Into the Night

by Abigail Belle

Roughly connected drabbles from the life of Bellatrix Black Lestrange, chronicling her journey from a respectable Pureblood girl to the Dark Lord's closest Death Eater. Written for the Drabble Challenge on the HPFC forum.

4. Sorting Hat

"Black, Bellatrix!"

At the calling of her name, Bellatrix walked to the stool where the Sorting Hat awaited her, and sat down, allowing it to be lowered onto her head. There was a moment of tense silence, then she heard a quiet voice in her ear.

"Well, well, another Black. It is always so difficult to sort the Blacks, yet always so easy. You have a Gryffindor's bravery, a Hufflepuff's loyalty, a Ravenclaw's intelligence and a Slytherin's ambition. There are so many different paths you could take, young Bellatrix Black. Which one will you choose?"

"Put me in Slytherin," she whispered, voice strained. "Please, Slytherin, all my family has been in Slytherin."

"Then you shall be too," the Hat said, and it called out the name of her house.

How different life might have been if she had chosen a different house.