*"Harry-no!" Cried Lupin, but Harry had already ripped his arm from Lupin's slackened grip.
"SHE KILLED SIRIUS!"Bellowed Harry. "SHE KILLED HIM-I'LL KILL HER!"
And he was off, scrambling up the stone benches. People were shouting behind him, but he did not care. The hem of Bellatrix's robes whipped out of sight ahead and they were back in the room where the brains were swimming...
She aimed a curse over her shoulder. The tank rose into the air and tipped. Harry was deluged in the foul-smelling potion within. The brains slipped and slid over him and began spinning their long, colored tentacles, but he shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!" and they flew into the air away from him. Slipping and sliding he ran on toward the door. He leaped over Luna, who was groaning on the floor, past Ginny, who said, "Harry-what-?" past Ron, who giggled feebly, and Hermione who was still unconscious. He wrenched open the door into the circular black hall and saw Bellatrix disappearing through a door on the other side of the room-beyond her was* the room with the bell jar and and broken time-turners.
Catching the door just before it slammed shut, he dodged a curse from the murdering witch and sent a stunning spell followed by a flippendo hex.
Bellatrix dodged the first spell and deflected the second. She really should have paid more attention to the diverted spell, because while she was casting a Cruciatous Curse towards Harry, the flippendo hex hit the bell jar with the humming bird, which fell onto Bellatrix. Harry could only watch in horror and amazement as the witch who murdered his godfather changed dramatically.
It was odd, seeing the transformation. She went from a sunken-faced, Azkaban tortured middle-aged woman, to a pretty young woman like in Kreatcher's pictures, to a beautiful teenager, to a sweet-looking preteen and, finally, as she stumbled out of the bell jar, an innocent-looking toddler.
Without thinking, Harry raised his wand at the confused child, trying to figure out what to do (bloody conscious... still sounded like Hermione...), when Remus burst in, stopping in shock at Bellatrix's appearance.
Bellatrix just looked up at the two curiously and said, "Hi, I'm Trixie! Who're you?"
Harry left the headmaster's office an hour later. Sirius was dead. After Remus burst in, Harry had done as told and ran to the Atrium to get the hell out of there. Unfortunately, he ran into Lucius Malfoy, who freaked out over the prophecy being destroyed, and Voldemort, who tried to kill him. Dumbledore had arrived and saved him from being possessed by Voldemort, and ported him away just after the Minister (of Denial) himself saw him and who whispered, "He's back," as Voldemort apparated away.
So, walking away after being told that he was supposed to kill or be killed, the last thing on his mind was what would happen to Bellatrix Lestrange. After all, it wasn't like it could affect HIM.
Oh, how wrong he was.
Rubbing his temples, Cornelius Fudge asked Amelia Bones wearily, "So let me get this straight. Bellatrix Lestrange; madwoman, torturer, and murderer extraordinaire, cannot be arrested. WHY?"
Sighing, the middle-aged woman replied in an equally weary tone, "Minister. She is THREE. And not merely in physical appearance. If that were the case, there would be no question about chucking her into Azkaban. When time jar fell on her, it decreased her age mentally as well. We even asked her sisters Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy, for things she knew when she was three, and things she wouldn't know until later. She wasn't even fully sure what Hogwarts was, just that, and I quote, 'Mother and Father said Hogwarts is where I'll be educated an' take my place in noble Slyth'rin. What's Slyth'rin?' Cornelius, she had no clue who You-Know-Who is! She just giggled and said it was a funny name when she heard it!"
"So what do we do with her? Give her to one of her sisters?"
"No. You know that the law requires prisoners be provided a lawyer, correct? Well, Rudolphus found out about Bellatrix, and had his lawyer draw up annulment papers, stating that he refused to raise his wife. So, she must return to her Family House. House Black."
"Who's the Head of House since Black is dead? Does she go somewhere else?"
"Well, that's where the problem is. Sirius Black left Headship of the Black Family to whom he said was the son he never had."
"Person being?"
"Harry Potter."
...
...
...
"WHAT?" Yelled Fudge hysterically.
"Yeah. It also emancipates the boy."
"Great. So how the HELL do we explain to the boy that he is now the guardian of his godfather's murderer?"
"I haven't the foggiest."
"Send a letter?"
"Isn't that a tad cowardly?"
"Would you like to tell him?"
"Point taken."
The last day of term, when every Hogwarts student would board the train and go home, dawned bright and early. Harry Potter was expecting nothing out of the ordinary this day. He was coming to terms, at least a little, with Sirius' death. His talk with Sir Nick had helped. Getting out of bed, he went downstairs to the common room, and a half hour later was headed to the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione for breakfast.
Sitting down, he placed some eggs and toast on his plate when the owls streamed in, one of which headed for him. The owl flew off immediately after he took the letter.
Reading said letter, he he went through several different emotions. First, curiosity. Then, shock, anger, and finally, resigned and begrudging acceptance.
"Harry?" Hermione asked. "What's wrong?"
He handed her the letter, which read;
Dear Mr. Potter,
It is the Ministry's duty to inform you that, in accordance to your Godfather's will, you are now the Head of House Black.
Because of this, it is also the Ministry's duty to inform you that you are also now the guardian of Miss Bellatrix Black, formerly Lestrange. This is due to the annullment of her marriage to Rudolphus Lestrange and her age, currently three years, her age being due to an accident in the Department of Mysteries.
Good day and good luck to you,
Cornelius Fudge
Minister of Magic
Amelia Bones
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
The other piece of parchment informed him that as he was emancipated, the underage restriction laws no longer applied to him, and that Bellatrix would be awaiting him with an Auror at Hogsmeade Train Station.
Leaping up, he left Ron and Hermione, heading to the Headmaster's office, hoping he could tell him whether or not this was true.
Reaching the gargoyle, he guessed, "Lemon Drops." The gargoyle didn't budge.
"Snickers."
"Licorice Wand."
"Jaw Breaker."
"Cockroach Cluster."
"Chocolate."
"Canary Cream."
"Thin Mint?" It opened.
Walking up the stairs, he muttered, "Of course he would change it to a cookie of all things. I guess they could be called a candy. Who knew the old man liked Girl Guide cookies?"
Knocking on the door, Harry was bid entry.
"Harry my boy," Dumbledore said. "What's troubling you? The prophecy?"
Harry just handed him the missives from the Ministry. Dumbledore blinked repeatedly in shock as he read.
Gaping, the old man croaked out, "What? Is this true?"
Groaning, Harry said, that's what I wondered sir. Please, please, PLEASE tell me this is just a joke done in poor taste by the Weasley twins."
Recovering from his shock, the Headmaster looked over the letter again, and hit it with a few spells before saying, "Alas my boy, it is true. But perhaps some good may yet come of this."
Harry just shook his head and left. As he walked down the hall and out toward the train station, Harry couldn't help but dwell on what awaited him. Bellatrix Black. The woman who killed Sirius. The woman who tortured Neville's parents into insanity. And she was three. She didn't remember a blessed thing about anything past the time she was three. Good Lord, help them both.
Okay, so this is just a plot bunny that got stuck in my head, and I figured I'd ask what people think. And by the way, the part in the beginning, between asterisks, is directly quoted from OotP.