Disclaimer: I donʼt own Harry Potter or anything else from his world. The picture is an outtake from Franz Stassenʼs ʻWaltraute implora vanamente Brünnhilde di restituire lʼanello alle figlie del Renoʼ (I guess the original title is German, but Iʼve taken it - like the following quote - from a booklet published by the Fenice).

A/N The scene takes place during DH, simultaneously to the end of Bill's and Fleur's wedding. Please note that things here are described from Bellaʼs POV which is naturally not mine nor is the language she uses one I personally approve of (formally put). And if you ever should happen to discuss the stars of Orion with an astronomer, remember that the stress in Bellatrix (*du̯eln-eh2-trih2-k-s) is on the a.


ʻMit blasser Wange,

du bleiche Schwester,

was willst du Wilde von mir?ʼ

Richard Wagner, Götterdämmerung


The spell was broken and a handsome, little house appeared before the handful of Ministry officials who had been sent to accompany them. Naturally, the largest party had gone to the Weasleys as there was strong evidence that the boy would be there, but she had explicitly demanded to come here and show to this filth its place. And gracious as her Lord was, he had acceded to her pleas, had honoured her with the chance of purging her familyʼs name from this shame.

ʻThereʼs light on the ground and on the first floor,ʼ Bella said to her husband in a low voice, both keeping their faces hidden under hoods. Not all the Ministry officials were Imperiused and they didnʼt want to risk questions or even some stupid attempt to arrest them. That would only cost time and might warn the cockroaches in the house. The Ministry sheep better remained nicely outside, securing the entrances and not witnessing the methods of interrogation she and Rodolphus would most artfully apply.

ʻAnd?ʼ grunted her husband. ʻWho takes which floor?ʼ

Bella cocked her head to the side, trying to guess where she was most likely to find which disgusting blemish on her noble life. ʻWe better capture them separately, just in case they would be as stupid as to lie,ʼ she muttered. ʻOne of us has to debilitate the person downstairs at the same time as the other goes upstairs ─ keep them separated for the interrogation.ʼ

ʻThen Iʼd better take the one downstairs,ʼ suggested her husband. ʻThe other will have more time to prepare so the better fighter should do that.ʼ

Bella considered this for a second, then made an acquiescent sound and quickly began to stride towards the house, Rodolphus following in silence.

There were no further enchantments on the door and it swung open without a sound. Bella nodded her husband towards the door - probably leading to the kitchen - through which gleamed a thin beam of light. Rodolphus directed his wand at the door and Bella turned on the spot, Apparating to the floor above.

On the dark corridor upstairs, it was as easy as downstairs to identify the inhabited room by the light, shining through the gap between door and floor. A loud bang sounded from downstairs and Bella lost no time, but blasted the door out of its way, disarming the sole occupant of the room. Her wand outstretched and a smile stretching over her face, she strut through the doorway.

ʻBella?ʼ

No other remark would have wrenched Bella out of her grim resolution to carry out just punishment, but - combined with the woman who had uttered the word in a calmly surprised tone - it made Bella stagger to a halt and stare while a man started to scream downstairs in agony.

Bella had found what she was ashamed to have once called a sister, standing behind a clothes horse, the hand still raised, most likely having been in the process of folding socks by magic.

Bella immediately recovered from the moment of stupefaction and her Cruciatus curse hit the shameless creature squarely in the chest, its (yes, it didnʼt deserve any other pronoun) yells instantly mingling with its Mudblood-husbandʼs further off as it crashed down on the carpet. Bella threw her head back and laughed before she marched towards the filthy thing writhing on the floor. She intended to blast the clothes horse separating them out of the way, but, to her own surprise, her eyes lingered for a moment on the neatly stapled clothes and - instead of performing the intended act of violence - she only let the frame float to the side before she crouched down next to her cringing and howling victim.

Letting the feeling of dominance flood through her and cherishing her power, she watched the traitorous vermin with relish, at long last lifting the spell after she had slowly counted to ten.

ʻWhere is Harry Potter?ʼ

Bella coolly contemplated the ruthless thing that tried to push itself upright without letting out a sound of pain. Again, Bella counted to ten, smirking as the haze of pain slowly lifted from the Mudstrumpetʼs eyes. Then she hissed, ʻAnswer!ʼ

ʻI donʼt know.ʼ

ʻCrucio!ʼ

Relishing the dirty creatureʼs horrible shrieks, Bella closed her eyes as the anguished howls rent the air. Downstairs, a manʼs outcries of pain could be heard simultaneously again. She frowned. They would better torture them apart so that the two pigs could hear each other screaming. That would be a far more subtle pain. But subtlety had never been Rodolphusʼs strength. With a sigh, she lifted the curse again. To her disappointment, the man downstairs also stopped screaming. Rodolphus really was an idiot. Irritated, she turned to the filth before her.

