Opening

Bleeding
Breathing
One and the same
A Death Eater's
Motives
Could put you to
Shame
To fail at a task
A blight on one's life
The Dark Lord's
Anger
Breeds less courage than
Strife
Weakling
That's what she thought
Emotions are frail
Would lead you to
Nought
The strongest of people
Stone to the touch
A garment of honour
Tormented too
Much
Blessed are those
Whose hearts
Bear
Ice
Thoughts leaving body
Act on own
Device
Blank pages Unwritten
No story to tell
One final task
Could lead you to hell
Unreasonable yet
Predictable
His expectations
Bred Fear
No lack of courage
Much torment to bear.

Chapter 1—Face the Music


"Bella, no, you can't. He did his job. Please, just let me take him home."

Narcissa was pleading and Bellatrix was more disgusted than sympathetic. Like his father, Draco had failed. He was supposed to be the one to kill Dumbledore, not Snape. She had been right to try to keep him away from Draco. Snape was a meddler, always trying to steal the spotlight for himself. He thinks he's the Dark Lord's right hand man. This, Bellatrix knew, would surely knock him down a few pegs.

"It's not your business, Narcissa--"

"How dare you! Of course it's my business! Draco's my son!"

Bellatrix sneered. "You know what I mean. Draco needs to answer to the Dark Lord for what he's done or, rather, what he hasn't done."

"It's not his fault Severus stepped in! He couldn't control that!"

"From what Greyback says, Draco had plenty of time to do his duty and he didn't. He'll be lucky if the Dark Lord grants him forgiveness."

"But what if you talked to him..."

Bellatrix cackled, her hoarse voice echoing into the night. "You don't get it, Cissy. There's no negotiating with the Dark Lord. Draco's at his mercy."

Narcissa was weeping now, hardly able to stand up. She couldn't wipe the tears from her cheeks fast enough. The anguish was clouding her cold, aristocratic beauty, swelling and reddening her eyes, splotching her cheeks. Bellatrix merely stood idly by, watching her sister distort into a withered pile of human. She was never Death Eater material. Bellatrix never doubted her loyalty but she was too soft, too weak to handle the Dark Lord's orders. She wouldn't have been able to survive one mission. She often wondered if Narcissa reacted like this every time Lucius was sent out.

"But he didn't ask for this!" Narcissa wailed. "It's not his fault..."

"He volunteered, Narcissa. He knew what he was doing, what he was getting himself into."

"He didn't have a choice, Bella, and you know it! The Dark Lord is making Draco pay for Lucius's faults."

"It's not your place to say that, Cissy, and you know it."

An air-breaking crack resounded in the distance and Bellatrix whirled around, yanking her wand from her robes as she did. Two sets of feet padded against the moist grass as velvet shadows ran across the landscape and towards the two women. Bellatrix lit her wand tip and the light flew into the darkness, bouncing off the graying face of her nephew, Draco, and the pale, sallow, greasy face of Severus Snape.

Bellatrix turned her head around to face Narcissa who was now weeping into her knees, crouching on the ground. "Your pwecious baby's here, sis. I'm sure he'll let you weep on his shoulder."

Narcissa's head jolted up, her eyes as wide as they could be considering how swollen they were. She jerked her head around and rested her eyes on the lit face of her only son. She let out a heavy sob and darted for her boy, burying his face in her shoulder. If he had said anything, it had been muffled by her body and drowned out by her crying. While Narcissa weeped, Bellatrix turned her wand to Severus who stood before her, leering. She walked up close to him, she looking up into his face, holding her lit want tip inches from him. She smirked, her arrogance hard to fight back.

Snape remained stoic, staring back at Bellatrix with just as much intensity as she was giving him. "Don't be so smug, Bellatrix. You know nothing of what's happened."

"I know enough."

"Do you?"

"I know you killed Dumbledore. That was Draco's job."

"As I'm sure you reminded him every chance you got. And it was you, I take it, that told him to keep information from me?"

"What a smart wittle boy Snapey-kins is. And I was right about it too. You would steal his thunder if you knew. But you took it anyway, huh?"

