Chapter Thirteen - Nerida Bagshot

- "Crucio!" - Threw the last of the hooded men at Nerida.

- "Ah hahaha, Reducto!" - The hooded man fell to the ground, badly wounded after being hit - "Please, My Lady's tortures were more brutal than your pathetic crucio...." - She walked towards the hooded man who was crawling on the ground - "I will show you how to use this spell properly" - She immediately buried her wand in his chest and cast the torture spell that made him convulse and scream until after about 10 torturous seconds, his body exploded from the pressure inside, and he started bleeding all over his body.

- "Hehehehehehehehe... haha haha. I love it when they explode like that, hahaha..."

- "My lady, Lady Walburga has summoned you to Castle Black. She said it's a very important matter" - Mentioned the house elf of Black Castle who appeared in front of Nerida.

- "Understood" - She took the wand from the hooded man, something she did with everyone she faced, and disappeared with the elf.

Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel - Castle Black

- 'Interesting' - I thought as I looked at the entrance of the hotel.

When I looked for Black Castle here in Moscow, I was expecting an old castle, but if I had to guess, I would say that the castle was remodeled and ended up becoming a super hotel almost in the center of Moscow, or so I think.

When I arrived at the hotel reception and gave my name the staff looked at each other and then asked me to sign a document for identity identification, which I did after reading it in detail when I signed it, the signature glowed for a moment and then seemed to infuse into the paper.

That fact made the employees quickly go into super professional mode and bowed respectfully. Both introduced themselves correctly, they were sisters from a low-level pureblood magical family serving under the name of House Black as servants or vassals by a contract that had been signed since the Middle Ages.

It was quite interesting how they took these contracts too seriously even if they were signed in times past just like surnames, I shouldn't even identify myself as Slytherin if I were a muggle, but here in magic even if my ancestors once were and if I was worthy then I could take their surname, something I have yet to test if I was worthy as I hadn't taken the blood test, but I hoped I was.

Both sisters led me to a golden door with the Black House crest and bowed in farewell to return to their places after I dismissed them both with a smile. When I grabbed the latch on the door and felt something prick my hand, noticing it was a small pinprick that then went back in and glowed for a second, I knew it had recognized me as a familiar and opened the door.

The place was amazing, super luxurious Victorian era, and with a taste for black and gold, which was black marble and gold. This was much more impressive than Grimmauld Place, I wanted to live here already.

The instant I arrived, three house elves, two males and a female, appeared very obligingly with greetings and many compliments. But what I wasn't expecting was to see a girl I knew, or rather met, in an accidental encounter last year.

- "It's you!" - I said pointing at her surprised and ready to fight, though she quickly froze in fear and amazement at the same time, as her body began to tremble, but her eyes showed a look of adoration.

February 7, 1987, One year before the present day, Castle Black, 

Nerida Bagshot - 10 years old.

- "My Lady, what do you wish of me?" - Nerida asked rather helpfully looking at the large picture of Walburga Black who was moving and staring at her.

- "I have received information from other paintings of other families who have been whispering the name 'Black Heart' and so far he is known to be a great danger to wizards and pureblood families if the rumors are true" - Explained Walburga making Nerida frown - "It is said that he has killed over 70 dark wizards who assault him, or he just kills them because he wants to, Lucius Malfoy, Milos Parkinson, and Zigor Nott also said to have encountered him personally and survived simply because he wasn't interested in them."

- "Is it possible that this Black Heart is a danger to My Lord?" - I ask, between worried and angry. If this character was dangerous - "Because if he is, I will go and kill him immediately".

- "That is why I have called you. Find Black Heart and kill him, he is a danger to Lord Azrael, and we can't leave him alive if he starts hunting purebloods, but be careful, it is said that he is the son of the devil, and although I doubt it, there are also rumors that he can transform into a giant beast the size of a half-giant with black skin and red eyes".

- "Understood, My Lady" - Nerida left the painting room and went to her room.

