Notes:

All canon characters, plots, dialogue, and situations from the Harry Potter series belongs to JK Rowling. I am not profiting from this.

I don't see any redeeming qualities in Voldemort, so his character is changed the most from his canon-character.

The story has not been beta'ed.

Around the time of the release of the Beauty and the Beast movie with Emma Watson, I saw the video by PistolShrimps on Youtube called Beauty and Lord Voldemort. If you haven't seen it, go check it out. That video inspired me to write this version of the story. The story was first published in 2017, but I'm editing in and posting it again in 2019.

Warning! Later chapters deals with a broken family and violence. It is not graphic, but I will give a warning anyway and a warning in the beginning of that chapter.

...

Chapter 1 - Changes

In a faraway land there lived a pretty girl called Hermione Granger. She was the daughter of Lewis Granger; a merchant and a very wealthy one at that. His ships were renowned throughout the country for always bringing back luxurious items from the far corners of the world. He married the most beautiful girl in the county, Lady Michelle, and they lived a very happy life, for he was rich and she was handsome. As their only child, Hermione was showered in love from the moment she joined them five years into their marriage. They wanted more children, but were never able to.

When Hermione reached her fourteenth year, her mother passed away. She had been sick with fever for months, but the doctors were not able to help her and she wasted away. On a Sunday in the late autumn, she departed this world and left her husband and daughter devastated.

Unfortunately that was not the only tragedy to strike the Granger household as over the next three years Mr Granger's ships hit a streak of bad luck; three ships had sunk in storms, two ships had been attacked by pirates, and one ship had not been seen in more than a year and was presumed lost. With the loss of his ships, Mr Granger lost everything. All his wealth was tied up in the ships and their cargo. Nothing was in reserve, as Mr Granger had never believed such catastrophe could befall him. The Grangers had nothing but each other and the little money they would be able to raise in auctioning off most of their personal belongings. The money could be used to start a new life, but Mr Granger was unsure where to go. The city that had been his home for decades suddenly saw him only as a cursed man and not as the screwed businessman he had been.

Just four days before the auction, a letter arrived. It was from Catherine Smith, a relative of Lady Michelle. Mrs Smith had married a lowly innkeeper out of love and had been disowned by her family as a consequence. Only one family member had supported her and been steadfast in her loyalty and that was Lady Michelle. Having heard of the disaster that befell the family, Mrs Smith wanted to repay the help she had received from Lady Michelle, and thus she offered Mr and Miss Granger a new home in the village of Little Hangleton near the great forest of Shadow Hills. It was nothing grand like they were used to, but it was a place to start a new life. It didn't take Mr Ganger long to decide and after a short discussion with Hermione, the family was ready to go.

The journey to Little Hangleton would take about a month, so they needed to prepared a wagon and set out as soon as they could before the winter storms set in. When Hermione found that her horse, Philippe, could be used to draw the wagon, she was ecstatic to remove him from the auctions. He was after all her best friend, so the thought of leaving him behind did not sit well with her. Apart from Philippe and a painting of her mother, the items they brought were few and only those that could not fetch a good price at an auction.

The journey ended up taking just under four weeks as the weather had been surprisingly good. They arrived in Little Hangleton tired, but excited about their new life. Mrs Smith met them as they arrived and showed them to their little house. It was small; much smaller than she had imagined. After moving their items into the house, Hermione took a quick walk around the garden while leaving her father to himself. She took a deep breath to smell the scents of their new home, but found it lacking. The biggest difference between the city and Little Hangleton, was that she could not see nor smell the sea. It wasn't until she was so far from it, that she realized it had been a constant factor in her life and now she missed it dearly. The hills and trees that surrounded her now, were an incredible sight, but it was not home. How could she possibly imagine living here? She looked through the dirty windows and saw her father sitting hunched forward with his head in his hands. She noticed how much he had changed over the last few years. Since her mother's death, her father had not been the same. He was a broken man, and she swore she would help him the best she could. If it meant she had to smile and pretend their new home was to her liking, so be it. For her father she would do anything.

Mrs Smith was widowed years ago and she had taken over running the local inn after her husband. It was not a large inn compared to the ones in the city, but as the only establishment in the village that sold beer, she had a very prosperous venture. The Grangers ate at the inn every day as neither one of them knew how to cook. Mrs Smith enjoyed looking after them and they appreciated all her help, so when Mrs Smith sat down with Hermione to warn her of the dangers in the forest Hermione took her quite serious.