"I couldn't wait all night for your nephew to finish his task. He had been up there for some time. Dumbledore would have died of old age had I waited for Draco to do it. Now, if you're finished, I have more important people to speak to."

As Snape started to walk away, Bellatrix grabbed him by his arm and forced him back around to face her. "I'll make sure you pay for meddling, Snape."

Snape cocked his eyebrow at her and chuckled a snide, sadistic chuckle. "Is that so? And just what are you going to do, Bellatrix? Crucio me? Set your husband after me?"

"Roldolphus does not fight my fights."

"And maybe you would have fewer fights and remained a little lower on the radar like the Dark Lord wants you to if you kept your crazy contained. Now, let go of my arm."

Snape wrenched his elbow from Bellatrix's grip and marched towards the old, abandoned house in the middle of the graveyard, lit only by the moonlight. Bellatrix stood for a moment at the top of the hill and watched as Snape bounded off. She glared after him, a sneer that would be visible in heavy blackness on her face. Who does he think he is, coming and going as he pleases, thinking he can interfere with everyone's plans? His day will come, she thought. The Dark Lord is skeptical of his allegiance and Bellatrix had a feeling that, even with Dumbledore's death, he would be hardpressed to trust Snape with anything of a more sensitive matter.

Bellatrix chuckled to herself before turning back around to face her nephew, still embraced tightly by his mother. She rolled her eyes and stomped towards the twosome, grabbing Narcissa by the shoulders and wrenching her away from Draco.

"You've had your time, Cissy. The Dark Lord is waiting for him. Come, Draco."

"No!" Narcissa screamed as she ran back towards her son.

Bellatrix pointed her wand at her sister, an almost pitying look on her face. "Don't make me hurt you, Narcissa."

Narcissa stopped just short of Draco and turned to her, tears welling in her eyes and flowing down her cheeks. "What do you care, Bella? You care nothing for family! They're just tools to you! Would you do the same to Rodolphus?"

Bellatrix's face was stoic. "Yes."

Narcissa visibly deflated. "Then your heart is blacker than I thought."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes over to Draco. "Let's go. The Master is waiting." Draco looked nervously at his mother before walking slowly towards his aunt, a look of grim defeat on his face. "Go home, Cissy. You're crying won't get you anywhere. There's nothing you can do."

"I can run..."

"What?"

"Run. Take Draco with me. Get Lucius, we could all disappear."

Bellatrix marched towards Narcissa, anger etched in every feature. She grabbed Narcissa violently by the chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. "You do that, Narcissa, and I will hunt you down myself and hand you over to the Dark Lord. Do you really think that could save you?"

Narcissa said nothing. She just stared into Bellatrix's eyes. They were empty of any emotion. She slapped Bellatrix's hand away from her face and stood up straight, grimacing at her sister. "You disgust me."

"I'll cry later. Come, Draco."

Together they walked back to Riddle Manor, leaving Narcissa in the darkness of the imposing hill. Bellatrix walked as if she were going to the store, proudly displaying her latest accessory. Draco, however, proceeded like a dead man walking. She shoved him through the door and, before being able to gather his bearings, Draco was thrown to the floor in a fit of agony, squirming and contorting his body in unfathomable ways. Bellatrix looked up to see Voldemort pointing his wand at her nephew, a smug and angered look riddling his face. She closed the door behind her and stepped around the agonizing body, joining Voldemort at his side.

He lifted the curse and the room was silent again except for Draco's heavy breathing and occasional gasping sob. She glanced over at Snape on Voldemort's other side, a look of stone covering his face. She doubted the Dark Lord had punished him yet. He was still standing. Snape felt Bellatrix's eyes on him and slowly turned his head to glare at her. She sneered at him and drew her finger across her neck, a look of satisfaction on her face.

"Now, now, Bella. No need to be childish."

Bellatrix's face straightened out immediately. "I'm sorry, my Lord. It won't happen again."

A faint laugh echoed across the room. "Of course it will. Your ability to contain yourself is near nonexistent. Get up, Draco." The last three words were spat with disgust. Voldemort's red eyes glinted malignantly at him as he found his way to his feet. "Don't think it's over, boy. My punishment has just begun. But first, for those that don't need a third party to help them out," he rolled his eyes towards Bellatrix and Snape, "we have a mission to discuss. I believe it's time for our imprisoned companions to join us again."

