A/N: This story was written as a birthday present (Chapter 1 finished a few days after the day, unfortunately) for a friend of me. Though it was only intended to be a simple one-shot, it seems to have good potential. This means that while I'm not going to update it too often, unless there is a large amount of people wishing me to do so, I will continue to slowly add chapters to it. My main work will be the Post-HBP novel length fic I am going to begin writing shortly after this is uploaded. This story, however, is simply Post-OotP since I began writing this story prior to the release of HBP.
Disclaimer: The usual. I don't own any of the characters that appear in this story or the world itself. These all belong to JKR and her affiliates. I am merely borrowing them for some fun and as there is no profit being made, no copyright infringement is intended.
The Mission of Bellatrix Black
Chapter 1: Of Kisses and Polyjuice
"- But, but… my Lord!" choked the dark haired woman from her position kneeling on the floor. "Potter and Dumbledore! They…"
"Silence," a cold voice, devoid of emotion, replied. "You are a miserable wench, Bella. Four fifth year Hogwarts students and a couple of fourth years, and yet you and eleven others, my most trusted servants, fail in eliminating them and gaining what I desired? Crucio!" Voldemort said as his red eyes bored down upon Bellatrix Lestrange. A small and frightening smile spread across his face as he watched his most faithful servant wither in pain at the hem of his robes.
Bellatrix gasped for breath, shaking out of fear as the pain subsided from Voldemort lifting the curse. She said nothing, knowing full well that she had failed and any further comments would warrant a second embrace of pain from the Cruciatus Curse. Composing herself swiftly, she returned to her kneeling position at her Master's feet looking down at the floor to hide her tears from Voldemort. Such a weak and pathetic showing would only enrage the Dark Lord further.
"Alas Bella, though your failure is nearly absolute, I still have further need for you," Voldemort said, rising up from his throne-like seat and pacing back and forth. "Yes," he began as Bellatrix looked up to watch him pace, her tears having luckily gone unshed. "I don't dare send someone like Wormtail to do this. He lacks certain… enthusiasm for causing pain and of course Lucius and your husband… they are now in Ministry custody… which is a waste I do agree… and that will change soon, yes soon, Bella," Voldemort continued his pacing, his black robes billowing behind him every time he turned around, as he mused out loud. At last he stopped pacing directly in front of his servant and turned to her. "Rise, Bella," he commanded softly.
Rising to her feet quickly, she snapped to attention, "Yes, Milord?"
Voldemort smiled again, slightly, which caused even his inner circle to shudder, or at least, shudder on the inside as showing it would mean certain pain and possibly death. "Very good, Bella. I have decided that we must strike quickly to insure victory. I am quite certain that the old fool and his golden boy won't expect a strike so quickly. My spy, our dear Severus Snape, has also reported that Potter and Dumbledore aren't even speaking to each other anymore. It is, in essence, the perfect time to eliminate Potter himself." Voldemort gave this time to sink in. Bellatrix stayed silent, as always. Those in the Dark Lord's service learned quickly to never speak out of turn. "Snape has also informed me that Potter won't be staying out of reach for more than a day this summer. Apparently, my young nemesis feels the need to put himself in harm's way again to go stay with his friends… yes Bella, the Weasleys," he said, noticing the glint in her eyes. "I know you'd like a chance for some fun with them, and, once you complete the main mission, you are free to do with them as you wish. That, Bella, is our opportunity for victory, or rather, your opportunity for redemption and to regain my favor."
The woman stiffened slightly. "As you command, Milord," she replied swiftly.
"Good. Go and kill Potter by any means necessary," Voldemort said with a wave of his hand, signaling his dismissal.
Bowing obediently, Bellatrix Lestrange turned and headed towards the exit of the room. As she opened the door of the Riddle House's library, she heard Voldemort's voice calling after her. "Oh, and Bella, you know what will happen if you fail me again." Shuddering slightly, she stepped out of the room and closed the door.
Still not sure how she had escaped death, Bellatrix immediately made her way down the hall to the stairwell and headed down a flight of stairs to the landing between the second and first floors. She bent over at the middle, clutching her chest with her arms and let out a large shudder as the pain from the Cruciatus Curse still burning away the tips of her nerves. She knew that she was lucky to escape being on the receiving end of an Avada Kedavra in that meeting and had already promised herself not to fail in this task. She continued down the stairs, heading all the way for the large basement of Voldemort's ancestral home.
