On Sunday, October 2nd, 1994, two weeks after the Dementors were removed from Azkaban, there was a disturbance at the prison.
Bellatrix Lestrange had attempted to sneak race out of Azkaban while her cell had been opened to bring her her lunch, but she was immediately caught by an Auror.
This Auror was Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had turned down the position of Minister of Magic because he believed himself more useful as an Auror.
"You aren't going anywhere, " Kingsley told Bellatrix calmly.
"Oh, yes I am," proclaimed Bellatrix boastfully, "I'm going to find my master and return him to power!"
She sounded very passionate as she said this.
"The Dark Lord will rise again and when he does, I will be honored by him for my devotion to him!" exclaimed Bellatrix fiercely.
"It's been thirteen years, " said Kingsley calmly, "Perhaps you've held out hope for too long?"
But Bellatrix had been struck by a certain idea.
"Shacklebolt, " piped up Bellatrix suddenly, "A few Death Eaters died in the Dark Lord's service when he was last in power. When my master rises again, he will need more servants. You could join the Dark Lord. If you serve him faithfully, you will be honored beyond your dreams!"
Kingsley immediately rejected this idea.
"I'll join Lord Voldemort the day Neptune is hotter than Venus!" declared Kingsley fiercely.
"So be it then, " said Bellatrix with an insane grin.
At this nanosecond, Bellatrix thought she was going to have the upper hand. She was capable of performing wandless magic and thought she could use this magic to dispose of Kingsley.
A jet of green light shot out of the end of Bellatrix's left hand. She had been meaning to aim this spell at Kingsley, but Kingsley ducked it in time and the Killing Curse hit the opened bars of the cell, reducing them to ash.
"YEAH!" screamed Bellatrix triumphantly, thinking her path to escape was now clear.
Bellatrix began to run, but Kingsley jumped on her from behind and tackled her to the ground.
"Oh, now you don't, " cried Kingsley.
Kingsley kept a startled Bellatrix pinned to the ground with his left hand while digging his right hand into his right pocket to retrieve his wand.
"Being armed won't help you against me, Shacklebolt, " taunted Bellatrix, "I can perform stronger magic than you without using a wand!"
Kingsley raised his wand and cried, "Expecto Patronum! "
A Lynx erupted from the tip of Kingsley's wand and Kingsley said, "I need help! Lestrange is trying to escape! She tried to kill me, and the spell hit her bars instead, destroying them!"
A minute and a nanosecond later, a young violet haired woman appeared.
"Keep holding her down," Tonks instructed Kingsley.
"Nymphadora?" cooed Bellatrix gleefully, "Well, it's not every day you get an easy victim!"
But with Kingsley still doggedly holding her down, Bellatrix couldn't get at Tonks.
Frustrated and getting impatient, Bellatrix mustered all her strength and finally managed to push Kingsley off of her and stand up.
While a little disoriented after being held down, Bellatrix saw an opportunity and reached back for her wandless magic again.
She attempted to use her wandless Killing Curse on Tonks, but, in her disorientation, Bellatrix tripped and fell into the jet of green light herself instead.
The jet of green light connected directly with Bellatrix's heart, and she collapsed to the floor, instantly dead, finished off by her own wandless Killing Curse.
Kingsley and Tonks stood stunned. Bellatrix was no loss, but it was a very disturbing thing to witness a person die right before your eyes.
There was a period of stiff silence that neither of them knew how long lasted.
Finally, Tonks asked Kingsley, "What now?"
"We need to file an incident report for the prison's records, " said Kingsley calmly, "And we need to inform Mr. Weasley and Madam Bones of what has happened here."
"This is the first time since we Aurors were stationed here that there has been a breakout attempt, " squealed Tonks shakily, "It's not a good look for us that we had a death in our first real incident."
"We won't get into any trouble, " Kingsley told her reassuringly, "We didn't kill her. She impaled upon her own sword if you will. I'm as uncomfortable with having witnessed her death as you are, but that comes with the territory of this job sometimes."
Tonks nodded in understanding.
The story of Bellatrix Lestrange's demise spread through the Wizarding World like an out of control wildfire.
Arthur and Amelia both thanked Kingsley and Tonks for their quick responses to the situation.
"I'm so glad I have you as an Auror, Kingsley, " said Amelia gratefully when they met later that day, "I shudder to think what could have happened if Bellatrix Lestrange had gotten on the loose."
"She is as terrible as Lord Voldemort himself, " added Arthur.
"This is why I chose to remain an Auror, " said Kingsley seriously, "I knew I might be needed for situations like today's."
"Will the story of Bellatrix's attempted escape and eventual death make the Daily Prophet tomorrow?" inquired Tonks.
"We're going to send out an Evening Prophet tonight as this is a rather big story you know," said Amelia matter of factly, "Lord Voldemort's most faithful servant meeting her end will surely be a story of interest to most witches and wizards."
That evening at dinner, Harry, Colin, Dennis, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Lily read the Evening Prophet article.
Lord Voldemort's Most Loyal Death Eater Dead After Struggle in Attempt to Escape from Azkaban:
Late Sunday afternoon, the Ministry of Magic confirmed that Bellatrix Lestrange, long known as Lord Voldemort's most loyal Death Eater, died while attempting to break out of Azkaban. Bellatrix Lestrange attempted to escape from Azkaban while her cell was opened to bring her food. She was quickly caught by prominent Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt. She attempted to kill the Auror with a wandless Killing Curse, but Shacklebolt ducked out of the way and the spell hit the bars of the cell instead. Shacklebolt held Lestrange down with his left hand and used his right hand to conjure a Talking Patronus, calling on young Auror Nymphadora Tonks. Lestrange managed to free herself from Shacklebolt's grip and stand up but was disoriented. Lestrange then tried to kill Tonks with her wandless Killing Curse but tripped and fell into the jet of green light herself, dying instantly. The failure of Madam Lestrange to escape shows that Azkaban can function quite well with the Aurors as guards and doesn't need the Dementors it so rightfully removed two weeks ago. Minister of Magic Arthur Weasley and Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Bones both expressed hope that Madam Lestrange's failure would dissuade other inmates from escape attempts."
"It looks like the new setup at Azkaban is working," said Harry matter of factly.
"But?" asked Lily curiously, "How powerful was Bellatrix Lestrange?"
"She was Voldemort's right hand woman, and she was as terrible as he," said Ginny heavily, "About a year after Lord Voldemort's downfall, Bellatrix Lestrange was one of the Death Eaters involved in a shocking and savage attack in which prominent and popular Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom were tortured into insanity."
"This attack caused great panic in the Wizarding World because it came when everyone thought they were safe, " explained Susan. "One of the most terrible incidents in Wizarding World history."
"It's a good thing she didn't escape, " said Hermione heavily, "We'd all be in grave danger if she was on the loose."
"I don't feel sorry for her passing," said Luna coldly, "She's a monster who got what she had coming to her."
"You know, " said Harry thoughtfully, "Using Aurors should make it harder to escape from Azkaban. Dementors are blind you know. Having guards who can actually see what's going on makes escape harder."
"You are wise and thoughtful, Harry Potter," piped up Lily.
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