Another mad cackle escaped Luna's mouth, as if to emphasize that this was indeed Bellatrix Lestrange magically transformed, just as Harry has been transformed by a skinlike costume into Fleur Delacour.
"No, I did nothing to you! Use your head foollish boy or should I call you woman now? And what a beautiful woman you are..." her voice trailed off as Bellatrix started to circle the still frozen body of Fleur. "Maybe looking so gorgeous has made your forget your own past, but if my lord couldn't control you with direct curses and charms what makes you think I can?"
Harry's eyes, now Fleur's deep blue, widened at that. Of course, she remembered hearing about that after the tournament! No, that's wrong he remembered it happening to him in forth year. What was going on? Were those Fleur's memories?
Bellatrix easily spotted the confusion and her eyes gleamed. "I see you finally noticed it. Yes, these skins confer memories, emotions, behavior-patterns, even whole personalities. At least, after a few minutes inside them. It is both far more powerful than the strongest Imperius and at the same time far less so than even minor notice-me-not charms."
"That makes no sense, you crazy bitch! If what you say is true you shouldn't be able to order me around, except if this is another..." Fleur's soft voice died down to a whisper at the end. Did Harry really have such rotten luck that he picked up the only other Horcrux? Or did the insane witch make multiple, just like Riddle?
"You have no imagination at all, Harry!" This was said in Luna's normal dreamy voice and that made Harry snap out of his fear.
"Stop acting like her! And get out of her skin, you imposter!"
"You make it too easy. Try self control, dear. Not that it will help you here" The taunting tone was back in Luna's voice, the tone that made her true identity all too clear. "And I can hardly be an imposter, if I am the only Luna Lovegood alive, don't you think so? Now let me finish, I'm enjoying lecturing you far too much and your interruption annoy me."
Harry tried to say something, but Fleur's mouth wouldn't open.
"Very good, now were was I?" Placing her index finger on her lips, she began to pace up and down, probably just to show Harry how much control she has over the situation. "Ah yes, the magic of the skins. Even the most weakminded dullard can ignore the influence of them, for example you don't talk with this adorable accent of sweet Fleur, do you?"
Harry felt like he could talk again, obviously because Bellatrix allowed it. And while the insane witch was right, he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of admitting that. Instead he said: "Why don't you just kill me and get it over with."
At that Bellatrix started to laugh, really and truly laugh. And she didn't stop for several minutes. After that she wiped away some tears and looked back at him.
"Oh thank you, I really needed that. Phew, I think we need to sit down, so follow me." With that she started to walk and Harry in Fleur's body did as commanded. "I don't want to kill you. Why would I tell you all that, if I wanted you dead? And why would I wait so long with killing you? Anyway, to go on with my little bit of exposition, while the influence is easily ignored, I have found no way at all to prevent it. Neither occlumency nor wards or willpower can prevent the skins from imparting these abilities. You can only ignore them once you have them. So I toiled endlessly to enchant the skins to impart a basic compulsion: Obey Bellatrix Lestrange! That was far harder than it sounds, it had to work together with the basic enchantments, not separately. But being the genius witch that I am, with generous support from some of the more talented wizards and witches that are offered here, I managed just fine."
They arrived in a comfortable lounge. It was lavishly decorated and reminded Harry of the Slytherin common room, as it was similar in colour and obvious luxuries to it.
"Come, sit on that lovely armchair over there, we are far from done."
Mon Sep 15 22:06:52 2014