Profesor Bellatrix Slytherin sauntered into the Great Hall with a grace and elegance that dripped from every pore. Her hair was done half up, half down without a stray hair, and she found the the somewhat unbalanced look made students weary of annoying her without cause. Her black robes were woven from the finest acromantula silk, and accented her figure in a way certain people (McGonagall) found scandalous.
But they still left her free to dodge and duel, and made some of the brave or stupid boys (and a few girls) oogle her. Her makeup was a touch more restrained, only some eyeshadow, mascara blush and a light tone lip stain. All in all, she could swap easily from seductive to terrifying with just her expression. Regretfully, she had little need for the former in the school, and Dumbledore chided her for using the latter.
Still, her entrance was rather wasted. It was 6:30 on a Friday, meaning the great hall was occupied by a total of 11 people.
A couple older Ravenclaw students sat spaced out around their table, their head buried so deeply in their books or essays they didn't even look up. Sloppy. She'd have to drill the Ravens in her advanced classes in spatial awareness.
Two Hufflepuff girls were sitting at the end of the table, probably gossiping. Both snapped their heads onto Bellatrix when she walked in, eyes wide with fear. Bellatrix ignored them. During her first week as a teacher, she had made 4 separate badgers cry, tying Severus for the record. Ever since, the house students had an aversion to her.
Which suited Bellatrix just fine. Dealing with the simpering fools for too long made her teeth ache from grinding them, waiting for them to get to the bloody point.
The Gryffindor table was empty, and she was sure that at least a third of the fools would sprint in 10 minutes before class started to gorge themselves in a way that violated every rule of table manners. Bellatrix would be gone long before than, hopefully the second the youngest Weasel boy arrived. Just thinking about it made her stomach turn in distaste.
Than there was Slytherin. A few students sat around, some talking, others working, but they all looked over at her. Severus may have been their Head of House, but all of them sat up and took notice when Bellatrix spoke. Their faces betrayed nothing but mild interest, but they remained at the ready in case she came over.
Once, Draco had been loudly boasting at dinner about his dueling skills, so Bellatrix had gotten up and asked him to prove it. He had chickened out, but he learned the lesson that boasts were only as good as your willingness to back them up.
It still didn't shut him up fully, but Bellatrix was convinced that would take the second coming of Merlin.
At the teachers table, Rolanda Hooch sat at one end, and she gave Bellatrixa neutral nod, which Bellatrix returned. She and the flying instructor weren't close, but they didn't despise each other either. Bellatrix had never been the best flyer back when Hooch taught her, but as colleagues they mostly stayed out of one another's way.
The same could not be said for the other woman at the table.
McGonagall glared at Bella, her poustrue stiff as she craved into her kippers with more force than was necessary.
Their relationship had been stormy enough when it had been student-teacher, and now as peers they clashed on a near daily basis. Differences in teaching methods, especially Bellatrix's habit of attacking her entire class when they refused to shut up was only one part of it.
Bellatrix and her father-in-law had strong armed Dumbles into letting her teach, and they hadn't been subtle about their reasoning.
Ever since the Sunday massacre, Lord Slytherin had been one of the most vocal purebloods in opposition of the Purists, and they had tried on several times to kidnap Dorea. Bellatrix damn sure wasn't going to sit around at home while her daughter was at risk at Hogwarts.
Dumbles had promised she would be safe, but Bellatrix didn't trust him or the rest of the teachers with the job. It had cost many political favors, and Bellatrix was forced to deal with morons constantly, but it was worth it to keep her baby safe.
Bellatrix shot a single venomous glare at the cat bitch before taking her place on the opposite end of the table, next to Severus.
The somewhat greasy man was the closest thing to a friend Bellatrix had on the staff, as both agreed the vast majority of students were brain dead imbeciles who shouldn't be allowed to so much as look at wands, and they would occasionally drink together while grading abysmal essays. But Bellatrix didn't really respect the man. They often clashed over Draco, who Bellatrix saw as a near worthless moron, but Severus believed he was going to be an Archmage when he grew up.
It was also painfully obvious he was still in love with Lily Potter, despite the fact that she had clearly rejected him for that berk Potter, and it was just hard to respect him watching that. This was compounded by the fact that he bitched near constantly to her in the misguided belief that Bellatrix cared.