She smiled with great adrenaline in her body at the thought of finally fighting someone who could be her rival, Lady Walburga had trained her for this, taught her everything she could, spells of all kinds, dark arts, self-inflicted rituals to turn her body into a killing machine, her humanity was almost lost, and now she would be a monster on the outside if it wasn't for Walburga guiding her through all the rituals that could have left her a mindless beast.

Since Walburga rescued her from a miserable life and gave her a purpose, a purpose to belong body and soul to Azrael Black-Gaunt, it made her devote everything to prove she was worth her rescue and salvation.

The house elves helped her with the training of spells and rituals, she killed from the age of 5 to train her Legilimency and all her spells, she was tortured in the same way by the house elves so that she could be strong both physically to fight the Cruciatus and more, as well as metal to build the best defenses of Occlumency.

- 'All for My Lord... all for My Lord...' 

- "All for My Lord, I will do everything for My Lord to be safe and secure. I will be all for him and do his will as he wishes..."

Nerida had a crazed smile and covered half her face with a cloth and her head with the hood of her black trench coat, then went to a shelf where she opened it and took a dozen wands that she stole from the dead owners and put them away, she also took her wand and put it in her wrist holster.

- "To work".

In Knockturn Alley after four days of searching, she was on the roof of one of the larger houses hiding in the dark of the night and the rain as she watched all the filthy rats of people coming and going about their business. She saw some robberies, some rapes, some murders, but so far that she had been looking, her target was not showing up.

She sighed thinking that maybe, today, he wouldn't show up either, she started to jump across the other rooftops, and then she heard some screams, she just watched, and it proved to be just a witch torturing a man, it wasn't what she was looking for, she sighed again, and before she turned around, she heard something stand behind her.

- "Ironic... I've been looking for you, and you're the one who finds me first." - She said turning around and looking at the man, she sighed as she would have looked foolish if he wasn't the famed son of the devil, but she could feign ignorance in any case and save her embarrassment, something that luckily didn't happen as there was Black Heart there looking at her with a small smile on his face.

When she stared at him, his skin was pale and cold as ice, eyes as black as the color of his hair, tall and imposing, it was surprising when his eyes turned completely black, his face darkened and his mouth widened showing sharp and terrifying teeth as he growled slightly at her. But she didn't back down and looked at him haughtily, showing her teeth and snarling.

- "Interesting... you know who I am, and you haven't run scared, a lot to say about you considering that others beg or just run away" - He said returning his face to normal, he kept his silence for a moment and noticed that she didn't seem to want to talk, so he continued - "I noticed you yesterday, and you seemed to be looking for something, now you are here again and my curiosity got the better of me, how curious that you were looking for me, you must be very stupid or very clever, or you are looking for death unless you are for an autograph which I wouldn't be opposed to..."

- "You never shut your mouth, do you?" - She said, stopping him abruptly, something that seemed to amuse him rather than anger him as he laughed lightly.

- "You didn't seem to want to talk, so I had to make up for your lack of dialogue, so.... Protego!" - He quickly conjured a protective spell as she threw a bombard at him and then threw another one, but at the ceiling causing him to destabilize and then sending him flying backward with a redoubt - "Looks like someone is very anxious!"

- "Die!" - Nerida jumped off the roof and as he fell she cast another explosive spell and the hunt was on.

Their fight was raging through the night alley with destructive, dark, and murderous spells. Those left in the crossfire were either unharmed or seriously injured or killed in a few cases when an Avada Kedavra hit them. There were also some lightning storms or hellfire.

Black Heart, or rather Azrael, was stunned, excited, and somewhat frightened by this girl. Her physical state was insane for her small body that moved as if she was Captain America, who the hell trained her and turned her into a war machine, he was also amazed that she pulled out wands one after another every time a magical clash resulted in an explosion on his side and the girl's wand was shattered.

