Chapter Fifty

Bellatrix and Gemini stormed around the Come and Go room.

"He said it was in here!" Bellatrix shrieked.

"Maybe someone else took it." Gemini suggested, the noise was making her head hurt, "did he say how long it had been here for?"

Bellatrix ran her hands through her hair, "No… but he's not stepped foot in the castle for years. Dear god I hope no one else has found it."

"Maybe if we tell the others?" Gemini huffed, "Get some help searching through all of this crap!"

Bellatrix shot her daughter a hateful look, "Don't be stupid! The Dark Lord asked me and only me, I should never have even told you!"

Gemini let out a frustrated scream, flicking her wand and sending a large pile of musty, old clothes flying into the air in shreds.

"Behave yourself." Bellatrix snapped, giving her daughter a rough slap across the face that sent her sprawling on the ground, "You want to be treated like an adult but you act like a child!"

Gemini touched her fingers tenderly to her hot cheek and glared at the floor, not risking glaring directly at her mother.

"Sorry, Mater." Gemini hissed.

Bellatrix ignored her, "We're running out of time. This wasn't an all out attack and people will start to notice, if they haven't already… we need to find your brother."

"Which one?" Gemini smirked, "They're both as useless as each other."

Bellatrix's temper flared again, "Watch your tongue! One of them isn't the heir to our family, and we will need him. He will learn to be responsible, like you have."

Gemini rolled her eyes. That was almost a compliment and would have had her jumping for joy even just a few years ago, but now praise from her mother meant very little. She had her eyes set on bigger targets.

The Dark Lord would see her value, Gemini was sure of it and then she would take her place at his side and never be second to anyone else, ever again.

"He'll be in the common room." Gemini informed her mother, "At least that's where Rodolphus was when I left him. Corvus is in the hospital wing… if he survived."

Bellatrix glared down at her, "Don't think you are out of the dog house for that one either. There was no need to attack your brother so violently."

"You gave me the knife and suggested the target!" Gemini pointed out. Bellatrix gave her a small half smile and swept from the Come and Go room, the door vanishing behind them.

Bellatrix knew the way to the common room and led her daughter down the twisted path. The door stood blocking their way.

Gemini opened her mouth to give the password but Bellatrix just raised her wand, the door shattering and blowing violently into the room.

They both stepped over the wreckage, looking around as the dust settled.

"Miss Parkinson, Miss Greengrass," Bellatrix said coolly, "You appear to be the only ones awake."

"Get out of here." Daphne said firmly, "There is nothing for you here."

Bellatrix pressed her wand tip to the side of her mouth and looked coyly at them, "I haven't seen my baby boy in such a long time…"

Pansy snorted a laugh, "Pull the other one."

"Just a hug from his mummy?" Bellatrix asked.

"Go away." Daphne hissed, "You aren't permitted contact with your children, Gemini shouldn't be with you either!"

"You should go to your room while you can." Pansy offered, Gemini looked very young standing next to her mother.

"Why would I?" Gemini snapped, "I'm where I am meant to be. RODOLPHUS!"

Pansy and Daphne both sent stunning spells towards Gemini and Bellatrix, which Bellatrix deflected effortlessly.

"Gemini, go and get your bother." Bellatrix hissed, "I'll deal with these two disgusting blood traitors."

Gemini nodded and dived up the boys staircase, spells flying over her head. Pansy reached out an arm, catching Gemini's leg as she went passed.

Gemini fell to the stairs and looked behind her. She kicked her leg harshly, sending Pansy's arm cracking against the corner of the wall and forcing her to let go as she yelped with pain.

Rodolphus's dorm was at the top of the stairs, as her's was on the other side, but she couldn't be sure that he would be in his dorm.

Still it made sense to start from the top and work down, she thought to herself.

He wasn't difficult to find, lounging on his bed and laughing with Crabbe and Goyle while Millicent ran her fingers through his hair.

"Oh, hi Gem." He smiled, "What are you doing here? Daphne and Pansy shoved us all up here, claiming Harry told them to… tell you what, we'll get him expelled for this!" he let out a loud laugh, "See who's so great then, hey! Stupid Potter."

"Rodolphus was just telling us his plan, to act all hurt when we can see the teachers, to get Potter gone." Millicent giggled, "He's so clever!"

"Get up." Gemini snapped, lowering her wand and grabbing his wrist.

She ignored the protests from everyone in the dorm as she dragged her brother from the room and slammed the door behind her.

"Getting Potter expelled? That's you master plan?" Gemini said shaking her head, her hair flying wildly around her face, "Here I am, breaking down the barriers to one of the most secure buildings in the country and what are you doing? Trying, pathetically I might add, to get someone expelled! You're a disgrace to the Lestrange name!"

