Fic: Concentrate
Title: Concentrate
Summary: Tom Riddle instructs Bellatrix on complicated transfiguration. Written for a prompt on FFnet about transfiguring someone or something.
Characters/Pairings: Tom Riddle, Bellatrix Black
Genre: General, with hints of drama and romance
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 for a bit of gory imagery
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 824
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
“You received an E in NEWT-level Transfiguration, did you not?”
Memories flitted across Bellatrix’s face like thunderstorms. “Only because the examiner docked me points for not transfiguring my eyes into a ‘natural’ color, my Lord.” She crossed her arms. “I thought my turquoise and purple eyes were stunning, thank you very much, and a lot more complicated than hazel.”
I tamped down the laughter that was threatening to escape me. “Examiners aren’t known for their imagination, my dear.”
She snorted. “Too true, sir.”
“I’d like us to practice transfiguration together today. Something more exciting. Wandless transfiguration, in fact.”
She froze, blinking rapidly. “But the transfiguration formula, sir...”
“What of it?”
“Wand strength is a key component.”
“Is it?” My lips flicked up in a smile.
Her brow positively furrowed. “Isn’t it, sir?”
“Recite the formula for me, Bellatrix.”
She swallowed. “Wand power times concentration in the numerator, over weight by viciousness in the denominator.”
“And?”
“Multiplied by Z.”
“Which is?”
“I...don’t know, sir. No one does.”
“Well, we’ll hold off on Z for now. But if both wand strength and concentration are in the numerator, would that not imply that you can compensate for the wand with additional concentration?”
Her brow furrowed again as she thought. “But the wand strength can’t be zero, sir.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Tell me of wand strength.”
She bit her lip. “Wand strength refers to the connection you have with your wand.”
“And what have we discussed about what wands do?”
“They...help us grasp the magical construct.”
“By doing what?”
“By increasing our focus...” She nodded suddenly. “...which is the same as concentration. Alright, so anything that increases concentration should suffice. Which includes wand strength, but also a number of other things.”
“Mmhmm.” I ran my finger along her inner forearm, scraping lightly across my mark. It flared to life, thrumming between us like a plucked harp string. “Can you think of anything else that might supply the necessary focus?”
Her smile was bright as lightning. “Yes I can, my Lord.”
“Brilliant.” I cast a silent, wandless Revelio and our test subject appeared.
“Oh!” Bellatrix walked over and crouched down by the man. She tapped his nose lightly, noting the lack of response. “Petrificus Totalus?”
“Petrification, actually. Notice the lack of the eye movements as well.”
She swallowed hard as she stood up. “Basilisk or Gorgon?”
“Neither. But we’ll save that spell for another time. Today, a simple bit of wandless human transfiguration will do. Now, can you tell me why we’ve petrified the object of transfiguration?”
She frowned. “Something to do with Z?”
I clucked my tongue. “Try again.”
“Viciousness, then? It can’t be weight, because that’s just the same.”
“Very good. Now, why would petrification reduce viciousness?”
She was utterly flummoxed. “Petrified people aren’t as nasty?”
I rolled my eyes and looked heavenward. “And this is why the Hogwarts curriculum is such a wretched waste. What if I told you ‘viciousness’ might better be described as liveliness?”
She blinked slowly, the wheels churning. “Then I would tell you that whoever came up with the term ‘viciousness’ was an imbecile, sir, and petrified people are certainly less lively.”
I smiled and took her hand in mine, raising her palm to my lips before brushing a kiss across it. “True on both accounts.” The link from her mark to me positively sang with desire, sharpening to a pointed focus. “There now. You’re properly equipped and ready to proceed.” I moved to stand just behind her. “Transfigure something about him without your wand.” I leaned in to her ear. “Show me what you can do.”
She shivered once, then tilted her head just to the side. The draw from her mark was a sudden maelstrom inside me, a roiling torrent of need.
I stiffened against it, but didn’t cut her off. She was clearly aiming for something dramatic on her first go. That was Bellatrix - never boring.
The man quite suddenly exploded.
I looked down. Bellatrix and I were both covered in infinitesimal pieces of him in various shades and consistencies of red.
I retrieved a handkerchief from an inner pocket, and dabbed at my eyes and mouth.
Bellatrix buried her face in her hands. “Oh, my Lord, I...I don’t...”
I forced her fingers from her eyes and proceeded to dab at her face gently with the handkerchief. “What, pray tell, were you going for?”
She took a shuddering little breath. “ A doppelgänger of you, my Lord. My abject apologies, sir, I should never have...and the mess and the waste of that man...” A mortified sob wracked her.
“Now, now, buck up.” I lifted her chin and cast another silent wandless Revelio.
Bellatrix was utterly still as the second petrified man came into view.
“You don’t think I came with just one, did you? Have a little faith, my dear.”
“Y-y-yes, sir. I will.”
“And this time, perhaps something a little less ambitious?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very good.”
