April 10, 2020
The group of five aurors were enjoying their lunch together at Diagon Alley, chatting happily at each other, until their boss showed up with yet another assignment.
"There has been a mass murder of Muggles," Harry told his team of Aurors. "A portkey has been set up to take us to the location immediately."
It was just supposed to be another job. We were supposed to take the portkey to the Muggle café that was called the Late Latte Diner. We were supposed to find the killer, then arrest them. The killer wasn't supposed to be someone I knew. They weren't supposed to be someone that was actually close to my family.
When I set foot into the Late Latte Diner and saw the familiar curly, jet black hair, I froze. What could possibly have happened to a sixteen year old that would make her go on a killing rampage? Sure, Bella wasn't exactly the most affectionate teenager, but I would never in a million years think that she would hurt anyone.
Not seriously, anyway.
"Bella," I whispered. "What's happened?" Was I prepared for what she was going to say? No. And I didn't think I ever would be.
"There's a lot you don't know about my family, Mr. Potter," she grimaced, but as her eyes connected with mine I felt the all too familiar connection of Occulmemcy. Bellatrix pulled me into the very depths of her mind where I was assaulted by visions of unspeakable things...
"Bellatrix?"
"Yes, Mother?"
"I'm bored. I need kittens to torture or something."
Bellatrix forced a laugh. "So, am I supposed to be your kitten?"
Astoria looked at her daughter with a vile grin. "Crucio," she cursed, enjoying every scream that came out of her daughter's mouth.
"I broke a lot of toys when I was a child, you know. Let's hope I learned how to play gently, for your sake." Astoria cackled as she started to beat Scorpius. Bellatrix was hiding in the shadows, ready to take care of her brother once her mother had left. Mother didn't take mercy on any of her victims, even if they were her own children. She only stopped beating Scorpius when he could no longer beg, due to him coughing up blood.
"Here," Bellatrix murmured with a grim expression, casting a cooling charm over her brother. "Do you think anything's broken?"
"I don't know, probably," Scorpius answered, looking up at his big sister, who was sitting crossed legged on the ground beside him. "Everything hurts, Bella."
"I know," she said quietly. "Mother is ruthless when it comes to beatings...do blood replenishing potions work on you?"
"Yeah," Scorpius replied with a groan, rolling over on his back,his eyes barely open.
"Good, you have to stay awake for a little longer," she told him, putting the potion to his lips and her hands on his stomach, repairing any of his broken bones. Scorpius fell asleep after that, and Bellatrix snuck out of the cellar.
"Scorpius," Bella whispered hours later, shaking her younger brother. Scorpius groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at his older sister. "Dad's home." Scorpius let out a sigh of relief and sat up, trying not to wince at the pain in his body. Bella passed him a potion, which he downed quickly, and the two of them made their way upstairs.
"Where are we going, Bella?" Naomi cried, running to keep up with her sister.
"Shut up," Bellatrix replied, going into a Muggle cafe and pointing at the Muggle who was closest to the door. "Avada Kedavra!"
The next nine people in her reach suffered the same fate Bella would scream something at her mother before she killed each of the Muggles. Clearly not in her own mind, once she realized what she had done she burst out screaming and crying; she finally lost control and she fell to the floor. The rest of the Muggle people had run screaming, but Naomi just stared at her sister in the shadows of death.
"Why…?"
"She did it," Bella whispered to her sister, and the two locked eyes for a moment asBella pushed her thoughts into her sister's head. Her mother had raped her... Naomi didn't say anything, she just went up to her sister and wrapped her arms around her.
"Get out of here, Naos. Amalie doesn't live too far from here," Bella whispered, for once in her life being nice to her little sister. "I'm sorry; I love you, kid."
When I was pulled back into reality I had tears in my eyes. How did I have no idea that Astoria Malfoy was as sadistic as this? How could I have just left those three kids in her care?
"Brightworth, take Miss Malfoy to the Ministry until we figure this whole thing out," I ordered one of my coworkers.
Colic Brightworth looked at me in disgust. "Why aren't I taking her to Azkaban?"
"Because I told you not too," I retorted with a roll of my eyes. "We can further interview her and her family at the Ministry. The rest of you will go to Malfoy Manor and get Scorpius and Astoria Malfoy. Bring them to the Ministry and wait for me before questioning them."
"Where are you going, Sir?" Brightworth asked.
"I have some business to take care of," I told him as I made my way out of the Muggle cafe. Amalie only lived a few blocks away in a little cottage on Apple Blossom Avenue; that's where Bella had told Naomi to go. Plus, I had to talk to Amalie anyway. I wanted to ask her if she would sign the foster parent papers with me so we could take care of Naomi, Scorpius, and Bellatrix.