Rodolphus pulled his hand free and slapped Gemini, hard across the face, adding to her already stinging cheek from earlier. He raised his hand to hit her again but she blocked the blow, leaving them glaring at each other.

"Remember who you are talking to!" Rodolphus hissed, "I am still heir to this family, no matter what you think of me or how well I fit in with your demented schemes."

Gemini forced herself not to scream. She could see herself clearly, ripping his eyes out, the blood dripping down her hands as he screamed and she laughed.

She shook her head and forced herself to take a deep breath, "Whatever you say, just hurry the fuck up."

Rodolphus glared at her but followed without another word.

"Mater!" he gasped, reaching the destroyed common room.

Daphne and Pansy lay on opposite sides of the room, Pansy half covered with rubble where part of the plaster had fallen from the celling and wall behind her. Every painting and tapestry was torn or burnt, or more often both. The furniture was destroyed, the seats by the fire still burning strongly.

Both Daphne and Pansy were bleeding from various cuts, large bruises showing on every bit of showing skin. Daphne was also struggling with her leg, the bone poking out nastily.

Bellatrix was looking curiously at them, "It's strange, every time I try and kill them, something stops it… same with my favourite little spell… it really is most strange." she sent a killing curse at Daphne, a bit of the celling falling and blocking the spell, leaving Daphne with nothing but a few more grazes from the exploding rumble, "See what I mean?"

"I have the prodigal son." Gemini said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Bellatrix gave them a small smile, "Well done. It's time to go."

"Go where?" Rodolphus looked confused, jumping slightly as Pansy moaned, trying to push a bit of rubble from her leg.

"Home of course." Bellatrix said, "The Dark Lord is waiting."

"I've not packed." Rodolphus moaned, "I have some very nice robes here, I don't want to just lose them!"

"Are you being serious?" Gemini snapped, giving him a shove, "This is the start of changing the world and you care about your clothes?"

Rodolphus snarled at her, "I didn't say that! But don't pretend that you don't care about all your new pretty dresses either! It's nice to actually dress like the family we should be for once!"

"Enough!" Bellatrix shrieked as Gemini raised her wand at her brother, "Look at you two! This is why you are not a proper Death Eater, Gemini. You have no self control."

Gemini lowered her head, burning with rage. It was never worth arguing with her parents.

"Go and find Dumbledore." Bellatrix ordered her daughter. "I have no use for you here."

Gemini didn't argue and left the room as quickly as she could. Pansy grasped at a nearby bit of tapestry still some how fixed to the wall and pulled herself up into a more seated position.

"I will buy you new clothes." Bellatrix spat at her son, "But Gemini is right, you should be ashamed of yourself."

Rodolphus lowered his head, "Yes Mater, I'm sorry it's just-"

"Just what?" Bellatrix shrieked, her face calmed, "I have missed you so much… everyday has been so difficult without you."

Rodolphus looked hopefully at her, "Really?"

"Yes of course." She cooed, "You are my son."

"Don't listen to her!" Pansy gasped out.

"Stay out of it." Bellatrix snarled, "And thank your lucky stars you're still breathing."

"Rodolphus listen to us." Daphne said forced out, "Please, you saw what it was like with Draco, they were kind, they loved him… she doesn't love you!"

"I broke into the castle to bring you home, I risked everything, I risk prison to come and get you!" Bellatrix insisted, trying to stay calm.

"Whatever reason she came here tonight, you were an after thought, I can promise you that!" Pansy snapped.

Rodolphus looked warily between his mother and the staircase behind him.

Bellatrix's eye grew cold, "Make up your mind." she said after a minute, "I don't have time to waste, you are either coming with me, or you loose your place in this family. Your choice!"

Rodolphus took a slow step forwards.

"Rodolphus don't." Daphne gasped, clutching at her leg.

"Make your choice." Bellatrix repeated.

"I… I'm coming, Mater." Rodolphus said, although he sounded less than sure.

Bellatrix held out her hand for him before sweeping from the room, leaving Pansy and Daphne unable to move very far and feeling completely defeated.

Gemini got out of the common room, and far enough down the hallway so she wouldn't be heard before letting out a painfully loud scream and bashing her head against the wall. It left a little, cooling trickle of blood working its way down her face and refocused her thoughts.

Her arm still hurt from where she'd carved into it to let her mother and the others in, but it seemed that as long as Rodolphus was around, she would never be good enough. He didn't deserve to come home. He never helped, he never planned anything worth while and yet he was still the favourite.

