Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!
It was with a small groan and a pout at the pulsating pressure of her headache that Bella awoke from her well-deserved slumber.
"Dumbledore's sagging beard, what did I do to deserve this?" she grumbled to herself whilst pulling the covers over her head, as if to drive off the headache.
She heard a small noise that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle from outside her sheets. She narrowed her eyes and carefully peered through a gap in the left side of the covers to find… Oh. Well, that was a surprise! Wait…why did he look like he was attending a lemon convention?
"You will not so profane the lord's name!" said an ominous voice from her right, and at a glance it was revealed to be her friend and saviour with sparkling green eyes.
"Harry? What am I doing here?" She said, nervous in the presence of a celebrity like Dumbledore.
"You mean you can't remember?" came the irritatingly amused tones of a certain bearded wizard.
"Remember wh-" she cut herself off as the memories began to return. The 'punishment', the fire – oh yeah the fire, that was cool – and then the oh so dignified fainting.
"Ah yes, that." was her response. Harry giggled like a little girl.
"Well, now that you're awake, I was hoping that we could get to the bottom of this?" Dumbledore looked into her eyes and spoke with a calm voice that made her relax slightly. This caused Harry to crease his brow slightly, but otherwise remain silent. She was about to concede when a figure appeared at the doorway, causing shadows to dance across her eyes. The distraction was enough for her to break her eye contact with the headmaster, and in turn, the headache she was gritting her teeth against abated slightly. The figure took form as a lady she recognised, but could not figure out the name of.
"Aunt Cassie?" she asked tentatively, guessing from the definably Black family jawline and dark wavy hair. If so then why the heck were these assortment of oddballs here? Harry Michaels, the mysterious muggleborn with a strange scar hidden under his cute but pathetic excuse for a fringe, Dumbledore the dark wizard defeater extraordinaire and finally a member of the darkest family in Britain, all converged into a bedroom with violently pink flowery curtains around her.
"Am I missing something?" she then added.
The woman in the doorway smiled softly at her, confusing her even more, before walking over and sliding onto the stall that Harry had been occupying. Bella smirked as he let out a squeak, hitting the floor. The lady then proceeded to explain the situation, linking together the seemingly random pieces of information she had.
"So you're saying that Harry is a Potter, he isn't some kind of dragon cross breed, and this is your home, where Dumbledore happens to be hanging around in desperate need of an exciting story?" Bella asked dryly, trying to disguise her shock at the predicament she found herself in. Well, as her uncle Orion had taught her, if you're going to do it, do it properly.
"Alright then beardy man, fire away!" she sang lightly. In hindsight, maybe she should have waited until she wasn't still concussed when talking to important people.
Harry coughed in a poor attempt to hide his amusement, Dumbledore looked at her in a mixture of amusement and shock, deciding whether to be happy about being able to 'fire away' or resent the obvious disrespect. The face of her aunt however was one of stern disapproval. Bella awaited the shouting or the curt command to leave, so she was surprised to see that Dorea's considerable ire was turned upon the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Albus, the poor dear is obviously still recovering from such a traumatic experience! I hope you weren't even considering an interrogation before she is rested enough! I allowed you to make decisions I do not like, so for Merlin's sake do not push me now!"
"Mrs Potter, I assure you, no interrogation-" he was cut off,
"Enough. Bella dear, please excuse these two boys for their behaviour and inexcusable disrespect, I'm sure you would like to be left alone?"
Well, Bella wasn't about to contradict her.
Harry saw her smug smile and narrowed his eyes at her.
"Ungrateful little-"
"Harry! Out, now!"
With a final scathing glare at Bella's now openly grinning face, he got up from the edge of her bed, where he had crawled to after being so rudely removed from his chair and stalked out of the room.
Dorea turned to Bella and smiled that soft smile again, making Bella feel strangely warm, and then took out a small vial of pale pink liquid.
"This should help with the headache, dear."
Bella practically banished it down her throat before falling back heavily among the many pillows that adorned her bed, succumbing to the comforting darkness that had never been welcomed with so much excitement. Something had changed, maybe not a completely good change but now, the seemingly perpetual, lonely pattern of her life had changed, and she was glad. Even if she had to face her father again, at least she was not alone; purple fire boy would make sure of that. As her final thoughts wondered to Harry Michaels – no, Potter – she wondered at how quickly that rude, reckless boy had changed her life. For better, or for worse, only time could tell.
A few hours earlier
A dull thud echoed through the Potter household in Godric's Hollow. Instantly, Harry's father rushed into the hallway, finding Harry, Daffy and an unknown child on the floor. Harry quickly explained that Bella was hurt and why, so Charlus had made Daffy take her up to the spare room. Once she was gone, his father said nothing, then walked forwards to a very nervous Harry and hugged him.
"You never endanger yourself like that again, do you understand?" He had told him gently.
Harry nodded mutely, confused as to why his father was worrying about him when Bella was hurt.
