The Daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange.
A/N: Mercedes Lestrange, daughter of escaped Death Eaters Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange comes to Hogwarts. If the title doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will. It is not sappy, not corny and not dumb at least as far as I'm concerned, but then I'm torn between nostalgic affection and cringing, so some parts may seem a little odd; also I wrote this while I was on holiday in Fiji so the heat may have baked my brain a little. Feel free to flame or review. Diss me for all you're worth because I need it. The brilliance of this whole idea had made my head a little swollen…
Disclaimer: I do not own anything that belongs to the world of Harry Potter save for Mercedes Lestrange.
Chapter One: Danger from within
Seventeen year old Harry Potter jerked awake and sat up on his bed. His scar was twinging painfully, but he was too used to it to notice. He'd had a dream about Voldemort again, but instincts spurred by his fifth year in Hogwarts told him not to trust the dream. It could have been a hoax, much like the one that had cost him his godfather's life.
He lay back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. Voldemort had been sitting in a dark room with the curtains drawn tightly against any light and his back was to Harry once again and so he, Harry hadn't been able to see Voldemort. There had been someone kneeling before Voldemort.
Do you agree to serve Lord Voldemort for the rest of your life, young one? Lord Voldemort had said, and Harry, now lying in bed, wondered if it were Malfoy being initiated.
There had been hesitation before the person had answered 'yes' in a low voice and Voldemort had cackled with laughter and said Hogwarts will be destroyed for sure now. There will be trouble from within and that fool of a Headmaster won't know what hit him.
Harry took a deep breath in. Tomorrow he left for Hogwarts. Malfoy would be on the train and Harry would be there if he tried something foolish. There was no way anybody was going to destroy Hogwarts.
He felt for his glasses on his bedside table and put them on. There was packing to be done. He pulled his trunk out of the closet and kicked it open and looked at the random assortment of quills and parchment littering the bottom of it. The knife Sirius had given him for Christmas three years ago was lying amongst the rubbish. There was a swell of emotion at the sight of the knife. Emotions that Harry did not want to feel, so he picked the knife up and hurled it across the room, as far away from him as possible then began picking up clothes and textbooks off the floor and dumping them unceremoniously into the trunk. He got his Firebolt from his closet and placed it carefully atop the jumbled mess of clothes, books and parchment then slammed the lid shut and sat down in front of it, head in hands, elbows on his knees.
Nothing would bring him back. Nothing could bring Sirius back. All Harry wanted was to see him one more time, just to say good-bye, to hear that bark of a laugh for the last time. There was a hollow ache in his chest. Harry swallowed hard and got up. He'd best get ready before Mr. Weasley came by to pick him up.
At ten o' clock, Harry was sitting in the Dursleys' kitchen eating toast and jam for breakfast. He was expecting the Weasleys any minute now. Dudley trudged into the kitchen, dressed in his Smelting's gear and blearily rubbing sleep from his eyes.
Harry took a sip of his tea and winced. It needed sugar. He pulled his wand out of his pocket. 'Accio sugar,' he said, smirking at the look on Dudley's face. He carefully spooned some sugar into his tea and watched as Dudley opened his mouth.
'Call them and I'll hex you.'
Dudley looked at Harry, chins quivering. 'Hex me?' he repeated doubtfully. Then he straightened up and held his Smelting's stick up. 'I'll- I'll hit you.'
'You'll hit me?' said Harry and calmly took a bite of his toast. 'Go on then. Hit me.'
Dudley looked sorry he had said it, but raised his tick threateningly. 'If you do it again, I'll hit you hard. On the head.'
Harry picked up his wand from where it lay beside his plate, but he was saved the trouble of hexing Dudley, because there were several loud honks outside. He heard Uncle Vernon yell in surprise from the sitting room.
Harry dropped his toast on the table and got up, brushing his hands off on his jeans. 'There's my ride,' he said pleasantly. 'Have fun at Smelting's.' He magicked his trunk and Hedwig's cage downstairs, picked it up and walked to the door.
There was a fleet of solemn black cars along Privet drive. 'All right there Harry?' said Mr Weasley. Harry grinned and hauled his trunk into the car Mr Weasley was indicating. 'Had a good summer?'
'It was fine,' he told Mr. Weasley grinning. He sat inside the car and found Ron sitting beside Tonks.
'S' up Harry?' Tonks said, grinning. Her hair was long and platinum blond, the ends of it was an astonishing shade of neon green.
