DISCLAIMER: Erm, have you seen my aunt J.K. Rowling somewhere? She's going to give me the rights to HP! Do you believe it? I don't either.

A/N: And this is the final chap for first year. I know the update is a little late but I was preoccupied working on another co-written story. To all my readers who like Naruto fanfiction as well as HP, please read and review Konnoha Academy:With a Difference by Kierazaki Aka. Me and my friend are writing this together and its not a bad fic. So please, anyone who's interested, read and review! The link is given below:

.net/s/6649636/1/

Chapter 24.

Ugly, dull, and decorated in the most garish colours ever. McGonagall's office.

Bellatrix reclined in the hard-backed mahogany chair surveying her surroundings with a critical eye. Numerous Quidditch Cup trophies stood in the dusty glass cabinets though the number of House Cup trophies was noticeably less. Red and gold banners decorated the top of the fireplace proudly declaiming the Gryffindor origin of the owner of the office. And speaking of the office's owner…

Bellatrix looked up into the hawk-like gaze of Minerva McGonagall. Bellatrix couldn't help but smirk, it was a natural reflex action on seeing McGonagall's enraged face.

'Miss Black, I have had enough of your behaviour already. Even after my taking away a hundred points from Gryffindor, you fail to understand.' As McGonagall began her rant, Bellatrix yawned openly. Professor McGonagall's eyebrows disappeared into her hair. 'As Head of Gryffindor House, to which you belong, I would like to know why you have not attended a single examination held till date, including practicals. I want an answer.'

'I'm afraid you've got your material wrong, Professor.' Bellatrix talked as if they were discussing the weather. 'I have attended the DADA theory exam as well as the practical. In addition to that, I've attended the practical of every subject except Astronomy or the useless ones. You see, I don't have time to waste on writing worthless theory exams.'

'Oh, but I don't think you're the one to decide which exams are worthless, Miss Black?' McGonagall's eyes glinted. 'I am afraid for skipping almost all your exams Miss Black, I will have to fail you.'

Bellatrix then did the most unexpected thing in McGonagall's eyes. She laughed, clear and outright. 'Professor, I think you know that practicals form 40% of our marks? Did you atleast check my practical marks before calling me here to fail me?'

McGonagall's upper lip curled unpleasantly. Bellatrix continued agreeably, 'Oh and Professor Watson just met me before I came inside your office. He wanted to tell me my Defense percentage personally.'

With what looked like an immense amount of effort, McGonagall managed to speak in a controlled voice, 'Miss Black, even if you have got a hundred percent in your Defense exam, it doesn't make the slightest difference to me. Unfortunately, you'll remain a first-yr the next year as well.'

'For the record Professor, I didn't get a hundred.' Bellatrix leant forward, 'I hope a hundred and seventeen percent is up to the mark?'

McGonagall's eyes widened. It looked as if she wanted to disbelieve Bellatrix, but the smirk on Bellatrix's face was another matter altogether as she whispered, 'If I remember correctly, the school records say that your Transfiguration percentage, at the very best, was…..erm…a hundred and eight?'

McGonagall breathed out shortly through her nose. She was capable now of uttering only two words.

'Get out.'

That's it. No matter how enjoyable casting the Cruciatus Curse might be, its no fun compared to making Minerva McGonagall's life hell.

McGongall clasped her head in her hands and began massaging it, trying to get rid of the pounding headache that had assaulted her the moment she had set eye on a certain Bellatrix Black. But it was of no avail. The headache persisted even more painfully. After ten minutes more of the dull, unbearable pain, McGongall finally admitted defeat and stepped out of her office with the Hospital Wing as the destination in mind. Hopefully, Madam Wallace would have a Pain-Relieving Potion at hand.

Pacing through the hallways, McGonagall's headache grew even more intolerable, aggravated by the incessant noise of the students excitedly discussing their results. She had just turned into the corner of the fifth floor where the Hospital Wing was located when she spotted the silver-bearded Headmaster walking from the opposite end. With a weary sigh, McGonagall walked with a slow step until she and the Headmaster were face-to-face.

