Disclaimer: Bellatrix, Albus, Hogwarts, or any of its houses do not belong to me. All credit goes to J.K Rowling.
Bellatrix walked off the plane and breathed in the distinct air of London. "Oh I've missed this." She said to herself. Finding her way back to the now abandoned Lestrange Manor, she let herself in, and made quick work of cleaning. "Scourgify." The house sparkled and smelt of orange cleaner-her favourite. "Now onto business." The Hogwarts term didn't start for a few days, so Bellatrix would have to find her own way to the castle. "Accio Broom." Her sleek black custom made Firebolt launched out of an unknown cupboard and landed at her feet. "Wonderful." Bellatrix waved her wand again, and using an unspoken spell, her trunk disappeared from her room, to be waiting for her at the gates of Hogwarts.
Bellatrix spun in place, a black ribbon surrounded her, and she apparated to King's Cross station. "Might as well get partway faster." She muttered to herself. "Ascendo." Bella's broom levitated up off the ground and she caught it in her hand. She moved out of sight, mounted her broom, and took off with a start. Bellatrix gasped, forgetting how fast her broom went. Her hair was a tangled mess within seconds with the icy wind smacking her in the face like an arctic breeze.
Bellatrix walked through the gates of Hogwarts waving her wand around her, fixing her hair, makeup, and clothes. Bellatrix strode through the doors of Hogwarts and up the spiral staircase to the headmaster's office. She knocked lightly on the door, and it creaked open. "Good afternoon Headmaster, I'd like to apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, has it been filled? Bellatrix nearly vomited at the honey that was oozing from her voice.
A man looking to be in his early fifties looked up from a Prophet. "No, no it hasn't been filled. Disappointing lack of interest to be honest, only one other person has come in and… well it wasn't filled by him." Bellatrix smiled. "So, did you attend Hogwarts?"
Bellatrix mulled this over in her head. If she said yes, he'd go looking for her records, which had all been destroyed personally years ago. "No sir, I attended the BeauxBatons Academy of Magic." She shuttered, thinking of all those preppy girls in their blue robes and ridiculous hats.
"Hmm very good, very good." He wrote something down on a blank parchment. "And your name?"
She inhaled sharply, although the Headmaster didn't notice. "Bellatrix Black."
"Bellatrix…Bellatrix…" She could see the gears turning in his head, trying to figure out where he'd heard the name.
Bellatrix waved her wand discretely behind her back and whispered "Obliviate." The Headmaster didn't notice a thing, but his eyes went glassy for a second. "Not very bright this one." She thought to herself.
"Oh never mind. Do you have any experience with the Dark Arts?" He asked innocently.
"Of course not!" She snapped harshly. She smiled again. "I have no personal experience with the performing of Dark Arts, but I was a prodigy in Defense Against the Dark Arts back in school."
The Headmaster deliberated. There wasn't exactly a line up around the corner for the position, and although a bit tightly wound she seemed like a decent person.
"There is a dress code for all professors. You must have arms and legs covered at all times. No excessive jewelry or hair adornments, and students must not see you in street clothes." Bellatrix smiled to herself. She didn't think her fading dark mark would be a great conversation starter anyways.
"Not a problem sir."
"And one more thing. We had one professor try to take a practical approach to the dark arts. No exposing students to ANY unforgivable curses under ANY circumstances." He emphasized his point by tapping his quill on his desk.
Bellatrix grinned, to the point of hurting her face. "Does this mean I got the job?"
The Headmaster stood up and extended his hand. "Welcome to Hogwarts Professor Black." Bellatrix smiled again. "Do you have your trunk with you?"
"Yes sir, I left them at the gate."
"Ah, very optimistic of you. You can move into the professor's dormitories, there is one free at the top of the North Tower, quite a view it has."
"Thank you sir, you won't regret this." Bellatrix walked out and gave a small curtsey as she closed the door.
As she walked down the stairs she heard the Headmaster say to himself "Quite a looker that one." Bellatrix gagged and restrained herself from turning around and hitting him with the Cruciatus curse.
Bellatrix made her way up the spiral staircase of the North Tower, passing many closed doors until she made her way to the top. The Headmaster had already magically engraved her name onto the door. "Professor Black" it read in old English script. She opened the door and took in her surroundings. A simple queen sized bed, a wardrobe much bigger on the inside than it looked, and another closed door to what she assumed was the bathroom. "I suppose I'll have to endure this dump for the time being." She growled and started unpacking her things. "Wingardium Leviosa" Bellatrix's clothes came out of her trunk and hung themselves in her wardrobe. She then cast the banishing charm to put her trunk somewhere deep in her wardrobe. Without changing or taking off her makeup she flopped down on her bed and fell asleep immediately.
Bellatrix woke to the sound of people walking down the stone stairs. She turned to the calendar on the wall and realized she'd slept for nearly two days! Jumping out of bed Bellatrix stepped out of her slept in corset and skirt, trading it for another nearly identical black ensemble. She reapplied her eyeliner and crimson lipstick, piled her hair high on her head in her signature look, and walked out the door. Bellatrix made her way through the halls of Hogwarts, swallowing bile at the sight of the new students. "Bloody freshman." She muttered under her breath, forgetting she was one a doe eyed first year herself.
Bellatrix strode into the Great Hall and took her place at the end of the long table at the front of the grand room. Bellatrix regarded the hall with a smile, remembering when she ran through breaking everything in sight. Those were the days. The headmaster stood up from his place in the middle of the table, directing his wand to his throat, and his voice boomed through the Great Hall. "Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts, and a warm welcome to the first years! Before we get to the sorting hat, I'd like to welcome Professor Black to Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher." Bellatrix stood up, smiled sweetly, and then returned to her seat. "Now, I will call every first year up by name to get sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Name after name was called up, and child after child was sorted.
"Albus Potter." Bellatrix sat up straighter as the demure boy made his way down the center of the hall and sat on the wooden stool at the front of the room. After what seemed like a fraction of a second the Sorting Hat boomed "Slytherin." The boy gasped and looked like he had just been punched in the gut.
"No Gryffindor for this potter" Bellatrix laughed to herself. Albus walked back to his seat looking defeated. He looked up in time to see Bellatrix watching him closely. Albus looked wary, he sat back down and put his head in his hands. Finally the list was over, and Bellatrix couldn't wait to get back to her room since classes didn't start for another 3 days. The headmaster's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Professor Black, we've yet to place you! Our professors usually come from Hogwarts so this is a first. Step on up!" Bellatrix stood and walked slowly towards the stool in the middle of the room. Surely the hat would remember her, and her cover would be blown. Nonetheless, she sat at the edge of the wooden stool and the hat was placed on her head.
The sorting hat made what sounding like a humming noise. "You've been here before, haven't you?" Her heart lurched into her stomach.
"Zip it." She said, barely a whisper.
The hat seemed to shrug before saying. "Slytherin!" Bellatrix stood up triumphantly. She was safe, and she wasn't put in Gryffindor.
As she walked back to her seat she felt eyes on her. When she turned around, Albus was looking at her intently, as if trying to piece together a puzzle. Bellatrix smoothed her skirt, gave him a barely noticeable wave and sat down. Albus' thoughts were practically screaming "Who IS she?"
"No matter." She thought to herself. "He won't be around long enough to find out."
A/N: Since Descendo is a spell, I'm taking artistic liberties and making an opposite. Please read and Review :)