She had failed, and currently, she was feeling the consequences big time. The crucio was a curse Bellatrix could tolerate to some degree. It wasn't the first time her Lord had unleashed such a harsh curse on her, However, experimentation of new Hexes had left her weakened beyond comparison. He called it a 'Trial run' as she coughed furiously trying to catch her breath. A coughing fit causing blood to splatter from her mouth was the first sign of fear something was wrong. It was only as she felt she was choking from deep within her lungs she could hear the dark lord explain so callously what was happening to her.
"You see I thought it would be a nice throw off curse on muggles to keep them unsuspecting. Blood in the lungs, it certainly sounds unpleasant from the sound you're making Bellatrix. But then I may still have some use from you yet. Finite" he calmly waved his wand, cancelling the hex as Bella fell to the floor clutching her throat as she gulped in air.
The Darklord did not wait around to see if she recovered, instead, a few moments later her sister came rushing in assisting her to her quarters giving her pain relief and a quick check over before exiting.
Two days had passed before she felt strong enough to leave the room. Her presence at dinner was almost unwelcomed as the three Malfoy's sat straight-backed and quiet.
Draco, like herself, had clearly been reprimanded for their failure after the Golden Trio had escaped the manor. His already pale features still white and face looking pinched like he was verging on the scale of malnourishment. Lucius sat wholesome, still wandless and a ghost of his former self taking his place at the head of the table simply out of habit. Narcissa, the source who held her shell of a family together remained indifferent, not a hair out of place and every essence of the matriarch she always portrayed.
"I wish to check you over and discuss a few things when we are through with dinner Bellatrix."
The dark witch turned to her sister knowing it was a statement rather than a request. Not in the mood to argue she simply nodded in response.
The warm stew and bread sat uncomfortably in her stomach, eating still felt a privilege even after this long away from Azkaban it was still hard to eat a full meal. She followed her sister to the potions cellar, taking her time on the steep stone staircase that swirled into the darkness below, staying close to her sister the sole occupant of the family who still had a wand.
The torches lit up the room on entry through the large Iron door. Mustering as much strength as she could to haul the door shut behind her and bolting it for extra security.
"Sit" Narcissa commanded, standing alongside the examination stool near her cluttered desk of scrolls.
Bella sat, a bored expression on her face as her sister waved her wand in front of her as she did her assessments. Narcissa finished her waving and wrote down a few notes on her parchment. She strolled over to one of the shelves of various vials and potion bottles, selecting several and walking back to her sister.
"Take this one now." she handed the dark, ink coloured liquid towards Bella who uncorked it, clearing it in one gulp before coughing in disgust at the taste. "These you should take before bed, they will heal the blisters in your lungs our 'Dark lord' left after his latest interrogation of you" Narcissa instructed in distaste.
"Is that all?" Bella drawled hoping to be given leave so she could rest some more.
"No." Bellatrix looked up at her sister. "I feel we need to discuss a few things"
"Like what?"
Narcissa looked at her sister for a moment, beckoning her from the stool as she strode to the back of the room. A narrow bookcase stood full of worn books of academia. She grasped a rather tattered red leatherback pulling it from the shelf which was chest height and stepped back as the bookcase creaked open revealing a dark entrance behind it. With one last look at her sister expecting her to follow, she walked through the doorway lighting up the secret area.
Bellatrix cautiously entered the new area. She had been down here on many occasions to find her sister. At times there had been delays to her opening the door but she had never suspected there was an extra room to the area her sister had hidden away.
The new room had two plush chairs and a large fireplace which now roared to life as they entered. A Pensieve Basin sat proud in the corner as well as many other artifacts randomly placed in the room.
"What is this Cissy?" Bellatrix questioned as she took in the room and its contents.
"It's where I come to think,'' she responded as she sat down primly on one of the seats. Bellatrix slumped down into the other, waiting for whatever her sister was about to reveal. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments. Bella getting impatient spoke first.
"Well? Do what do I owe the pleasure of being invited to your sanctuary" Bellatrix mocked her sister. She didn't like secrets being kept from her. Narcissa was her closest ally, there was nothing they kept from each other, or at least that's what she had thought.
"This can't go on."
"What?"
"This" Narcissa gestured to her sister! She pointed out the crucio scars that could be seen on her neckline. "It's a lost cause, we have suffered enough."
"Don't be ridiculous Cissy! Our Lord-"
"Our Lord is a Fraud!" Narcissa shouted over her.
Bellatrix stood up abruptly towering over her sister who remained seated. Despite a face of thunder she refused to be intimidated by her sister.
"Think about what you're saying cissy" Bellatrix warned.
"I have Bella! For months if not years! It's all for nothing, the cause is a sham! We joined to make our world pure again, and yet our sacred families are being wiped out as we speak!"
"He will reinstate us and our rights!" Bella argued.
"He's a half-blood Bella!"
Bella staggered back in shock at her sister's outburst. "He doesn't care anymore, it's all about power for him. And he will let no one stand in his way. The first war was for purity, and what is the cause for this? Capturing and killing a half-witted teen with too much luck on his side."
"You're lying!"
Narcissa stood up matching the height of her sister. She turned to the back of a room, a small stack of books sat on a side table, she pulled the third from the top. The black leather was printed with gold letters The Sacred 28 and a thinner book she placed on top of it The purest families of the Wizarding World inside was a thickly folded piece of parchment filled with Narcissa's elegant Calligraphy.
