It was a stormy night, she remembered that much. There was a moment when she had seen the moon through the tops of the trees, before the clouds and passed over it and released their rain over the small town in Northern England. She would never forget the way it looked, before the clouds covered it's glowing face. The rest was a blur, but that moment remains vivid in her mind. You would think that the night that her parents died would be entirely like that moment but no, it was all a blur. If Bellatrix Lestrange was capable of being honest, then perhaps she would have at least let herself know that in all honesty she simply didn't want to remember, but she wasn't honest even with herself.
She had to rely on her sisters, Andromeda and Narcissa for the details. They had sneaked out, it had all been Bella's idea, it always was. Cissy would follow her older sister to the moon and back, at only seven she was happy to go along with her sisters plans still only observing the world before she took her stance in it. Andi was older and had different ideas, but she was more peaceful then her elder sister and felt it her duty to keep the volatile Bella out of trouble. Many times Bella had wondered what would have happened if the sisters had stayed home, rather than running towards the edge of their family's estate where the carefully kept gardens turned wild and trees sprung up.
She couldn't help it, she was about to go back for her fourth year at Hogwarts, she was certain that anyone would go insane in that place, especially without the occasional burst of rebellion. One night of freedom, just one before she returned to nine months of dusty books and teachers who glared down their pointy noses when she spoke out of turn, or forgot some tedious little fact. One night to run wild, imagining she was the wind, that raced through the air, causing the leaves in the trees to rustle, and yet still unable to reach the stars.
It was near two in the morning when they had returned home to find their parents dead. Narcissa had screamed, Andromeda had held her, while Bellatrix ran to call the ministry of magic. The next day Headmaster Dumbledore arrived, he told them that next summer they would go home and stay with their Uncle Orion and his two little boys. In the mean time he was going to take them to school a week early. They couldn't even attend the funeral.
And now as Andromeda sat calmly by the window, awaiting the sight of the lanterns leading boats across the lake, and Narcissa obsessed over her books. Bellatrix simply paced. She couldn't stand the thought of all those people, even those who she called friend, surrounding her, suffocating her with their pity.
"You'll ware out the carpet," said Andromeda. Bellatrix spun to look at her sister. The younger girl hadn't even turned to address her.
"Oh of course! We've been orphaned and I'm trapped in this cold dusty castle, and you're worried about the carpet!" she snapped.
"Bella, be reasonable, there's not a thing that pacing will do to help the situation," said Andromeda.
A knock came from the door before Bellatrix had time to respond, the young teacher Professor McGonagall stuck her head in. "Girls it's time to come down the other students will be arriving in just a few minutes.
The sisters looked back and forth between each other. Bellatrix took a deep breath. "Okay I can do this" she though to herself, another year at Hogwarts, I get the drill, I can handle this." But she wasn't ready for this, she didn't know it then, but something was stirring, and she had a destiny she was meant to fulfill.