DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 14.

'The incantation for the Body-Bind curse?'

'Petrificus Totalus.'

'The wand movement?'

'Flick and stab.'

'The theory?'

'Whenever a particular wand movement along with a certain Latin incantation corresponds with a strong intention, it causes the victim of the curse to go as stiff as a board, devoid of any movement except the eyes.'

'Stiff as a board? That was not mentioned in the book.'

'But that is the effect, okay? Now will you shut it, Lupin?'

Remus grinned slightly. He had been interrogating Bellatrix ever since they exited the Defense class. The substitute teacher had taken an end-of-term test and Remus was cross-checking his answers with Bellatrix who would undoubtedly get full marks inspite of not studying.

'What I don't get is, even though you do not study in the least, how do get Outstanding in every DADA test and assignment? Moreover, you describe the effects as if you have performed the curse yourself.'

'I have performed the curse myself, do you doubt it?' Bellatrix snapped.

'Frankly, no.' Remus smiled once again. He had gotten used to Bellatrix's rapid mood swings and occasionally irritable behavior. Bellatrix scowled back at him.

'I have been shouting at you for the past ten minutes. Why do you still have that stupid smile on your face?'

'I myself have no idea.'

'Hmph.' Bellatrix folded her arms on her chest and scowled even more. She was in a foul mood. The Christmas holidays were starting the next day and she was going to Number 14, Grimmauld Place to celebrate it with her family.

Family? My twin sister and parents won't speak to me because I'm a Gryffindor and my elder sister and dear little cousin won't speak to me because I act like a Slytherin. This is certainly going to be a merry Christmas.

'So, you're staying in Hogwarts during Christmas?' asked Bellatrix.

'No, going home. You too?'

'Yeah.' Bellatrix sighed. This vacation was probably a good occasion to make friends with her cousin. But she was not looking forward to it.

'Umm Bellatrix, can I ask you a question?' said Remus.

'You're already asking one.'

'Well, last night, I was thinking about the night when Professor Watson was attacked. You…you were blank for a few moments but then you suddenly went back to normal as if nothing had happened. You seemed unusually calm and controlled, something very unusual for someone who has just seen a d…dead body.'

Oh shoot. Why does he have to be so perceptive? He had just seen a dead body for Merlin's sake and he still remembers this tiny detail?

'Well, just say that living with such a family, I have learned how to hide my fear and shock, as it is a weakness and nothing else. I can't afford to show weakness while I'm in the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, especially after being sorted into Gryffindor and having the whole family against me. Its kind of difficult sometimes.' Bellatrix sighed and turned her head away.

Remus smiled softly. He laid a reassuring hand on Bellatrix's shoulder. Bellatrix turned around and half-smiled at him.

He always falls for the 'oh I'm so sad, my family hates me' card. Honestly, he can be so perceptive at times and so dumb when it comes to emotional stuff.

'Sorry, didn't mean to hurt you or anything.' said Remus apologetically.

'It's okay.' Bellatrix badly wanted to wipe an imaginary tear off her cheek but she knew it would be too much of overacting. She didn't want to appear as some kind of sissy delicate girl who cries for everything anyway. So she sufficed by giving a sad smile.

Okay now that the interrogation is over, let me remember, why was I so blank? It couldn't possibly be the fact that I had just seen a dead body which I didn't expect and that brought the memories racing back from my past life and I turned to see Remus Lupin who just happened to be one of the people who I murdered in the Battle of Hogwarts!

'Oh look at the time, my mother is going to be here any minute. I'd better start packing.' said Remus.

'Aren't you going by the train?'

'Nope. My mother will pick me up personally.' said Remus. He looked out of the window facing the Hogwarts grounds. 'Looks like the carriages are already here to drop the students to Hogsmeade station. C'mon, I'll accompany you till there.'

Bellatrix and Remus walked side by side through the Entrance Hall and out into the grounds. The weather was extremely cold as it was mid-December. The entire grounds sported a white blanket of snow. The trees were bare and bending this way and that due to the icy winter wind. It was a typical freezing day.

