Bellatrix; The Last and The Best

Chapter Seven

Trial and Consequence

A/N ~ I couldn't leave you hanging after the end of the last chapter. I'm not that mean. So I guess I'm back up the library again... I might as well just move in at this point. So, anyways, I'm so surprised at how many people actually like this fic! Thanks to all you followers and favourite-ers. Let's see how Bella and the gang are getting on...

Half an hour later, I'm sitting in Dumbledore's office with Rabastan, Rita, the lisping girl, and the three Gryffindors.

They found the seven of us at the forests edge; Rita wobbling like a fool, a fountain of red spurting messily from her nose; Patil bald and retching slugs; Rabastan mute and staggering; the Gryffindor whose name I'm unsure of unable to stop talking, and a face full of boils, and Jason Thomas with a rapidly growing tongue. I myself muted.

All of us were immediately ran to the hospital wing, our various childish ailments cured easily. We've been brought in to the headmaster, and the heads of the three involved houses. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor, is pacing and ranting at us, and at Slughorn and Faunch, the heads of Slytherin and Ravenclaw, as they, along with Dumbledore, sit back, looking on quietly.

"The dishonour you have brought to your school, your houses, yourselves! And first years? I expect this from the elders but first years? Cursing each other? You could've caused permanent damage! And at the forbidden forest of all places! I should expel the lot of you right this instant –"

"Minerva." Dumbledore raises a hand and McGonagall sits back, flushed and quiet. "I expect each child has their story. It is up to their heads of house to dictate their punishment, as so fits, but as headmaster, I am obliged to take fifty points from each involved house. Now. Horace, Minerva, Fion, do what you will, but first, I would hear each child's tale. Rita, if you would."

Oh god. Start with the babbling, blonde, brainless Ravenclaw. That's a good move. Still, I can't wait to hear what she's going to say... Rita begins a high-pitched stream of rushing nonsense, all in one breath.

"It was all the Slytherins, that Black girl, she hates me for no reason at all and she's always been out to get me from the beginning, she started it, she just dragged me out of the feast and started firing curses at me and I don't know why, she just –"

"Rita. Slowly, child. Calm yourself." Dumbledore says gently.

Skeeter starts gushing again, her pauseless torrent of shrill and absurd accusations. I laugh and McGonagall's stern look glares coldly at me.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, girl?" McGonagall fires at me. "Do you deny these accusations?"

"Let Bellatrix tell her side, Minerva." Dumbledore nods curtly at me. "Miss Black?"

"Well, what Rita Skeeter so admiringly has done, is taken a bare fact and exaggerated it to the point of stupidity. We can't stand each other – obvious – so we decided to settle things in a civil wizards duel. And in fact, everything was going perfectly until the Gryffindors decided to turn up." I make the word Gryffindor an insult.

"Firing curses at one another does not constitute a duel!" McGonagall shrieks.

I glare at her. "Oh. Really? Well you actually taught me something for once." I figure that I'm already in the biggest trouble I can be in, so a few poisoned words will hardly make a difference. McGonagall stands, furious.

"Miss Black, you have been quite the most disrespectful louse of a student I have ever had the displeasure to teach and in all my years, never have I so unfortunately stumbled across a student so intent on –"

"Minerva." Dumbledore looks right at me. "The girl is Horace's student. He chooses the form of her punishment, like it or not. We still have not heard from Gryffindor House. Jason? Rajesh? Where do you come into this?"

"Well, we were minding our own business –" Jason Thomas drawls, before he is cut off by Slughorn.

"Out of the feast, near out of bounds, may I note."

Jason glares at him and continues. "When we saw this Ravenclaw girl being set upon by the Slytherin, with that older boy laughing. We simply had to help."

McGonagall frowns at her student. "Helping is getting a professor, not jumping in to fire curses yourselves!"

Dumbledore nods. "Minerva, Fion, Horace, if you would."

Slughorn leads Rabastan and I out, into his own office.

"Students. You have brought disgrace to your house. I hope you're mighty pleased with yourselves. Were it up to me, I'd have you both expelled at once, regardless of your house! But, I know Professors Faunch and McGonagall to be merciful to their own, and Dumbledore to all. So, from what I can gather from your very different stories, Bellatrix, you were the cause of this little incident, and I show great mercy and generosity in rewarding you with a three week suspension. Lestrange, you have detention with me every day for as long as I see fitting. Miss Black, you may leave your things at Hogwarts, to await your return."

...What?

Bellatrix; The Last and The Best

Chapter Eight

Home Sweet Home

A/N ~ This is a bit of a non-chapter. A filler. A short, mini-filler. Just something that I wanted to post because I'm at the library and this is all I have typed up to, and I wanted to make the most of the Wi-Fi. I apologise. I will update soon.

(Also, Hogwarts probably don't even do suspensions, I know that, but Rabastan is supposed to be the younger brother, so there's just a few teeny-weeny AU details. Plus I wanted to see more of Cissy and Dromeda.)

I glare in stony anger at nothingness the whole journey back to Kings Cross.

How could he? How could he do this to me? I'm in his own house! Even McGonagall has more pride than that! I hate him. As much as I hate McGonagall. More. And I hate Rabastan Lestrange for not sticking up for me. I hate him for getting off with detentions while I'm missing weeks of Hogwarts fun and knowledge. I hate the train driver. I hate Dumbledore. I hate Jason Thomas and the Gryffindor whose name I don't know, and Rajesh Patil. I hate the girl with the lisp. And most of all, I hate hate hate Rita Skeeter.

I'm bristling in fury when I storm off the train.

My parents are waiting for me, and greet me with silence the whole way back to our manor. Until we're inside. Then, they explode

I glare past them and tune out of their endless rant about family honour. It's all so unfair. This is Rita Skeeter's fault. When my mother is finished, she flushes bright pink and orders me straight to my room, to remain there, but Father catches my arm as I turn to leave. I shake him off brutally. I hate them too.

"Bella." He smiles thinly at me.

"What?" I snarl.

"I'm proud of you."

"What?" What does he mean? I'm trying not to let my confusion show too much. If I do, he's won. And I cannot let him win.

"Your first duel, Bellatrix!" He says "I had many at your age, well, maybe a little older. But anyway, it seems you held your own well. You were hit by just the one curse, and hit many, I am told. It was wrong of you, but well done. I'm glad of it. I worry about your sisters, Bella. I don't believe they could've handled that at all, not even half so well as you did. Now, you heard your mother. Your bedroom, Bella. Now."

Dazed, I find my way upstairs and into my room. Still, I'm not thankful because he's proud of me. He should be proud of me. It's right. Feeling considerably smugger, I can hear whispering and giggling and when I throw open my door, Andromeda and Narcissa jump back, dropping the broomstick to the floor with a clatter. My broomstick. I glare at them and find my wand in my pocket.

"Get out of my room!"

This is going to be three long weeks.