I have posted a schedule on my profile about when I will be updating this. Also, since I'm starting to plan out my second story in this series, if anyone has any ideas about how I could handle the Voldemort has a kid with Bellatrix thing, I would be SO SO GRATEFUL! Because, I really don't want to make it be inappropriate, but I think I need to not just skip over it, since it's a huge part of who Bellatrix is. So if you have any ideas about how to handle it in a somewhat child friendly manner, please tell me in the reviews.
Oh, and quick warning for use of the Cruciatus Curse in this Chapter. Anyway, enjoy!
Bellatrix couldn't sleep. She had just spent the past hour trying to sleep, worrying about the plans that had been debated for hours in the main room of the basement. The Dark Lord had been furious. Apparently, Bode had not been able to remove the prophecy from the Department. At Christmas, Lucius had sent him a Devil's Snare, bewitched to kill Bode when he began to get better. This had happened the day Bellatrix had escaped. Lucius had then managed to sneak into the Department to see if the prophecy was still there. This had taken 3 or 4 weeks to be able to gain access, and he had just reported back to the Dark Lord. When he found that it was still there, and not hidden somewhere as Malfoy had told Bode to under the Imperius Curse, the Dark Lord had been furious. He had called all Death Eaters to a meeting, and had told them that they needed to start thinking. If they had any ideas, they were to come and find him.
Suddenly, it came to her. Why not sneak the Dark Lord himself into the Department to remove it? After all, if the prophecy was about him, surely HE could remove it. She decided to tell him this excellent plan. If this worked, he would reward her among all other. His approval was what she craved, she had barely seen him alone since their meeting nearly 2 weeks ago. Though Rookwood had been better for about a week now, the Dark Lord must have forgotten about her suggestion that she speak to him.
"OK, so here's the plan. You go to the Dark Lord, suggest to him that he speak to Rookwood about if he, the Dark Lord, could remove the prophecy. Then, when he asks Rookwood, hopefully Rookwood will tell the Dark Lord yes. Then he will reward you beyond all others," she thought to herself.
As she walked down the hallway, she became more and more nervous. What if he scorned her? She quickly tried to brush it off, not liking that she seemed to be soft. "She was strong, willful, and scary. She had no feelings," She told herself.
She stopped cold outside his door. She could hear the Dark Lord speaking inside.
"You have done well to tell me this," the Dark Lord said. "Very well… I have wasted months on fruitless schemes… But no matter… We begin again, from now. You have Lord Voldemort's gratitude, Rookwood."
Bellatrix felt a surge of an unfamiliar emotion. She realized it was jealously, something she had never felt before. He had never been grateful to HER for anything. And she had done much, much more for him. The unfairness of it all soaked in, and she felt an overwhelming desire to hurt Rookwood.
"...My Lord," Rookwood gasped. Bellatrix could hear his relief. She inwardly snickered at his fear. He had nothing to fear. He had just THANKED him. He should be groveling at his feet right now.
"I shall need your help. I shall need all the information you can give me," the Dark Lord said.
"Of course My Lord, of course… anything," Rookwood said.
"Very well. You may go. Send Avery to me," the Dark Lord commanded.
Bellatrix quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm over herself as Rookwood came out. Her head swam with questions. Why did the Dark Lord want AVERY? Avery was a rather stupid death eater, or at least so she thought. He always was making dumb suggestions, that the Dark Lord never took. Why him?
A few minutes later, Avery went through the door, shaking with fear. What that was for, Bellatrix didn't know.
"Avery," the Dark Lord's voice was cold and foreboding. "I have just spoken to Rookwood. And I am very displeased."
There was a pause. Bellatrix craned her neck to hear.
"I found out that all the information you gave me was wrong. Bode was unable to remove it. I find out now, after months of fruitless schemes, that the informations was wrong. I must say, I am very disappointed. This is unacceptable. I must teach you a lesson," he said, his voice the angriest Bellatrix had ever heard.
"Master, please. I beg of you..please no," Avery groveled.
"Crucio," the Dark Lord said.
A terrible scream came from the room, and Bellatrix assumed that was Avery. "Serves him right," she thought. It had been a long time since she had heard the satisfying sounds of someone being tortured by the Cruciatus Curse. A small smile began to form. She could listen to his pain all night long.
"Master, PLEASE! MERCY, MERCY!" Avery screamed.
"Perhaps you should have checked your information more carefully, Avery… It may encourage you to think more," the Dark Lord said sadistically. "I do believe that I asked you several times if you were sure. And I believe you said yes. For if you denied that, you would be calling ME a liar. Do you deny it Avery? I do not tolerate lying, you see."
Anymore that was said was cut short by Avery's screams. Again, Bellatrix felt that same, sick pleasure about hearing his screams.
"Please, my Lord," Avery gasped. "No more!"
"I think not, Avery," the Dark Lord said in his deadly cold voice.
For several minutes, all Bellatrix could hear were Avery's screams. She smirked, nearly laughing at his stupidity. Even Karkaroff, who was a bloody traitor, knew waaay better than to not triple-check your information before telling the Dark Lord anything. This might teach him to remember in the future. "At least I didn't tell him anything," she thought. "For if I was wrong, I could be Avery."
With this thought, Bellatrix decided to head back to bed. She was beginning to feel sleepy, and though she would have happily fallen asleep to the screams of Avery, she knew she would be in more trouble than Avery if she was sleeping outside the Dark Lord's room. He would come to the the conclusion she was eavesdropping, and she'd be dead meat.
"Well, I guess that I was right after all," she said aloud in the safety of her room. "For I always thought Avery was an idiot."
As she began to fall asleep, she had a realization. The Dark Lord had listened to her advice. That must mean he trusted her.. Right? With this though, she fell fast asleep, Avery's screams echoing in her mind.
In case no one has noticed, the scene with Rookwood and Voldemort is in Order of the Phoenix in Harry's dream. I actually copied the dialogue from the book, so the source of that his Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix. Just so no one gets mad at me for plagurism:) I really hope that I'm making Bellatrix sadistic enough, but the fact that she actually has feelings makes it waaaay harder. And I love constructive criticism, please review! Reviews are probably the best way to tell me any feedback about the story, since I literally check how many views, reviews, etc like twice a day. No joke. Anyway, thanks for reading, and the next update should be by Monday!