1971
The Interrogation
Weeks had passed since Bella had run away from home, but still, she had no leads as to what this group was or where it was located.
Every day, Bella woke up at 8 AM, wolfed down breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron, took a stroll around London for three or so hours, stopped in various locations for lunch, continued to search, stopped for a fast dinner, and gave up and headed back to the inn for a good rest. It was exhausting.
On the second day of October, Bellatrix decided to sleep until noon.
She wandered aimlessly, hopelessly.
It was well past midnight and Bella was still out, impatient.
All of a sudden, while walking down Charing Cross Road-
"Crucio!"
Bella spun her head around, for the curse was not meant for her.
A fit man with short brown hair fell to the ground, writhing in pain. He was walking down an alley when he was attacked.
Bella, who was on the sidewalk of the main street, snuck into the alley and hid behind a close doorway. She peeked her head to see what was occurring.
A wizard approached the man. It was dark, so Bella had trouble making out most his features. She could see that he had a thick body and shaggy, dark hair. He walked slowly and carefully, as if he suspected that someone was watching him.
"What are you-" the man struggled to say. He sounded on the verge of tears. It was apparent that he had never been tortured before.
"Crucio!" the wizard shouted again. After another cry of pain from his prey, he yelled, "Only speak when spoken to!" He lowered his wand. "Do you work for the Ministry of Magic?"
"No, I-"
"Crucio! You are lying to me!"
The man regathered himself before he replied. "Yes, yes, I work for the Ministry."
"What department?"
"The Department of Mysteries."
The dark wizard froze. "Name?"
"Jeremiah Bode."
"Do you know who I am?"
"A bloody terrible man, that's who." the man replied before being attacked by yet another curse.
"I belong to an up-and-coming group. The Death Eaters, we call ourselves."
Bella's eyes widened.
"I've heard of you…." The man sounded nervous. "You interrogate people and kill them once you don't need them anymore."
"Correct, and I need information from you, Mr. Bode."
"If it's about the Department of Mysteries, just kill me now, because I won't tell!"
The dark wizard cackled. "If you don't share this information with me now, I'll be forced to torture your family to death."
"You don't know where I live…."
"Let's just say I've got some of my friends located near the house, and if you refuse to tell me anything, or if you somehow escape, your little wife and children will be picked off one by one." Bella could sense a smile on the dark wizard's face.
Bode burst into tears. "Alright, I'll tell you. What do you want to know?"
"Do you work with magical prophecies, Mr. Bode?"
"I do."
"Perfect. Have any prophecies about Tom Riddle come about?"
Bode gulped. "There has been one, yes."
"What is it?"
"I can't-"
"Tell me, or your family dies."
Bode panicked. "Tom Riddle will commit the act of destroying the Ministry of Magic as it currently is with large numbers of selective people on his side."
"Anything else?"
Bode gulped. "The only way this act of abducting the Ministry will occur is if Albus Dumbledore dies."
"You've been of great help, Mr. Bode. Your family would be very proud of you for saving their lives. They would be glad to see you dying with dignity."
"With dignity? By being tortured and questioned in a street alley?"
The dark wizard snarled. "Avada Kedavra!"
Jeremiah Bode spoke no more.
Bella's gut churned. She had found what she was looking for.
So as the man shuffled away from the scene of the crime, Bellatrix followed him in secrecy.
