Sirius and James were not happy, not at all...
"James, I told you that sneaking around Slytherin part of dungeons, in the night is dangerous. We need to get out" Sirius was pressing his friend clutching his wand, not that he had any faith in its usefulness. He could try to blind his enemy with a flash of light, that was about all he could do.
And he knew that James is not much better. Both boys were totally new to the battle magic of any kind. Yet, here they were sneaking around the Slytherin common room. Sticking Gryffindor quidditch posters on the walls. "If it backfires", Sirius thought "I will murder Jack Weasley, and I will murder James for accepting his dare"...
And as on clue, a strange mutating voice sounded out from the darkness behind them "What do we have here? Pair of brave Gryffindors putting their garbage in our part of the castle? Are you ready for the reward?"
two other voices called "Experiarmus", and the stock of posters proudly declaring "Gryffindor for the Victory" with lion crushing a snake...
Then the first salvo of the stinging hexes come...
Bella woke up in the dead of the night, all seven of her roommates soundly asleep. She woke up because an amulet uncle Orion gave her before the start of the year. it had exactly one use, it warned her if a member of her family was in peril, it did not outright burn so the danger was not one of life and death, but she did not intend to let it go anyway...
Her aunt would probably let Sirius face whatever he was fighting and silently hope for the worst since he got sorted into Gryffindor, but Walburga Black was not ruling the Black Family, not yet, and if Bella was to have any say in it, not ever...
Cussing over what kind of problem did Sirius got in this time, she did her nightgown and secured wand in the holster. She checked her roommates before grabbing her invisible cloak and heading for the entrance to the Slytherin suite. She saw two sixth years dosing of in common room, but they were no trouble either way.
once at the corridor Bella disappeared under her cloak and headed down to where the magic of her locked was nagging her to go. It did not take too long before heard spellwork. Nothing fancy or really dark, mostly stinging hexes, but a heck lot of them. once she walked around next corner she saw the perpetrators.
It seemed that Arthur Flint and his gang of quidditch hooligans took Sirius and his friend, by surprise, disarmed them... And they were using them for target practice! She was not overly fond of Sirius, but the fact that they took a Black for a practice target was infuriating. And besides, deep down, she counted the obnoxious bugger as a family. And no one was ever allowed to terrorize her family if she had a say in it.
Bellatrix heard them earlier that night, in the common room. Planning some of their shenanigans. Unfortunately, Bella has written that of as unimportant. Now her cousin was paying for it.
She counted the enemy, six, three of them were the fourth years, and probably dangerous even to her. One was her classmate and a total pushover. rest were second years.
All accounted, she could do it, with a bit of luck on her side. Taking precise aim at one of the fourth years, some Zabini of a sort, she recalled, she whispered: "Stupefy". The hex hit the jock right in the centre of his back, and he fell down...
Unfortunately, this first unopposed shot was the only one, Bella managed to land before one of the brats sounded alarm... so now it was her, albeit invisible, against five enemies. Three of which were surely more than able to stun her, and the other two, she should not underestimate as well.
She started dancing around, always firing her hexes in a burst of four or five at the time, then moving few steps aside. Her classmate was not total jock, but most of his spells were missing Her at a comfortable distance. Yet one of the remaining fourth years was more precise than Bella would have preferred. At times sending his stunners as close as within two feets of her.
He had to go! Bellatrix started singling him out. it comed at expense of letting the other four having a field day trying to hex air at her last position before she unleashed yet another barrage of magic.
Eventually, she subdued him with Petrificus totalus hex. His fall made dull stone like sound. Bella spared one second for feeling sad that his fall would not cause at least a mild concussion. Well, that could be easily helped afterwards...
For now, she still had four enemies standing. one of the youngsters she offed with a well-aimed stunner. Soon her classmate followed in the same fashion.
The remaining Fourth year turned far more resourceful. and his remaining sidekick was accurate for his age. Bella soon found herself unable to push forward against both of them. She decided to only keep the occupied until her stupid arse of a cousin take the note, and disappear.
Even with that goal, it was getting harder to evade each incoming hex. On several occasions, Bella had to give away her position by casting Protego charm.