Bellatrix slowly edged open the old wooden door into the basement once she reached the bottom of the stairs. She felt a lump in her throat, which she fully expected given what she was about to do. Yes, she knew that she could torture people into insanity and kill people for her own amusement, but this was a task she wasn't looking forward too. She definitely did not want to ask Severus Snape for help.
Bellatrix Lestrange, though at the time Black, had been a single year ahead of Severus Snape at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Though Snape had been part of a crowd of Slytherin students that had openly supported the Dark Lord during his first rise to power, which included her husband Rodolphus and her Brother-in-Law Rabastan, he was still quite a bit of an outcast and picked on by every house, though it was mainly by the Gryffindors.
On its own this wouldn't bother Bellatrix, but it became very apparent that in her sixth year, or Snape's fifth year, that the scrawny, outcast boy had a huge, for lack of a better word, crush, on her. Of course, being quite popular, she was already dating Rodolphus, who was part of the Noble and Pureblooded Lestrange family. Rodolphus could easily be considered the jealous type, though he had certainly never questioned Voldemort when the Dark Lord himself showed some interest in his wife over a decade earlier for fear of his life, and this tendency to protect what he thought was rightfully his would be the spark in a series of events that had led, in the end, to a huge grudge against the entire Lestrange family. Rodolphus had humiliated Snape in front of the entire Slytherin house, and then, a few years later, married Bellatrix and invited Snape to the wedding simply to gloat. It wasn't a surprise that even decades later, Severus Snape still held a heavy sense of loathing for everyone with the surname Lestrange.
"Do you need something, or are you simply trying to bother me?" snapped Severus Snape, who had noticed her arrival a second earlier.
Bellatrix shook her head slightly, clearing her thoughts and returning her mind to the present. She had a very important job, which her life depended on, to complete. This was not the time to continue petty rivalries. "No, I've come to collect a potion I need."
Snape snorted, his face twisted into a cruel smirk, "And what thinks I'll help you, Lestrange," he replied coldly, barely moving his lips.
She waved her hand dismissively. "I don't have time for your petty grudges, Snivillus," she spat, clearly baiting him. Bellatrix took pleasure in watching Snape's jaw contort oddly and his eyes flash dangerously. Waiting until the Potions Master was just opening his mouth to retort, she smirked, "And neither does the Dark Lord." She moved over to a shelf containing a bunch of already brewed potions and selected one from the shelf. Turning to Snape and seeing that he was in silent fury, watching her every move, she flashed him a smile. "Thanks Snivillus, I'll be sure to inform our Master about what a help you've been."
Severus Snape shot a look of the utmost loathing at the Lestrange's back as she excited the room before he turned back to his simmering cauldron, which was now emitting a cloud of black smoke. He swore to himself for his carelessness. "Curse that infernal woman for making me as poor of a potions brewer as Longbottom," he muttered through gritted teeth as he vanished the ruined solution with a flick of his wand.
"HARRY!" shrieked an excited voice.
Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, was immediately tackled to the ground, causing him to gasp for air as his attacker hugged him savagely. He struggled to breathe as his nose and mouth were covered by long, red hair.
"Ginny, let him breathe at least," Ron Weasley panted, clearly out of breath as well.
They stood, or lay down painfully in the case of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, on the dusty path that led up to the Burrow. Ginny detached herself with a furious blush and helped Harry up to his feet.
"It's good of Dumbledore to let you come so early!" exclaimed Hermione Granger, who had just arrived on the scene slightly slower than the two Weasleys. "I mean we all thought you would have to stay with those rotten relatives of yours until your birthday-" she stopped mid sentence as she saw Harry glaring at her furiously.
"Don't talk to me about just how good and nice Dumbledore is to me right now," Harry mumbled as he looked down, trying to keep his anger from flaring up against like it had last night when he had returned to Privet Drive.
While Harry knew that Dumbledore had done things with his best interest in mind, sometimes that just wasn't enough. After an entire year had past, Dumbledore finally let him in on some information that he should have been informed immediately of, and even then the Headmaster had waited until after Harry had led himself and five of his friends off to the Department of Mysteries to get ensnared in a trap which resulted in the death of his godfather, Sirius Black, who had come to rescue him. It was, in Harry's mind, a betrayal of trust by Dumbledore. Here he, Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, and supposedly the only one to be able to save the Wizarding World by defeating Lord Voldemort, wasn't trusted with any crucial information despite everyone assuming that he would be the one to finally defeat Voldemort. It even went as far as Dumbledore refusing to meet his gaze and ignore him for over a year.
