Bad Romance

Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Plans within Plans

Rodolphus and Merlin stared at one another in the crystal orb as they silently communicated. Kereston and Bellatrix watched without speaking so as not to disrupt whatever flow Rodolphus had going with the old druid. At present Merlin didn't look at all old, but still...

Around six minutes later, Rod gently removed the crystal earpieces from his head. The ball went blank as Merlin's image faded from its depths.

"Well," Kereston asked eagerly.

"Seemed like an alright bloke," Rod replied. "He found me interesting, so I like him. As for our current situation, he is willing to help, but he is a bit unclear as to how he can do so from where he is."

Bellatrix frowned. "How is that different than what I got from Nimue?"

Rod shrugged. "Didn't say it was." He grinned over at Bella. "I did get to actually talk to Merlin, though!"

"He has a point. Not everyone can do that," Kereston said. "Thus far, Snape's wife Mag has achieved that feat, along with Grindelwald, Kreacher, Millicent's husband Wolfgang, Dumbledore, and I think that's it."

"My Roddy is among the best," Bellatrix said, smiling proudly at her husband.

"I knew he was talented enough to make Azkaban more great and terrible than it has ever been," Kereston said. "So I'm not really surprised."

"Thanks," Rod said, flashing a grin at the Minister. "So what's the Merlin and Nimue plan anyway?"

Kereston sighed, leaning back in her chair as her gray-blue eyes listlessly scanned the room. "Well, Albus has attempted contact with them only to accidentally fry some of their equipment, and we have no way to world travel as of yet."

"Fry some of their equipment," Bellatrix asked and Kereston shrugged.

"I think he broke a clock and something they play music on during two of his attempts."

"So they're useless to us," Bellatrix said flatly.

"I didn't say that," Kereston said. "Just not as useful as we'd originally hoped when we thought they were still here, sleeping in a crystal cave." She sighed. "We have been communicating with them regularly enough, and Merlin has helped us to discover some things through his rune readings, or bone casting, or whatever it is that he does to divine."

"Things like what," Bellatrix asked.

"Well, for instance, that the Elder wand, in fact, contains three Horcruxes, one belonging to each of the three Peverell brothers. That's why it could screw people over at times. Not only did it have a mind of its own, it had three!"

"Well, I'll be hexed," Rodolphus murmured, giving a low whistle. "That makes a lot of bloody sense."

"So with that in mind, is Grindelwald over pining for it now," Bellatrix asked with a smirk.

According to Regulus, Dumbledore tucked the Elder wand away for safekeeping after Grindelwald was defeated in the forties. After allowing Voldemort to hang himself with it in one of his famous Dumbledore coups, he supposedly tucked it away again.

While some may be surprised that Dumbledore didn't use the Elder wand as his own, Bellatrix expected nothing else from the sanctimonious old wizard. White Light Dumbledore wouldn't want to taint his precious self with a Dark wand, and everyone knew that only Dark wizards wanted that wand. The Death Stick it was called and for many good reasons, Bellatrix was sure.

"Yes, Gellert appears to be over it now," Kereston said. "He is still taken with the symbolism of the Hallows and has even theorized that the symbol may mean even more than most think, but the artifacts themselves hold no draw for him. Not even the Elder wand, now that he is aware of where its power comes from."

"So you're thinking of allowing it to fall into Delphini's hands," Rodolphus asked, making the connection of why the Elder wand would even be considered at this point.

Kereston gave a slight smile, nodding. "Yes... Well, possibly. We understand that there are risks. It will probably screw her over, but if for some reason it does not, it will really help her screw us over!" She sighed. "We aren't ready to take that risk without a lot more ways to screw her over in play at the same time, if we even take it at all."

"Is Merlin able to help with that? With more ways to screw her over, that is," Rodolphus asked.

"Sort of," Kereston said pensively. "He and Gellert are working on piecing together the proper actions to take. Gellert's visions combined with Merlin's divining are allowing us some headway."

"So for us to have needed to seek out Merlin, we're really in trouble, aren't we," Bellatrix asked, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Well, yes, we rather are, but we were working on tracking Merlin and Nimue down before we were aware of Delphini, if that helps."

"Why," Rodolphus asked.

"Because at a party way back in the early two thousands, some of us were drinking this Egyptian liquor that is supposed to induce visions," Kereston began, having the grace to look mildly embarrassed. "Long story short, Gellert, Parvati, and even Kreacher felt some bad shit coming. So we got creative when it came to bringing in help."

"Who is Parvati?" Bellatrix wanted to know.

"A witch whose family is from India," Kereston replied. "She is a diviner, mainly with tea leaves, but Gellert is also interested in her knowledge of the magic and deities particular to her people."

"That knowledge is also helping against Delphini," Rod asked.

"At least to some degree, but I don't know precisely how," Kereston said. "You'll need to ask Gellert for more on that if you're truly interested."

"So divining? That's all Merlin has for us right now," Bellatrix asked.

Kereston nodded slowly. "Yes, at present, but we hope for more in the future. Any time you'd like to talk with them, feel free to come and use the communication crystals. Eventually, you may be able to reach them with the spell alone. Severus and Blaise were the first to talk to Nimue without it, and Mag and Gellert to Merlin.

"It just takes strength in the mind magics and a great deal of focus. I can to some degree, but without the crystals, Nimue doesn't always hear me as clearly. Many of the others who have made contact with them have similar results so most of us still use the crystals from time to time for extra clarity."

"If I wish to practice, I can eventually hear Nimue with the spell alone now that I have made contact," Bellatrix asked.

"Theoretically," Kereston said with a nod. "Probably."

Bellatrix didn't know what she thought to gain by speaking to the druidess again, but they needed all the help they could get right now, and it couldn't hurt. Perhaps if she was lucky, she and Nimue would stumble upon something useful.

"Well, we'd better get to Azkaban," Bellatrix said, rising from her chair reluctantly. "No rest for the wicked and all that." She wasn't especially looking forward to another day at Azkaban. Running the place was in some ways sweet, but having been confined there for so long made the idea of never setting foot on the damned island ever again far sweeter.

"When do you think Cissie will get her cure?"

"I will contact the goblins, as it's Griphook's nephew who has that potion," Kereston said. "I should think in a few days or less. We won't involve you, though, because that will be too much of a tip off that this was a coup rather than a wizarding plague. The cure will be delivered to them under the guise of Healers making the rounds."

Bellatrix nodded, giving the Minister a quick smile of gratitude. "That sounds perfect. Thank you so much again, Kereston."

Kereston sighed, nodding. "I can't fault you for being loving and loyal to your family," she said, though from her dubious expression, it looked as if she wished that she could.

There Lucy was being a thorn in their asses again, Bellatrix thought, sharing an understanding glance with her husband.