Disclaimer - Harry Potter is owned by J.K Rowling
A/N-
QLFC Prompt BEATER 2: Bellatrix Lestrange
Additional prompts - (word) harm, (word) evoke, (word) rich
Word Count: 1787
Legacy
It was a cold winter night. In one of the darkest corners of Hogwarts, Bellatrix Lestrange stared at her pale blue, transparent hands. She couldn't believe what she was - what she had become. Once the most feared witches in Britain, she was now reduced to a good-for-nothing spectre. The worst part was that she didn't know how everything had turned out this way. She remembered fighting that hag, then everything had gone blank.
She heard someone's footsteps and immediately went into defence mode. She knew very well that she couldn't physically harm anyone, but at least she could scare them off.
Just then, a girl emerged from the shadows. She had blonde hair with blue tips and brown eyes. For some reason, she resembled Cissy, and her appearance evoked a strange emotion with Bellatrix. How could a stranger resemble her sister so much?
Bellatrix gritted her teeth and spoke in her harshest tone. "What the hell you want? Go away."
But the girl wasn't fazed. She stared at Bellatrix as if she had two heads - as it Bellatrix were the strange one. Bellatrix felt uncomfortable under her gaze.
"Stop staring at me, bitch!"
The girl just shook her head."You — you're Bellatrix Lestrange. You were one of his followers."
Bellatrix didn't like how the girl referred to her in the past tense. Deciding that she wasn't worth her time, she turned around to leave, but the girl called out before she could.
"Wait! Won't you tell me your story?"
Bellatrix spun around and glared at her. How dare this brat call her life a story?
"There isn't any story. My life is a legacy; I've devoted it to the Dark Lord. Do you think you're worthy of such knowledge? You aren't a mudblood, are you?" Bellatrix asked. The girl scoffed and pulled out a locket which had the crest of House of Black upon it. Bellatrix was shocked to see it.
"So?" the girl said.
Bellatrix didn't know why, but she started to tell her everything, evoking both her proud and not so proud memories.
Eight-year-old Bellatrix stood outside a room with her family. Uncle Orion was pacing while her own father had an unreadable expression on his face. Just then, the door opened and a mediwitch came out. She went straight to Orion and bowed at him.
"Congratulations, Lord Black; it's a boy," she said. A huge smile spread across Orion's usually serious face as he gave her a pouch full of galleons.
As the mediwitch left, both Andromeda and Narcissa ran in to see the new baby, but Bellatrix stayed back. She saw Uncle Orion addressing her father.
"As I now have a male heir, there's no doubt as to who my successor will be." With that, Orion forcefully took Cygnus's family ring and pocketed it. He then called Kreacher and instructed him to prepare for a huge feast.
When Orion left, Cygnus faced his wife angrily. "This is all your fault! Because of you, I'll never inherit the title of Head of the House of Black. You failed me."
He stormed away without another word. Bellatrix looked at her mother, who was visibly upset. Druella just gave her weak smile and patted her head.
"Go in; don't you want to see the new baby?" she asked.
Bellatrix stubbornly shook her head.
"Why not?" Druella asked.
"Because I wish it harm. I hate the baby and I hate Uncle Orion and I hope it dies!" she shouted and stormed away.
She was beginning to realise that although the Blacks were a rich family that could afford lavish feasts and beautiful clothing, money was not everything. Power, purity, and magic mattered more than any riches they might have. In one cruel move, Uncle Orion had stolen the power and responsibility that Father rightly deserved.
Bellatrix stood with her head held high in Dumbledore's office, looking like she was unaffected by the accusations that had been levelled against her. The other girl was obviously terrified. Dumbledore fixed her with a glance. Though he was fully aware of her activities, he seemed to be want to hear it from her.
"Miss Black, is it true that you were constantly harassing and bullying Miss Turner on the basis of her blood status?" Dumbledore asked.
Bellatrix flashed her teeth in a smile and spoke with an overly sugary voice. "Oh Headmaster, do you think I would taint my family name by stooping so low as to physically attack a mud — muggle-born?"
Dumbledore didn't miss the slip, so he pressed further. "But Miss Black, the house-elves don't agree with this. They said they've seen you bullying Miss Turner."
Bellatrix's eyes twitched as she clenched her fist. "Maybe those good-for-nothing knuckleheads need to get their eyes checked," she hissed, losing her calm demeanour. As if he'd punish her on the word of a house-elf - there would be outrage from the pureblood parents. After all 'when money speaks the truth is silent' and in the hands of rich purebloods, a liberal application of galleons would evoke a sense of forgiveness in anyone with sense.
Sadly, Dumbledore was not sensible.
He sighed. "I see. Bullying is unacceptable, Miss Black. We do not condone this sort of behaviour here at Hogwarts. Do not do it again."
Bellatrix gritted her teeth but did not reply.
