Chapter Five. Realisation and Redemption.
Some while later things took an even more sinister turn as Regulus Black, Bella's own cousin disappeared, like many had done so before him. However Bella didn't link this into Lord Voldermort's actions immediately, as she knew Regulus himself was a Death Eater so why would her beloved Lord Voldermort have hurt him? Her family were distraught when Regulus vanished, but there were no clues as to where he had gone. However, one day, entirely by accident and whilst searching for a lost item in the kitchen of her family home, she found a strange gold locket in a pile of assorted junk located in a store cupboard, which acted as 'home' to the family house elf, Kreacher.
Kreacher and Bella had always got on well and she disliked the way he was treated by the older members of the family, feeling he should be given more respect for the good service he gave them. The only Black family member closer to Kreacher had been her cousin Regulus, who'd treated him as a confidant and indeed almost like a friend and equal, despite the disapproval of his elders.
Bellatrix was intrigued by the locket she had found and somehow sensed that it held something strange inside. She tried to open the locket to find out if it contained any clues as to it's origin, but nothing she tried by force or magic could open it, the thing obviously had powerful magical protections. She then questioned Kreacher, as it had been in 'his' cupboard.
Kreacher, despite being generally on very good terms with 'Mistress Bella', at first would tell her nothing of how it came into his possession. However, when she mentioned that maybe the mysterious appearance of the strangely resistant locket in the house had something to do with the disappearance of his beloved 'Master Regulus' Kreacher then broke down sobbing and in a faltering voice told her the whole story.
She learned how Regulus had rebelled against Lord Voldermort after learning of his cruelty and lies, of his true plans and the killings he had carried out personally or ordered others to commit. Kreacher then told Bella how the final straw for Regulus had been Voldermort's cruel treatment of Kreacher himself. Bella also learned how Regulus had died after ordering Kreacher to take the horcrux locket from the hellish place Lord Voldermort had hidden it, how he had ordered Kreacher to destroy it but that the elf had failed, it's magical protection being just too strong. This story shocked Bellatrix to her very core and she realised how she had been an utter fool to allow the evil 'Dark Lord' to take over her life.
That evening Bellatrix Black went to bed a very sad and disillusioned young woman.
She slept fitfully and had many disturbing nightmares, but then a more peaceful dream overcame her and she found herself back at Hogwarts, in the empty Quidditch arena.
She was sat in the stands watching her beloved cousin Regulus flying over the pitch, practising on his broom. He swooped down, landed beside her and smiled his charming and cheeky smile, which she had always loved. "Well, well, Bellatrix Black, my favourite cousin, it's wonderful to see you again." Regulus said. We've both got ourselves into a right pickle over Tom Riddle haven't we? That bastard fooled us both and what's more there's far worse to come, you have to stop him Bella! The Powers of Light themselves are revolted by what he has done and, worse still, what he will yet do if nothing changes! This is why they have given their permission for me to show you what will happen if you can't change things. But be warned it's horrible! Are you up for it old stick? I'm sorry but it won't be pleasant."
Bellatrix gulped nervously but silently nodded her agreement. She then was shown in her mind's eye what would happen over the next years of her life, through her appalling loveless marriage to the Death Eater, Rodolphus Lestrange, her descent into evil, torture, insanity and murder. Her long hellish imprisonment in Azkaban prison, the mass casualties at Hogwarts School and her eventual death at the hands of Molly Weasley in the 'final battle'.
Seeing this Bella nearly passed out and holding her spinning head in her hands she started crying. Shaking she sobbed "I never meant for anything like that to happen Regulus, I swear I didn't! I thought Lord Voldermort was simply acting for the good of us Purebloods, and through us for the good of everyone. But he's a vile, brutal, murdering liar!"
"Not good is it Bella, old thing?" Regulus told her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiling sympathetically. "It's too late for me to go back in person and change things for the better. I died trying to do what little I could, all I can do is to help you as I am now, but you can still turn it around for yourself.
I once heard a very wise muggle saying, it went, 'There Is No Fate, But What We Make'. I think maybe that's true Bella and that it means that you can still choose the side of light and of life. That is precisely why the Powers of Light have permitted me to come to you tonight, they've decided to let me tell you some things that will help you."
