October 31, 1968
"Cissy, have you seen Andie this afternoon?" asked Bellatrix casually, attempting to mask the anxiety that had coiled in her stomach.
"She's gone back to the Infirmary for more tests. Poor Andie!" lamented the younger witch.
This was not the response that Bellatrix was hoping for. She needed Andromeda to make an appearance at the Halloween Ball so that anyone who might happen to notice her setting up the enchanted drink fountain while under the effects of Polyjuice potion wouldn't become suspicious if "Andromeda" never re-appeared. Her plan was already so convoluted, and now it would have to involve an impromptu trip to the hospital wing.
"I'm going to get her discharged," insisted Bellatrix, her features pressed into fierce tenacity.
"Good luck with that. Apparently, it was all Dumbledore's idea."
Bellatrix cursed under her breath while pacing up and down the Common Room. Why had Dumbledore thought fit to order more tests? Could the Headmaster be curious about the Tonks situation? Professor Riddle had warned her of Dumbledore's skill as a world-class Legilimens.
While Bellatrix continue to pace, Narcissa skimmed through her Divination textbook to pass the time as she waited for Lucius in her pretty robin's egg blue gown. With just a little mascara and sheer pink lip gloss, the youngest Black sister resembled a porcelain doll. She had spent most of the afternoon primping in front of the mirror, styling her hair in milkmaid braids and hemming and hawing over her selection of jewels. Lucius had written home to request a diamond necklace that had belonged to his late mother, Orla, which had arrived that morning by owl post at breakfast. She had been the envy of every Slytherin girl when she opened it. Even Bellatrix was impressed by the gesture, having warmed up considerably to the idea of her dating Lucius since he acted with such discretion surrounding Lord Voldemort's identity. It seemed to her that the boy genuinely put her little sister on a pedestal.
Bellatrix's own process of getting ready had involved a considerable amount of Sleakeazy's Hair Potion; she combed her hair into a deep side part, and allowed her polished curls to cascade down her shoulders freely. Around her neck she had clasped an obsidian pendant on a silver chain that was reputed to strengthen the potency of Dark magic (a gift from Aunt Walburga two Christmases ago that she'd been surprised, but proud to receive), baroque pearl drop earrings with crescent moons, and pointy black satin heels. Her makeup was minimal apart from a swipe of reddish burgundy lipstick. Confident that her style balanced equal parts vampish temptress and aristocrat, her confirmation came when Rodolphus had been struck dumb and speechless the moment he had entered the Common Room and saw her. More importantly than what he, or anyone else thought, Bellatrix felt confident; she liked that it showed off her figure, and that its vertical slit running up her thigh created the illusion of legs for miles.
There were not so very many rules for Rodolphus to follow. Bellatrix assured him that he was allowed to place his hands on her shoulders or waist while dancing, so long as he did not take any other liberties. They had to appear like a genuine couple, after all. She noticed he appeared much healthier than the sallow-skinned, depressed boy she had seen slumped in his seat during classes only two weeks prior. He was neatly groomed, and wore a well-tailored set of black brocade dress robes with black velvet piping. She spied him sitting on the other corner of the room with Avery and a few boys she recognized from the Quidditch team, taking shots of gin, and supposed she should call him over to join her soon.
But before she could do so, Narcissa looked up from her book and asked,
"Where were you when Lucius and I came looking for you the other day, anyway?"
"I was… in the Forbidden Forest, gathering potions ingredients. It was my final detention for cursing Prewett," lied Bellatrix.
"Oh, how dreadful! But then what you did wasn't very nice, Bella."
"He deserved far worse, Cissy. Listen, what I'm about to tell you is very important- if Andromeda says anything tonight about a faceless man, or missing memories, you must come and get me right away. If you can't find me, get Lucius. Do you know how to cast a tongue-tie jinx? Or a silencing curse?"
"Those spells aren't covered until fifth year. They're for duelling, aren't they? And why would I tie Andie's tongue in a knot?" asked Narcissa, who was growing concerned. "I know you find her a little annoying, but that sounds painful."