The potion master was in a foul mood this morning, and Bellatrix spied he was grading essays from his 2nd years, with this student having failed based on the sheer amount of red ink staining the parchment.
"Good morning Severus." Bellatrix said quietly, watching as the Slytherins returned to their own tasks now that she had sat down.
"It is most certainly not." The hook nosed man snarked at her, not looking up from the essay. Bellatrix rolled her eyes at the theatrics but left the him to his sulking. She ate a sliced apple, and a couple pieces of toast with marmalade as daintily as a woman of her status could. Her eyes stayed mostly on the main doors, waiting for her daughter to arrive.
The two had barely spoken since their argument on Wednesday, though Dorea was in detention with Snape for the rest of the school year.
Bellatrix was not looking forward to the sulking she would do once they were home.
Her daughter's accusations cut deeply and though Bellatrix wouldn't admit it under pain of death, she had sobbed herself to sleep that night. But what hurt most was not her daughters low opinion of her, but the cutting truth.
Even from a young age, when her little sisters would play mother and cradle their dolls, Bellatrix stayed away. The idea of taking care of a squalling, wailing infant sickened her, and she never imagined herself as mother.
But she was a member of a powerful pureblood family, and she knew a political marriage was in her future, and children would be expected soon after.
At first her parents had been in talks with the Lestrange family for her to wed that oaf Rodolphus. She despised the man and privately made plans to ensure her infertility before they were wed. No amount of social stigma would reduce her to bearing that mans dreadful spawn. And than, she met Corvus. As she waited, her mind drifted back to their first meeting during a party at the Nott Estate.
Bellatrix had slipped away from Rodolphus, who had the gall to constantly lay his hands on her, like she was claiming him as her property. It had taken every ounce of restraint she had not to curse his bollocks off. Instead she was headed to the one place no one went during a party: the library.
The Nott library was pitiful in comparison to the Blacks, but she had heard tell of a rare book on Dark hexes hidden within, and she was eager to get her hands on it.
But the library was not as deserted as she had hoped. A tall man in well made robes was pursuing a section on runes, humming happily to himself with his back to the door. Bellatrix was unsure who he was but she instantly labeled him a distracted fool, and made an attempt to slip out the door before he noticed her and entrapped her in banal conversation.
"Do you like the melody? My mother is very fond of it. But you are a very different sort of woman, Miss Black." the man said suddenly, without turning to look at her.
Bellatrix snarled silently. She hated being discovered.
"I'm not one for such idle minded pursuits as children's lullabies. I have always preferred the music of magic. The violent kind." she said smoothly, hoping he took the warning and let her go.
"Yes, I suspected as much." he said with a slight chuckle, and Bellatrix's hackels rose. How dare this man mock her? Did he think she was a mere woman, a pretty plaything? Her hand twitched towards her wand.
The man held up a book he had been concealing in front of him. "Which is why you are here looking for Castor Pollux seminal work 'Spells to Sow Fear and Terror Among Friend and Enemy Alike.' Banned in all ICW countries, and thought to be the source of the blood-boiling curse. Personally, I always found his spells more gruesome than effective, and his writing style overly flowery." he said in a bored tone. Bellatrix narrowed her eyes and summoned her wand to her hand.
"I agree. But gruesome spells have their applications, such as using on stalkers or arrogant shits who think they can intimidate me." she said in a sickly sweet voice, advancing slowly on the still unmoving man.
"Hah! You are as sharp as the gossip mongers claimed. But where are my manners?" The man slowly spun around, keeping his hands where Bellatrix could see them.
"Corvus Armando Slytherin, at your service."
Bellatrix knew it was him, she had seen his face for years. He was handsome, dark black hair and aristocratic features, a glint of mischief in his blue eyes and a smile that made young ladies swoon. The man was the closest thing to a Prince the Purebloods had, and Bellatrix had just threatened him.
Fuck.
She grit her teeth, and slid her wand back into her dress, but keeping her hand on it. Prince or not, she wasn't dropping her guard. "My deepest apologies, I didn't realize who you where." she said as demure as she could, putting on the mask of the perfect little aristocrat her family wanted her to be.
But Corvus just smiled "No need to put on airs with me Miss Black. Few people seek frankly to me, and I would never ask you to bite your tongue." he said, his eyes sparkling.
Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at the man, suspicion growing. "What do you want?" she said quietly, sensing danger.