Last two buggers standing get back to their senses and pressed on to deal with the intruder. Had they knew who exactly were they dealing with, they would most likely decide against it. But Bella was not about to get visible and have a chat, she knew that there were bastards in her House who would put Slytherin loyalty far ahead of the family loyalty... She had no intention of making enemies of them for no good reason. Her father always told her "Pick your enemies wisely, and you need not fear defeat, rush in like some stupid lion, and you will die..."
But then she thought: "Attacking one of us is a good reason!"
She spared a look to two stupid lions she was fighting for on that day. And she saw something that astounded her. Not knowing who they were helping too, both young lions sprang, well limped, in the action...
Seeing this she lay of cutting curses, and other heaviest spells she has mastered to not hurt her family. Bella send a silent prayer to whatever deity she did not believe in, that her cousin show half the brains as he apparently had guts.
As it was she thought about what they may have in mind. finding some wands on the floor was not quick enough, nor they had any guarantee that the wands of their tormentors would work of them.
They seemingly run through the same chain of thoughts as both of them attacked the remaining bastards with they bare hands, kicking and teeth... Bella flinched as she saw Sirius taking a kick in the crotch from boy three years his elder, but her cousin have not let go of his enemy.
At least for long enough that Bellatrix dispatched the unlucky bastard with a stunner. The last "man" standing on the enemy team got the message that chances are now seriously in his disfavour and did the Slytherin thing... Shame on him that Bella was in no mood to appreciate it and hit him square in the back.
She then collected all the wands and gave a quick thought to the possibility of simply breaking these of Flints little band of hooligans, but no, she had a better thing in mind...
Lovering her hood she addressed both Sirius and James with "What by Merlin"s old knickers were two of you thinking? Lurking around the castle at night? Fine. But what in the hell brought you co close to the Slytherin quarters? Some stupid dare? Well, tell the person who dared you, that I will have a chat with them..."
Bellatrix kicked one of the unconscious enemies on the ground "What were you two thinking, that you can take their like head on?
Next time I may not be quick enough to save your miserable arses before someone send you to the hospital wing..." She knew that now it was not a good time for chastizing Sirius. Prefects teachers, Filch and his cats all loved lurking in the dark. But he needed to understand what he was about to get into "Flint and his merry band of Terrors send Rockwood to the hospital wing, for saying that our team suck" her hand caught Sirius in vice grip "Sent. To. Hospital. Wing. Do you want to go there? No? Start using that brain of yours, and that goes for you as well Potter, I do not care whether you get yourself killed, but my cousin hangs out with you. If he gets hurt because of your stupidity, better be dead by the time I learn about it..." She was satisfied with the results, both boys looked like a ghost sailed right through them...
"Also if I come to think that you two need training I will train you, as hard as I decide" which, come to her mind, might not be that bad an idea... But first things first. Handing the collected wands to them, she told: "sort out yours, and hide the rest around the castle, be inventive..." The mischievous smiles could be detected even on the swallowed faces... She could rest assured that Flint and company will have a tough time getting their wands back.
She addressed the bys again: "Nothing broken, other than Ego, you two? I am by no means a healer, but I can fix you up a little if I have to" they shake heads, Sirius said, "nothing other than stinging hexes, I feel like that time when I step on the wasp nest, you should remember..." Bella had remembered, it was two years ago and Her uncle decided that Sirius will have to bear the pain, she ended up taking mercy on Sirius and smuggling him some dreamless sleep potion. Later he ended up having to take her to the diagonal alley for an afternoon of shopping and having to pay for it.
Now she had to take them in the Gryffindor tower, else they might find some misfortune on the way. she was not about seeing her cousin expelled for taking part in an illegal duel and stealing wands from other wizards. Well, being Black, he would not get expelled, but being detented within the inch of expulsion was not something she wished on him either.
Her love for her family was often tough, sometimes demanding, and at times selfish, but it was there, deep in the core, Bellatrix was a Black, Blacks kept together no matter what, another thing her uncle have told her...
She could give them her invisible cloak, but that would leave her exposed, and she had not particularly fancied the possibility of meeting a prefect or teacher on patrol. Linking her to half a dozen of stunned and petrified students would not be that hard. And Slughorn fat old spider he was would not be able to protect her against consequences. No, she was not letting go of the cloak, that left her with one option.
