Chapter 2

From Azkaban to Alley

The black prison thrust out of the surf like a pillar holding the sky and sea apart. Ursella's broom was being bounced around in the constantly stormy gates. She had learned long ago how to navigate the airspace from the nearest shore out to where her mother was held. If you visit a place at least once a month for the entirety of your life, you could get there in your sleep, too.

But Aunt Narcissa still led the way to Azkaban, as a chaperone and to keep the Dementors at bay. Ursella didn't even have a wand, yet. And if she did, it would be a few more years before she was supposed to be capable of that kind of magic, according to O.W.L. standards. Of course, being that she was Ursella Narcissa Lestrange, she was already well above the level of her peers.

Finally, they reached the entrance to the prison at the base of the monolith. The aunt and niece landed their broom and stood to wait in the small queue lined up outside. Normally, Ursella and her family, as Purebloods, don't travel by broom. It exposes one to the elements and musses one's hair. They would prefer Floo powder or side-along apparition or even portkey but the high security of Azkaban doesn't allow for fireplaces, portkeys are a bureaucratic nightmare, and while Apparating would be possible, side-along away from Azkaban has a nasty history of splinching due to the compromised emotional state of the Apparateur. So, broomstick it is.

"Madame Malfoy." The attendant at the door was checking their names off the list of scheduled visitors. There was a giant silver parrot on his shoulder. It wasn't a real parrot, of course, just his patronus so that he wasn't affected by the ever circling Dementors during his shift. "And Miss Ursella, so nice to see you again." Though he grumbled it, the wizard was a friend of the family so he probably meant it.

"Good Lord, MacNair," Aunt Narcissa frowned at her ex-compatriot in arms. "Are they still having you man this post? Surely you've proven yourself by now."

"It's not so bad," shrugged MacNair, the parrot ruffled its feathers. "My patronus is stronger than most and as long as don't go flying off, I actually fair better than a lot of the other guards."

"It's still ridiculous," insisted Aunt Narcissa. "I'll see if Lucius can't get you a promotion."

"Thank you, Madame," MacNair bowed again as they walked by him. "Check your brooms and wand at the desk."

Once through the door, they had to walk through a dark hallway with a low ceiling. It was essentially a tunnel leading to the interior of the complex. About half way through, Ursella felt the cold seep into her bones and she started to shiver. This was the section of the tunnel that wasn't protected by the guard's parrot patronus or the patronus charms protecting the attendant at the check-in desk. The effect of the Dementors didn't take long to set in, though Ursella never felt as terribly affected as others describe their reactions. Yes, it made her sad and depressed and cold but she didn't relive her saddest moments because all of them take place during her visits with mother. Other than that, Ursella's life was pretty much perfect. She was treated like a princess at Malfoy Manor where she lived with her Uncle Lucius, Aunt Narcissa and Cousin Draco. Her cousin and uncle doted on her and Aunt Narcissa was the only person who could punish her, that is if she ever actually got caught. So, all this added up to her aunt to refer to her as a walking patronus because all of the Dementor attention is drawn toward the little girl with the happy memories instead of anyone around her.

It became warmer as they neared the end of the tunnel. The narrow space opened up into a large triangular courtyard with a three sided desk at its center. There was a witch in the center of the desk, sticking out of the hole like a garden gnome. Ursella figured she was in the center so that you couldn't sneak up behind her and nick back your wand. At each corner to the desk were tall, iron torches that all had a slowly undulating silver flame at the top. Uncle Lucius explained to her once that these were patronus flames that every guard refuels with their own patronus charm at the beginning and end of every shift. Supposedly it is to keep the witch at the desk safe from any Dementor influence. So, as you can imagine, the attending witch was actually in a fantastic mood, like always.

"Good morning Narcissa!" she cheered with a smile. "How was Draco's first year at Hogwarts? Nasty business that went on there wasn't it?"

"Morning Lucinda." Aunt Narcissa only barely hid her annoyance at the woman. "Draco did fine. Ursella will be starting this year."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Lucinda beamed down at her from her guarded perch. "Are you excited?"

"Thrilled." Ursella drawled. "Are you going to check us in or not?" The woman's cheery tone was grating on her nerves and she wanted to share the news with her mother, not some mutt of a witch behind a desk.

"Ooh, cheeky today, aren't we?" She winked at Ursella as they handed over their brooms and Aunt Narcissa's wand. "Seeing Mummy today?"

Ursella sighed, "Yes!"

