Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I never have owned Harry Potter and I never will own Harry Potter.
AN: This is my first fanfic and I would really appreciate reviews so I know how I've done. Thanks. Also I know the ages here might not be right but the ages need to be like this to fit into the story. For example, I'm sure Bellatrix is a lot older than Sirius but here she's just a year older. I'll try and make the rest of it as close to the books as possible.
Chapter One: Introducing the Blacks
Bellatrix sat on one of the twin beds, staring into space. Grimauld Place lived up to its name; it was indeed a grim old place. Bellatrix was ten and was condemned to stay with her aunt, uncle and cousins while her father was in Egypt dealing in dark artefacts. She didn't even have her sisters for company, and as much as Bella hated to admit it they were her only friends.
They were off at Hogwarts having fun and learning magic while she was left here with a nine year old and a seven year old, the latter not even showing any signs of magic yet. Bellatrix sometimes hoped he was a squib; it would serve her dear old aunt Anatonia right. She was always harping on about the pureness of the blood, constantly repeating the black family motto toujours pur. Although, Bellatrix did pity her cousin. If Regulus didn't show magic soon she wouldn't put it past Anatonia to kill him herself, there could be no chance of the pure Black line being endangered, even though Anatonia herself wasn't a Black. Her maiden name was Rothen.
Belatrix's mother had died when she was quite young and since then she had spent a lot of time in Grimauld place. Her father had taken it badly so his children ended up spending a lot of time with his brother Arcturus and his wife.
Bellatrix didn't have long to go though, her father would be away until halfway through the summer holidays but when they got back she would returning to Blackbeach Manor with her family and then she would be off to Hogwarts herself. She would be turning eleven in little over a month's time then it would be one more month before the holidays and then she would finally be learning magic with her sisters.
She looked out of the small dusty window, it was getting dark and the room hardly needed to be any drearier. She pulled an extinguished candle towards her; she stared at it, concentration clear on her face. Light, she thought, Light, but nothing happened. She closed her eyes and thought of her aunt shouting at her for not acting like a pure blood, she thought of her father telling her he would be away for over a year, She thought of her sisters who had only once written to her. She opened her eyes, the candle was lit and the flame was burning brightly. She smiled and dreamed of the day when it would only take a word and the flick of a wand to do that.
"Dinner is ready Mistress Bella" said the young house elf from the doorway; he had only recently replaced his mother whose head was now hanging on the wall downstairs. Bella liked the house elf, well as much as you could like a house elf though he idolised her aunt.
"Thanks Kreacher" Bellatrix replied before going to the mirror beside the door.
She looked at her long, pale face. Her hair fell in long ebony curls matching her black dress which she smoothed out before going down stairs for dinner. She knew she was pretty but she hoped that when she was older she would be beautiful like her sister Narcissa.
From what she had heard from Andromeda in the only letter she had sent her at the start of the year, Narcissa was the most popular Slytherin in forth year. Boys adored her and everyone assumed that she would be the female house prefect next year. Bella hoped that one day people would love her like they loved her sister.
Andromeda was having a different year than Cissy. It was her first year and the family were not happy when they discovered that she was the first Black in years to be sorted into Ravenclaw. They had calmed down eventually though, at least it wasn't Gryffindor.
The inhabitants of Grimauld Place ate in the dining room on the ground floor. It was always a sombre, formal affair. Anatonia glanced at Bellatrix as she entered but went back to talking Bella's uncle Arcturus when she saw nothing to criticise.
"I've been saying for years that we wizards would suffer for our kindness to muggles, and I'm not the only one either!" Anatonia was saying. "It's about time we stood up and took back what was ours! Why do you think the ministry haven't yet discovered these muggle killers going about? It's because secretly they agree with them!"
Bellatrix watched as her aunt folded up the daily prophet and placed it on a table behind her while Kreature served up the soup. She could barely make out the headline Muggle killings continue: how long until they become suspicious?
"Ana, the reason they haven't found them is because they are too powerful. There are rumours that they are being led by a dark wizard who is even more powerful than Grindlewald! I'm sure they will put in extra effort if they target muggleborns and halfbloods" Arcturus said.
"Who cares if they get mudbloods and the brats of blood traitors? We must rid ourselves of the impure if we wish to be strong!"