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.

Chapter 3 – Duty Before Sisterhood

Bellatrix apparated to the dismal, bleak island where Azkaban Prison was located. The prison itself was even more depressing than the island itself. Bellatrix shuddered to herself at the very sight of it. She had spent many unhappy years here and never wanted to come back, even for a visit. But being the faithful servant that she was to the Dark Lord, she was prepared to go to any lengths to serve his will, even visit this horrible place again. Besides, she was bound to garner even more favor in his eyes by carrying out his wishes so efficiently. His will was not to be argued with, she knew from past experience.

There were other Death Eaters here waiting for Bellatrix including the famous (or infamous) werewolf Fenrir Greyback. With her troops gathered, they were ready to invade the prison and they knew it would be a lot easier this time since all the dementors had already deserted their posts and gone to fight on the side of the Death Eaters. There would be a few aurors on duty, no doubt, but there shouldn’t be much resistance from that end, Bellatrix thought to herself. She had her wand ready, prepared for whatever they might find inside.

“Follow behind me and be ready,” she instructed before attempting to set foot through the door which, to her surprise, opened without any resistance at all. Looking around, the place was nearly deserted. There was one lone auror sitting guard in the closest corridor, a middle-aged man that was fast asleep. Bellatrix smirked to herself. Clearly this job was going to be a lot easier than she had thought. Drawing her wand, she and a few other Death Eaters slowly advanced on the unsuspecting man. They were very quiet, but somehow he sensed their presence and came to with a start.

”What the ---“ he started, but it was too late. Bellatrix aimed her wand at him and intoned those frightening words, “Avada Kedavra.” She watched in fascination as the green light shot out of the tip of her wand, engulfing the auror and ending his life before he ever had a chance to fully register what was happening to him. Bellatrix loved watching the effects of this particular spell; she thought the green light was pretty and so very effective. She gave a small, frightening smile. Though she was prepared to handle any resistance, this task was proving all too easy.

The Death Eaters continued their way through Azkaban, taking care of the few aurors they found along the way and freeing all the prisoners. Finally, they reached the cell where Bellatrix’s prize, Lucius Malfoy, was housed. He sat in a dark corner, still handsome and regal as ever despite his haggard look. His pale blond hair was as long as Bellatrix remembered it, feebly groomed, so unlike him, and tied neatly in the back just as she remembered. Lucius had always been quite the heartbreaker, though he had never been of much interest to Bellatrix. She preferred the dark, brooding type like her husband, Rodolphus. Even Snape would have been more to her liking, she realized with a start. It was something she had never considered much before, not that it mattered much to her one way or the other.

“Well, well, well. So we meet again,” Bellatrix strolled into the cell with an evil cackle. She placed her hands on her hips and confronted Lucius. “You’ve been a naughty boy and the Dark Lord wants to deal with you.”

Lucius turned and saw Bellatrix standing there in front of him. “I knew we would meet again one day soon, though I can’t say it’s a pleasure,” he replied dryly. “Very well, dear sister-in-law, I will come with you to wherever you are taking me.” Lucius had spent many years in the service of the Dark Lord as well. He understood that he had failed in his mission to find the prophecy, and that it was Bellatrix’s job to take him to face the wrath of Lord Voldemort. “You will find no resistance from me.” Lucius valued his life far too much to try and foolishly resist his command.

“No resistance, then? I didn’t think so!”, Bellatrix said brightly. She was having a really good day. Her place as the Dark Lord’s favorite would be ensured for all time: here she was getting her mission completed exactly as he ordered and in such a short amount of time at that.

The two of them apparated back to the graveyard. Bellatrix was so happy that she was singing softly to herself. She knew that Lucius, as a faithful Death Eater, understood his duty to answer for his failure and that she would have no problems with him. As soon as they reached their destination, though, she saw an all too familiar sight. Narcissa was standing there, her pale blonde hair blowing in the wind. It was as if she knew the two of them would be returning to this very spot at this exact moment. She saw and said only one word, “Lucius.”

