AN: So this is Wheelie91's fic. He asked me to write it for him, I'm enjoying where this is going and writing it. Don't worry I'm still writing my own fics, in fact a new chapter of Support will be up by next Wednesday. I think working with him will improve my writing. Let me know what you think.

WARNINGS: this fic is quite a bit darker than my own (who may or may not turn a little darker themselves later). The main thing is murder, rape and torture. Rape and major torture will be separated into a different chapter for those wanting to skip it.

Rape warnings start with this chapter

Prologue Part 1: So It Begins...

June 25th 1996

Bellatrix gripped the rim of the bowl tighter as another wave of nausea swept through her. She closed her eyes as pain gripped her stomach but nothing came out. She was kneeling behind her bed opposite the door, tears pouring down her face. Her sobs had long disappeared, replaced by vomiting and retching. One last dry heave had the dark witch crawling backwards to get away from the stink, her back hit the wall, her arms wrapped around her knees and she lowered her face unto them.

Rocking back and forth, she tried to push the memories of the night to the back of her mind, locked up behind a fog of madness…like she had done since she had joined this wretched society. But tonight… Tonight it had all come back to her.

They had gone out again, to spread terror. It was under the cover of darkness and cloud. Bellatrix had thought weather and time of day would stop being an issue when the Death Eaters were strong again, yet even now they preferred going by cover of darkness. Whether it was because they thought it gave them an aspect of fear or because they liked hiding in the shadows, Bellatrix didn't know or care. To her, darkness made it easier to kill, her victims were just shadows.

So she went, following the others, to a muggle settlement just outside of Yorkshire. Most Death Eaters entered the homes or shot destructive spells into the houses to flush the muggles out. Still feeling the sting from the battle at the Ministry where they had fought Potter and his 'friends', Bellatrix had decided to pass through the muggles' yards, keeping an eye out for runners. It took not thirty minutes before a shadow came running through a yard nearby. Bellatrix quickly drew her wand and hit it with a stunning spell. She hadn't been able to keep a grin off of her face as her aim was just as accurate as ever.

When she had come close enough to distinguish the shadow, she had frozen as a little boy, about 5, was trying to wake his stunned mother. Bellatrix had known what to do, they were just filthy muggles. She had raised her wand, closed her eyes and taken a steadying breath. Yet when she had opened her eyes, she was looking at a two-year-old little girl falling over, dead, next to the corpse of her mother which was still holding a screaming babe. Bellatrix had squeezed her eyes shut and shaken her head, trying to shake the past away. She had started to turn to leave when a green flash zipped by her, killing the crying boy, who fell on top of his mother. She would get a nasty surprise when she woke up.

Bellatrix was pulled out of the recent past by another wave of nausea. She reached for her bowl and painfully threw up a bit of bile. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, the dark witch got up and weakly walked to her bay window, sitting down on the ledge, she opened it and took in a long breath of fresh air.

She tried to settle herself, 'Get a grip! You can't fail now!'

The Death Eater pulled her hair and stared out into the dark grounds at Malfoy Manor. It did calm her a bit to see the greenery, seemingly untouched by the war. Because that's what this was: a war. Not many people knew it yet but she could see it coming. Tears started running again as she looked at her favourite part of the grounds: the hedge labyrinth.

Blindly reaching down, she picked up a ring from underneath a pillow, she put it on her index finger and started twirling it around. She didn't need to look at it to describe it, she knew it very well: it was a basic gold band with an 'A' inscribe on it. Rommie had given it to her before she had run away. She sighed, she really did miss her look-alike sister. She hated the break between her family, between her friends.

Just then Bellatrix saw a figure out of the corner of her eye, she quickly shoved the ring back under the pillow next to Cissy's pendant and turned her head to the window. She squinted and tried to make out the figure. It was a man, standing at the entrance of the labyrinth. Bellatrix's appearance suddenly shifted from weary of the world to the renowned Death Eater. Not recognizing the shape, she dreaded an intruder. Bellatrix exited the room quickly and moved to a nearby empty guest room with a better view of the exterior.

The figure was still there. He seemed to be watching her. As she looked closer, the face seemed to come out of the shadows. She gasped: it was Sirius, wearing the same dark suit he had the day he died. His expression was the same, then, before her eyes he seemed to fall through the Veil again.

She sobbed, 'I'm sorry'.

Her stupify had never been meant to push him through the Veil.