"I promise there's a good reason." Bellatrix leaned in closer and placed a cupped hand up to her sister's ear, "She confided in me that she's had ongoing nightmares, and I fear that she's losing her grip on what is real. She's also spouting some dangerous lies, and they could get her in big trouble." Bellatrix did not enjoy bending the truth to her thirteen-year-old sister, but there were some things that were too risky and the stakes too high to compromise on, namely, preserving Professor Riddle's cover and the secrecy of their relationship.
"Does this have anything to do with the question she asked Lucius, that made him anxious?"
"Yes, but I can't say any more. You'll do what I've asked?"
"Alright," Narcissa hummed.
"Oh look, here's blond prince charming now," jested Bellatrix. Even if he was a good match for Cissy, she couldn't stop herself from making a wry little comment now and again. Lucius strutted towards them wearing all-white tuxedo robes with his hair expertly parted and smoothed with pomade. Bellatrix suspected that either he had lifts in his shoes, or had cast a temporary growth charm to appear taller. He still looked something like a child playing dress up, but together with Cissy, they made a dashing pureblood couple.
Bellatrix took Rodolphus' hand as they joined a group of sixth and seventh years now making their way from the Common Room to the Great Hall. Trying to act like nothing was out of the ordinary, and that she had not been planning for an entire month to cast an obscure blood curse that would cause grievous bodily harm, she initiated small talk with Lucy Greengrass, who was attending on the arm of Gareth Goyle, a Slytherin beater like Rodolphus. Lucy was dressed to the nines in a backless silver sequined gown that would likely run afoul of McGonagall's sense of propriety. Acantha Selwyn appeared to her left in an a-line dress of dusty lavender chiffon with lace cap sleeves. She was holding hands with Alaric Crouch, and Bellatrix was almost tempted to say that she and Alaric looked good together, even if he was a swotty prefect.
The Great Hall was truly a sight to behold. The enchanted ceiling displayed churning grey skies with the occasional streak of lightning, and hundreds of floating candles suspended in the air. Jack o' lanterns carved from every conceivable variety of pumpkins, gourds, and turnips wore grimaces and expressions of open-mouthed horror. The ghosts appeared much livelier than usual, and even the ghoulish Bloody Baron in his blood-soaked garb and silver chains seemed to be having a rollicking good time scaring first years. The Feast lived up to its name with a main courses consisting of plates of roasted duck and pheasant, acorn squash, mashed potatoes, and for dessert an assortment of pumpkin tarts, caramel apples, and baked cranberry pudding.
Midway through the meal, Bellatrix excused herself to use the lavatory, and marched straight to the Infirmary to find Andromeda. In her bag that she had modified with the expandable charm, there was one vial of Polyjuice along with another vial of potion to reverse its effects, the dress that Madam Tatting had created for the Goyle wedding for Andie to borrow, of which she had created an identical duplicate using a simple doubling charm, and her wand. She was already running behind schedule, and needed to figure out exactly how she was going to get Andie discharged, make it to the Kitchens, curse the goblets, and then have the real Andie appear at the Ball later.
"Hello dear, how nice of you to check up on your sister," greeted Madam Pomfrey, who seemed thankful for the company. There were currently no other patients besides a sleeping Gryffindor boy who was regrowing his ribs following a nasty broomstick fall.
"Hello, Madam. I was hoping that my sister, Andromeda, might be discharged for a short time this evening, so that she could enjoy one or two dances at the Ball," Bellatrix offered, trying to imitate the unnaturally high voice that her mother often spoke with at society parties.
"I'm afraid not, dear. I'm under strict orders from Professor Dumbledore. It seems like there may have been a Dark memory modification spell used on your sister, one that hasn't been documented in any literature since the end of the eighteenth century. Whoever was tampering with her mind certainly has encyclopedic knowledge of the Dark Arts. This is quite beyond my own expertise," she said remorsefully.
There was only one thing that could possibly be done now.
