Disclaimer: It's JK Rowling's world, I'm just playing in it.
Please read this note for some background… Just a short little one-shot in some random AU in my head…
In this AU, the events of OoTP have occurred with the exception that Sirius lives. If you remember, all of the Death Eaters present at the Department of Mysteries were captured (minus Bellatrix, obviously) and that group included Rodolphus and Rabastan. Also, in this world bouncing around in my head, Bellatrix and Rodolphus are very much a happy Death Eater couple – Bella is Voldemort's favorite DE, but I'm choosing to ignore the sexual insinuations (though she's still a little slavish, because hey, that's post-Azkaban Bellatrix). Also, I'm using the actual birthdates from HarryPotter Lexicon, and assuming the Rodolphus is older than Bella (which makes sense since Mr. Lestrange was Voldemort's schoolmate) and Rabastan is younger than Rodolphus.
Thank you!
If there was one thing that could be said about the Second Wizarding War, it would be that both sides made many mistakes – it just so happened that the Dark Side's errors were more impactful.
The Order of the Phoenix tended to not make big mistakes.
Sirius Black had fallen just to the left of the Veil of Death, Stunned two feet away from his demise. Kingsley and Tonks had escaped from the Dark Lord's protégé with no fatal wounds. The Department of Mysteries had conveniently taken out several Death Eaters, no dueling required. All in all, the Order was very lucky.
So, they were long overdue.
Because for whatever reason, they decided that it would be a good idea to drag the Lestrange brothers out of Azkaban for some insight into the Dark Lord's plans.
And following in stereotypical Order protocol, they felt that the most secure place for their prisoners was within the bowels of Hogwarts, under Dumbledore's watchful eye.
Their little mistakes would add up quickly.
One day in late August, close to the start of term, the Order had decided to try another interrogation session. Considering the lapse in security at Grimmauld Place thanks to Kreacher's contact with Narcissa and Bellatrix, the group of witches and wizards sat in a semicircle of chairs procured in the Great Hall. The room seemed enormous without the customary House tables lining its expanse, the ceiling gloomily overcast.
Numerous sets of eyes watched as Sirius and Lupin corralled the two notorious men into the room, their hands encased in chains. Heavily, they were shoved into chairs and secured.
"What the hell?"
None other than the Boy-Who-Lived had spoken, his bright green eyes wide in incredulity.
"Death Eaters, mate," Ron muttered.
"The Lestranges," Hermione had quietly replied, her gaze locked on the two criminals sitting before her.
"We have names, you know."
The Golden Trio jerked their heads towards the deep baritone voice that had spoken.
The brother on the left had a smirk lazily playing on his face, the other rolling his eyes like he was used to the antics.
"Can it, Rod," Sirius snipped, wand still in hand.
Harry thought the man on the left to be relatively intimidating. He was bulky and hardened with muscle, well over six feet tall. His golden eyes glinted dangerously from under his shaggy brown hair, his mouth surrounded by a matching short beard. On the right, the brother was a bit lankier but as equally tall, with the same eyes and hair, though he lacked the facial hair that his brother had. The few months that the men had spent outside of Azkaban had obviously done them well – Harry could only imagine what they would've looked like in their prime.
Probably the epitome of pureblood aristocracy, he scoffed in his head.
"You're still ten years my junior, Sirius. Do you really think I'm inclined to listen to you?" The same man had spoken, his voice echoing in the relatively empty hall.
"Well, you two are our prisoners, so yes."
"Here's where we roll our eyes." The other brother had replied in a slightly higher pitched voice.
"Kindly stop."
Everyone's head craned around to find Dumbledore strolling into the room, McGonagall tailing behind him.
"Rodolphus," he inclined his head to the brother on the left, "and Rabastan, pleasure to see you again."
"I'm sure, Dumbledore."
A shock of pink hair stood up from her chair. "Professor, can we just get onto business?"
"Is that my niece? Silly question, who else would willingly have that hair. Nymphadora, I'm disappointed that I've received no greeting!"
Tonks steadfastly ignored her uncle, but Lupin sighed exasperatedly. "Will you just give it a rest already?"
Harry chose this point to voice his wonderings. "Professor Dumbledore, why are they even here?"
Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes landed on Harry, and he smiled. "That's the question of the day, Harry. Perhaps Miss Granger has the answer to your query?"
"Well," Hermione began, "the Lestrange trio is well-known for being in You-Know-Who's Inner Circle. I would assume that the only possible use you would have from removing them from Azkaban would be to glean some information."