The next thing Bellatrix knew, Narcissa had thrown herself in Lucius’ arms. She was kissing him and stroking his face, vowing that the two of them would never be separated again.

“Excuse me, but I am here to make sure that your husband answers for his failure to the Dark Lord,” Bellatrix interrupted. "Get off him, Cissy. I am taking him to answer to the Dark Lord NOW!"

"Oh no, you aren't!" Narcissa cried. "For years I've suffered with you always being the strong one, the one who makes the decisions. I've stood by all this time and watched you bring suffering to me and my family. You think you can just come in here and rip my son and my husband away from me? Well I won't let you!"

Bellatrix had never seen this much hostility from the usually docile Narcissa. One thing that had to be said for her, she was protective of her family. If she had shown this much backbone before she would have been able to be a Death Eater after all, she thought impressively. But her sister was in the way. She was here to carry out her mission and nothing was going to stop her from doing so. She didn’t care that the people involved in this matter were her own sister, her nephew and her brother-in-law. Family loyalty meant little to her in the grand scheme of things. It was far more important to serve the will of the Dark Lord.

“No, you will not win this time. Do not try to stop me! You know the Dark Lord cannot be stopped!” Bellatrix screamed in a very loud voice. She grabbed a handful of Narcissa’s hair and pulled as hard as she could. Narcissa retaliated by grabbing a handful of her own long, dark hair and tugged on it. Bellatrix turned and slapped her away. “I’m warning you woman, you may be my sister but I will Crucio you!” Bellatrix shouted. Lucius stood, looking from one woman to the other, knowing better than to try and interfere with them. He would be perfectly content if Narcissa won this fight and he could just go home with her and not have to face the wrath of the Dark Lord, but he knew full well that she had no chance of beating Bellatrix in a fight.

Narcissa’s fury continued. She was crying and clinging to Lucius, continuing to fight Bellatrix off. “Bella, don’t you dare try to come between me and my family again! I have had enough of this. Do you understand me? I have had enough of standing in your shadow and having to put up with your crazy self! This ends right now! Come, Lucius, let’s go!” Narcissa commanded, pulling on Lucius’ arms. “We can leave here, find Draco and go somewhere where no one will ever find us.”

”You know I can find you anywhere you go. Blood is thicker than water,” Bellatrix sneered.

“You have a lot of nerve to talk about blood being thicker than water, you of all people! You never cared about any of your family. You were too busy serving the will of the Dark Lord,” Narcissa cried out.

“How dare you speak this blasphemy,” chorused Bellatrix. “Lucius is coming with me!” She began to drag him toward the seemingly abandoned house, Narcissa clinging to him all the while. It wasn’t easy, but she was very strong and Lucius really wasn’t resisting. She had to give him credit. He was always willing to stand and take his punishment like a man. She hated her sister more than ever for interfering. Did she not understand that family wasn’t the only thing that mattered; there were far more important things when you were a Death Eater?

Finally Bellatrix broke Narcissa’s grip on Lucius and began to rush with him toward the house, Narcissa chasing after them screaming and kicking, trying to cling to Lucius for dear life. Her crying and whining was really getting on Bellatrix’s nerves. “Go away, Cissy and pull yourself together. You look a mess!” she said coldly. “The Dark Lord will not tolerate your interference in his plans, nor will I.”

They reached the door of the house, and Narcissa had no choice but to release her grip on her husband’s arm. Still hysterical, she stood and watched as Bellatrix opened the door and the two of them entered into the house, Lucius to face his punishment and Bellatrix to bask in the Dark Lord’s glory.

As they entered through the door, Bellatrix couldn’t help but wonder to herself if this would be the final straw for her sister, if she might not finally break and go completely over the edge. She thought wryly to herself that that was a strong possibility. Oh well, she had always been weak.

“Here he is!” Bellatrix said happily, bringing Lucius into the room to face the Dark Lord.

“Well, I see you have carried out your mission exactly as ordered. Very impressive,” the Dark Lord said. “You have shown once again that you are deserving of being placed in a position of leadership.” Bellatrix beamed. She loved it when the Dark Lord praised her.

