Ch83. Susan's visit to Grimmauld Place 12

It was the third day of the holidays and Amelia was being dragged by very enthusiastic Susan towards the place she never even remotely thought she would enter. Grimmauld Place 12. The home of the darkest family of Wizarding Britain.

"Come, come! Faster!" Susan exclaimed as she literally bounced up and down and Amelia was seriously wondering what exactly is the book that she borrowed from Nymphadora Tonks. Amelia never saw her little girl so excited and it made her happy but she was still wary.

"Okay, okay. Slow down or you will tri-"

Ah... she tripped.

Amelia chuckled at the pouting Susan as she heaved her up.

"Really now... you really like that Dora girl." Amelia 'offhandedly' commented.

"Yes!" Susan exclaimed. "She is very good at potions and helped me a lot!"

"Oh... so the book is about potions?" Amelia curiously inquired but Susan shook her head.

"It is about..." Susan started and Amelia leaned closer and closer until... "Secret!"

Susan giggled at the blank look of her aunt.

Amelia sighed. She knew she wouldn't be able to get anything from the girl when she became like this. But really. What was the worst that could happen? They surely won't teach her little Susan dark arts. For that, they are too clever. Amelia wasn't too worried about that.

...

They arrived and rung the bell only to wait for five minutes until Andromeda Tonks opened the door with a smile.

"You were expected." She told them and let them in.

"I never thought this house would be so well-hidden. It took us twenty minutes of looking until I finally spotted the magic fluctuations." Amelia praised.

"Well... I saw you coming so I released the more advanced wards fifteen minutes after you showed up." Andromeda sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck while Amelia's jaw dropped.

"You are kidding me, right? No ward can be so powerful!" She exclaimed but Andromeda just shook her head.

"No. But Narcissa is rune mistress for a reason." She said and didn't elaborate.

The whole house was covered in runes from top to bottom. It could be even said the entire street was one big rune matrix created with the sole purpose of defending the ancestral house of House Black. It was mind-boggling to Andromeda how her sister created such a masterpiece. The runes supported each other, fed magic to parts that needed it from parts that were inactive. Two thousand two hundred and twenty-two runes all over the street that continuously sucked magic into the array and shared it among themselves. To find the runes was an almost impossible feat as they were all hidden and to disable one would mean activating another... more offensive runes. Each rune was covered by at least three other runes.

All in all, Andromeda doubted anyone could attack their house. They still had the ancient wards of House Black which were powerful defenses on their own but when one added Narcissa's Runic Fortress, as she called it...

"I see..." Amelia nodded. She had no idea what magic was used but as Andromeda so helpfully implied, it was runes. Runes she didn't discover. She was specially trained at detecting those during her Auror training... Sigh, she was getting rusty, wasn't she?

She of course thought there would be at most ten to thirty runes. Even in her worst nightmare, she wouldn't think she missed over two thousand of them!

Andromeda led them to the library and as she saw the worried Amelia glancing around she couldn't help but chuckle.

"No need to worry. This is a danger-free child-friendly library. The real Black Library is in the basement. Only books that are available to Black children are stored here. It is completely safe." Andromeda said and turned to Amelia with a slight smile when suddenly behind her, a book snapped open on the shelf, showing rows upon rows of shark-like sharp teeth as its tongue sprang out and caught a mouse on the ground. It quickly pulled it into itself, chewing it as a bit of blood splashed all around.

Andromeda, still facing Amelia and Susan who looked at the scene in a healthy amount of horror, stilled. Her soft smile froze on her face as her eye started twitching.

"Don't mind our mouse traps." She tried to sound reassuring but both Amelia and even the small Susan were giving her unamused glances.

Andromeda could only mutter under her nose about dark-haired insane witches who leave potentially lethal books just lying around to scare guests.

They came close to a nice cozy hearth and Susan was seated in the chair near it.

"A house-elf will bring the book, maybe with Dora still attached to it." Andromeda told Susan and turned to Amelia. "Can I offer you a cup of tea or coffee?"

"Hm? No, thanks. I still have to return to the DMLE. Long day, today."

"Ah, I see..." Andromeda nodded and the two women left Susan alone in the room.

Susan drummed her finger on the armrest as she waited for the books on the Necromancy. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched as her breath hitched.

"Well, well, well~, if it isn't a little Bonesy..." A teasing voice sounded from behind her with an undertone of bemusement.

Susan slowly turned around, finding herself facing a young woman in her early twenties with aristocratic features so common for Blacks and curly black hair. Another common trait of Blacks. The woman was pale and her black orbs of darkness gave Susan chills. She didn't recognize the woman but before she could react, the woman continued.

"So~, you are interested in Necromancy... Good pick, girl!"

That was all Susan needed to know the woman would be her good friend! The gears in her mind started turning as the young woman sat opposite her and the debate about the darkest of the dark started.

Bellatrix watched the girl that spent so much time with Hadrian. Dora told her quite a lot about what was going on in Hogwarts. And from Hadrian, she heard about the prodigious talent of the young Bones girl. As she listened to the girl's tirade about death magic... she just had to smile.

The girl knew her stuff! If only elementary but very important and dangerous stuff!

They talked for a whole two hours, ideas flying back and forth when the topics finally ran out. That was the time Susan looked properly at Bella and her eyes entered a doubt.

"Who are you actually?"

"Oh... I didn't introduce myself, did I?" Bellatrix's black eyes shined as her playful smile widened as she casually introduced herself.

"I am Bellatrix Black. Nice to meet you."

Susan's face paled and her breath hitched as her eyes widened into saucers and her mouth opened in shock.

And Bella? She only cackled. Oh, yes, she could already see it. The girl and she will be on very friendly terms, indeed!