"Delphini!" Lyra suddenly called out from her place behind Cassius.
Bellatrix drew in a sharp breath. What the hell was her daughter doing? Had she lost her bloody mind? Ah well, if so, she'd fit in grandly with the rest of the Lestranges, but right now wasn't the time to embrace one's insanity when it could be a matter of life and death. Bellatrix was turning to Lyra to demand that she shut up this instant when Delphini's serpentine head rose from the struggle with Wulfric.
"I am Lyra Lestrange, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange's daughter. Bellatrix isn't your mother, but I can tell you who is! I know a psychic and she scried it in her tea leaves. Trust me, she's always right."
Wulfric's huge mongoose jaws snapped onto Delphini's neck as he used the distraction Lyra provided.
Hissing in rage, Delphini's focus returned to Wulfric, as her great serpentine coils began squeezing him.
"Pay attention to me, Delphini!" Lyra screamed. "I am telling you who your damn mother is, and it's rude not to listen to such important information. We all want to know where we come from, after all."
Delphini's head rose again, though this time only partially. She wasn't so distracted this time. She had decided to squeeze Wulfric and listen to Lyra at the same time, multi-tasking.
"She was a Maledictus just like you. She was also your father's pet, which is likewise all you'd have ever been, because the fucker had no soul," Lyra said. "Her name was Nagini, and just as he did to you, he turned her into a Horcrux. She is now dead. So you see what happens to those he…I can't say loves, because he can't do that. He just knows how to use and kill the things he values, because of the way in which he values them! No part of him could ever do otherwise because he is pure evil."
Wulfric's sword arced suddenly through the air, the point of its blade hurtling toward Delphini's eye. Graven had thrown it when Delphini raised her head to regard Lyra, giving the goblin girl a proper target. Her daughter's tactic had worked, Bellatrix thought proudly. Alas, it was wasted, for Delphini's reflexes were faster than Graven had counted on. The snake dodged aside, and the sword clattered to the floor beside her. Delphini's dodge permitted Wulfric the proper amount of wiggle room required to free himself from her coils, however.
The mongoose was hurt though, swaying as he stood, obviously slowed down. "To me," Gellert snapped and Wulfric staggered over.
Screaming curses, Graven summoned the sword to her again as Delphini shifted back to her human self. The goblin girl hurled the sword at Delphini again, and Delphini vanished.
"Motherfucker!" Graven howled.
"My sentiments exactly," Rabastan muttered. Cursing under his breath, he blew a hole in the nearest wall with his blasting rod...evidently to release a bit of frustration.
Gellert was bent over Wulfric, a soft light emanating from his open palms. Wulfric's right foreleg jerked, then he stood straighter. "Just a dislocated shoulder," Gellert said as the mongoose became Wulfric again.
"Thanks," he offered a bit breathlessly, and Gellert nodded.
"There are a ton of people outside," Regulus called. "I can hear them shouting. Delphini is rousing them into some sort of frenzy. They are chanting about utopia and I think about killing us?"
Bellatrix was grateful to have her cousin's vampiric hearing at that moment. It would give them an advantage or two in this situation. Perhaps the choice to ruin his blood by becoming something other hadn't been such a stupid idea after all, she decided grudgingly.
Gellert gave a dry chuckle in response, and nodded. "Alright," he called, raising his voice so all the Aurors could hear. "We Apparate outside to...where precisely are they, Regulus?"
"Front of the building," Regulus answered at once, and Gellert nodded.
"You heard him. First subdue the crowd with stunners. If they have weapons, and any of you appear to be in danger, feel free to do more than stun. Wulfric and those trained to work with him, go after her again."
"Kreacher, you and Regulus can't go out there," Kereston said. "We're five hours earlier here in America, and the sun is still out."
They were deep in the heart of this building where no sun reached them, so the vampires were currently safe.
"We can just wait in here," Regulus said. "If you need our help, you can force her back inside."