"Take them." Narcissa whispered. "Read them and look at the notes in privacy. And then come to me when you're done." Bella said nothing. She snatched the books and marched out of the room not looking back. Rushing up the stairs and marching to her quarters.
"What's the Hurry Lestrange." Fenrir stepped out from the adjoining corridor at the top of the stairs. His stench was pungent of Earth and alcohol. "I Hear you're losing favour with our lord. It was only a matter of time" He grinned blocking her way, not realising he was pushing the boundary too close.
"Incarcerous Faucium!" Bella Hissed, watching the beast grasp at his throat, His eyes bulging as his gasps for air could be heard. Bella looked on Smirking as she watched in pleasure the large frame dropping to the ground on the verge of unconsciousness.
"Finite" she called boredly. Looking at the oddly purple colour Greyback had started to turn onto as he continued to scratch at his throat, his wheezing voice struggling to catch a breath as he felt the choking sensation finally release.
"You Bitch!" He growled still too weak to stand up on all fours.
"Careful Wolfboy, Or next time I won't be so eager to release it so quickly" she threatened before stepping off in the direction of her room. As she heard the werewolf scuttle away in the opposite direction.
It was long past midnight. In her moment of leaving Narcissa's hidden room, she had forgotten to pick up her potions for bedtime. Of course, her sister had obviously noticed and rather than bringing them up herself, a house-elf had been sent and discreetly placed them on the bedside table before leaving in a flash. Bella had consumed the potions but sleep evaded her. She was more settled and in less pain, her lungs pulsed more easily and it wasn't so exhausting as healing took place. Her mind was busy as she went over and over the accusation, her sister had made that evening.
Our lord is a Fraud. It ricocheted around her mind. She couldn't shake off the doubt that was starting to creep into her. Narcissa would not make such a bold statement without sufficient evidence to back it up.
She gave up waiting for sleep to take her. She promptly dressed, placing a cloak on and headed out to the doorway, briskly walking to the gate entrance. As she touched the gate a mild shock hit her. She tried contact again feeling another imminent shock pulse. Someone must be fucking with the wards. She thought, unless...
She tried again grabbing the gate to pull towards her, feeling a much harsher shock enough to hiss, seeing a sheen of smoke coming from her hand. Realisation dawned on her. They were imprisoned in the manor, no doubt as part of the punishment from the Darklord until he returned.
Bella cursed aloud in the silent darkness trying to think of another place of privacy, she turned heading along the wall towards the orchard. She walked through the trees towards the centre eyeing up the old dovecote hidden down the bank.
The ancient building looked pretty ruined outside, not many birds used the sanctuary since the snatchers and other death eaters had taken refuge in the manor, shooting most local wildlife to consume their boredom when not on missions. The circular building had no entrance, only upper small slits for the birds to come and go. Bella tapped on the stone which began crumbling as it moved backwards allowing her entrance. She took a torchlight. "Lacarnum inflamare" she whispered as the flame ignited lighting up the damp building. She walked up the narrow winding staircase to the middle floor. A small table and chair set to the side. She lit another torch, placing it on the stand near the desk giving enough light in the small area before pulling out her books and reading the contents.
She started with The Sacred 28, turning to the page in which the blue silk ribbon was placed and began to read.
The house of Gaunt, 20th Century. Marvolo Gaunt: Issue - 2 (Morfin and Merope) Marvolo was Imprisoned as part of the famous Muggle Vigilante Movement (MVM) in 1924 after muggle-born protesters finally won the right to a new law being past stopping the innocent Torture of muggles for sport. Died Circa 1928 Causes Unknown.
Morfin Gaunt - Unmarried - No issue - Death Date unknown
Merope Gaunt - Married - (Spouse unknown) - 1 issue - Death Date Circa 1927
The Name Marvolo certainly rang a bell. Bellatrix knew her lord had grown up without a family and spoke very little of his life before Hogwarts but even with that Bella knew his Full title as Tom Marvolo Riddle.
She opened the smaller book, no page was marked specifically, so Bellatrix scanned to the back with names listed and page numbers beside them, she looked first for Riddle. It was unlisted which confused her. They had always been under the assumption Riddle had been a foreign pureblood name. Gaunt was listed with similar details to the previous book. Huffing, Bellatrix slammed the book shut when she noticed once again the large piece of parchment neatly folded into one of the pages. She loosened the pages allowing it to fall out. Unfolding she skimmed over her sister's notes. Names were scribbled in one corner, Names and addresses she did not recognise until she noticed a short family Tree scribbled
Merope Gaunt - Tom Riddle (muggle)
\ /
Tom Marvolo Riddle
A taste of bile hit the back of Bella's throat, it couldn't be clearer what Narcissa was insinuating. But where was the proof? She thumped her hand down on the table in frustration, causing the books to bounce slightly. As the smaller of the books slumped down, a piece of paper slipped slightly out from the front cover. Curious she pulled it from the book. She unfolded the handwritten document. A marriage clause from the Parish of Little Hangleton. The registration dated 29 October 1926 Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle. A marriage certificate that certainly wasn't from any wizarding contract. Leading to only one conclusion. And with that Bella let the information sink in. The man she had followed, the cause she fought so hard and dedicated so much for was all a lie, and with that, she unleashed her anger in one raging fury.