A/N: I think Bellatrix might be a little OOC here… but I'm sure she softened up somewhat after having raised a child for six years. Meh.
Also, I just realized that the little dividers between sections (I just put three dashes -) aren't showing up. So if the story seems to randomly jump from one scene to another, my apologies.
"Happy birthday, Nefaria!" Bellatrix shouted. Nefaria was walking down the stairs, looking as though she had just woken up. Her black hair was in a sad state on her head, sticking up in odd places. She was rubbing her eyes with her fists, trying to get the sand out of her eyes.
Nefaria smiled when she saw her mom at the dining room table. There was a banner on the wall, the letters magically animated to flash different colors. It read, "Happy 6th Birthday, Nefaria!" The elegant mahogany table had two places set, and Nefaria's had a huge plate of pancakes in front of it.
Nefaria sat down and grinned at the pancakes. They were her favorite food. "Thank you, mother!" she exclaimed. "Can I have some butterbeer, please?"
"Butterbeer for breakfast?" Bellatrix replied. Nefaria looked sweetly at her mother. "Fine, only because it's your birthday."
She summoned a bottle from the kitchen and poured it into Nefaria's glass. They ate in silence for a few minutes. Nefaria gulped down her pancakes in record time. Before she could ask for seconds, Bellatrix put her fork down and looked at Nefaria seriously.
"Honey," she said, "I've made an important decision." Nefaria looked at her intently. She was a calm, quiet girl for a 6-year-old. She always listened, and was always eager to learn. "I've decided that you are old enough…" Nefaria leaned forward. "…to have your own wand."
Nefaria gasped. "But you said you don't get a wand until you're eleven!" she exclaimed.
"Well, I think you're a special case," Bellatrix replied smiling.
Nefaria's face lit up. "When can we go?" she asked excitedly.
"We can go this afternoon, but you're going to have to be patient while a brew up an aging potion. It's technically illegal to buy a wand under the age of 11," Bellatrix said flippantly.
"But… illegal? Wouldn't that be bad?" Nefaria asked hesitantly.
Bellatrix looked at her sternly. "Remember what I've told you- it doesn't matter what the law says, it just matters if you get caught or not. And we would never get caught."
"So it's not bad to break the law? Are you sure? Because in this history books..." She was referring to the many, many books that Bellatrix had bought her over the years, some being textbooks required at Hogwarts. "The history books say its bad."
Bellatrix frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Remember what father used to say?"
Of course Nefaria didn't remember; she had never met her father. But she knew what Bellatrix meant. She recited, in her little 6-year-old voice, "There is no good or evil. Only power and those too weak to seek it."
Nefaria began admiring herself in the mirror. So this is what she would look like in five years! She was much taller, with longer hair and a less chubby face. The only thing she didn't like was the nose. Her mother had added that separately with a spell. She touched it uncertainly. It felt odd- it was too big. It just didn't belong. She liked her old nose, like a snake. Nefaria liked snakes. Once she had found one in the backyard and had a lovely conversation with it for an hour.
Bellatrix soon joined Nefaria in the room. Nefaria jumped when she saw her mother; she was a completely different woman. She was taller and had a rounder face and stick-straight brown hair. Bellatrix sighed when she saw her reflection in the mirror. "It will have to do," she said. "Nefaria, you musn't forget everything I've told you. What is your name?"
"Natalie Girsham. I'm a muggleborn." She said the last word with distain. Nefaria didn't know why she didn't like muggleborns, but Bellatrix said she should, and she always did what her mother said. "I'm eleven and I'm going to Hogwarts!"
Bellatrix nodded. "Right. And remember, whatever you do, do not look the wandmaker in the eyes. Ok?"
Nefaria tilted her head. "All right. But why not?"
"He can read your mind if you look into his eyes. And no one is supposed to know who we are."
"Can all wizards read minds, mummy?" Nefaria asked curiously.
"No," Bellatrix replied. "Only the powerful ones. I can, and your father could."