"Harry," she sighed in relief once she saw me. "I'm so glad you're here."
"What happened?" I asked, embracing her.
"Naomi came here about three hours ago..." Amalie paused. "I think you should talk to her."
I went into the living room where Naomi was curled up on the couch, watching television. She had a blanket around her and Amalie's kitten, Snowball, was curled up in her arms. Naomi was absentmindedly rubbing the kitten's snow white fur to calm herself; her blue eyes red from crying. Once she noticed I was in the room, she grimaced. "I don't want to talk about it."
"You don't have too," I said with a smile. "I already talked to your sister."
Naomi frowned. "Is she going to go to Azkaban?"
"Not if I have anything to say about it," I comforted. "When this show is over, will you come to the Ministry with me?"
Naomi nodded. "Okay."
I smiled and went into the kitchen, where Amalie was sipping some tea. "What did she tell you?"
"Not much," Amalie said. "Just that something bad had happened and that you would be here soon."
She knew I would be coming, I thought sadly, looking over at the traumatized girl who was still curled up in the blanket. I sighed and turned back to Amalie, "Astoria has been abusing them."
Amalie glared in shock, and tears sprung to her eyes. "That bitch! I could kill her!"
"Death is too kind a fate to her," I announced with a dark glare. "She should be put through the same torture."
"It's like Goldilocks became a serial killer," Amalie exclaimed. "I always thought Astoria was so nice…"
I couldn't help but burst out laughing, but I understood where she was coming from. Astoria was a nice person on the outside, and she didn't give off any hints of what she was really like on the inside.
"What's going to happen to the kids now?" Amalie asked. "Their father was killed years ago. Wasn't he?"
I nodded. "Yes, he was. I have reason to believe that was her as well...I always suspected it because her alibi was really shaky for that night, but I never imagined..." I shook my head. "Anyway, that's what I wanted to talk to you about, I want to know if you want to foster them with me."
"Foster them?" Amalie blinked in surprise. "How would that even work?"
"Well, it would work better if maybe...you would move in with me?" I held my breath tentatively and waited for her answer.
"Harry…" Amalie paused. "Did you just ask me to move in with you?"
"I'm going to take them in with or without you," I admitted. "But I would love for you to help me through it… yes, I'm asking you to move in with me." Amalie squealed, causing me to laugh. Sometimes I forget she's younger than me, because she is so wise and mature, but then something like this happens to remind me of her immaturity. Not that I really cared about the age difference; I loved her for who she was. "So, that's a yes, I take it?"
Amalie smiled. "Yes."
"Mr. Potter?" Naomi asked, coming into the room with Snowball still in her arms. "The show is over, I think I'm ready to go now."
In the end, none of it happened right. Once we got to the Ministry, I found out that Astoria was nowhere to be found. She had vanished into thin air once she had locked Scorpius in Malfoy Manor's cellar. I couldn't believe that the merciless, sadistic fucking bitch actually got away. Unfortunately I also couldn't get the Minister to let Bellatrix stay with me, however I did manage to get her on a secure ward at St. Mungo's instead of Azkaban. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than the alternative. I swore to myself that I would do whatever I could to help Scorpius and Naomi. No one else was going to hurt them.
Horror Fest: "Death's too kind a fate for him/her." [dialogue] "I broke a lot of toys when I was a child, you know. Let's hope I learned how to play gently, for your sake." [dialogue] "I'm bored. I need kittens to torture or something." [word] death [word] torture [word] victim [word] ruthless [word] mercy [word] kill [word] beg [word] blood [word] merciless [word] sadistic [spell] Killing Curse or Avada Kedavra [spell] Crucio or Cruciatus Curse [Mental Illness] PTSD [mental illness] psychopathic personality disorder [action/plot point] Main character is torturing another. [action/plot point] Main character commits crimes against an innocent. [action/plot point] Feature a child [action/plot point] Feature a muggle [location] Ministry of Magic [location] Grimmauld Place [location] Diagon Alley [location] Malfoy Manor
Flying: [Location] Diagon Alley. [Character] Astoria Malfoy
BINGO: 45. (feeling) gloomy
Chocolate Frog Cards: Double Ended Newt: Challenge: Incorporate a pet into your story. Restriction: It must not be a canonical pet such as Crookshanks.; Pet used: Cat named Snowball
Gringotts Bank: [Words Instead of Laughing] Cackled. [Words instead of saw] Noticed. [Crimnial Minds Dialogue] "It's like Goldilocks became a serial killer." [OC Male Names] Colic Brightworth [Family Words] Foster, mother, child, connection [Friend Words] Coworker [Colors] White [Café names] Late Latte Diner
Triwizard Tournament: (Object) Port Key
