Childhood
When Bella was born Lord Cygnus Black was not happy to have her. Not because she was not everything he expected but because she was a girl, the second girl that should have been a male.
Bellatrix was the second of three disappointments. First Andromeda, not only a girl where the first-born should be a male heir, but as he found out only four years after Bella was born, a disgrace. A Ravenclaw. Narcissa, the final disappointment was perfect but from her perfection something in spirit was lacking – just like Druella. Narcissa was again a girl, a perfect pureblood witch, beautiful, obedient and the perfect housewife.
Narcissa was three years younger than Bellatrix and Druella died giving birth to her, it was a minor grievance to Cygnus but he knew by then his wife had left him with a treasure.
"I can't handle it! I can't handle her! Andy was a tractable, sweet-tempered girl but Bellatrix is too much! Please Cygnus have someone else care for her." Aurora Druella's spinster sister begged.
Cygnus looked down at his daughter who sat smirking at Aurora and felt his lips tug in a smile.
"As you wish, I'll have Walburga look after her then. She and Bella get along quite well."
"Thank you thank you." Aurora said breathlessly.
"You may as well return to your rooms now. I will watch Bella for the day, after all. How much trouble can one girl be?"
Aurora looked offended but left with a bow for her rooms. Cygnus sneered he did not like Druella's sister and only kept her to watch his children.
"Papa." Bella said happily toddling over to Cygnus who again felt himself smiling at his little daughter. This daughter was his last hope for the child he truly wanted.
"Bella do you know what your family is?" Cygnus asked her not having spent much time with his daughter and wanting to know how much she had to learn.
"Pureblood." Bellatrix responded immediately. It was clear why she was Walburga's favourite.
"Does Aunt Walburga teach you genealogy?" Cygnus asked.
"Yes, its my favourite, Sirius doesn't like it but Aunt Walburga says he has to learn." Bellatrix replied with a happy smile at her father's approving look.
"Do you hate Mudbloods Bellatrix?"
"Yes Papa, Aunt Walburga says we need to kill them."
"Quite right Bella, quite right. Would you like to learn how?"
"Yes!" Bellatrix said eyes shining.
"Well, if you study very hard then I will start to teach you as soon as you turn seven. Can you wait that long?"
Bellatrix nodded frantically smiling up at her father in happiness.
"Good girl. You'll be my favourite won't you? You'll be Daddy's girl and kill all the bad mudbloods won't you?"
"Yes Papa! I will."
So at three years of age Bella became his favourite and Andromeda already the most despised for not being the heir, for not being a Slytherin and most of all for not being right. Bellatrix hated mudbloods, studied her genealogy, kept up the Black families pureblood ideals and set a good example for young Narcissa.
Andromeda was Ravenclaw, had taken muggle studies, fraternised with half-bloods and was the worse example for a Black female.
By the time Bellatrix was five Cygnus knew she was interested in the Dark Lord's cause and he couldn't be happier. Orion had introduced him to young Tom Riddle and he was financially involved with the death eater's, helping provide whatever gold might be needed, houseroom and access to his extensive library.
"Bella would you die for the cause? To protect those of the blood?"
"Yes Papa." Bellatrix replied nodding.
"That's my girl." He said approvingly, if only she had been the unborn son, what a son she would have made.
"I would fight, die – anything for the cause." Bellatrix swore to him.
"Even wait?"
"Wait? Why would I ever need to wait?" Bellatrix asked curiously.
"Well my Bella never forget how to wait. My whole life I have been waiting for Susan McKinnon but she will not come, never give up the wait though my Bella because she is getting closer, I can feel it." Cygnus told her, not knowing that Bellatrix would spend fourteen years waiting on his advice.
"She'll come Papa. They all do." Bellatrix assured him so like an adult in that moment, but then her childish attention span made her lose focus and she was admiring his books on dark arts. Ah he loved his Bella, only five and already truly a Black.
When she was seven Cygnus bought her a wand long before it was legal for him to do so. Ollivander said nothing, he knew the people the Black's consorted with and that he would be safer if he were silent.
"Bella I got you a gift."
"Coming Papa." Bellatrix said getting up from her book on genealogy she had been reading to four-year-old Narcissa and Regulus.
"That is quite the daughter you have there Cygnus, quite excellent." Orion said smiling at Bellatrix as she came forward politely.
"I have your wife to thank for that, she has taught Bellatrix everything she needs to know."
"I'm gonna be a death eater." Bellatrix told Orion who smiled at her.
"Like Alecto?" He asked bringing up Walburga's niece.
"Even better." Bellatrix assured him. "Aunt Walburga said so."
"I'm sure you will." Cygnus said. "Now hold out your hands."
Bellatrix obediently held out her hands and Cygnus placed a curved wand in them, the wand was meant for Bellatrix, that much was made clear to them all as it glowed gold and became warm to touch.
"You gonna – " Bellatrix stopped looked back at her Aunt and started again "Are you going to teach me how to kill mudbloods?"
"That's my girl." Cygnus said and Bellatrix curtsied to both her uncle and father who regarded her proudly.
It wasn't long after this meeting that Orion and Cygnus decided to introduce Bellatrix to their friend Tom.
"Bellatrix." Orion said as she sat in the lounge of 12 Grimmauld place going through flashcards her aunt had given her while Walburga made dinner.
"Yes?"