Gellert nodded. "Sounds good."
It was clear from the frustration on the faces of Regulus and Kreacher that they hated having to literally sit and wait while everyone else went out to take down an evil who had terrorized them all for far too long, but it couldn't be helped.
"Kereston, wait here with Regulus and Kreacher," Gellert commanded and the little Minister scowled.
"I am wearing one of Blaise's magic unraveling amulets. I'll be fine."
The amulets were great for protection, but they could make casting certain spells tricky. They functioned by unraveling all magic in the radius of the wearer, but, at times, unless cast very carefully, this included that person's own spells. For this reason, the magic blocking cream was preferred in a fight. The Minister was no Auror, though, so likely not spoiling for a fight today. With that in mind, Bella thought she should be safe. Gellert must have disagreed, though, because with a silent snarl of rage, he pointed at the little Minister and she crumpled gently to the floor.
"If anything happens, we need a leader," Gellert told Kreacher and Regulus with a warning look. "So don't wake her unless it is entirely necessary!"
"How did you get around her magic blocking amulet" Bellatrix asked incredulously, and Gellert smirked.
"Blaise and I made all the later batches of those amulets together. Don't you think we'd have made sure they didn't block us?"
Bellatrix laughed as they all Apparated outside. Grindelwald was a Slytherin all the way, Durmstrang be damned.
The first thing that hit Bellatrix was the overwhelming noise. So many screaming and chanting voices attached to pushing stampeding bodies. The word 'riot' was an understatement! The outside of the White House was teaming with people.
Bellatrix had no idea if they were Muggles, wizards, or both. As Gellert had ordered, his Aurors began stunning right and left. As a response, some of Delphini's followers began hexing in retaliation before they were stunned, showing themselves to be wizards. Others opened fire with guns, showing themselves to probably be Muggles. Unless, that was, wizards had opted for guns over wands for some insane reason. The wizard and goblin Aurors continued to stun while the elf Aurors deflected flying bullets with impressive speed.
Where the hell was Delphini, though? There were too many people everywhere to get a good view! Hopefully the Aurors would clear a path via stunning before she got away. It was then that it hit Bellatrix.
They needed a distraction. Something to get Delphini's attention. There was nothing like a shock of the unexpected to freeze a person up. Glancing around for inspiration, the rapidly moving car things on the busy street in front of them caught her attention.
One bit of the street was rapidly moving while another seemed frozen in place. Muggles sat still in their various sized vehicles gaping from behind their car windows at the mayhem. Moving out close enough to the mass of moving cars, Bellatrix began to wave her arms in a gesture that she hoped at least one stupid Muggle would properly interpret as 'stop!' Fortunately, after nearly twenty embarrassing seconds of this, one did. The sound of screeching tires as the sleek chocolate brown car drew to a stop was accompanied simultaneously by the sound of a door popping open.
"What's going on?" The Muggle who called to Bellatrix had jumped from his car and run to stand in front of her, face full of concern. "Has someone been hurt? What are they carrying on about?"
Bellatrix just shook her head. The man was youngish and taller than Rod, but not quite as muscular. "I need that car for something...life and death, you know. I need to know how to make it go very fast."
The man blinked. "Just put your foot on the accelerator and push it all the way down to the floor," he said, looking shocked that he'd answered her.
"Where is the accelerator," Bellatrix asked.
"Pedal on the right," he replied.
"Thanks, Muggle," she said, and sprinted around toward the car's still open door.
The motor was running and, for some reason, today the sound was one of power, and it exhilarated and thrilled her. It may be clunky Muggle transport, but today it was so much more than that. It was going to be a weapon that Delphini wouldn't see coming.
As she slid into the car, she caught sight of Goriandor standing near the edge of the street looking stressed. He'd come in handy, she decided, waving him over. "Hurry! Get in!"