"Wotcher, Harry," said Tonks jovially as she came up the front walk from the muggle automobile they had taken from Surrey to Ottery St. Catchpole. She was carrying Hedwig's cage in her left hand and had Harry's trunk charmed to obediently follow along on her heels hovering just a few centimeters off the ground. "You may have to tame her someday, you know," Tonks said, nudging Harry in the ribs playfully with her free arm. Ginny's face went crimson, though it was hard to tell if that was from embarrassment due to Tonks' statement or her thoughts about just how Harry would tame her.
Harry barely reacted to the Auror's nudge. He was having a very hard time keeping his anger contained and he didn't want another repeat of his outburst like in Dumbledore's office. "I s'pose'," he said, gnashing his teeth quite expertly. Snape would have been proud.
"Oh dear," sighed Tonks, her mood dampening quickly. "Well, come on, let's go inside. I'm sure Molly is dying to see you again." With that, Tonks waved her wand forward and the trunk continued its movement towards the house. Harry inclined his head ever so slightly and began moving forward towards the Burrow as Tonks moved on ahead to whisper conspiratorially with Hermione and Ginny.
Ron moved over to his side and gently grabbed his upper arm, tugging him along towards the house. "Come on, mate. Mum will be going spare if she doesn't get to see you soon."
Harry nodded again and followed closely on Ron's heels while Hermione and Ginny were a few paces ahead, amiably talking with Tonks about boys and other girl stuff, such as make-up. He couldn't help but notice that Ginny's cheeks kept flushing pink, which caused him to smile ever so slightly.
While Ginny could break through his anger and cause him to smile without even trying, Hermione was not. She doesn't even seem to care that I'm upset. Harry quickly shook his head trying to clear that comment. The last thing he wanted was to act like he was the center of the world. She's probably just upset that I nearly got her killed in the Department of Mysteries. Of course, she has a really good reason to be upset. Before he could become gloomy he was crushed in another hug that caught him by surprise by a second red head.
When he was finally released from Mrs. Weasley's crushing hug after convincing her that he was in fact fine and had assured her that his last night at the Durselys had been surprisingly peaceful, he was allowed to head upstairs to the room where he would be staying which, surprisingly enough, would have him as the only inhabitant instead of sharing a room with Ron. With the departure of Percy and the twins, Fred and George, the Burrow was quickly gaining a lot of extra space.
When he entered his room, he noticed his trunk was already at the foot of his bed and Hedwig's cage was already positioned on the top of his dresser, but it seemed, judging by the distinct lack of anything white and fluffy in the cage, that Hedwig herself was already out enjoying flying around the countryside instead of being cooped up behind bars. Fred and George's room, though it had been cleaned since the twins moved out to live in the flat about their shop in Diagon Alley, still had many trademark scorches and burns around the walls, floor and ceiling. This caused Harry to smile slightly knowing that this is where the twins had begun inventing their joke products that eventually led them to their success. There was also a nice, cool breeze coming through the open window that overlooked the backyard of the Weasley's countryside property.
Gazing out the window, Harry was glad that he had a moment alone to collect himself. While he certainly didn't regret being angry at Dumbledore in the slightest, he knew it was out of place and downright rude to let his gloomy and wrathful moods carry over to the other inhabitants of the Burrow. The Weasleys had kindly let him stay there instead of letting him rot away in Grimmauld Place, where he would undoubtedly be flooded with painful memories of Sirius until it was time for him to return to Hogwarts.
He tried to swallow, but it got stuck in his throat as his thoughts drifted back to Sirius, his late godfather. He had tried not to dwell too much on Sirius during the last week as he knew full well that Sirius would be reprimanding him from above right now about grieving for him, but he still couldn't help himself to feel completely gloomy at times. Luna had helped shed some light on grievance before he had left Hogwarts, though, for which he was greatful otherwise he would have been far worse off than he had been when he stepped foot inside Number 4 Privet Drive. He sighed sadly and turned away from the window and began to move his clothes from his trunk and into his dresser, desperate to take his mind off of Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, he was given a pretty loud distraction from his current troubles.
"Well bloody hell, Hermione, if you didn't… didn't well… want it, why were you hinting at it!" thundered Ron's voice from just down the hall.