'You seem unusually beat, my dear Minerva, for the last day of school.' Albus Dumbledore's blue eyes shielded partially under half-moon glasses twinkled down at her. 'Generally, teachers are happier than the students on the day of results. Or could it possibly be that your sadness is a result of not being able to teach for the future months?'

McGonagall exhaled air, 'Quite the opposite, Albus. I will definitely not miss teaching the students.' She exhaled again. 'Especially not a certain one.'

The twinkle dimmed in Dumbledore's eyes. He spoke in a more serious note, 'Judging from your weary manner, does this have something to do with Bellatrix Black?'

McGonagall looked up suddenly, caught unaware by Dumbledore's accurate guess. 'You're right Albus, as usual. This has everything to do with Bellatrix Black.'

Dumbledore spoke sharply, not a trace of his usual jolliness in his voice, 'Was she found to have had any sort of contact with Delphinus Black?'

'Delphine Black?' McGonagall looked confused. 'You mean the one who graduated from Hogwarts four years ago?'

'Yes, the very one. She was Head Girl.' Dumbledore looked troubled.

McGonagall looked questioningly at Dumbledore, 'How does she have anything to do in this? As far as my memory goes, she was an excellent student, extraordinarily polite and helpful. In fact, she was one of the few Slytherins who was entirely clear of suspicion.' The last part of the sentence was muttered. McGonagall did not clarify what she meant by 'clear of suspicion.'

Dumbledore sighed, 'Delphine Black was the one who broke into Hogwarts on Halloween and attacked Professor Watson.'

'What!' Professor McGonagall looked aghast. 'But…..how…I do not understand. Daniel was Head Boy at the time and they always got along most well…' All of a sudden, McGonagall remembered a drastic piece of information, 'Wait, wasn't Bellatrix Black the one who discovered Daniel on Halloween?'

'Yes. Along with Mr. Remus Lupin.' Dumbledore stared off into the distance. 'And as a matter of fact, it is quite well known that Lady Cassiopeia Black, Miss Black's mother, happens to be godmother to Delphine Black.'

'But…does that mean that….' McGonagall appeared to be coming to a solution. She turned sharply towards Dumbledore, 'Albus, do you think Bellatrix helped Delphine to break into Hogwarts?'

There was an unknown note to Dumbledore's quiet voice which suggested that he himself was not so sure about what he spoke, 'Minerva, it is quite impractical to expect such feats of a first-year.'

'First year?' McGonagall scoffed. 'Whatever Bellatrix Black may be, but she is definitely not an innocent powerless eleven-year old.'

The twinkle vanished entirely from Dumbledore's eyes. 'Would you care to elaborate, Minerva?'

McGonagall sighed. 'I don't know, Albus. It's just that…..whenever I see her, I don't know why, but I feel that she knows something, something a first-year ought not know. I can see it in her eyes, the way she looks at others, the way she looks at me. She has been so carelessly insolent to me, and she even had the audacity to skip her exams. I know that if it was someone else, I might even have expelled them a long time ago. I have the power to do it, after all I am her House Teacher. But…I can't.'

There was a strange sharpness in Dumbledore's gaze, 'Why not?'

'Because, because….I just don't know Albus.' McGonagall let out a frustrated sigh. 'That smirk on her face, that superior manner of talking, it does not belong to an eleven year old girl with too much attitude. She looks down on people, her classmates and in a strange way, even her teachers. Inspite of her young age, I can feel that she looks even upon me condescendingly.'

Dumbledore looked…grim. 'How has she fared in her classes, Minerva?'

'She is always the last to transfigure the given object in class. Not because she doesn't know how to, but because she doesn't even bother to lift up her wand. Almost as if spells of such sort are beneath her.'

