Chapter 13: New Beginnings and Endings

On July 7, 1970, the deadliest war in wizarding history began. It began with the death of 7 Muggles and 3 mudbloods. Voldemort himself killed half of them. He wore a cloak to hide his face, increasing the fear in the people when they saw what looked like the grim reaper in the Daily Prophet the next day with the caption '10 KILLED BY...?" The same came the next day with 8, and also the next day with similar numbers. Aurors all over the country were working over time. However with an unknown number of Death Eaters moving around the streets of London in cloaks the Aurors had trouble spotting them. Bellatrix was the first death eater to make the hundred corpse mark, two months in, with also more Aurors than any other at 17. She also hid her face also so as to not jeopardize her job at Hogwarts, and became known among the death eaters for her proficiency with the Cruciatus curse. No screams had ever been more horrifying than the ones that echoed from every house she entered. Muggles were spending thousands of pounds on new security systems and locks. The police were having no success finding out who was behind the murders. The muggle prime minister Edward Heath had been informed that a war had started in the wizarding community but that was difficult to translate to the British people. All they knew was that there were murderers loose. Aurors began setting up shields against intruders on muggle houses, but they were easily bypassed by the more skillful Death Eaters. New spells were being created daily by Aurors so as to protect Muggles, and also by Death Eaters to get past those ones. By the end of August the country was in chaos. Families were only too eager to send their children off to Hogwarts to be under the protection of the greatest known wizard in Britain, as well as many others such as Flitwick and Sprout and as soon as word got out that Bellatrix Black was going to be teaching there, it was not a question of where was the safest place in Britain. That said, many people moved out of the country to flee the chaos.

Bellatrix flooed to Hogwarts a week before class was shown to her classroom by McGonagall.

The transfiguration classroom was spacious and square. Quite ideal for this kind of magic. She hung paintings of all manner of things changing into new things. She waved her wand and conjured a statue at the back of the class. Seeing that there was not very much preparation needed, she left the classroom and headed down to the staff room. She had not met the other professors as a colleague yet. She was generally well received. The Muggle Studies teacher, Catherine Grant was very wary having taught Bellatrix up to her 5th year. But Slughorn and Flitwick were delighted and instantly began asking about her life after Hogwarts so far.

The new school year began and at the Opening Feast she sat between Slughorn and Sprout. She knew thar her favorite cousin Sirius would be in his 1st year now. She saw Sirius come in with all the third years, led by Flitwick. With some slight hesitation by the Sorting Hat he was sorted into Gryffindor. She had to have Slughorn repeat it to her when she heard it.

Dumbledore stood up and gave his welcoming speech. He introduced the new DADA professor; Professor Anderson, and then herself; Professor Black. As she rose, she thought how strange it was to hear herself called Professor Black. She looked around the Great Hall, and saw Sirius. He was looking up at her clapping loudly. He was at the Gryffindor table. Much as she appreciated his enthusiastic applause (they were still on good terms), she could not fathom how a Black would have been sorted into Gryffindor. But when she thought about it, he was a bold, courageous boy, never turning down a dare when she gave him one(when they were younger). It could be that he was the same boy she knew, but he just fit the Gryffindor house better. Bellatrix did not hate all other houses, just the mudbloods within them. She knew she would not become extremely biased towards her own house. She would award points wherever they were earned. The dark lord had ordered her to gain Dumbledore's trust, and she knew that fairness and understanding would be the key. She would need to be like McGonagall, while still being the girl Dumbledore knew in school. She needed to look natural also. Her foremost duty was to gain Dumbledore's trust.

The first class she had were fifth year Ravenclaws and Gryffindors to whom she lectured about the importance of a Transfiguration OWL, how she would accept nothing below an Exceeds Expectations, just like McGonagall. The fifth years couldn't seem to take their eyes off her and had vacant expressions in their eyes.