Turning around, she wiped the tears that had started to flow, her subconscious had been getting through to her lately. Bellatrix composed herself and started to head out, but sobbed and dropped to her knees at the sight before her; Alice and Frank writhing on the ground, their eyes pleading with her. No, she hadn't tortured Alice and Frank, but she hadn't done anything either, that was just as bad. Her eyesight blurry, she raced from the room, going back to her own. Her stomach heaved painfully once more. She knew this was nothing compared to the pain she had dealt countless times over.

Sitting on the floor and leaning on her bed, she let the sobs wrack through her once again. Not for the first time, she wished she and Cissy had had the courage to follow in Rommie's footsteps and run away.

She wasn't sure how long she cried but she did eventually calm down, the tears had to run out eventually. She felt dizzy, as if she wasn't really there…a nightmare. Like she could wake up and not be a deranged murderess. She let out a heavy sigh, perhaps she should go visit with Narcissa.

Once again, she regained her composure and stepped out of her room. Her little sister's room was a couple of hallways away from hers and was situated more towards the front of the Manor. Bellatrix rapped at her sister's door and received no answer. Weird, she rarely ever left her room nowadays. She knocked again, still no answer. Then it dawned on her. 'Shit!' She let her head fall and hit the door. Cissy had gone to France with her brat, they wouldn't be back until Thursday. Unfortunately she hadn't taken Lucy, her asshole of a husband, with her.

Letting out an irritated sigh, she started back towards her room when she heard cheering. It was coming from the entrance. Earlier tonight the Death Eaters had split into two groups, she had gone with the second. When they had come back, Lucius and Dolohov were nowhere to be found. She guessed they were back now, and with 'good' news, if the loud cheers were anything to judge by.

Bellatrix tiptoed to the entrance's grand staircase, at the top she had a good view of everyone. Sure enough, Lucius and Dolohov had come back. Lucius was skulking in the shadows whilst Dolohov was strutting as if he had killed the Potter boy, getting cheers and claps on the back.

Tuning into the conversation, Bellatrix managed to catch the louder bits of the exchange. "Killed" … "I defeated her" … "Bones" … "Combat"

'What the hell. He must be joking. He couldn't have defeated Amelia Bones in combat. She's a challenge even for me.' Sensing a lie, Bellatrix slipped into his mind, the cretin couldn't even keep up a proper barrier.

A shit-eating grin appeared on Dolohov's face, he recognized this house; home to Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. If he could catch her unawares...well. The Dark Lord would also be pleased.

He crept to the house, stunned at the lack of wards, very foolish. But the door was well sealed, making up for the missing wards, as were all the other entrances. He growled. He was preparing to leave when he saw 'Madame Head' apparate on her lawn. Thankfully he was out of sight behind the side wall. The Death Eater watched as she unlocked the door and entered, memorizing the unlocking enchantments. He waited a good five minutes before entering as he wanted her guard down… if it came down to a duel, he would lose. Unlocking and leaving the door slightly ajar, Dolohov silently made his way towards the only light in the house, pulling out his wand. His grin got wider, Bones was standing at her kitchen counter, back turned, making herself a cup of tea. This opportunity was too good to pass on, he stunned her from behind before she even knew he was there.

Bones cried out and fell back, bouncing a little off the floor as she hit it, teacup shattering on the ground. Dolohov went to her side and aimed at her chest, planning on killing her. But then he noticed; 'She doesn't look half bad for an old woman. It's been awhile…'

The dark haired man picked up the woman's limp body and brought it to the bedroom. There he tied her to the bedposts, just in case…

Bellatrix swayed and pulled out of Dolohov mind just as she saw the memory Dolohov take his cock out of his pants. She gritted her teeth together and pushed back in a little bit later in the memory, wanting to skip that nauseating section.

Dolohov came and pulled out, still grinning looking down at his victim now with her shirt pulled up around her arms and pants off. The bitch had woken up during the encounter, forcing him to stop. She had struggled against him. The bonds were not as tight as he had thought and she managed to elbow him several times in the head and upper chest. He had put more of his body weight on her, but kept receiving blows. With the force put into the jabs, the whore had almost managed to free herself from her bonds when one well-aimed blow to the head from the Death Eater knocked the struggling woman out and then proceeded to better her bonds.