"Partially correct."
"Only partially?" Ron asked.
"She's not going to come charging in after us, that's a silly thought." Rabastan interjected.
"Yes, touching, but slightly ridiculous." Rodolphus agreed.
Hermione's jaw dropped a little, and she turned to completely face the dozen or so adults in the Order.
"What, Hermione? What are they talking about?" Harry hissed under his breath.
"You were trying to lure Bellatrix Lestrange out? To bait her?" Hermione exclaimed in a voice much higher than normal. Harry couldn't decide if she was aghast at the thought of willingly facing Bellatrix or the idea that her role models were employing such underhanded tactics.
Ron got over his shock quickly enough.
"Wait, didn't we decide that she was in love with You-Know-Who anyways?"
"Excuse me, I am sitting right here, you know."
"Yeah, no one cares, Roddy, old boy," Sirius grinned at his cousin-in-law.
"If that's the case then, can we get on with the information garnering session? I'm growing awfully bored of your lot's company," Rabastan said.
"That was so pointless!" Harry exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.
"Why couldn't Dumbledore just use Legilimency?"
"Because, Ron," Hermione sighed. "If he would try to force his way past their Occlumency shields, he could damage their minds, especially since they would resist."
"But Snape never hurt my head when he tried to teach me last year?"
"I did ask Professor Dumbledore about that. Apparently it's a little different when the victim of the mental attack is well-trained. And of course, Azkaban frazzled a lot of their minds as it is. I suppose it's complicated."
And that was detrimental to the Order's luck.
The summer had been relatively low-key for Voldemort's forces – no major players on either side were further apprehended or killed.
Lucky stroke for the Order.
But then the dementors deserted Azkaban.
And that meant that all of the Death Eaters who were captured during the Department of Mysteries debacle were once again available to Voldemort.
Which also meant that Voldemort knew that Rodolphus and Rabastan had been moved somewhere via the Order.
Bellatrix didn't like that.
One afternoon, in the parlor of the first floor of Malfoy Manor, she sat with her Lord, sipping tea spiked with Firewhiskey.
"My Lord, please, let me-"
"Enough, Bella. Your concerns do not go unheard, that I can assure you. I require your husband and brother-in-law's services very much."
"Thank you, my Lord, thank you!" She exclaimed, bowing her head reverently.
"When I have thought of something, I will call – unless, of course, you think to have a plan before that."
Draco Malfoy picked a very unfortunate time to walk by the parlor.
The subsequent interrogation of the Lestrange brothers didn't take place until after the start of term, late in autumn.
The Order had assembled in a classroom on the sixth floor, charmed and warded as to prevent any unwanted attentions from late-night wanderers. Dumbledore had personally escorted the Death Eaters to the room, slamming the door behind him with a powerful burst of magic and removing their Disillusionment charms.
"Welcome, everyone, and thank you for coming. Severus and I have been working through the memories we were able to successfully extract from these two-"
"-and what, Professor?" Harry interrupted eagerly.
Snape let his withering gaze drift over to the brothers. Harry had seen many a student cower under that look, he himself did at one point in time. Rodolphus merely quirked an eyebrow, cool and calm.
This action stirred a brief memory for Harry, when he had dipped into the Pensieve during his fourth year. He recalled the trial of the Lestranges and Barty Crouch, Jr. How Bellatrix had sat upon her chair like it was a throne, proudly proclaiming her faith. The man who he now knew to be Rodolphus had just stared blankly through the court, and Rabastan had been slightly nervous, with roving eyes, but both had remained firm in their allegiance to Lord Voldemort.
Apparently, Azkaban had done nothing to change that.
Throughout the slew of sessions, Rodolphus had remained stoic, calm, collected – nothing seemed to rattle him. Rabastan had become increasingly fidgety, but he too remained tightlipped. Harry had briefly commented on this to Ron and Hermione, with Ron responding, "Of course this doesn't faze him, he's bloody married to Bellatrix. This is probably a walk in the park!"
Snape's oily voice snapped Harry back to the present.
"While I have seen more of Rodolphus and Bellatrix than I will have ever needed to see, we've gained next to no insight on the other side's plans."
A loud guffaw echoed in the classroom, its source being none other than Sirius.
"Something funny, Black?" Snape spoke menacingly.
"Just surprised at that first comment, Snivellus. Lord knows that I walked in on them more than I can bother to count – they were never particularly discrete, nor did they care to be. I figured that they'd be shagging around every corner at Death Eater headquarters after Azkaban!"