The next class she had was with the sixth year Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. She had completely forgotten that she would be teaching her little sister Narcissa and her new boyfriend Lucius. Cissy proved to be at the top of her class like all Blacks. Narcissa appeared to enjoy having her older sister as the teacher as she tried to make it known to most everyone. She even called Bellatrix Bella. Bellatrix did not care however, and gave Narcissa no special treatment. Narcissa was not turning into a younger version of Bellatrix like Andromeda had. She was very fair whereas the other two sisters were very dark. Narcissa had blond hair and a pale complexion, not normal for a Black. However in every other capacity she was their sister. She had an equally amazing body, and was the jewel of Slytherin. This year she made the Quidditch team as a chaser like her sisters. But then she was not very good, despite still being on the top team in the school. Lucius Malfoy was the proudest boy in the school for dating the last of the Black women to go through Hogwarts. However despite the success of Slytherin on the Quidditch pitch and in the academic department, it appeared the great era that Bellatrix had started for Slytherin, was at an end. The brightest students in the school below the sixth year were all in Gryffindor. Bellatrix could already see the tables turning in Gryffindor's favor as all the greatest Slytherins would be graduating in a year or two, and that would leave the new Gryffindors to pick up where they left off.

Then she had first year Gryffindors and Slytherins, the class she was most looking forward to. Sirius greeted her warmly despite her being slightly cold to him. He sat in the middle of the classroom and started chatting with three of his friends. She called attendance, and then wrote her name on the blackboard.

She began her introduction.

"Hello class, my name is Professor Black, and I will be replacing Professor McGonagall while she is taking her sabbatical. Transfiguration is probably the most difficult kind of magic there is, and of all the classes you attend it would be wisest I think to not miss this one." She kept her voice high and strict. Her stature demanded respect, and despite her youth and lack of teaching experience, she could tell that she would not be getting any trouble from her classes. She started by showing them her animagus form which they all were amazed by. They had seen McGonagall transform before but they did not know it could be learned at such a young age. After all she was only twenty two. She saw Sirius and his friends giving each other looks.

She had the first years start by having them turn a feather from white to black. This appeared to be the right level, because most of them were able to get varying shades of grey. One student, a girl with dark red hair, got it almost black. Another boy, one of Sirius's friends got it a dark brown. Everyone else got it cement toned or lighter but even so it got their egos boosted. Then she told them to put it back to white, which would be much more difficult and that was something that no one managed. She finished the class without any mishaps. And went to lunch.

At lunch Dumbledore asked her to meet him that evening. She had two other classes before supper which she finished with and after supper she went up to his office.

"Strawberry licorish." She said and was transported up to his doorway. She knocked on it.

"Come in." He answered.

"Ahh Bellatrix welcome. Have a seat. How was your first day?" He asked.

"I think it went rather well."

"Excellent. Now what I really summoned you here for it this. One of your students, I believe you would have met him already, has lycanthropy."

"Really." Bella said in wonder. "Who?"

"Remus Lupin. Do you know the student I am speaking of?"

"Yes. A very gifted student. Had the second darkest feather in the class."

"How wonderful. Rather like yourself when you went to Hogwarts."

"He is a werewolf?"

"Yes I thought it wise to tell the teachers, however, the students I feel should not be alerted. I assure you his monthly transformations are being dealt with safely, but if the students knew and told their parents, he would not last long here. Letters would soar in from angry parents and the board of governors would do all it could to have him expelled.. I can only do so much and as you have seen he is a very competent wizard."

"Indeed."

"Yes so keep it quiet."

"I shall."

"You may go."

"Actually I had a question."

"Ask away."

"It's about this new wizarding war. What are your plans of action towards this foe?"

"Well I believe a united front will prevail against such an ideology. If people truly look into themselves they can see how wrong this man is."

"Do you know who this man is?"

"I have a very strong suspicion."

"Really, how could you as nobody has seen his face."

"I know many with that ideology, but only one with the heart to do those deeds."

"Indeed who are you speaking of?"

