AN: Fairly short transition chapter. Honestly, I tried to lengthen it but it didn't really suit the mood of the chapter. I feel like a lot of the moments in this chapter deserved to be on the shorter side. Also, to address a review yesterday regarding Harry's introspection to being reckless in the last chapter. Um, he had major head trauma and does not remember what happened the first few months in school. I always believed some of the behavior in the first book was in part to fit in and prove something if anything to himself. Will he act more like cannon Harry as far as recklessness goes later on...maybe. But the trauma he experienced with the troll incident and the head trauma itself is going to have an affect on him. That's why it's an AU and there's a thing called character development that happens when shit happens to you.

Chapter 18: Ding Dong the Bitch is Dead

Andromeda Tonks still couldn't believe the headline "Ding Dong the Bitch is Dead".

Her big sister gone killed by her nephew's abuser. Killed by her own accidental magic. Accidental magic that happened because she couldn't defend herself from a mad muggle.

Petunia Dursley had been driven mad by the very short stint in Azkaban she had served decided to attack Bellatrix. It had seemed Bella had fought back until her magic took over and ended up killing them both and even injuring Pettigrew in the process.

Bella had set herself on fire of all things.

Andromeda wanted to puke when she read the article. In fact, she did puke. She didn't even know how she was supposed to react. She was devastated, but knew everyone else wouldn't be. A few months ago, she probably wouldn't have been either. She wouldn't be throwing a parade like Augusta Longbottom undoubtedly would be doing, but she wouldn't have felt like this…

She frowned, knowing how Narcissa, Sirius, and Harry would feel.

They—meaning her and Cissy— had made a conscious effort not to stay much about Bella. Harry had been so ill and there really had not been a need until very recently. Besides, since Sirius was released, and they felt like he should be the one to tell his son about his mother.

And they had hoped…

The grief was just too much.

"Andi?"

She turned to see Cissy's head in the fireplace. She wasn't surprised.

Cissy looked awful. There was no other way to describe it. Her sister, who was usually all about appearances didn't look a bit poised like she normally did. Her grey eyes were red and she was pale beyond belief. Her hair as probably the worst she had ever seen—even counting the ritual.

"When did you find out?"

"The Prophet," She stated. "You?"

"Same," she said. "Lucius may have gotten an emergency floo call from the ministry ten or so minutes before but…"

"No one said anything she said. None of this makes sense. Petunia Dursley?"

"I… can you come over?" Narcissa said. "I'm sorry I know it's your day off but…"

She didn't even need to ask. It wasn't like Ted as here anyway. He was planning on deposing Minerva McGonagall today regarding the Granger matter. Personally, she hoped he would eviscerate the professor. She really felt for that poor little girl and her family.

Narcissa couldn't believe that she had died. This wasn't supposed to happen, it wasn't supposed to happen.

She could barely remember floo calling Andi or Andi coming over and them just crying until finally she said, "Harry."

She knew her nephew would be awake at this point. The house elves had probably served him breakfast. Luckily, he wasn't allowed to have the paper delivered to his room but still she needed to check on his leg.

Andi looked at her.

"Check on him."

"He's going to know something is wrong," she said. "I don't think I can tell him I don't even know what happened."

She couldn't. She didn't want to believe that Rita's versions of events were correct. That that horrid Dursley woman had almost beaten her sister to death and her sister's magic had reacted violently and killed them both.

Burned to death.

It was a horrible fate.

Bella didn't deserve this.

She deserved none of this.

Just because some crazy redhead decided to steal her baby, Bella's entire life was destroyed. She wanted to curse something, she wanted to do anything, but she couldn't.

Her sister was dead.

And it was her fault.

She shouldn't have had Lucius intervene. She knew something was to happen to Bella to get her out of the general lockup, but she thought they were merely giving her something to upset her stomach not sending in an enrage woman to kill her.

It was her fault.

"Aunt Narcissa?"

Harry was staring at her. Harry and Sirius.

Sirius had gotten Harry communication mirrors. She wasn't that surprised he had told her he was thinking of purchasing them in one of their letters to each other, but today of all days.

It was clear from her brother-in-law's face he had not heard the news yet. She didn't want to tell him, but she would. She had to.

She could only imagine if he had the news broken to her and Harry…she didn't even know what to tell him.

The paper.

It had been so cruel to Bella. Not even mourning her death. The article was titled "Ding Dong the Bitch is Dead!" for Merlin's sake. She was a pureblood, and she still knew that reference to that vulgar muggle movie. Of course, Rita had to muggle up her sister's death.

She wished she could sue for just that or anything really.

"Cissy?" Sirius asked when Harry was gone.

"Siri….it's Bella." Narcissa said, "She's….she's gone."

She couldn't be dead. She couldn't be.

That was Sirius's first thought when Narcissa told him the news that his wife died. Killed by one of his son's tormentors. He felt rage surge throughout his entire body. He wanted to kill someone, but he couldn't.

Petunia Dursley was dead already and his wife was gone. It felt so senseless…

He wanted a drink, but he couldn't. The Center didn't allow it and quite honestly most of the time was glad, but not today.

And to think the day had started out so well…he had saw their son and spoke to him for the first time.

