Shades of Grey

Chapter 17

How the fuck did he manage to find a hair from the deranged witch after all these years?

Horribly familiar beetle black eyes stared down at her, a grin showing off black rottened teeth.

Hermione's heart was pounding.

It's not her, this is Guild under Polyjuice. It's not her...

"Cost me a pretty galleon to find her toe nail."

That voice. Her dreams did not do Bellatrix's voice justice.

Also, if she lived through this, she was forcing Harry to find any fucking toe nails on the black market and in Knockturn Alley.

"I withheld food and water from the subjects in order to weaken their magical reserves and use this later as positive reinforcement. However, I discovered through trial and error this wasn't transferrable. I can't starve my clients."

Bellatrix laughed, causing her skin to breakout in goosebumps. That fucking laugh... her mind tried to take her back to the drawing room floor... the smell of iron... her blood...

This isn't Bellatrix. This isn't real.

"I discovered a spell Healers use when patients are in a coma. They are more susceptible to accidental magic in this state, you see, and this spell will suppress their magic."

This research didn't even make sense. Muggles were without magic... the bloody ignorance from witches and wizards was maddening.

Hermione desperately latched onto why the research wasn't valid to distract her from what was coming.

"I studied more into the Cruciatus Curse," they continued. "I know you need to mean it. We will start with the pain level lower and work our way up as high as possible to match the power of Bellatrix. Documenting everything, of course. Afterwards, we will reopen the wound on your forearm. Lastly, we will process and talk through your experience."

Did he really process with all the victims as they were dying? How could he say his treatment worked if they all fucking died? Bloody wanker.

Bellatrix raised their wand, and Hermione focused on how the wand looked nothing like the witch's. This was Guild...

"Mora Magicae."

Their head tilted, obviously wondering like her if the spell worked.

However she felt strangely... empty. Like something warm and familiar was missing. And though she could wish for that something to be a sneezing Crookshanks, the likelihood was slim.

Waving their wand again, the binds finally released her and she nearly toppled off the chair.

Hermione stood, waiting cautiously. There really was nowhere for her to go in this bloody barn. Only her screams, if her wandless magic dismantled the wards, would help.

Bellatrix grinned.

"Crucio."

***

Everything fucking hurt.

Hermione's voice was raw from screaming and she could feel blood trickling down her throat.

Her body twitching from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse was becoming more severe and pronounced.

She'd passed out once already from the pain, but was enerverated back to consciousness.

Terribly rude, really.

Ever the researcher, he documented the time and strength after every crucio. She'd lost count after 8.