Chapter 10
"It's disgusting how cheerful you are Dumbledore." The crude shrill voice of Bellatrix Lestrange echoed off the walls of the small brick cell.
Albus Dumbledore softly chuckled to him self returning his gaze to his book as he turned its tattered page.
"You expect me to be miserable?"
Dumbledore asked.
"For someone who has not seen the light of day in 19 years, yes, I would expect you to be miserable." Bellatrix stomped across the cobble stone floor to the desk in the center of the room. "But you never have been like everyone else."
"Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if on-"
"If one simply remembers to turn on the light. Yes, yes, I've heard the same ruddy speech over and over again." Bellatrix interrupted.
Albus lifted his head and nodded towards the corner of his desk, where a pile of hair lay. Bellatrix scooped up the hair; tying a small ribbon around the bundle so no strands would be lost and shoved it into her pocket.
"Thank you for cooperating. It is easier than having to force you. All though I do find joy in torturing the most powerful wizard in the world, I do not have the strength for it today."
Albus's eyes narrowed with concern at Bellatrix statement.
"Has something happened?" Dumbledore asked
"Your bloody staff is what happened. Snape and McGonagall went and ruined everything tonight." Bellatrix was pacing the small room, her voice was angry and filled with hate. "They can't mind their damn business. 7 years I've been molding him and in one bloody night, they break everything that I built Potter up to be."
"And what exactly are you trying to make Harry be Ms. Lestrange?" Dumbledore closed his book, set it on the desk and leaned forward with curiosity.
"The boy has power I have never seen before, not even my Lord had this type of raw magic." Bellatrix said taking the seat across from Dumbledore. "He has so much potential to be stronger than Voldemort ever was. He has so much darkness and hate in him."
"Bellatrix, Harry is no longer a boy. He is a man. I can only imagine the things you have said to him or told him to get him to even listen to you. I'm sure the whole wizarding world thinks I'm pure evil." Albus sighed heavily and placed his head in his hands. "Why have you continued this lie? You said your self it wasn't suppose to have continued this long."
"It was only suppose to be till I convinced Snape to become a Death Eater. My Dark Lord had written his path long ago and Snape refused to follow it." Bellatrix looked up at her prisoner. "I've never really told you my reasoning for all of this have I?"
"No you have not. I never asked either."
"I guess after all this time I owe you an explanation." Bellatrix gave a small laugh and started to tell the old man everything that had led up to this point In time.
"As I said before my Dark Lord had written young Severus Snape's life out for him. Snape was to become a Death Eater by 17, be the Dark Lords personal Potion Master, be his most loyal and faithful servant." Bellatrix spat the last words with disgust. "But Your staff went and ruined it all by caring, especially that McGonagall. When she took guarding ship over him it caused Tobias to become furious. Tobias went after McGonagall and Severus one year and got himself caught and thrown in Azkaban. The Dark Lord knew he would not be able to get to Severus as long as he was still in Hogwarts, protected by wards and teachers. So we waited till he left the protection of the school. The Dark Lord himself approached him and failed to get him to follow the dark path that awaited him. He said that you, the great Albus Dumbledore, had offered him a job."
"Why not just kill him if he was causing so many problems. I've never known Tom to be lenient to those that disobeyed him?" Albus asked
"I asked him that, he never said why. He told me to mind my own." Bellatrix snarled.
"That must have made you upset?"
"What's it to you?" Bellatrix scoffed. "Can I get on with this now or are you going to continue to pry into my life?"
Albus nodded for her to proceed.
"After my Lord returned from his encounter with Snape, I knew we would never get to him with your influence around him all the time. So I formed a plan, a plan that my Lord didn't even know about., a plan to become you, to present an idea to Severus to become a spy for you. But first I had to get the real you out of the way." Bellatrix looked to Dumbledore. "You really should be more cautious when you accept sweets Dumbledore. I knew you would accept them if someone you trusted brought them to you."
