Saviour of Magic

The Final Battle

"Stop it!" hissed Daphne, looking at the woman with as much hate as she could muster. "He's just a thirteen-year-old boy! What has he ever done to you?"

Bellatrix laughed as she observed the twitching boy on the ground. "It's the very fact that he exists, the bastard child of a Mudblood having gained the title of Scion of the Lestrange family."

"Pathetic," spat Daphne, trying to control the shaking of her limbs, ignoring the searing pain in her body. "To think a woman of your age would hold a grudge against a small boy just because you and loser of a husband couldn't have a child!"

SLAP!

A red handprint could be seen on Daphne's pale face as Bellatrix glared at the girl. "Don't you dare insult my husband, Greengrass," she shrieked angrily. "Don't you dare judge Rodolphus without knowing what you're talking about. He loves me more than anyone in the world and I will not allow you to disrespect him! Be warned, do it again and you won't like the consequences. Had you insulted the Dark Lord, I would have killed you on the spot!"

"I will insult anyone who brings pain to my fiancé. I haven't forgotten what you and your husband did to Harry," replied Daphne furiously, pulling Dylan close to her protectively, his head against her bosom. "Dylan is your nephew! Killing nameless, faceless people is one thing, but your own family? You really are an insane bitch, aren't you, Bellatrix? No wonder the Houses of Black and Lestrange was nearly driven to extinction by having people like you in charge."

"Not another word," said Bellatrix dangerously, her wand pointed at Daphne's forehead, the tip glowing. "Do you know who I am? I am Bellatrix, the eldest daughter of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, one of the most powerful families in all of Magical Europe! I have always known about my responsibility. Do you think I don't care about my family? Open your eyes, Greengrass! You would know the duty of the oldest sibling; I was trained by the elders in the family since I could barely walk! Who do you think taught Sirius everything he knows about politics? It surely was not his parents! Uncle Orion was too focussed on his business ventures and Aunt Walburga only cared about her parties. I took care of him and Regulus since the time they were little boys."

"If Sirius is a successful Minister, it is because of me! If Sirius is a powerful wizard, it is because of me! If Sirius has as much control over the Ministry and Wizengamot, it is because I taught him everything I knew, trained him since he was a boy, and looked after all my siblings like an elder sister should. I have done my duty to my family, and it pains me every day that my cousin was manipulated into joining the wrong side of the war. Trust me, Albus Dumbledore will pay for what he did to us, causing a rift in the Black family by interfering in our affairs. Andromeda is still alive only because she is my sister, even though she married a filthy Mudblood! This bastard," she spat at Dylan, "is the son of a Mudblood whore! He is a stain on the noble line of Lestrange, and as the Head of House, it is my duty to get rid of him."

"Not good enough," Daphne sneered at the woman. "Don't rationalize your actions, Bellatrix, because nothing can ever justify your exploits over the years. You honestly don't care about anyone but yourself. You may say that you care about your brother and sister, but if Voldemort ordered you to kill them, you wouldn't hesitate for a second, would you? Why? Because the Dark Lord's word is the law! You wouldn't hesitate to kill Sirius if your master orders you to do it, am I wrong? Where's the love you have towards your cousin then, Bellatrix? You're nothing but a drone! You're as good as an Inferius!"

Bellatrix's face contorted in rage, but the insane glint was suddenly back in her eyes. Over the past two weeks, Daphne and Dylan had the pleasure of meeting the woman every day as she tried to convince them to join the Dark Lord. In that time, Daphne had realised that Bellatrix's moods were highly mercurial. She would converse with them for an hour, talking about a variety of subjects, acting as though they were friends, and then start torturing them all of a sudden, feeling a vindictive pleasure in hearing them scream. She seemed quite unbalanced and insane.