'You say she skipped most of her exams. I suppose you'll be failing her?' Dumbledore asked, still grim in manner.

McGonagall laughed, catching Dumbledore off-guard. The laugh itself seemed frustrated. 'I was walking by the Charms classroom at the time Miss Black's Charms practical was taking place. Her task was to levitate a feather placed on the desk. The entire desk floated up instead.'

'That is not such an impossible feat for a first year.' Dumbledore said reasonably, trying to reassure McGonagall.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, 'What about when all the eighty-four desks in the room rise up?'

Dumbledore's eyebrows narrowed, 'What?'

'While most of the first years struggle with the Levitation Charm, Miss Black made eighty-four desks float in the air with one spell. One spell, Albus. Have you ever heard of more than one target for a levitation spell? Multiple levitation? And then she smashed them all to the ground, all broken. ' McGonagall repeated her frustrated laugh. 'And after all this, do you really expect me to fail her?'

Dumbledore kept silent. His light blue eyes morphed into a deep electrical blue which stared ahead. The usual sprightly Headmaster now resembled an old, bent man who possessed a great amount of grief. McGonagall looked worried to see this change take place. She placed a hand on his shoulder, 'Albus, is there something wrong?'

Dumbledore looked wearily at his colleague, 'Your words bring great foreboding, Minerva.'

McGonagall looked even more anxious, 'Surely it's not that worrying, Albus! She's merely an impudent first-year with a bit more power than the normal eleven-yr old.'

'No, Minerva.' Dumbledore looked out of the window, gazing at the beautiful landscape surrounding the castle. 'Your words…they remind me of a student I had once taught. Like you, I also sensed something different about this student. But I persuaded myself to believe that it was just my overactive imagination. But I was right….and I realised it too late. He was driven beyond my control, beyond my help, and I could do nothing about it.'

'Albus.' McGonagall looked almost entreatingly at him. 'You surely don't think that…..Bellatrix too….like Him…..' McGonagall seemed desperate to have Dumbledore reassure her that it was quite the opposite, but she was distraught to believe it herself.

To McGonagall's utter surprise, Dumbledore smiled. 'No, Minerva, I don't think so. You see, you're forgetting a key fact.'

McGonagall looked at Dumbledore questioningly. The twinkle came back in the cerulean blue eyes, 'Bellatrix Black, unlike Tom Marvolo Riddle, is a Gryffindor. And until that fact remains, there will always, always be hope.'

Bellatrix paced through the hallways, past groups of laughing students celebrating their results. Outside the Great Hall, the results were pinned up on the notice board and as Bellatrix was passing by, she could vaguely detect a redhead muttering furiously to a patient blonde amidst the crowd gathered around the notice board. Her ears pricked up on hearing her name mentioned in rather irritated tones.

'How can that even be possible? I mean, she didn't even attend a single exam!' Lily seemed to be throwing a fit and Alice who was subject to this torture looked too tired for words. She raised her hands up in the air, 'Lily, can you give it a rest?'

But Lily wasn't to be quenched so easily. 'But it isn't even fair-' The fiery redhead suddenly caught a glimpse of the subject of her tantrum who was standing just outside the crowd. Huffing impatiently, she crossed her arms and sent a glare towards Bellatrix.

Jealous eleven year old girls. Do you even call that a glare? Looks more like a two-year old whose lollipop got snatched away. Urgh.

Fixing a smile on her face, Bellatrix moved towards Lily rather reluctantly. 'Evans, is there a problem?' Her tone was as genial as she could make it.

'Of course not, why should I care if someone cheats in her exam and robs me of my rightful position?' Lily bit back sarcastically. Bellatrix almost rolled her eyes.

You're spending too much time with Snape.

'I'm afraid I don't understand what you're trying to say.' Bellatrix tried to put a genuinely curious expression on her face. In reality, she couldn't care less about what a stupid Mudblood thought. But since she had to recruit her….

I'll just have to put up with the nonsense.

