Amelia Bones gazed at the young woman before her, barely nineteen years of age, luxurious raven curls falling around her shoulders and a smirk on her scarlet lips. Her eyes darted around the room at the assembled court attendees, reporters and general busy-bodies. "Bellatrix Alcyone Black - Lestrange. You have been accused that on the night of August 4th 1982 you, accompanied by your husband, brother in law and another, entered under false pretenses the abode of Frank and Alice Longbottom. Using emotional threats to their young son you attempted to recover information in regards to the location of your master. When it became apparent that this was not going to work you then used the Cracticus Curse, an unforgivable. Mrs Lestrange how do you plead?"
"Does it matter? It seems you already are determined to convict me." Bellatrix purred, pursing her lips together and drumming her long nails on the stand glaring up at the red-headed work experience girl for the Daily Prophet whose magical quill was busily scribbling on a piece of parchment. "Miss. Bl...I mean Mrs Lestrange." Cornelius Fudge piped up adjusting his spectacles to view the youngest Black daughter, a girl he recalled from society events only years earlier tailing her elder sisters shyly. "Will you answer the question Madame Bones put to you." Bellatrix blew on her hair in a bored manner.
"Well I've stated already sir that it is irrelevant what I say as you already have determined my conviction. Whatever I state will have no baring whatsoever and you shall have me locked away to Azkaban as you have wanted since the beginning of this trial. Well do as you wish for you shall not quash my convictions, my beliefs. He shall come again and we shall be rewarded as his faithful ones. Unlike those who denounce their beliefs to save their own necks." With that she glared fiercely upwards to her brother-in-law who sat silently with Narcissa, whom was currently sobbing into a lace hankerchief at her sister's fate.
"In light of the evidence presented to us Mrs Lestrange we as a council have no choice but to find you guilty. As punishment you are condemned to a lifetime in Azkaban. May Merlin have mercy upon you." Bellatrix remained sullen and merely looked slightly to her left where her husband sat seated, restrained by magical ropes, his look mirroring that of his young wife. A look of utter disdain and boredom. He raised his head slightly to acknowledge the panel, his dark eyes flickering against the lit candles lighting the room. "If you take Bella then I shall go to. I have no wish to be separated from my wife in her fragile state." He uttered with an almost tender look at his wife, whose red lips turned upwards. His hand darted to her abdomen where their child was kept safe at the moment from the prying eyes of society.
Narcissa looked visibly shocked at the announcement and Lucius groaned at the thought of a Lestrange brat that undoubtably Narcissa would plead with him to take in and care for as their own. Rodolphus was not so much of a problem, he'd been a good beater for the Slytherin team and Lucius recalled that the younger boy had caused problems for bloody James Potter and his cronies, a plus in his eyes. Bellatrix meanwhile had always been a thorn in his side. Narcissa adored her younger sister with every fiber of her being and so throughout Hogwarts from his 4th year onwards Lucius had to put up with the wildcat at the dinner table, in the common room, giggling in the library. The idea of her offspring mixing with his heir apparent Draco filled Lucius with dread. God what if it were a girl and Narcissa got it through her silly head to try and marry them off to one another? The thought repulsed him. It was bad enough been related to Bellatrix through Narcissa god forbid even stronger bonds.
"You ca...can't put he...her in Azka...Azkaban." Lucius turned his head to see his wife stand up shakingly, tears in her blue eyes. "T...the bab...baby wo...won't su...survive." She uttered, her lips trembling as she spoke and appealed to the compassion of the board. Amelia shuffled somewhat dithering as to how to respond. Narcissa was right, the Dementors adored newborn flesh as a treat and condemning an innocent to die would make neither her nor the panel any better than the perpetrators they were sentencing. Yet she knew without even voicing it that there would be public outcry should she allow Bellatrix any special treatment. "Mrs Lestrange, you and your companions committed a crime so severe that myself and my fellow judges were debating as to whether to sentence you all with a Dementors kiss. Subsequently as unethical as it may seem to sentence a child I can see no reason why you should be allowed to bring into the world a child when you have so callously stolen the parents from Neville Longbottom." Amelia Bones stiffened as she saw the haughty look vanish from the pretty witchs' face. Her eyes took on a haunting look and Amelia watched as she sought the hand of her husband. "Please I beg of you, please have it in your hearts to let my child live."
"Ha as if any issue from that womb could be of any use to us? A child of Bellatrix and Rodolphus is bound to be dark from conception." Fudge mocked feeling able to exert power since the four prisoners were tightly bound and hovering around them were several Dementors. Rodolphus glared at the greying man as he attempted to comfort his distraught wife. "You Fudge are no better than us. You stand there on your pedestal condemning us for our deeds and yet you seem to feel no remorse for sentencing an innocent life to a sure death sentence."
"Mr Lestrange why should we provide for you on the basis of compassion when neither you or your wife gave such compassion to a mere one-year old child. His parents currently reside in St Mungo's and will remain so indefinitely. I see no reason why we as a responsible panel should choose to subject future society to your brat!" Rodolphus stiffened and Bellatrix looked up a look of anger in her hazel eyes.
"Monsters." Lucius heard Narcissa utter from his side and he sighed thinking she were probably the only person in the assembled public viewing area who was thinking that of the panel rather than the accused. "As noble as your proposal to accompany your wife to Azkaban is Lestrange, it appears you seem to believe you have something of a choice in the matter! I can assure you that is not the case. Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Bartholomew Crouch Jr and Bellatrix Black - Lestrange for the crime of using the unforgivable and aiding the Dark Lord, I sentence you all to Azkaban, it is no more than you deserve!"
"Cornelius." Amelia said, her eyes misty as she thought of the horrific scene of Bella giving birth in that vile place, the Dementors hovering ready for an innocent soul. "Amelia no. I understand your sentimentality but no child with those genes could ever amount to anything but a scourge on our society." Fudge said quietly as the prisoners were led from the courtroom, the sound of sobs accompanying them as Narcissa wept for the loss of her younger sister. Maybe he was right but the words didn't make Amelia Bones feel any better about what they had done.
6 months later
Narcissa took the envelope the unrecognized owl had dropped from it's talons and grabbing the ornate letter-opener, opened it. She recognized her beloved sister's writing immediately and bit her lip as she read.
My dearest sister,
I am writing to give you the news that two days ago I went into labour and gave birth to a daughter. Mine and Rodolphus'. She was stillborn and a tiny little thing. I named her Orphelia Narcissa Lestrange (I hope you don't mind.) I heard Rodolphus' reaction from down the corridor and he seemed to bare it worse than I. They took her from me, the guards did, before the Dementors feasted on her. A small gesture of which I'm thankful. I miss you lots Cissy, more than I thought possible. Please promise me Cissy that you'll remember the way I was before, because I fear that this place will get to me more than I thought possible. I didn't think I had that many happy memories for them to feed on. It appears that I'd forgotten about the summers us five Black children spent lazing in the meadows, the yule balls where we giggled as Sirius chased us with a bough of mistletoe and the nights when we used to huddle up under the duvet telling each other of our childhood crushes. Well adios dear sister they allowed me this one letter to let you to know of the news and I beseech you do not visit this place! I wouldn't wish this place on anyone (well perhaps certain Weasleys' and daft Hogwarts teachers but never on you.) Take care my dearest Cissy and send my love to my darling nephew.
Toujours Pur
Bellatrix
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