"I've been called far worse than mad," Bast replied, relieved in his own warped way. He was real. He had to be. He was one of the few really real people after all. It was the other people that were the shadows, the fictional characters that could fade away at any moment.

Bast sighed sadly as he spread his hands out in front of him, appearing to study them carefully. "I miss Dolph and Bella, but if you're right, I guess they're in a better place. Dolph was a good brother and took care of me even if he did say that I was stupid a lot. Bella would buy me chocolates even if she did make fun of me for not being as good as she was or being afraid of the dustbunnies."

Bast's lower lip trembled a little. They had been all he had in the world, and now they were gone or so he supposed. He couldn't see Bellatrix living if the Dark Lord were dead, and if the Dark Lord were gone, that meant Rodolphus' chances at returning to power were all gone too. Maybe it was better that way.

"I was younger than you when I went to Azkaban for life," Bast said quietly, turning his fishbelly white hands over to study the backs. "And now it's over. Not with a bang but with a whimper. Did either side win anything, Harry Potter?"