The Power of the Twins
It was a sprawling house, an edifice of towers and arched windows. The walls were solid blocks of stone and the doors of thick oak. It was actually more of a castle then a home, and had more rooms then the family in residence every used. It was surrounded by a large garden full of dark trees and snapping plants, and a tall stone wall enclosed the grounds. Lestrange Manor wasn't a welcoming home, especially in the current thunderstorm.
The twins Regulus and Amaris called this home. They stepped off the black and silver carriage that had picked them up from off the Durmstrang ship and dragged their trunks through the mud up to their front door. It swung open as they approached it and admitted them inside.
Inside was not much better. The walls were covered in tapestries of bloody wizard duels and the chandelier overhead glowed with green flames. Regulus turned to his sister and gave her a wry smile.
"Home sweet home huh?"
Amaris' scowl darkened and her eyes flashed angrily. Two house elves dressed in dirty pillow cases came to carry their trunks into their upstairs bedrooms as a tall woman with her black hair done in an elaborate bun came waltzing down the stairs like a queen. She looked down her nose at the two and gave a sniff.
"I assume you did well on your OWLs?" she sniffed as she looked at her two children.
"Yes mother," Amaris said sarcastically, "we did quite well, especially in Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Denebola Lestrange's eyes grew wide and her mouth twisted into a sneer. "Get to your bedrooms until you are summoned. Your father is home and wishes to see you."
This brought the twins up short. Their father, Rabastan Lestrange, and his sister-in-law Bellatrix, had been in Azkaban for torturing the Longbottoms for as long as they could remember. They had never met the man, and had only seen pictures of him.
"How is he here?" Regulus asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Yeah, I wasn't aware that they let Death Eaters out for good behavior," Amaris sneered.
Again their mother's eyes flashed, "I have told you to go to your bedrooms. I assume you remember where they are, even if you do not remember where you came from. Go now."
The two walked up the marble staircase covered by it's ratty carpet, down the hall past the suit of armor that swung it's broadsword at them, past a portrait of their Great-Great Grandmother, Alphecca Nigellus, and into their separate bedrooms connected only by a black door emblazed with battling serpents.
Regulus had just fed his owl, Archimedes, when Amaris threw open the separating door and stalked over to her brother's bed. She crossed her arms and stared at him.
"What?" he asked her.
"Why is Father here? How is father here? I have a bad feeling about this. No one has ever escaped from Azkaban…except for Sirius…"
"I expect You-Know-Who taught him something," Regulus said, "or maybe Sirius contacted Mum and told her how he did it, then she wrote Father and Aunt Bellatrix."
"I still think it's a load for us to swallow a Death Eater just happened to escape, actually two if you count our dear cousin Sirius. I want to know how they-"
There was a knock at their door and a House Elf entered, bowing very low.
"What do you want Pollock?" Regulus sneered.
"Master is home and Master wishes to see you in the parlor," Pollock said, still bowing. His nose was scraping the cold stone floor.
"Fine," Amaris said, strutting to the door. Regulus followed.
The parlor was just as dark as the rest of the house. The pouring rain and thunder pounding against the windows did not help the scene at all. Their father stood, his skin tight and his cheeks sunken in, leaning against a piano. His robes were elaborate and obviously expensive. He was glaring at them suspiciously.
"Your mother," he sneered in a weedy voice, "has told me that you two are quite the disappointment. Am I to understand that you have renounced your dark arts training?"
"Yes, Father," Amaris sneered right back. Regulus curled his lip at his father.
"Unacceptable. I refuse to accept that two of my children should be such a disgrace. You will rethink this, and you will choose the correct path. The Dark Lord did not take kindly to the news that he lost two children he had such high hopes for before their birth-"
"What do you mean 'The Dark Lord did not take kindly'?" Regulus asked, "The bloke is dead isn't he? He's gone."
"The Dark Lord is never gone Regulus, watch your tongue in the future. Now as I was saying, he is willing to forgive your…your treason, if you should restart. I have arranged for your education to continue not at Durmstrang, which must have lost the grip it once had on its students, but instead at Hogwarts. You will not make the same mistakes there, is that quite understood?" He looked at his children who stared resolutely back at him. "I ASKED IF I WAS UNDERSTOOD!" He thundered, matched by the lightening outside.
"Now, now, Rabastan, you'll frighten them," a cool female voice purred from behind them. The twins turned to see a woman who had developed into myth at Durmstrang. Heavy lidded eyes looked at them from under locks of thick raven hair. Her lips were full and she was quite beautiful. "Hello children, do you know who I am?"
"Bellatrix Lestrange," Regulus said.
"Auntie Bella is fine," Bellatrix said smoothly, "leave us Rabastan. I must speak with my niece and nephew."
Rabastan did not hesitate but left, shutting the heavy Oakwood doors behind him. Lightening flashed outside.
"Now I understand you both got a little turned around," Aunt Bellatrix began with a voice like silk, "at that Durmstrang Institute. It is no wonder as that headmaster was a traitor. I expect you will both be eager to serve the rightful ruler of the wizard world. He did have high hopes for you, your mother being from such a long line of wizards, your father just as pure. Your cousin Draco is quite the little minion, but he is a yes man just as his father."
"The Dark Lord doesn't like to hear anything but yes," Regulus snapped.
His aunt's eyes blazed for a moment, then her voice continued as smooth as before, "Now, now, you're just confused." her eyes were still dangerous, "now when you attend Hogwarts you'll be with those who can help you down the right path. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle however will never rise as high in the Dark Lord's esteem as you two may. Draco has proved a disappointment, as have you two. But the Dark Lord can be merciful." she stood. "Consider the matter; I expect you'll make the right choice."
She winked at them and swept out of the room. Regulus and Amaris looked at each other. Their dark family seemed to have multiplied in their absence with several supposedly incarcerated Death Eaters.
"This sucks," Amaris said rolling her silver-blue eyes and glared at the portrait of a long-forgotten member of their family.
"So when do we run away this time?" Regulus asked quietly, a smirk playing about his lips.
"There will be none of that," their father's voice came from the door as a low growl. "I have assured that you two cannot escape these grounds. You will learn to obey and you will learn your place."
With that, their fate was sealed.
A/N- The Evil Twins would really appreciate reviews on this story….thank you.
The Evil Twins