"Alright," Lucinda chimed, placing the pair's possessions beneath the desktop, on a shelf they couldn't see. "Head on up!"

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

"Ella, dear!" Bone white hands stretched towards her through cold, unforgiving bars. The gaunt face focused on Ursella with desperately wide eyes.

"Mother," the girl sighed. Ella hugged Bellatrix Lestrange through the bars of her life sentence cell. When the pulled away, Ella could see how sunken her eyes were becoming, how much her cheek bones stood out. Her skin was now even paler than her daughter's, and despite the pitifully small purple flames hovering in the corner of the cell, Bellatrix's skin was as cold and clammy as her captors'. Ella only has this image of her mother that she can remember, other than old photos. The Ministry of Magic took both of her parents away when Ursella was just months old, despite how desperately Uncle Lucius tried to clear their names. Supposedly, the evidence against them was damning and Ella knew that they were guilty, but they were also her parents and didn't think they could ever deserve this.

"Thank you, Narcissa," Bellatrix gushed. Aunt Narcissa merely nodded and dragged the wooden chair reserved for visitors across the narrow corridor and sat near the cell door. Bellatrix clutched both of her daughter's hands as the pair sat on the floor on either side of the bars. "I really love your visits. They are the bright spots in my routine. You should come by more often. Have you been to see your father?"

Ursella sighed. Rudolphus never spoke when she visited him. He never looked at her or even gave away that he cared whether she was there or not. The man in the cell next to her father says that he screams in his sleep. Sometimes Ursella wonders if he wouldn't be better off having the Kiss performed, just so he wasn't suffering so much. "He didn't say anything. I read him the Prophet like always and I think he nodded when we left."

"Good girl."

"I have some news—"

"Please, darling girl." Bellatrix's eyes darted to the enchanted flames in the corner.

"Of course Mother." Ursella checked both ends of the hallway and then out of the closest windows. Seeing no authorities, the young witch turned her gaze to the indigo flames. She took a deep breath, imagining that her lungs, head, and hands were filling with the energy her body naturally produces. When it felt like she might burst, she exhaled, sending her magic to the inadequate heat source and bending it to her will. The flames growled and spiraled to become and emerald inferno, warm enough to heat all three withes.

Bellatrix squealed in delight, "Oh, Ella! You are getting so strong. And it is just so much nicer in here. Now," she composed herself and smiled down at Ella, "What news have you got for me?"

"Well, as you know, Uncle Lucius has been trying to get me into Hogwarts this year instead of waiting till next year when I'm actually eleven. Which is dumb since my birthday is only two months late, so it really—"

"Darling, you're rambling. Get to the point."

"Right, well he finally convinced the rest of the governors." She paused for dramatic effect. "I'm going to school this September!"

"Ursella! That's marvelous!" Mother and daughter hugged again around steel bars. Bellatrix looked to her sister sitting in the narrow hallway. "Do tell Lucius how grateful I am."

"Of course, Bella," Aunt Narcissa nodded. "So, we'll be going to Diagon Alley later tomorrow to pick up her and Draco's school things. Apparently, some show off cad of a wizard is taking Quirrel's place as Defense against the Dark Arts professor."

Bellatrix released her daughter to focus on the more adult conversation, some of the old mischievously sinister glint had returned to her eye. "Anyone we know?"

"Decidedly not," Aunt Narcissa said with a scowl.

"Well, he won't be there long whoever he is. Isn't that right, Ella dear?"

"Oh, yes." Ursella giggled along with the older two witches, just happy to be in on the joke. But then Bellatrix cleared her throat and locked eyes with Ursella, letting her know that she meant business.

"Now Ursella, speaking of curses, there are going to be some…less than pleasant things happening at Hogwarts this year. Nothing for you to worry about of course, but please keep in mind that it could be dangerous for you to be seen with the wrong sort of people."

"Mudbloods?"

"Yes, but keep away from blood traitors and half-bloods too, just to be safe."

"Half-bloods? Isn't the Dark Lord a half-blood?"

"Make sure that you stick close with Draco and the rest of the Slytherins and you should be fine."

"Wait, what is going on with the Mudbloods?"

"Nothing that concerns you as long as you keep your nose clean."

"But why—? "

"DON"T ASK QUESTIONS!" snapped Bellatrix. In that moment, Ursella was a flash of something she had never seen in person before in her mother's eyes. It was something wild and viciously dangerous. It was something that terrified down to her core. But then it was gone as fast as it came and her mother had taken a moment to compose herself before continuing with her instructions. "Just make sure to never go around a corner without looking with a mirror or having someone go ahead of you. Understand?"