Goriandor blinked in shock before nodding and Apparating into the car, ignoring the doors as well as the International Statute of Secrecy. Smirking, Bella slammed her door and looked for the accelerator.
There were two pedals on the floor, and she pressed her foot down hard on the one on the right as instructed, grasping the wheel as the vehicle shot forward. Driving wasn't so hard. It was actually quite fun. The speed was the most unexpected part, almost like magic of its own! She experimentally turned the wheel and fortunately the car responded as she hoped it would, jerking around rapidly toward the crowd outside the White House.
As she sped directly into a screaming group of Delphini's followers she shouted to Goriandor. "Keep us safe! I'm going to distract her by running them down, and I need you to keep their guns from punching through this car. I need you to keep magic from hitting it as well if you're able. I brought you because goblin magic is stronger and you can do this!"
She caught Goriandor's terse nod out of the corner of one eye as the car slammed into, then over, the first screaming cluster of Delphini's followers.
Thump thump thump thump thump! The car passed over the bodies so fast it almost seemed to lift off the ground. The motor grew even louder as if growling in triumph, and Bellatrix crowed with gleeful laughter.
This was a new sort of high, even better than torture, or shagging, or fine whisky, or good Merlin's cap mushrooms! She pressed the accelerator even harder into the floor, wild joyous laughter bubbling out of her like crashing ocean waves. This was good. Thump thump thump thump thump thump. More of Delphini's followers falling to her wheels, their screams muffled by the closed car.
Then it happened. The car rocked as spells slammed into it. She'd gotten Delphini's attention! Good! She and Goriandor had the magic blocking cream on, so she knew they'd survive. They had this. If the goblin just kept the car safe for long enough to kill a ton of Delphini's dangerous followers and distract her long enough for Wulfric to strike Bellatrix could at last feel she'd made her Uncle Orion proud. Her star was supposed to be the hand of Orion, and after failing so badly to kill the Dark Lord that it got Orion killed instead, Bellatrix could no longer feel proud of the title.
Goriandor swore, his face taking on an expression of strain as the spells stopped rocking the car. With a whoop of glee for the goblin's prowess, Bellatrix continued the unharmed and very fast vehicle on its ride of destruction. As Delphini's followers finally caught on to the fact that Bella was running them down, they began moving out of her way.
Still screaming with laughter, she began jerking the car's wheel from left to right, catching the moving bodies under her wheels. They were pathetic, soft, running targets and she'd always had good aim. Gods, this was fun! They didn't have a chance! Thump thump thump. Suddenly the car seemed to go even faster, and Bellatrix noticed Goriandor's hand on the wheel with hers.
In that moment, she felt the connection of a shared burden. Someone had her back and was here in this moment of strange exhilaration with her. In a way she couldn't quite explain, even to herself, that somehow felt very good. Though the goblin wasn't laughing with glee as she was, due to the strain of all the magic he wielded to keep the car protected from magical attacks, he obviously approved. He did not look at her in horror, and he had no qualms about doing what needed to be done.
With both of their hands on the wheel, the two zigzagged the car from right to left in long sweeping arcs, running over Muggle and wizard alike who followed Delphini. Fortunately all of Grindelwald's Aurors were smart enough to be far out of the way.
Suddenly a burst of light above them caught Bellatrix's attention. Goriandor swore as a huge ball of fire hurtled down at the car. The goblin dropped the wheel, grasping Bellatrix's arm instead. He said something in an urgent tone that she couldn't understand, but she shot forward and to the left, striving hard to avoid the fire. Then they were standing outside in the fresh air, the sound of an explosion behind them. Bellatrix turned to look, and as she suspected it was the car. Only now it didn't at all look like a car, just a charred still burning ball.
She glanced around to see Loughness Black standing directly in front of her and Goriandor. She blinked, registering what must have happened. Half elf and half human magic was good for a lot of things, and now it was time to add saving people from a burning car that was being magically attacked to that list.
