CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
A/N: And here I present, the final chapter to the Story of Bellatrix Lestrange...enjoy it if you will...
The small clearing was a deafening quiet, but everyone could hear the screams, the cries, and the crashes coming from the castle only a few paces outside of the forest.
By now, the Death Eaters were over taking the school, keeping prisoners and taking lives. Yaxley had captured the big oaf Hagrid and tied him to a giant tree, where he cursed, shouted and moaned.
Still, it seemed, there was no sign of the boy.
Bellatrix was sitting very nobly on her 'throne' of nature beside her majestic, powerful Master. She held her head high as she watched Death Eaters coming and going.
Quite oppositely, the Dark Lord had his head bowed down as though he was deep in thought. He lifted his head slightly to look at Yaxley and Dolohov who were sitting on the ground directly in front of him, and nearest to the trail to the school. "Yaxley, Dolohov," he said in his high, icy voice. "Pace the path, see if he is not coming…"
They both nodded, knowing exactly who 'he' was.
The second hour was nearly up. The last chance for Harry Potter to come and claim his rightful death before the Death Eaters would absolutely destroy the school.
"No sign of him, my Lord." Dolohov came slowly back into the circle, breaking the silence.
The Dark Lord looked straight ahead, flicking his red eyes around the opening.
Bellatrix frowned at the news the two men brought. "My Lord…" she began.
He held up his white, bony hand and hushed her.
"I thought he would come. I expected him." There was no doubt a tone of disappointment in the Dark Lord's voice. His eyes stayed fixed on the orange, glowing fire.
Bellatrix lowered her body by just a fraction, afraid that the Dark Lord would punish them.
"I was, it seems…mistaken." The Dark Lord absent mindedly twirled his wand in his left hand.
But a voice interrupted him from saying anything further. "You weren't."
Every Death Eater's head swiveled to the owner of the voice. They all took in the sight of Harry Potter.
Bellatrix screamed with laughter and bounded to her feet. He is giving himself up! The Dark Lord will rule over all!
"HARRY! NO!" the big oaf shouted as he struggled against the invisible restraints. "NO! NO! HARRY, WHAT'RE YEH—?"
Rowle, closest to Hagrid brandished his wand, annoyed with the shouting. "QUIET!" Hagrid's shouting ceased and his whole body stiffened.
Bellatrix stepped forward, her wand down in her right hand and her head jolting from Harry to her Master.
All of the Death Eaters fell quiet again, waiting eagerly to see what would happen next.
Very, very softly, the Dark Lord whispered in the silence, "Harry Potter…The Boy Who Lived."
Bellatrix grinned, still panting from her laughter.
"Avada" the Dark Lord spoke very slowly, as though he was cherishing the moment that he would take down his enemy, "Kedevra."
The green light flashed in the night. Like the echo of a noise, it could be seen by those even outside of the forest. In the blaze, Harry Potter fell hard to his knees and then landed on his stomach in the dirt.
The Dark Lord was thrown back at the power it took to curse the boy. He landed on his back, a few feet from where he stood in the first place. His eyes were closed when Bellatrix looked at him.
Bellatrix gasped dramatically. "My Lord….my Lord…"
The Death Eaters began whispering and shuffling around, trying to see Potter and their Master the best they could around each other. Some were slowly approaching, but most stayed back, watching from afar.
Bellatrix got down on her knees beside him. "My Lord…"
"That will do," the Dark Lord answered, waving her off as he pushed himself off of the ground.
Bellatrix reached out, offering to help lift him from the filthy dirt. "My Lord, let me—"
"I do not require assistance." He raised himself to his full standing height and then looked at Harry, who lay in the dirt, dead. "The boy…is he dead?"
Everyone looked at him, watching for even the smallest minuscule sign of movement.
"You," the Dark Lord pointed his wand to the right of him.
A spark shot out and landed on Narcissa, who yelped and grabbed her shoulder.
"Tell me whether he is dead." He commanded.