"I never thought that Remus would be foolish enough to let his hair lye around and I was even more foolish to not realize it was a full moon and he would be in hiding. You are smarter than Tom gave you credit for Ms. Lestrange." Dumbledore gave her a small smile. "Pretending to be Remus, bringing me my favorite sweets laced with a sleeping draft."
"Yes, I am a bit of a genius. Thank you for noticing. Are you through with your interruptions?" Bellatrix asked
"I am sorry. Please continue."
"After I locked you away in here and placed the bracelet on your wrist so there was no way for you to escape, I started my plan. It took me only a few months to convince Snape to become a spy for the order. How could he ever question your motives? Once my plan had been completed, I was going to go back to my normal evil life, but I did not know what to do with you. So I continued to be you. I also needed Snape to be completely engulfed in the darkness, Become a true Death Eater. Not just a spy. I saw the first glimpse of loyalty when Snape went to The Dark Lord first when he heard the Prophecy, not Albus Dumbledore. He only came to Dumbledore next, after the Dark Lord chose the Potters to fill that prophecy. Begging and pleading for me to hide them. So I hid them. I had to keep up the loving caring image of Albus Dumbledore, but I let it slip to Peter where they would be. I knew he would tell our Lord. I couldn't let the prophecy come true, but then the Dark Lord had to get himself blown up. I went to the Potters that night, as Dumbledore, to take the boy and lock him away. My Dark Lord had only discussed with his most loyal Death Eaters the Horcruxes he had made. But when I arrived, Black was running down the street towards the house and I could already see Severus inside. They both begged me for the boy, but I couldn't let him go with them. Snape would ruin him and Black was to far on the light side. So I said he would go with his relatives. I didn't even know if the boy had relatives, I was just talking shit at that point. Snape said I couldn't send him there. He said that Lily's sister was a kind woman but her husband was a fat short tempered man. And In that instant I knew that's where the little brat should go so he could be punished for killing my love." Bellatrix eyes widened at her last words. "My Lord, He could be punished for killing my Lord."
Albus nodded for her to continue.
"I couldn't stop being you after all this. I had to make sure that Potter lived long enough for our Lord to return. So I continued my lie." Bellatrix spoke softly.
"So why continue as me once he did return?" Albus asked
"Because, because I began to like being in the spotlight instead of my Dark Lords shadow. I liked being Albus Dumbledore; I liked the entire wizarding world looking at me for direction. But when my Dark Lord sent out the orders for Draco to kill you, I had to tell him what I had been doing for him. I thought he would be so proud, be honored, would thank me, possibly even love me. Instead he showed no gratitude, only calling me a fool and for ruining him. So In anger I told him Snape was a spy, of course he forgot all about killing Dumbledore and went after Snape. I vowed that day that if he could not except me and love me, then he would fall by my hand. So I trained Potter, was a little nicer to him as Dumbledore, told Potter my Lords weaknesses, I told potter about his horcruxes, I told him of the prophecy." Bellatrix took a slow breath.
"Why is that?" Dumbledore asked
"Because Potter needed to know that he would have to kill Voldemort and only he could do it. So when he finally did and the war was over I was at a loss of what to do. I couldn't return to my life before, I was being hunted and I had no Master to follow. But then I looked at Potter and saw the broken man that he was, saw the power he had and knew that he could be the Dark Lord we needed. So I was going to have him rise from the ashes. Become the most powerful Dark Wizard the world could ever see. But Snape and McGonagall ruined that last night."
"How did th-" Albus was interrupted by the groan of the rusty hinge door.
"Albus?" Remus Lupin asked
"Bloody hell, I forgot to shut the passage!" Bellatrix screamed as Sirius Blacks face appeared over his lovers shoulder.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here? Albus, what's going on?" Sirius asked.
"Stupefy!"
"Incarcerous!"
The room filled with a red-bluish glow as the two spells rushed towards their intended target.