"A matter of business. Or rather, a mutual problem that we could solve together." Corvus said smoothly, a charming smile on his face.
"I can't think of any problems we share. And any family business is handled by my Uncle, so good evening to you sir." Bellatrix said haughtily, turning to go leave the library when Corvus spoke.
"You hate Lestrange, and I sympathize. He is a boor, a simpleton more interested in the trappings of power than the reality of it. He slobbers on you, treating you like a shiny new toy, even as he sleeps around with every whore who will have him" he said, and she heard genuine anger in the young man's voice.
It was true, Rodopuls was not subtle in his bedmates, and it was an insult to Bellatrix and her family. She turned to look at Slytherin, anger burning in her chest.
"How dare you speak of things you have no understanding of!" she growled, rage seeping out of her mouth. He was mocking her, though for what reason she had no idea.
"I told you Miss Black, I can sympathize. The same way Lestrange disgust you, so too do all those pureblood darlings outside fill me with dread. They stand around, looking pretty and thinking all they have to do is bat their eyes and all men will swoon. They who can barely cast 5th year spells, discarding their magic in favor of inane competitions over dresses and jewelry." Corvus's eyes burned with a dreadful intensity, and Bellatrix found herself drawn to them, like pools of lagoon water raging in a storm
"The ones who have nothing between their ears but dust, they sicken me, and the very thought of marrying one of those vapid cows gives me conniptions!" He declared, and Bellatrix shook herself out of her stupor at his sudden anger.
"And what does any of this have to do with me?" she asked, anger still lurking just below the surface.
The fury Slytherin displayed vanished in an instant his charming smile back in place. "Why, I want you to marry me Miss Black."
Before Bellatrix could protest, that she was promised to Lestrange, that she didn't even know him, that this was all improper, he lifted his hands.
"However, this would be a marriage in name alone. The contract would allow you a great deal of freedom. Personally, I would be happiest to remain unbound, but for people in our position that simply is not an option. So, this partnership would allow us to live our owns lives and fulfill our responsibilities to our families and society." He placated quickly, and before Bellatrix could respond, Corvus was in front of her, holding out a parchment scroll.
"At least consider it. I am also willing to give you a magically binding oath, if you feel it necessary." Than, with his cologne barely touching her nose, he was gone. Bellatrix stood there, stunned.
She considered herself a forward witch, but proposing marriage in the very first conversation with someone was so brazen it gave her whiplash.
But she didn't burn the contract, instead hiding it in her dress pockets, and returning to the ballroom to find the surly plastered Lestrange.
Bellatrix sighed, looking down at her empty plate.
She had decided to accept Corvus's proposal, after ensuring that he was telling the truth about not trying to bind her. Lestrange was enraged, but her Uncle was pleased with her for courting the most desirable heir in the whole country and all was forgiven.
The two had never been in love, but there was a mutual respect, and it evolved into a comfort and friendship between the two. Corvus became one of the only people she let herself be unguarded around. He never belittled her or told her what to do, and in turn she never asked for more than he was willing to give.
They lived separate lives, only coming together for the many drab balls and galas they were forced to attend. And even than they often found an excuse to leave early.
Bellatrix spent her free time diving deeper into arcane mysteries, or travelling abroad hunting secret power. In truth, she never knew much of her husbands activities. He was gone almost as much as she was. His notes were incomprehensible to her when she saw them, going into strange mixtures of foreign runes for some unspecific end goal. But, they were happy in their roles.
The idea to have a child was not something Corvus brought up. In fact he confided he was just as weary of children as she was. It had been an impassioned plea from Lord Slytherin to continue his line that finally convinced the couple to have a child.
Some women glowed when pregnant, like Narcissa. Bellatrix did not.
It felt like she was lugging around a quaffle from the 3rd month on. She was hot and bloated all the time. The kicks came at the worst times, such as when she was trying to sleep or read, and she hated how her slim figure was lost, how she couldn't duel or use dark magic for fear of hurting the baby. And the less she thought about the delivery the better.
But throughout all the other women and healers told her it would all be worth it once she held her daughter in her hands. Bellatrix had resented the unborn child, and she was worried she wouldn't love her, but even her own mother told her that once she looked at her baby, the love would flow forth from her heart.
After the 19 hour delivery, filled with agony and Bellatrix promising she would kill everyone even remotely involved with her ordeal, she had finally laid eyes on her daughter.