Lily retained an irritated silence. Alice stepped in to explain in what Bellatrix noted was not an extremely hostile tone, 'The rankings have been put up and um….' Bellatrix's eyes followed the direction of Alice's finger to see the list on which Remus Lupin's name was at first position followed by Lily Evans.

'So? If Lupin beat Evans to first position, shouldn't she be angry with him? What have I got to do with it?' Bellatrix was honestly getting tired with this conversation.

So the whole quarrel's about who got first and second? Who in the name of Merlin cares about that? They're acting like bloody children! Oh wait a second, they are children. And so am I. Damn.

'I don't care if Remus gets first place!' Lily entered the conversation again, looking extremely flustered. 'He probably earned it!'

Bellatrix had the sudden urge to clasp her forehead in frustration. 'So…if that is not the problem,' Bellatrix spoke slowly, making sure the eleven-yr olds fully understood, 'then what is it?'

Lily sent another glare towards Bellatrix. Alice stepped in again, trying anxiously to mediate the growing attention, and addressed Bellatrix, 'You see Black, Lily's got better marks than Remus in some subjects but she's still in second position because you topped DADA, Merlin knows how, and pushed her to third place in the subject after Remus. She's sure Remus earned it but you cheated somehow and that's why she's angry with you.' Alice finally finished, completely out of breath.

Come again?

Bellatrix looked at a gasping Alice. Then she looked at the still-angry Lily. Then she gave up.

I've had enough! There's no way I was as purely stupid as these idiots when I was eleven! I never thought a day would come when someone, least of all these idiotic first years, would fry my head and I won't even be able to Crucio them.

Bellatrix tried, she really tried to disguise her annoyance. And she even succeeded to a certain degree which in her opinion was a great achievement considering the vast amount of irritation that she was currently feeling, 'Look Evans, I know you're angry at me but unless you somehow manage to get a hundred and eighteen percent in Defense, I'm afraid you'll have to remain content with second place. Is that okay?'

You better be content. That's the politest I've ever spoken to a Mudblood.

Lily looked at Bellatrix as though she was an idiot and that insulted Bellatrix more than all the kiddish glares in the world, 'Getting hundred and eighteen out of hundred isn't logically possible. Didn't you know that?'

'Well Miss Muggleborn, I think you don't know that you're in the wizarding world. And the biggest mistake one can make is trying to apply logic to magic. Remember that for next year.' Bellatrix walked off, feeling Lily's affronted glare at her back.

Don't worry Miss Evans. I've not given you much attention this year because I've been too busy with Lupin, Potter and Black. But next year…..you'll be my main target.

The Hogwarts Express approached Platform 9 and ¾ , clouds of grey smoke billowing from the engine chimney. As the scarlet train run by magic finally halted at the platform, the compartment doors swung open and children of all ages from eleven to seventeen rushed out through the doors. Chattering burst out as the young witches and wizards reunited with their family after a long, productive school year. Stories were recounted, laughter echoed through the long platform and all mothers made themselves to use by bustling over their children's health.

Bellatrix stepped out of the last compartment, the very one in which she, Narcissa, Lucius and Remus had sat, and quarreled over Houses a year ago. Flipping her long sheet of hair backwards (she had finally gotten used to her eleven-yr old self's long mane), she pulled her black trunk out and got down from the train. An amber-eyed boy wasn't too far behind.

'I still can't believe that you did something like that. You were supposed to levitate the feather, not all the desks in the hall.' Remus had been talking to a temporarily deaf Bellatrix for some time. 'The Professors must have been so shocked. You can't just throw around your power like that.' Rather than exclaim over the feat which Bellatrix had accomplished like the others had done, Remus was unsurprised.

'Throw around my power?' Bellatrix snorted. 'You're lucky I didn't do the entire thing non-verbally. The Professors would probably have fainted then.'

Admittedly it took me a couple of weeks to get non-verbal spells back in hand…..but still.