Nefaria smiled. "I'm going to be able to read minds when I'm older!" she said excitedly.
Bellatrix grinned. "I'll teach you if you want. Not yet though; you don't even have a wand! Come on, let's go."
A tense Bellatrix pushed open the door of Ollivander's shop and let Nefaria in. Bellatrix was not used to going into public often; usually, she changed her appearance and apparated to a local grocery store only about once a month for food. The rest she could create by magic.
Nefaria gazed in wonder at the huge store, filled with dusty boxes. It had an odd, almost creepy feeling. An old man walked towards them from behind one of the shelves. He had silvery grey hair and wide, piercing, pale silver eyes. Nefaria remembered what her mother had told her and quickly averted her eyes.
"Going to Hogwarts?" he said in his old, deep voice.
"Yes sir," Nefaria replied quietly, head down. "My name is Natalie Girsham. I'm a muggleborn."
Ollivander nodded. "Then let's get you a wand." First, he took measurements: everywhere from Nefaria's height to the width between her eyes. Then he began selecting boxes from the shelves. "Willow and Unicorn hair, twelve inches. Try." He handed her a wand. She grasped it firmly and waved it.
Ollivander reached over and grabbed it from her. "No, definitely not." He then handed her another one. "Elm and dragon heartstring, eleven inches." She waved it, and again he snatched it away.
After almost an hour of this, Nefaria and Bellatrix were both very frustrated and impatient. Ollivander, on the other hand, was still having fun. "Tricky customer, tricky customer…" he muttered. He stopped at one of the shelves, staring at a green box about four rows above his head. "I'm never going to sell this wand… worth a try," he said to himself.
He slowly took out the green box and opened it. He handed Nefaria the wand. "Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches. Nice and supple."
She grabbed it, and it grew warm in her hand. It shot out bright green sparks that made small burn marks on the ceiling. Nefaria smiled; she had a wand!
Ollivander's eyebrows furrowed. "You are muggleborn?" he asked.
Nefaria glanced at her mother. "Yes," she replied.
He sighed in confusion. "Natalie, would you please go outside for a moment? I need to speak with your mother."
Nefaria frowned and looked again at her mother. Bellatrix looked at Nefaria, then back at Ollivander. "Go outside, Natalie," she said.
Nefaria reluctantly stepped outside and closed the door behind her. When she had gone, Ollivander turned to Bellatrix. He looked her straight in the eyes, trying as hard as he could to penetrate her mind and figure out what was going on, but she used Occlumency and he was unable to do so. He jolted back, surprised from the powerful magic that had been performed by the so-called muggle. "Who are you?" he asked harshly. "And why are you lying to your child about being muggle-born?"
She gave him a cold stare. "That is none of your business," she said.
He gave a small sigh. "True, true… but for my safety and yours. What is your relation to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
Bellatrix tensed up. "What are you talking about?" she said defensively.
"That wand," Ollivander said worriedly, "Has the same core as the Dark Lord's wand. Wands with matching cores always have a connection to each other through their owner, whether through blood or something else. What, pray, is your daughter's connection to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
Bellatrix glared at him. "That is not of your concern," she said, and stormed out of the shop. She began walking down the crowded street of Diagon Alley, glaring at anyone who gave her a second glance. Nefaria ran to catch up with her. When she arrived next to her mother, she tugged on the tall woman's skirt.
"What's wrong, Mommy?" she asked worriedly.
Bellatrix stopped. She knelt down and grasped Nefaria's shoulders firmly. "Nothing is wrong," she said, staring straight into her daughter's eyes. "I am so, so proud of you. And I know you will make me proud, with that wand you are holding. You promise me that? That you will make me proud?"
Nefaria nodded slowly. She stood up straighter, pulled her shoulders back, and held her head up high. On her face was an expression of cold determinedness. "I will make you proud, Mother," she said.
Bellatrix sighed and smiled sadly. "You are so your father's daughter," she whispered.