His father had then called his mother in the floo, asking her to come home. They decided after a small talk that it would be best if she stayed at their house instead of St. Mungo's until she was better, in order to bypass the scandal that would surely arise if a young pureblood girl was found to be abused in her own home. Instead, once Dorea had confirmed Bella's relatively good health, Dumbledore was called. As veterans of the war against Grindelwald and due to Harry's strange appearance, the Potters could appreciate Dumbledore's levelheadedness and wisdom in strange situations. They approached him, wanting advice and confirmation on how to handle such a delicate situation. Politically, this event could be hugely advantageous, because the publicity of Bella's situation could bring down Cygnus Black; a strong opponent of the kind of legislation that the Potters and Dumbledore were trying to push through. On the other hand, treating such a situation as a tool could be very damaging to Bellatrix, causing her to be isolated from her father, and breaking apart the reputation of her family. The Potters were just not comfortable with doing that.
Once Dumbledore arrived, he went straight to Bella, performing some similar charms to Dorea, seeing if any damage had been done. Once her health was again confirmed, he disappeared into a room with Dorea and Charlus, leaving Harry alone in Bella's room. He watched her as she slept; noticing that the frosty looks on her face took away the innocence he could now see. She looked like a child, not like an arrogant pureblood heiress. He occasionally heard raised voices drift in from where the meeting was taking place, and he wondered how such an obvious situation could cause so much difficulty for the adults. Her father had hurt Bella, so obviously she couldn't go back. Either he had to go, or she did, quite simple really.
He soon heard the front door open and slam, so he rushed over to the window, peering out of the glass to see his father step out of the front garden and disappear with a muffled pop.
"Hello my boy."
Harry turned around quickly to find Dumbledore, in all his yellow robed glory, standing in the doorway. Dumbledore then took a seat in the corner of the room, with a pensive look on his face as he gazed at Bella.
"Urm, Professor?" Harry queried,
"Yes Harry?" Dumbledore said lightly.
"Will Bellatrix have to leave?"
Dumbledore had still not taken his eyes off of Bellatrix.
"No, my boy, she will be staying with her family. I see no reason why they cannot change their ways with a few…prods in the right direction." He seemed to say more to himself.
Harry had meant if she had to leave his house, but no point telling Dumbledore that now, not that he could have done if he wanted to. He was rooted in place, his jaw hanging slightly limp.
How could they expect Bella to go back home to her father? They hadn't seen what he had, the looming figure, striking with no one to help except him. He couldn't be there all the time!
"Sir, I don't understand." He finally whispered.
Dumbledore finally turned his watch to Harry, a slight smile on his lips,
"You don't need to Harry. This doesn't concern you. It was very brave of you to save her, and it shows a lot of good Gryffindor character. Despite that, Bellatrix comes from a very dark family and you have to be careful around her. She needs to go back for her own good and the good of our society. Don't worry now Harry, you will understand when you are older." Dumbledore then turned away, confident that he had Harry suitably cowed. After all, someone like Bellatrix could seriously affect Harry's path, and placing her in an environment where she despised her own family would hopefully protect her from a future similar to theirs. He did not like making decisions like this, but he had learned his lesson. Allowing someone to make their own choices only lead to death of others. Inaction was a mistake of the past.
Back to the present
The headmaster of Hogwarts left the room; satisfied with the information he had retrieved. The girl was obviously being abused, not on a terrible scale, but it was still a problem. The thing that was useful was the isolation. She obviously had never had any contact with other children excluding her younger sister, leaving her very susceptible to Harry's actions. Such a situation would leave her very open to suggestions and praise that he; the headmaster, could give her when she entered the school. It would only be possible for this perfect opportunity for infiltration if Bellatrix were left where she was, despite what Charlus wanted. All he needed was for Harry to leave her alone, and he was sure that the simple telling off he had given was enough to keep him away until Hogwarts. Hogwarts would be interesting, but easy to manage in his position. The Black family had to fall, he was certain; they had caused enough damage when Belvina Black had reduced his sister, Ariana to tears. He was convinced that this had contributed to her decision to disprove her attackers and fight back against the world. It had not ended well. No, the Blacks were incapable of good, it was up to him to save others from a similar fate, and Bellatrix posed the perfect opportunity to do it.
Charlus Potter sat, slouched slightly, with a shot of fire whiskey in his hand. He sighed deeply and poured it down his throat.
"Charlus, you can't do anything if you just sit there, get up and fight like the brave man you are." Said another man who sat in a chair opposite.
Charlus had gone straight to the only person he could trust, Edward Longbottom, and had mapped out the situation before turning to alcohol in despair.
"I'm in a corner Edward, I can't do without him politically and he has information about my son that I can't let out. Bellatrix is going to have to be swept away by his manipulations."
Edward sighed, "you are such a bloody Gryffindor Charlus, maybe there is a reason why your wife was not stomping off with you?"
Charlus frowned, wondering what he could do.
Edward ran his hand over his face and sat forward in his armchair, "Charlie, maybe you can play the guy at his own game. Don't let Miss Black's situation mean she has to overly suffer."