The Dark Lord went on. “Now, as for you, Lucius, you have failed me miserably. I sent you to retrieve the prophecy for me and you have not done so, instead succeeding only in getting yourself captured and sent to Azkaban. How do you answer for this?”

Voldemort thought for a moment then said, “No, don’t bother, there is no explanation for your incompetence. You should know by now what happens when I am defied. Crucio!” He pointed his wand at Lucius and watched the shock wave of pain hit his body. Lucius doubled over but never cried out. Bellatrix had always been impressed by his ability to stand pain, so unlike his wife and their son. Both were so weak. It was a shame that Draco hadn’t take more after his father, even though Lucius certainly had his flaws.

“Bellatrix, you may leave now,” the Dark Lord said, turning to her.

“Thank you, my Lord,” she said, bowing and exiting through the door. She wondered what would become of Lucius, if he would survive his session with the Dark Lord or if this was, indeed, the end for him. She thought that it might be, then put the matter out of her mind. It was none of her business. She had done her job, and that was all that mattered.

Chapter 4 – Deception

Bellatrix was not surprised the next morning when there was no sign of Lucius anywhere. Well, he must have met his end after all, she thought. She knew the Dark Lord would be wanting to see her and give her further instructions for what the Death Eaters would be doing next.

She entered the house gleefully, thinking she would once again find special favor with the Dark Lord, that he was going to be commending her for the fine job she had done and bestowing special honor on her.

Bellatrix walked toward the Dark Lord’s room humming softly to herself, really looking forward to this meeting. She strolled into the room, which was always kept dark because this was the way he preferred it, even in the middle of the day. Bellatrix figured that, like a snake, he enjoyed the cover of darkness more than the bright light of day. She figured the Dark Lord would be in a great mood.

Instead, she found him angry, worse than she had seen him in some time. His red eyes glinted in the dark room and he appeared more reptilian than usual, as if he were about to strike some unsuspecting creature and devour it. Bellatrix did not want to be that creature and wondered what could have happened to make him so angry in such a short period of time.

“Snape and Draco have managed to escape from this house!” the Dark Lord thundered at Bellatrix.

Bellatrix was shocked. “But my Lord, how could they? How dare they?” Bellatrix couldn’t imagine Snape being a traitor, or didn’t want to. She knew him to be very private, but the thought of him being disloyal to the Dark Lord, something that had crossed her mind from time to time, was never proven to be true. She did wonder why he had interfered with Draco’s task and killed Dumbledore himself, but she figured that he did it only because Draco was too weak to do it himself and Snape simply wanted to speed things along, just as he had said the other day. Perhaps there was more to this story than meets the eye, she thought in amazement. After all the years that she had known Severus Snape, never once would she imagine him turning his back on the Death Eaters. She questioned his motives at times and tap-danced around the idea to goad him but never took the idea seriously. It made her wonder if he had ever truly been with them, if he could not turn his back on them like this and sneak out into the night. What could he be thinking? Whose side had he really been on?

“You have done such a good job in bringing Lucius back to me that I hereby order you to go and find the two of them and bring them back here,” the Dark Lord said angrily. “They will not be dealt with gently and if you fail me, you won’t be, either.”

Bellatrix knew better than to question any of this. “Yes, my Lord,” she answered meekly. “When would you like me to set out on this task?”

“We’re already losing time. Go now!” he screamed. “Surely even you can figure out something as simple as that.”

“I won’t fail you, my Lord,” Bellatrix answered.

“Make sure that you don’t,” he answered, serpentine eyes glinting in the dark room.

With those words, Bellatrix left the room and walked out of the house and into the graveyard. At least her sister wasn’t hanging around out here whining and screaming her fool’s head off. She had a pretty good idea of some places where Snape might possibly have taken Draco and she decided to follow up on her hunches. Taking out her wand, she decided to apparate to Spinner’s End. If Snape wasn’t there, she knew that there were certain to be some clues as to where he might have gone. She would not return to the Dark Lord’s presence until she had found the both of them. Shaking her head and shivering slightly, she thought to herself that this was going to prove a far more difficult task than bringing Lucius back from Azkaban. Severus Snape was a lot craftier and resourceful than Lucius Malfoy and it was even possible that he might be able to elude her efforts. “But not for long,” she said determinedly, gritting her teeth and setting forth on her mission. She had made it her life’s work to serve the Dark Lord, and she would not fail him now. Snape would answer for his crimes and so would Draco, be he her nephew or not, she didn’t care. There was no disobeying her Lord.

