𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗻

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕: 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝

The alarm bells of Hogwarts had never sounded so loud, so urgent.

Vivienne Florere was moving swiftly through the dimly lit corridors, her robes billowing behind her. The castle was under attack — Death Eaters had breached its defenses, and Vivienne's heart sank as she realized how. The Vanishing Cabinet. She cursed herself for not stopping Draco sooner.

In a hidden alcove near the library, she found Harry, Hermione, and Ron huddled together, wands drawn.

"Professor!" Hermione gasped. "What's happening?"

"There’s no time," Vivienne said sharply, her voice low but commanding. "You must get out of the castle. Follow the secret passage behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy on the third floor. It will lead you safely out."

"But we can help—" Harry began.

Vivienne cut him off with a rare sharpness. "No. Your task is to survive. That is help enough. Go."

The trio exchanged a brief glance, then nodded and sprinted away, disappearing into the shadows of the hall.

Vivienne took a steadying breath. She had her own battles to face.

---

The castle was chaos — flashes of spells illuminated the dark corridors, shouts and screams echoed from every direction. Vivienne moved quickly, casting protective wards as she went, searching for wounded students, ready to defend Hogwarts with her life.

But then, she felt it — a familiar pull, an almost magnetic force she couldn’t ignore.

"Vivienne!" a voice called through the din, sharp and unmistakably taunting.

Vivienne froze, every muscle in her body tightening. Slowly, she turned.

There, striding towards her through the smoke and rubble of the battle, was Bellatrix Black — no, Bellatrix Lestrange now, but to Vivienne, she would always be Bellatrix Black. Her black robes were torn and scorched at the edges, her wild hair streaming behind her, and her eyes were alight with manic fury.

"I knew I'd find you," Bellatrix hissed, her wand twirling idly in her hand.

Vivienne drew her own wand with a slow, deliberate movement. "You're wasting your time, Bellatrix. Dumbledore is your master's target, not me."

Bellatrix laughed, a sharp, broken sound. "Dumbledore can wait. I have unfinished business."

Vivienne raised her wand higher, every sense on high alert. "What do you want from me, Bella?"

Bellatrix stepped closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I want to know why, even after all this time, I still dream of you. Why your name still burns inside me like a curse. Why you haunt me."

Vivienne swallowed hard, her heart twisting painfully. "Because once, you had a heart. You chose to kill it."

Bellatrix’s face contorted with rage. "Don't you dare speak to me of choices! You abandoned me! You turned your back on what we could have been!"

"I turned my back on madness," Vivienne snapped, her own anger rising. "On cruelty. On him. I never turned my back on you."

For a moment, they stood there, breathing hard, the space between them crackling with magic and unresolved pain. Then Bellatrix’s eyes gleamed with something darker.

"You could have had power, Vivienne. We could have ruled together."

Vivienne shook her head slowly. "I never wanted power. I wanted you. But the real you — not the twisted weapon you’ve become."