ʻWhere is Harry Potter?ʼ

ʻI donʼt know.ʼ

ʻWe know that he came here, you fool,ʼ Bella hissed. ʻHow can you pathetic excuse of a witch believe to fool us!ʼ

ʻThey took a Portkey,ʼ answered the lawless abnormality tonelessly. ʻI do not know its destination.ʼ

ʻYouʼd better rack your brains for the information. For I will not hesitate to torture you into insanity.ʼ

ʻBella,ʼ it dared to answer calmly, ʻI have never been afraid of you as a child, donʼt think that I start this now.ʼ

Bella stared in the perfectly composed and all too familiar pair of eyes. As much as she had wanted to forget that thing before her, she knew it still well enough to do not doubt the truth in that sentence. But it was not important. Important was whether Andro- no, it truly didnʼt deserve a name since it defiled its nature - whether it knew where Harry Potter was. And Bella had the notion that torturing the piece of dirt would not help her gain any information.

Downstairs, the man roared in agony. Bella allowed herself to grin as she watched the disgusting beingʼs suddenly far more troubled expression and she felt the smallest bit of fond towards Rodolphus.

ʻProbably you fear for the smear of filth in the kitchen,ʼ she whispered. ʻProbably you want to end its punishment.ʼ

The anguish on the Mudharlotʼs face disappeared behind an expression of utmost calm. Despite all her disgust, Bella felt a small twinge of respect towards An- it.

ʻIs there a way to spare him?ʼ asked the shameless lump of mud, sounding perfectly nonchalant.

ʻNo,ʼ spit Bella.

ʻThen there is no point to fret about him before you,ʼ stated the creature composedly.

ʻYou could beg,ʼ suggested Bella sweetly. ʻAnd spill everything you know. Then I might consider stopping what happens to that excrement downstairs.ʼ

ʻI know nothing,ʼ said the cockroach, to Bellaʼs anger copying her sweet tone. She would not have dreamt that Andro- it could have the audacity - the stupidity - to challenge her.

ʻThen we can listen here to Rodolphus cleaning,ʼ smiled Bella, keeping her tone as sugary as she could and only keeping herself from patting the otherʼs cheek because she didnʼt want to besmear her hand. ʻOh, and you could also try begging.ʼ

ʻWould that be of any use?ʼ asked the blood-traitor in an unnervingly polite tone.

ʻWhy donʼt you try?ʼ breathed Bella.

The brazen being looked coolly at her for some seconds and seemed to calculate. Letting the feeling of power consume her, Bella prepared herself to enjoy the bit of cankerʼs internal struggles.

ʻBella, dearest,ʼ suddenly exclaimed Andro- it - the thing - the... and grasped both of Bellaʼs hands. ʻMy sister, my beloved elder. You know how I always trusted you and cherished you and looked up to you. You wonʼt leave me now, you wonʼt hurl me away from you? We were always there for one another, we understood each other. We are a part of each other. My pain is your pain, your pain is mine. Bella, Bella my, Bella, sister dear.ʼ

Shocked, Bella tried to tear her hands away from her si- it. She had expected plenty of tears and pleas for mercy, certainly not a shower of tenderness. She still held her wand in one of her hands that that thing kept pressed to its chest, drawing her towards it as if she- it really desired to be close to her.

Desperate to get away from the otherʼs touch and words, she managed to twirl her wand enough so that she could send off a Scorching Hex at the revolting being.

In the second in which Andro-its touch loosened, Bella freed her hands and jumped to her feet, racing to the other end of the room, collapsing against the wall. She was breathing hard and looked back at the piece of dirt on the floor in shock and shame. Her behaviour had just been humiliatingly close to a flight.

She started to pace back and forth the small space between the window and a cupboard, desperate to regain her composure. She was certainly not going to stop any pain that Rodolphus inflicted on the Mudblood, wailing in the kitchen. Not for any bit of information and certainly not for any sentimentalities. And yet, her chest was still heaving with uncontrollable breathing. She wanted to calm down, she needed to emanate control and grandeur to the worthless slut before her. She certainly couldnʼt use the stinging sensation that right now troubled her sight.