"Sirius, you know how prudish Snape… Bella could have prostrated herself to him – not that she ever would, mind you – and he would refuse for that mudblood!"
Harry bristled at the insult directed at his mother but quickly settled. He recalled Sirius telling him how swimmingly he and Rodolphus had gotten alone before he left the Blacks behind. Their light banter certainly indicated that. Certainly the two purebloods had no shame, at least not when discussing Bellatrix.
"Well, I mean, she still is my-"
"I'd like to think that it's the fact that she's a despicable cow."
Snape's insult seemed to cause something to switch on in the brothers – Rodolphus had gone from joking with Sirius in one moment to glaring murderously at Snape the next, while Rabastan had begun to spew out defenses of his sister-in-law and insults towards Snape.
"Gentlemen! Enough!" Dumbledore held up his hands to indicate his displeasure.
The old wizard grasped his long, crooked nose with his fingers, eyes shut. "I apologize for calling everyone here. This meeting has gotten off to a rough start and will probably be exceedingly unproductive."
With a grand flourish of his wand, the Lestranges disappeared, locked away in their room once more.
"Well if Snape hadn't felt the need to insult Bellabitch, maybe we could have gotten somewhere!"
"Please, Sirius," Dumbledore intoned. "It is after the fact."
As people began to gather their things, Hermione's voice rang throughout the room. "Professor, perhaps we can do something so that the meeting hasn't been to waste?"
"Yes, Miss Granger?"'
Hermione looked to Harry and Ron, who both nodded at her. "We want to know some background on the Lestranges. What has made us focus on them, and not, say, Lucius Malfoy?"
Dumbledore shared a look with McGonagall before answering. "That is a reasonable request. And smart, knowing one's enemies." He rearranged the desks and chairs into a large circle, and choosing a seat, stated, "Let's begin then. You three are not the only ones who do not know everything. In fact, very few people here know of the Lestranges outside of their publicized crimes."
"Um, well… Where do we even begin?" Harry stammered.
"I'll offer you some Black family history, then," Sirius started darkly. "My dear cousin was the eldest of three, born in 1951. Two years later came Andromeda, then two more years produced Narcissa. I was born in late 1959, so obviously I haven't got any memories of childhood Bellatrix. I don't have any real memories until I was about six, so she was already well into her Hogwarts career. She was apathetic, played the part of the perfect pureblood daughter until she left Hogwarts. Then, a year later, she was married and in the service of the Dark Lord. I was at Hogwarts for most of this, pretty separated from her."
The members of the Order waited with bated breath for him to continue.
He didn't.
"That's it?" Ron asked, shocked.
"Maybe I can fill in some of those blanks?" Dumbledore suggested with his signature twinkle in his eye. "While I cannot attest for any of the Lestranges' childhoods, I can say that they were model Slytherins. I think Bellatrix may have been the quickest student to have ever been sorted. They had their fair shares of detentions but also glories. Alas, I was not yet Headmaster when they attended the school, but I do know that Rodolphus and Rabastan were quite the Quidditch players. And as a teacher, I could tell you that Bellatrix and Rodolphus were the model pureblooded couple. Despite their two year difference, they appeared to be quite taken with one another for their entire careers. Rabastan, who was in Bellatrix's year, shared a sibling-like bond with Bellatrix, so they were quite the trio. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, Bellatrix had some of the highest marks in her year, not that the Lestranges were anything to scoff at either."
"I suppose I can add to that," Sirius muttered.
"Please do. Albus can only say so much, but you most certainly knew things that we could not," McGonagall replied.
"Where to start? Bella and Rod were everything that the Blacks and Lestranges could hope for them to be. I had never disliked Bellatrix, in fact, we got on relatively well. Better than Narcissa, not quite as well as Andromeda – but I suppose the eight year age gap was partially to blame. As I've already told Harry, I got along with Rodolphus splendidly; and he was most definitely Regulus's role model. I knew about their darker tendencies – it was no secret among my family, hence part of the reason why I left."
"And now," Dumbledore interjected, "we get to the most important parts. From several testimonies, including Severus's valuable position in Voldemort's ranks, I have a rough timeline of the Lestranges' involvement. First and foremost, Bellatrix was trained by Voldemort himself, a protégé. My sources indicate that this could have begun as early as her sixth year at Hogwarts – either way, she was almost always his right hand woman. The Lestrange brothers were apparently Marked as soon as they left Hogwarts, meaning that Rodolphus's marriage to Bellatrix only further boosted them in Voldemort's ranks. By the outbreak of the First War, the Lestrange trio was by far the closest to Voldemort and his plans. Like the Malfoys, however, they maintained a rather well-respected position in society, until, of course, they were caught red-handed at the Longbottom estate."