"Very well," Dumbledore said, a frown upon his face. "If you have no more to say, then the both of you may go."
The other girl ran out immediately. When Bellatrix was about to leave, Dumbledore added a final word.
"Miss Black, I will be sending a letter to your family."
Bellatrix just groaned and left. Outside, she saw that mudblood — Shelly or Shelby whatever her name was — heading towards the Hufflepuff common room. She sprinted forward to catch up. Grabbing her shoulder in a painful grip, Bellatrix forcefully turned her around. The girl's eyes went wide with horror.
"You filthy, disgusting mudblood. You dared to report me to Dumbledore!" She slapped the other girl with the intent to cause harm, leaving an imprint on her cheek.
With great struggle, the mudblood was able to pull free from Bellatrix's hold. Once free, she started to run in the opposite direction with Bellatrix hot on her heels, throwing hexes at her.
"Run as much you want, mudblood, but you can't escape me. I'll make your life hell!" Bellatrix shouted gleefully.
"I don't understand. If you don't love him, why are you marrying him?" Andromeda asked as Bellatrix fixed her veil.
Bellatrix was wearing a medieval style wedding gown that was trimmed with gold lace, pearls, and beautiful embroidery. She looked at herself in the mirror and felt no emotion. This wedding was an obligation, nothing else. Once the veil was in place, she turned to face Andromeda. "I'm fulfilling my responsibility."
"You can't sacrifice your own happiness to please Mother and Father. I can't imagine marrying a man whom I don't love," Andromeda argued.
Narcissa nodded with a noise of agreement.
"I will do my duty." Bellatrix faced her sisters and spoke in a cold tone. "If either of you disgraces the family, I'll kill you."
Later that evening, in front of her friends and family, Bellatrix recited the vows that would bind her to Rodolphus Lestrange.
"I, Bellatrix, take thee, Rodolphus, as my lawful wedded husband from this day and until death does us part." There was no love, devotion or dedication in those words. They were just words; empty words. He'd been picked for her by her father, for his family were rich and of pure blood. She did not care for him, but such was like. At least if he harmed her she would curse him, an area in which she was well-practised.
That night, Bellatrix laid still as Rodolphus consummated their marriage. When he was finished, she just stared at the ceiling without saying a word.
Bellatrix had never met someone so enigmatic, so full of charisma and power. The Dark Lord truly was something else. He looked at her with glowing eyes, but she didn't cower.
"What can you do to prove your loyalty, Mrs Lestrange?" Voldemort asked in his snake-like voice.
"Anything," was her reply. "I am rich, I am clever; my power is your to command, my Lord."
When she killed someone for the first time, it was very overwhelming for her. When she entered his headquarters, Voldemort wasn't pleased.
"You actually killed the man! I wanted him alive," Voldemort hissed.
She just grinned, which only made him angrier. He pulled out his wand and hexed her. Bellatrix cried in pain and looked at her master with wide eyes.
"If you disobey me again, I'll skin you alive, Bellatrix," Voldemort warned her before leaving with his snake.
As Bellatrix looked on, she decided that she'd never disappointed Dark Lord again. No matter how he harmed her she would serve him faithfully.
"I've driven people insane, disowned my brood-traitor sister, and killed her daughter. I've done everything to save my family from disgrace. But who would've thought I would get defeated by a blood-traitor? That fucking Molly Weasley!" Bellatrix shouted.
The girl listened carefully.
"Don't you have any regrets?" she asked.
Bellatrix just scoffed.
The girl was about to leave when Bellatrix spoke.
"You haven't told me your name."
The girl just smiled sadly.
"Delphi — uh, Delphini. Delphini Bellatrix Lestrange."
Bellatrix's dead eyes went huge, and she was immediately by her side. She attempted to touch Delphi, but her hands went through her. For the first time in her life, she wanted to cry. She wanted to show emotions; she wanted to embrace her daughter. But she was helpless.
"You aren't a Lestrange," she said instead.
Delphini nodded in agreement.
"No, I'm not. But I can't forget the man who raised me," she said.
Despite the love growing within her, Bellatrix's blood boiled to hear that. Just what was her daughter trying to say?
"Are you here to tell me how great a father Rodolphus is?" Bellatrix asked sarcastically.
Delphini just shook her head. "No. But, do you know anything about an ancient artefact that could bring people back from the dead? Finding out this knowledge is the reason I evoked you spirit into the land of the living."
Bellatrix's was shocked into silence. She'd not heard of any artefact of the kind. Could it mean…? Before Bellatrix could answer, Delphini cut her off, a smirk appearing on her face.
"Don't worry yourself. I know a boy who can give me more information. You obviously know nothing."
With that, Delphi loosened her tie and unbuttoned her shirt while walking in the opposite direction.
Bellatrix grinned. Finally, her legacy could live on.