Bad Romance

Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Fighting Fire with Fire

"Now that everyone is here," Grindelwald said, and everyone immediately became slightly less happy hour and a bit more focused. "The Murtlap situation is my biggest concern at present, due to my suspicions regarding how she plans to use them. Tomorrow I shall have some of my best investigative Aurors checking into the availability of Murtlaps. We need to know if she has managed to buy or harvest them all. If she has not, we shall need to hold the rest in captivity ourselves until she has been dealt with. If I am correct, she could be using them, or rather their parts, to turn herself as well as some of her followers into living weapons."

"Unfortunately, that sounds rather badass," Rabastan said grudgingly.

"Unfortunately," Grindelwald agreed, blue eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Do allow yourself to take comfort in the fact that, as we're now onto her, we are even more...badass."

Rabastan sipped his drink, and nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that does comfort me," he decided.

"If I am correct, and I usually am, she is using Murtlap parts to improve methods that can make her immune to magic as well as fast healing so far more difficult to harm or kill."

"So you believe she's enhancing the jinx protection property of Murtlap tentacles to cover all magic," Bellatrix asked and Grindelwald nodded grimly.

"As for the Fire Crabs, I must research them further," he continued with a sigh. "I speculate that she has discovered some unknown alchemical use for the gemstones in their shells as they obviously differ from regular gemstones, but as of right now, this is only vague speculation."

"What about the correlation between Murtlaps and Fire Crabs when it comes to farting fire," Rabastan asked. "What if she's trying to make fart weapons...like she's impervious to magic, she is hard to kill, and she is farting fire to burn down wizarding society. In other words, burn us alive just as the Muggles once did!"

Bellatrix choked on a bite of cheese and took a large swallow of her fire whisky to wash it down. Getting drunk wasn't the wisest move, but at present, it certainly couldn't cause the conversation to make less sense, she decided.

Grindelwald laughed, tossing back his blonde locks. "That would certainly be unconventional," he admitted. "But when it comes to her, I'm banking on a bit more finesse."

"Yeah, and while you're banking on that, she's banking on you banking on that," Rabastan said.

"How are Fire Crabs and Murtlaps both linked to fire excretions," Zabini asked carefully.

It was then that Bellatrix recalled hearing Kereston bitching to Regulus that neither Grindelwald nor Zabini respected or knew much of magical creatures. She could hardly blame them, it wasn't something to which Bellatrix had paid much mind either.

"While Fire Crabs fart fire, Murtlaps can cause wizards to do so," she replied, managing not to smile when Grindelwald and Zabini's expressions grew more confused.

"This can occur if one is bitten by a Murtlap," Rodolphus clarified, and Grindelwald exchanged a look of understanding with Zabini before they both nodded.

"We see," Gellert said.

"But wouldn't that damage her insides if she combined the abilities of both creatures for prolonged use," Blaise asked, expression still incredulous.

"We really aren't actually having this conversation, are we?" Alec spoke up at last. He had been busily eating while the others talked, making short work of the platter portion Grindelwald and Zabini had set aside for him. He'd also managed to toss back both of the drinks Rabastan ordered for him. Apparently, he was still paying attention to the conversation, though.