1962
Tangled in a Spider's Web
The daylight cast across Hogwarts, bathing the grounds with rich rays of sunlight. All of the students with a break between classes took the time to embrace the warm, fall weather while they still had it.
It was the first day of the term, the third day of September, and already several students had immense workloads. The older students were pleased to be reunited with their classmates, and the first years were beginning to get to know the other members of their houses. Ravenclaws sat in the grass with their homework across their laps, looking up only to ask or answer questions with their friends. Gryffindors practiced their spells, levitating leaves and turning snails into ants. Hufflepuffs sat in huddles, gushing about their summers. Slytherins, however, remained distant from each other.
There was a young girl sitting under the beech tree next to the lake by herself. She hugged her knees against her torso and stared at the reflection that the sun cast on the surface of the water. She was a very pretty girl, with dark brown locks of hair that fell to the middle of her back in messy waves. The eyes that glittered against the sunlight were the color of a deep plum. Her waist was tiny, but her hips and chest were curvy, providing a prefect hourglass shape. It was a wonder why such a lovely girl was sitting alone.
Deep in thought, she moved her eyes from the lake to the Slytherin emblem on the left breast of her new school robes. The silver and green serpent made her smile.
Just like mom and dad, she thought to herself, closing her eyes in bliss.
When they had placed the Sorting Hat upon her head two days before, she became nervous. That one split second that the hat lingered in her hair, she had frightening visions flash before her eyes. Visions of the hat yelling, "GRYFFINDOR!" Visions of her mother and father learning of this. Visions of her parents being ashamed of her. Visions of befriending other Gryffindors, and living a life her parents would have never wanted for her. Just as she feared the worst, the rip on the brim of the hat opened. "SLYTHERIN!"
She peeled open her eyes, the smile still etched upon her face. Turning to look at the beech tree, she froze.
A little fly soared past her and landed on the tree. It struggled, as if attached to the bark by some sort of strong glue. Peering closely at the scene, she noticed a silky web wrapped around the bug. The fly buzzed against the silky fibers of the web, but the more it fought against it, the more tangled up it became.
Suddenly, another bug crawled slowly and gingerly across the web. It was the owner of the trap, a medium-sized spider. The fly seemed to notice the presence of the arachnid, because it buzzed louder and struggled harder than ever before. When the spider came inches from its terrified prey, the young girl's grin lengthened. Bellatrix Black joyfully watched the spider devour the innocent fly.