Regulus then went on to let her know exactly what Lord Voldermort/Tom Riddle's horcruxes were, how he had made them, where the remaining ones were hidden and how they could be destroyed. Regulus then went on to explain why they must all be destroyed soon, if possible before Riddle could start the forthcoming first magical war that was drawing ever closer and, if not by then, at least in time to prevent the murders of James and Lily Potter and the orphaning of their soon to be born son Harry.
He told Bella, "From where I am we spirits are effectively outside time, to us there is no 'future' or 'past', which is how I know all these things which I have told you. The Powers of Light are themselves appalled by the carnage and suffering that will be caused by Tom Riddle. They have debated long and hard about this intervention, such actions on their part are usually incredibly rare. But it was their collective shame at their own failure to act in the case of the muggle's most recent World War and at the appalling deliberate atrocities that were involved in those tragedies which eventually tipped the balance of the debate amongst them. It forced them to decide in favour of this attempt to prevent an equally appalling tragedy amongst us magical folk."
Regulus went on to say, "That is why they have given me permission to come to you and help you by giving you this information, in the hope that you can change what otherwise will happen. Well, what do you say Bella old thing, do you want to give it a go and try and stop the bastard? If anybody can do so it's my beautiful Pureblood 'Warrior Witch' cousin. You could always whip my arse in a practice duel." Regulus smiled lifting Bella's chin and kissing her on her forehead.
Straightening up, ceasing to cry and with a look of furious indignation on her beautiful face Bellatrix forcefully replied, "Too bloody right I will Regulus! How dare that mongrel bastard drag all of us Purebloods down to his level! What kind of a monster tries to kill babies? Not to mention hundreds of decent witches and wizards, untold numbers of muggles and even stooping as low as murdering dozens of schoolchildren in my own old school! He must be stopped and I'm going to bloody well do it or my name isn't Bellatrix Black!"
"Now that's what I call proper Pureblood pride Bella," Regulus beamed. "It's good to see your back on the right side. Go and get the sod then Bellatrix Black, Warrior Witch, and good luck! And although I love you I hope I won't be seeing you here with me too soon." Regulus Black smiled at her and the dream faded.
XXXX
Bellatrix rose in fury from her sleep and dressed, then seizing the horcrux locket Kreacher had failed to destroy she headed to the Ministry of Magic in Central London and to the same Auror Department which she had been secretly working against for quite some time. Rousing the night detail she reported in to the Senior Auror on duty, requesting an interview with her boss the next day.
Then she left London, thinking to herself, "Well, I've already got one horcrux, the locket, and that was perhaps the most heavily defended of them all. Two more of the horcruxes are very easily dealt with if Voldermort is unaware they are under attack. I'll go and get both of them right now, the quicker the better."
Picking up a spare transport broom from her Department's stores she left the Ministry and disapparated to Hogsmeade village, then flew to the school and defeated the perimeter security with ease. It was not set very high at that time in any case, as it did not need to be, there being no known threat. It was simply there, as ever, to act as a muggle deterent. Bella was soon entering The Room of Requirement to successfully hunt out Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem, whilst the school slept.
Retrieving it and leaving Hogwarts with the diadem she immediately set off to seek out the ring that she been told by the spirit of Regulus was buried at the old Gaunt shack, near to Tom Riddle's muggle father's house. She checked the site of the hidden dark object for alarm spells that might alert Lord Voldermort to her presence, but finding none she dug up the horcrux ring and being careful not to handle it, (knowing it to be cursed and therefore capable of defending itself), she placed both it, the locket she'd brought from her home and the diadem on the dirt floor of the old wrecked shack then piled broken bits of wooden furniture on top of them.
Having done so she then, stepped out of the remains of the tumbledown building and summoned fiend fire, which she knew would be capable of destroying all three of the horcruxes she'd retrieved so far. The subsequent fire in the old building was fierce and massive. It completely destroyed the shack and explosively overspilled, setting the nearby wood alight. Watching in satisfaction and leaving the fire to the muggle fire brigade, whom she was sure would soon be summoned, she climbed onto her borrowed broom and headed back towards her scheduled meeting at The Ministry, as the sun rose.