They approached the cluster of school carriages that ferried the students to and fro from Hogwarts. Bellatrix went up to the front and caressed the nose of the thestral drawing the carriage. For some strange reason, this dragonish-looking, skeletal creature standing in front of her was one of her favorite animals. She usually didn't like animals and scorned those who loved cats or dogs. But thestrals were something different. Their mysterious aura, or the fact that most people regarded them as death omens, strangely drew her to them.

'You see them?' Bellatrix turned to look at Remus staring at her. She had quite forgotten that he was still there. 'You see thestrals?'

Bellatrix nodded her head. She resumed petting the thestral's nose. 'How do you know about them? I thought they were sixth-year syllabus.'

'Father.' was all Remus said. He looked in the opposite direction. 'You?'

Bellatrix understood his question but said nothing. She looked into the thestral's strangely empty eyes.

Who did I see die? Let me see, it's more of a fact that I actually killed them with my own hands. So many that it's difficult to count. That's gonna be hard to explain to an eleven-yr old.

Bellatrix drew her cloak firmly around her body and seated herself in the empty coach. 'See you after Christmas and have a good time.'

'You too. I'm sure you'll have an absolutely mind blowing Christmas with your dear cousin. Be sure to give him a nice Christmas present!' said Remus, grinning slightly.

'I will!' Bellatrix smirked back. One of the favorite topics of conversation between her and Remus was how irritating James and Sirius were. Remus disliked them, especially Sirius, as he thought they were way too cutting and bullied those who they disliked or who stood up to them. One special case was Snape. They did whatever they could to make his life absolutely hell.

If only I could direct this behavior of theirs towards mudbloods and other supposedly 'Light' people, then my work would be done. They would make splendid Death Eaters. Only problem is, their behavior seems particularly nasty towards Slytherins and pureblood supporters. They hate the very thought of pureblood supremacy. We can't be fully against mudbloods anyway as I have to recruit Evans as well. I'll have to think of something.

'Well Sirius, we really have no choice because thanks to you, we're way too late to get a carriage to ourselves. So we have to sit in this one even if Snivellus is here.'

'Thanks to me? You were the one searching for your socks all over the place!'

'At least I packed my trunk beforehand! Not like you who had his robes stuffed in the bathroom cupboard, toothbrush under the bed and shoes in the fireplace! Honestly Sirius, how in Merlin's name did your shoes end up in the fireplace?'

A confused din of voices was echoing outside the carriage. Bellatrix poked her head out to see James gesticulating wildly to a sulking Sirius, evidently in the middle of an argument.

'So what if my shoes were in the fireplace? My mother will drive me crazy if there's a speck of dust on my robes or if my shoes aren't as black as ebony. So, since I had forgotten the spell to clean my shoes and you so conveniently refused to lend your shoe polish, I got an absolutely amazing brainwave to clean them with the ash from the fire……'

'Polishing your shoes with the ash from the fire? Honestly Sirius, you are the limit…..' James shook his head, frustrated by his best friend's weird antics.

'Wait a sec, Bellatrix?' Sirius had spotted Bellatrix's head poking out from the carriage door. 'Why are you eavesdropping on our conversation?'

'Bellatrix? Oh, just great.' James banged his head on the carriage in frustration. 'This is it, from next time Sirius, I'm going to personally do your packing. I had just caught a glimpse of Snivellus in a carriage full of Slytherins and was thanking Merlin that we don't have to sit with the worst person in Hogwarts just because of your stupidity. Evidently,' James sent a glare at Bellatrix, 'I have no such luck.'

'Shut up Potter, though I do agree with you on one thing, that my dear cousin is undeniably stupid.' Bellatrix leant back on her seat, eyes flashing. 'Honestly Black, I thought that you had more brains than that. Frankly, even Pettigrew wouldn't be dumb enough to clean his shoes with ash! I guess I overestimated your intelligence…….that is if you even had any.'

Sirius scowled heavily and took theseat farthest from Bellatrix. James sat on his side after glowering at her like there was no tomorrow. The tension in the atmosphere was strained. There was no sound in the carriage expect the rumbling of wheels though there was so much tension that it almost seemed audible.