"Our part of the world has something not seen in the big city," Mrs Smith started with a sad smile.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Magic," was the only reply.

"How so?" Hermione asked sceptically. "Magic is not real."

"There is magic in the land around us," Mrs Smith replied quite serious. "The forest is so full of magic that at night it comes alive."

It was only fondness for Mrs Smith that kept Hermione from laughing out loud and leaving the table. She would listen to her, but she was quite convinced the older woman was sharing old wives' tales with no root in reality. With her education, she could not possibly believe such stories.

"A beast lives in the forest and it attacks at night, so you should never go outside in the late evenings and never enter the forest!"

Perhaps Mrs Smith was spinning a tale to try and frighten her, so she would not be out at night? If she believed in magic, the tactic might work, but as it was, Hermione smiled kindly and nodded along, while completely dismissing the warning.

"Please, my dear girl," Mrs Smith urged. "Do not go wandering in the forest and never leave your house at night. The magic will make you get lost and then the beast will eat your soul!"

"Do not worry," Hermione said with a pleasant smile. "I am not one to wander so I am quite safe from this beast."

"I am very glad to hear it," Mrs Smith replied.

"Have you ever seen the beast?" Hermione asked innocently, but with just a hint of mockery. Luckily Mrs Smith didn't seem to notice and replied as seriously as before.

"No, I have never seen the beast myself, but I hear it is a great and terrible beast..."

With an overbearing smile she let Mrs Smith say all she knew of the beast while she thought of something else; should she try to grow vegetables in the garden? If they ever learned to cook themselves, it would be nice to have some foods close at hand.

...

The Grangers had settled into their new lives easily enough. With her resolve to make sure her father did not break more than he already had, she smiled more often and commented positively on the village. Thus she became a guiding light in his life. Her positivity rubbed off on him and soon both of them were genuinely happy. It might have started in a falsehood, but it kept going out of love.

Mr Granger found work at Mrs Smith's. She needed help with her bookkeeping and was happy to take him on; he was family and he was good at what he did.

Hermione did not find work. A woman with her education did not work, but in a village where everyone worked her choice was not looked upon with favourable eyes. The villagers saw her as a bit of a snob, while she saw herself as superior to them. It didn't bother her at first, but she alienated herself from the others. They would whisper behind her back, but she could hear them clearly.

"She is beautiful, but she acts so superior!"

"She has a fancy education, but what good is that if she cannot cook?"

"She will never find a husband in these parts!"

"She is not one of us and never will be!"

She didn't care what they thought of her; she only cared about her father and his happiness.

...

Just as the worst of the winter storms had passed, a letter arrived from the city. It brought the most wonderful news; one of Mr Granger's ships had returned safely to the harbour. It was the ship that had been missing at sea for over a year. Miraculously it had survived and so had the cargo. Mr Granger had to hurry to the city to claim the cargo before his creditors took it. As he was about to leave he asked Hermione what she wanted from the city. She considered it for a long time, but the item she craved the most could not possibly survive the long journey; a cake from the baker around the corner.

"A bag of rose seeds," she finally replied. "I don't see any roses in these parts and they are my favourite flower. If you can find some, I would be very grateful."

"For you my dear, I would bring the world," he replied as he swung himself up on Philippe and set out.

Realistically it would take at least two months until his return, so in that time Hermione was much alone and for the first time she considered if she had been too hasty to write off the villagers. She was lonely and she wanted friends; she tried to make amends for her behaviour, but she was brushed-off and ignored. Enlisting the help of Mrs Smith to recommend her, did not help and she was unable to make friends. She knew it was her own fault for thinking herself better than the others, but it still hurt when she recognised Mrs Smith as her only friend, and she was unable to answer whether Mrs Smith was her friend only because they were family.

The months were not happy for Hermione and time moved so slowly. She was looking forward to her father's return. Hopefully he would arrive back with good tidings.

...

One day little more than two months after Mr Granger set out and as Hermione was making her way across the village from the inn to her home, she was stopped by Mr Gaston. He was the most popular man in town and she tried to be nice to him, so as to show she was not the snob they thought of her. However, Mr Gaston was making it quite difficult for her. He was the quintessence country bumpkin she had expected to meet in this village.

"Hey Gorgeous," he called after her.