And the love did not materialize. She looked at the wrinkly little creature, barely into the world and already screaming her lungs out, and just felt disgusted.
She had tried to hold Dorea, but the baby just kept screaming and she felt so wrong in Bella's arms. Bellatrix was on her last nerve when Corvus swooped in, picking up his daughter and cradling her. Dorea calmed instantly, falling into a serene sleep.
Bellatrix had watched his face, saw the look of pure joy cross his face as Dorea slept peacefully, and felt jealous.
She did try to be a mother, but she was terrible at it. Dorea was utterly illogical, and when she started to cry or wail Bellatrix had no idea what she wanted, and she was inevitably handed off to one of the nannies to feed or burp or Merlin forbid change her.
Dorea also didn't like Bellatrix that much, screaming when held by her or tugging on her hair with surprising strength, but she loved her Papa. After 6 months of misery, Corvus had sent his wife on a vacation, away from the screaming infant at home.
Bellatrix had effectively given up on motherhood by the time Dorea was a year old. She went back to living her life just as she had before she was born, only seeing Dorea briefly a couple times a week, if that.
She convinced herself it was fine, Dorea had Corvus and all the staff she could need. Bellatrix presence only made things more difficult. Even when her daughter could finally talk, it was impossible to have a decent conversation with her. It was impossiable to understand the gibbersh she used, or to follow her train of thought.
Corvus never resented Bellatrix for backing away from their child, and he shined as a father. Some of the other noblemen mocked him for always putting Dorea first, calling him a mother, but Corvus didn't care.
He and Dorea had a connection Bellatrix could never match. He was more than willing to show his teeth for her, to protect and defend her. When Lord Carrow had told Corvus that Dorea was spoiled, and should be beaten to 'turn her around', Corvus had told the Lord that if he ever brought it up again he would have to face Corvus in a duel.
It had seemed like a good balance, Bellatrix living her seperate life, and not worrying about her home life because Corvus was taking care of it.
Than the Sunday Massacre happened, and her world was turned upside down.
They fought well together that day, with Corvus covering her while she attacked the Purists. Than that fucking bastard had hopped down and attacked them, having the sheer gall to challenge her.
Bellatrix had been so focused on killing him, on proving that she was better, that she missed that Corvus was burning out. She had only realized when she saw a killing curse coming towards her and Corvus hadn't conjuried a block of marble to block it.
The next few seconds were burned into her memory, and she had spent many sleepless nights thinking about what she could have done. If she hadn't been so focused on offense, she could have dodged it, and looking down at that sickly green spell she had known she was about to die.
Her one clear thought was that she hoped Corvus wouldn't blame himself. She was pissed this shit would be the one to end her, but otherwise accepted it. This was just how the world worked.
Than her husband did the unthinkable. He stepped in front of her.
Bellatrix had tried to yell at him, to pull him aside, to do anything.
But she was too slow. In that moment, her best friend sacrificed himself for her, and Bellatrix had no idea what possessed him to do it. He was in the prime of his life, he had a daughter to think about, and yet he threw it all away for her.
It was not a fair trade. Bellatrix had watched in horror as her husband fell limply to ground. Rage and panic had filled her, and she had exploded at the Blood Purist, throwing every brutal, maiming spell she knew at him, even after he fell she just kept casting. She was terrified. She had no idea how to what she was going to do without Corvus, and the image of him playing with Dorea that morning, both smiling and giggling, filled her mind.
It had been Sirius of all people who stopped her and pulled her back from the lump of flesh that she had turned the murderous bastard into. She hadn't realized she had been weeping. Her cousin tried to calm her, but Bellatrix only had eyes for her husband's corpse. She'd clung to him, sobbing for all the world to see.
One question that dominated her mind as she cradled him: 'What am I going to tell Dorea?'
Lord Slytherin had blamed himself, but it was her fault. She could barely look at her daughter when she'd gone home that day.
Bellatrix pushed in the door of their manor, feeling like it had been a century since she had last stood her this morning. Back when Corvus was trying to convince her that the Alley wouldn't be too crowded.
All the house elves were gone, and suddenly Bellatrix heard the patter of little feet coming from the playroom, like war drums signaling her doom.
Dorea sprinted down the hallway, sliding around the corner with a huge smile on her face, yelling "Papa!" the joy in her voice burned like acid.
