Beauty and the Beast

The Curse

Published: 4. November, 2023

The Beast stared at Hermione's closed eyes, willing for the life to return to them. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. A cold sensation spread throughout his body.

No- No- She can't be gone.

"No," he breathed and leaned his forehead against hers. It was cold. He closed his eyes, finally letting the tears fall. When he spoke, his voice was rough and cracked.
"I love you, Hermione Granger."

Below in the dungeons, the last petal halted in midair, a second away from touching the surface of the table.

A soft jingling sound broke the silence. Slowly, the Beast lifted his head. Before him hovered a small creature with beautiful wings, dressed in a pink dress with a face that resembled a squashed potato.

"Heal her," whispered the Beast. "I beg you."

The faery studied him seriously. "And the curse?"

"I don't care about the curse!" he roared. "Please, heal her!"

The faery flew closer, dark eyes narrowing. "I propose a deal. Will you condemn an entire castle to live for eternity, in exchange for the life of the one you love?"

"I-" the Beast stopped. Not knowing what to say, he stared down at Hermione's pale face. He would do anything to bring her back, to have her by his side. Even if it meant living at Hogwarts for eternity.

Yet could he do that to Albus and Minerva? To everyone who already endured eight years away from the rest of the world? Could he do that to Lupin's son, who had to grow up without a father?

The Beast closed his eyes and pressed his own forehead once more against Hermione's cold one. His heart ached to have her back, to hear her laugh one more time. To whirl her across the golden floor in a waltz one more time.

But-

I can't make the others endure more misery just to end my own.

"No," he whispered. "Please set them free. Let them return home."

Silence fell. The faery studied him carefully. Then slowly it began to nod. "You've made the right decision, Severus Snape."

The wind began to pick up, tugging on the Beast's fur and cloak. The smell of orange and cinnamon reached his nose.

"Years of eight have taught you well", a soft whisper began to fill the room.
"Years of eight under my spell.
Time has ticked and tocked and run,
The petals have fallen, all but one.
I now strip you of the beast's hide,
To return you to the human inside.
Back the clock now runs along,
To the moment when everything went wrong."

The Beast's head snapped up, only to find the faery hover before him with a satisfied smile on its face. It began to glow in a warm, white light, the light setting aglow everything it touched.

His fur began to burn, his skin grew hotter as if it would melt off. The Beast closed his eyes and tightly held on to Hermione, silently enduring the pain that began to explode in his body.

The white light spread further, rapidly crawled down the steps, filled the corridors, touched the walls and windows, until it streamed into the entrance hall. It grew brighter, encasing the shouting objects and aurors, who stilled in surprise.

It flowed out into the open, into all directions, across the grass and lake, until it reached the blue massive shield surrounding it all.

Cracks began to appear in the blue shield, zigzagging up and down.