She turned to look at him, but didn't reply.

"I hear your father has not returned yet. Why don't you come to Widow Smith's tonight? There is no reason for you to sit alone when you could spend your evening having fun with me."

"Please, I am not interested," she replied as she tried to sidestep him.

"It's about time you get your nose out of the sky and focus on something more important; me!"

"Mr Gaston, please," she replied while she tried to slip away. In a very ungentlemanly action he captured her arm as she moved past, and pulled her towards him. Shock graced her features and she looked at him in stunned disbelief.

"Sir, release me at once!"

Instead he pulled harder on her arm and she almost fell into his embrace where he tried to kiss her. She slapped him across the face and was able to break free of his embrace. She fled from him with tears in her eyes.

She knew she should have to marry one day for she could not depend on her father for all her life, but she would rather become an old maid than be married to someone like Mr Gaston! Never had she felt less respected than in that situation. He had acted as if it was his right to command her and do as he wished! His action showed his moral character for all it was; absent!

Unfortunately her encounter with Mr Gaston did nothing to change the opinions of the villagers and she was alienated even more. Slapping the most powerful man in the village was not the best decision, but she could not regret her action. It had not been wise, but it had been the proper thing to do and she would not change her mind.

…

Less than a week after her encounter with Mr Gaston a new cause for concern reached her. The arrival of Philippe should have brought good news, but it was a terrified girl who greeted the restless and riderless horse. Not understanding what could possibly have happened to her father, she removed the saddlebags, which were still fastened to the saddle.

"Where is Father?" she asked as she tried to calm the agitated horse down, but he was unable to relax and instead he was stepping sideways and jerking his head. She ran her hands over his neck to mollify him, but was surprised to feel thorns in his mane. Upon closer examination she discovered the remains of roses in his mane. Had he run through a rose garden? Quickly she brushed him to remove all the thorns and it started to calm the horse.

"What happened?" she whispered looking in the direction Philippe had come. He had come rushing straight from the forest.

"Is Father in the forest?" she asked looking at Philippe, but he didn't reply. Her father could not possibly be lost in the forest, could he?

"We must find Father," she stated and jumped on Philippe's back.

The tracks were easy to follow in the grassland, but it became more difficult when they reached the forest. They rode around the forest for hours, but saw no trace of her father, and slowly she got them lost as well. It wasn't until the sun started to set that she realized she had no idea which direction was home.

"I'm sorry, Philippe! I have gotten us lost!" She didn't know what to do; her father might be lost in the forest and now she had managed to get herself lost also, and no one knew where she was, so no one would come looking for her. She could feel tears of frustration running down her cheeks.

As the darkness surrounded her, she could see a small flickering light in the distance. Hoping it was a house she moved forward deciding to ask for help. The path was narrow, so she jumped off Philippe and lead him along. As she got nearer to the light, she could see it was solitary lamp hanging on a huge wall. The sight was surprising and it's presence made no sense; why was there a wall in the middle of the forest? Curious she walked closer to the wall and noticed a big iron gate. She pressed her face against the gate and tried to look through it. She was just about able to make out a huge building on the other side. It looked almost like a castle.

"It looks abandoned from here," she mused. "Will I be able to find someone to help me find Father?"

Knowing it would be better to rest the night in an abandoned castle than to sleep under the trees, she opened the gate and lead Philippe through. The gate swung open surprisingly easy.

Something on the ground caught her attention and she picked it up.

"Father's hat!" she exclaimed. "He was here!"

She rushed to the castle in hopes of finding her father. The castle had to be abandoned because no lights were turned on and the garden was overgrown. Nothing indicated that anyone lived there, but maybe her father had been hurt falling off Philippe and had sought refuge inside?

Philippe was tied to a pole outside and she continued to the large front doors. She knocked once and the door swung open without resistance.

"Hello?" she called moving into the hallway. "Is anyone here?"

The hallway was dark and not a sound could be heard.

"I'm looking for my father," she called as she moved further inside. Suddenly a light flickered on much further ahead.

"Hello?" she tried again, but still there was no reply. However, more lamps turned on one by one. It looked like the lights were being lit by someone moving away from her. Why did they not reply? Maybe it was a mute? She hurried after the light, which moved even faster than her. The lights guided her along the hallway and down a stairway. It ended in a dungeon, which looked too much like a prison and gave her a bad feeling.

