A Sentimental Man
Bellatrix Black walked into the minister's office, Dolores Umbridge closing the door behind them. The snap made Barty Crouch Senior, the Minister of Magic, look up and smile at the young witch in front of him.
"Ah Bellatrix," he said, moving up from his desk to meet her.
"Mr. Crouch. It's good to see you! How's Barty?" she asked, shaking his hand.
"Fine. I had him moved from Hogwarts because of threats. He'll be happy to know you're doing well."
"Good," she sighed happily. Crouch looked her over.
"I'm so proud of you, Bella. Your mother was a wonderful woman and I see so much of her in you. I can't wait to begin working with you." Bellatrix smiled. The minister smiled back, before calling, "Winky, please come here." A snap echoed throughout the room as a young house elf materialized. "Now Bella, what you have to do is very simple. I want you to cast the cruciatus curse on the elf." Bella paled and her jaw dropped.
"What? But–"
"As part of the ministry, you'll have to do things you may not be entirely comfortable with. I need to know you can."
"But she's just an innocent young elf," she protested.
"War is a terrible thing, Miss Black, and our enemy won't hesitate. So we can't afford to either," he reasoned. Bellatrix turned to the shaking little creature in front of her and raised her wand, Crouch and Umbridge's faces lighting up behind her.
"Crucio!" she cried, turning at the last second so that the curse hit Crouch instead.
"AH!" he screamed, falling to the floor. Umbridge leaped from her place at the back and raised her own wand to curse the young sorceress, but Bella merely stunned her. Crouch looked up to her on the ground. "Bella, what–"
"I'm not harming an innocent no matter what," she said, moving toward the exit.
"You're making a mistake Miss Black."
"The only mistake I ever made was trusting you!"
With that, she bolted out the door, ignoring Andy's cry of, "Bella!" as she ran.