Bad Romance

Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Our Love Is a Weapon for Knocking Them Dead

"Alright," Gellert said. As he spoke, the blonde straightened, voice taking on a note of focused command that brought all lighthearted banter to a halt as everyone became fully focused as well.

"Let's start with a basic Protego Charm with Kreacher and Regulus casting it together at Bellatrix's sponge. I want the rest of you to watch. Try to see if you notice the magic looking at all different when the two cast it together as one. Kreacher and Regulus, I want the two of you to clasp hands in order to deepen your connection. Before you cast the spell, I need you to focus on your caring for one another, and the fact that you will use that caring to protect."

Kreacher and Regulus exchanged a glance before nodding and reaching for one another's hands. With his free hand, Regulus reached into a pocket of his silvery robe and withdrew a wand that was obviously made by Mag Snape. It looked to be around fifteen centimeters long, and comprised of a polished clear stone that appeared to be the power magnifying crystal quartz and a porous black stone. Both had six long sides, or facets, and both tapered to a point at either end of the wand. The crystal looked far smoother than the black stone that seemed, to Bellatrix's eyes, to be rough in spite of the fact that it was cut to have six facets to match the crystal. The two stones were held together in the middle by a band of silver, setting them back to back to form one solid wand, one half clear and the other black.

"Nice," Rabastan said, noticing the wand as well.

"Thank you. It's quartz and lava rock," Regulus said. "Lava rock is similar to obsidian, but it forms far slower within the volcano where obsidian forms far faster during eruptions."

"So is it really double the strength because of the quartz," Rodolphus asked, and Regulus nodded.

"It definitely is. It even makes the most difficult spells far easier."

"Don't count on it with this one," Grindelwald said, bringing the attention back to the task at hand, and away from Regulus's wand. "I want this spell as strong as you can get it, so don't lean into the extra oomph the wand gives you. Instead, put your all into it as if working a wandless incantation."

Regulus nodded. "Got it." He and Kreacher turned to face Bellatrix, and she held the sponge up in front of her like a hand sized shield.

At first, she'd wondered why these sponges weren't used more in duels, but it had to be the size. It was nearly the length of her hand, so with it extended in front of her, it left most of her body open to attack. If someone hit her in the leg or the eye with a stunner, the sponge certainly wouldn't cover that unless she knew precisely where to hold it. Which, of course, in a duel she would not. Perhaps if the sponge could be enchanted to throw itself repeatedly at any incoming magic, but that was a thought for another time and likely not practical to implement on short notice. It was, however, the sort of thing Grindelwald and Zabini crafted in their shop, so she made a mental note to herself to bring it up to them before departing the Ministry.

She held the sponge steady and stared at Kreacher and Regulus. Following Gellert's instructions, they stared at one another. Pain flickered across Regulus's face, and Bellatrix was relatively certain he was thinking of how he'd unwittingly sent Kreacher with Voldemort to nearly die in the black lake. Kreacher's expression as he looked up at Regulus was nearly desperate. He was likely recalling all of those years spent alone, or worse with Sirius when he believed Regulus had died. Unlike Regulus, the elf held no wand in his free hand, having no need for one.

"And... Go," Gellert called out.

As one, Kreacher and Regulus turned toward Bellatrix, casting Protego together. The sponge in her hand gave a small jolt as the spell impacted but otherwise remained the same with no visible change.