"Hello?" she called again and this time there was a reply.

"Is anybody there?" the voice was weak and raspy, but she would recognise it anywhere.

"Father!"

"Hermione?" he asked surprised. "Is it really you?"

She followed his voice to a cell. The door was barred and locked, but she could see between the bars.

"How did you find me?" her father coughed.

"Father, you are sick! We have to get you out of here!" she called looking at the now lit walls for a key.

"There is no time to explain," Mr Granger replied. "You must leave immediately! This place is dangerous."

"I won't leave you, Father," she said shaking the door trying to open it. Suddenly she could not move a single muscle in her body. She tried to speak but found her mouth forced shut. Every part of her body was frozen, except her eyes. She could move her eyes, but she just stared straight ahead at her father who looked horrified.

"NO! Let her go," he screamed to something behind her.

"I am the master of this castle," a new voice hissed. "You are trespassing on my property. Why are you here?"

And just as suddenly as it had happen, she was able to move again.

"I've come for my father," she replied turning towards the new voice, but she could not see who it belong to as he was standing in the darkness. "Please, let him go."

"He trespassed on my grounds and destroyed my garden. I will not let him go." The voice hissed back.

"Can't you see he is sick? He could die!"

"Then he should not have destroyed my garden!"

"Please, I'll do anything if you let him go!"

"There is nothing you could do. He is my prisoner."

"There must be a way…," she thought out loud. Then it came to her, but could she do it? Could she give away her future? For her father she could do anything. "Take me instead!"

"You?" the voice hissed. "Why would I want you?"

"Hermione, no!" her father called.

"I can work! I can clean," she begged. "Let me take his place."

For a while there was no reply, but suddenly she felt a warm gust of wind caress her face. It was so sudden and brief that she would have thought it a trick of the mind if not for the strands of hair that was blown around her face.

"What is that?" she asked while trying to correct her hair. The journey through the forest had forced some big curls to escaped the confines of the chignon and now they hang in dishevelled locks around her face.

"I need a new maid," the voice hissed.

"Please, take me on and let my father go," she begged again.

"Then you must stay here forever."

"If I do, you will let my father go?"

"Yes."

"Hermione, you don't know what you getting yourself into. Don't do this! I've lived my life," her father begged. "I can't let you do this!"

"I'll stay," Hermione answered and ignored her father's begging.

"Done," the voice hissed.

The cell door swung open and Mr Granger ran out to hug his daughter. "Don't do this," he begged again and again, but she was adamant in her decision.

"Father, I have agreed," she whispered. "I must stay here. Please, be well and think of me fondly."

"My dear daughter…," Mr Granger started, but was violently yanked away.

She looked up and the sight terrified her. The hand holding her father belonged to an unnaturally thin man. His skin was white, he was completely bald, and the eyes that looked upon her were red with cat-like pupils, but the most horrifying thing about him was his nose or rather lack thereof. Where his nose should have been there were only slits for nostrils.

"No, you monster!" her father cried while the ghost-like man dragged him from the dungeon. She tried to follow, but the strange sensation of being unable to move her body returned and she found herself stuck on the floor while her father disappeared from view.

It felt like she was stuck for hours, but it must only have been minutes, because once she could move again, she jumped up and ran from the dungeon. She ran as fast as she could towards the entrance door only to see the ghost-man closing the door.

"You father is on his way back to his home. He will return safely to the village," he said.

"You didn't let me say goodbye," she scolded while she flew past him and swung open the door. She could make out a faint light moving from the castle.

"The carriage will make sure your father is safe until he is out of the forest," he said. "I kept my word. Now you must keep yours."

"Yes," she whispered still looking at the light disappearing from view. Would she ever see her father again?

"I will show you to your room," he hissed and closed the door. He started to walk away and she followed him quickly.

"My room?" she asked surprised.

"You want to stay in the dungeon?"

"No, but I thought…"

"Do you think my servants sleep in cells?" he asked, but didn't give her time to answer. "The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere inside and outside, but you cannot leave the castle grounds." He led her along corridors and up staircases.

"What will my work be?"

"Follow my servants and do as they do," he said.

"Where are the servants," she asked. "I have not seen anyone around."

"You should be able to see them in time," he replied cryptically.

"I don't understand."

"Of course not," he hissed and stopped in front of a door. "This is your room. Your work starts tomorrow, so settle in fast. I will send Mrs Potts to you. She can answer your questions."