"You got us out, then," she asked, the fact that she and Goriandor may have just very narrowly escaped death at last hitting her. Their magic blocking cream may block magic, but it probably wouldn't block fire so well.
"Yeah." Loughness nodded.
Feeling her body beginning to shake with shock, Bellatrix pulled the kid close and hugged him hard. Looking embarrassed, Loughness returned the embrace, his muscular arms reminding her that he wasn't so much of a kid anymore. He was an adult and doing a damned good job of being the skilled dark wizard he'd boasted that he would be for as long as she could recall him being able to talk.
"You should've seen Grindelwald! He looked horrified when he saw you jump into that car!"
The voice came from T. Valdez. The spiky haired Auror, wife of Romeo and adviser of which bathrooms were best to use at the Ministry, threw her arms around Bellatrix, bursting into tears.
"You're one of the good ones...you know… and we all thought you were going to die," she sobbed. "It wouldn't have been right, not at all! You shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself. We're all so tired of injustice, and it wouldn't have been right!" the young woman cried into Bellatrix's shoulder.
Gathering herself, she continued "Your husband wasn't worried, though. He said you knew what you were doing. Your daughter, though, she's pretty upset." T. Valdez stepped back, looking embarrassed.
Bellatrix patted her shoulder awkwardly with a strained smile. "Thank you. I wasn't trying to sacrifice myself at all, so I'm glad that worked out. Slytherins plan out their battles so they survive them. They don't go charging in like bloody Gryffindors. Er, you weren't a bloody Griffindor, were you?"
T. Valdez giggled. "Probably not. I went to school in Spain, and I like to steal books from libraries so..."
Bellatrix grinned. "Well done."
She realized that she was still clutching Goriandor's hand, and she didn't let go. At times like this, having a friend to hold onto was just bloody necessary. "You… You kept the car safe," she told him, hating her stupid voice for breaking as she spoke. "We did it!"
He nodded. "I guess we did. As long as we have Loughness in the wings for when things go really south, we've got this killing with Muggle cars business in the bag!"
Bellatrix let out a hysterical laugh and gave the goblin an impulsive hug, because it was good to be alive. Suddenly Rodolphus was standing in front of her with Gellert at his side. "That was brilliant, babe!"
Rodolphus caught her in his arms and kissed her hard. She wrapped her arms around his beautiful muscular body and clung hard. His nearness confirmed, like nothing else could, that she was alright.
"Gellert, where is she," Goriandor asked, and Bellatrix knew he was referring to Delphini.
Of course, she'd been asking the same thing in the back of her mind but too much was happening at once! Her own life hanging in the balance had captured her focus more than Delphini's fate for a moment.
"Dead and quite gone...literally," Gellert assured.
"Wulfric finally got the sword into her while you distracted her with the car, then I burned the body to ash and beyond ash," Loughness said. "It went just as planned once we finally caught the cow!"
At that, Bellatrix's shoulders began to shake. She couldn't be certain if she was laughing or crying. Perhaps she laughed at Delphini being called something as basic and common as a cow, and perhaps she cried from relief and sheer mental overload that said cow was at long last dead and all traces of HIM with her.
"Please, you're sure," she asked, looking pleadingly from Gellert to Loughness.
Both nodded and properly reassured, she nodded back. "Is everyone else I know alright? Where is Lyra? And Winterhaven?"
Rodolphus frowned. "Curls is looking after Lyra. I had to knock her out with a spell when restraining her became too difficult. When your car was being attacked by Delphini's followers, she became hysterical, screaming that she wasn't going to lose you again. She was trying to get to the car, and there was no way. She would've gotten herself killed, so I stopped her by knocking her out."
Bellatrix swallowed, wiping at the tears that spilled down her cheeks. Lyra cared… She really cared. She loved them no matter how angry she was that they'd had to leave her as a baby.
"Well, that's alright then," she told Rod, smiling through her tears.