"Imperio." Bellatrix held in her breath as she waited for the exhilarating feeling of another's will bending to her own. Professor Riddle had given her private instruction on casting the Imperius on spiders and rats, but this was her first time using the curse on a human. Her voice trembled, but her mind was intensely focused as she commanded the witch, "You will allow Andromeda to leave with me, and immediately falsify the results of these tests so that when Dumbledore returns, he does not see evidence of the findings you have just described. Tell him you suspect it's merely a hereditary disorder of the mind."
Madam Pomfrey walked over to a desk upon which reams of enchanted parchments showed diagnostic results and images depicting the different lobes and hemispheres of the brain. The Infirmary's head nurse raised her own wand, and parts of the diagram that appeared darker now seemed lighter; there was less inflammation indicated, and the most conspicuous signs of Dark magic were vanished. The other witch's eyes glazed over and her movements became more lethargic as Bellatrix willed her to remain in a trance.
At this point, Andromeda sat bolt upright in her hospital cot, hardly believing that she had just seen Bellatrix successfully cast an Unforgivable Curse. "What did you just do!?" shrieked Andie.
"You need to listen and do as I say, or your chances of not being tortured tonight are very slim," Bellatrix warned her, approaching the cot and poking her wand into Andie's rib.
"Are you threatening me?" Andie asked.
"Don't think I wouldn't do it. You've been acting like a blood traitor. Speaking to Dumbledore?" Bellatrix gave a sardonic laugh. "That's a new low, even for you. He wants to poison you against your own family," she snarled through gritted teeth.
"He asked for a meeting with me. I can't even remember what happened yesterday. I don't know whether I saw you. I think I did, but how do I know you aren't lying to me?"
"Andie, I do love you. The first word you ever said as a baby was Bella. Ask Mum if you don't believe me. I swear to you right now that I will have your memory restored to you tomorrow if you co-operate tonight. Do we have a deal, or do I have to use the Imperius on you as well?" coaxed Bellatrix, attempting to persuade her sister by making an appeal to the close bond that they had shared since birth, a bond which had only started to fray, and now snap, in the past couple months.
"I'll co-operate. I just want to get better! I hate doubting my own reality," Andromeda relented.
"Come on. Let's get you dressed up for the Ball. I'm going to make you look so good that Maximilian Flint is going to want to jump your bones," Bellatix said with a wink.
"Eww. Please never say that again! I don't like him that way."
"Right. You like the mud- I mean muggle-born. I won't mention him tonight. Try to just enjoy yourself for an hour."
Together they entered the girls' lavatory on the first floor, and Bella helped her sister zip up the dress, a simple plum-coloured satin sheath. She only needed to cast a couple minor sewing and alteration charms, as Andie's figure was just a little curvier around the hips. Bella then transfigured her sister's uniform shoes into strappy heels, and with some ingenuity that would have impressed a N.E.W.T. examiner, transfigured a hair tie into an elegant string of pearls.
"Great! You're all set. You might still be able to get some dessert. Oh, and I know you aren't speaking to Ted and his mates, but if anyone mentions setting up the fountain, say that you already finished. You will not speak of this to anyone," finished Bellatrix.
"I won't," she vowed, chomping on her lip as she considered that her sister had effectively backed her into a corner, "I just want my memories back, Bella. I'm scared I'm losing my mind."
It hurt Bellatrix to lie to her like this, but she didn't think she was strong or practiced enough yet to hold an Imperius Curse on her sister for several hours. She was sure her Master could have managed it, but then, there was a reason he was known as the Dark Lord. She stayed behind, pretending to touch up her makeup, and waited long enough to ensure that Andromeda would have taken her seat at the Feast. Bellatrix locked a stall door, then held her nose as she took a swig of the foul-tasting Polyjuice Potion. Since it was her second time adopting the appearance of Andie, she was familiar with the pins and needles sensation in her limbs as her body stretched in some places and shrunk in others. She next removed her own black gown, laying it flat inside the expandable pouch to prevent creases, and stepped into the identical copy of the plum sheath dress. Once she was satisfied, Bellatrix descended the stairs that led from the Entrance Hall to the deserted basement corridor. She had only been inside the Kitchens a handful of times, but knew the entrance was located behind a painting of a bowl of fruit, which appeared if you tickled the pear. Upon entering the long room shaped identically to the Great Hall above it, there was a noticeable absence of house-elves, a positive sign that meant that they were otherwise occupied setting up decorations. There were only two elves scrubbing pots and pans in a basin sink, and one bug-eyed creature whom she remembered seeing while hidden behind the doorway in Professor Riddle's quarters, on the night when he had sent for their celebratory meal to be brought to his room.
