HP - Shadow Monarch - Chapter 118 - Dinner at Black Manor 01

[Chapter Size: 1800 Words.]
Third Person POV

London.

...

...

"What did you do to her?"

The first thing Bellatrix did, being alone with Snape, was to ask him what he had done to her grandmother and how he had left her in that fragile, fearful state, making the girl wonder how this happened.

Her gaze continued studying Snape as if trying to uncover all his secrets with an intense look, far more intense than she would show her grandmother. But it wasn’t as if she hadn’t done this already—she had done so ever since she met Snape and he had so easily subdued her at Hogwarts.

"You don’t need to know," Snape replied calmly as the portraits stared at them, also seeking answers. Seeing Snape simply ignore her, she scoffed and looked at him angrily.

"Why are you always like this, but different from anything I’ve seen you do… This is too much," Bellatrix said, crossing her arms.

"Ignore that. In any case, you fulfilled your end of the deal. My question is, did you inform your grandmother you’d be training with me?" Snape asked.

"No…" she murmured.

"Then you should let her know, soon. Not that I think it will be a problem now…" Snape remarked.

"I’ll talk to her at dinner; after all, she invited you to stay… Even though I still don’t know how you managed that…" she commented.

Here is the text with the corrected formatting:

As soon as the negotiation ended, Astraea asked if he had any other requirements of the Black family, speaking with much more respect than before, so that she could offer her support.

Snape was there solely to negotiate the shop, and if he had to discuss any other matters, he would have time for it, since Astraea had invited him to stay for dinner that evening while they waited for the other guests to arrive, who were the managers from Gringotts Bank.

Once that conversation ended, she excused herself—or rather, asked Snape’s permission—as he simply nodded, shrugging at her.

Now, Snape, seeing he had nothing else to do there until his banking partner arrived, looked at Bellatrix. "We have some time. Show me where you want us to train. Since I’ll be doing this, I intend to see the place and know whether it’s suitable or not," he requested, and she nodded after a few seconds.

They left the room, with Bellatrix leading Snape through the Black mansion, having agreed with him about the time, and they left the room with the dead body behind, guarded by the sentries.

Meanwhile, Astraea quickly headed to her quarters, ignoring anyone who tried to call her, wanting to breathe and think through everything she had witnessed. As soon as she entered, she closed the door quickly, placing her hand on it and reflecting on what had just happened for the first time.

She had never wanted to show anything to her granddaughter, but what she saw when entering Snape's mind was terrifying. She saw the vision of London, but it didn’t seem to be just London; it looked like the entire world was in ruins and darkness, a scene she couldn’t describe.

Somehow, she knew that it wasn’t just the boy, but rather something more that inhabited him. Feeling disturbed, she noticed her hand trembling.

"What happened to you, Astraea?" A portrait in that same room suddenly raised its voice, looking at her with worried eyes.

Astraea looked at the portrait, sighed, and began walking to the center of the room. "A big problem, Bernart. A big problem," she said, looking at the portrait of her former husband.

"Is the Black family in trouble?" he asked immediately. After all, he had managed the family affairs before he passed and his wife took over. Astraea came from a distinguished noble house and had married Bernart Black, taking on the responsibility of the pure-blood family after so many years.

"I don’t know, Bernart… But that may also be true," she said grimly, as he raised an eyebrow.

"Then tell me what happened. Perhaps I can help," her former husband suggested, as she sighed, beginning to pace the room, agitated and apprehensive, while the portrait watched her intently.

"Tell me, Bernart, do you believe in gods?" she asked suddenly, which made him raise an eyebrow.

"It’s hard to say, but it could be true. It’s believed that the magic in our world was an effect of a god himself," he replied.

"So, you believe in demons, right?" she asked, making the portrait furrow its brow.

"Demons? Astraea, what are you talking about? I don’t understand where you’re going with gods and demons," the portrait replied, bewildered and confused.

"It’s because… I believe that we are currently sharing our home with one of them. I just don’t know which one, but one thing is certain: the one who commands death itself is here," she declared.

"You can’t be serious…" he said skeptically.

"I know it’s hard to understand," she murmured, "but I never want to see that thing in front of me again… I’m scared, Bernart! I’ve never felt like this in my entire life. I thought I would die the moment I saw those eyes." Astraea’s strength faltered, and there was no longer any sign of that stern, rigid woman.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened, Astraea? Your words are confusing…" he said, and she sighed, trying to calm herself as she nodded before beginning to tell the story from the start.