Ursella nodded obediently without really knowing what she was agreeing to.

"Good." Bellatrix glanced over her shoulder as a black, smoky shadow passed by the window. "Well, my guards are getting restless. Let me know how everything goes." And with one last hug, Bellatrix Lestrange retreated back to her low cot and resumed her pseudo-fetal position just as the hall attendant appeared around the corner. Ursella waved a hand at the flames to implode them back down to their Ministry assigned, inadequate size.

"All right, Mrs. Malfoy. I must insist that you leave now." His tone was polite but his wand was out and poised in their direction. It was protocol for all attendants on this level of Azkaban to have their wands out, because if it's out, it can't be stolen from your pocket as you walk by. Ursella and Aunt Narcissa didn't take it personally.

"Good-bye Mother." Bellatrix didn't answer. Ella knew that she had gone back to the dark place to which this prison sends her. Though she waves at her mother, Ella doesn't look back to see the haunted eyes, hollowly watching the clouds and occasional Dementor go by the window. Whenever Ella leaves her mother, she prefers to remember her as the smiling, doting woman that the flames warm her into and she's telling Ella about Babbity and the Stump. It makes her angry and sick to see her mother the way this island prison turns her into anything less than that. She hopes for the day that Bellatrix is free from this terrible place. The sentence is supposed to be for life, but Ursella knows that her family doesn't always follow the conventional idea of wizard law. If there's anything that she's learned from the Malfoy's, it's that the best things are worth waiting for the time it takes for people to let their guard down, so you can take it without anyone noticing, until it's too late.

… … … … … … … … … … … …

"Ursella! Draco!" Aunt Narcissa was calling up the stairs for the children.

"Coming!" They shouted in unison. Ella concentrated even harder to lower Draco down from the beams in the vaulted ceiling without killing him. It was slightly easier to get him up there because she didn't have to worry about going too fast. Draco just launched up into the rafters and it was his job to cling on once he got up there. It was a game they played to see how much Ursella could get away with before the Ministry sends an Underage Magical Abuse Notice. They hadn't gotten one yet, so really the limit was whatever Ursella could handle without Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa catching on.

Finally, Draco's toes touched down and Ursella relaxed fully for the first time in an hour. Her cousin was ecstatic. "Wait until those fools at Hogwarts see you! It's like you don't even need a wand!"

Ursella followed her cousin out of the room. "You just don't want me to have one because then I'd be better than you."

"No, by all means, be better than me." Draco dropped his voice and put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but Gryffindor is giving us a run for our money. On top of Potter getting favoritism from Dumbledore, that know-it-all Mudblood Granger is annoyingly consistent at winning house points. So, be your best and maybe Slytherin will have a chance this year." He gave her a wink then locked her head under his arm and pulled her the rest of the way to the foyer where Aunt Narcissa waited.

"Gerroff!" Ursella started to struggle in Draco's grasp, but paused for a more dramatic approach. She pulled her energy in really tightly and let it build. Then she let it loose about half a second later.

BANG! There was a flash of light and Draco was flung across the room. Aunt Narcissa tried to hide her amusement as her son stumbled to his feet. "As if you thought she would let you get away with that, Draco." Aunt Narcissa straightened his clothes and brushed the dust off. "I'd hoped you'd be smart enough to have learned that by now."

"Just keeping her on her toes." Draco batted his mother's hands away to re-do his own hair.

"Well, I shouldn't have to tell you how to act in Diagon Alley." Uncle Lucius was striding towards them from the stairwell. After giving Aunt Narcissa a peck on the cheek, he handed his son and niece each a thick envelope. "These just came for you."

Ursella ripped into hers. It was identical to the one Draco received just a year earlier, congratulating on being accepted in to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She already knew that she wanted an owl as a cat or a toad was simply out of the question. She glanced at the list of books and noticed something rather peculiar. "Uncle Lucius, why do we need so many Gilderoy Lockhart books?"

Because unfortunately Ella, Professor Dumbledore has hired him as Defense against the Dark Arts professor." Uncle Lucius drawled as he put on his traveling cloak and headed for the fireplace. "Nothing to worry about of course. Just focus on your studies and staying out of trouble. I already sent an owl ahead saying that you plan on attending." Uncle Lucius threw some blue Floo powder into the flames. It roared and changed colors rapidly. Uncle Lucius stepped into the oversized hearth and shouted, "Diagon Alley!" The flames engulfed him and he was gone.