'Nice hair,' he told her, after grinning at Ron. 'Look's like Lucius Malfoy's."
'I've been trying to tell her that but she won't listen,' Ron said, shaking his head. Tonks glared at him.
'It does not look like Lucius Malfoy's," she said with as much dignity as she could muster.
'Yes it does." Ron said grinning as Mr Weasley took a seat and started the engine. Tonks looked livid, but she scrunched her eyes up and changed her hair black. 'Better?' she asked and Ron nodded.
'You look like a Goth,' Harry said to her.
'Oh good idea!' Tonks exclaimed and she scrunched up her face once again. Her complexion turned pasty and dark circles appeared under her eyes.
'You'll need a dog collar,' Ron pointed out.
Tonks took her watch off and waved her wand at it. It turned into a spiked bracelet. 'No dog collar, but this will do.' She slipped it on.
'Black nails,' Harry said.
Tonks screwed up her face and her nails turned black.
'Your clothes look out of place too,' Ron said.
Tonks took out her wand once again and waved it at her clothes. Her pants turned into a black lacy skirt and her cream top became a black peasant top.
'Where are Hermione and Ginny?' Harry said, suddenly remembering.
'Hermione said she's meet us there, but Ginny is in the next car with Mad- Eye and Lupin.' Ron replied, turning away from Tonks who had just made a fire design appear on the pupils of her eyes.
'Oh,' said Harry. 'And why are there so many cars?'
'Protection. Mad-Eye reckons it would confuse enemies…' Ron said.
'Ah." Harry said as though it explained everything. 'Do we need so much?'
'You know what they say, CONSTANT VIGILANCE!' Ron barked. Harry laughed.
'What's that mean?' Tonks said, her nose scrunched up in confusion. Harry and Ron looked at each other.
'Never mind,' Harry said. Ron shook his head.
'Oh, I forgot to tell you! I made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.' Harry held up his badge. Ron grabbed it off his hand and examined it.
'Wow Harry!' He was looking at the badge like it was the Holy Grail.
Harry beamed as Tonks clapped him on the back enthusiastically. 'Way to go, Harry! You'll be an international player yet!' she exclaimed. Harry went pink.
~
They reached Platform nine and three quarters with few commotions ('Good lord Tonks, what happened?' Moody exclaimed when he got out of the car and saw her), managing to secure excellent seats near the back of the train. They met Hermione on the train, looking around for them.
'Oh, where have you been?' she said as soon as she had spotted them.
Ron grinned at her. 'Oh here and there …' he said, running a hand through his hair.
Hermione glared at him frustratedly.
'Oh come on! We're here! Don't lose your blob!'
'Blob?' Harry said looking at Ron with a frown. Ron shrugged.
'I've been made Head Girl,' Hermione said with an restless look on her face.
'Surprise, surprise.' Ron muttered, sarcastically rolling his eyes.
'Congratulations Hermione,' Harry said, grinning at her.
'Malfoy's head boy!' Hermione said loudly and helplessly.
'Malfoy?!' Ron said incredulously. 'How did that git land that position?'
'If I knew, I'd tell you,' Hermione snapped. 'Oh I should have been expecting it!' She wrung her hands together and looked so agitated that Ron put an arm around her.
'I'm still a prefect remember? I'll be there if you need any help.' Ron took his arm off her shoulder and looked at Harry with a look on his face that said life at Hogwarts had just become harder for them all.
'We have a prefects meeting now.' Hermione said vaguely still wringing her hands.
'Right,' Ron said, as if he had just remembered, which, Harry reminded himself, he probably had. 'Well, Harry, mate, we'll see you in a bit.' He gave Harry a feeble grin then followed Hermione up the train.
Harry stared after them. He was all alone now. The compartment door was open, he hauled Hermione's trunk into it and took a seat. The train hadn't yet started moving. He caught sight of a disconcerted looking girl standing on the platform looking around frantically for someone.
She looked distinctly familiar to Harry. There was something about those heavy-lidded eyes that struck him as odd. He looked closer. She had black hair, tied up in a haphazard ponytail, somewhat tanned skin and she had on muggle clothing: jeans and a black spaghetti strap top.
'Harry!'
Harry turned round to see Ginny with Neville in tow. 'You don't mind if we tag along here for a while. We'll clear off in a while, only Luna Lovegood is in the other compartment …'
Harry nodded vaguely and turned round to look at the girl again, but she was gone. He frowned. The train let out a whoosh of steam. They had begun moving. Harry braced himself for what would prove to be a boring journey.