Capella still shrunk back when she saw them.
Even without a chain around her neck, even with Bellatrix's comforting hand on her shoulder, she still shrunk back.
It was quite gratifying, really.
"Shh, Capella. Shh. You're not an animal anymore. They won't hurt you"
She looked up at Bella, eyes wide.
"They-they-they won't?"
Bella shook her head, smiling widely.
"No, Capella," Harry said, waving her over, "we won't. I promise. Come, Ginny's waiting for you"
Slowly, Capella walked forward, uncertain steps leading her toward where Ginny was splayed against the wall.
"G-Ginny?"
Daphne spoke gently to Capella, voice soft and calm. "Do you know her, Capella?"
She shook her head, her hand rising and rubbing furiously against her teeth.
"N-no. T-Tonks knew her. She-she-she was friends with-with T-T-Tonks"
Bella glared at them for a moment before rubbing Capella's back and talking to her soothingly.
"And they're trying to help her. Just like how we helped you. Isn't that nice of them, to save a blood-traitor?"
Capella nodded earnestly, biting her lip.
Harry barely managed to keep from laughing.
"Yup. That's all we're doing. Trying to help her"
Ginny slowly turned her head around, her body's shaking causing the chains holding her to the wall to clank.
"T-tonks? T-t-tonks? W-what-"
Capella shook her head frantically, her fingers rising to her mouth again.
"I'm not Tonks! I'm not Tonks!"
Ginny started sobbing, looking as confused as she did pained.
"You are! You're my friend!"
Capella seemed to grow smaller, her fingers squeaking against her teeth.
"I'm not Tonks," she whispered, "I'm not"
Bella just spoke to her in that calming tone, rubbing her back softly.
"No, dear, you're not. I promise you're not. I know you're not that animal anymore, and so do Harry and Daphne. Right?"
"Yeah. You're Capella"
Daphne sounded like she was trying as hard as Harry to keep from laughing.
"Of course you're not. If you were, you'd be chained up, right? You wouldn't have clothes, right?"
Capella stared at her for a moment before nodding, her hand slowly falling away from her mouth.
"The blood-traitor wants to make you into Tonks again, Capella," Bella said, still speaking gently and stroking the shaking woman's back, "isn't that cruel of her? Isn't that just wicked?"
Capella bit her lip and nodded.
"So she must be punished," Bella continued, "Don't you think?"
Barely audibly, Capella said "yes"
"And it will help her. You'll help her realize who she really is. Isn't that good? Even though she's being so cruel, you're going to help her. Isn't that kind of you?"
"Yes"
And Bella handed her a whip, the cruel, spiky lengths of leather trailing along the stone floor as it switched hands.
"Then help her, Capella. And smile. You're doing noble work. You should be happy"
And shakily, Capella did.
Ginny started to scream before the whip even hit her.
Capella's weak smile didn't fade, even though she flinched with each of Ginny's screams.
It didn't fade even though she shook when blood sprayed from Ginny's back, splattering across her face.
If anything, it grew steadier, with each of Bella's and Harry and Daphne's encouragements.
Eventually, they even got her to laugh.
"I want you to gather my followers who were in Hogwarts. When the time comes to attack, I want a team to enter through the Cabinet, to strike from within and distract them from the assault on their gates"
"My lord? Will the Cabinet still work? I mean, with no-one there to call the Room?"
Voldemort leaned back in His throne, frowning slightly.
"It should," He said slowly. "While I am not completely certain of the method used to create the Room, I believe all the variations it brings into being do exist at all times, simply waiting to be called. Using the Cabinet, even from the outside, should work to call it. Nevertheless, you are correct, Harry"
Harry sat up a bit straighter, all but preening as the Dark Lord favored him with a smile.
"Before anyone of value enters the Cabinet, test it"
"What time frame are we looking at?"
"That depends partially on the outcome of our meeting tomorrow, and partially on Grindelwald and his three's reactions. Between two, two and a half weeks and one month"
"I'll start getting everyone together, my lord, and-"
A long-fingered hand rose into the air, cutting Harry's speech off.
"Who amongst the Hogwarts students are knowledgeable regarding Wards?"
"Only Horatio and Alaine, my lord, and what you've taught me"
Voldemort hissed softly, shaking His head.
"Not enough. Alaine is the only one of you three with enough experience to even begin tackling the internal wards of Hogwarts. Rookwood will accompany you, as will Severus, Tanya, Anatoly, and Bellatrix. Perhaps,"
He stared into space for a moment, looking thoughtful, before nodding and turning back to Harry.
"A squadron of wolves will accompany you as well. The warders will do what they can about the internal wards, while the rest of you protect them and wreak havoc. At the same time, I will destroy the external wards and begin the attack"
Harry nodded.
"Gather the people I have mentioned, as well as the rest of the Hogwarts students. You must be prepared. As soon as the time is ripe, we will strike"
"I will, my lord"
"Good. What news from the muggle minister?"
Harry probed the ball of awareness that hovered at the back of his mind, allowing the information o flow through.
"Nothing of note, my lord. The Obliviators have been doing their jobs well. He's just busy with their stupid politics"
Voldemort smiled.
