Bella's Downfall
This is how Bellatrix Black, a calm, quiet girl became the queen of pain.
It is set when she is in the start of her third year at Hogwarts.
The age order of the Black sisters is different; it goes Dromeda, Narcissa then Bellatrix.
Please read my other story 'The Dark Lord's Dark Secret' for more info on her friend.
Review, review, review.
It was a warm day and, being two weeks into a new school year, all of the pupils at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry had piles of homework to do. So we find Bellatrix and her friend Esmeralda in the Library reading up on sneezing potions.
"The Sneezing Potion was first discovered by William von Rufus, he was an Austrian Count who did some shit that no one is interested in."
Bella sighed, they had been researching for over an hour. She gazed longingly at the lake where people where walking, talking and laughing, not stuck up here reading about some dead guy who invented a worthless potion. I mean who would want to make people sneeze thought Bella it's pointless.
"Don't worry Bells we only have an inch to write then we can start on our Transfiguration and then we can go out." soothed Esmeralda.
"Yeah, but I wish we were out there now, I mean Slughorn's being way too hard on us giving us all this cra…Professor Slughorn how nice to see you." She almost whimpered.
"Miss Black I would like you to come with me," said Slughorn.
Bella gulped; she had never been in trouble before; she and Esmeralda were always the quiet one's who no one gave a second thought to. After gathering her books and giving a scared look to her friend, she followed Slughorn out of the Library and down the corridor.
"Professor," whispered an anxious Bellatrix. "I didn't mean what I said; it was a mistake and I swear it won't happen again."
"What was that," asked a distracted Slughorn. "Oh no, this has nothing to do with that, nothing at all. You're not in any trouble."
Bella started to become curious; all the joviality had gone out of Slughorn; there was no bounce in his step, no chortle in his voice and he seemed to be thinking of something else entirely. It was a mystery.
After a while Bella suddenly realised that they were standing outside the headmaster's office.
"Gargoyles," said the professor clearly.
They both stepped onto a spiral stair case that moved upwards and arrived outside a highly polished wooden door that Slughorn knocked on before entering. Bellatrix followed him.
She was surprised to see her two elder sisters Dromeda and Narcissa there, standing in front of Dippet's desk, while the headmaster sat in his chair with Professor Dumbledore, the Transfiguration teacher and the deputy head of the school, on his right.
"Well, well, now that you are all here," professor Dippet said. "I have some terrible news to tell you. I'm very sorry to tell you this but your mother's condition has worsened and it is now believed that she has not got long left. So you three are going to be sent home until you are fit to return to school, please take as long as you like to recover and know that you have the school's deepest sympathies. Now I will be arranging a portkey to…"
Bella didn't hear anymore, she wore a mask of neutral feeling but inside her head was in turmoil. Her mother couldn't be dying; only three weeks ago the healer had said it was only a cold, that it was nothing to be concerned about and when they had left she had looked a little pale but she was still fit enough to see them aboard the Hogwarts Express. She couldn't be dying; it had to be some mistake; she couldn't be dying, she just couldn't.
In what seemed like no time at all Bella found herself at home by her mother's bedside. She had certainly gotten worse; her eyes, once so bright and alive with cunning, were dull with only a hint of their former self in them; her body was thin and brittle and looked like even the blanket covering her could crush her and her hair was dry and dead and looked like it had been falling out in handfuls. Bella just stared at her as her sisters talked to her then went downstairs.
"Mother," asked Bellatrix. "Do you need anything to eat or drink, or anything?"
"Yes please Bells," gasped her mother and Bellatrix was shocked to her how weak and feeble she sounded. "Just a glass of water please."
XXX
A week later and Narcissa and Dromeda were downstairs with their aunt and cousins. Narcissa was in deep conversation with Regulus and his mother about Slytherin's chance of winning the Quidditch inter house championship. While Dromeda and Sirius were discussing Griffindor's chances of winning in the corner of the room furthest away from the other three. While Bellatrix had just made a tomato soup for her mother and was carrying it upstairs to her, she had been at her mother's side since she had gotten home and was always the one who went and did whatever she was asked to without complaining, where as the rest of her family stayed downstairs most of the time and only occasionally checked on her.
"Here's your soup mother." Smiled Bella as she sat the soup on the bedside table.
"Thank you Bella," whispered her mother. "You're such a good girl. Don't tell the others this but you have always been my favourite." She smiled as she stroked her daughter's cheek with her frail hand. "When you grow up I see you doing great things, I see you becoming a beautiful, successful witch who will have anything and everything she wants."
The dying woman took a long shuddering breath. "Remember that I love you Bella and that whatever happens I…I…"
"Mother?"
The hand fell from her cheek.
"MOTHER!" she screamed.
XXX
Every day at ten o'clock in the afternoon, the whole family went to visit their sick relative before bed.
When they went that day it was to find Mrs Black's cold dead body lying peacefully on the bed with her daughter curled up next to her, wrapped in her arms. Bella was just staring, unseeing into space with wide, haunted eyes.