The Untold Story of: Bellatrix Lestrange (Untold Stories Book One)

Chapter Five

September the first rolled around slowly from that day on in the Black household.

Ever since the man had left, Druella had been silent and submissive and had scared all of her daughters by her pale face and empty expression and ignorance to their pleas. Bellatrix tried to forget the man she had seen, but it was very difficult, and she told no one about it, so as to not give them nightmares, too. Cygnus went away again the day before, but the jovial feeling to the house didn't return.

It wasn't until the aforementioned date that Druella really showed any trace of life again. She smiled for the first time in a while as she woke up Bellatrix and the other two girls. She tickled her eldest and gushed at how happy she was for her. She whispered words of encouragement as she helped them to pack and dress, and described bits of her own life at Hogwarts. Bellatrix felt herself get excited and couldn't wait to see the soaring towers and beautiful grounds of the castle.

Once they were all ready, they all piled into a small carriage- the Blacks were a very old-fashioned family- and waited to turn up on the main street in Muggle London. They entered Kings Cross Station, trying to act as inconspicuous as possible, holding hands and talking non-stop. When she was told how to get to the platform, Bellatrix felt her stomach jump to her throat.

"Through- through that wall?" she asked, incredulous.

Druella gave a light laugh. "Of course. But it doesn't hurt one bit. Hold my hand and it'll be fine."

Bellatrix clung tighter to her mother's hand and Narcissa took her other one, while Andromeda held Druella's. Then, on the count of three, they walked straight through the wall and emerged onto the other side.

Bellatrix heard her sisters gasp, and she felt herself repeat the process. It was amazing; full of life and laughter and yelling and... everything she had been told not to be like. And she loved it. She loved the freedom she felt, because no one here paid attention to her, and she just blended in. Suddenly, she couldn't wait to get on the train and make new friends and buy things off the trolley and-

"Bellatrix, listen to me," Druella said, and her daughter looked at her with wide eyes, because her mother never called her by her full name. "You must only make friends with the people you already know. You know Fenrir? Stick with him. He'll show you the ropes, tell you who is good and not good to be friends with; what's good and bad to do. He'll help you, do you understand? You must stay with him, don't make any other friends, until you are with him. You need to be protected."

Those were rather urgent words that made Bellatrix scared. "Mummy, what if I'm in Gryffindor?"

Druella looked as though she wanted to reassure the girl, but she knew she couldn't. It wouldn't go down at all well with Cygnus if she was in Gryffindor. "When you have the hat on," Druella said slowly. "Think about how much you want to be in Slytherin. About how much your father and I want you to be in Slytherin. Think like a Slytherin, and you will have no problem."

She glanced around the station warily, before hugging her daughter furiously, tears in her eyes. "I love you, Belly, don't you ever forget that."

Bellatrix would have laughed at the nickname, were it not for the urgent tone in her mother's voice. "Of course not, mummy. I love you."

Druella stood, straightened her robes, and guided her daughter onto the train. She helped her with her trunk and found her Fenrir Greyback to help her settle in. Then she gave her a light kiss on the forehead, turned and left.

And Bellatrix had never quite felt so alone.