She let her body fall against the cool windowpane, closing her eyes. Only then she noticed that she had her arms around herself, the hands painfully gripping her upper arms and the nails piercing the flesh, her wand pointed uselessly at some random spot behind her. At the same moment, she also remembered that it was hardly reasonable to close her eyes in the middle of an interrogation with her victim still perfectly capable of moving.

But as much as she realised all this, she didnʼt change her position. She pressed her cheek against the glass, pressing her eyes together and slowly releasing the grip on her own arms. Almost automatically, she shoved her wand back into her robes, ignoring the fact that this was the least reasonable act of all the unreasonable things she was currently doing. And then she opened her eyes.

Feeling completely detached from her usual self, she watched Dromeda, no it! it! it! it!, getting to her - its feet, holding its wand again. And yet, Bella didnʼt move, she felt simply tired and ignored the part of her brain that told her to immediately disarm the blood-traitor opposite her and curse the creature into a black abyss of despair. Right now, she was defenceless due to her own fault; there had happened nothing that could even remotely excuse this. She had dropped her guard and had rendered herself to the mercy of her sister - it. Only...

Bella was no more scared of Andromeda than Andromeda had been scared of her. And Bella watched as her si- (ʻit!ʼ hissed some remote part of her brain) acted as irrationally as she did. Andromeda turned her back to Bella and walked behind the clothes horse, directing her wand at the remaining socks that one by one began to fold themselves again.

Bellaʼs feet carried her towards Andro- (IT!) -meda before her mind had formed any coherent thought and she gripped her sisterʼs wrists, much like Andromeda had done before though she kept their hands on the wires of the clothes horse, staring at them and panting with an unexplainable exhaustion.

ʻBella...ʼ

Bellaʼs head snapped up to look at the face belonging to the far too calm and even voice. Andromeda looked back at her with a blank, unreadable expression. Bella stared at the face that had once been an almost perfect mirror of her own. Something in her chest contracted and impeded her breathing. Bella had avoided her own reflection ever since she had come back from prison, aware of what she had lost. But the loss had always been outweighed by what she had gained. She had not lost faith, she had not lied like so many others. She had been faithful, the Council of Magical Law remembered her declaration of unwavering loyalty, she was trusted by the greatest wizard of all time.

All this seemed to crumble as she contemplated her sisterʼs face. Of course, there were some first wrinkles and crowʼs feet around Dromedaʼs eyes and she looked tired, but her hair still fell down to her waist, thick and shining and, for the first time, Bella was truly aware of the deplorable state of her own hair. Her sisterʼs peaceful features contrasted painfully with her own haggard, gaunt face. The uncomfortable stinging in her eyes returned with a crushing feeling of despair. Why was she the one who had lost so much when she had always been obedient and her sister had everything despite her treachery and betrayal?

ʻBella...ʼ

Instinctively, without pausing to think what she was doing, ignoring the fact that her sister had a wand in her hand, Bella let go of Andromedaʼs wrists and threw her arms around her sister, clutching her so tight that the clothes horse cut into her hip.

Closing her eyes and drowning in the familiarity of the touch, Bella forgot the span of over twenty-five years that had kept her from touching, even from seeing her sister. She forgot that she had always hated to be embraced - had in fact not embraced anyone ever since she had come back from prison and buried her face in her sisterʼs hair. Her scent of soap and cake was so familiar that her aching eyes started to water and her whole body shook worse than ever.

Something wooden landed with a thud on the ground and Bella instinctively knew that Andromeda had dropped her wand. She almost jumped back when her sisterʼs arms closed around her and returned the hug. A sob escaped Bella as she remembered how Cissy had feebly attempted to embrace her when they had met again, but immediately stopped with a pronounced air of relief when Bella had shied away from her. And any contact approaching closeness with Rodolphus was so long ago that she had no idea (and had not the least interest in remembering) when it could have happened.

For years, there had been only one person she had wanted to be close to and his presence had been one of awe and admiration, far too high for her to ever aspire to. And suddenly she was sobbing at the shoulder of a woman she had considered her worst enemy and stain a moment ago.

Bella wanted to see reason, but she didnʼt dare anymore to push Andromeda away for her sister might then see how wet her face was. She couldnʼt give her the satisfaction to know that she had cried. But the longer she continued with her arms around Andromeda, the more she remembered countless little details she had never thought about since she had been sent to Azkaban or even since her life had gained a purpose in the service of the Dark Lord.

