Bad Romance

Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Dream On

"I'll make my job a bit easier by asking how much you lot know about Victor Frankenstein or Dr. Henry Hyde Jekyll," Roger Bulstrode said.

Everyone exchanged a glance before anyone spoke. Well, everyone except for Rhadamanthus, who was still occupied with his immense plate of breakfast. That or he had no idea who Frankenstein or Jekyll were. Bellatrix decided it was probably the latter as Acromantulas had no cause to care about obscure wizarding history.

"I know that Muggles believe both are fiction, as do many uneducated wizards," Lyra said carefully.

Bulstrode nodded. "But do you know why so many wizards believe them to be fiction as well?"

"Because both were working in some rather dark fields that many Ministries wanted hush-hush?" Rabastan speculated.

"Both became famous fodder for conspiracy theories, but that was only to contribute to the belief that they weren't real," Bellatrix chimed in.

"Anything else," Bulstrode asked, glancing around the table hopefully. "The more you know, the less I have to explain."

"I know that Victor Frankenstein is dead, and I am guessing that perhaps Jekyll is not," Rodolphus said.

"Very good," Bulstrode smiled. "You are all correct. Now I shall explain what all that has to do with current times. This gets us into the bit where you aren't ever allowed to speak of this to anyone outside this room. Are we understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"What about the spider," Bulstrode asked.

He was an observant fellow, Bellatrix thought in mild amusement. Her hangover was finally receding, so she had a bit more room to be amused. The spider in question, who hadn't nodded due to not specifically having a neck, glanced up from his nearly empty plate.

"What?" He blinked all eight eyes in confusion as he was generally left alone to enjoy his food at breakfast without being dragged into conversation.

"Do you agree not to speak of what you are about to hear to anyone outside of this room so that I don't have to kill you," Bulstrode asked.

Rhadamanthus chuckled. "Oh, but you cannot kill me," he explained kindly. "For I am far bigger and could easily..."

"He plans to use a Muggle weapon," Rabastan interjected. "It kills from a distance, and the only warning you get is a loud bang just as it happens."

Rhadamanthus blinked. "Hmm... Well then, I suppose that's something to consider," the Acromantula rasped. "I will not speak of whatever it is that you're talking about anyway, but there is no reason to go around threatening with Muggle technology," he complained.

"Whyever not," Bulstrode asked in a perfectly civil tone.

The spider's giant jaws gaped slightly for an instant as if he had trouble processing that the question had actually been asked. "Because it's simply bad form." He shot a questioning glance at Rodolphus. "Is it not?"

Rodolphus grinned. "Indeed it is." Glancing at Bulstrode he added, "You see? Even my Acromantula has better form than you international Ministry lot!"

Rhadamanthus's focus returned to his plate, and it was empty in seconds.

"That's right," Bulstrode agreed. "We're a bunch of monsters, really. But we're fighting even bigger monsters, which you should keep in mind."

"What, Jekyll and Frankenstein?" Rabastan scoffed.

Bulstrode shook his head in response. "Not Jekyll. And as we've already established, Frankenstein is dead fortunately. His creation, however, not so much, but he's not a monster so that's alright." He chuckled. "Or if he is, it appears he and Jekyll are on our side, though we honestly have no idea where the hell they are."