If It Seems Too Good To Be True [Bellatrix, Harry]

[Harry J. Potter]

They were watching him carefully... Too carefully for his tastes. He couldn't count the number of times Sirius had lectured him for getting 'out of hand.' Since when did his godfather die and become the voice of reason and sanity. Oh... right... Still, they somehow managed to turn days into weeks. At least if felt like that. At least classes were due to start on Monday and he could distract himself from the way they were all treating him like a child. Right now he couldn't even face the Gryffindors, all of whom were pissed as hell that he'd managed to lose eighty points from their house. They'd allowed Slytherin to gain the lead and not only that, they'd dropped Gryffindor into last place. And they wondered why he needed an escape...?

He wasn't sure how he managed it. He'd told Sirius that he was just dropping by to see Hagrid, but as he neared the hut, he just... well... kept going. He didn't know why. It just felt like the thing to do at the time. He needed to just... be alone. And he couldn't get that at Hogwarts. Perhaps it was stupid of him to venture into the Forbidden Forest like this -- But at this point he'd deal with frenzied centaurs, mad werewolves, and super giant spiders if it meant some peace of mind.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Tonight was the night. Bellatrix could feel it. She was currently at the headquarters getting everything ready with some of the other Death Eaters. One of them had given her the potion in a glass container that she would put into her long rain-coat jacket that James had wore the day he was captured. Most of the clothes she was wearing were just replicas of what he wore, although the most important articles of clothing such as the jacket, he took from him by force.

Bellatrix got dressed into the outfit. Every part of the clothing were extremely big that it was itching her. She wanted to get this over with and get the boy one way or another for the Dark Lord. "I'm ready," she said, and she was given another bottle of polyjuice potion. She looked at it and gave a horrific look. It wasn't something that anyone would want to drink. The smell was grotesque and just looking at the potion made any human being want to barf on the spot. But she knew she had to do it. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Bellatrix chugged the potion down her throat and into her system.

Her body began to feel odd. It shifted from one way that she was comfortable with to another that was foreign to her. She dropped the empty glass that the potion had once been in and seconds she was transformed into James Potter. The clothes fit her perfectly and she was taller; it was different. She walked to the mirror and looked at herself. "Not bad," she said, and a large smirk crossed her face.

Now it was definitely time.

----------------------

Bellatrix was told that Harry was out in the Forbidden Forest. Thankfully with all the Slytherin Student recruits, it was easy to know where Harry was at all times. It was like she had her own security cameras in places that she shouldn't know about. Before she left to the Forbidden Forest, she began to tear her clothes and mess her new body up just a tad bit. She needed to look as though she was tortured for a long period of time and escaped. Once she was done, she made her way.

Apparating to the Forest, she couldn't find Potter. Where is the brat?, she thought to herself and immediately walked around as if injured. She had to make sure that in case he see's her, that he wouldn't be suspicious on how well his 'escaped' father was walking. After ten minutes of searching, she found Harry. Acting was now underway.

"Harry? Is that you?" James asked, coughing and looking miserable. He looked at Harry for a bit to make sure that it was him. "Didn't miss me that much, did you son?" he asked, trying to lighten the moment. Bellatrix knew that James would do something like that- she always witnessed him doing something of the sort. She hoped her acting was working. Just in time for her to snatch him and take him away according to plan.

[Harry J. Potter]

Harry heard the crunching of leaves and twigs and his hand immediately shot for his wand, circling around slowly to find the source of the sound. The figure his eyes locked on was tall and haggard, but in the limited shafts of moonlight that shone through the canopy of the trees, he could hardly tell from this distance who it was. What he did know was that random strangers that approached one in the Forbidden Forest normally didn't have the best of intentions. But the voice... That voice!

He didn't lower his want at first. He didn't believe it. For six months his father had been missing, and here he turns up in the Forbidden Forest... How the hell did that work. Moreover, was it smart to question it. If it truly was his father, he didn't want to spoil their happy reunion. Slowly, he lowered his wand, his feet moving hesitantly in his direction. His face finally came into view. But his words were what had Harry freezing in his tracks.

"Dad?" he asked slowly. His dad would never greet him like that. Maybe others. Maybe even Sirius. But his own son? After six months of absence, of being captured and taken to god knows where... An easy greeting like that? He gripped his wand tighter and said, "Is that really you? Oh Merlin! I have missed you so much. We have to get you back to Hogwarts. Let me send some red sparks up... I'm sure somebody will see them. Maybe Hagrid... He can come and help you." He obviously needed medical attention. He lifted his wand and prepared to cast the spell.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

At first Bellatrix thought that her acting was horrible. But once his wand lowered, she knew she had him for the time being. Bellatrix knew that she had to work quick. The boy was slow, but he'll speed up and know what was going on later.

