Harry set the book down and accepted the dare. "Based on my experience, I'd have to disagree. I think you have it concealed on your person somewhere."
"Prove it," Bellatrix retorted, folding her arms and looking the other way.
Harry sighed before deciding that two could play this game. "Well all right, I suppose if you don't have it, you don't. Why don't you head out, fetch an extra scrub pad from Filch's supplies, and get to work. I'm sure James and Sirius will be grateful for the help."
Bellatrix wasn't pleased, but Harry nevertheless had the upper hand. "Turn your back," she demanded.
Remembering that the original Bellatrix had made this demand in the last moments of her life, Harry complied, knowing that he wasn't putting his life in danger by doing so. Harry heard the cloth of her garments rustle as she muttered to herself angrily.
"You may turn back," Bellatrix said after a few moments.
Harry turned and was pleased to see her holding the hair ornament that had served as older Bellatrix's method of suicide. A chill went through Harry as he looked at it in her hands and the feeling only increased when she handed it over to him. Harry held it gingerly, as if it was a spider that might bite him if he moved the wrong way.
"Don't you dare try to activate it here," Bellatrix hissed, looking him in the eyes again, but this time looking sort of… desperate. "I'm your partner in this and I won't have you running out on me."
Harry rolled his eyes. His partner? What did she expect to get out of it? "I don't think either of us is willing to do what it takes to activate this thing," Harry commented. Unless stabbing other people counts, Harry amended silently.
"Would you care to shed some light on what you mean?" Bellatrix asked. The fact that Harry knew how her magical artifact functioned while she didn't have a clue galled her.
"No, I don't care to," Harry said calmly, setting down the ornament and beginning to flip to some marked pages in the library book. He finally found what he was looking for and performed a number of charms on the hair pin. Eventually, he was satisfied and handed the ornament back to Bellatrix.
"Well?" Bellatrix asked.
Harry sighed and leaned back in the chair, studying the wall and ceiling behind Bellatrix.
"Is it good news or bad news?" Bellatrix asked impatiently, the ornament clutched in her hand.
"It's just plain news," Harry said quietly. "It's hard to say whether it's good or bad… at least in general."
Bellatrix could see that Harry was struggling with whatever he had learned. Realizing that they had arrived at a crucial point in Harry's destiny, she quietly decided that badgering Harry wouldn't be very nice. Casually, she rearranged her hair, placed her ornament in it, and sat back silently-waiting for Harry to gather his wits.
Finally, Harry spoke in a monotone. "When the artifact was activated in my future… it changed things."
Bellatrix was tempted to reply, but remembered her father once telling her that sometimes it was better to just endure the silence and let the person speak at their own speed.
"My future is gone," Harry announced, trying to harden himself by admitting the fact aloud. "It has been cut away as one would prune a branch from a tree. For all intents in purposes, I'm in an… alternate reality… except I no longer have my own reality to return to."
Bellatrix nodded slowly, doing her best not to come off as cold as she would usually. "So even if your parents were to get killed off right now, you'd still continue existing, even though you'll never be born?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "That's the gist of it. I have me and everything else I may have brought with me, tangible or not, and I'm independent of anything negative that might normally cause ripples in the structure of reality. I'm simply someone who has landed in the middle of this reality. I don't have to worry about getting wrinkled up with myself or anything like that."
"Everything you brought with you? Is that significant?" Bellatrix asked slowly, doing her best to hide mercenary thoughts. Why would he mention that?
Harry restrained himself from letting his hand touch the scar on his forehead. "It may be…"
"Knowing this, what are we going to do?" Bellatrix asked. "I mean, you still know how things are likely to turn out. You'll still want to do something."
Harry nodded. "Basically, I'll just have to do what I can to ensure a better future for everyone."
"Everyone?" Bellatrix asked carefully. "You were in a… dispute with someone. That means two sides. You want to manipulate it so your side wins."
"That is true," Harry admitted, "but the more complete the victory of my side, the fewer people there will be to lose on the other side."
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