**** DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 ****

This fic contains sexual assault of a minor by an adult.

While sexual content has no place in the Harry Potter series, I couldn't stop wondering what would have happened if one of the main characters was sexually assaulted, and what affect it would have on the story and the motivations of the characters.

This is my attempt to insert a nonexistent event near the beginning of Half-Blood Prince that creates an alternate universe to the existing books 6 and 7. I've remained true to canon characterization and events to that point in time and have inserted the event in an intelligent way that could fit into the existing story.

**** SERIOUSLY, DON'T READ MORE IF YOU'RE NOT 18 *****

A tall, dark-haired woman stood in the center of her sister's expensively decorated tearoom. None of the lamps were lit, but a merry fire crackled in the fireplace. Back and forth the flames danced, obviously unaware that the pale man who entered the room was not the sort of man anybody dared to dance in front of.

Bellatrix Lestrange bowed to her master. With a swish of his wand, Voldemort killed the fire as easily as he killed everything else when he desired. Killed everything, except one boy who had escaped Voldemort's murderous intentions more times than any living thing had done. Voldemort conjured an unhappy, urine-colored fire to light the tearoom.

"My Lord, I have something to tell you," Bellatrix spoke quickly, as if a dam of knowledge inside her was about to burst.

"You think that my plans are failing." It wasn't a question. Bellatrix frowned.

"I... I wouldn't know. The Dark Lord hasn't shared his plans with me, so I cannot know if they are in jeopardy."

"Am I wrong?" Voldemort hissed. "After my previous plan in the Ministry of Magic was destroyed by you and your fellows, would you say I was wrong to keep the next plan to myself?"

Bellatrix shifted.

"You are not keeping your thoughts from me," Voldemort continued. "I know what you feel."

"I am loyal, and therefore not afraid of your scrutiny," she said. "I did not know if you were aware of what happened at Snape's house last night? The Unbreakable Vow sworn in secret from the Dark Lord?"

"Of course I was aware. I crafted the encounter. I know how Narcissa feels about her son, how he feels for her," Voldemort spat as if he couldn't bear to have the words in his mouth. "Who else would your sister have run to, once I gave her son the task of killing Dumbledore? The only one who could protect him at school was the one whose loyalty I needed to test. And Narcissa unknowingly tested Snape for me... I needed to see if he valued the nauseating relationship between your sister and your nephew more than he valued his loyalty to me."

Bellatrix looked triumphant. "Severus was disloyal! And now you know he is! He's keeping secrets from you!"

"Why do you celebrate disloyalty to my cause?" Voldemort glared at her with deadly red eyes. "Are you here to tell me that you're smarter than I am? Perhaps you should be in charge of the next plan, since you know all?"

Bellatrix bowed and apologized.

"If you are so eager to be part of a plan, then you will be the head of my next project. If you fail me, I promise to secure a room for you next to the Longbottom's at St. Mungo's for the rest of your miserable life."

A fleeting look of fear was replaced by eagerness on Bellatrix's face. "I will do anything you ask."

"Who are Harry Potter's friends?"

"Harry Potter's friends?"

"I find it difficult to believe you don't remember them. They bested my most loyal Death Eaters, including you, in the Department of Mysteries."

"There was the Longbottom boy, the mudblood, the Weasley traitors."

Voldemort stared into the green-yellow fire.

"I felt them," he whispered, "I felt each of them when I took over the boy. It was sickening, to the point that I couldn't bear to be inside of him any longer."

Bellatrix said nothing.

"You believe me weak," he said. "I know what you feel."

"No, my Lord. Harry Potter is weak for having those people, for needing them."

"Obviously not!" Voldemort yelled. "Not if they were able to drive me out of him!"

"I didn't mean... I mean we can use them to make Harry Potter weak! Like we used Sirius!"

Bellatrix was against the wall, Voldemort inches from her.

"You killed Sirius," he said, "and that was the most poisonous of all while I was in the boy's head. Destroying the people he is close to somehow only makes them stronger in his mind, and makes him stronger against me! Killing his mother made him stronger. Killing that other student in the graveyard made him stronger. Killing Sirius made him stronger. If my Death Eaters keep killing people he's close to, he'll eventually have enough power to destroy me!"

"You are his biggest fear," Bellatrix said, "and you are the biggest fear of all of his friends and loved ones. But what if all of his friends and loved ones hated something more than they hated you?"

The tearoom was silent. The fire resisted popping and re-settling itself as Voldemort contemplated the idea.

"Explain your meaning further," he said.

"A child who hides in the closet from a muggle burglar," Bellatrix quoted, "is perfect for the dementor who waits in the closet."

"You have proven your loyalty to me, which has earned you a chance to prove yourself useful." Voldemort said. "If you think you can create a fear separate from me and it is nothing but advantageous to helping me destroy Harry Potter, then you are free to do so."

The fire in the fireplace popped and settled, letting out a sigh that Bellatrix echoed. The mudblood would have to be first.