Meanwhile, Snape entered a large room with Bellatrix, bigger than it should have been, as if spatial expansion magic had been applied here as well. Snape saw several training dummies, and even suits of armor, seemingly designed for practicing spells.

"I think we’ll need to improve this room," Snape commented as he looked around; if he had to train her, he’d do it properly—better even than Pandora.

Bellatrix looked at him for a moment. "You can’t be serious. I can’t change things in here!" she said.

"If you want to be trained by me, you’ll need to use my training methods. You don’t have to change this room; just find another one and set up the equipment I need for our training," Snape said calmly.

She remained silent for a moment, unsure of what to reply. "I’ll talk to my grandmother," was all she finally said.

"Anyway, let’s begin," he said, as she looked at him, confused.

"Now? Begin now? We’re just… I thought we were only looking at the place," she murmured.

"This room isn’t suitable, but we’ll start the training now. We have a few hours before the other guests arrive, so let’s not waste time," he said, and she nodded, realizing she couldn’t argue.

"First, I want you to change your clothes. Wear something leather and more flexible," he requested.

"Why…?" she questioned.

"Are you going to complain if I catch a glimpse of your underwear in that dress?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?! No—I mean, yes, I’ll kill you!" she exclaimed, turning red at hearing that from Snape.

"Then change your clothes," Snape said seriously, unfazed by her empty threat.

"But… if we’re going to practice magic, wouldn’t it make sense to do what you usually do in physical training?" she said, still blushing and showing reluctance regarding the physical training Snape always insisted on.

"This is my training, Bellatrix. Obey and do it quickly. Let’s train," he replied. The girl, with no choice, obeyed, muttering under her breath, unable to protest further. She was stubborn, but Snape could quickly break that stubbornness and make her obedient.

"You can’t be serious—a half-blood, Astraea?" Meanwhile, in Astraea’s room, Bernart Black’s portrait exclaimed, watching his living wife with concern.

"Yes, I told you about the rumors and strange things happening in the magical world right now. I understand; I just don’t know who he really is," she murmured, thoughtful. "Maybe he’s the one who massacred dozens of wizards in Hogsmeade, or even the mysterious alchemist who destroyed part of the black market. Even some powerful families were attacked by him openly while he used a death magic so powerful, as powerful as the Dark Lord’s own," she whispered, as the man in the portrait seemed even more worried.

"Perhaps he’s even both… I don’t know anything anymore, Bernart. I’m afraid of offending someone we cannot handle… someone even worse than the Dark Lord himself, despite his lack of pure blood…" she murmured.

"Calm me, Astraea," he asked his wife.

"You don’t understand, Bernart. You didn’t see what I saw. I saw destruction and death; I saw a battle that not even we, wizards, would join. I didn’t understand any of it, but it felt so real, like a preview of the future. And that boy… he will be at the center of the end of the world," she murmured, visibly shaken.

Bernart remained silent, observing his wife. "Tell me, what is his connection to the Black family?"

"As you can imagine, nothing healthy. He’s already clashed with some of us; he even dueled Bellatrix and brought her down. And despite that, she’s quite submissive to him, to the point where she scheduled the meeting before I even knew who he was, based only on the rumors," she commented.

"If he’s that dangerous, you can’t make him an enemy. Do you think you can handle him?" Bernart asked.

"No. He seemed in control of everything while I was trembling in fear; he didn’t even care. He’s dangerous. If he’s the same wizard who killed more than fifty others in Hogsmeade, then we cannot handle him," she admitted.

"If you think that’s true, then try to make him an ally. At least, as a precaution… Make Bellatrix his fiancée," he suggested, and Astraea looked at him, a bit surprised.

"That would put us against the Dark Lord, as he’s given us orders to marry one pure-blood family to another. If we do this with a half-blood, it would be a scandal, both against the Dark Lord and within the magical community. The Black family marrying one of the most talented young women of her generation to an unknown half-blood?" she said.

"But who is more dangerous? This being or the Dark Lord?" Bernart asked.

Astraea looked at him for a moment and sighed. "This being is more dangerous," she finally said. After all, nothing in this world should give her that terrifying feeling, as if death itself were looking at her.

Bernart nodded. "Then, arrange the marriage and consider it carefully. I believe you still have time."

She nodded in the end. "Yes, you’re right. I’ll wait a year to decide what to do. After all, both choices have their advantages and disadvantages," she concluded.