Bellatrix lay still in bed that very night, unable to sleep. She couldn't get the image of the stranger out of her head, and every time she closed her eyes she could see his face staring back at her, his dark eyes glinting. She could still recall that overwhelming feeling of his power. A little scared, the young girl shivered. Shadows around her room seemed to move as if mocking her. She hid under the quilt of her four poster bed as she remembered what had been said and done that night. Bella had been sent upstairs as soon as the stranger had been introduced, but had slyly sneaked back down to listen, so entranced was she by the man. She was also driven by her hatred of being left out of things by her parents. She remembered the atmosphere being tense, everyone was on edge, and the energy radiating from the room was almost overwhelming. The first voice she had heard was Mr Malfoy's, demanding and fierce.

"How can we possibly assume this, man, is in fact a descendant of Salazar Slytherin?! It's almost the most absurd piece of information…"

But his voice faltered as the stranger simply smiled at him, and started to make hissing noises from his mouth. Bellatrix, watching through the crack in the door, had thought that the man had gone mad, was maybe some imbecile, or perhaps was having some sort of speech problem until he stopped, and a small green snake slithered out from his sleeve.

"You can speak Parseltongue?" Her mother had gasped, absolutely stunned.

"Of course," he replied calmly, his voice like ice, "it was his great gift was it not?" He smiled idly at them all, waiting for their response. Mr Malfoy looked angrily at Bella's father.

"Preposterous! This is insane Black! Are you trying to tell me that you believe him?! For all we know he could have a very well trained snake or something, and even if he is a parselmouth — how can that prove anything?! You yourself said that Slytherin's descendants had died out -"

Her father cleared his throat in an attempt to stop him carrying on, whilst looking apologetically at the visitor, who was now twirling his wand in a bored manner.

"No I won't hear it Black, I heard his name! Filthy common blood- !" He began, but at that very moment the stranger pointed his wand sharply at him and Bella saw a green light burst from his wand and settle like a piece of rope around Mr Malfoy's neck. It tightened, and for the first time Tom Riddle spoke menacingly, his face contorted and teeth clenched together.

"Don't ever talk about my blood in that way Malfoy."

His wand was still pointing at the green light around his throat. He turned his wrist and it pulled tighter. Mr Malfoy began to gag and tried to clutch at the light around his neck, but to no avail. "My blood is purer than any of yours," the man said through gritted teeth, looking around at the four adults, Mrs Malfoy started to scream as her husband's face reddened and his eyes began to look like they might pop out of his head.

"Please stop sir! PLEASE!" And she frantically began to grope at the light around his neck, sobbing hysterically.

"Silencio", the man hissed and Mrs Malfoy's wailing immediately stopped. She grasped at her own throat as no sound came out, looking around the room fearfully and then carried on trying to help her husband, who still was making sickening gagging sounds. Bella's father was gripping his chair so hard it was making his knuckles white, trying not to lose control of himself. Only her mother seemed unperturbed, but avoided looking at her struggling guest.

"I no longer have muggle lineage," he spat and the light again seemed to tighten. "I saw to it myself! And with that no filthy blood. I, in whose veins run the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself! I opened the chamber, releasing the horror within, killing some mudblood scum, and only the Heir of Slytherin could possibly do that! Who are you to doubt me Malfoy?! Who are you to doubt me?!" He began to laugh manically at this as Malfoy began to cough, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth, choking him, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, the whites seeming to bulge out of his skull —

"RELEASE HIM!" Her father yelled suddenly at Riddle, who merely looked at back at him quizzically, almost amused that he was being given an order, then looking back at Malfoy who was now twitching repulsively on his chair, his hands still trying weakly to release the green bond around his throat. Riddle lowered his wand, muttering under his breath and the green light disintegrated into dust, leaving a repulsive, red-purple line where it had been. Mr Malfoy fell to the floor, his wife looking down at him, too scared to do anything. Bella's father then pointed his own wand at her throat and the sound of her shaky, fast breathing returned. She clutched her neck again, looked across at the Blacks and fell off her chair in a dead faint. Mrs Black looked down in disgust at her guests, and touched her hair slightly with a shaking hand.

"Is he dead Riddle?" Bella's father breathed, his eyes wide staring down at the man, before continuing franticly. "Because if so, it's a very big mistake…lots of questions at the ministry — what am I supposed to say about this one? And also this man could have be very useful to the cause, he is the richest wizard in England —"

"He's not dead" said Riddle softly. It was a deadly voice. "Revive him and his wife, I have more to say to you all."

Her father got up from his seat, showing an obedience that was chilling to see from one of the most important wizards in England. He bent down over the two Malfoy's, although from Bella's hiding place she couldn't see what was happening, but she heard them both stir. Riddle, impatient, then levitated them back to their seats. Mr Malfoy seemed to have some sort of invisible head bond which kept his head looking at the visitor. Mrs Malfoy trembled, her hair falling out of her tight bun.