Harry seemed to really enjoy the mirrors he got from Remus.

He had been so happy about reconnecting with an old friend but now…

Don't fall apart, be there for him.

Of course he'd hear her voice at this time. He didn't…he didn't know what he was going to do. He didn't know what he was going to tell his son.

He barely could even remember asking the house elves to contact his healers to get him something to settle him down so he could just fade away. Because he couldn't. Just not yet.

This was not how this shit was to fucking happen.

Lestrange was only supposed to get beat up, not beaten near to death and then burned near to a crisp.

It was amazing she was still alive.

Alive but barely alive at that.

And if she didn't stay alive she was pretty sure Lucius was going to sue her department's ass off best he could since he had been glaring at her pretty much as soon as he was told about what happened last night.

How was she to know that Petunia Dursley would have an extreme reaction to the aggression potion? And for that matter, that Lestrange would have a rare occurrence of adult accidental magic? The fucking island was supposed to drain the magic from you by whittling away your emotions. Then again, being beaten near to fucking death would do it to you. Make you emotional that is.

The whole thing was a fucking bloody disaster. Bellatrix was now in severe condition and would likely need to be transferred, Dursley was dead, and she was no step closer to getting Riddle's horcrux and it didn't look like Lucius was wanting to barter at this point since he stated that being beaten to near death more or less was Bellatrix paying her price.

Or at the very least ,she wouldn't be getting the horcrux until the woman lived and substantial deviations were made from the original deal which included paying for the woman's treatment should she live and for her new life.

Something Amelia did not really want to do but knew she more or less had no choice otherwise there would likely be a whole new scandal about how Britian was violating international law with how they treated their prisoners.

"I want the horcrux, Lucius. That's non-negotiable."

He rolled his eyes, "You'll get it if my client lives. How the hell did this happen? How did Dursley react so poorly to the rage potion."

"It's a fucking rage potion, I don't know." Amelia said rolling her eyes before adding. "Obviously, we are going to run some tests. Lestrange was only supposed to be a little beaten up. Nothing this drastic."

Not in a complete body cast with half her hair burnt off, beaten beyond recognition with one of her eyes almost fucking gouged out, with several missing teeth, and God knows what else. She had given as good as she got, Amelia thought, thinking of Dursley's corpse.

The only reason she didn't think Lestrange was in the ground at this point was because of her magic.

The crazy ass bitch won't die, she thought. Or she better not die. She hated thinking that. The one good thing is what happened last night should satisfy anyone questioning the woman's death. Originally the plan was for her to "die" in the infirmity through drought of the living dead once the exchange was made and then for her to move to some foreign country and never set foot in Britain again. Now though, things had gotten way more complicated.

The number of treatments she'd need if she survived would be expensive at best. Obviously, paying for Lestranges new identity would now be their burden.

She grimaced at the thought of that.

"I suppose you'll want her sent to Bern too," she said rolling her eyes.

"I imagine she'll need more than a medical spa," Lucius said. "Considering all the treatment and reconstruction work she's going to need. But yes, after most of the physical damage is repaired, Bern might be nice."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "There's a place in France, I think that might work. They do a lot of reconstructive work. I'll have to reach out to a couple of contacts."

"That is if she survives," he said.

She glared at him, "She will survive."

"You hope she'll survive." Lucius said.

Lucius frowned as he looked at his sister in-law's prone form on a bed in the infirmary in Azkaban. It was amazing she was still alive at the moment. He knew transport was being arranged to send her to a hospital in Lyon as he was checking in on her. If she survived….it was going to be a rough few months for her.

He had been reluctant about her signing the deal earlier in part because Amelia had wanted her roughened up to get her in the infirmary, he didn't think he'd have her beaten so close to death that she'd experience accidental magic that would almost kill her and kill her attacker.

Though it served Dursley right. Bitch deserved to be incinerated to death after what she did to that boy.

"Lucius…"

He was surprised she could speak or was even awake. Then again, she was probably due for potions. The island didn't exactly have the best healers. Just a mediwitch. Really, prison reform needed to be done. Just no one wanted to do it after the last war.

"Black," he said.

"I'm…how am I alive?"

"Magic," He said. "You'll be happy to know Dursley's dead."

"Good…" She said, "And I'll be dead soon too. Or Bellatrix Lestrange will be dead."

He looked at her.

"The plan still goes forward if I live. No one needs to know I'm alive. Let them….let them move on."

"But your husband," he said not knowing why he was pleading with her to tell her relatives the truth even though they had both agreed to faking her death earlier. Maybe it was because he thought he could renegotiate the terms…but it didn't matter in the end.

"No," She said. "Siri…Siri doesn't deserve this. No one does. He's already waited too long. Cissy too. Please."

She then fell unconscious.

He grimaced.

He should've told her about the boy.

But he knew it wouldn't have mattered. She wouldn't believe him. He couldn't tell anyone based on privilege and the agreement he signed with the ministry earlier, but he'd stick with the crazy ass bitch regardless if she survived for if nothing else for his wife.

Chapter 19 Preview: The fallout continues. We'll see Harry's reaction and we'll held to Bern again and maybe Cokeworth.