"Thank you," she replied automatically and opened the door. The room beyond was enormous. She turned towards the man sure it was a mistake, but he had disappeared completely.

She entered the room and looked around. There was a large bed on one side and huge windows on the other. There were also a wardrobe, a big desk, and even a couch. Even when living in the city had she never had a room this extravagant before. But though the room was everything she could possibly ever wish for, a feeling of despair settled over her. She would never see her father again. The only person who mattered to her more than life itself and he would be lost to her forever. Her vision blurred and she felt tears running down her cheeks.

She dropped to the floor crying. She cried for her father, for her new predicament, and for all she had lost. The only comfort she could cling to was that her father would be safe.

A knock on the door surprised her, but she realised it must be Mrs Potts.

"Come in," she called drying her tears.

The door opened, but no one entered.

"Hello?" she called rising from the floor and moving to the door. "Is anyone here?"

She could not see anyone or anything. Nothing stirred around her, and she thought she must have imagined it. She sat down on the bed and closed her eyes. It was all so overwhelming. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"... not see us?" a female voice suddenly asked.

"And she can't hear us either," a male voice said.

"She should be able to," a second female said.

"Who is there?" Hermione asked looking about the room. "Who are you?"

"Can you hear us?" the first female voice asked.

"Yes, but I don't understand. Where are you?"

"We are right here," the male said. "Why can't she see us?"

"I don't know," the female replied.

"Maybe…," the second female asked.

"Maybe what?" Hermione asked.

"Have you ever performed magic before coming here?"

"Magic? What do you mean. Magic exists only in books. It is not real."

"How could she never have performed magic?" the male asked shocked.

"Magic is real," the second female voice said. "The entire castle is full of magic. Everything here is enchanted."

"How so?"

"Muggles see only a neglected castle," the first female said.

"What is a Muggle?"

"Someone with no magical talent."

"I saw a deserted castle!" Hermione said, "so I am not magical."

"But you are," the second female said. "Along with this castle we are also enchanted. You could neither see nor hear us if you were not yourself magical."

"But I can't see you!"

"Maybe your magical talent is not very big or maybe it is just not used to being utilised," the second female said.

"We cannot perform magic ourselves, so we don't really know. Maybe the master knows?" the first female said.

"The Ghost-Monster?" Hermione asked surprised.

"Who?" the male asked.

"The Master," the first female clarified.

"But he is not a monster," the man argued.

"It depends on who you ask," the second female said. "I believe the Master did not make a good impression on this young lady."

"I heard loud yelling earlier, but I didn't realize," the man mused.

"I brought tea for you, dear. Do you want a cup?" the first female asked to change the direction of the conversation.

"Yes, please, but is it invisible like you?"

"Can you close your eyes and take a deep breath," the second female asked and Hermione complied. "Hold out your hands now. Mrs Potts give her the cup slowly."

"Good idea," the first female replied. "I am putting the cup into your hands now, dear."

"Open your eyes," the second female said.

Slowly she opened her eyes and was surprised to see a cup and saucer placed in her hands.

"I see it," Hermione whispered. She could see it clearly and make out the flowery pattern on the cup. She raised the cup to her lips and took a sip. Warmth spread throughout her body. "Thank you."

"The cup is not magical so you should be able to see it, but I wasn't certain," the second female said. "I am happy it worked so well."

"Do you need anything else, dear girl?" the first female voice asked.

"No, nothing you can help me with I'm afraid," she replied. "This is just so strange."

"What is?" the male asked.

"All of it… this castle, you… it feels like I am in the middle of a dream," she admitted

"Hopefully you will feel better tomorrow and if you have any questions just ask."

"It would be so much easier if I could see you," Hermione sighed. "I don't even know your names!"

"Oh, that is easily rectified," the first female said. "I am Mrs Potts, the head housekeeper."

"I am Lumiere and I am the castle's maître d," the male said.

"I am Plumette," the second female said. "I am a maid."

"Some of us call her PadPad," Lumiere added laughing.

"Why?" Hermione asked confused.

"I don't remember," Lumiere admitted.

"What is your name, dear?" Mrs Potts asked.

"I am Hermione Granger."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Hermione," Plumette replied.

"We will leave you now so you can have a rest before tomorrow," Mrs Potts said.