With a sigh and the soft crack of her wand, she disappeared.

Chapter 5—Lost and Found

Bellatrix appeared on the outskirts of Spinner’s End, the same place that her and Narcissa appeared years prior. The hunt was on. Snape had run. She had her suspicions but they were unfounded until now. They only reason why he would run was because he was no longer loyal to the Dark Lord. Bellatrix gritted her teeth. Deep down she knew, below the yelps from people that she was wrong, below her own voice that told her she was foolish, down there, underneath all that, lay the truth. She had known it all along.

She wound her way through the dank and narrow streets of the rundown muggle town. Bellatrix sneered at the thought of the filth brooding in the dwellings around her. Such scum, unworthy to walk this earth. The Dark Lord will remedy such an infestation, of that she had no doubt.

She came upon Snape’s house: the disgusting, dilapidated precipice he called a home. She sneered as she walked up to the door and blasted it open with her wand. She would take care of anyone that may see her. Muggle Protection Act. Ha! She popped her head through the door frame and looked around before stepping inside.

“Oh Snapey-kins!” Bella called out mockingly. “Come out, come out wherever you are…”

Her sing song-y voice echoed in the deserted house. She flicked her wand about the air, giving off a sense of boredom and unrest. She walked a few paces into the sitting room and stomped a foot down, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Snape!” she screeched.

Snape’s voice did not return but the soft, muffled pounding bounced back to her ears. She stood still, her eyes wide and her ears open, listening intently, trying to figure out if she was just imagining the noise or if it was really there. The pounding came again, this time it was a bit louder, more forced and if she listened just a little closer, she thought she could hear a voice carry about with it.

Her eyes darted around the room, searching for the source of the noise before they fell upon the bookcase at the far end of the wall. Bellatrix frowned and tread lightly over to it, pushing her ear closer to the musty books on the shelves. The pounding came again, clearer this time. She frowned and stepped away, pointing her wand at the bookcase and watching it slide back to reveal a set of stairs and a mangy, rat-faced man perched upon them. Bellatrix cringed and visibly drew back her body, disgusted at the sight of Peter Pettigrew hidden in Snape’s house. He was pounds thinner and looked wasted. She couldn’t believe that he was still here after all these years.

“Bellatrix!” Peter howled as he lunged out of his hole. Bellatrix drew her wand at arm’s length and Peter held himself, not wanting to face the impending wrath. “I’m so happy to see you!” he cowered. “He left me to die back there.”

“Can’t say I blame him, really,” Bellatrix said, looking gaggy.

“You’ve come to save me!”

“Purely by coincidence.” She desperately tried not to focus on the grime that had collected on Peter’s body and what, she distinctly thought, was mold. The smell was closing in on unbearable. “Where did he go?”

“He left!”

“Really…”

“The boy was here, too. Lucius’s son—”

“Draco…”

“Yes! Him! Snape told him everything! I heard it all! He must have forgotten about me—”

“Obviously.”

“He was careless. They went to the Ministry, the Department of Mysteries. Harry Potter, he found out how to destroy the Dark Lord,” Peter sounded winded, exasperated by his retelling. “Horcruxes—”

Bellatrix’s eyes widened, her jaw slackened slightly. So that was how he did it. She had heard about horcruxes, knew what they were but didn’t know of anyone that tried to make one. But…plural? The Dark Lord had made more than one? He had gone farther, and it would explain his transformation. It was just another item to add to the list of why she revered him so, his ability to test the limits of existence and then defy them.

Peter noticed Bellatrix’s look and said, “You know what they are?”

Bellatrix snapped out of her reverie and looked over at Peter, disgust still etched on her face. “Of course I do. Now, what about them?”

Peter sniffed and continued his story, a worried expression writ on his face. “The Dark Lord, he had six. Lucius, that diary he had, the one the Dark Lord gave him before…that was one. Dumbledore, he destroyed one, a ring. And then four, a piece from each founder of Hogwarts. The last one, Slytherin’s, a locket, that’s where they were going.”

