Feral Den

Chapter 55

Have you ever watched a movie in slow motion. Or.. perhaps a video?
It's what watching loved ones die feels like. Hailee is an expert in this.
The moment is so fast, and yet, as denial kicks in, it moves like a slow motion movie of a butterfly cracking from its chrysalis.

Hailee's eyes watch as she takes in the laughter of her godfathers eyes. Then the shock.

Hailee has watched people die from the Killing Curse. Cedric made it seem instantaneous.
That the moment the curse hit his body, he was gone. He was no longer with us.

But Sirius turns, stumbling as Bellatrix eyes light up, cheeks pinkening as she watches Sirius begin to fall. His body seemingly floating into the fabric Hermione had pulled Hailee away from earlier.

She shouldn't have come here.

That's the thought.

She shouldn't have come. Not when the pain was so scrutinizing. Ron had told her it was a trap.
Thomas had been adamant. The group had forced her into submission on the couch.

And Hailee should've stayed there. She had only two more days before she would've been able to see Sirius, after all.
Someone would've allowed them to meet —to clear her doubts.
They would've made sure Hailee knew Sirius was alive.

But no, Hailee had to come here.
Where the prophecy was destroyed. Where Tonks and Madeye are possibly dead.
Where there are imposter Death Eaters trying to kill her.
Where Mattheo had to save her life on this dais.
Where Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Ron, and Neville are all severely hurt because of her.

Hailee steps forward. Her broken ankle numb —forgotten— as she reaches for Sirius' coat. To pull him back as his eyes turn to mist and his once-handsome face is pulled behind the veil.

Bellatrix shrieks in triumph.

But it's not until Lupins arms are circled around Hailee, yanking her back. That she realizes she'd run to pull Sirius out.
And that she was screaming.
She was the only noise. Apart from Bellatrix's triumphant laughs.

Oh... fucking mother Magic....

"SIRIUS!" Hailee screams, her voice cracking. She fights against Lupins hold. Desperate.

She has to pull him back.
She has to drag Sirius back from the veil as the fabric blows with a powerful nonexistent gust of wind.

"SIRIUS!"

Hailee fights.
Her vision turning into nothing but a slit of light as her gut wrenches up her throat. Her heart plummets. Her lungs collapse and her other organs clench painfully.
Oh so painfully as she screams. The sound hollow.

Hailee hardly recognizes Lupins voice. Or the tear of her robes as she realizes that Bellatrix is no longer present. She is no longer in front of them.

"She's dead."
Hailee can't tell if it's her subconscious. Herself. Or someone else saying those two daunting words.

But they're right.
Hailee's going to kill Bellatrix Lestranges' fake. She'll reveal that bitch for who she actually is.

Hailee crashes through the ajar door. Runs across the time office where the shelf is falling and repairing itself. Where the baby-headed imposter is still crying and still flailing his arms.

Hailee follows Bellatrix's trail all the way out of the Department of Mysteries. Neither take the lifts, running up the back stairs. Hailee spins, pops from the bottom of the staircase to the second step below Bellatrix.
The mad-woman screams.

But it's no longer of joy, or pleasure, or of excitement because she's gotten exactly what she's wanted.
No, it's out of fear.

Hailee chases her to the Atriums level. The door crashing open as they run from the lifts, past the vacant security detail. Bellatrix makes it all the way to the fountain before Hailee lifts her wand.