27 pts
Summary: Tom Riddle instructs Bellatrix on complicated transfiguration. Written for a prompt on FFnet about transfiguring someone or something.
Characters/Pairings: Tom Riddle, Bellatrix Black
Genre: General, with hints of drama and romance
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 for a bit of gory imagery
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 824
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
“You received an E in NEWT-level Transfiguration, did you not?”
Memories flitted across Bellatrix’s face like thunderstorms. “Only because the examiner docked me points for not transfiguring my eyes into a ‘natural’ color, my Lord.” She crossed her arms. “I thought my turquoise and purple eyes were stunning, thank you very much, and a lot more complicated than hazel.”
I tamped down the laughter that was threatening to escape me. “Examiners aren’t known for their imagination, my dear.”
She snorted. “Too true, sir.”
“I’d like us to practice transfiguration together today. Something more exciting. Wandless transfiguration, in fact.”
She froze, blinking rapidly. “But the transfiguration formula, sir...”
“What of it?”
“Wand strength is a key component.”
“Is it?” My lips flicked up in a smile.
Her brow positively furrowed. “Isn’t it, sir?”
“Recite the formula for me, Bellatrix.”
She swallowed. “Wand power times concentration in the numerator, over weight by viciousness in the denominator.”
“And?”
“Multiplied by Z.”
“Which is?”
“I...don’t know, sir. No one does.”
“Well, we’ll hold off on Z for now. But if both wand strength and concentration are in the numerator, would that not imply that you can compensate for the wand with additional concentration?”
Her brow furrowed again as she thought. “But the wand strength can’t be zero, sir.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Tell me of wand strength.”
She bit her lip. “Wand strength refers to the connection you have with your wand.”
“And what have we discussed about what wands do?”
“They...help us grasp the magical construct.”
“By doing what?”
“By increasing our focus...” She nodded suddenly. “...which is the same as concentration. Alright, so anything that increases concentration should suffice. Which includes wand strength, but also a number of other things.”
“Mmhmm.” I ran my finger along her inner forearm, scraping lightly across my mark. It flared to life, thrumming between us like a plucked harp string. “Can you think of anything else that might supply the necessary focus?”
Her smile was bright as lightning. “Yes I can, my Lord.”
“Brilliant.” I cast a silent, wandless Revelio and our test subject appeared.
“Oh!” Bellatrix walked over and crouched down by the man. She tapped his nose lightly, noting the lack of response. “Petrificus Totalus?”
“Petrification, actually. Notice the lack of the eye movements as well.”
She swallowed hard as she stood up. “Basilisk or Gorgon?”
“Neither. But we’ll save that spell for another time. Today, a simple bit of wandless human transfiguration will do. Now, can you tell me why we’ve petrified the object of transfiguration?”
She frowned. “Something to do with Z?”
I clucked my tongue. “Try again.”
“Viciousness, then? It can’t be weight, because that’s just the same.”
“Very good. Now, why would petrification reduce viciousness?”
She was utterly flummoxed. “Petrified people aren’t as nasty?”
I rolled my eyes and looked heavenward. “And this is why the Hogwarts curriculum is such a wretched waste. What if I told you ‘viciousness’ might better be described as liveliness?”
She blinked slowly, the wheels churning. “Then I would tell you that whoever came up with the term ‘viciousness’ was an imbecile, sir, and petrified people are certainly less lively.”
I smiled and took her hand in mine, raising her palm to my lips before brushing a kiss across it. “True on both accounts.” The link from her mark to me positively sang with desire, sharpening to a pointed focus. “There now. You’re properly equipped and ready to proceed.” I moved to stand just behind her. “Transfigure something about him without your wand.” I leaned in to her ear. “Show me what you can do.”
She shivered once, then tilted her head just to the side. The draw from her mark was a sudden maelstrom inside me, a roiling torrent of need.
I stiffened against it, but didn’t cut her off. She was clearly aiming for something dramatic on her first go. That was Bellatrix - never boring.
The man quite suddenly exploded.
I looked down. Bellatrix and I were both covered in infinitesimal pieces of him in various shades and consistencies of red.
I retrieved a handkerchief from an inner pocket, and dabbed at my eyes and mouth.
Bellatrix buried her face in her hands. “Oh, my Lord, I...I don’t...”
I forced her fingers from her eyes and proceeded to dab at her face gently with the handkerchief. “What, pray tell, were you going for?”
She took a shuddering little breath. “ A doppelgänger of you, my Lord. My abject apologies, sir, I should never have...and the mess and the waste of that man...” A mortified sob wracked her.
“Now, now, buck up.” I lifted her chin and cast another silent wandless Revelio.
Bellatrix was utterly still as the second petrified man came into view.
“You don’t think I came with just one, did you? Have a little faith, my dear.”
“Y-y-yes, sir. I will.”
“And this time, perhaps something a little less ambitious?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very good.”
27 pts