“A little less ambiguity, Pettigrew, and a little more to the point,” Bellatrix snarled.

Peter winced and curled back, fearful of her wrath. “The locket, it’s in the Department of Mysteries, a place called the Death Room.”

A smile flickered across Bellatrix’s face. “Ah yes. My dear, sweet cousin perished there. Poor thing. If it hadn’t been for…me! Ha!” Bellatrix cackled an evil, sadistic laugh at the reminiscence of Sirius Black’s death. It brought tears of pleasure to her eyes. She composed herself and dabbed at the corner of her eyes, motioning for Peter to continue.

“Mundungus Fletcher, from the Order of the Phoenix, stole it from Sirius’s house after he died. He did some swindling with Borgin, knew he could get more money there, what with the Slytherin crest on it. The Dark Lord found out, used the Imperius Curse on an Unspeakable to have him get it. He had him hide it in there. No one knew.”

Bellatrix’s lip twitched. She thought, of all the people, the Dark Lord would tell her such secrets. He trusted her above anyone else, sent her on missions he knew only she could handle. Why not trust her with this information?

“The Order of the Phoenix,” Peter continued, “they have people everywhere, like we do. Harry Potter found out. So did Snape. Fletcher, get enough in him and he won’t shut up. That’s where everyone went—the Order, Snape, Draco, Harry and his cronies.”

Bellatrix’s contempt and loathing was prominent on her face. Without saying a word, she turned on the spot and marched towards the door. Peter scurried after her in a half-bowing position, afraid to meet her eye.

“Are you taking me with you?” he whimpered.

Bellatrix turned slowly around and glared down at Peter before breaking out in a maniacal fit of laughter. “Why? So you can turn on me too? I don’t think so, Pettigrew.”

She cackled again before stomping out the door. A resounding crack broke through the air and echoed throughout the mangy house at Spinner’s End as Bellatrix disappeared. Peter flinched and cowered inside, unsure of what to do with himself. Everyone had left him behind and it was only he that cared about it.

Chapter 6 – The Final Countdown

Bellatrix found herself once again on the lowest level of the Department of Mysteries, just outside the corridor that led to the black door. She cackled with delight, her last confrontation here had been successful, resulting in her killing her own cousin. It had been about time that pest was taken care of, she thought. Long had he been an embarrassment to her family, even before the ultimate and unforgivable indignity of his being sorted into Gryffindor. She shuddered. Sirius’ brother had been a disappointment, too. The Black family all thought he was Death Eater material until he suddenly got scared and tried to run from the commitment he had made. Too bad he didn’t have killer genes. Did no one understand there was no way out once you decided to become a Death Eater? The only way out was death itself, as Regulus Black had found out. Bellatrix grinned unpleasantly at that thought.

Bellatrix walked down the corridor and passed through the door which led to the circular room. There were twelve doors to this room, all black and handleless, and it was usually impossible to tell which room was which on the other side of any one of those doors. That wasn’t the case today. From behind one of the doors an extremely loud commotion could be heard, clearly the sounds of battle. Bellatrix knew immediately which door to pass through. She danced up to it with eager anticipation. This was going to be so much fun.

The scene on the other side of the door was complete melee, worse than it had been on the day when she killed Sirius. She had come here looking for the traitor, Severus Snape, and her foolish nephew, Draco, but it was going to prove difficult with this mess that was going on. It didn’t matter to Bellatrix; she was prepared to send as many of the Order falling behind the black veil as she possibly could, just like she had her cousin. Bellatrix saw the familiar veil waving above the stone archway, bringing back pleasant memories of Sirius’ death.

Bellatrix surveyed the situation quickly. Fenrir Greyback was there fighting against the Order member who had him to thank for being a werewolf, Remus Lupin. All the Death Eaters were there and all the Order members, including a young girl who she recognized as the daughter of her disowned sister. She shuddered, yet another embarrassment to the Black family. Andromeda Black had married a muggle and this pathetic creature was their mudblood offspring. The girl was fighting against MacNair. Bellatrix thought it would be fun to take care of her once and for all but she had more important things on her mind. Her mission was to take out Snape and she would do just that. She looked around the room again; there was no sign of him in the chaos. Bellatrix realized that her husband, Rodolphus, was there as well along with his brother Rabastan. They were both good fighters and true to the Death Eater side.