"But Professor," Hermione began, "while I understand that they are valuable to You-Know-Who, why did we even bother?"
Here Dumbledore sighed. "Perhaps it is an old man's mistake, Miss Granger. I had thought that they were weaker than they are- I have undoubtedly been proved wrong."
Bellatrix shifted uncomfortably in her bed. An empty pillow greeted her.
If he was in Azkaban, it would be one thing. She would have let him stay incarcerated for a while, let him get the message that she was angry at his failure, then would lead a mission from her Lord to break him out.
But he wasn't in Azkaban.
He was at Hogwarts, in Dumbledore's and the Order's hands.
His pillow still held his scent as Bellatrix clutched it to her, breathing him in.
She wanted her husband.
She didn't like Dumbledore.
She should've killed Sirius, hell with the Stunners.
She wanted Rodolphus.
She hoped that her Lord had a plan soon.
Of course he would, he is great.
She needed Rodolphus.
She needed her husband, and soon she would take matters into her own hands.
The mistakes were adding up.
Bellatrix always got what she wanted.
Bellatrix wanted Rodolphus.
The fall quickly ebbed into winter, and while the Golden Trio focused on their studies, they constantly had the brothers Lestrange on the back of their minds.
"Why are why even bothering?" Harry finally exclaimed one afternoon after a particularly foul Potions class.
"I don't know. Maybe Dumbledore thinks it's past the point of no return – if he takes them back to Azkaban, You-Know-Who gets them and potentially valuable information about the Order."
"Well maybe he should of thought of that before taking away two of the most wanted wizards in the world!" Harry testily snapped.
"Mate, it's not her fault," Ron interjected.
"I know, I just… Sorry, 'Mione."
"It's fine."
As they continued down the corridors, Ron tried to lift the mood. "Hey, look at it this way, at least Malfoy's still sick! That means we don't have to deal with the slimy git for at least another week!"
Harry cracked a half-hearted smile. "Yeah!"
"My Lord, master, I have it!"
Lord Voldemort raised his eyes up from his book to stare at his favorite Death Eater. She had burst through the door rather suddenly, her breast heaving from the sudden exertion. If it had been anyone else, he would have already sent a crucio their way. But as it was, Bella was his precious protégé, his best lieutenant.
He settled for an exasperated sigh. "What is it, Bella?"
"Draco!"
"Don't you think Malfoy has been acting odd these past few days?"
"What? The fact that he all of the sudden has the correct answers to questions in class?"
"Yeah. It's… weird."
"Listen, Hermione, sometimes other people can answer correctly."
"Ron, it isn't that!" Hermione responded hotly. "Harry agrees with me… Right, Harry?"
Caught like a deer in headlights, Harry could only gape. "Um… er… sure?"
As they moved into the Great Hall for dinner, Harry thought he saw a shock of blond hair peel away from the normal Slytherin group. He's probably just ill again.
Dinner continued to be an uneventful affair, with the normal owls coming to drop off the Evening Prophet. As dessert started to wrap up, Harry watched as Dumbledore's eyes quickly snapped up to stare at the closed doors that lead out to the Grand Staircase.
He nudged Ron and Hermione, could have sworn he saw Dumbledore mouth "no," and then watched in awe as Dumbledore stood and swept his wand in an arc, throwing the large doors open with a bang.
Those who remained in the Hall looked in awe as Draco Malfoy lead two men down the stairs, jumping into the larger man's arms, and melted away to reveal a woman. Her long black hair cascaded down her back in shiny waves, her body thin but voluptuous.
Harry shuddered as he realized that that was Bellatrix Lestrange. She certainly looked markedly improved since last May.
For a stunned second, the Hall watched as she pulled her husband into a passionate kiss. Then Rabastan looked their way, and whipped out his wand to send a Stunner into the Great Hall.
The husband and wife duo broke apart, Bellatrix giving a mad cackle as she watched Dumbledore storm towards them, casting protective spells over his students as he went.
"Clever, Bellatrix. To think that young Mr. Malfoy has probably been holed up in the Slytherin dormitories this whole time…"
"Save it, Dumbeldore. You should have known better," Bellatrix snarled, one hand pointing a wand towards Dumbledore, the other still clenched in her husband's robes.
