The Original Heretic

x.

i must have been more tired than i thought, because i was awoken well into the next day by hermione. she brought me breakfast, and i laughed lightly.

"i'm sure you mean well, hermione, but i don't need human food. it is appreciated though." i pulled the tray closer, and we spent the morning talking.

over the next few weeks, i got to get to know everyone better. i told them all most of my backstory, along with tales of my life over the thousand years i lived. we enjoyed the comfort of the cottage for as long as we could, but the trio and i had to continue our mission. so, time went by, and a new plan was formed.

-

it was early in the morning when hermione continued her tradition of waking me up.

"you ready for today?" i asked.

"i suppose so. get your last look at me now, i'll be... her for a while." she sighed.

"you'll be okay 'mione. just... channel your inner bitch, and you'll do amazing." we laughed, and she went into the bathroom to get ready as i began packing everything up.

"how do i look? much better than you, obviously." the voice of bellatrix lestrange sneered from behind me, and on instinct, i whirled around, wand out.

"bloody hell, you're good." i praised. "let's go scare the boys!" we walked out, hermione even walking like bellatrix.

"she tasted nasty." she told me as we walked over to them, referring to the polyjuice potion.

"hermione, can you fix my nose? and kind of the beard?" ron asked as i looked at him wearing the face of a stranger. ron was going to have a fake identity, hermione was bellatrix, harry and griphook would be under his invisibility cloak, and i would use my trusty invisique. all prepared, we apparated to the leaky cauldron.

i watched silently as hermione strode in, tapping the wall to get into diagon alley. it was nothing like i remembered. the streets were desolate, old buildings closed while new buildings with darker objects stayed open. i wrinkled my nose as i saw the few people on the street look at bellatrix with a mix of lust and fear. one man ran up angrily.

"my children! what did you do to my children?" he yelled, lunging for hermione, but ron knocked him back. i whistled in approval as he looked in my general direction.

"was that a good one?" he asked.

"motus, one of the most useful spells i was ever taught. you executed it perfectly!" i said as we kept on walking. unfortunately, we were yet again stopped by another death eater.

hermione kept as much cool as possible while talking to him, and i stood prepared, ready to attack and compel if needed. he was sadly going to the same destination as us, gringotts, so we had to suffer the walk there with him yammering on.

arriving at the huge bank, i saw that the two golden goblins that guarded the entrance had been replaced by two wizards. as planned, me and harry both muttered a spell.

"confundo."

we got in without issue, but everyone got put on edge as hermione requested to get into the lestrange vault, but was asked for identification.

"the imperious curse, quickly!" griphook hissed to harry, and the boy did it.

"oh, you have a new wand!" the goblin said, and travers' head shot up.

"how is that possible? which wandmaker-"

"imperio." i casted the spell this time, and he was no longer an issue. hermione looked bewildered, but shrugged it off. we were close to heading towards the vault, but travers stood still. with a flick of my wrist, he followed, still dazed by my powerful imperius on him.