"Zilby was told to be awaiting a curly-haired Miss who was to help. It is a kind gesture that is not lost on Zilby!" squeaked the portly elf.
"Right. Um, there's a three-tiered drinking fountain that I'm supposed to levitate up through the ceiling?"
"Oh yes Miss, please follow Zilby."
The elf brought her to where the enchanted fountain was stored, along with the barrels of non-alcoholic sparkling cider and endless bottles of gillywater that would need to be transported as well. Of course, arrangements had already been made by many students in Slytherin to sneak plenty of Ogden's firewhiskey. There was no such thing as a dry party when you were in Slytherin. As she was now of age, she would also be permitted two drink tickets to sample anything from the bar, which had an age-line spell cast around its perimeter to allow the older students and professors to indulge in stronger spirits.
"Please let Zilby know if you need anything else, Miss. Zilby will be using his house-elf magic now to make an inflatable pumpkin photo booth!"
"I can manage on my own," she said tersely.
The elf snapped his fingers and Disapparated from sight. It was her opportunity to quickly stuff some goblets in her expandable pouch as the two other elves had their backs turned. It was bafflingly easy. She next levitated the parts of the fountain and barrels through the ceiling that had a special opening designed for the purpose of bringing up food. She now needed a quiet place to curse the goblets, as she did not want to risk being overheard even by the two innocuous-seeming elves who could always be forced to report to Dumbledore. The abandoned classroom that everyone thought housed the chameleon ghoul came to mind, and it was in that direction that Bellatrix headed next.
After locking the door and casting some rudimentary wards, Bellatrix removed the goblets and recited the incantations that she had committed to memory,
Expellere sanguinem immundum, mors differatur, she enunciated three times, raising her wand in precise movements as she tapped three of the four goblets; the room began to spin around her, and Bellatrix waited for the dizziness to settle before she continued to the most important incantation on the final goblet,
Expeller sanguinem immundum, mors venit
The obsidian stone pendant heated up around her neck; it seemed to vibrate peculiarly in harmony with the Darkness of her magic. She again concentrated on repeating this final spell three times, keeping each minute looping gesture of her wand as close as possible to the description provided in Professor Riddle's book.
It had been too easy for her to compile a list of Mudbloods, as they seemed to travel in packs. Bellatrix had identified a friend group of fourth-year Gryffindors, two girls and one boy, who sat at the same table in the library most days, and covertly managed to cast a tracking charm on them. The goblets would only activate once the tracking charm silently alerted her that these targets had entered within a two metre radius of the fountain. She cast additional charms that would ensure that the goblets would exert a pull specifically to the three individuals; it was one of the most advanced pieces of magic that she had yet performed, and was in some ways a primitive version of the Imperius Curse, but used to draw objects and people together, almost like an invisible magnetism. To anyone else, the goblets would look like empty space; even if someone accidentally touched one, they were harmless when unactivated. Half an hour after their activation, internal bleeding would begin, and within one hour there would be substantial blood loss; finally, the amended form of the blood curse would cause the sufferer to be suspended in a state of near-death that could only be reversed by performing the counter-curse. One target, of course, she aimed to kill outright- Ted Tonks, the Mudblood who had shamelessly dared to get close to Andromeda, and one of Dumbledore's favourite students. His death would send a clear message to the Headmaster. Once Bellatrix had completed the process, she stuffed them back inside the pouch, which now seemed to hum with Darkness. She knew that not everyone was capable of sensing cursed objects; most curse-breakers employed by the Ministry had to make use of advanced detection spells because they were not themselves Dark witches and wizards. Professor Riddle told her that over time she would be able to intuitively feel when she was in the presence of Dark artefacts, and recognize distinct curses by their unique magical signatures, something he had learned when he had been employed as a procurer of such objects at Borgin and Burkes.
