Chapter 2—Brainstorm


“It shouldn’t be difficult, my Lord. The Dementors aren’t at Azkaban—”

“Don’t speak to me like I didn’t know that, Bella.”

Bellatrix swallowed her tongue and quickly glanced over to Snape, standing just behind Voldemort. He smirked a fleeting smile before Bellatrix’s nostrils flared and she refocused her gaze back to Voldemort.

“I’m sorry, my Lord.”

“Aren’t you always? I didn’t say you could sit down, Draco!” Voldemort screeched.

Draco shot up and out of the chair immediately but wasn’t fast enough to dodge the Cruciatus Curse that Voldemort aimed at him. His body was flown back into the chair, hitting his head on the arm while thrashing about, his limbs contorting into impossible positions before flopping onto the floor. Voldemort lifted the curse and sneered over the body of the damaged boy. Draco lay weeping at his master’s feet, momentarily unable to move.

Voldemort’s lip curled slightly before speaking down to him. “At least your father can handle a punishment. I’m disappointed, Draco. I would think you could take it like a man instead of weep like a child. I have obviously overestimated you.” He turned back to Bellatrix and Snape. “You should teach your nephew the advantages of toughing it out. He’s becoming too soft, like his mother. We all know what happens when they get soft,” Voldemort chuckled.

Bellatrix looked down at the crumpled heap of Draco that lay on the floor. Even with all of her training, all of the effort into building him up, he was still turning out to be his mother’s son. For as much as she loved Narcissa, her will was too weak and she had graced Draco with such a trait. At least with Lucius, even past all of his failures, he never faltered. He took his beatings and his missions in stride although he’d be none too pleased about seeing the Dark Lord after his escape from Azkaban. Bellatrix knew that the Dark Lord should have let her lead the mission, not Lucius. She would have been able to secure the prophecy. But she knew it was Lucius’s final test, a test that he failed.

Bellatrix sighed deeply and turned back to Voldemort just as Draco was righting himself. She saw, just out of the corner of her eye, how wobbly his knees were, how gray and sunken his face was. She didn’t think he would survive another test, nor another punishment, from the Dark Lord.

“Bodily harm is getting old, isn’t it, Bella?”

Her eyes refocused as she answered. “Yes, my Lord.”

“I think,” Voldemort tapped his lower lip with his fingers, “it’s time Draco did some punishing of his own.”

“My Lord?” Severus stepped up next to Bellatrix, the question on his face.

“Draco stays here. His propensity for freezing at the most opportune moment is more than I can handle. He can deal with his father when you two deliver him to me.”

Bellatrix looked towards Draco and his chin had dropped, his eyes wide. He wouldn’t be able to do it, she thought. He couldn’t kill someone that he wasn’t related to let alone torment his own father. It was a good punishment nonetheless but one that, in the end, would have to be carried out by Voldemort. She wouldn’t be surprised if her family became two men shorter by the time this was over. Bellatrix rolled her eyes back over to Voldemort, awaiting his next word.

“Surely, my Lord, you can not expect just the two of us—”

“Don’t be stupid, Severus. Of course not. I’ll call on the Dementors; get some giants up there as well. They’ll be sent ahead of you. Round up my remaining Death Eaters—”

“My Lord,” Voldemort’s eyes looked ravenous at having been cut short in speech. He turned his head slowly towards Snape, his eyes daring him to continue. “I’m sorry, my Lord, but shouldn’t some stay behind just in case—”

“Just in case what, Severus? More of you get caught?” Voldemort asked snidely.

“Looking for a way to weasel out of the plan, Snape? Are you afraid?” Bellatrix mocked him.

Without looking at her, he replied, “Unlike you, Bellatrix, I’m smart—”

“Is that to say I’m not?” Voldemort queried.

Snape stumbled over his tongue, trying to grasp the proper thing to say. “That’s not what I meant, my Lord.” Bellatrix smirked, looking towards him out of the corner of her eye.

“It would do you well to choose your words wisely, Severus.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Voldemort rolled his eyes and continued to speak. “Take those that were at Hogwarts and call on Fenrir to bring some of his brood as well. The aurors will be no match.”

“And when will this come to fruition, my Lord?”

“Tomorrow night, Bella. I am commissioning you to be in charge. If you fail, all your groveling and your apologies won’t be able to save you. Now leave, and take him with you.” Voldemort motioned towards Draco. “I’m done with him for now. His punishment will recommence once he’s reunited with Lucius.”

Bellatrix lowered her head to her master before righting herself to look him in his red, menacing eyes. They, too, told her to leave. She grabbed Draco by the scruff of his robes and marched him out of the room, Snape not far behind. Once they were outside, Bellatrix threw him away from her and turned towards Snape who was just closing the door.

Her face was like a happy, bullying child that had just gotten her way. She swung her arms playfully, her face giddy. “You hear that, Snape, huh? I’m in charge, the Dark Lord’s favorite. I’ve told you he doesn’t trust you. You may be good at Occlumency but the Dark Lord can penetrate that in a second.”

Snape’s face remained stoic, almost bored. “Your stupidity astounds me, Bellatrix. If I were hiding anything, the Dark Lord would most certainly know about it. As your genius mouth has already stated, he’s a better Legilmens than I am Occlumens. You may want to think before you speak next time.”

Bellatrix sneered and stuck her tongue out at him, “You’re just jealous that I’m the one in charge and not you. It angers you that you have to answer to me.”

“Your maturity explains your stupidity. Don’t let this all go to your head. It’ll only create more room for mistakes.”

Snape walked off before Bellatrix had a chance to retaliate and disapparated from the Riddle grounds. Bellatrix cackled as she watched him disappear then turned to face her nephew who looked inches from death.

“You’re never going to make it if you don’t pull yourself together.”

Draco looked up at her with sad, weeping eyes, obviously on the verge of tears. “You have to help me Aunt Bella. I can’t do this.”

Bellatrix looked affronted, almost insulted. How dare he ask her for help out of his sworn duty. “You have no right, Draco. I should march you back in there and tell the Dark Lord what you just told me.”

“No, please!” His whispered sob cracked in his throat.

“Then stand on your own two feet. I tried helping you, tried to build you up to be a strong Death Eater and you failed me. You couldn’t even kill Dumbledore. Why should I help you?”

“Because you’re my mother’s sister, my aunt! I can’t do this alone.” Draco looked crestfallen, desperate.

“You don’t have a choice, Draco. Now go home. Cry to Narcissa, not me. I don’t want to hear it. If I were you, I wouldn’t waste all of my strength weeping. You’re going to need your energy tomorrow. You can’t afford to fail again.”

Bellatrix rolled her eyes away from Draco, stepped a few paces in the opposite direction and disapparated, leaving Draco behind.