"Alright, Draco now speak very—"

"I know how to do it Mother," Draco had already thrown in his pinch of powder. "I'm not a first year." He smirked at Ella as he stepped back into the pulsing flames. "Diagon Alley!" And Draco vanished.

"Can't I go by myself? I've never said it wrong once," Ursella whined as her aunt tossed in more powder. Narcissa turned to see her niece doing her patented begging face. Pouty lips, clasped hands, worried brows, and she even gets those huge green eyes to water. Aunt Narcissa had no chance.

"Oh, alright," she motioned for Ella to go first. The little Lestrange squealed and ran into the hearth. She had shouted the destination before Aunt Narcissa could even try and baby her anymore.

… … … … … … … … … … … …

When the ash settled, Ursella stepped out into Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions where her Uncle Lucius and Cousin Draco were waiting less than patiently. "When Narcissa gets here, tell her I've taken Draco with me to run an errand." Uncle Lucius pushed Draco through the door with his cane, leaving Ursella to wait obediently beside the hearth for her Aunt to arrive.

"I'll be right with you, dear!" Madam Malkin was still helping another witch and her mother who seemed to be nitpicking at every little stitch and seam. "Take a stool and I believe your Uncle already took care of the price."

"As you wish, Madame," Ursella curtseyed deeply and sat on the nearest available stool. She was just starting to get worried about her Aunt when the older witch appeared in the hearth in a flash of ash and sparks.

"Uncle took Draco on an errand," Ella chimed before Aunt Narcissa finished dusting herself off. "Also, he's paid for the robes already."

"Oh, good. I would've gotten here sooner but Dobby kept asking me questions. Nosy little house-elf." Aunt Narcissa crossed the room to sit in a chair by the three paneled mirror Ursella's stool was assigned to. She sat there regally and flipped through an old issue of Young Witches' Journal. Ursella spun her stool to study herself in the mirror.

Ella had always been told that she had her mother's hair, though Bellatrix's stay in Azkaban had added a significant amount of gray to what would be jet-black tangled mass of wavy locks. It was possible for Ella's hair to lay flat but the slightest breeze seemed to make the morning's brushing pointless. Now the massive volume of hair seemed a black hole trying to devour the pale moon of her face. She had a slim nose that led up to her bright, emerald-green eyes set in almost an almond shape. Her father's eyes are somewhat similar to her's, although she would describe Rudolphus's green as vomit rather than emerald. She had a slight build and was a tad smaller than Aunt Narcissa had said her mother had been at her age. Both Narcissa and Bellatrix were above average height, but Ella was left somewhat stunted, most likely due to how weak she was as a newborn. Draco is slim and light but rather tall and with his blonde hair and steely gray eyes, it would be hard for anyone who didn't know to tell that she was even related to the Malfoys at all. She stood out in all of the family photos, but Ella was just honored to be in any family photos, being that her family was so torn apart.

"Sorry about that Madame Malfoy." Madame Malkin came bustling over, finally finished with the troublesome customer.

"Quite alright, Morgana," Aunt Narcissa smiled at the seamstress before returning to the magazine.

"Up on the stool, dearie," Madame Malkin addressed Ursella and shoved a set of robes over her head and began pinning. "Apologies miss, are you another Malfoy then?"

Ursella glanced at Aunt Narcissa but when her guardian didn't look up from her reading she answered, "Um…no, I'm actually Draco's cousin, Ella Lestrange. Ow!"

Madame Malkin had jumped and pricked Ella's leg with a pin. "Sorry dear." But Ella was used to people having this reaction to learning that her mother is the notorious Bellatrix Lestrange. It gave her an odd sense of pride that her family was so well known even if it was for terrible reasons. "So, um…Ella is a pretty name."

"It's Ursella," Aunt Narcissa corrected, leveling her steely gaze as an unexpected warning to Ella.

"Yes, well Ella is what most people call me. Ursella can be a bit of a mouthful."

"I know what you mean. All my friends at Hogwarts called me 'Morg'."

"But she shouldn't introduce herself by her nickname." Aunt Narcissa continued to scold. Out of everyone Ella knew, her Aunt Narcissa was the only one who consistently called her Ursella. She shortened "Draco" to ridiculous baby names and sometime referred to Ella's parents as "Bella and Dolf", but Ella was always "Ursella".

"That's true, dearie." Of course Madam Malkin would side with the adult. "You don't want to make friends with everyone. Some people should stay at the distance of a full name. And Ursella is also very nice."

