When awareness came back to Bellatrix Lestrange, she was very confused. She was certain that she had been hit with a curse during her duel and would wake up in great pain back in Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix was surprised that nothing hurt, and opened her eyes, prepared to shout at whatever Healer had put a numbing spell on her. Hadn't she told them she'd rather be in pain than feel nothing?

Bellatrix stared around in shock, realising that she wasn't at Malfoy Manor. She was still at Hogwarts. A voice interrupted her thoughts: "Hello, Madam Lestrange…."

She turned, her movements more smooth than a surprise greeting usually warranted. Bellatrix raised both hands, ready to kill, though no magic was forthcoming from her. "What the bloody hell is going on?!" she demanded, half of herself and half of the thing before her. It was the Bloody Baron.

"Shhh," he scolded her. "They'll hear you, and we all want to watch."

"Who?" she demanded in a hushed voice. "Why are you here? Why am I here?"

"You've died," the Bloody Baron sighed. "And you've joined the ranks of the Hogwarts ghosts. Now do hush. We don't want the Ministry to call out the ghost exterminators."

Bellatrix glared at him in rage before looking to where he was gazing. They must have been high in the ceiling of the Great Hall, for they were looking down on the four House tables and the staff table. She saw several students and most teachers, along with several Ministry officials. She was about to cackle with glee when the Bloody Baron glared at her.

He hissed, "Keep quiet. They must not know we are watching, and you'll want to be a secret, I'm sure. People won't take kindly to the idea of their children going to Hogwarts once they realise who the newest spirit is."

She wanted to hurt him, but decided to stay silent and watch until she understood better what was going on. The Hall still looked as it had during the battle—dear Merlin, Narcissa was still there, with Draco and Lucius. She could have sworn the older Malfoy had run off when Potter had come back to life...speaking of Potter, he was perfectly alive, talking with—

"Where is He?" she demanded of the Bloody Baron in a deadly voice.

"Who?" the Baron said in annoyance. "Oh, your Dark Lord? Why, dead, of course. Though he hasn't the luxury of being a ghost. Potter defeated him in a duel, much as it pains me to—"

"No!" Bellatrix gasped. "Quit lying to me!"

"I don't think lying to you is a wise option, but telling the truth and not being believed is very irritating," the Baron replied, frowning at her. "The Dark Lord is dead. He has faded to nothing: his body is...somewhere. Maybe they already burnt it—look, isn't that your third sister? The blood-traitor? My goodness, the two of you are very much—!"

Bellatrix reached out and slapped him, smirking although the cold feeling she got from slapping him disturbed her. "Don't you dare!" she hissed in fury, but turned back to see if he was right. "Andromeda..."

She moved closer, and the Baron pulled her behind a few candles. "What are you doing!? You can't let them see you!"

"I have to get closer!" Bellatrix snapped angrily. "Leave me alone!"

"Then take my hand," the Baron said. "We'll have to be invisible, and you don't know how." She couldn't even speak in her fury as he took her hand and went straight down to the floor. "Now don't let go, or you'll be found out," he warned. "Look there: your sister is going over to your body—few people have the privilege of seeing themselves after death like this."

Bellatrix stared. It was almost like looking in a mirror, except the mirror was a table. She was lying on the Ravenclaw House table, her eyes wide open, but unseeing. Her wand was lying a few feet away from her, abandoned by its fallen mistress. Andromeda was now standing beside the table, looking at the body lying there. Bellatrix gritted her teeth in fury, and the Baron shook his head slightly.

Andromeda reached out and brushed Bellatrix's hair back from her face. "Bella, I'm so sorry," she breathed. "I should have stayed: I should have protected you." A tear ran down Andromeda's cheek as she crossed Bellatrix's left arm over her body. "You were so strong, so powerful—you shouldn't have died like this."

Bellatrix felt both anger and sadness as she watched the brown-haired witch clasp her hand tightly. Andromeda seemed to be very disturbed by the sight of her body, and Bellatrix was very glad for it. "I failed you," Andromeda choked softly, struggling to be quiet enough not to draw attention to herself. "I'm so sorry, Bellatrix."

To Bella's surprise, the woman reached out and closed the dead witch's eyes before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love you," Andromeda whispered, then turned away as an Auror shouted at her to get away.

"Idiot," Bellatrix glared at the Auror, and the Baron drew her away from the situation.

"Yes, they are idiots," he said. "But they are rather interesting to watch. It makes me often wonder if I was like that as a living wizard…."

"Andromeda," Bella muttered, staring at the woman. "Why would she even care about me? She never cared—she hated me—why does she want my body?"

Bellatrix realised moments later that Andromeda had spoken out in order for Narcissa to be able to acquire her body. "Brilliant," she muttered. "Just when I thought Andromeda might think I was worth burying…."

The Baron frowned. "She probably does, but being disowned, Narcissa is the only one who could get you into the Black family cemetery. Am I correct?"

"You should have been a Ravenclaw," Bellatrix groaned. "Except for the part where you went around stabbing everyone. I should have thought of that."

"Well, when you first become part of the spirit world, you will be very confused," the Baron nodded sagely. "And don't forget: I watched you and your sisters at school—I know the three of you."

"Well, isn't that just precious," Bellatrix rolled her eyes at him. She turned away from the scene as Narcissa left Hogwarts with her body. "How about somewhere secret where spirits learn of their new talents?"

The Baron grinned and led her quickly down a hallway before sinking through the floor. Bellatrix shouted in annoyance and he came back, grabbing her hand and dragged her through the castle until she knew she would have been sick if she could. "Welcome to the Parliament of Ghosts," he grinned, and led her straight through a wall. "You will meet the others and learn of the rules that guide us. Some of us stretch them, but well, we are not Slytherin House ghosts for no reason."

Bellatrix smirked slightly. Well, she would test the limits and find out just how much she could get away with as a spirit. Nothing would hold back Bellatrix Black Lestrange: not even Death.