Her happy expression fell when she saw Bellatrix standing there, alone, and tear tracks still on her face. "Mother, where papa?" she asked, a bit of fear in her voice. Bellatrix took a few steps forward, and wondered when she had been hit by a jelly-leg spell.
She got in front of her daughter, and knelt down to Dorea's eye level. She could see the fear in her daughter's eyes.
"Papa...he's not, he…" Bellatrix choked out, the words getting stuck in her throat. She breathed. She had to say this. It was her duty.
"There was a, an accident. Papa, papa isn't coming home." she said, praying Dorea understood.
She didn't.
"Why not? He said he would" the girl asked, confusion apparent in her face.
Bellatrix nearly sobbed. But she didn't. "Papa, he can't come home. H-he's gone Dorea." Bellatrix couldn't bring herself to say 'dead'. She had no idea if the girl even understood the concept.
Dorea shook her head violently back and forth, her hair whipping around. Tears shone in her eyes. Eyes the same shade as her fathers.
"NO! Papa said he'd come back, and papa never lies!" the child declared loudly.
Bellatrix reached out to hold her, but Dorea swatted her hands away, and Merlin that cut almost as much as seeing Corvus lying falling to the ground.
"I WANT MY PAPA!" Dorea screamed, and she tried to push past Bellatrix to the door, tears streaming down he face. Having no choice, Bellatrix grabbed her and hugged her close, cooing into her daughters hair, just like she had seen Corvus do to calm her down when she got angry
But Dorea didn't relax. She struggled, crying and yelling for Papa, her tiny fists hitting Bella's chest. Bellatrix realized she was crying too, and there was nothing she could do to comfort her child. She just kept holding on, and eventually the girl exhausted herself, and broke down into quiet sobbing.
"He said he'd be back. He never lies. He never lies." Dorea repeated, hugging herself. After an indeterminate amount of time, the girl passed out in Bellatrix's arms, and the witch looked down at her child.
She was scared, and out of her depth. She had never needed to be a parent. But now, she had no choice.
Sitting on the floor with her daughter in her arms, she made a promise. No matter what, she would be here for her. Because Corvus wasn't.
Bellatrix sighed, remembering that vow. If only it was that easy. Dorea had not taken kindly to her once absent mother suddenly butting into her life, and Bellatrix privately admitted she had no idea what she was doing. Perhaps if she had been there since the beginning, they would have a better relationship.
Or maybe not. But she couldn't undo what she had done. She just had to keep moving forward.
The Great Hall was filling up as more students streamed in. The Puffs came in as two or three big groups. Safety in numbers, as all the other houses knew picked on them.
Almost no one bothered the Ravens. It simply wasn't very fun, and a few of the overachievers could be downright dangerous when provoked. They arrived alone or in pairs, quiet and disconnected, and most buried in their books or homework. Exams were a day away, so all of them were panicking.
Her old house was a different story. For Slytherins, things like who you came in with, sat with, talked to, they were all careful political calculations. Severus insisted on it. It prepared them for the real world of backstabbing and careful positioning. It was all lost on the other houses, but Slytherin was the most self contained. Socializing outside ones house was rarely done and required a good reason.
The Griffs arrived in groups of four to five, tumbling around like animals, filling the hall with raucous noise, paying no attention to anything or one other than themselves.
Her eyes picked out Longbottom and the mudblood Granger, along with the Weasley girl and the Potter twins. Ronald was apparently sleeping in, sparing her from watching him eat. Orion, her nephew was also absent. He had taken after Sirius and disappointed the family by becoming a Griff, and a member of Longbottoms little gang.
They were mostly useless fools, only marginally better than the rest of their peers in Defense. With the possible exception of Rose Potter. She had the makings of a decent fighter, but was still too arrogant and headstrong to be any good.
The Boy-who-lived stood tall against the rest of the slovenly house, self assured and confident. He and his little band of sycophants were celebrities, and Bellatrix knew far more than she cared too about them.
One of the conditions of her employment was protecting not just her own child from Purist plots, but all of the other targets, the biggest one being Longbottom. He was a symbol of their failure, their first fall from grace, and a rallying cry for the forces arrayed against them. During his first year Professor Quirrell had nearly succeeded in killing him.
Since she had been teaching she had uncovered 16 separate plots to kill the boy, and aiding in foiling all of them. Not that he knew that. All his little friends saw her as an evil dark witch, and often imagined she and Severus were somehow out to sabotage them.
