March 26th, 1998 - Malfoy Manor - 10:12 PM
"Bellatrix, Rodolphus," Lord Voldemort whispered. "I need you to put some… things into your vault at Gringotts."
Bellatrix smiled. He isn't placing them into Snape's vault… No, he must trust me more… He must…
"M-my Lord, surely you mean for us to put it into your vault?" Rodolphus muttered to himself, not quite sure if he wanted his Master to hear this or not. Bellatrix scoffed.
Voldemort seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Bellatrix. "Into my vault?" He laughed. "Wouldn't it be rather… suspicious if you were to ask to place some heirlooms into The Dark Lord's vault?"
Rodolphus remained silent and stared at his feet.
"My Lord," Bellatrix said, much more confident than her husband. "It would be an honor to take care of your… heirlooms."
"Wonderful." Voldemort smiled. "I will see to it that Snape places them in your vault at once."
"M-my Lord?" Rodolphus spoke up again. "W-what are you placing in our vault, exactly?" Bellatrix glared at him.
He's afraid of getting caught… Coward. I wish he would try and renounce his position as a Death Eater so I could kill him off…
Voldemort laughed. "The sword of Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff's golden cup. Now off with you."
Bellatrix giggled at the prisoners. "Did Potter run into a stinging jinx, by chance? Is that really Potter?"
The girl to Potter's left looked up at the ceiling, her eyes flooding with tears.
"Ah, ha ha… Was it you dearie?" Bellatrix said in a mock baby tone. "Hah hah hah… I've got you now!"
Flithy Mudblood… a blood traitor, too… I expected no less from Potter…
A tiny, red glint of light caught Bellatrix's eye. Lucius ripped up his sleeve to call The Dark Lord.
"STOP!" She shrieked. Lucius froze, and slowly lowered his arm. "Do not touch it, we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!"
Bellatrix strode over to one of the larger of the Snatchers. He avoided her eye; he was clearly smaller on the inside than he was on the outside.
"What is that?" she demanded.
"Sword," he grunted to his feet.
"Give it to me."
"It's not yorn, missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it."
She glared. There was a bang and a flash of red light and the Snatcher fell to the floor with a thud. There was a roar of anger from the others: Scabior drew his wand.
"What d'you think you're playing at, woman?"
"Stupefy!" she shrieked. Another thud. "Stupefy!" And another.
Five bodies were eventually sprawled across the ground. Greyback was forced into a kneeling position in the corner, trying to pry off a thin rope that was tightening around his neck. Bellatrix pulled his wand and the sword from his grip.
"Where did you get this sword?" she whispered to Greyback, only inches away from his face.
"How dare you?" He snarled. "Release me, woman!"
"Where did you find this sword?" she repeated, brandishing the sword that was clasped tightly around her hands in his face.
"It was in their tent," muttered Greyback. "Release me, I say!"
She waved her wand. Greyback fell to the ground and rubbed his neck.
"Draco, move this scum outside," Bellatrix said, nodding to the five unconscious men. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."
"Don't you dare speak to Draco like-" said Narcissa furiously, but Bellatrix screamed.
"Be quiet!" The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy!" We have a very serious problem!"
I need you to place some… things into your vault at Gringotts… The memory hissed into Bellatrix's ear.
"If it is Potter, he must not be harmed," she muttered to herself, staring blankly at the floor. "The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself… But if he finds out…"
I will see to it that Snape places them in your vault at once…
"I must… I must know…" She slowly came back into reality.
"The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"
"This is my house, Bella, don't give orders in my-"
"Do it! You have no idea or the danger we are in!" Bellatrix screamed. A thin stream of fire erupted from her wand and burned a hole in the floor.
Narcissa paused for a moment, then addressed Greyback.
"Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback.'
"Wait," Bellatrix said. "All except…" she pointed to the Granger girl. "Except for the Mudblood." she smiled.
Greyback grunted in agreement.
"No!" shouted the Weasley boy. "You can have me, keep me!"
Filthy Blood traitor thinks he has a say?
Bellatrix hit him across the face; the sound of the blow echoed throughout the room.
"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next." she whispered into his ear. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback. Do nothing more to them-yet."
Bellatrix stuck the sword into the floor and withdrew a short silver knife from her pocket. She cut Granger free from the other prisoners and pulled her by her hair to the middle of the room. Greyback took the others downstairs.
"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Weasley bellowed below them.
"Your boyfriend's going to be next if you don't tell me what else you took." Bellatrix whispered into Granger's ear, and pulled her hair up slightly more.
Tears were pouring down her cheeks. "We didn't… t-take anything!" she stuttered, barely getting the words out of her mouth.
"I don't believe you, you filthy Mudblood." Bellatrix spat, and then let go of Granger's hair. "Crucio!"
The girl fell to the ground. She twitched and shrieked in pain.
"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" The voice was more muffled now.
"That one was just because you're a Mudblood, you stupid girl. Why couldn't you have just run off to hide, like the rest of your filth?"
Granger said nothing.
"Answer me! Crucio!"
"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Weasley was still shouting, almost overtaking Granger's screams.
Bellatrix walked over to the sword and yanked it out of the ground. She kneeled by Granger and pointed the tip in her face. "I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword?" She threw the sword to the ground and pulled out her dagger once more. Tell me the truth, or I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"
"We didn't take anything, we found it, we found it-" Bellatrix stabbed Granger's arm with the knife. "PLEASE!"
"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" The voice was getting hoarse.
Can't be long until he gives in… He can't love her that much…
"HERMIONE!"