Hermione's reply was just as agitated, "I wasn't asking for it, Ronald! Perhaps if you knew anything at all about-"
"Oh, so I know nothing at all, do I?" Ron replied angrily.
Harry crept to his door and leaned out to peer down the hallway towards the source of the noise. He immediately was bowled over yet again, landing with a thud on his back, as Ginny Weasley rushed into the room before landing on top of Harry.
"Ugh…" was all Harry could manage as he tried to sit up, his head spinning slowly, but found he couldn't because of Ginny.
"Oh! I'm so sorry Harry!" the red head exclaimed quickly, before blushing furiously.
Harry shook his head back and forth to clear it from the spinning, and was immediately greeted by Ginny's blushing face just inches away from his own. "Uh, Ginny? Can you let me up… please?" he added, though truth be told he really wasn't sure if he wanted any distance between them.
Still blushing enough that the color of her face blended in nicely with her hair, Ginny pushed herself off of Harry and helped him stand back up, "It seems like it's getting to be a habit for me to be lying on top of you, doesn't it?" Harry wasn't sure if Ginny realized exactly what she had said, but he flushed slightly.
"I might have to take Tonks' suggestion, you know that?" he said while he brushed himself off. "Anyways, what's going on with Ron and Hermione? I'm sure the whole house heard it." He could hear that the row was still going on down the hall, but was muffled as at least one of them, most likely Hermione, had been smart enough to close the door.
Ginny sighed and sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and ran her hands through her hair, trying to straighten it after their collision. "They've been like that for a few days, you know," she as if Harry should know this. "And no," she began, seeing Harry open his mouth, "it's not just Ron being an insensitive git. Hermione really has no idea what she really wants."
Harry, however, was a little too busy watching Ginny run her hands through her hair to fully pay attention so he simply nodded.
Ginny didn't seem to notice as she stopped straightening out her hair, much to Harry's disappointment, after a few moments and continued. "And Ron just tried to kiss her there."
Harry's attention fully reverted back to the topic at hand. "He tried to kiss her?" he asked, quite unable to believe such a thing.
Ginny giggled and nodded, smiling brightly. "Yeah, but Hermione was shocked. I mean they've kissed before, but Hermione is well… fussy." Upon realizing that Harry didn't have a clue what Ginny was trying to explain, judging by the blank look on his face, she hesitated and then attempted to explain in more detail. "Well, what I mean is… that well… Hermione is sometimes a little controlling…" she hesitated for a moment and caught sight of Harry stifling a laugh. "She always wants to be in control. She wants the relationship to go farther and Ron to step up, but yet… if she's not in control it's going to cause a rant… like you just heard."
Harry couldn't help but laugh. "You just summed up Hermione perfectly, but don't ever let her know that I said that," he added the last part quickly.
Smiling again, which Harry was starting to like more and more, Ginny nodded, "Oh I wouldn't think of it. Ron's got enough problems dealing with her and I wouldn't want to place anymore burden on your shoulders."
Just then there was a loud bang from down the hall as the door to the bedroom which Hermione and Ginny shared burst open and slammed against the wall. Harry and Ginny watched Hermione storm out of the room, her face flushed red with anger, and then a few moments later Ron followed, calling out to her. The quarrelling couple stomped down the stairs angrily, saying a few choice words to each other and not caring who else was listening.
Ginny giggled. "They'll come around eventually, I think," she said getting up and moving towards the door. "You want to go for a walk or something? It gets pretty bad when the head around the entire house yelling at each other. Its like they want the entire house to know what they're arguing about."
Nodding, Harry followed the youngest Weasley out of his room and down the hall, taking the same route as Ron and Hermione had done just half a minute ago. After reassuring Mrs. Weasley that they would stay on the property as they passed the kitchen, they hurried out the back door as they heard Hermione scream something loudly from the kitchen ("I am not a scarlet woman, Ronald! I will tell you when I'm ready!"). They could have sworn they heard Mrs. Weasley let out a huge sigh as they left.
The two quickly walked through the garden, which once against was filled with gnomes coming in and out of their gnome holes, and quickly made their way into a field behind the Burrow which contained a small, worn path to the Weasley's Quidditch paddock in a nearby clump of trees.
When the two had sat side by side on the top of the paddock wooden railing, Harry turned to Ginny nervously. "Thanks," he said softly, "I needed that."
"Needed what?" Ginny asked, curiously as she swung her legs carelessly.