Everyone stared at her as she walked cautiously over to Harry Potter. Narcissa leaned down and crouched over him. She began checking for signs of life in his pathetic body. Her hands checked his eyes and his heartbeat. Her face looked for signs of breathing emanating from his lips. "He is dead!" she declared to everyone watching.
Bellatrix doubled-over, screaming, laughing and crying for her Master. The Death Eaters started shouting, hollering and shooting delighted sparks into the air.
"You see?" the Dark Lord called loudly. "Harry Potter is dead by my hand, and no man alive can threaten me now! Watch! Crucio!" His wand swished at the boy.
Harry Potter was lifted off of the ground and flying through the air violently but limply. No pain would surge through his body, just magic from the Dark Lord.
They all watched, hooting and laughing at 'The Boy Who Lived.'
The Dark Lord stopped the laughter. "Now, we go to the castle and show them what has become of their hero. Who shall drag the body? No…Wait…." He turned around and smiled viciously up at the oaf. "You carry him. He will be nice and visible in your arms, will he not? Pick up your little friend, Hagrid. And the glasses…put on the glasses…he must be recognizable!"
Nott stood and rushed over immediately and shoved his spectacles onto his face with a great laugh.
Rowle removed all the invisible ropes that bound Hagrid's body to a massive tree. When released, he did not make any moves to escape, but just walked to Harry, and picked him up very tenderly. He looked down at his friend, crying uncontrollably.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes.
The Dark Lord looked up at him, disgusted. He removed Nagini from the aura he encircled her with and rested her over his shoulders. "Move."
They all encircled Hagrid and Harry as they marched triumphantly to the castle. Two giants followed the crowd, eager to get in on the action.
A pack of centaurs that they passed stopped and watched them pass.
"BANE!" Hagrid nearly screamed. "Happy now, are yeh? That yeh didn't fight yeh cowardly bunch o' nags? Are yeh happy Harry Potters…d-dead?" He sobbed again.
The crowd kept moving through the path. Once they had reached the border of the forest, the Dark Lord held up his wand and commanded, "Stop."
He held his wand to his neck and looked at the giant stone castle. His voice, cold, high and clear, quadrupled in volume and echoed through the air, so all—even inside—could hear what he had to say. "Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives fro him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."
Bellatrix sniggered.
"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we will build together."
No sound could be heard. Bellatrix figured this could either be very bad, or very good. She looked over at her Master who stared angrily at the castle.
"Come."
The walked over to the open entrance of the castle.
"Stop." The Dark Lord held out an arm.
The Death Eaters spread out around their Master before they would walk into the castle alongside and behind him.
"NO!" screamed Professor McGonagall, the first to see the dead hero, the dead Harry Potter.
Bellatrix laughed at her mortified face. She laughed at all of their despair as every teacher and student screamed "NO" and "HARRY". She soaked it all up and laughed.
"SILENCE," roared the Dark Lord. He pointed his wand over the crowd and cast a spell that quieted them all, restraining their voices. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"
Bellatrix was panting again; her merciless eyes scanned the school.
"He beat you!" screamed the red-haired boy who had been in her home. His calling out caused uproar from the students as they broke the Dark Lord's spell.
The Dark Lord, somewhat agitated, cast another spell over the crowd, quieting them again for a second time.
"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds…killed while trying to save himself…"
A child threw himself from the gathering of teachers and students and made a charge to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord flicked his wand, laughing, and disarmed the boy.
When the boy looked up at the Death Eaters who were all posed around the Dark Lord like they were now the superior authority, Bellatrix immediately recognized him and gave an amused laugh.
"And who is this? Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle has lost?"
"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?" Bellatrix's eyes lit with joy as she watched her Lord smile.
"Ah, yes, I remember. But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" the Dark Lord asked with a fake tenderness.
"So what if I am?" asked Neville loudly so that his allies could hear.
"You spirit bravery and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom." The Dark Lord cocked his head to the side and stroked Nagini lightly on her head.