For once she was glad that both of the present lions were mere first years because she had to smuggle them under her cloak. They were just scrawny and small enough for three of them to fit under one cloak.
"now dear cousin, it is not like I don't enjoy your company, but you are ought to be in your tower, and I will see you there..." he motioned for them to come closer "we need no prying eyes on us do we?" She asked. Both boys made an annoyed face at the implication.
She felt irritated, well she knew that she is easy to irritate, but that was not the point. So she snapped "Whats the matter? Don't wanna get cosy with a Slytherin?" The looks she got back were telling enough.
"well Messers, this snake just save your arses. And is willing to get you safe in your tower, but if you want to face Filch in this state, I am not going to stop you, enjoy your detentions..." Bella disappeared under her cloak and turned away...
She made about twenty paces before Sirius come to his senses and called "Bella, stop!" under hood she smiled, he was a proud one, "this must be hard for him", she thought...
"You will accept my offer then?" Bella said a tiny bit of mockery in her voice "Brave lions you are. Are you sure that you will not rather take your chance with Filch? Siri? Potter?"
Bella as not going to allow them to go back alone. She knew that she was responsible for Sirius, and she would do her level best. But... She was going to milk it for what it was worth, tonight she wanted him to put down that stupid house prejudice, as far as the actual family was concerned. Getting some concessions of sorts from Potter was just an icing on the cake.
She turned, so she could see Sirius. He looked agitated. On one hand, he had a head full of the anti-Slytherin bias, on the other hand... "Bella, come back, please..."
The "please" was said with a bit of question to it, but Bellatrix was willing to take it as it was, the first step in her plan. So she walked back.
"So you change mind? You want help from a Slytherin?" She waited patiently and studied Sirius's face as he was about to answer. They have never talked about houses at home, a Black was not supposed to go anywhere else than to Slytherin, though occasional Ravenclaws did happen... But by his act in last three months, Bella come to believe that her cousin despised the Green and Silver with passion.
That was another thing she was not having if there was anything that could be done about it. Bellatrix herself though about Slytherin as about the best of founders, yes, but she was aware, that he would not build the school alone. The years at Hogwarts, studying the history only fastened the belief.
She did not abhor any house, though she was proud of her pure blood, Black and Slytherin heritage. And Her cousin was not going to abhor any house either.
He finally looked like he was about to answer, so Bellatrix snapped out of her thoughts, and once again paid full attention to her cousin.
Sirius looked in her direction and tried to smile. "What about help from a cousin?" He looked unsure of himself.
It was not what she wanted him to accept, that there might be some Slytherins that are just fine, but it was the start. Bella walked back to the boys and undid her hood...
Potter still looked agitated and started a feeble protest about not needing any help, the protest cut off by Sirius' elbow. Young Black scion fixed his friend a look and said "I don't know how about you, but I don't feel like running from Filch tonight, and if they manage to link you and me to these idiots" he pointed at the Flint and his gang "we will land in trouble faster than you can imagine, and this Slytherin is my cousin, so behave, James" Bella smiled at her cousin, there was hope for him yet...
"So get under the cloak, no stepping on my foots, and try not to elbow me to death, gents, Cousin Bella will escort you home" James still looked agitated but decided to not press his issues...
Some half hour later Bella stood in front of the Fat lady and was about to release her charges. She was a bit sore, despite both boys"s best effort to not elbow, or stomp her to death. Her invisible cloak was not intended for three people, not even three kids...
"so, remember, the wands must be hard to find, but not impossible, and put them somewhere dry, so the water doesn't get to them... And boys, one more thing..." for a second she thought of right words "What you did tonight. When I was fighting the last two, that was the most Gryffindor thing I ever saw. You could have, and should have limp away, but you did not. It was stupid, irrational, should not have ever succeeded, but you pulled it off. Perhaps there is something to your house and hope for you two yet..." with that she disappeared under the cloak and went to her bed, leaving two slightly confounded lions behind.
James looked at his pal, and asked: "did she just insult us, or complimented us?" Sirius could not but laugh "that is Cousin Bella for you, James, I don't know if anyone understands her, perhaps my father..." Behind them, the Fat lady caught and spat out "are you coming in, or no? Some people like to sleep at the night, you know?" Both friends grinned at each other, and James declared "Ursa Major" before slipping through the passage to the common room.