With wand ready, Bellatrix fought her way through the crowd, Crucioing a few select Order members as she passed through the throng until she finally reached the center where the Dark Lord himself was dueling with Harry Potter. Bellatrix knew that this was the most important battle she would ever take part in; that everything the Dark Lord had ever done was in preparation for this single moment. She wanted him to crush the upstart Potter now! She knew that this was the Dark Lord’s battle, she had no place interfering in this showdown unless he asked for her help.

“I have come to destroy the last horcrux,” the Potter kid shouted. What nerve, Bellatrix thought, for him to even come and address the Dark Lord. “Once I destroy it, you will die.”

“You don’t have the strength to kill me,” the Dark Lord taunted, flicking his wand back lazily. “You aren’t a killer, you’ve never killed anyone before and you aren’t going to kill anyone now. You don’t have what it takes.”

“That’s where you’re wrong!” Potter screamed, showing something he had clutched in his hand. The Dark Lord lunged forward just as Potter started to destroy the thing in his hand. With a start, Bellatrix realized that the object was, indeed, a locket. Bellatrix was fearful and jumped forward to aid her master.

“Don’t you dare,” she screamed at Potter, wand pointed directly at his head. “Prepare to die!”

Potter was attempting to fling the necklace into a small fire that he had started nearby. No doubt about it, he was a fighter, but he was not going to destroy her Lord! Bellatrix reached to stop him when the Dark Lord caught the kid by surprise. “AVADA KEDAVRA”, he thundered.

The next moment there was the loudest sound Bellatrix had ever heard, the explosion of green light filled the entire room. This was no ordinary killing curse death; she had never seen anything like this. The light was far more intense and bright than it would ordinarily be. There was something very mysterious about it, almost beautiful.

Bellatrix turned and saw the Dark Lord lying on the floor, virtually fading away to nothing in front of her eyes. Suddenly, she realized that the Potter kid had somehow been able to fling the locket into the fire before she or the Dark Lord was able to stop him. The fire had now disappeared, as had any trace of the locket. She ran to the Dark Lord, weeping. “You can’t leave us,” she cried.

“The horcruxes are gone, I can’t live without them,” the Dark Lord said weakly. He was but a mere shadow at this point and fading fast. “Bellatrix, you have long been my faithful servant. I appoint you as my successor. I trust you to take care of my business.” With that, he was gone. The sound of Bellatrix’s wails and cries filled the room.

Bellatrix was in great distress and mourning but she was somehow able to register the fact that the fighting had stopped. Everyone had simply quit fighting the battle all at the same time. She saw the Order members were all crying and mourning for the loss of the great Potter. His body was lying only feet from her dead master. How foolish they were to put their trust into someone so young and inexperienced, though she did have to admit that the boy was brave.

She wanted to kill someone to avenge the death of the Dark Lord. She had come here to finish off Snape but he was nowhere to be found. Apparently he didn’t have the guts even to show up to this battle. What a chicken, she thought disgustedly. He had played a very large role in the Dark Lord’s death and he would die a very slow, painful death for that.

Bellatrix heard the Order members weeping. Apparently, digging sight from the little bit of rational sense that she had left, they had just inexplicably appointed the kid, Neville Longbottom, as their leader now that Potter was dead. He stood at the front of the crowd making some kind of stupid speech, talking about what a great man Potter had been and how everyone should be proud to have known him, how they weren’t going to rest easy until the last Death Eater was gone but that the Dark Lord’s death had been a great victory for them, blah blah blah blah. Having heard all of this, Bellatrix knew instantly who her next victims would be.

She was no one to mess with, indeed, as she apparated to St. Mungo’s. There was a price to pay for the events that had taken place on this terrible day and she was going to start extracting that price right now from a certain two people. She knew there wasn’t going to be much resistance from her next pair of victims. No resistance at all. She had already seen to that years ago.

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……