Zipping up his trousers, Dolohov decided to finish it. He once again aimed his wand at her chest. But he smirked as he looked at the nearby pillows, he had a better idea. He grabbed a pillow, sat on his victim and pressed the cushion against her face. She must have known the end was near as she woke up again and struggled against him, legs bucking in an attempt to throw him off. Dolohov took pleasure in this, and laughed as her movements slowed. It took a of couple minutes for her to pass out from lack of oxygen and a couple more for her to die. When Dolohov was sure the witch was dead, he stood and went back down to the kitchen to pick up the blood traitor's wand. He had to make it look like there was a fight. No, it would do nothing to cover the crime and he didn't care, but if the other Death Eaters believed he had defeated the whore in combat, he would be a champion. He faked the conflict by using the usual combat spells with both their wands, aiming around the house, effectively destroying it.

Next he went back up, untied the corpse, dressed it and placed it on the living room floor with her wand just out of reach, then calmly went to rejoin Lucius outside.

"Defeated her in combat my ass!" Bellatrix had not realized she had spoken aloud until she saw the couple dozen of faces present were all turned upwards towards her.

The dark witch slid down the bannister and jumped off, quickly making her way to the current insulting bastard. Once face to face, she spoke between her teeth.

"You are a filthy liar. You stunned her from behind...Raped Her Then SMOTHERED HER WITH A PILLOW! You're nothing but a talentless weasel!"

Dolohov's eyes did flicker in anger when faced with the truth, but he quickly recovered. Backing up a few steps and circling her, he commented; "Now, now, Bella. We all know you're just jealous that it wasn't you who did her in."

She heard a couple of chuckles from the crowd of Death Eaters. 'Of course they'd believe him, bunch of sexist pricks'.

Then the lying bastard had the nerve to smile at her. Before Bellatrix's eyes, another memory flashed before her, her own this time. She had seen that exact smile before, while the slimy bastard was standing over Potter's muggle-born friend after having knocked unconscious with his family's spell.

The dark witch shook her head violently, what kind of group had she fallen in with? One that murdered innocent children?

A laugh startled her out of her reverie. She looked up into Dolohov's smiling face and snapped.

"You INBRED, MISOGYNISTIC, PIG! Crucio!"

The smile quickly disappeared from his face as he fell to the ground screaming. So surprised was he, he hadn't even reached for his wand. The others just looked at the scene, simply glad it wasn't them.

Voldemort watched quietly from the shadows as the events unfolded. He could tell Dolohov was lying, but he would let him have his fun for now, Bones' death was good news no matter the way it happened. Although it seemed as if Bellatrix had a differing opinion, he had felt her enter the gloating man's mind. He let her have her fun as well, it wasn't unusual for her to torture her comrades. Yet something was different today. He sensed no pleasure in Bellatrix as she tortured. In fact, judging by the man's screams that were, while pathetic, worse than usual, it seemed like she truly meant the curse.

The Dark Lord approached his followers all but the torturer and tortured stood aside for him. Remaining behind the dark witch, he brushed her mental barriers and what little he saw infuriated him.

Doubt

Regret

Remorse

She wasn't his loyal follower anymore. It had happened once before but 15 years in Azkaban had taken care of it. But now this was stronger. He either had to break her again or kill her. Either would do.

The Dark Lord flicked his wand and Bellatrix's went flying out of her hand after her seventh or so curse and inflicted a wandless crucio of his own on the woman. She was prouder, she didn't scream and tried hard to keep eye contact with him. The same strength which made her a good ally now made her a competent enemy. He bound her and addressed those present;

"It seems dear Bellatrix does not wish to fight for our cause anymore." Most occupants of the room seemed surprised by this, it would have only been obvious had most of those fools acquired rudimentary Legilimency skills. With a wave of his hand, he declared; "Do what you will with her but do not kill her… Yet."

Bellatrix watched the Dark Lord exit the entrance hall. 'This is not good.' She quickly started a counter spell against her magical bonds as she watched the lower ranking Death Eaters carry off Dolohov. The first Death Eaters to come towards her were those she had tormented in the past, the others would have to wait their turn. She kept an eye on the approaching men and tried to wriggle herself free. Bellatrix decided to change tactic as her husband, brother in-law and Lucy approached her, Rowle and Yaxley not too far behind. She was not going to go quietly. The dark witch rocked herself violently on the floor, trying to get enough purchase to get up despite the invisible restraints.