Bellatrix glared at Granger. Filthy Mudblood can have love and not me…
"You're just like my blood traitor sister." She spat. "How did you get into my vault? Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"
"W-we only met him tonight!" Granger sobbed. "We've never been inside your vault… It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"
"A copy?" Bellatrix screeched. "Oh, a likely story!"
"But we can find out easily!" Lucius said. "Draco, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not."
Draco dashed downstairs to where Greyback took the two other boys.
Bellatrix stood up. "You better hope he says this sword is a copy, dearie." she whispered.
The cellar door slammed and Draco rushed back up the stairs, dragging the goblin by the arm, to the center of the room where Bellatrix was.
"Goblin." she said.
Griphook looked at Bellatrix straight in the eye, looking almost more afraid of being disrespected than afraid of death or torture. "Are there services for which you require me, Madam Lestrange?"
There was a loud crack sound coming from the basement.
"What was that?" Bellatrix demanded. "Wormtail- check on the prisoners in the cellar!"
Wormtail, who was hiding in the corner, scurried down to the cellar in the most cowardly, mouse like way possible.
Refocusing, Bellatrix leaned down towards the little goblin. "I know what you did." she whispered. "You helped Potter into my vault, didn't you?"
"No, Madam, I did not."
Bellatrix slashed her knife against his face. "LIAR! What else did they take, goblin?"
He paused for a moment, feeling the bleeding gash on his face. "I do not know."
She picked up the sword from the ground and shoved it into Griphook's hands. "Tell me if it's a copy or not. And I'll know if you're lying."
Griphook looked over the sword in his hands. For a moment, something glinted in his eyes, but faded away when he looked back up at Bellatrix.
"Well? Is it the true sword?" she held her breath.
"No." said Griphook. "It is a fake."
"Are you sure?" Bellatrix panted. "Quite sure?"
"Yes." said the goblin.
Bellatrix exhaled and straightened up. All tension drained from her face.
What he would have done… If that was the real sword… And into Potter's hands? He would have killed me…
"Good. Consider yourself lucky, goblin." She kicked the goblin, then slowly walked over to Granger. "The same can't be said for this one, I'm afraid."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Weasley burst into the room with Potter; Bellatrix whipped around to face him, but he was too quick-
"Expelliarmus!" Weasley shouted, and Bellatrix's wand flew into the air, to be caught by Harry. Draco, Narcissa, Lucius, and Greyback wheeled around the room, dueling the two boys. Bellatrix proceeded to grab the Mudblood.
"STOP OR SHE DIES!"
The fighting stopped. Draco backed away from Bellatrix. Narcissa stared at her sister in horror. Potter and Weasley had a look of panic on their faces; Bellatrix held the silver blade of her knife to Granger's throat.
"Drop your wands," she whispered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!"
Everyone stood still. Weasley gripped his wand tightly, staring at the knife.
"I said drop them!" she screeched, pulling the blade towards Granger a little more. Small beads of blood leaked from her neck.
"All right!" Potter shouted and dropped Bellatrix's wand. Weasley did the same.
"Draco, pick up their wands!" Bellatrix demanded. Draco obeyed.
Just then, Potter's face recovered from the stinging jinx that had surely come from Granger's wand.
Bellatrix giggled. "Look at that… it's Harry Potter!" she said into the unconscious Mudblood's ear. "He's all bright and shiny and new again…"
Lucius pulled up his sleeve, revealing his curling Dark Mark. He slowly moved his hand towards the skull of the mark. Just before his thumb touched the skull, there was a peculiar grinding sound from above.
creak… creak…
"What.. What is that-" Bellatrix looked straight up just in time to see the crystal chandelier come crashing towards the ground. She screamed and dropped the Mudblood, throwing herself to the side.
The chandelier fell directly on top of Granger and the goblin, who was still clutching the Sword of Gryffindor.
Weasley ran to pull his love out of the wreckage. Potter ripped the three wands from Draco's grip. Narcissa screamed,
"Dobby! You! You dropped the chandelier?"
The elf was standing in the back of the room by Potter. "You must not hurt Harry Potter!" he squeaked.
"STUPID ELF!" shrieked Bellatrix. "You could have killed me! Kill him, Cissy!"
There was a loud crack, and Narcissa's wand felt into the air and landed in Dobby's hand.
"You dirty little monkey!" bawled Bellatrix. "How dare you take a witch's wand, how dare you defy your masters?"
"Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"
"Ron, catch- and GO!" Potter yelled, and threw a wand to Weasley. Weasley grabbed the unconscious Mudblood and the goblin. Potter grabbed Weasley and the elf. And Bellatrix knew what was about to happen before it did.
She did the only think she could think of to do.
Her silver knife left her hand as Dobby spun on the spot to Disapparate. It spun across the room, right to the very spot where Harry Potter was standing.
And they were gone. And so was the knife.
Bellatrix and the others fell silent for a moment.
You just lost him… Again… What would the Dark Lord say? What would he have done if you would have turned him in? Oh, Bella, what have you done… The voices in Bellatrix's head whispered at her again.
"He must not know… He won't…" she mumbled.
A few more seconds passed, and then she directed the group. "We will not speak of this moment," she demanded. "Get Wormtail to clean this up. Unless the boys killed him as well."
Lucius spoke. "Bella, shouldn't we-"
"NO! The Dark Lord will not know! Unless you want to see his reaction when we inform him that Potter has slipped through his hands once again!" shrieked Bellatrix. Lucius said nothing.
She stared at the spot where the group Disapparated and laughed madly. "Maybe I even killed one of them when I threw my knife. Maybe I got the Mudblood." she cackled again.
Bellatrix walked towards the stairs, and the room went silent once more. The clicking of her heels were the only sound echoing around the manor.
He cannot know… she thought. Ever.