Inside the Great Hall, the dining tables from the Feast had been removed and replaced with smaller round tables, and space had been cleared at the front of the Hall where the Professors' Table was usually located for a stage on which an orchestra was currently setting up. There was to be a surprise musical performance at the end of the night by none other than The Raving Banshees, which had been nearly impossible to keep secret. Their music was a bit formulaic for Bellatrix's taste, but she appreciated that their lyrics almost always made reference to magic. In her opinion, musicians lost all credibility when they pandered to muggle audiences.
She immediately noticed Professor Riddle, sharply attired in dark emerald formal robes worn over a black silk vest and matching black cravat. Bellatrix tried to keep her swooning to a minimum, but it was difficult because he looked exactly like a wizard who had stepped out from one of her favourite romance novels set in the early 1800s; wizards' styles of dress were fairly consistent over hundreds of years, unlike witches and muggles, although the cut and draping of his robes felt modern. He sat alone at one of the tables, quietly observing the elves at work while holding a glass of red wine and reading a book. Of course, the Ball had not technically started, but to Bellatrix it seemed fitting that his choice of activity did not appear to fit his surroundings. Most likely, he had arrived early to prepare for his chaperoning duties, and Bellatrix wanted to believe it was also because he intended for his presence to reassure her. It took all of her strength not to rush over to him and tell him about casting the Imperius Curse on Madam Pomfrey, and how she'd cursed all the goblets and could already feel them humming and vibrating with her magic. She reminded herself that she still looked like Andromeda, and that it wasn't worth the risk to go over and talk to him.
Bellatrix stacked the goblets in a pyramid formation along the lower rim of the enchanted fountain, which served as a focal point on the opposite side of the room to the stage, around which the rest of the decorations were set up. They included the giant pumpkin photo booth, a life-sized mountain troll, and realistic zombies and gytrashes. The walls were covered in fine gossamer acromantula webs and plumes of grey and purple conjured fog hovered in the air, lending the Hall an even more haunting atmosphere than had been apparent during the Feast.
Once she had finishing setting up, she dashed off to the same seldom-used classroom to reverse the Polyjuice effects and change back into her own gown. This had taken approximately fifteen minutes, and judging by the sounds of ominous woodwinds and melancholy strings that could be heard through the castle walls, the Ball was just about to begin. Bellatrix scurried back to the Great Hall and began searching around for familiar faces. Heads immediately seemed to turn when she walked in. It was not unusual for her appearance to attract so much attention, as she was arguably one of the most well-known students at Hogwarts owing to her notorious track record of starting duels; she also knew that she was probably wearing the most expensive designer gown in the room, and that some of those gawking faces were envious of her beauty, status and wealth.
Rodolphus Lestrange bolted over to her through the parting crowd, wearing a look of mild consternation upon his face.
"Bella, where did you go?" he asked, "I was searching for ages after you left the Feast."
"I went to check up on my sister and found out that she'd already been released from the Infirmary," she lied smoothly.
"Oh. Well, I suppose we can hang around and chat since they're now playing that awful Cadmus Tully song through the speakers. I didn't mind when it was just the orchestra playing earlier."
"Narcissa loves Cadmus Tully. Absolutely adores him and covers her dormitory walls in his pictures. How does the song go? Oh, baby don't say, you never felt this way. You sold me sweet lies, like Cornish pixie cries," Bellatrix sang in her best impression of the singer.
"Are you trying to get me to leave you alone? I mean, your voice would scare off just about anyone. Even burglars," laughed Rodolphus.
"Well, let's hear your singing voice then, Dolph. Come on, I'm waiting," she joked. It had been a while since they had spent time together in this way, and Bellatrix considered that of all the fake boyfriends she could have chosen, at least she had picked one who possessed a good sense of humour.
Rodolphus' eyes suddenly widened, and he spoke with hesitation, "Bella, I was...um, wondering if I could ask why you've started calling me that name again. You're the only to use it since-"
"Since your mum. I'm so sorry, I should've realised that it would bring up memories of her."