"Making me laugh. I haven't done any of that since… well… since before… you know," Harry choked slightly, deciding it was better to not say.
Ginny nodded in understanding and without warning slid over right next to Harry, so the two were touching and took him into a huge, which was much more gentler than the two previous close encounters they'd had that day. "I know you did," she stated simply.
Harry pulled back for a second, staring directly into Ginny's shining brown eyes. "You're much better of a friend than I am," he said sadly, their arms still wrapped around each other.
"You are not, Harry Potter," Ginny said, her voice rising in volume as it always did when she was passionate about something. "Where did you get such a stupid idea?"
Harry blushed slightly, and hung his head, letting go of his hold on the younger girl's body. "I was a right prat all last year," he began, but continued quickly before Ginny would have a chance to protest, "And then with the Department of Mysteries and everything. I lead everyone into danger needlessly… and you… you and Hermione… and Ron… all got injured…" he was stopped as Ginny raised a finger and pressed it to his lips quickly.
"Now listen here, and listen well," Ginny stated quickly, pulling away slightly so she could look Harry in the eye, and keeping her voice even, though Harry could tell she was ready to start shouting. "I chose, Harry, chose to go to the Department of Mysteries with you. I chose to go save Sirius because it was the right thing to do. I didn't go because I thought I had to, or because Ron was going, but because I wanted to. I got injured when Rodolphus Lestrange hit my ankle with a curse, snapping the bone, after I slowed down for a second since I thought it was safe. It was my fault, not yours. I just got careless and that is not a mistake I'll make again. You will not be blaming yourself for this, Harry Potter," she stated firmly, before crushing him in another hug.
It took him a moment to react, but, down in the pit of his stomach, Harry felt some of the stress leave him as a great sense of relief passed over him. His friends, well, at least Ginny, didn't blame him for the Department of Mysteries injuries they sustained!
"And if you do keep blaming yourself," Ginny added sincerely, "I won't hesitate to use my Bat-Bogey Hex on you." Harry knew by the look on her face that she wasn't joking.
Harry pulled away, smiling faintly. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that," he stated.
Ginny raised an eyebrow, "You want me to hit you with a Bat-Bogey Hex?"
Laughing, Harry shook his head, "No about the-", but Ginny stopped him before he got started as she poked him in the ribs and giggled.
"Oh Harry, you're far too serious, you know. You're stuck with me no matter what," she said, pulling him into another hug, her hair tickling across Harry's nose.
"Even if I decide to go stand in the middle of another Ron and Hermione row?" Harry asked cheekily, grinning.
Ginny blanched, "No, then you're on your own. Voldemort, yes, those two fight, no." She smiled, running her hands through Harry's hair, trying futilely to make it lay flat.
He pulled Ginny to arms length, staring at her intently, "Still, you have no idea what it means to me that I know I have at least you at my side, no matter what happens." Harry felt like he was going to choke on his own heart, though he definitely wasn't feeling the same way he felt when he was thinking of Sirius.
Smiling serenely, she leaned in towards Harry, brushing her lips against Harry's, before pulling away again quickly. "You've had me for longer than you know," she said softly, her cheeks turning pink, though not out of embarrassment.
For a few moments, all Harry could do was stare at the red-head before him as tried to comprehend his feelings. Trusting his instincts and the feeling his gut, he leaned forward and planted a quick kiss in return, which caused Ginny to lean towards him, causing the kiss to continue longer than Harry had expected.
They sat on the paddock fence, both leaning forward ever so slightly, sharing a reciprocated kiss together for the first time ever. When the pair decided to break the lip-lock, they both pulled back, their cheeks flushing bright pink. They said nothing, mainly because they didn't have too as they each knew what the other was thinking.
Ginny spoke first. "We should be getting back soon- mum will be getting dinner ready," she stated softly, still not looking away.
Harry nodded, still on a high and elated feeling. He hopped off the fence and turned to Ginny, holding out his hand to help her down. She giggled and took it, and they never let go as they walked hand in hand towards the Burrow. "Oh, and Ginny?" he asked suddenly, pulling her to a stop.
"Yes Harry?" she asked curiously as she raised an eyebrow, seeing a weird grin on his face.
"Remind me the next time I come face to face with Rodolphus Lestrange that I need hurt him," he said plainly. It was actually hard to tell if he was serious or not.