"He is a man who's true name has been forgotten by most. That name is Tom Riddle." Bellatrix smirked on the inside. Dumbledore was on the track of the wrong man. "More recently he has given himself a new name, hoping to inspire fear with the mere mention of it. I have only heard whispers of it around Britain in the last few decades, but now it has arisen. It has never been mentioned this much before and I suspect it will not be mentioned much hereafter when a name can only increase the fear to use it. The new name Tom has dubbed himself is Voldemort." Bellatrix's elation at leading Dumbledore in the wrong direction left her.

"Ah yes, I believe I may have heard the name before."

"It is likely."

"Have you told this to the ministry?"

"I have but it will not be of much use to them. They lost the record on old Tom and now he is virtually a nonexistent person."

"Do you have a plan to get involved in this crisis?" Now Bellatrix was getting excited.

"I do."

"Good. May I be privied?" Dumbledore's blue eyes pierced into hers as he studied her.

"In time maybe. I need to see if you have abandoned the values for which you got into trouble in Muggle Studies for. That is after all what this crisis is all about."

"Oh very well. But I must remind you that I may be quite an asset to your side."

"Yes I realize. You may go Bellatrix. And remember to keep the secret about Mr. Lupin."

Bellatrix wondered about Lupin. Unlike most pureblood families including her own, she was not prejudiced against werewolves. On the contrary she found them fascinating. It was the fear factor that drove people to hate them, but because Bellatrix did not fear a werewolf she did not hate them either. Besides the only difference between her and Remus was that she could elect to change into a wolf and he had no choice. Also he was contagious. She decided she would tell no one about him, not even her master. It would not be necessary. At least not yet.

The next time she had the first year Gryffindors she looked curiously at Remus. Now that she knew about him she wondered how she had not noticed it before. The scars on his face and the dark look that was growing on him as the full moon approached. The evening that it came she decided to follow him to the Shrieking Shack. As an animagus, she knew she would be safe. When the night came, she followed them to a tunnel underneath a tree that had not been there when Bellatrix had gone to school called the Whomping Willow. They went underground for a while and ended up in an old shack that had all the windows boarded up.

The sun was nearly down.

"Are you ready?" Asked Madame Pomphey.

Remus said "Yes. Thank you." And with that Madame Pomphey hurried off down the stairs through the tunnel. Bellatrix looked through a crack in the window and saw the moon coming out from behind a cloud. She looked over at the boy. Remus was pacing back and forth, but then he suddenly stopped. His pupils dilated, and his nose began to elongate, turning into a snout. Hair was sprouting out all over him, and in a matter of seconds it appeared that there was a wolf in the room with her. She changed into a wolf. She stepped out from the doorway to get a better look. The werewolf sniffed, looked at her and charged. Before she knew it she had been knocked to the ground. When she got up, he came up behind her and attempted to hump her. At this she lashed out at him, biting at him wherever she could and then before he could recover, she ran off back to the school.

She avoided Remus after that on full moons. How could she be so stupid. A werewolf's utmost need is to mate. Even more so than to infect.

But all the same, Bellatrix decided she liked Remus. He was a clever and talented boy like his friends, but not arrogant like them. He would have fit well in her own house she thought.

The first year went very smoothly. She was not able to get into Dumbledore's inner circle because he still did not trust her, but other than that it was quite a successful teaching year. The dark lord was not angry with her and knew that Dumbledore was not so stupid as to trust teacher who had been there one year with his secret. The war was still full steam ahead although the casualty rate had become more spiratic and unpredictable. Bellatrix was able to bring some seventh years over to their side. They were nothing remarkable but some Slytherin bullies who wanted to get paid for it. The Slytherins won the House cup and the Quidditch Cup but it was a close second to Gryffindor.

The first year of the war held a casualty count of 2064, with 1846 Muggles, 214 Mudbloods, and 4 Aurors. Most of them were killed using the killing curse and that completely stumped Muggle police. But a there were a few hundred, Bellatrix's, that experienced severe trauma before death. Bellatrix enjoyed being creative with her killing. She used curses such as diffindo, to cut off various parts of their body and have them bleed to death, or incendio to have them burst into flames and die that way. However her mental health had not seemed to make any changes. Her family and coworkers saw her as the same Bellatrix they had always known. They had no idea of the destruction that her hands had done.