"I guess." Ella didn't hate her name. She just thought it was ridiculously old fashioned.

"There! All done." Madam Malkin stepped back from Ursella, waiting for Aunt Narcissa's approval. "Unless, you want to go ahead and get the Slytherin crest put on now."

"Oh, no, no." Aunt Narcissa paced a circle around Ursella's stool. "That won't be necessary. Eventually, probably, but over confidence is not becoming of a young lady." Ursella rolled her eyes. "That looks fine Morgana. How many did Lucius order?"

"He paid for ten, Madam."

"Hmm, Ursella get down," Ella stepped down as Aunt Narcissa pushed more galleons into Madam Malkin's hand. "Better make it twenty and have them delivered, would you? To the Manor, you understand, not the school."

"Yes, Madame." Malkin pocketed the cash and set about helping Ursella out of the pinned robe. They thanked the seamstress for her trouble and made their way out and down the alley.

… … … … … … … … … … … …

Sometime later Ursella and Aunt Narcissa met up with Draco and Uncle Lucius. The men had come out of Knockturn Alley just as the women were heading back down Diagon Alley from Ollivander's. Draco saw the slim box in Ursella's hands from a distance and ran over; oblivious to his cousin's disappointed face or his mother's distant gaze.

"Ooh, got your wand already?" He asked, failing to mask his excitement.

Ursella was less than pleased. "Yeah, it's eleven and a half inches…and uh, made out of fir," she recited in a somber tone.

"Wicked," replied Draco. "And the core?"

"Unicorn hair."

The Malfoy's paused. Uncle Lucius glanced questioningly at Aunt Narcissa, who was keeping a neutral air. Draco just stared at his cousin, blinking away the confusion. Unicorn hair wasn't a bad core to have. Draco had that very same core after all. But what with Ursella being so strong already, they had all assumed she'd have phoenix feather or even dragon heartstring like her parents. Unicorn hair was just a bit of a letdown.

Draco recovered first. "Hey, that's the same core I have." He put his arm around Ursella's shoulders reassuringly. "Except I'm pretty sure yours has a better description than mine. What the devil does 'reasonably pliant' mean anyway?"

"Surprisingly swishy," Ursella said, trying not to smile. "Mr. Ollivander said it was a good wand for powerful charm work."

"Well, that would go without saying," smiled Uncle Lucius, taking his son's lead. "Any wand to choose you would have to be adept at powerful magic." He adjusted his robes very matter of fact and checked his pocket watch. "We should really get going. Don't worry about what's in your wand, Ursella. You're bound to do great anyway."

"Thanks, Uncle." Ursella mumbled as she and Draco followed Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy into the ever growing crowd of magical folk Ursella had tried so many wands in Ollivander's shop, all of them had emitted some sort of magical influence on the surroundings. One didn't do anything but sporadically spout black flames when she waved it. Aunt Narcissa insisted that they only try dragon heartstring cores, convinced that it would narrow down the search. But after the first few wands, Mr. Ollivander stopped describing their content so that they wouldn't know when he stopped obeying Aunt Narcissa's wishes. Many of the wands just showered sparks, a few levitated other wand boxes, and the most amusing was one that produced bubbles that tweeted like birds when they popped. In the end, Mr. Ollivander unceremoniously handed a lighter colored wand of average length. It felt warm in her hand and when she waved it that first time, the tip glowed brighter and brighter until all three of them couldn't see and Mr. Ollivander had to snatch it away. He informed them of its make as he wrapped it up. Aunt Narcissa made a stink about how he didn't do as she asked, and all that sis was to make Ursella feel embarrassed on top of feeling disappointed that she hadn't lived up to everyone's expectations.

She glanced up from her feet in time to see Aunt Narcissa whispering something in Uncle Lucius's ear. He nodded and Aunt Narcissa wandered away as Uncle Lucius turned to them. "She's gone to get supplies from the apothecary. We're to go to Flourish and Blott's. After you." Uncle Lucius gestured toward a door that had a crowd of witches already exploding out of it. Draco and Ursella squeezed their way through and into the shop.

"This way," Draco grabbed Ursella's hand and pulled her free of the crowd and into the upper floor of the bookstore. "Father will get what we need. He lets me wander while he arranges for the books to be delivered."

"Why even come in the shop at all? Doesn't he write ahead to reserve the right books ahead of time?"

"Yes, but he likes inspecting them." Draco rolled his eyes. "It gives him a chance to talk down to someone else." The cousins laughed as a ruckus was stirred up below.