The carriages slowly rumbled to a halt outside the Hogsmeade station. It seemed like a race of who could get out of the coach the fastest. Before disappearing in the crowd of students, Sirius sent her a last venomous look.

It wasn't difficult to get seats in the train. Bellatrix got into the last compartment where a few first-yr Ravenclaws were huddled together. On seeing Bellatrix, they scampered out like a pack of deer on seeing a lion. No other first-year turned up and Bellatrix spent the entire journey in an empty compartment. Apparently the Ravenclaws had spread the news through the train that the last compartment was 'forbidden' if anyone didn't want their head ripped off.

Soon the Hogwarts Express arrived at King's Cross station. Bellatrix got off the train to see Cassiopeia Black standing beside a quiet Narcissa, an extremely sulky Andromeda and a glowering Sirius. Bellatrix approached the group tentatively. She looked at Narcissa who avoided her eyes.

'Narcissa, Andromeda, Sirius, follow me.' Cassiopeia turned her head and walked out of the station without sparing a single glance at Bellatrix. Andromeda and Sirius followed her without a word. Bellatrix thought she glimpsed an apologetical look in Narcissa's eye but she too turned without a word.

I'm really not looking forward to this holiday.

Bellatrix seated herself in the car provided by the ministry (the Ministry provided magical cars to the families of the Order of Merlin, First Class winners). She was sitting in between Andromeda and Narcissa, which wasn't a very pleasing experience, especially because both of them were staring ahead as if Bellatrix was a venomous Basilisk and looking at her would burn their eyes. Cassiopeia had still not acknowledged Bellatrix's presence, let alone say a word to her. On the whole, Bellatrix certainly preferred being glared at by Sirius rather than being treated as thin air by the others. At least he recognized her existence.

'We are there.' said Cassiopeia. The car halted in Grimmauld Square, musty and dirty, outside house number 11 and 13. Number twelve, Grimmauld Place was invisible to passing muggles but Bellatrix and her family clearly saw the wooden door adorned by a snake-shaped knocker of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black.

Bellatrix entered the hallway of the house, the house-elf Kreacher taking off their boots and carrying the cloaks. Sirius and Andromeda made off for their rooms while Narcissa went to the drawing-room.

'Bellatrix.' Cassiopeia beckoned towards her. 'I want to talk to you. My study. Now.'

Bellatrix followed Cassiopeia to a room in the back of the house. Cassiopeia's study was quite large with maplewood furnishings. Cassiopeia spent most of her time there, doing official work and making deals with the Ministry. She was a powerful and influential persona in the Ministry, introducing ideas for new bills and reforms, usually for the profit of purebloods, granting them new rights and privileges. Her husband, Darius Black, was her equally powerful partner, Foreign Ambassador and the person who basically controlled the French Ministry.

'Bellatrix, I want you to listen to me very carefully.' said Cassiopeia sharply. 'You were my favorite daughter and you disappointed me. Delphine happened to inform me that you are associating with filthy half-breeds. I will not tolerate this. Do you understand?' Cassiopeia's clear, icy voice threatened consequences that were not at all pleasurable to Bellatrix. 'If you dare to talk to that kind of dirt again and lower the name of the Black family, then I will not put up with it. Favorite daughter or no, there will be consequences. Is that clear?'

I cannot and will not comply with your wishes. I have another master and I must obey his will, even if it means defying yours. Despite all appearances, I'm not an eleven-yr old who has to listen to her mother. I'm Bellatrix Lestrange, a.k.a. Black, the most dangerous Death Eater of all, and I've been sent into the past on a mission, the most important mission of my life, a mission to restore the power of the Dark Lord. No matter what, you cannot stop me.

'Yes mother.' Bellatrix said quietly.

She exited the study and entered the hallway. There, she spotted the silhouette of a person lurking in the shadows. The figure came into the light and his face came into focus.

'Welcome back, Bellatrix.' said Regulus.

A\N: Sorry, sorry, sorry for the long wait. But the wait is going to get even longer between updates. Please bear with me!