It was the same for the second year. Bellatrix was now earning on top of her teaching salary of 10,000 galleons a year, a regular income of 600,000 a year from her input in the war, and her share of the family's inheritance of 10,100,000 galleons, making her one of the richest people in the wizarding world. The Slytherins beat out the Gryffindors again but only by two points that year for the House Cup. And it was the same story for Quidditch where Slytherin narrowly outscored Gryffindor by catching the Snitch and beating them by ten points. Bellatrix got the sense that this would be the last year that Slytherin had this much success. Especially with those Gryffindors in Sirius' class. At Narcissa's graduation, Bellatrix finally got down and had a proper conversation with Narcissa.

"What are your plans after school?"

"All I have planned is to take my inheritance and retire."

"You don't have any interest in doing something with your life?"

"Well I would love to get married."

"To Lucius?"

"Yes."

"Has he expressed an interest in marriage?"

"He told me he wants to get involved in the ministry before he becomes tied down by something like marriage."

"Thats smart. You should do the same. We Blacks have a huge ability to influence the world. You should use that ability."

"No. I just want to live a comfortable, rich life. I will leave the influencing to you and Lucius."

"So how many years do you think it will be before Lucius asks you the question?"

"He said at least four."

"Oh wow, so you sounds like you'll be pretty bored in those four years."

"No. How could I be bored with such a large inheritance? I think I'll travel around a bit in that time."

Bellatrix left the conversation at that.

Things began to get more interesting in her third year. It began the same as the rest although she noted that her cousin, Sirius's younger brother Regulus was coming into his first year at Hogwarts. She liked Regulus well enough, but he was more like Andromeda, while Sirius was more like her. So when she taught Regulus for the first time, she did not give him much special attention, despite his inherited talent. Regulus she soon discovered to the pride of her and her family was also quite powerful. He led the class in the practical magic.

It was not until November, that she got an owl from Andromeda requesting to meet her at her house in London. Bellatrix left immediately the next weekend. She flooed directly to Andromeda's house.

"Bella! Welcome please sit down."

"What is this all about Andy?" Bella asked as she sat down on her couch. Andy sat down beside her.

"I'm getting married."

"What?!"

"To Ted Tonks." Bellatrix was stunned.

"You cannot be serious."

"When will you learn that it is not the quality of blood who makes a good spouse, but the quality of his heart."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I am in love. After graduation when I slept with Travers, I saw Ted, and for some reason I told him everything. He was very sad about it, but in the end he told me that he was still in love with me, and I think I realized that I was still in love with him."

"You are still in love with that mudblood?"

"Yes. And that mudblood is still in love with me. There is nothing wrong with him. I have heard recent studies that say that purity of blood has nothing to do with power."

"Andy listen to yourself! Just look at the Black family. We have been pureblooded for centuries, and look at the result. Now there are only five left in our generation and that is you, me, Cissy, Sirius, and Regulus. Every one of us is more powerful than anyone else in our year. How can you say purity of blood has nothing to do with it?"

"Apparently the Blacks are a special case. Because of all the inbreeding, the magic has caused a genetic mutation that has actually improved the power of our minds."

"Others would call it the benefits of pure blood."

"Amazing, isn't it? Most would not expect anything beneficial to come from inbreeding but the Blacks are the special case."

"And why do you think bringing a mudblood into this is going to improve our capabilities?"

"There is nothing that says muddbloods are less capable wizards."

"You cannot marry him."

"Why not?!"Andy was getting worked up now.

"Our family will not stand for it. He will be a weed. It will decrease the credibility of our family."

"I want you to be my maid of honor."

"I will not." Bellatrix was now being very stern with Andy. "I will not support a marriage between a pureblood and a mudblood."