"I've missed you too. I've missed you, your mother. G-d. I'm so sorry, Harry," James said and he began to slowly walk over to his Harry while he was talking. Immediately, Harry said that he was going to alert everyone with red sparks and Bellatrix knew that she needed to do something. "No!" James motioned quickly. "No," he whispered afterward, and looked at his son with a face full of hurt and pain. "I want to talk to just you first. I'll be in everyones company all the time with the questioning and service. I need to talk to just you," he said, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I understand I'm hurt and weak, but you have to think about what will happen once you send that alert. It will be a few days let alone a week before we will fully see each other again as a family," he added. "Hows your mother?" he asked, making sure to show signs in his 'lover'. Bellatrix disliked Lily with a passion, but she had to pretend.

[Harry J. Potter]

Harry immediately took a step back and felt horrible for it. But something wasn't right. And when James shouted 'no' at him, that really only deepened his worry. "I don't care, dad. If you're hurt, you need medical care right now. We'll have plenty of moments to talk after this. I promise. But right now, I just want to make sure that you're not injured..." He backed away from his touch on his shoulder and put some distance between them. By now, it was easy for anybody to see Harry was having his misgivings. Had his father been imperioed? Harry knew that he personally had a resistance to it, but that didn't mean that was true for his father...

"Like you care," he said, the last test. "After that fight you had with her before you left for work, I'm surprised she hasn't pushed the divorce papers through. And after what you did to me... Did you honestly think I would forgive you. Yes, I missed you. But you're still an ass..."

He gripped his wand tight again, digging his feet into the ground in such a way that he would ready himself to run if need be. In the distance, he heard some more sounds. He thought he'd caught the silhouette of a centaur... Possible. Harry had seen quite a few in his time here... But the sound was closer than the centaur in the distance... And without another thought, he said, "I'm going to go get help for you," and then took off running back towards Hogwarts.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix looked at Harry for the amount of time that she could. He kept backing away from everything that she did when she was close to him. He was already getting the feeling that she was not the father he thinks she could be. Damn, she thought to herself. She knew that tests were going to be given out. She didn't think that it would be this soon.

"I'm not injured to the point that we need anyone right now, son," James said, giving a small smile. Bellatrix needed to work fast. She couldn't just let the conversation dangle. Unfortunately, Harry decided to bring up personal information. Bellatrix didn't know anything about it. It was about arguing with Lily. Granted people argue, so it could be true. But from what she knew they were madly in love. How was she going to play this? "Harry, we all have our misunderstandings. I love your mother just as much as she loves me. Her and I will pull through this," he said, giving a small smile.

Bellatrix looked at what he was quickly looking at and saw what she could picture a centaur. Witnesses. This needed to go faster than how it is going now. "Son I-" Immediately, Harry began to run for help at Hogwarts. Bellatrix needed to stop him. But how was she going to do that? She quickly took out her wand and pointed it at Harry. "Locomotor Mortis!" James shouted, and quickly binds began to chase after Harry's legs. Bellatrix walked over to Harry and looked down at him. "Didn't anyone teach you that you should respect your old man?" he asked, laughing. it was an odd laugh. One that sounded familiar to anyone but it was deep and different.

Bellatrix began to feel difference in her body. She had to work quickly. She knew that there were witnesses around. She had to make sure that they don't figure her out. "Ready to go home?" he asked, giving another laugh.

[Harry J. Potter]

He got tripped up, but managed to roll onto his back to glare up at this person who pretended to be his father. "Yeah... I am. But I have a feeling you couldn't get in if you wanted to," he spat, pointing his wand at her and shouting, "REDUCTO!" As that flew at her, he cast finite incantatum at his legs and scrambled back to his feet, running as fast as he could, shouting for Hagrid. If anybody would be close enough to hear, it would be him. But the sound of gushing wind and pops came from behind. People were apparating... Most likely people who were not here to help Harry, and the jet of red light that whizzed passed him confirmed his suspicions.

Another stunner his the back of his ankle, pinching the tendon from what it felt like, and had him sprawling down over a tree trunk. Crawling now, he found a spot behind a bush and a thicket between a tree where he could hide for now. He needed to come up with a plan and fast. The irony was almost hilarious. The one night he didn't go searching for Death Eaters... At least he knew that they had, at some point, his father.

He fell completely silent, his breathing becoming shallow so as not to be heard as he watched a Death Eater pass close by, their hood over their face so he couldn't identify them. Luckily, they didn't appear to know where he was hiding either.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix saw how quick-witted Harry was with his spells. It only made her excited for when she would duel him. It will be exciting. Although she was much more experienced than him in so many different levels. But just seeing what he's got makes her want to get such a duel started. Her eyes were following Harry on where he was going until she looked around and saw some Death Eaters apparate into the Forbidden Forest.