Rodolphus let loose a deep chuckle, one arm wrapped around his wife. "I suppose that I was wrong. We both were, Rab."
Dumbledore heaved a deep sigh. "You won't be leaving this castle, I'm afraid."
"It seems we disagree on something yet again."
The Golden Trio made to get up, but Dumbledore's enchantments held strong, rendering all students to their places in the Great Hall. McGonagall had sprung up behind him, passing over the threshold into the room with the Lestranges and Dumbledore, before the doors slammed shut with a wicked snap.
Hidden away in his corner of the staff table, Snape stored his wand back in his robes, his colleagues none the wiser – let them think one of the Lestranges closed the doors. The Dark Lord would know that he did his part; now, it was up to Bellatrix to finish the mission.
He heard sputters to his right, as Flitwick and Sprout called down the table. "Death Eaters, in the castle? Severus, did Albus tell you about this?"
"No idea."
No one really knew how the Lestranges got away, but what the Golden Trio did know that was soon after the doors shut, Dumbledore's spells gave way, allowing everyone to move. As Harry bolted to the entrance, he found Dumbledore hunched over, McGonagall strewn across the floor.
Wasting no time, he hurried to the headmaster. "Professor, are you alright?"
Shakily straightening his spectacles, he focused on Harry. "I'm fine, Harry, thank you. Not as quick as I used to be, though the scales were tipped in their favor. Ah, Miss Granger, if you could please wake Professor McGonagall up… I fear there is going to be quite the media storm we will have to deal with."
As the rest of the students started to file out of the Hall to return to their dormitories, Harry spotted it – a small black bag, the remnants of what was the Weasley's Peruvian Instant Darkness powder. Stalking over it, he snatched it off the ground.
"What is it?"
"I think, Ron," Harry began heatedly, "that your brothers sold a disguised Death Eater their darkness powder."
After all, the Order did make plenty of little mistakes, such as selling Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes products to Glamoured lower echelon Death Eaters.
"My Lord, my Lord, here they are!"
Bellatrix skipped into the sitting room, twirling crazily before throwing herself at Voldemort's feet. Rodolphus gave a bemused smile, kneeling with Rabastan.
"You may rise. Work well done, Bella." With his beaming Bella pacified, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, he turned his attention to the remaining Lestranges. "I am pleased to have your services available again. But first," Voldemort conjured a sofa with a wave of his hand, "I want to know everything."
A few hours later, Rabastan and Rodolphus walked out of the room, Bellatrix milling about the hallway behind them.
"That was exhausting, but good. As long as it helped the Master."
Rodolphus nodded his agreement, taking his wand out. The Lestranges gathered together, and with a crack, appeared at their namesake's manor.
The outside was still a mess of previously landscaped features, but the house itself still shone, the Lestrange house-elves continuing their duties even during multiple Azkaban stints.
Entering the main hall, the trio nodded to the portrait of Rodolphus and Rabastan's parents, where their father sat reading one of the books that had been painted with him, their mother dozing away on his shoulder.
Once they made their way upstairs, Rabastan looked around. "Nice to be home."
"I heard Priscila Parkinson is recently widowed," Bellatrix stated. Rodolphus look at his wife, arching an eyebrow at what appeared to be yet another random comment.
"What can I say, my aim was off after Azkaban… though I doubt Pris minded," Rabastan smugly replied. "If you need me, that's where I'll be."
The husband and wife cocked their heads at Rabastan as he turned down the hallway to his quarters, presumably to freshen up.
"I forgot how close you and Rab were… Or rather, I never knew what happened in the two years when you two had Hogwarts to yourselves."
"Mhmm," Bellatrix responded absent-mindedly, eyes drifting down the hall where their bedroom was.
With a grin, Rodolphus gripped her arm. "Let's go, witch."
After their reunion was said and done, multiple times, Bellatrix lay draped over Rodolphus, lazily tracing circles on his chest. Eyes shut, Rodolphus pressed a kiss onto her tangles of black hair.
"I missed you, Rod." Bellatrix quietly mumbled into his chest.
Knowing that that was the most he would get out of his wife tonight before she drifted to sleep, Rodolphus simply smiled and pulled her closer.
"Now, I think we can all agree… We want no prisoners-"
"Especially the Lestranges," Ron chimed in.
"Especially them," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "Chances are those that we capture alive will not know anything of importance. Complete our mission, defend yourselves accordingly, and good luck."
And so the Second Wizarding War played on.