Okay, that was true academically, but only because they were idiots and deserved to fail. Still, she was in no hurry to tell them the truth. The last thing she wanted was to be pulled into their 'Light' group constantly competing to suck off dumbles and pleasure themselves.
It had been bad enough last year when Dorea had decided to protest not being able to go to Hogsmeade by sitting with her cousin at the Gryffindor table.
She still had nightmares about it.
Bellatrix was pulled out of her thoughts when one of her bracelets shook slightly. It was the one linked to the tracking charm on Dorea, and that meant she had left the Slytherin common room.
Bellatrix knew that at 13 she would have rioted at her mother constantly monitoring her, and it was definitely a source of friction, but Dorea simply didn't understand how much danger she was in. She always sought to bend the rules, and Bellatrix may have allowed it had she not been under near constant threat of kidnapping, or worse.
That was why her recent stint to Loc Muinne was so terrifying. She had somehow transferred the tracking charm onto a classmate, and by the time Bellatrix realized, she had been gone for hours. It was a golden opportunity for the Purists, had they known about it.
'Professor, I was fine! Nothing happened, why are you pulling your hair out!?' had been the gist of Dorea's argument later, but that wasn't the point. They had to be lucky every time, the Purists only needed once.
Lord Slytherin was a great man, and Bellatrix had long admired him, but still she knew that if push came to shove he would be willing to lose his granddaughter rather than become the Purists puppet.
Dorea may not know it, but her mother was the only one who could truly protect her.
Still, Bellatrix was often completely lost when it came to her daughter, and she knew it was having a negative effect on both of them. Dorea was typically an above average student, but her grades had been slipping recently. Bellatrix guessed it was a deliberate act, operating under the assumption that Bellatrix only cared about her behavior as it reflected her family.
But Bellatrix wanted her daughter to have the best life she could, and not to handicap herself out of spite.
Bellatrix restricted the urge to check up exactly where her daughter was, as usually it only took 8 minutes to walk from the dungeons to the Great Hall. But she might have talked to friends in the halls. She shouldn't skip breakfast, it wasn't good for her.
She fidgeted a bit in her seat, and the now full teachers table took notice. Most of them talked behind her back, saying she was no real teacher and was here for purely selfish reasons, insulted she thought them incapable of protecting her daughter, but only the cat bitch was brave enough to say it to her face.
This was normal, right? For mothers to worry, and protect their children?
Not to the extents you've gone. A doubtful little voice whispered in the back of her mind. It sounded awfully like Corvus, a reminder that everything she struggled with he would have done effortlessly.
It should have been her who died that day. Corvus would have known what to say to Dorea, known how to deal with all the politics she ran through like a dragon in a china shop. He would know what to do.
Just than, Dorea turned the corner, swiftly making her way to the end of the table furthest away from the teachers table, and hiding in the shadow of a seventh year lunk to block Bellatrix's line of sight.
It still calmed Bellatrix to see her daughter safe and sound, and she rose gracefully from her seat, sweeping off through the side exit. Staying would only irritate Dorea, and she had to prep for her first class.
oooOOOooo
Several hours later, Bellatrix collapsed in her office chair. She spelled the door shut and laid her head on her desk.
She needed a drink. Or several.
Her 7th year class had taken up the whole morning slot, and it was one of the most crushing experiences she had since she began teaching. Exams were close and so Bellatrix had set her classes aside for review. The students were from all the houses, and supposedly they were fully trained in defense.
Bellatrix always focused on practical applications, mostly dueling. She figured that after 3 years teaching this batch of students, they had at least the basics down, and so in this final class she dueled closer to her full potential.
It was pathetic.
Not one bloody student made it a minute against her. All the careful strategy and twitch reactions she had drilled into them was thrown out the window the second spells started flying and they reverted to wildly cast in every direction or cowering behind shields.
The sad thing was, even with their poor showing, she knew they would still pass their NEWTs, which was an indictment of the exam more than anything.
Her 3rd years were next, after lunch, and they were also preparing for exams. She'd have to do a review of magical creatures, as it was all they were bloody taught. Meaning by the time they'd graduated it would all be cast out of their minds like ballast.
But Bellatrix couldn't mope forever. She had a meeting.