'Non-verbal? What's that?' Remus looked curiously at Bellatrix.

'Nothing.' The only reason Bellatrix didn't tell Remus to shut up before was because she probably realised that it wasn't a wise thing she had done. But it wasn't deliberate. When she was in the Hall, she had caught a glimpse of McGonagall outside. For a strange reason, memories of past battles with her had flashed to Bellatrix's mind's eye and she experienced a power surge which she often had in battles when she was in a frenzied mood. The result was before everyone.

The method that has been used to transport me into the past, it is faulty somehow. Two spirits in one body…this will definitely create problems for me in the future. To accomplish this mission, I need to be Bellatrix Black. But during the practical, Bellatrix Lestrange had unknowingly been releashed….

'Fine, you may have levitated all the desks in the room. But you didn't need to smash them.'

Bellatrix didn't take in a word Remus said because her attention was held captive by two black-haired Gryffindors who were nearby and whose eyes kept on flitting suspiciously to Remus and her. Bellatrix smirked, 'Lupin, I think someone wants to talk to you.'

Remus looked at James and Sirius standing nearby. James caught his gaze and gave a nod. Remus cautiously walked towards the duo. Bellatrix observed some words being exchanged and James being particularly free, talking in a friendly manner. Finally, Remus looked at Sirius straight in the eye and the young Black nodded stiffly and walked away. A few minutes later, James also departed, a smile on his lips.

'So, what did they say?' Judging from the behavior of the two pranksters, Bellatrix understood that Sirius had taken the advice she had given him after the Potions practical, however reluctantly. Nevertheless, Remus's reply still shocked her.

'James has invited me to stay at the Potter mansion for the summer. Bla- Sirius is going to be there as well.' Remus looked rather quiet. 'I said yes, but only for a month.'

Of course, until the full moon.

Bellatrix almost smiled. Looked like the Marauders were finally going to form. And if Lupin was friends with Potter and Black, it would be much easier to befriend them as well.

However, Remus looked too quiet for someone who had just been invited over. Bellatrix quizzically raised an eyebrow. Remus looked at her, 'Before this, I thought that I would invite you.'

Bellatrix's eyebrows couldn't get any higher, 'What makes you think Lupin, that I would come to your dingy house?'

Remus smiled. Then he finally managed to do the impossible: shock Bellatrix Black out of her mind. Before Bellatrix could say anything, Remus briefly hugged her.

.'What the hell Lupin?' Bellatrix yelled. To say thatshe was shocked was an understatement. Then she glimpsed the glint in his eyes and the smirk on his face. Bellatrix turned around.

Cassiopeia Black was standing some distance behind her, her blonde hair pulled into a tight bun. Her grey as stone eyes sparked dangerously. Her usual calm demeanor was absent. Bellatrix could vaguely see her mother's lips forming, 'Fraternising with filth….'

Bellatrix turned back to Lupin, wishing to strangle him, just for wiping off that smirk from his face. This prank definitely had the most devastating effects than any other and Remus was well aware of it. He whispered softly, smirk intact, 'I had to get back for the Potions incident, didn't I?'

Bellatrix growled, 'My cousin put you up to this, didn't he?'

Remus placed a finger under his chin, pretending to think, 'He might have given me a tip or two. But the general idea was all mine.' The self-satisfied smirk which was so rarely glimpse on Remus's face now shone in full glory. 'See you Bellatrix.'

Bellatrix wearily turned back to her mother whose eyes now resembled daggers. She walked slowly towards her.

One down, three more to go. At the end of a year, I've managed to befriend Lupin, caused the Marauders to form, made sure that Potter and Black didn't think I was pure evil, had no progress whatsoever with Evans and gone a long way in my training. So I guess the year's not such a failure after all.

A/N: And here we come to the end of the first year. Thank you to all the readers who have reviewed throughout and I hope you will remain with the story till the end. The next update will be late as I'll take a little break, but please stay with Change of Heart.