Rabastan Lestrange, The Life and Times of a Dark Wizard
Chapter Three, Great Expectations
Years passed as they do, and the time for Rabastan to begin at Hogwarts crept closer and closer. As it did, talk of Lord Voldemort's dark and daring deeds as well as his big plans for restoring the wizarding world to its former greatness were beginning to spread throughout the darker circles of magical society.
As the adults talked, their children caught wind either directly or indirectly through their parents, and they talked as well. Rod and Rabastan's eldest uncle had gone to school with Lord Voldemort, and Rod felt this would give them an in if they chose to join him in his work toward wizarding restoration.
Word had it that Lord Voldemort was ever on the look out for the best and brightest, and Rod was intrigued. He told Rabastan that if they studied hard, remained the best and sharpest, they'd rise to glory with the Dark Lord. The Lestrange brothers would be among the top rank being credited for restoring wizarding greatness!
"You should do it too, Bella," Rod told her excitedly.
It was Christmas break of Rod and Bella's fourth year and Rabastan was ten years old. The next year, he'd be attending Hogwarts with them and he was so excited! The bloody year couldn't pass fast enough for him. Currently the three of them were hiding out in the tree house as was their way when the holiday parties got to dull and oppressive. Over the years, it had become their thing.
"Why," Bellatrix asked.
She sat in the doorway of the treehouse, swinging her legs over the edge.
"Because," Rod said, as if that word held every bit of explanation one could need.
Turning, Bella frowned at him, arching her thin dark brows.
"Because," Rod repeated.
"Besides...What else will you be doing? Working at the Ministry? Setting up a dress shop somewhere?"
At that, Bellatrix made a choking sound and snatched up one of the big fluffy pillows that Rod and Rabastan had covering the floor, tossing it at Rod's head.
"Don't be stupid. I don't know what I plan to do, but it certainly won't be either of those bloody options."
"Why not come with me, then, into the Dark Lord's service when it's time," Rod said.
The look he gave Bella was somehow adult in a way that caused Rabastan to squirm in discomfort. It was possessive, nearly in the way their parents looked at one another. Rod had bragged when they were younger that he'd marry Bella, and Rabastan approved. She was one of them, after all. She'd not come in and ruin how things were, but that look made him feel nearly out of place.
It seemed to please Bellatrix, though, for she smiled.
"Alright."
Rod nodded.
"Good."
That was all they said on the matter until that summer when talk turned to Rabastan being with them at Hogwarts.
"You can hang with me and my friends, but if you make some of your own, that would help out as well," Rod said.
It was a hot lazy day in July, and he and Rabastan lay on their backs on the floor of the treehouse, trying to escape the heat.
"Just make sure the friends you choose are worthy. Smart and willing to go the extra mile for wizarding rights, you know."
"Why," Rabastan asked with a perplexed frown.
"Because! We can bring them into the Dark Lord's service as well. It's like house points, the more you bring to the table, as it were, the more points you get," Rodolphus explained.
Rabastan nodded. That made sense.
He kept that in mind when he decided which of his fellow house mates to befriend once term began at Hogwarts. Finally getting to board the train with Bella and Rod was just as glorious as he'd known it would be.
They let him ride in their compartment and treated him like one of them. Bella even smacked an older girl for calling him a baby, and when one of Rod's friends said he was too young to hang with them, Rod threatened to hex his face off. The boy apologized, and Rabastan liked that a lot.
"All Rod's friends are stupid," Bella proclaimed later, when the three of them were alone, walking near the lake after dinner.
"I can hardly stand hanging around them."
"But they do what I tell them and listen to whatever I want to talk about," Rod said.
"We do that, though, and we're smarter, right Bella," Rabastan said.
"Yes," Bellatrix agreed firmly.
"But they're extra," Rodolphus protested.
"They don't need to be one of us to be useful. Bellatrix just doesn't have patientce."
"And for me impatience is a virtue," Bellatrix said, tossing back her long black hair and smirking.
Rod's gaze swept over her in a way that made Rabastan feel awkward again. He suddenly wondered if the two had snogged yet. Though he didn't mind in principle, for him, the concept felt icky.
It wasn't until later that night that he had the opportunity to truly talk to any of his dorm mates in Slytherin. Of course he'd been sorted into Slytherin, but that was only to be expected.
He decided to think like Bella and try to find someone smart to talk to first. Smart people would be easier to manage than stupid people. Stupid people would likely make you think for them as well as for oneself and thinking for two felt too taxing.
With that in mind, Rabastan decided to attempt befriending the withdrawn fellow with his face in a book first. He sat on the edge of his bunk, half unpacked trunks open around him. He didn't give off the impression that he wanted to be there, which put Rabastan in mind of Bellatrix and how she'd spoken of her feelings about Hogwarts during those early letters of her and Rod's first year. Only she looked angry where this blond boy appeared more distracted and withdrawn.
"Hi," he said.
"I'm Rabastan Lestrange. What's that you're reading.
"Best Curses," the boy replied without looking up.
"And I'm Thorfinn Rowle."
Rabastan nodded. The name sounded respectable enough and vaguely familiar. He'd do.
"You have decent taste in books," he complimented vaguely.
"Well are you going to let me get back to reading it," the boy snapped and Rabastan frowned, realizing that he may not be as good at this social rubbish as Rod.
"Fine, yes," he said.
"I have my own books to read. Books of which the Dark Lord would surely approve."
At that Thorfinn Rowle's head came up and Rabastan relaxed a bit. Perhaps he was going to be good at this social stuff after all.