It didn't matter right now, what mattered was finding Dumbledore.

He wouldn't be in his office; the castle would be well aware that they were under attack by now and it made no sense that he would just be sitting around waiting for it to all simply go away.

However, Hogwarts was a big place.

Gemini raced down the corridors, looking for any sign of where he might be and was ready to give up, dreading the moment when they would have to return to the Dark Lord and inform him they failed on both of the missions they were given, when she saw Lily, Harry's mother, walking shakily down the steps from the Astronomy Tower.

Gemini tucked herself into the wall as Lily let out a single sob before wiping her eyes, squaring her shoulders and heading to where it sounded like the large battle was taking place. It would only take her a few minutes to check the Astronomy tower, it was worth a look.

Harry watched his mother leave and took several deep breaths, squeezing his eyes shut, his head swimming. Above him he could hear Dumbledore pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.

What had Dumbledore meant by fattening Harry up? Normally that had something to do with slaughter, but Dumbledore wanted Harry to win surely?

Harry sat there, not sure how long was ticking past before he felt the need to confront Dumbledore grow too strong inside him. He wasn't going to hurt Dumbledore, at least not physically; his mother was right, it would hurt him more in the long run to let him live and tell the world what his did.

Dumbledore could die a pathetic, old man in Azkaban, hated by everyone, his glory long forgotten.

Harry was just about to drop down to the floor when he heard the door above him open again. He pulled himself back into place and saw Gemini looking in, looking even more unstable than he'd seen her that year.

Dumbledore's head snapped round to her before he waved his hand dismissively.

"You don't have time to see me, sir?" Gemini said innocently, her eyes growing wide, "I can come back when it's more convenient." she let out a wild laugh.

"What is it, Miss Lestrange?" Dumbledore said tightly.

Gemini shrugged, "I was sent to find you."

Dumbledore's looked at her, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, "Really? Why?"

Gemini shook her black ringlets, "That's not the question… the question is… am I going to tell them where you are?"

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, "Why wouldn't you?"

"I've had a very difficult night, I'm feeling all unappreciated." Gemini said, sticking out her bottom lip.

Dumbledore nodded, thinking for a moment, "You weren't glad to see your mother?"

Gemini shrugged, "It was an awful lot of work but I didn't do it for her."

"You did it for Voldemort?" Dumbledore guessed correctly.

Gemini's eyes flared with anger, "How dare you say his name?!"

Dumbledore smiled, "I think you'll find he would be quite happy to hear I have moved on to calling him Voldemort. Time was that I was still fixed on calling him Tom."

"Tom Riddle no longer exists. It is no mere man that has taken his place, he is greater than any man, than anyone who has ever lived!" Gemini insisted.

"I am surprised that you know he was once Tom Riddle." Dumbledore said, smiling slightly to her.

"I'm not as stupid as people think I am." Gemini said, sticking her nose in the air.

Dumbledore nodded, looking out to the darkness of the grounds, "How did you get them in in the end?"

"I used old blood magic and Petal." Gemini smirked, "I also used her to pass notes back and forth with Mater, and to poison Draco. I nearly got them in that evening, but Petal was called away."

"That magic nearly sent Dobby insane." Dumbledore said, matter of factly, "And it was a more direct link. What has it done to Petal?"

Gemini shrugged, not an ounce of her caring, "I didn't check, but she was spitting blood which normally isn't a very good sign." she smirked.

"You are very young to have a death toll." Dumbledore warned her.

Gemini rolled her eyes and let out a yawn, "Oh please. House elves hardly count… I have far bigger plans for my first kill."

Dumbledore looked at her, and narrowed his eyes, "It is sad how Voldemort has corrupted you so much. I had hoped that the Malfoys would be a positive influence on you over the summer."

"To weaker minds, maybe." Gemini said, stepping forward so she could stand next to Dumbledore looking out the window, "Corvus is a lost cause now, not that there was much there to begin with. Rodolphus will fall as well, but not me. I will always stand strong for My Dark Lord."

"I see." Dumbledore sighed, "And there is nothing that will save you from this fate you have chosen?"

Gemini smiled "It's sweet of you to try." she said batting her eyelashes.

She cleared the final step between them and gave Dumbledore an almighty shove. Dumbledore stumbled backwards, clutching onto the very edge of the window frame.

"Please…" he said breathlessly.

Gemini reached forward and shoved his chest again, forcing his hands from the stone.

Dumbledore fell from the window, hitting the ground with a sickening crunch. Harry knew he was dead, he couldn't say how but he knew that Dumbledore was dead.