BREATHE -draco malfoy

thirty six?! last year there were thirty seven!!!

"Well?" Hermione's voice asked, holding her arms up and spinning slowly in a circle. She sounded like herself, but looked the opposite. "How do I look?"

Hermione looked terrifying, the exact incarnation of Bellatrix Lestrange herself. Hermione's copper colored hair was replaced with dark black, spiral curls pinned to her head in a mess. In between the tendrils that covered her face, two heavy lidded black eyes poked out, looking at Harry, Ron and Ana with the same crazed expression that Bellatrix always wore. Her thick eyebrows dropped over her eyes and her thin lips were trained in a scowl, deep lines enveloping the corners of her mouth. Hermione was dressed in all black, the dramatic fashion sense of Bellatrix, and she looked ghostly pale against them. She not only looked like Bellatrix but also gave Ana the same sense of danger and madness as Madam Lestrange always did. Ana shivered, remembering the few confrontations she had had with the witch, all negative experiences. 

"Hideous," Ron commented. But Ron didn't look too terribly attractive himself. His features had been altered by Hermione's wand. His red hair now reached his shoulders and he had a scruffy  beard that hid the majority of his face from view. If anyone knew Ron well, they could obviously see that it was truly him underneath the hair, but to the untrained eyes of the Gringott's Goblins, he would look unrecognizable, just another Death Eater accompanying Madam Lestrange to her vault. 

Ana looked different as well, as she also was altered heavily by Hermione in preparation for the quest. Ana's raven black hair was now a snowy white, something that reminded her of the Malfoy's, which was really the whole point. She was supposed to be a relative of Bellatrix Lestrange, maybe a distant cousin or something of Bellatrix's sister: Narcissa Malfoy. It was really strange to Ana to take the form of someone who was related to Draco, and she knew that Draco would find this hilarious if she ever told him about it, but the role was necessary. If anyone saw Ana and gave word to Voldemort that Harry Potter had infiltrated the vault with her, they would have to mention Ana's white hair, a very noticeable characteristic, and it would give no nod to her real identity. Aside from her hair color, Hermione had altered Ana's facial features to be slightly different, as much as she could manage through her spells. When Ana had looked in the mirror, she had to admit that she looked like a Malfoy. Her nose was skinnier, her lips more pale and thin. She no longer wore freckles on her nose, as Hermione had skillfully erased them from her face. Ana donned the black clothing and the tall leather boots, dressing similar to Hermione. She tucked her wand into her boot, the only real place for her to put it, as her outfit was stylish, but not very functional. Ana stuck Draco's wand in there as well, still stationed next to her own. It made Ana feel safer, having Draco's wand with her as she went on this mission, as if there was a part of him there to defend and protect her. After Ana got over the potential ick factor of pretending to be a relative of her own lover, she was ready to play the part of an arrogant, egotistical Malfoy girl.

Soon Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ana, and Griphook, apparated, ending up in the cold familiarity of Knockturn Alley. It was dark in the alley, which was beneficial because Harry and Griphook had not yet donned the invisibility cloak. Soon, though, they had disappeared underneath it, leaving Ana to walk cautiously down the cobble street with a hairy Ronald and a skittish Bellatrix Lestrange at her side. Hermione was walking uncomfortably, stumbling momentarily in her heeled boots. 

"Relax," Ana whispered to Hermione as they passed a scary looking man in a dark robe. 

"Madam Lestrange," the man said, bowing slightly to Hermione as they passed. Hermione stiffened a little as the three of them walked, but she gave a little, arrogant head-nod to the man, who looked satisfied as they continued past him. Hermione turned to Ana and Ana shifted at the sight of Bellatrix's face looking at her, but tried to contain her revulsion. Bellatrix's dark eyes were looking at Ana in fear but Ana gave Hermione a little, reassuring nod, ushering her to continue forward. Ana's arm was looped into Hermione's as they walked, and Ana was grateful for this. Hermione's presence, although hidden deep under the disguise, steadied Ana and helped to calm her breathing. It made Ana nervous, showing herself to all of these people. Because she really hadn't shown her face to this many people in many, many months, out of fear of being discovered. Ana felt like a recluse, finally showing herself to the public after months of hiding. The disguise was working, thankfully, and no one paid Ana any attention. Some people stared at Hermione, but only because of her guise as Bellatrix Lestrange, who always brought attention wherever she went.