"Listen to me Malfoy; move your hand to show me you can hear…"

With immense difficulty, Malfoy moved his hand, his eyes closed with pain and effort.

"Good" Riddle muttered. He again raised his wand and everyone around the table flinched. He laughed softly and waved it so the words Tom Marvolo Riddle appeared in the air in black smoke.

"This name no longer has any meaning to me. Anyone who uses this again I will kill. This is my name and every wizard and witch in this world will come to fear it. He waved his wand again and the letters rearranged themselves to form:

I Am Lord Voldemort

He watched the words hover there for a while, and then turned to survey the four people in the room as they sat, as if frozen, in their chairs. He waved his wand again and muttered something. The words disappeared, but out of his wand erupted a shower of emerald sparks, glittering and blazing, finally arranging themselves into the outline of giant skull, and through its slightly parted mouth protruded a green serpent. It hovered above the table, glittering as if made from green stars. Mrs Malfoy gave a little whimper and Bella's mother gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. Her father started in his chair, gazing at the image as if mesmerized.

"Grindlewald…" he murmured.

"Not quite, not quite," The man said faintly, staring at the apparition with a look that was almost loving. "The skull, yes, it was his mark wasn't it? Rather…crude on its own. But I've added my own touch as Slytherin's heir; the green snake. You see, they will fear this mark more than they did Grindlewald's; just as they will all fear me." He paused again for effect. "It will soon be time for a new age in the wizarding world. You know what is needed and I know you want it! We must rid it of muggle and mudblood dirt and replace it with a blood that is pure! For too long our fathers and forefathers have stood for this, but no more! I stand for a better world, for us and your children. Will you join and aid me so this can happen?!"

Before anyone could answer there was sudden creek at the door. Four heads spun around and the stranger sharply pointed his wand at the door which opened violently to reveal a shaking Bellatrix, mesmerised and rooted to the spot.

"Bella…" gasped her mother and got up immediately, walking towards her. Bella had been too shaken to run or move or do anything. She couldn't believe what she had witnessed. Her parents had been scared, really scared, of this man, and he had managed to almost throttle Mr Malfoy at her father's table. She had been entranced and sickened by this, and had bitten her hand so she hadn't screamed. She now had blood running down her arm but she didn't notice. Bella stared into the stranger's face and their eyes met for one moment, sending an icy fire through her body. She then watched him turn away and mutter to her father, "Your house is surrounded Black…You and Malfoy have no other choice."

She had hardly felt her mother drag her up the stairs to her bedroom. She had just silently got into bed. She had heard her mother say that she must not speak a word to anyone of what she had just beheld, while she was dabbing away at her hand with some cloth. Bella had just lain there, staring up at the high beamed ceiling, hand outstretched, while her mother healed it with her wand. She saw her mother get up and she told her daughter to get some sleep. She heard her mutter to the maids outside to keep an eye on her while she slept, and if there was a problem to call on her. And then she left.

Bella watched her shadow retreat down the hallway, and heard the maids whispering to each other frantically outside her door. Lord Voldemort, she thought to herself, looking at the canapé above her head unblinkingly. That had been his name hadn't it? She tried to say it out loud but was too frightened to. He had asked her family to join him…or die. Bella suddenly thought she was going to be sick and sat up. Her father would say yes, wouldn't he? He would join him; he wasn't going to be killed was he? Because if he's killed, I'm dead too. She shut her eyes and imagined being strangled by that green light. Bella gulped, her hands shaking. She would join him; she wouldn't die. What had he said about muggles, and mudbloods? He had been so powerful standing there, like he had no fear, like he knew no one in that room could even lay a spell on him. She then remembered what he had said about her house being surrounded and jumped out of bed, softly tip-toeing across her bedroom floor to the doors to her balcony. She tried the brass handle to check they were locked, and pulled the two embroidered, luxurious curtains shut. Frantically biting her nail, she looked around her room into the shadows. She hadn't been this scared since someone had told her about the Grim, and she thought it had been under her bed. She had driven her mother mad, until finally she had given Bella a sleeping draught to make her stop screaming out.

Bella didn't dare go and find her this time. She was itching to know what was going on downstairs. Maybe if she could slip by the maids…No that was no good, even if she did get past them, charms and spells would have been put around the dining room entrances to stop people listening by now. She got back into bed reluctantly, and lay there, not daring to close her eyes as Abraxas Malfoy's choking face was still on her mind. The stranger's voice played in her head like a faulty wireless, "This name no longer has any meaning to me…replace it with a blood that is pure…I stand for a better world… I am Lord Voldemort…" until she gradually began to sleep, breathing softly, unaware of the dealings going on in another part of her house.