"It's fine. I don't mind," he answered truthfully.
When the song ended, and another started up, Rodolphus led Bellatrix out onto the dancefloor, showcasing his practiced technique that he had acquired through years of attending similar events at Lestrange Manor, and the other pureblood families' ancestral halls. Dancing with Rodolphus was less awkward than she imagined, and was almost approaching a level of being fun. They spent the next two songs laughing at Avery and Mulciber, who were already piss drunk and making fools of themselves. She realized that this might be the last school dance she would ever attend, if she were to be expelled as a result of tonight's plot. After a while, Bellatrix felt like wandering the room to check up on the status of the goblets. She encouraged him to partner up with Lucy, who it seemed had intentionally discarded Gareth Goyle. It was quite obvious Lucy had a crush on Rodolphus, and Bellatrix hoped that she might be a fun distraction for him, if the two did end up together. She truly did want Dolph to find happiness.
After the tracking charm indicated by way of a pulsing glow from her wand that all four goblets had been picked up, she knew she had almost an hour before the Ball would come to a a cataclysmic end. It was only just 8 o'clock, and ordinarily the Ball would have gone until at least 11, with an after-party to follow in the Slytherin Common Room. Bellatrix walked up to the seventh-year bar and ordered a pomegranate vodka martini, the signature blood-red 'Vampire Kiss' cocktail that was being served specially tonight. The goblin mixologist handed over the drink, and she took it to sit down at a table occupied by Narcissa and Lucius, who each had sparkling ciders. Again, it seemed Malfoy was enjoying preferential treatment that enabled him to cross the age line with his date; Bellatrix didn't bother asking how and just assumed that Lucius' father was yet again playing puppet master at Hogwarts. It was a relief to hear that they had spotted Andie dancing with Maximilian, and neither overheard any conversation that would indicate that she had not kept her promise. The conversation turned to who was the best and worst dressed, and the topic was debated at length until Bellatrix heard the unmistakable laugh of Nott's girlfriend Rhea Rowle. She immediately turned around to find her standing in a group with none other than the detestable Laetitia Culpepper and Begonia Abbott. To their right was Professor Riddle. Bellatrix immediately went over to investigate, hoping that her Master was merely humouring their ridiculous questions about Defence homework. Lucy Greengrass was also there, seemingly having lost Rodolphus, and her friends Gemma Parkinson and Cordelia Fawley, of whom Bellatrix had no strong opinion besides remembering that at some point or another they had been entangled with Evan Rosier.
Bellatrix approached the group and loudly coughed to get their attention. Rhea wore a look of smug satisfaction that Bellatrix wanted to slap right off her face. It became glaringly obvious after listening to their conversation for only a couple minutes that there had been some fake drink tickets floating about, and Rhea had been one of the students to get caught distributing them. Professor Riddle had taken it upon himself to keep her little group of friends sequestered to the side of the bar, and out of trouble. Bellatrix wanted to update him about the Mudbloods, and kept waiting for an opportunity to make the other girls leave them alone. However, a distraction came in the form of Professor Minerva McGonagall, who was wearing a frumpy frock and a pointed black hat upon her head decorated in thistles. She would have to inform Narcissa later that the Transfiguration Professor had now taken first place in worst dressed of the evening. The older witch disdainfully regarded the pack of seventh-year Slytherin girls who were currently hanging on Professor Riddle's every word as if they thought he was delivering the most profound of philosophical speeches.
"Hello, Minerva. I suppose you've come to relieve me of my chaperoning duties," Tom said.
"Tom," Professor McGonagall addressed him indifferently. It was the first time she had spoken word to him yet this school year.
"We want you to stay, sir!" begged Laetitia, pouting dramatically.
"Please sir, stay for the second half of the Ball!" simpered Begonia.
"Professor Riddle, I promise never to misbehave ever again if you stay," said Rhea, who was perhaps the tipsiest of the group. "But if I have to serve detention, I hope that it'll be with you, sir," she said, licking her lips. Cordelia, Begonia and Laetitia immediately began to giggle uncontrollably.