"Please Bellatrix I really need you there. There is no one more important to me."

"You are forsaking your family. You know they will not support the marriage. You will be disowned and abandoned. You will have no one in the world except your precious Teddy."

"I don't care. I love him so much. If that is what the family decides, then so be it."

"I must go."

"Please understand, Bella."

But Bellatrix got up and walked through the fire yelling "Hogwarts."

Andromeda sent owls to Bella begging her to reconsider. When the Christmas break came she went home to the Black family reunion at her parents place. She saw no Andromeda there and knew that Andy had definitely made her decision. She saw no Sirius there also, meaning he had decided either to stay at school or decided to go to the Potter's house. Bellatrix was frustrated by this as she wanted him to stay involved with the family. She did not want another family estrangement.

When she saw Sirius in class later, she asked him.

"Why weren't you at the family gathering this Christmas?"

"Ha. Well for one, I hate going to those reunions. Two I had a much better time at James's place where I was not glared at constantly by people who disagree with me."

"Don't you mean who you disagree with."

"Whatever."

"What do you disagree with them about?"

"Blood purity."

"Oh." Bellatrix had to watch her tongue now. She was a teacher at Hogwarts now. And if she openly advocated animosity towards non purebloods that would jeopardize her mission with Dumbledore. So she ignored Sirius and would tell his parents to convert him.

"Did you hear about Andy?"

"Her marriage? Yes."

"That is not all."

"Really what else."

"Well you must know about it. You're her closest friend."

"What must I know?"

"Go talk to her. I'm sure she would want to tell you herself."

Bellatrix now needed to know what was happening with Andy. She flooed in the next weekend to her house. The sudden burst of green flame was heard from the kitchen where Andromeda was working and she curiously made her way to the living room. When she saw Bellatrix she broke into a huge smile and rushed towards Bella, hugging her tightly.

"I knew you would not abandon me."

"Has the family abandoned you?"

"Mother and father shouted at me for about three hours, and Cissy is not allowed to speak to me. Neither is Sirius or Regulus."

"Sounds like it did not register with Sirius."

"You really are going to marry him aren't you."

"Bella, I'm pregnant."

Bellatrix was speechless.

"I am one month in and it looks like it will be born around September."

"So you two are fucking now? Is he living here?" Bella said angrily.

"No actually. He is a Healer at St. Mungo's with me. He has his own apartment in London. But we got together right before Christmas time and he stayed over. And don't get angry with me. How many men have you slept with?"

"When is it you plan to be married?"

"June 15. Are you still against the marriage?" Bellatrix merely looked at Andromeda."No?" She merely sighed. "What is actually wrong with Ted? Yes he is not a pureblood. What is the actual harm in that?"

"I'm done discussing this! You have embarrassed me by association long enough. I cannot be associated with a blood traitor whore, nor any mudblood she fucks, nor any future whores she produces." Andromeda burst into tears. "Quit your bawling you weakling. You have brought your this upon yourself." Bellatrix was screaming now. "You cannot expect people to love you for it. Everyone knows that any whore who fucks a mudblood ends up being cast out by those who before loved her. Thus it will happen to you too and your life will be miserable without the support of the greatest family in the wizarding world. They will not support those who betray them."

For both these women, this would be the angriest most horrible moment of their lives. For Andromeda, Bellatrix was always her closest most precious friend, and for Bellatrix, Andy was the only person keeping her sane. Bellatrix left soon after fuming, and Andromeda was left feeling utterly abandoned and alone.

After this Bellatrix' mental stability took a turn. The next day she went out and murdered 7 mudbloods. After keeping each mudblood under the Cruciatus curse for hours, she used various methods of killing so as the death as painful as possible.

Despite this, she was able to come back to class on Monday, and appear the same as always. She went about her daily routine the same way, and when people spoke to her, she responded the same way she always did. The only way one would know that she had mental instability would be if they saw the way she killed people, smiling and laughing the entire time.