"I agree with you Ana but it would be better if we kept them ignorant of their magic. Let the mudbloods live like muggles and they wouldn't be a problem, and as for halfbloods, they are still wizards Ana."
"They don't deserve the name" she muttered. "Don't slurp Bellatrix!" she snapped
This was normally what would happen. Anatonia would start to rant, Arcturus would question parts of it until she put so much effort into defending herself she strayed from the main point and then she would snap at one of the children out of frustration. Arcturus was a hard person to argue with; he was so sure of himself and was perfectly balanced between agreement and disagreement so that no one could argue with him without disagreeing with themselves.
However, although he was milder than his wife he shared the same views and although he challenged her about her more controversial views it was because Ana's rants could last for hours when she got started, not because he actually disagreed with her. In fact, Anatonia and Arcturus often talked about seeking out the muggle killers themselves when they thought the children couldn't hear. They decided against it only because they knew that soon everything would kick off and it would become dangerous for themselves and their family.
Bella's aunt and uncle continued to talk while they ate their way through three courses. Bellatrix, Regulus and Sirius knew to stay quiet, only speaking to ask someone to pass the salt. She knew that they strongly believed in the saying Children should be seen and not heard and all three of the children were greatly intimidated by both of the adults.
After dinner she went back up to her room without talking to anyone. It was then that she realised that she had barely spoken all day, and what she had said had been to the house elf, that was depressing.
It was hard for Bella to live in Grimauld place, she was lonely. Regulus was too young to talk to and Sirius jumped between picking on her and spilling out his feelings, expecting her to do the same. He sensed that she too hated Grimauld place. She missed her sisters, but she was afraid she was losing them, Cissy and Dromeda where becoming closer while at school and Bella was left behind in this miserable dump.
Her only real company was the portrait of Phineas Nigellus that hung in her room, his sarcastic comments only made her feel worse.
"Typical, instead of enjoying the benefits of youth you sit around moping. You believe that you are totally isolated and alone. That is why I find teenagers so insufferable, they act so misunderstood." He said when he told her she was lonely.
It was hard to sleep with him droning on and on about teenagers and hormones and isolation so when he finally left his portrait Bella fell into an exhausted sleep. It felt like she had just hit the pillow when she was woken up by shouting.
"You stupid, clumsy boy!" Anatonia screamed. "Waking everyone up at this time, sneaking downstairs! Why?" Bellatrix heard a whimper and went out in her night dress to see what the commotion was.
On the first floor landing Regulus was sprawled on the floor whimpering as Anatonia bent over him with her wand. At first Bella thought she was torturing him but then she noticed the uncharacteristic expression of worry on her aunt's face and Sirius' expression of horror as he watched. It was then that she noticed that Regulus' leg was bent at a strange angle.
"What's going on?" she asked Sirius.
"He tried to sneak downstairs to go to the bathroom, in the dark cause he didn't want to wake us but tripped, we think his leg is broken" he whispered.
She watched as her aunt began the slow process of mending the leg with magic. Bella could see the leg beginning to slowly straighten. It was strange and horrifying to watch but Bella stood there beside Sirius transfixed.
Both of them jumped when Arcturus ran down the stairs. He seemed to guess what had happened and for a moment he stood, saying nothing but when he spoke it was in a tone so cold Bella couldn't believe it came from him.
"Leave him Anatonia, if he didn't use magic to stop himself then why should we use magic to heal him?"
Everyone stared at him in shock as he walked back up the stairs and after a seconds hesitation Anatonia put her wand in her dressing gown pocket.
"You two, help me get him up stairs." She said in a shaking voice. They stood still, not knowing what to do.
"NOW" she screamed.
They helped her half carry half drag Regulus up the stairs and to his bedroom. His leg was still crooked and he whimpered pitifully. Once he was in bed Anatonia rushed them out of the room.
"Leave him. You are not to speak to him at all, understand?" she said, her voice was steady once more and they nodded, terrified. "Go then" she said before storming off to her room.
"What do we do?" Sirius asked her.
"Leave him and go back to bed I guess. We don't have any choice…"
"We could help him!"
"How can we do that? We're no use to him if she locks us in our rooms too!" Bellatrix whispered. Sirius stayed silent, staring at the floor.
"What if he really is a squib?" he whispered.
"I don't know, Sirius, I really don't" she said before walking back to her own room and going back to sleep.