Professor Riddle gave a barely detectable smirk, then willed his expression to appear impassive. It was all relatively harmless, and the girls would never be so brazen if they weren't drunk, he knew. Minerva McGonagall, in all her sobriety, looked thoroughly disgusted.
"Miss Rowle, I think I saw your date Mister Nott standing by the lifelike mountain troll next to Avery. A coincidence, I am sure. You might want to go check up on him," suggested Professor Riddle.
"Yes, sir," said Rhea as she batted her eyelashes and sauntered off in Nott's direction.
"Goodbye sir," chorused the girls as Professor Riddle left for the exit.
"I would so misbehave again to get detention," Begonia leaned in to whisper to Laetitia once he was out of earshot.
Bellatrix directed her strongest eye roll at the pair of witches who had once called her hair a rat's nest, and who had suggested that nobody would want to court her were it not for the substantial Black fortune. Oh, how the tables have turned, she thought.
"Gemma, you must spill all the details from your sister. Don't leave out any," entreated Laetitia.
"Isn't your sister almost like Rodolphus Lestrange's stepmother, Gemma? It must be so awkward that she's closer in age to Rodolphus. Did she cheat on him with Professor Riddle?" asked Lucy Greengrass shamelessly.
"As if I would know! It was almost two years ago," Gemma bristled.
"We were only asking, no need to take it so personally," sneered Lucy.
"Everyone only cares about my sister. Never me. I could discover the cure for spattergroit tomorrow and the headline would read Gemma Parkinson, younger sister of notorious socialite Cyra Parkinson. You know what? I'm fed up of you being such a nosey gossip, Lucy!" she blustered.
"At least you'll never see the Greengrass name in the tabloids. We're far too exclusive—everyone knows an invitation to Greengrass Gardens is so highly coveted." Bellatrix added silently in her head, but not as much as an invitation to Black Manor.
"I agree with you, Lucy. I bet that's why Evan Rosier dumped her. She doesn't have the dignity or honour required to uphold the Rosier name," sneered Begonia.
"Evan has been in love with me this whole time. That sleazy little tart was a mistake," Cordelia declared, pointing straight at Gemma. "Wizards like Rosier and Riddle who could have their choice of the best witches only ever sleep with nasty wenches like her once or twice and then deny ever having known them. They'll never be wives. I bet that's why Professor Riddle put a silencing curse on Cyra Parkinson."
"I take it you speak from personal experience about silencing curses, Cordelia?" her adversary snapped.
"No, it's just common sense. And, if Evan doesn't come crawling back to me, my father has said that he's promised me to Stephen Bulstrode's older brother Broderick, who works in his Department at the Ministry. He's 24 and very handsome."
"Well, I'm currently betrothed to a member of the Irish branch of the McClaggen family, and they're extremely influential in the Ministry," Gemma boasted.
"Do you have doxy eggs for brains, Gemma? They're not even a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight!" taunted Cordelia with a look of utmost contempt.
"Neither is Riddle, but the lot of you would all drop your knickers for him!"
Bellatrix felt her outrage begin to swell and threaten to burst out of her like Fiendfyre, but she managed to keep her emotions in check. To these witches, he was just a devilishly handsome teacher, but to Bellatrix Black he was Lord and Master, the man to whom she would soon pledge a lifetime of service. She would follow him into battle, and unto the grave. It was pointless to feel like they were in any kind of competition, Bellatrix knew.
"Girls! That is quite enough! 10 points from Slytherin each for foul language and name-calling. I'm sure I do not need to remind you that it is highly inappropriate to discuss Hogwarts' professors' personal lives. At least refrain from discussing whatever Professor Riddle gets up to around me, because I have already heard more than I needed to know," said Minerva in her Scottish brogue.