"I want you to meet Mr Riddle."
Bellatrix looked up sharply and stared Tom Riddle in the face her heart pounding. He was even more handsome than in the pictures his angular cheekbones, dark hair, ebony skin and a faint red glint in his eyes painting an attractive picture.
"My Lord." She said getting to her feet and giving her best curtsey. Orion nodded approvingly at his niece.
"I will go and get those papers Tom, I'm sure Bella can entertain you."
"Yes, I'm sure she can." The one they called Tom said looking pleased.
"Tell me Bella, have you heard about your sister?"
"Cissy or the other one?" Bellatrix asked thinking angrily of Andromeda.
"The other one. I heard she is in a relationship with someone –distasteful." Tom said taunting the clearly proud little girl.
"Not for long." Bellatrix said smugly.
"Oh? And why is that?" Tom asked the girl intrigued.
"Papa's teaching me to kill mudbloods so I can kill him for disgracing our family, Aunt Walburga says I must kill Andromeda too because she has also disgraced our family. She talked to a mudblood and she's a Ravenclaw." Bellatrix informed Tom who smiled at her intently.
"She's quite right. I hear you follow my cause Bellatrix, tell me, would you like to be a death eater?"
"I will be your most devoted and faithful servant my lord." Seven-year old Bellatrix promised him and for some reason he felt himself believing her.
"You probably won't see me again for a while Bella but know I will come." Tom assured her.
"I'll be waiting and preparing."
"You'll prepare for my return then? Do you swear?"
"Every time you leave I will prepare for your return." Bellatrix swore to him.
"That's your uncle coming down the stairs, I will go with him and you may not see me again for a long time"
"I will be waiting. I'll always wait."
"Then I'll be back. Goodbye Bella, I will see you when I see you."
"Goodbye My Lord." She said responding with another curtsey that made Tom smile as he followed her uncle out of the room.
"That's my girl." Orion said to her as he left and Bellatrix smiled to herself. She was everyone's favourite.
( BellatrixisFred )
Bellatrix waited patiently for him to return. She followed his cause in fascination and pursed what Dark Magic she could handle which was disappointingly little. Bellatrix tired of being a child, she wished to go to Hogwarts and learn faster so that she could serve her Lord.
But instead she waited. He didn't come again until she was ten. This time Andromeda who had assured them all she had broken up with her muggle born boyfriend and had not been spotted with him once since Bellatrix was seven nor had she written a single letter while at home, had eloped with him.
Andromeda was to graduate that year and she had not come home for Christmas running off with that filth and leaving only Narcissa a note. But Bellatrix didn't care, she helped Aunt Walburga scorch her sister's name off the wall in Grimmauld place with grim satisfaction while Narcissa cried in a corner.
Bellatrix was in her garden burning things that had belonged to that traitorous filth so they wouldn't endanger their purity when he came.
"I hear she ran off with him."
"I'll kill them soon, Papa teaches me Dark Arts everyday while Cissy gets lessons on how to be a proper wife. Regulus is jealous." Bellatrix told him turning around to curtsey to him as she had three years before. His face was even more appealing then before and the red glint in his eyes was more pronounced. He had gotten more powerful while he was away. Excitement stirred within Bellatrix as she looked at her Lord come to speak to his most faithful servant.
"I thought you would, don't worry in my service there will be much opportunity for purifying the ranks of your family." He told her with a smile.
"I've been following the cause, waiting, preparing." Bellatrix told him and again he smiled at her.
"Good Bella, very good. You are my youngest Death Eater." He told her and Bellatrix smiled at the praise.
"Am I?" She asked surprised no one else felt the same about the Dark Lord, who of the blood could not want to be a death eater? Who could not want to keep them pure?
"Gryffindor's." He said; spitting the name like it was poison. "I read your mind."
Bellatrix nodded, the thought did not discomfort her for she had nothing to hide from her master.
"Good." He said clearly reading her mind again. "You go to Hogwarts next year don't you?"
"Yes my Lord."
"Remember that Gryffindor's are a house of blood traitors." He told her looking murderous.
"I will my Lord."
"Good my Bella. Then I will see you again soon."
"I will be waiting my Lord."
"I know you will Bella."
( BellatrixisFred )
Bellatrix watched as her cousin was sorted into Gryffindor and narrowed her eyes. He was her cousin no longer. Now he was the enemy. Bellatrix watched Sirius laughingly sit down at Gryffindor table next to the Potter boy, blood traitors the Potter's were.
Bellatrix felt instantly sorry for her Aunt but knew that Walburga would fix Sirius if anyone could; content with her options Bellatrix realised her name had been called.
"Black Bellatrix!" McGonagall called for a third time to laughter from the Hufflepuff table. Bellatrix mounted the stage with a haughty glare, waving at a few highly placed Slytherin's with whom her family was connected. They waved or nodded back and Bellatrix sat down on the stool as McGonagall placed the sorting hat on her head.
"Ah. Another Black. Quite unlike the last two I've been given to place. They didn't fit right but you, no you are a true Black aren't you?"
"Of course I'm a true Black!" She thought at the Sorting hat angrily.
"Yes, you'll uphold tradition quite nicely, but at the same time you'll break it down." The hat said cryptically.
"Just put me in Slytherin before I incinerate you."
"As you wish."
"SLYTHERIN!"
( BellatrixisFred )