smear and discredit Fudge in the public eye. As Fudge's reputation sinks, I'll be promoting some else's reputation. Once Fudge falls, the new person, my ally, will be a shoe-in and become the Minister of Magic."
"That's an excellent plan." Tonks said. Snape, Moody, and Neville also nodded. "Who are you going to make Minister of Magic though?"
Harry smiled at them. "Do you really want to know?"