Bellatrix had no idea why, but she had been called into the Headmaster's office. As always, as she entered the spiral staircase, her demeanour was cool and calm. She had certainly spent a lot of her time here while she was in Hogwarts, rarely for good behaviour.

When the staircase stopped moving at the top, she entered to find no one there, except Fawkes the Phoenix. She would never have admitted it to Dumbledore, but she loved the bird. Seemingly, he was the only one who wasn't judging here these days as she approached him and ran her finger gently along his fire coloured feathers. He was brilliantly smart she would admit –but of course never to anyone but herself.

"He likes you." Dumbledore's voice came from behind one of his many portrait holes.
"Well," Bellatrix said calmly as the bird relaxed at her touch, "he should do. He's met me probably over a hundred times."
"And you like him no doubt?" Albus smiled, sitting at his large desk and gesturing his hand out kindly in offer for her to sit in front of him.
"No, birds are awfully boring." She said simply as she sat down.
Dumbledore couldn't help but smile, "Do you know why I've called you here, Bellatrix?"
"Well I haven't hexed anyone in a number of weeks, so it can't possibly be for bad behaviour." She said innocently as she leant forward onto the other side of his desk, pursing her well glossed lips.

Clasping his hands together and interlinking his fingers on his desk, Dumbledore looked at Bellatrix and said while studying her carefully, "I want to make you head girl."
Bellatrix almost froze, before she cocked her head to the side slightly and raised an eyebrow, "You're kidding, right?"
"No." He said calmly. She couldn't help but laugh, it made absolutely no sense. She was the complete opposite of a model student.
"What in Merlin's name made you decide something like that?" she said, furrowing her eyebrows, "And aren't you supposed to send that kind of news over owl mail in summer?"
"Well, I knew you could possibly be very opposed to it, therefore I had to ask. Would you like to be head girl?" he asked.
"No." She said definitively, folding her arms and sitting back in her chair.

Looking at her over his half-moon spectacles, Dumbledore watched her carefully for a few more moments, "In all my years, I have never had one person turn it down."
Bellatrix shrugged, not the slightest bit bothered.
"Do you mind if I ask why?" he said curiously.
"Only if I can ask why you would want to choose me."
"I suppose that is fair... yes. You're one of the most intelligent witches I have come across in my many, many years being both teacher at and Headmaster of this school. And I feel you need to exert that power I can see deeply manifesting itself in you, and use it for a good cause."
"A good cause?" she practically spat, "how is being head girl a good cause?"
Dumbledore continued calmly, "It can not only lead to even more of a range of higher level sessions with your other professors, but also in your professional career when leaving this school."

"I already have a career planned, and it doesn't have Head Girl as a previous requirement." She said bluntly.
"May I ask what that is?" he said as he raised an eyebrow.
Subconsciously, Bellatrix's fingers were running over where her Dark Mark was, "I plan to study more of the Dark Arts and specialise somewhere in the field."

Albus Dumbledore of course as everyone knew was an extremely intelligent and brilliant man –even Bellatrix admitted it, "I knew a boy once Bellatrix. He just like you was brilliant. He had the highest marks in all of his classes, out of all of his fellow students he was among the top few of the best. He was intelligent, and charming just like you. But he made all of the wrong choices. He did bad things to himself, fashioned himself a new name and is at this moment as we speak, beginning a revolution, which will only end in war –be it in five years or fifty."
Bellatrix remained quiet for only a moment as she furrowed her eyebrows, a little unsure why he was telling her about this boy, "Well. I'm not him. And I have no intention of making wrong choices in my life."
"I truly hope not." Dumbledore glanced at Bellatrix's left forearm, which was covered in a bandage and her fingers were over. It had been bleeding heavily since her mark had been printed onto her skin, tattooing and manifesting itself deep into her. Bellatrix had the strangest feeling he knew something he wasn't supposed to, "Dark magic has a way of coming back to us and hurting us, manifesting itself deep into us. And once we have had a taste of power, we crave more. Just as this boy. Be careful. Once we have those things everyone so desires; youth, beauty and power, it takes a lot to stop us wanting more."
Bellatrix said nothing, but Dumbledore continued, "So it's a no for being Head Girl. That is all Bellatrix, you may go."
Dumbledore smiled ever so slightly as she stood and turned before he continued, "remember-"
"Help will always be given to those at Hogwarts who ask for it," She said turning back to him, "I know." Dumbledore chuckled and nodded, watching her leaving before sitting back and sighing, wondering exactly what would become of Bellatrix Black in her later years when leaving the school.