He was also sore from the multiple blows he received that were quickly healed by being a shape-shifter. Cutting spells, explosive spells, bone-breaking spells, or other rare types of spells that physically damaged him were healed, although regenerating his body made him physically tired as well.

- 'Great, I can beat some adults, but a girl is kicking my ass... that's it, I have to kick her ass in a literal metaphorical way' - He said to himself and as he stepped out into the open, he evaded a spell and ran towards her getting close enough to grab her arm where she was pointing her wand at him and punched her in the face and then kicked her with the increased force of his body sending her crawling across the ground.

- "... That's it," - She said as she got up and spat blood.

- "No, it's not," - He told her and his body transformed into his demon mode - "You can fight like a wizard but like a muggle?"

- "Shit" - Nerida muttered and was kicked by the giant who then began to hit her hard, she felt her bones break with the inhuman strength he had, and he was right about that too, Walburga only taught her how to fight like a wizard, but a punching match like the filthy muggles? Well, maybe she needed to rethink the fact that the muggle method of fighting was crushing her. - "Lumus Maxima!" - Shouted Nerida loudly using her wand, and he backed away covering his eyes, though he threw a clawed punch that she narrowly evaded, he was able to rip off the cloth that covered half of her face showing her identity

- "You... I have seen you, child. I promise you that we will meet again, and I will tear you to pieces" - Black Heart said to her after recovering and looking her straight in the eyes.

- "We'll see about that, monster." - Far enough away, Nerida escaped and disappeared with the help of a house elf.

.

Nerida lay down on the bed and the house elves began to treat her wounds and bring healing potions and painkillers.

- "He beat me fighting like a muggle... I never thought something like that would work on me, I didn't know muggles were so strong in their fighting. He took my wands, he pinned me down, he broke my arm, he almost crushed me with his hands, his punches felt like a train crashing into you... I have to learn to defend myself and fight like a muggle, I hate to admit it, and I'm sure Lady Walburga will hate me, but I can't beat him if he fights like that again" - Nerida sighed depressed and exhausted, she had failed and lost brutally after he had dominated the entire battle from the beginning, but now she knew what to do.

.

In the present day

Nerida had returned to Castle Black after the elf had brought her on an important matter for which Lady Walburga had called her. She did not know what it was this time, but she hoped it would not hinder her hunt for the son of the devil, she had fought him a dozen times and every time it was a draw or inconclusive.

But all that was forgotten when Lady Walburga told her the news of why she had called her suddenly when she was at work, her Lord had come to Castle Black, Walburga told her that she felt it when the barriers detected him entering the hotel.

She quickly left after saying goodbye and began to look for her best clothes, bathed, changed, dressed, and went out with great enthusiasm to reach the hall where her Lord stood with a look of astonishment gazing at the great hall. But all her illusion of a glorious meeting with her My Lord was ruined in her mind when she saw the surprised look on his face and how he raised his guard to fight.

- "It's you!" - He exclaimed, pointing at her.

What did she do to make him look at her like that? How did he know her if Walburga told him that even he did not know her true face? Why did he seem to want to kill her? Did she do something wrong? Did she not present herself well? Was it because she arrived before he came in? Was it because she was not kissing his feet as she possibly should? Was she supposed to bow, kneel, prostrate herself at his feet? Why was her beloved Lord looking at her like that? Nerida simply did not understand, and her body trembled with fear, thinking of all the possible mistakes she could have made to make him want to kill her at this moment!

- "You're the one who's been trying to kill me this whole damn time with my Black Heart appearance!" - He exclaimed, and her eyes widened.

- 'What?!? He's Black Heart...!? Of course, he's a metamorphomagus, his shapeshifting isn't a demonic form, it's just a change of appearance!' - Nerida mentally smacked herself as she discovered something so obvious now that she thought about it - 'Wait, that means I tried to kill ah...' - She was about to apologize, but a powerful stunner hit her in the face, and she fell to the ground completely fainted.