"Excellent. The Imperius Potions are ready. Have everyone who is in control of their military high command speak to Severus. I want them to begin dosing immediately after Hogwarts is taken"
' Fucking awesome!'
"Harry. You will accompany me tomorrow. We will be meeting with a former professor of yours, one who may be of great assistance in easing our destruction of the Hogwarts wards"
' Who? McGonagall? Not a chance. Stuck up bitch wouldn't help if all her students' lives were on the line'
He just nodded.
"Be here at ten"
"I will. My lord? If I may?"
Voldemort gestured for him to speak, waving a pale hand negligently.
"How-how many Horcruxes can be made? Can you make more than seven? Or would that be too-too much?"
Bright red eyes locked onto greenish, crimson ones.
"I do not believe that there is any true limit. But I would advise not making more than five. The soul begins to… destabilize, if you will. While my own accidental Horcrux has proven to be my greatest asset, I can not promise that the same would always occur. Five, and after that, alternative methods of immortality must be sought, if any are even required"
Harry nodded slowly, still not tearing his gaze away from that of his Lord's.
"Thank you, my lord. Thank you"
"Professor Waffling," The Dark Lord said, speaking as smoothly as Lucius Malfoy ever had, "it is a pleasure to meet with as accomplished a witch as you"
She didn't flinch back from meeting the Dark Lord's eyes.
' Pretty fucking impressive'
"Thank you. The same can surely be said about you"
Voldemort laughed genially, and Harry almost swallowed his tongue.
' What the fuck?'
Her eyes softened for a moment, as she took in Harry's appearance.
"It's good to see you as well, Harry. My class has been far less exciting without your input"
"Uh, thanks?"
"Please, Professor. Have a seat"
She did so, looking as comfortable in the armchair opposite His throne as she had in her classroom.
"I am sure you are wondering why I summoned you here? Why I informed you of my home's location?"
She smiled.
"You want me to give you information on the Hogwarts and Hogsmeade wards?"
Voldemort laughed.
' How the fuck?'
"And how did you come to that conclusion?"
"It was rather obvious. If you wished to discuss Hogwarts or Hogsmeade's surrenders, you would have been meeting with the Headmistress or the mayor. While I am an authority in Magical theory and philosophy, I do not think I have much to offer you there, given your proclivity for Magical Arts about which I am ill-informed. That leaves the Wards"
Voldemort nodded encouragingly, the smile not leaving his lips.
The first hint of nervousness appeared on her face, her tongue quickly running over her lips before retreating into her mouth.
"I have remained neutral, taking no sides. I have not wished to make enemies. All I want is to continue with my research, my writing, and my teaching. I care not for the political stance of whoever is in power"
Something minute changed on Voldemort's face. Nothing that Harry could pinpoint, but suddenly, He seemed far less friendly, far more intimidating. A penumbra of darkness appeared, hovering around His head just beyond the edge of sight, seeming to chase away the light from the room.
"Tell me," He said, His voice lacking any warmth, "What will be if I attack?"
She stared forward, face set.
But her hands gripped each other tightly.
"You will kill any in your way"
"Correct," He said, leaning forward, seeming to tower over her. "I will kill all in my way. Right now, Hogsmeade is in my way. But if the information I want is given to me, it will not be. No-one from the village will die, save those who fight against me. I will not force you to talk. I will not rape your mind or drug you. But I will make you choose"
She sat silently, looking down.
"You are truly a witch after my own heart. You are focused on furthering our understanding of this great gift that has been bestowed upon us, on educating our children, on bettering our world. I admire that, truly, I do. I do not wish to leave your disemboweled corpse on the gates of Hogwarts"
She shivered involuntarily, and Harry knew that his lord would get what He wanted.
"I do not wish to destroy the village of Hogsmeade, to crucify the survivors as a living memorial to the futility of standing against me. I do not wish to do this. But I will if I must. I would far rather you continue to live, continue to do your research, aided by my followers, aided by the lack of foolish laws censuring your choices of study. I want to see you still teaching in Hogwarts next year, continuing your classes, which I have been reliably informed are brilliant"
Harry smiled encouragingly as she glanced at him for a second.
Voldemort's tone softened slightly as He continued.
"Give me what I want. I will conquer Hogsmeade and Hogwarts either way. This simply ensures a lack of unnecessary bloodshed. Give me what I want, and I will protect you from Grindelwald's wrath"
She opened her mouth to speak and closed it, looking down again.
"I chose you," Voldemort whispered, "because you are the most pragmatic of the village's residents. The most pragmatic, and the most intelligent. So many of our goals align. I saw your letters to the ministry, you know. Wherein you argued against their banning of certain Magical studies. Give me what I want, and the resources of the Department of Mysteries, my Department of Mysteries, will be entirely at your disposal. Give me what I want, and I will open my personal library to you"
She looked up sharply at that, eyes widening.
"Oh, yes. I will. I will gain you access to the most private, most secretive pureblood family libraries in the world. I will give you this. Just give me what I want"
Her eyes closed, and she looked straight ahead, swallowing thickly.
"Please, Professor," Harry said softly. "It'll be much better for you this way"
She sat in the same position for a few minutes, eyes tightly shut, not moving an inch.
Finally, her eyes opened.
And she nodded.
The Dark Lord smiled, and she began to talk.