Right on cue, by which she meant five minutes late, her fireplace lit green and figure in red robes fell out, collapsing on the floor of her office and oh Merlin I need a drink.
Auror Sirius Black hopped up with a boyish grin, trying to pretend he wasn't pushing forty.
"Trixy, you look glum! Why the long face?" he declared in an overly cheery voice, plopping down in the chair opposite her.
The nickname made Bellatrix itch for her wand. She was sure she was the better duelist than her shit cousin, but attacking an active Auror, even an annoying one, was frowned upon.
"I was having an excellent day until you arrived Siri." Bellatrix ground out, her glare burning into his skull.
Why Scrimgeour decided to make Sirius her primary contact on the force was beyond her. She had worked well with Moody, after an admittedly rough adjustment period. Hell, she'd have taken Potter. But she had been overruled, and so she was stuck with the clout.
Sirius raised his hand to his mouth, a look of fake shock and horror on his face. "Why Trixy, how could you say something so hurtful? You wound me, you wound me to the bone, I say!"
Bellatrix was so close to hexing him it hurt.
"Enough you dolt! You asked for this meeting, so get to the point!" she yelled angrily, throwing her hands up.
Sirius's expression cleared and settled into semi-professionalism. He was one of a small task force assigned to protect at risk minors from Purist plots. Technically, Bellatrix was a last line of defense at the school, but in practice she was far more proactive. Often more proactive than the Aurors wanted her to be.
Sirius's son Orion was also in danger as the heir to the family. Uncle Orion remained neutral, and she honestly doubted he loved his grandson enough to bend that position, even if he was kidnapped.
Sirius also had a fondness for Dorea, though the girl did think he was thick. And was tactless enough to say it to his face. Though at least it eliminated any doubt that she's related to me.
In any case, most of the time she received paper reports. This must be serious for a face to face.
Sirius produced a DMLE file and laid it on the desk. It was marked as Otto Bienderhook, a name she was unfamiliar with.
Pulling the file open, she saw that Bienderhook was dead. Muggles fished him out of a dumpster in Birmingham early this morning. When they ran his prints, someone realized he was a wizard, and the Aurors swept in to take control.
The autopsy revealed he had died of shock, likely the cruciatus curse. He was placed under it his brain hemorrhaged. A cruel death, though more common in recent years.
Bellatrix shot Sirius a sceptical look, silently asking why this was important to them.
"Bienderhook was a shady potion seller, but he had a side venture making unlicensed portkeys. For example, a certain young girls illegal portkey to Loc Muinne." Sirius said calmly.
Bellatrix had told him about the whole affair, knowing he would leave Dorea's lawbreaking out of his report. But she had asked him to figure out where Dorea got her transportation.
And he was murdered not long afterwards. Could be coincidence, but Bellatrix was not about to take chances.
Sirius went on "My sources claim the Purists were behind it, something about him selling them out. Rumor is, on his information they sent a retrieval team and they haven't been seen since."
Bellatrix leaned back in her chair "Any evidence that Dorea was the target?" she asked tightly. Sirius shrugged "Maybe. A couple Aurors swept the ruins, and they did find one odd thing. In one of the chambers in the tunnel network, they found a trace of dark magic embedded in one of the walls. Nothing else that indicated a fight, but from the strength the spell was cast in the last month or so. You checked Dorea when she got back, right?" Sirius asked suddenly. The idea of them sending back a polyjuiced imposter in place of her daughter was a constant threat.
Bellatrix nodded "As soon as she got back." She'd cast many detection spells and medical charms on Dorea during her lecture when her daughter had stopped paying attention. She also had Pomphrey double check her results later that night, and she'd strengthened and redoubled the tracking charms. "And I checked her wand, only thing she cast was lumos."
"Good. So, we have fragmentary evidence of a fight, or at least a single missed spell, four missing Purists, and apparently they blamed the portkey maker for it. Still a snitch short of a set though." Sirius mused, leaning back in the chair.
Bellatrix nodded "So, assuming all of this evidence is connected, someone or many someone's intercepted the Purists, eliminated them and covered up almost all the evidence of the fight." she said with a sigh.
"Which doesn't narrow it down very much. The Purists have no shortage of enemies." It was an open secret that after the Sunday Massacre numerous vigilante groups formed to avenge their children or friends. The Ministry had tolerated them with the understanding that they always left the bodies somewhere they could be found.