Everyone's attention soon turned to an opening among the crowd of students who were watching The Raving Banshees' performance. A space had been cleared where a girl had collapsed on the ground, blood dripping from her nose and mouth. There were cries for help, and Professor McGonagall rushed over to attend to the medical emergency. She raised a wand and began uttering a bevy of simple healing spells. When nothing worked, she conjured a small bed on wheels and rolled the student out of the room to take to the infirmary. Screams rippled within the crowd, most of whom had been dancing and jumping to the thunderous beat of the rock song "Down in a Bog," while the band's backup singers, a group of actual banshees, wailed and keened on stage—at first, many assumed that the students had collapsed from the banshees' screams (these banshees were "tamed" by wizards, and should not in theory have posed a danger), but fearing the worst, Slughorn ran to his potions' storeroom to retrieve vials of Laughing Potion that would reverse the effects. This too, proved to be of little use, and the gravity of the situation slowly started to dawn. The band set down their instruments, and groups of younger students huddled in packs, some sobbing or shaking in fear.
Dumbledore, Flitwick, McGonagall and Slughorn each raised their wands to amplify their voices, and called for the prefects from each House to round up their students and return with them to their respective Dormitories. Ted Tonks was one of the first prefects to jump into action, marshalling the Hufflepuffs in an orderly single-file line. However, before he could direct them, his complexion paled and he suddenly slumped over onto his side, coughing up a pool of blood. Within a minute he was unconscious, and two of Tonks' friends carried him through the crowd of onlookers who were craning their necks to get a better view of the scene, desperate to unite with their friends and dates and make sure that they were safe. As pandemonium broke out, Bellatrix climbed up the enchanted staircases to Professor Riddle's office on the deserted eleventh floor. Her feet were blistered and sore from dancing, and she immediately flung off the pointy heels that were the culprits so that they landed with a thud somewhere near a filing cabinet at the back of his office. Professor Riddle's robes swooshed behind him as he approached her.
"You didn't think to cast a pain-numbing spell on yourself?" he asked.
"No, I was worried about other things, my Lord."
"Let me help you, then." Blue light spun from Tom's pale yew wand, and immediately a cooling sensation brought relief to the soles of her feet.
"Thank you, Master. That feels much better. I could keep dancing for hours now. I'm running on pure adrenaline."
"Oh, are you? I like how that sounds."
"There was one incident, but I took care of it. I had to cast the Imperius Curse on Madam Pomfrey. She was keeping Andromeda in the Infirmary on Dumbledore's orders. I made her falsify the results of the tests on Andie's brain. I can show you if you'd like to look inside my mind."
Professor Riddle performed gentle legilimency and quickly found the memory she wanted him to see. Watching her perform Dark magic, even just within her memories, made Tom's pulse quicken. Then, her mind brought forward another powerful emotion, her anger at the Slytherin girls who had crowded around him at the bar.
"Your ridiculous classmates, the ones who shamelessly tried to flirt with me, do not possess one tenth of your power or your beauty. You understand, Bella? You showed your brilliance and quick thinking tonight. I'm very proud of you, little witch."
Bellatrix positively beamed at his affirmation, and was already looking up at Professor Riddle expectantly, wondering how the rest of their night would be able to top the exhilaration of carrying out her very first mission. She knew that things would be different now, for both of them. There was a chance that all four students could die, although she had no doubt that her spell modification was correct. Ted Tonks would assuredly die choking on his own blood, or else painfully bleeding out until he was a lifeless corpse, while his hero Albus Dumbledore and the other staff tried healing spells and potions, which would all be useless. The counter-curse could only be found in the tome that Riddle had lent her, and there were less than twenty printed copies in Britain, most of which were in private collections, including the Black, Nott, and Malfoy family libraries. There was no copy in Hogwarts' Restricted Section, which had already been culled of hundreds of books even tangentially related to the Dark Arts since Dippet's retirement. She expressed to her Master that it was wildly amusing that students would suffer and even die because of Dumbledore's own restrictive teaching philosophy. Tom laughed and wrapped her up in his arms.
Author's Note: This chapter was originally over 10,000 words, so I decided to split it into two chapters. Sorry if the ending is a little abrupt. The next chapter will cover the ritual that these two are about to perform (they will be leaving Hogwarts- any guesses where they're going?) Thank you for your continued readership. Comments are always greatly appreciated!