Ginny smiled confidently. "Thanks, but its ok, really. He doesn't have much of a face left after Luna blew up Pluto right beside the ugly thing."
Bellatrix landed off balance as the Portkey dropped her off near the paddock where Harry and Ginny were just moments before. She quickly drew her wand and silently, without moving her feet, gazed around the thin woods to see if it was clear. Spotting no one, she headed cautiously towards the Weasley's run down house silently with her wand continuously on the ready.
She stopped at the edge of the tree thicket to scout out the field, and most obvious path to the Burrow, and spotted both Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, two people high on the Dark Lord's hit list, holding hands, talking happily with each other and just generally having a good time.
Swearing to herself, Bellatrix watched the couple enter the Weasley's garden, just on the other side of their short hedge that bordered around their house, shed and garden. She smirked to herself triumphantly as the Weasley girl spoke to Potter, and Potter nodded and headed into the house without her. This is exactly the opening she needed and was hoping for.
Bellatrix squatted down and crept, as quietly as she could manage, forward. She could see the Weasley girl's head every now over the top of the hedge as Ginny proceeded to pick some vegetables for her mother to be used in the evening's meal.
When she was close enough that she knew she wouldn't miss, she stood up to her full height and trained her wand on the spot where she figured Ginny would appear. When she saw a flash of red hair, she silently hissed "Imperio!" under her breath, praying that there was no one else within earshot.
Seeing the girl's expression go blank for a few moments, Bellatrix wordlessly commanded her to follow her back to the Weasley's Quidditch paddock. The girl complied without comment or resistance, which pleased Bellatrix. Perhaps she wouldn't even have to soil her hands.
Then again, Bellatrix knew that if she failed, there was a good chance she'd be dead upon setting foot anywhere near the Dark Lord. She decided to stick to her original plan instead of simply sending in this mere girl under Imperius to finish off Potter.
She had the young girl remove her flowery summer dress, leaving the girl with only her undergarments, as she rummaged through her robes, finally extracting a phial of thick and nauseating looking liquid, if you could call it liquid.
"Diffindo," Bellatrix muttered, pointing her want and the side of the girl's hair, shaving off a small lock of her bangs. She stuffed three long strands of the flaming red hair into the phial, which caused the putrid looking concoction to turn a bright orange.
Turning back to her Imperius victim, she conjured magical ropes to bind the girl, causing her to fall to the ground on her back and stare dreamily up into the sky. Canceling the Imperius Curse with a wave of her wand, she silently cast a silencing charm before Ginny could even open her mouth.
Immediately, the girl's eyes began to dart and look around, finally coming to rest on Bellatrix. Bellatrix herself smirked wickedly at the display of fear in the younger girl's brown eyes.
"Now listen carefully, little girl," Bellatrix hissed through gritted teeth, clearly loathing being forced to speak to the girl. "If you don't move a muscle or attempt to escape, I just might let you live past today. I'm sure the Dark Lord would like to meet you after all I've told him about you and your little friends flocking to Potter's side in the Department of Mysteries," the Death Eater continued, cracking a wicked smile again. "Though I am tempted to simply torture you on the spot since Potter decided to deny me that pleasure a few weeks ago. However, Potter won't be around in a few minutes, so who knows what'll happen afterwards."
Ginny's struggling faded away, tears starting to appear in her eyes. She lay rigid on the ground, staring up at Bellatrix Lestrange with a great amount of fear.
"And now, I must get a move on my plan," Bellatrix commented as she gulped down the entire contents of the phial in her hand. Dropping the phial to the ground, she groaned and staggered around the paddock before leaning on the fence before she fell over. It took a few moments before Bellatrix could feel the effects of her bones shrinking and her face becoming more youthful with each passing second. She coughed repeatedly due to the taste of the potion, which oddly didn't taste as poor as the other times she had consumed it. She shrugged slightly thinking that perhaps she was just getting used to the taste.
Finally, the pain in her body subsided and she was forced to brush a few long strands of flaming her out of her eyes. Her robes were too large for her, so Bellatrix shrugged them off quickly and slipped into the summer dress that the Weasley girl had removed for her a few moments earlier. If she had a mirror, she would have admired her figure, but instead wordlessly hopped over the paddock fence and headed up towards the Burrow leaving Ginny Weasley, dressed only in her undergarments, crying silently from her position tied up on the ground.
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks to Chris (Sir Chris on for the Chapter title. I'm no good at coming up with interesting Chapter titles.