You must understand Bellatrix is just a normal young woman at this moment in time she has not had a personality alteration or anything she just hasn't been driven insane yet.... or has she? Read on.
Hermione woke to the sound of hushed voices. Squinting against the glare coming from the afternoon sun which was streaming in through the partially opened curtains, she hoisted herself into a half sitting half lying position, there standing at the foot of the bed (she appeared to be in the hospital wing) was Madam Pompfrey and Dumbledore.
"But who is she Albus, she isn't a student I know every student at Hogwarts?"
"My dear Poppy, she is the daughter of Derik and Kayla Croy who are direct descendants of the most pure-blooded family of Ireland, unfortunately when Voldemort began recruiting followers they were forced into hiding as they do not agree with what he is doing. Katy here has been sent to Hogwarts for protection, she has been receiving personal tuition by her parents regarding magic but has been attending a muggle school in her home town of Killarney for the past 16 years. Her parents felt that it was for the best if she was not to attended any magic school for fear of her being killed or recruited. That is why she has arrived a few days before term commences so I can keep a close and personal watch over her."
Madam Pompfrey gave Dumbledore a good long hard look before sniffing and poddling off down the ward towards her office.
"I see you are awake Miss Granger" Dumbledore turned his twinkling eyes upon Hermione and gave her one of his crooked smiles "Although I haven't met you yet, technically I've known you since before you were even born."
Hermione thought about this only to receive a throbbing headache in return which was her heads way of telling her just to accept what Dumbledore was saying, that it was far too complicated for even herself to work out.
"Yes Sir you're quite right, I'm urr…." she trailed off
"You're here to change the past to protect the future, yes Remus explained it all to me just before he made a rather amusing bunny hop into the air and disappeared" chuckled Dumbledore "Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, but I'm pretty sure you can handle it. Right I'd better explain what our schedule is for the next few days, Tomo.." but Hermione had butted in
"Sir what's the date today, how long have I been out, when does the year start, will I need to go to Diagon Alley, what house will I be sorted in, will I even need to be sorted again, I dom't kn…"
Dumbledore raised his hand to silence Hermione's flow of questions "Patience my dear patience, if you will let me explain everything will become clear to you. Today's date is the 28th of August 1967 and it is a Wednesday. You arrived here at 9:38 this morning but due to the pressure of the time travel and being a second hand passenger you fell unconscious and have been asleep for 7 hours, it is now 4:38 this afternoon. Yes you will need to go to Diagon Alley which is what we will be doing tomorrow but only to buy new books a new pet preferably a cat we don't want any suspicious looking owls flying around now do we, and a set of plain black wizard robes. Your wand is in the pocket of your jeans which are in the cabinet by your bed." He indicated to a small white wooden cabinet by the side of Hermiones bed. "Then you will have two days to reacquaint yourself with the castle or just to wander around the grounds maybe even befriend Hagrid" At this Dumbledore gave Hermione a knowing smile as if to say he knew all along that she was going to turn up or that he knew what happened in the future. Placing a comforting hand over hers he patted gently and said "I'll send some food up to you ,or would you prefer to go for a walk before you eat?"
"If you don't mind Sir I'd like to go for a walk it's such a lovely evening and I'd like to stretch my legs I feel as though I've been forced through a rubber tube legs first." Dumbledore nodded understandingly
"Just be back in by 8 o'clock I'll have a nice warm dinner ready for you" give Hermiones hands a gentle pat he rose and glided out of the Hospital Wing leaving Hermione to get dressed and head down to the sunny grounds.
Bellatrix Black closed her eyes against the dieing glow from the setting sun. It had been a tiring day what with her mother being ill and her father being at work, she had been left to look after her two squabbling sisters.
"To be honest" she thought to herself "we are all at such awkward ages I'm surprised we haven't killed each other yet" Andromeda was 14 and being the middle child was stuck with the odd parts of the family, she wasn't beautiful, but she did posses good facial structure, and did have brains, she just lacked the other qualities of the Blacks. Narcissa on the other hand was beautiful but being only 12 you couldn't see it yet and being the youngest child she was spoilt rotten (not that the others weren't of course, they were pureblood they could have anything they wanted within reason) but Narcissa was always favoured, she was after all the baby of the family. And then there was Bellatrix herself the oldest, smartest, and physically fittest, true she wouldn't class herself as beautiful (no that was Cissy) but Bellatrix was striking. If she walked down a busy London high street people wouldn't be able not to notice her, true she possessed no actual colour she chose to dress in darker colours because they went better with her Ebony eyes and hair not to mention her china toned skin. Black by name black by nature was what her always told her, her father called her his black rose, Bellatrix hated her father with a passion but tried hard not to show it for her mothers sake who loved him dearly.
