~ 133 Advanced Chapters Available now on my Patreon!
In no time, Snape appeared in the Headmaster's office, his face expressionless, cradling a large bucket of Polyjuice Potion.
"Dumbledore."
Snape set the bucket of Polyjuice Potion on the desk in the Headmaster's office. The potion sloshed twice, emitting a watery gurgle.
"Here's the Polyjuice Potion you requested—I hope next time you ask me to brew something, you'll give me advance notice so I can prepare properly."
"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore replied, his tone unruffled as if he hadn't noticed the sarcasm lacing Snape's words.
Veratia stepped forward and tossed the hair she was holding into the Polyjuice Potion.
As the hair sank into the viscous potion, it bubbled with a few large, gurgling pops, swallowing the strands completely.
Moments later, the Polyjuice Potion began to emit an indescribably foul odor.
Harry leaned in for a sniff, rolled his eyes, and gagged.
"Good heavens…" He staggered to the side, taking deep breaths. "What is that smell? It's utterly unbearable…"
He swore that even socks unwashed for days didn't reek this badly.
Veratia's face wasn't looking much better. She glanced down at the bucket of potion, her complexion paling slightly.
The smell reminded her of her childhood, of days when money was scarce and she ate leftover scraps.
Let's call it a bitter reminder of sweeter times, she thought wryly.
"It seems you lot have some secretive little plans," Snape said, his lips curling slightly. "I wouldn't have guessed a third-year and a seventh-year would become part of Professor Dumbledore's grand scheme—"
"No, Professor Dumbledore is part of my grand scheme," Harry corrected sharply. "I hope you can keep the hierarchy straight, Professor."
At Harry's words, Snape clenched his teeth and tilted his head back, looking for all the world as if he were staring at James Potter himself.
Arrogant, insufferable…
No words could fully capture the disdain Snape felt for James Potter in that moment.
With a flourish, he turned away from Harry, his greasy hair swinging like strands of black seaweed.
The plan was set: Veratia would take the lead, transforming into Bellatrix Lestrange, while Harry would assist, accompanying her into Gringotts to provide support.
Dumbledore and the others would wait outside Gringotts, ready to receive them upon their triumphant return.
Once the plan was finalized, Veratia filled a large goblet with Polyjuice Potion.
The goblet was massive, the kind used for drinking Butterbeer, easily holding a liter.
"Drink up, Grindelwald," Cassandra said from the side, her tone dripping with schadenfreude. "Merlin's beard, I'd hate for you to revert to your foolish self mid-plan and ruin everything. You'd be responsible for a historical disaster."
Historical disaster?
Veratia shot Cassandra a look. Talk about escalating things.
A historical disaster, really?
But with no choice, Veratia took a deep breath, lifted the massive goblet brimming with Polyjuice Potion, and, under the watchful eyes of some concerned, some expectant, and some gleefully malicious, pinched her nose and downed the entire thing in one go.
She slammed the goblet onto the desk and turned to Cassandra with a dark expression.
A ring of grayish Polyjuice Potion residue clung to Veratia's lips, but she didn't care. She strode swiftly to Cassandra's side.
"What are you doing?" Cassandra asked, unperturbed, her face the picture of smug amusement.
But in the next moment, Cassandra's smirk vanished.
Veratia reached out, grabbed Cassandra's cheeks, and leaned in close with her devastatingly beautiful face. Then, she let out a long, loud belch.
"Buuurp—"
The stench of Polyjuice Potion flooded Cassandra's nostrils. Cassandra rolled her eyes and gagged.
"I won't let you off easy, Cass," Veratia said with a victor's smile, wiping her potion-stained hand on Cassandra's robes.
"Grindelwald…" Cassandra bit her red lips, struggling to maintain her ladylike composure, glaring daggers at Veratia. "Grindelwald… I'll sew your mouth shut!"
"Alright, alright…" Harry quickly stepped in as the peacemaker.
Before he could finish, Veratia's body began to change.
She hurried to a nearby alcove, and when she emerged, she was the spitting image of Bellatrix Lestrange.
"What are you all staring at?" Veratia-as-Bellatrix flashed a manic grin. "Never seen an escaped convict before? Hahaha…"
"Tone it down… tone it down," Harry said quickly. "You're overdoing it. You seem more unhinged than Bellatrix Lestrange herself…"
"I agree," Cassandra said, her face alternating between pale and flushed. "Merlin's beard, I have no doubt this is your real personality. Perhaps Bellatrix's appearance is just an excuse to unleash your true self…"
"Crucio!"
Veratia-as-Bellatrix whipped out her wand, casting the spell near Cassandra's feet.
"What are you doing?!" Cassandra demanded, frowning.
To everyone's surprise, Veratia-as-Bellatrix hopped around like a little girl, cheering, "Wheeee! I hit Cassandra Malfoy! Come catch me, catch me! Hahaha…"
Say what you will, the contrast between her childish antics, her penchant for dark curses, and her crazed appearance was strikingly unsettling.
It was a stark reminder of why Bellatrix Lestrange was so notorious among the Death Eaters—so utterly terrifying.
"What a lunatic!" Cassandra spat.