Shortly after they left and Hermione felt very much alone again. It was nice to talk to someone, but they confused her immensely. Magic? An enchanted castle? Invisible servants? It was too much to understand and her thoughts were running wild. When she finally fell asleep, her rest was troubled by dreams of ghost-monsters.

…

Over the next week Hermione came to the kitchen every morning and tried to help, but they would not let her. They were afraid for both her safety and their own, since she could still not see them and might risk simply walking into someone carrying a knife or something similar which might harm her. Instead they would ask her to sit down with a cup of tea and allow them to ask questions of the world outside their borders. They could not quite remember what the outside world was, but felt that they should know it. She also asked them questions about the castle and how it came to be enchanted, but they were vague in their answers, which at first she thought was out of loyalty to the Monster, but later found was simply because they didn't remember. Actually, they didn't seem to remember much. It was not clear to Hermione if they had forgotten or if they just never considered the questions. She wasn't even certain whether the servants were human or not.

The one thing they were certain of was that an enchantment was placed over the castle and everyone in it, and they knew it was anchored to the curse on the Master. Somehow the Master was the key, they said. They asked her if she could possibly help them. If the curse on the Master could be broken, they were certain the enchantment would fall away. They thought the curse was vile and evil, but they could not break it. If it was not too much trouble, would Hermione look at it. Maybe her new eyes would find clues they could not see.

She agreed to their plan, of course she did. They were friendly to her and she would have promised them anything just to have friends.

During the days she explored the castle, but she didn't find any clues. True, she didn't know what she was looking for, but she was certain clues would stand out to her. The castle was huge and there were many places to search, so she would not give up.

The Ghost-Monster had not shown himself since that first day, so she was starting to relax.

On her eight day in the castle, she was exploring the outdoors. The castle grounds were large, but she felt drawn to the flower garden. It was more beautiful than she had imagined and it was much better kept than she had thought when she arrived. The only sore spot in the gardens was an old, sickly looking tree. It looked like a dying rose tree. There were no other rose trees in the gardens, and she wondered how Philippe had been covered in rose thorns. This tree at least did not look like it could provide any flowers.

"Hermione! Hermione, come quickly!" Plumette called sounding out of breath.

"What is it?"

"You must come quickly. The Master is requesting your presence."

Together they hurried inside and to the kitchen, where Mrs Potts waited for them.

"Bring the Master his tea. I have prepared it, but he asked for you to bring it to him in the library."

The tray was clearly visible to Hermione, so with shaking hands she grabbed it. She was trying to hurry through the castle with Plumette calling out the way. As soon as she reached the doors to the library she took a deep breath before knocking and entering.

As soon as she opened the door, she felt his eyes upon her.

"I apologise for the delay," she said setting the tray down. She focused on the tray so as to not have to look at his hideous features.

He didn't reply, but kept watching her.

"How do you like your tea?"

"Two lemons, one sugar," came the reply.

He was still looking at her and she made the mistake of looking up at him. His eyes were cold and hard, and she suddenly knew that he knew how she spent her days. He knew, she was investigating rather than working. It instilled a fear in her and as she was making the tea her hands shook terribly. She took a deep calming breath and brought the cup to him. When it was placed in front of him she moved to leave the room.

"Stay," he said while sipping his tea. She stood to one side with her head bent and her eyes downcast. She knew he was on to her, how could he not be. How horrible might his revenge be for skipping on her duty?

The Monster was quietly sipping his tea. He was so quiet; she could not actually hear him. Apparently, he could move quietly also as she suddenly realized when he was in front of her grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. His face was too close and she tried to back away, but he held her fast. Her terrified eyes looked into his cold gaze.

"Legilimens!"

She felt her mind wander to her conversations with the servants, their plan to have her break the curse and investigate the enchantment. She thought of her exploration of the castle and the ground.

He broke eye contact and her mind was back in the library. He started to laugh; not a pleasant happy laugh, but a menacing laugh that scared her. She tried to move away from his grip.

"You think you can break this curse?" he hissed while still holding her chin. "It is too powerful for you."

"I…," she started but couldn't speak due to her fright.

"By all means, continue your investigating, but let me give you a warning. This curse is my punishment."

"What for?" she whispered.

"Murder," he hissed leaning closer to her face before releasing her chin. She scrambled away from him while he challenged her laughingly; "Do you feel brave enough to continue?"