Feeling the suns rays slowly fading Bellatrix opened her eyes and sighed as she heard a crash sound from the kitchen and the raised voices of her two sisters. Getting to her feet she stood and watched the last tips of light set behind the hills, turned and headed back towards the house to reprimand the two younger girls on making such a racket when they knew perfectly well that mother was in bed and father was resting in his drawing room after a long days work.
"Why can't they just get along" she moaned to herself as she crossed the immaculate back lawn, "still Dromeda does ask for it sometimes, I wish she'd start acting more like a Black, if she's not careful she could disgrace the whole family. Cissy on the other hand should start acting her age she wont be able to be pampered like a princess forever and must stop snapping at Dromeda, honestly those to are as different as chalk and cheese." Stepping inside the vast kitchen she saw what had caused the commotion, there in the middle of the floor lay the baby chandelier (luckily this one was made out of iron not glass) it's chain hanging dejected from the rafters, candles lay scattered across the floor.
"How in the name of Merlin had they managed to do that, she'd only been gone what 30 minuets max?" She thought to herself
"Ok, which one of you did it?" she said cocking an eyebrow and crossing her tensed arms over her chest,
"It was Andromeda she thought it would be clever if we tried to swing on it" whined Cissy
"Don't try and pin this on me, you were the one who was hanging off it" Dromeda yelled at Cissy. The two turned on each other and started to bicker,
"Listen, listen to me this is only going to end in tears" called Bellatrix over the ever growing shouts of the two siblings, and of course it did Dromeda punched Cissy on the arm causing Cissy to burst into tears and run from the room up the stairs to her room slamming the door behind her. Bellatrix sighed and turned to her remaining sister
"Must you be so immature Dromeda, you know acting like you just did wasn't lady like!"
"Oh fine take her side look it wasn't my fault maybe if she didn't have such a loud mouth and wasn't such a cry baby we could have fixed it before you found out" Dromeda rounded on her older sister
"And how exactly were you going to do that when you know you're not aloud to use magic outside of school?" Bellatrix asked knowing full well her sister didn't have an answer, she was right Dromeda just stood there mouth agape trying to think of a good answer. Failing this she spun on her heels and stalked out of the kitchen up the stairs and in turn slammed the door to her room too, leaving Bellatrix once again to clean up her sisters mess.
"Kretcher?" she called "can you come here a second please?" with a loud crack a grubby house elf appeared next to Bellatrix bowed low and said
"Young mistress what can I do for you?" Bellatrix pointed to the twisted wreck which was the chandelier
"Can you please fix that for me before Father come in to see what all the noise was?" Kretcher nodded snapped his fingers and at once the chandelier was hanging from the rafters all candles burning in their sockets. "Thankyou Kretcher here have a Chocolate Frog" smiled Bellatrix handing a small box to the house elf. Just as she began to climb the stairs her Father called out to her from his drawing room
"Bellatrix, come here a moment" Bellatrix stiffened at the sound of his voice, turning she descended the few stairs she had climbed and entered the dark drawing room. Cygnus Black was a tall, thick set, blonde haired man (which was where Narcissa got her lovely blonde locks from) but had heavily lidded eyes (which is what Bellatrix had inherited much to her disgust). By the look on his face he was not happy,"Tell me child why was my resting hours disturbed by the sound of an earthquake?"
"I'm sorry Father Cissy and Dromeda were getting a bit rowdy they somehow managed to brake the chandelier chain. They didn't mean to disturb you, it wont happen again." Bellatrix said all this to the floor "Kretcher fixed it."
"Ah yes, that was the main reason I called you in her. Tell me why do you see fit to reward him every time he does something? He is a slave Bellatrix and you'll do well to remember that in future now leave me!" Bellatrix left without a backward glance at her father.
From the large double bed on the second floor Druella listened to her eldest daughter being reprimanded by her father. Slowly she pulled back the covers and walked towards the door, hearing Bellatrix about to climb the next flight of stairs to her large attic room Druella opened the door stuck her head round and called out softly.
"Bella, dear?" Bella reappeared
"Yes Mother, what's the matter do you need anything?" she asked concern etched in her voice
"Please try not to enrage your Father so, he loves you dearly but you do do careless things you know." Druella by this time was hugging Bella tightly against her chest, gently she kissed the top of Bellas head. "Off you go to bed now, we have a busy day tomorrow we need to go shopping for new school stuff in Diagon Alley remember?"
