Chaprter Four: In Limbo
Harry and Dumbledore both jumped when a soft knocking came from the door.
Dumbledore stared suspiciously, but Harry, disregarding the stare completely, got to his feet, and pulled open the door. There stood Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry let out a violent roar as he hurtled himself towards her. She did not stop him as his fingers closed around her throat. As she was already dead and he could not choke her, but it didn't stop him from trying. He shook her back and forth, shouting obscenities at her. She stood and took what was coming.
Dumbledore stood as well, and pulled harry gently away from her. "Now, Harry, you can't harm her, what is the use?" he asked, still holding Harry back from attacking her. Harry fought against Dumbledore's grip. "This is her fault!" he shouted, tears streaming down his face. Dumbledore did not say anything, but looked to Bellatrix. Her head was bowed, and a single tear fell from her face.
"Miss Lestrange?" Dubledore asked, none to kindly. He had half a mind to let go of Harry. "Is there something you'd like to say?" Bellatrix looked up, frightened, before croaking out "I'm Sorry."
Harry froze. He looked quite comical, his hands outstretched to her, and leaning to grab her, but completely still. Shock mingled with the rage on his face. "She's lying," he said at once, still straining to get out of Dumbledore's oddly firm grip. "I don't think so, Harry." said Dumbledore calmly. "Please sit back down."
Harry looked at Dumbledore as though he were mad, but did sit back down, eying Bellatrix. "Miss Lestrange, would you like to sit down as well?" Dumbledore asked, motioning to a chair that had not been there before. Bellatrix looked up, slightly afraid, but sat nonetheless. Dumbledore returned behind his desk, and sat back down. "Now, Miss Lestrange, would you mind informing us how you got to be here?"
Bellatrix looked up, and then looked around. "Where is here?" she asked in a cracked voice. "Limbo," answered Dumnldore calmly. Bellatrix nodded, though no one had asked her anything. "Now, how did you get here?" asked Dumbledore again. "I..." Bellatrix seemed at a loss for words, before she gulped, and started talking again. "He killed me, I suppose," she said, bowing her head. "And then I was all alone, in this sort of mist, and a man in a cloak came, and asked me where I'd like to go. I told him that I wanted to see Harry Potter."
"Why did you want to see me?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrows. "I think we'd both like to know that," said Dumbledore. Bellatrix looked up from her hands, which she was studying. "To say I was sorry," she answered, looking back down.
"Why did you want to apologize?" Harry asked, scoffing. Bellatrix swallowed hard, and started talking. "When I was a girl, my family was killed by Voldemort." she said, obviously with some difficulty. "He tortured me for what felt like an eternity. My mind broke, and I was enamoured by him/" she said with disgust tainting her voice. "He adopted me into a family of his supporters, and there I stayed until I was old enough to become a Death Eater."
Harry looked as if he was going to say something, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him. "I did terrible things then," she continued."I tortured and killed for him." She looked like she was about to cry. "A-and when he k-killed me," she said, her voice cracking. "I was not insane anymore. For the first time since I was five." She swallowed again, looking first at Dumbledore, then Harry. "And I wanted to say I was sorry."
Harry looked sceptically at Dumbledore. "Surely she's lying!" he said, heatedly. Dumbledore shook his head. "No, madness does not follow you after death," he explained. "I knew her parents, as well. They were not part of the Black family. I was sorry to hear of Mr. and Mrs. Prewett's passing."
"Fat lot of good 'sorry' does the situation," said Harry, looking for a reason to stay angry at his killer. Bellatrix looked up, confused slightly. "Situation?" she asked. Dumbledore explained what had happened to his perfect plan. Bellartix looked surprised at the information that Harry had been a Horcrux.
"I think I can help."