"Maybe," Edward said, drawing it out, "You could take her back home yourself, and suggest that he wasn't as drunk as he thinks he was." he winked.
Charlus chuckled, getting up slowly "You bloody snake, my wife would be proud."
Edward laughed, "She is probably thinking the same thing as I am, go away, and get home before she poisons him."
Charlus got up feeling much better than before.
"Tea?" Dorea asked Dumbledore as he was preparing to leave.
"I think not, but thank you Dorea," he said happily.
'Darn' she though, slipping the laxatives back into her pocket,
"Of course Albus, well have a nice evening" she said in a controlled voice.
He left.
Soon later Charlus arrived back home and was ready to plot.
"Darling?" he called out, hoping that she wasn't too angry with him.
"In here." She called from the living room.
"Sorry for leaving like that, I was quite angry-"
"And I wasn't?" she said sharply. "You need to start controlling yourself. It's a wonder you get anywhere in the Wizengamot, let alone in a conversation with Albus! He's keeping his cards to his chest, so we need to do the same. I will not allow him to interfere so much with this girl's life, especially now that we know what she is going back to. No, we can still win this little game, but we need to make sure it is not at the cost of our political strength. I should know better than anyone that the Blacks never show weakness, and now we have a jewel! Cygnus can be blackmailed with our knowledge, so we are going to use it to help this girl, not pass legislation." She panted, slightly out of breath.
"I knew there was a reason I married you." Said Charlus with a wink, sitting down next to her and pulling her into a hug. "I'm in disbelief, that's all. Albus has always seemed so gentle and caring, not someone that would place a child in an abusive home."
"I know Charlus, but Bellatrix is not alone now, we will make sure of that."
"I will too mum!" said Harry, who had entered for that last bit of the conversation. "But I don't know how I used that fire, so you might have to do that next time."
The next day
Bella walked behind Harry's father, careful to put him between her and the front door. Harry stood next to her and smiled brightly at her, but she couldn't return it, so she punched him lightly. She was nervous. The Potters had assured her that her father couldn't harm her anymore, but they didn't know him, how could they be so sure?
The door opened slowly, revealing a house elf that ushered them in to a entrance hall that opened upwards and outwards to reveal a heavily decorated, dark manor that sent shivers up her spine. No matter how long she lived there, there was a presence in the air that seemed to exude foulness.
She looked across the hallway and she saw him. Her father stood in the entrance to the main corridor, cloaked and upright. He walked towards them, his boots causing sharp rings to sound upon the hard, marble floor. He stopped before them, his cloak swirling about the front of his feet as he spoke coldly,
"Potter, you are in my home." The tone was threatening and questioning, complementing the sneer on his face, as he looked upon the assembled three.
"Your, daughter, Bellatrix, was staying at our home whilst she recovered. I can assure you that she is now in good condition." Charlus spoke in a deep voice, aiming to intimidate.
Cygnus narrowed his eyes, looking at Bellatrix, "I recall no injury or permission for her to leave."
"That would be because you were unconscious, Mr Black." Charlus said smiling slightly.
"How would you know that?" Cygnus snarled, making Bellatrix shiver and grasp Harry's arm.
"You have a bruise." Harry said quietly, pointing to his forehead. At the look his father gave him, he looked at his feet.
"Well, I suppose we can use that excuse." Said Charlus lightly.
Cygnus sneered, but looked less confident, glaring at Charlus through narrowed eyes.
"We will need assurances…" Charlus continues, "that there will be no reason for such an event to occur again."
"You have no right-" he was cut off,
"You have no power." Charlus said harshly, making Cygnus flinch. He continued, "You know the consequences. We'll be seeing Bellatrix quite often I believe?" He asked in a questioning tone.
Cygnus turned on his heel and stormed out of the hall, his cloak billowing wildly behind him.
Charlus turned to Bellatrix and smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a simple silver plate necklace.
"Here Bellatrix, put this on." He said softly.
She took it from his outstretched hand and slipped it over her head, noticing as it glowed softly for a second. She gave him a questioning look, so he said
"It will tell us where you are and if you become injured, so you don't have to worry about your father anymore. He won't want us to act against him."
"What about my other family?" she said quietly, wondering if they would be safe.
"Your mother and sister will very likely remain unharmed as well. Cygnus will not want to provoke any public attention, so I wouldn't worry anymore."
She nodded, satisfied for now. She then remembered something Charlus had said and asked, "So you said that you'll be seeing me quite often?"
Harry smiled happily and Charlus nodded, "Yes, you can come over and see Harry any time you want, but I'm sure your father still wants you for some of the time. Growing older will mean more responsibilities and your lessons will probably start." Bella nodded again, remembering her mother mentioning something similar. "Okay." She said happily, and then turned to Harry, "So it looks like I'm stuck with you for now."
"You should be glad, I'm pretty awesome." He said smugly.
"Good one. Lessons begin tomorrow morning at nine, be ready." And with that she turned on her heel and skipped down the hallway, disappearing around a corner.
Charlus chuckled and led a nervous looking Harry from Black Manor, who was wondering what he had gotten himself into.
