Dear mother,

I always said I had nothing left to say to you, that if I could see you or talk to you again I wouldn't have words but I suppose I was wrong because here I am. Talking to you. And it's hard.

I remember when you found out Rodolphus and I would never have children, when I lost our baby and the healer said it was a miracle I'd conceived at all and probably wouldn't again, you were so fast to blame me, blame my failings, my body. Even when you found out it wasn't me, it was Rodolphus who had the problems, you still blamed me. You said I was unworthy of any man. You told me you were glad I'd never bare children because I'd make a horrible mother, you said I wouldn't be able to handle a child with all my crazy and my instability, that a child could never love me, but I'm here to tell you you were wrong.

I have a daughter now. I'm her world and she's mine. You see mother, children only seek love, something you were never capable of giving me but despite my crazy and my instability, I am capable of love, and I love her more than I ever thought possible to love another person. You were wrong.

Rodolphus isn't the father. Oh I can only imagine your joy at hearing I was unfaithful. That you were right in saying I didn't deserve a man who loves me. That I was unworthy. You were wrong.

I am deserving and I am worthy. The most powerful man in the world fathered my child. Our child. And Rodolphus doesn't see it as a betrayal but an honour. The Dark Lord, the one you were so smitten by, saw me as worthy enough to bare his child. You were wrong.

But I suppose I should thank you, because in all your failings as a mother, you've given me the strength to never want to be like you. You failed as a mother. I will not. You failed to protect me. I will not. You projected all your hate and anger onto me. I will not. I will not become you.

My daughter will not feel alone and motherless like I did, even though you were right there. My daughter will know a mother's love and a mother's protection because may death find the person who ever dares harm her before I find them, isn't that how a mothers love should be? You wouldn't know. You were never a mother.

But I am.

Sincerely,

Bellatrix.