Snape, stunned, stared at Veratia-as-Bellatrix in her Slytherin uniform. After a long pause, he muttered, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd swear Bellatrix Lestrange had escaped Azkaban."
At Snape's words, everyone nodded, impressed by Veratia's performance.
After all, this was a man known for his double-agent days, having worked under the Dark Lord himself. His knowledge of Bellatrix surpassed most.
If he said she was convincing, she was practically indistinguishable.
"You're all fooled by her!" Cassandra shot Veratia-as-Bellatrix a disgusted look. "This is her true personality."
As Veratia raised her wand again, Harry quickly intervened. "Enough, Veratia, stop! Stop!"
Veratia-as-Bellatrix gave Harry a reluctant glance, her arm frozen mid-air. She lowered her head, biting her tongue, and shot Cassandra a sly look.
"I think we should let Alastor take a look," Newt said after a pause. "He's a seasoned Auror, isn't he? With that magical eye… I wonder if he could see through Miss Grindelwald's disguise."
Newt's suggestion piqued even Dumbledore's interest.
As a seasoned mischief-maker…
Well, perhaps that could wait until this was all over.
"Alright, alright," Dumbledore said, steering the conversation back. "Our priority now is to get to Gringotts and investigate whether Tom's Horcruxes are there—say, Marvolo Gaunt's ring or Mr. Ominis Gaunt's portrait."
"Got it," Harry and Veratia nodded.
"I'll arrange for a Thestral-drawn carriage to take you to Gringotts," Dumbledore continued. "Also, Miss… Lestrange—Miss Grindelwald, rather—should take precautions, like wearing a veil and a wide-brimmed hat, to avoid attracting Aurors."
"Got it," Veratia said with a sweet smile, though a glint of madness flickered in her eyes.
Those who knew her well could tell—she was up to something.
Harry also took some Polyjuice Potion, transforming into Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix's husband.
They split into two groups, leaving Hogwarts for Gringotts.
Harry and Veratia rode in the same carriage, and the moment it took off, Veratia plopped onto Harry's lap.
"Potter?" Veratia looped her arms around his. "How's it feel… like this?"
"We're not playing Lestrange yet," Harry said helplessly. "You don't have to act like this, okay?"
"And how do you know this isn't my real self?" Veratia's tone took on a hint of mania. "Maybe… Potter…"
"Enough, enough!" Harry dodged quickly. "You're Bellatrix Lestrange right now, not Viratia Grindelwald. If you said this as Veratia, I might actually be thrilled… but not like this."
"So, you like my appearance, is that it?" Veratia pouted, feigning resentment.
"I like all of you," Harry replied with high emotional intelligence. "But I prefer the you that's a mix of inside and out—not this… Lestrange auntie look."
"Hmph." Veratia pinched Harry's nose. "Fine, I'll let you off… for now."
They soon arrived at Gringotts. Before disembarking, Veratia donned a silk scarf and a wide-brimmed hat.
Harry took an Aging Potion—he hadn't drunk it earlier, wary of what Veratia might do with Bellatrix's unhinged face.
Of course, Harry's face was a free pass. The goblin guards recognized him instantly and offered to escort him.
They made their way to Scard's office, where the goblin manager was already waiting.
"Welcome, welcome, Mr. Potter," Scard said with a jovial grin. "What brings you here?"
"I need access to the Lestrange vault, Scard," Harry said concisely.
Scard didn't hesitate. "No problem, Mr. Potter—Gringotts is at your service…"
Harry wasn't surprised by Scard's response. He leaned in. "For appearances' sake, I think we should put on a bit of a show."
He nodded to Veratia.
Veratia pulled off her scarf and hat, revealing Bellatrix's face.
"Mrs. Lestrange?" Scard gasped. "Aren't you… in Azkaban?"
Veratia cackled and waggled her head, her face alight with a deranged grin.
"Ahem," Harry coughed. "This is actually my friend, disguised with Polyjuice Potion. But the wand is genuinely Bellatrix's."
He gestured for Veratia to hand the wand to Scard.
"We're partners, after all," Harry said, channeling lessons from Septimus. "As partners, I wouldn't want Gringotts' reputation to suffer, would you, Mr. Scard?"
"Indeed, true partnership!" Scard nodded enthusiastically. "In that case, you two…"
Harry didn't respond. Instead, he downed his Polyjuice Potion. Moments later, Rodolphus Lestrange stood in his place.
"Let's go," Harry said to Scard. "Tell Griphook we'll use the Imperius Curse on him later."
"Of course, thank you, Mr. Potter."
Scard's eyes glistened with gratitude.
They reentered Gringotts' main hall, this time with no disguises covering their faces.
At Griphook's counter, Veratia handed over Bellatrix's wand. "The Lestrange vault," she declared loudly, her voice echoing through the hall.
The witches and wizards conducting business froze. Some gasped, and the timid ones collapsed onto the floor.
Bellatrix Lestrange was infamous in the British wizarding world. Second only to Voldemort among the Death Eaters, her name struck fear into hearts. Parents used Fenrir Greyback to scare children, but when that failed, Bellatrix's name was the ultimate threat.
It worked every time, kid-approved.
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my pa-treon:
pat reon .c-om/windkaze