Obviously Rodolphus was just as stupid as ever. A restrained Bellatrix did not mean a safe Bellatrix. He approached without caution and when he was within reach, Bellatrix kicked with both legs into his groin area, sending the asshole to his knees. This distracted the men and gave her enough time to scan for her wand, she spotted it approximately five feet away. Unfortunately her attempts at summoning it were fruitless. She turned her attention back towards the men, she gritted her teeth and growled at them as they came closer.

The dark witch managed to sit up and started scooting back as they approached her slowly. It was obvious that they enjoyed the fact that their presence made her move away. Bellatrix was relieved when her back finally hit one of the white decorative columns, she quickly pressed her back against it and used it to get up.

She knew she needed to get out. The skilled witch was very much capable of Apparating without a wand but spinning on the spot to do so was very difficult in restraints, to add to that she wasn't sure if the Dark Lord had placed anti-apparition charms. She tried hoping in a slight twisting motion, sadly that only drew a couple laughs from the surrounding Death Eaters. After two more failed attempts at disapparating, she was forced to opt for a desperate hop escape. Which unsurprisingly, failed. The first person to grab her was Rowle. He came from the front and wrapped his arms around her to try and pick her up, it was easy to bite down on his shoulder. He yelped and threw her back down on the floor as she took a chunk clean out of him.

Next she decided to scoot to Lucius using him to stand up, knowing full well he would grab her. Also knowing he wouldn't be much of a challenge to escape.

She was wrong.

It seems his anger was fuelling him, all the rage he had built up against her over the years gave him enough strength to hold on as Bellatrix twisted, jumped and let herself fall in an attempt to free herself.

"Would appreciate a little help here." Lucius grunted out as Bellatrix pushed herself into his chest and suddenly pulled away..

Yaxley smiled, he had just learned a new spell and was happy for an opportunity to use it. He pointed his wand towards the leg of the struggling woman and only hoped he wouldn't hit Malfoy. The first light blue hex hit the ground near the struggling pair's feet.

"Really?" Lucius exclaimed angrily. Yaxley just snorted and pointed his wand a second time.

This time the hex hit its target, Bellatrix gave a small yell and collapsed, trying in vain to get purchase on her now one good leg. A victory for Yaxley, the woman who didn't yell during a cruciatus curse performed by the Dark Lord just yelled in pain. It was a particularly painful spell, meant to make one of the bones in the targeted area disappear, and the other shatter. But his excitement turned to disbelief as the pig-headed woman still managed to stand, lean heavily on her captor and headbutt him.

Seeing this the Lestranges grabbed her arms and tried to keep her still but Bellatrix knew she couldn't give up yet. The magical binding was wearing off, her right leg was now useless but she still had hope that she could apparate away if she could only get her wand.

She felt Lucy momentarily pull away and took the opportunity to try and wrench herself from the brothers, but they held firm. Then she felt her sister's husband sneak his arms around her, his left tightly around her waist while his right snuck underneath her right arm and pressed a cool cloth to her face. She struggled harder as soon as she smelled that first whiff of sweet-smelling fluid. Shaking her head back and forth, she did manage to turn her hand away from the cloth and gulp in a breath of fresh air before the cloth was once again pressed against her face. Lucius' grip was tighter this time- pressing her head against his chest.

This time her efforts proved to be fruitless, and now she was getting fatigued as she had stopped breathing when she had identified the drug. She let herself go limp against Lucius to conserve her remaining energy. She felt herself grow nauseous as she felt his erection on her lower back. The slimy bastard was obviously enjoying himself. Luckily she had emptied her stomach earlier, otherwise she may have choked to death on vomit. But there was no time to think about Lucius and his sick fantasies.

However immediately after finishing that thought, a blow knocked the wind out of her, Rabastan had let go of her arm and kneed her in the upper abdomen. It was probably obvious even to these idiots that she had stopped breathing.

It might not have been a particularly painful blow compared to other injuries she had received over the years but it had her involuntarily draw in a couple of breaths. And by the time she had noticed what she had done, it was already too late, she was feeling dizzy and the world had begun to blur. She gave one last attempt at freedom. The dark witch tried to bite Malfoy's hand through the cloth, pressing her body forward. The three men holding compensated for the shift and if Lucius felt her bite, he didn't react. The drug tasted horrible, sweet but disgusting. She closed her mouth and realized something: she had lost. The fight left Bellatrix, she was in pain, exhausted and scared, she couldn't fight any longer. So the best she could do was slump against her captors and let the darkness envelope her.

She desperately hoped that this fight and the following sensation of being picked up and carried had all been a product of her imagination.