Chapter 7 – All good things must come to an end
Bellatrix apparated to the atrium of St. Mungo’s and didn’t even bother checking in with the welcome witch. With this look of rage on her face, she could not be bothered with such nonsense. She stalked over to the directory to look up where all the long-term patients were; fourth floor, exactly what she thought. Bella knew what she had to do. She would finish the job she set forth to do sixteen years ago. She would kill every last mudblood and blood traitor on this Earth, even if she had to do this single-handedly. Bella smirked evilly as she brushed through the doors and into the stairwell. Taking the steps two at a time, she would send random hexes to people she passed. Fourth floor. Ward 49: Frank and Alice Longbottom. Aww… how sweet! They get to be together here at St. Mungo’s and soon die together.

Slamming the door open, she looked from Frank to Alice and back again. Not much different then when she last saw them. Cackling madly, she said “Frank! Alice! My good friends! No worries, I am here to finish the job I started 16 years ago and you won’t even notice the difference.”

Alice was fumbling with a bubble gum wrapper, perhaps expecting her son Neville today. It was then that Bella decided to kill Frank first and make his darling wife suffer a little longer. Without warning, green light shot from her wand at Frank and he was cold-stone dead.

“Oops! My bad, did I just murder your husband, sweet Alice? I’m so sorry, but you’ll be with him soon, do not fear.” She walked over and sympathetically kissed Alice’s forehead. “Such a pity. Avada Kedavra!” Alice was dead just like her husband.

The next moment she was dashing back down the stairs as quickly as possible. She didn’t know where her next move would be. But somehow she found herself apparating to Spinner’s End to find Snape.

In the meantime, back at St. Mungo’s, Neville had just arrived for his daily visit with his Mum and Dad. When he entered the ward, he let out a silent scream and went to find the healer on duty. “Come quickly! My parents have been murdered!” He pulled the healer along to the ward. Once they arrived at the Ward, he flung himself over to his mother’s bed and sobbed into her chest. He knew that his parents would die eventually, but he never expected someone to murder them.

“Interesting. I didn’t see anyone go in. I’m sorry young lad.”

“But…no. Someone was in here and you know it.” Neville pleaded.

At that moment, an older gentleman entered the ward and pulled Neville away from his mother and into a comforting embrace, “It’s okay. I saw who did it. It was a skinny witch with dark hair. She didn’t see me, but I saw her dashing through the halls and upturning all the equipment. She seemed mad, muttering about the Dark Lord being dead and wanting revenge.”

Neville looked up at the old man’s face. Surely it couldn’t be true, could it? Why would Bella come back to murder his parents when she already tortured them into insanity? Isn’t that worse than death? But wait, he did catch her briefly at the Department of Mysteries barely twenty-four hours ago. She seemed to be in a foul mood. As new leader for the Order, wasn’t he responsible for stopping someone like her?

“Thank you, Sir,” Neville took one last look at his parents, and then wiping his eyes, he dashed from the Ward and down to the first floor of the hospital. Thinking for a moment, he wondered where Bella would want to attack next. He remembered Potter telling him about Snape’s house at Spinner’s End. Not really sure how Potter knew of it, but knowing that Bella despised Snape, he decided to make that his destination.

Within seconds, Neville felt his whole body compressed into a tight space and then land in this dark street. Bella was here. She had to be. He walked carefully along the street, with his wand ready.

“Bella. Belly-poo. Come out and play. Or are you scared of Alice and Frank’s son?” he called out sarcastically.

In the distance, he thought he saw a shadowy figure moving into a house and heard a door slam. He sprinted down the narrow, drably lane to the house, which he recognized immediately as the one Potter had described to be Snape’s.

Not wanting to encounter Snape, he hesitantly stood outside contemplating if he should enter. He knew that if he ever wanted to be great, then he would have to face his worst fears and this was his moment to do so. Neville took a deep breath and walked up to the front door. Locked. “Alohamora,” he said profoundly. The door clicked open and inside was Bella arguing with Snape over some nonsense about who the most loyal servant was.

“Dear…oh dear. I think someone is a tad jealous--” Bella hissed and then stopped abruptly at the opening of the door. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the itty-bitty Longbottom boy. I guess you’ve discovered your dead mum and dad,” she taunted.

Snape glanced from Bella to Neville and then decided this would be the perfect time to make an escape. “I’m sorry Bella, but I guess I have an urgent call elsewhere. Besides, doesn’t seem like I’m needed here anymore.” With that, he disapparated out of his house to some unknown destination.

Neville watched Snape disappear and then lunged forward to attack Bellatrix. “Crucio!” The boy was doubled over in pain before making it within four feet of her.

“Dear boy. Physical violence won’t get you anywhere in the wizarding world. Surely you have learned that by now.”

“You killed my mum and dad! You will pay for this. Stupify!” Neville was agitated now.

Bella was too quick for him though and ducked, allowing the curse to hit the mantle behind her. “You think that you can kill the great Belletrix Lestrange? The one who will finish the Dark Lord’s noble cause? You’ve seen what I could do, what I did to your parents and your life will end the –”

“CRUCIO!”

Bella keeled over before she knew what hit her. “That was impressive Neville. Perhaps more so than that Potter boy. You have much potential on the Dark Side.”

Neville laughed. “You think I’d join you after what you did to my parents?”

“Of course not, but if you did then you would make a wonderful Death Eater. And your life would be spared. Maybe.”

“The only one who will die tonight is you, Bellatrix. You know it and you’re scared.”

Bella cackled. “Pfft. You think I’m scared of an itty bitty 17-year-old?”

“Age doesn’t matter. It’s all about preciseness and agility. I have more of that than you have.”

“Let’s see about that. In a duel.”

“Deal.” He bowed cautiously to Bella as she did the same.

“Crucio!” Neville winced in pain for a moment, but then stood up bravely.

“Expelliarmus!”

Bella’s wand shot just a few inches to her left but Neville seized this opportunity. “Accio wand.”

Bella was now at Neville’s mercy, “Please. Don’t hurt me. I’ll do anything… anything. Just don’t kill me.”

Neville seemed sympathetic, “Well, I could torment you for 14 years but I do not think I could stand that long with having you still alive. You killed my mother, my father. You will die”

“I’m sorry Neville. I didn’t mean to. The Dark Lord. You don’t understand his power. He made me do it. He’d kill me if I didn’t.”

“Oh I understand. I understand perfectly. He was going to kill you for not killing my parents but now you’re going to die anyway for killing doing just that.”

Neville thought for a moment. “One more thing, you won’t be needing this anymore.” Neville broke her wand in half and tossed it into the fireplace where the flames changed to an emerald green. He guessed that was symbolizing her being a Death Eater for so long. “Crucio!”

“Noooo!” Bella wailed with pain.

“Alright, I will do the deed. Goodbye, my sweet Bellatrix.” With a quick wave of his wand, he looked malevolently into her eyes. “Avada Kedavra!”

With those two words, Bellatrix Lestrange was dead.

Closing

It’s funny how
The Past
Can creep up
So quickly
Spread remnants
Of past misdeeds
Quite thickly
Guilt
A tremor in one’s hand
A flicker of an
Eye
The coldness of
Touch
A twitch in the
Wrist
Ignorance
Too much
Sorry
That little word
Could change so much
Yet we choose to
Blame
Higher Stature
Higher responsibility
Immortal coil
Visions have ended
Sins of the flesh
Can no longer
Be mended
I’m not going
Anywhere
Yet nowhere is
Catching up
With me
Past deeds
Unearthed by
One mere
Mortal
How odd it shall
Be
To
Be
Free……