"I'll join you when hell freezes over! Dumbledore's Army!" Neville threw a fist into the air as he turned around and the Great Hall exploded from the mass.
The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes. "Very well. If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head, be it." The Dark Lord raised his wand high into the air and the Sorting Hat soared in through a broken window and floated above Neville's head. "There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"
The Dark Lord made another swish of his wand and Neville was put under a body-binding hex as the Sorting Hat was pushed over his eyes.
Bellatrix stared at the crowd before her. Some made a twitch to go up and rescue him. Though, all in unison, the Death Eaters pointed their wands at the throng and they stayed back, terrified of the masked minions of the Dark Lord.
"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me." He jerked his wand and the Hat, still resting upon the head of the boy, engulfed in flames.
Then, havoc broke loose in the Hall.
War calls could be heard from outside of the school and a small giant pushed through the walls, closely followed by the centaurs. The Dark Lord's giants charged at the other coming in.
Arrows from the centaurs descended upon the Death Eaters.
They scattered, trying to avoid the weapons and began attacking the school's inhabitants. One call, however, got most of their attention:
"HARRY! HARRY! WHERE'S HARRY?!" shouted Hagrid as he looked dumbly over his hands.
People were pouring into the Great Hall from every direction.
As Bellatrix raced through the Great Hall in search of her Master, she watched as many Hogwarts supporters went down…one being Fred Weasley and another being Remus Lupin.
Remus Lupin. That was a sure sign that his wife was near…she saw a flash of lime green hair that instantly caught her attention. "Filth! Betrayer of the Blacks! I will finish you once and for all! NYMPHADORA!" she screamed at the woman.
Nymphadora spun around and saw her immediate death.
"AVADA KEDEVRA!" Bellatrix shrieked as soon as Nymphadora faced her.
Nymphadora's life was immediately exterminated. There was no reaction other than a stern, challenging look resting upon her face as she fell.
Bellatrix smiled as she towered over her dead niece. Then, she snarled and looked around for anyone else who dared to cross her path.
"How dare you!" shouted a small, bleach-blonde haired girl from behind Bellatrix.
She swiveled around in her boots to face three little girls, all about sixteen or seventeen years old. "How DARE I? How dare I what, you little brats? Heal the wounds that have scarred the most Ancient Black tree?" Bellatrix laughed haughtily at their 'bravery.'
"How dare you—" the girl was interrupted by the girl on her right side…the mud-blood little monster that she had once overtaken in her home.
Bellatrix swiped her wand and began dueling the three. She shot dark magic at them without any remorse—burning, searing, and cutting the flesh of her opponents. She then shot a Killing Curse that barely missed the red-headed girl.
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" screamed a voice from behind Bellatrix.
Bellatrix turned on her heels and found another red-haired woman marching towards her. She was short, fat and very angry. Bellatrix's high-pitched screaming laughter erupted from her throat when she saw the woman.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" Molly Weasley demanded, whirling her wand over her head.
Bellatrix began hexing the woman, swishing her wand quicker than she thought she could. It sliced through the air, reading her thoughts.
Onlookers tried to jump in on the duel. "No! Get back! Get back! She is mine!" Molly hissed through bared teeth.
Bellatrix deflected Molly's spells easily with a flick of her wand. She zoned in on just the two of them, as though everything else was gone and it was just them, dueling to the death. "What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" Bellatrix jested. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?" She laughed again.
Molly's face flushed with color. "You – will – never – touch – our – children – again!"
Bellatrix laughed mockingly and stared into the eyes of her opponent.
"Avada KEDEVRA!" Molly screamed with her wand clutched straight out in front of her, a foot away from the chest of Bellatrix.
The green light flashed, slamming into Bellatrix's chest, right over her heart. The air left her body, the lights left her eyes, and the laughter left her face. Bellatrix was aware of what had happened. It registered in her brain...everything she had lived for, was to end.
And alas, Bellatrix Lestrange fell to her knees, dying for her great Lord. She fell over onto the ground; face down, dead for her only love.