But the familiar unfamiliarity of Andromedaʼs proximity sent her back so many years, to so many memories that had lain forgotten in the most remote recesses of her brain: Andromeda faithfully scribbling down whatever she dictated her, Andromeda chiding her when she ate the dough during the two of them baking together, Andromeda styling her hair with a solemn air, Andromeda running towards her after she had returned for the first time from school, Andromeda listening with round eyes as she told fairy tales to her. Bella had forgotten what a large part Andromeda had once hold in her heart and ever more tears streaked down her cheeks.

ʻDromeda,ʼ she finally croaked, forsaking all her pride, ʻDrommy little, come back with me.ʼ

Her sister fidgeted in her arms and Bella reinforced her hug. ʻDrommy, listen,ʼ she whispered. ʻYouʼve made a mistake, that can happen to anybody. Itʼs nothing that canʼt be fixed. We simply go down and tell Rodolphus to get rid of that thing in the kitchen and then we go to Cissy together and everything will be as it should. Come, Drommy sweetheart, come back with me.ʼ

ʻBella...ʼ whispered her sister weakly and Bella pressed her closer to herself.

ʻOh Dromeda,ʼ she spoke on. ʻWeʼll forgive you, youʼll forget these wasted years, weʼll put it all in the most distant past and everything will be as it has to be. Just wait a moment until weʼve cleaned up all the dirt that has been amassed during these unfortunate years-ʼ

Andromeda let out a sob and Bella rocked her softly.

ʻDonʼt worry, love,ʼ she crooned. ʻOnce weʼve eliminated all the traces of this escapade, youʼll be one of us again. Oh Dromeda, my little Drommy, how I missed you.ʼ

Andromeda moved her head and another sob escaped her.

ʻDonʼt cry, Drommy dear,ʼ said Bella. ʻEverything is going to be fine. Youʼre going to be free again, weʼll wipe out that thing in the kitchen and then that unfortunate result together with her beast and then, itʼs just the three of us like it should be. Oh Drommy, how much I love you.ʼ

ʻI did love you, Bella.ʼ

Bella pulled away from her sister and took her head between her hands, smiling and trying to ignore how alien her claw-like fingers looked on her sisterʼs tear-stained cheeks.

ʻLetʼs go, darling.ʼ

A quiver went through Andromedaʼs whole body and her eyes widened. ʻI canʼt,ʼ she breathed.

ʻOf course you can,ʼ said Bella, smiling encouragingly. ʻYouʼll be all right.ʼ

ʻNo.ʼ

ʻWhy?ʼ

Andromeda closed her eyes and two more tears welled down her cheeks as she opened her mouth, ʻBecause I love him.ʼ

Bella froze, her fingernails piercing in her sisterʼs skin. Her happily bloated heart was pierced and burst through her whole body, filling every inch of her with shame and wrath. Her breathing hitched and a red glow set before her eyes. It couldnʼt be! After what she had done and said, it couldnʼt be. This ungratefulness! This betrayal! It was beyond anybodyʼs wildest imagination.

With all the force she could muster, she hurled her sisterʼs head away, her nails leaving bloody traces on Andromedaʼs cheek. In the next moment, Bella had snatched her wand from her robes and thrown her sisterʼs body hard against the wall. She lifted the clothes horse to the ceiling and let it crash on Andromedaʼs limp body. Then she turned on her heels and jumped out of the room, shutting the door with so much force so that it got unhinged. She ran down, down, down the stairs and nearly ran into her husband who waited for her at the bottom.

ʻIs it dead?ʼ asked Bella harshly, nodding towards the kitchen.

ʻNo,ʼ answered Rodolphus and Bella felt all to acutely how he stared at her wet face. ʻShould I...?ʼ

Bella gripped the handrail so hard that her knuckles turned white. ʻNo,ʼ she then choked and, raising her voice so that she could be heard through the whole house, added, ʻWe can do that after we kill their brood. Let them know that first.ʼ

She didnʼt pay attention to Rodolphusʼs nod, but grabbed his hand, hating him for his surprised look. Covering her head with the hood, she stormed out of the house, only desiring to get to the point where they could Disapparate.


A/N Thanks for reading, hope you found it somewhat interesting and... what did you think? Is Bella still in character or too nice? Review? Thanks.