Lost Memories

Chapter 21: Few Things To Explain

A few days had passed since the Chamber of Secrets was finally closed once and for all. The fear had eventually died down around the school and had been replaced with a brilliant sense of peace for those who weren't aware of the growing presence of Voldemort. The teachers, however, didn't share the blissful ignorance that some of the students had. They knew the truth about Voldemort's strength and had to start planning for the event of him possibly taking full form again.

 In the mean time, Ron, Hermione and Harry had all requested to meet me after their classes to speak about something that they said was very important. I was rather interested to know what the Golden Trio had in store for me. But, from all that they had learnt this year, I would be surprised if they didn't have questions or burning curiosity. I did have a feeling, however, that they had fallen upon some interesting news that they hoped to share, or confirm, with me.

I watched in silence at the three of them fumbled around the chairs, trying to nervously take their spots. After some moments, Hermione huffed in annoyance and commanded the boys to take the seats on the end before she sat down on Harry's right. My hands folded together and  rested on the desk before me as I eagerly awaited their news. 

"So, how may I help you?" I asked. 

Harry fidgeted apprehensively in his seat before he managed to start his statement, "That day when Ron and I were, um, eavesdropping we heard you talking about that prison and we wanted to ask you ..."

When Hermione realized that Harry was not ready to ask the question, she faced me confidently and said, "We wanted to know why you were there. We don't understand; is it punishment?" 

I respected their courage for asking. "No, it wasn't a punishment. I asked for that position."

Ron's mouth fell open as he exclaimed, "Why would you do that? You spent almost a year there willingly while the people there try to escape."

"I know, many people thought I was absolutely insane for taking it. I took this job as an attempt to regain the Ministry's trust by capturing Death Eaters and taking a position that no one wanted to prove that I wasn't helping Voldemort," I explained. There were some details, like Sirius, that they weren't ready to know just yet - especially Harry.

"Why would you visit Bellatrix?" Hermione questioned.

I was about to answer when Harry, who was very puzzle at the new name, asked, "Who is she?"

"She is one of the worst Death Eaters. Completely ruthless," Ron explained. He was probably the only one out of the three who really knew the tales of the formidable Bellatrix Lestrange and the treacherous she was capable of. 

"I visited her because she led the ambush to murder my father. When someone you love is murdered you have this hate in your heart that never truly heals ... I just had to see her where she belonged for killing him," I said.

Hermione and Ron may not have understood the feeling of having the person you loved murdered but Harry did. Sympathetically, he asked, "How old were you?"

"I was 12 - the age you are now, actually," I answered.

Ron became white as a ghost at the statement. He fiddled with his fingers as he stammered, "I - I could never imagine my dad ..."

"Were you two close?" Harry asked.

"My father and I were always close but when my mother left us we got even closer since it was just the two of us. I was daddy's little girl and we were inseparable," I admitted. "He taught me everything I know today."