Some of the groups still existed, and many of the Purebloods involved had a great deal of love for Dorea as they remembered her father and wanted to curry favor with Lord Slytherin. They would jump at the chance to protect her.
Sirius was unconvinced "Most of those groups have dropped off, what with the Purists on the rise again and the New Dark Lord." he grimaced at the title, and Bellatrix felt dread.
Two years ago, the Ministry had been ready to once again declare the Blood Purists destroyed. But than the Dark Lord had burst onto the scene. His identity was a mystery, but he had staged a prison break on Azkaban, freeing every prisoner who would swear loyalty to him.
In a single move, he had restarted the war and gained a hardened army totally dedicated to the fight. Ever since the Purists had gained discipline, and were much more careful in their targets, giving the Aurors few chances to catch them.
The Dark Lord himself hung over their head, and had yet to truly enter the field. But he had single handedly stormed Azkaban, killing the entire guard contingency, trapping the dementors and breaking the wards. So, it was assumed they were archmage level. It was likely he was avoiding conflict with Dumbles and Lord Slytherin, but having such a powerful mage leading the Purists filled everyone with dread.
"I know. Still, certain groups are still hanging on." she said, glaring at Sirius, who looked away.
She knew Dumbles was running his own small army, and Sirius was doubtless a member. They called it something like the Phoenix Order, because they were all overly dramatic wankers. She wasn't a member, but she could see a secret when it was right in front of her.
Sirius took a great interest in the wall "I have no idea what you're talking about, and hypothetically any such organization would turn any prisoners or bodies to the proper authorities." he lied shamelessly.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes but didn't pursue it further. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Sirius smirked, than his expression turned curious "Did Dorea mention anything odd when she got back? She might have noticed something." he pondered, and a cold weight settled on her chest.
"She didn't mention anything." she said, tension bleeding into her voice. Sirius cocked an eyebrow.
"You want me to talk to her?" he asked, and Bellatrix let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "I doubt it would do any good. She's… not in the best mood." Bellatrix said quickly, praying he would drop it. Sirius had the misguided belief that just because his son had turned out alright, he was some master parent. But most of his advice to children revolved around either quidditch or pranking or both.
Sirius sighed, and Bellatrix could hear the reproach in it. "Bella, I know you don't want any advice, but-" "Oh shut up Sirius!" Bellatrix stood up, anger spilling out.
"Whatever you're about to say, whatever advice you're about to cough up, save it! You don't understand, your son looks at you and sees his father, my daughter looks at me and only sees the person who got her father killed, and none of your half knut parenting advice is going to change that!" Bellatrix yelled, tears pricking at her eyes.
Sirius blinked in shock, and Bellatrix stopped. She hadn't meant to explode so suddenly. The stress must be getting to me more than I thought.
Sirius shook off his surprise, and instead a look of pity replaced it, which was worse.
Bellatrix hated any inadequacies, or showing weakness, and she especially hated people trying to diagnose her troubles with her daughter based on rumor or gossip rags.
Everyone thought they knew the secret to solving her problems. And it was usually the same generic crap, like 'talk to her, open up about your feelings' or some derivation of that. It was infuriating. Dorea didn't care about Bellatrix's feelings, she cared about her actions. And as long as a single blood Purist walked free, Bellatrix wouldn't give her daughter the freedom she wanted. And so, they were at an impasse.
Bellatrix sat back down, grabbing some random piece of parchment and pretending it was important.
"Well, auror Black, if there's nothing else, could you kindly fuck off?" Bellatrix said harshly, not looking at her cousin.
Mercifully, Sirius decided not to be an ass, and went over to her fireplace to grab some floo powder "I let you know if we find anything else professor. Try not to hex any of your students too severely." he half heartedly joked before vanishing in green flame.
Bellatrix let the piece of parchment drop and she stared blankly at the floor.
Great, now all the marauders are going to have fresh gossip about me. I just hope that damn mudblood Lily doesn't try to stage another intervention.
She was pulled from her reflection of her cousins idiot friends when her door wards tripped. Someone knocked a second later.
Bellatrix steeled herself, than undid the lock. "Enter"
Author Note
Alright, first Harry-free chapter. Sorry if it was a bit exposition heavy, I just really wanted everyone to be on the same page. And don't worry, the students will become more involved in the story shortly. In the meantime, review if you like, and even if you don't thanks for reading.