Great, she thought to herself. One Death Eater shot a spell towards Harry but completely missed. She guessed it was more of a scare than anything else. "Leave the boy to me," she said to them all. Bellatrix was about to go find Harry but the Polyjuice Potion began to wear off. She stood still and felt her body change. It was as if she could feel every bone and gut in her body when she changed back. A totally different feeling. She guessed why Polyjuice Potions weren't used as often.

When the process was complete, she was in baggy clothes. She didn't bring her outfit, but that was alright. She wasn't going to be here for long. Bellatrix began walking around. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," she said, pretending as if she was playing Hide and Seek with Harry. "Don't tell me the Boy Who Lived is scared," she instigated.

[Harry J. Potter]

That hag! That awful, vile, deceitful woman! She shouldn't be walking about, she should be studied. How dare she impersonate his father!? Like Harry wouldn't know the difference between his dad and a deranged lunatic. It made his blood burn and it took everything he had not to leap out of his hiding place to try to kill the woman himself. He rolled is eyes at her ribbing. Yeah... Like he was going to fall for that. There was no honor in coming out. There was no last stand. He could very well outsmart all of them, especially if they were being led by somebody like Lestrange.

It did confirm one thing in his mind, though. They had his father... They had to have had James or she'd never have been able to make the Polyjuice potion. He needed to tell Sirius... After he made it back to Hogwarts of course. He knew stepping foot on the grounds would be his haven. They couldn't apparate on or off and none of them would risk having the duel the Head of the Auror Department, the Headmistress, or the Minister of Magic without the benefit of a proper retreat.

He would wait... They were still too close. But as soon as they gave him more room, he would make a break for it. Pity... The one time he ventured out without his invisibility cloak...

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix was looking around slowly. She knew that he wouldn't be moving as quickly; not with so many eyes watching for him too. "Come out, come out, Potter," she said, and gave a little chuckle. She was finally going to show the Dark Lord what she can do. She thought about herself in the high chair next to him and powering over everyone. She kept looking, the clothes around her were pulling her down that her patience was running low. This part wasn't a part of her plan. She just needed to touch Potter and that was it. That was all she needed in order to apparate back to the headquarters.

"POTTER!" she shouted from the top of her lungs. She saw the other Death Eaters just looking around with their eyes and not literally looking. "Well what the bloody hell are you all doing? SEARCH! He's here somewhere and we're going to get him," she commanded. Some gave her a look, but all of them began to walk around. A grin appeared on Bellatrix's face. Now there was nothing he could really do.

A male death eater was rummaging around where Harry was, and was about to keep searching in that area, until he turned around to check another spot. "Look harder!" she commanded again to everyone. And everyone did just so. Bellatrix knew he was still here; he had to be. She could feel his presence with his thoughts. Granted, she couldn't read them directly, but it was filled with courage and disappointment. She knew it had to be him.

[Harry J. Potter]

Harry sat very still, holding his breath so as not to give away his position in that manner. They were going to find him. It wouldn't be much longer. This position gave him cover, but not a whole lot, and he knew that it was now or never. He waited for the Death Eater searching the particular area he was in to turn his back, and sending a stunning charm at him to knock him out, he leaped out of the thistle, his arms scraping against the brambles and the thorns, but he didn't care. A little blood was nothing when it meant running for one's life. And that's what he had every intention of doing.

Unsurprisingly, but annoyingly, stunners began to fly at him from behind in all directions. Some landed a little too close to home. He weaved in and out of the trees, wand in hand, shooting back behind him as he could. He could see the clearing. The forest path was opening up to the Hogwarts grounds. And then he felt a tangle of rope around his feet, tripping him up. He managed not to fall, but as soon as he wriggled free and started to run again, he was tackled around the waist, knocked into a tree. His glasses fell from his face, his nose slamming hard with a loud, distinct cracking sound. Blood instantly poured down his front and his eyes watered, but at least he had not dropped his wand.

"Ge' off me," he mumbled, his voice sounding odd. More Death Eaters came around, grabbing him limb for limb, pulling him back. "HAGRID!" he shouted. "SIRIUS!" Anybody! Anybody that was close enough. God... He was going to be taken and nobody would know. Well... Unless... With all the strength he could muster, he pointed his wand up to the sky and shouted, "MORSEMORDE!" At least then Hagrid would see. Somebody would see! They'd know the Death Eaters were here. They'd think somebody had died. And then, in that next instant, Bellatrix was upon him and they popped away... apparating away from Hogwarts, away from the Forest, and to a place Harry would be completely at the mercy of the deranged lunatics that were the Death Eaters.