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

Chapter Fourteen

Things gradually got worse as the weeks wore on.

Word had gotten out about what had happened with Andromeda and everyone sneered and glared at her. She was no longer the girl who was ignored, but the girl everyone made fun of, because she'd been disowned by her old family at a very young age. The reasoning for this, Bellatrix thought, was a little weak. After all, it was just one time, and it wasn't as though it was the worst crime in the world. So, why had her father disowned her sister after just one incident? She had a feeling that it was because she was a Death Eater, Cygnus felt that his other daughters were useless but to marry off to respectable wizards, so he couldn't care if he lost one. She also thought it may have something to do with his building anger towards his family because they didn't take him seriously. Andromeda had, admittedly, been the worst, sometimes going so far as to prank important meetings, but she didn't think it was worth being disowned over.

Even the Gryffindors ignored Andromeda. Molly Prewett sent her sympathetic looks across corridors whenever their paths crossed, but her friends soon pulled her away and she never got a chance to talk to the girl, which Andromeda didn't seem too bothered about.

No, it was definitely the whole concept of not being able to go back home, or see her mother again that was really eating up Andromeda. She moved around as though she was a ghost, ignoring everyone and all glares and threats that came her way. She barely even talked to Bellatrix anymore.

To top off everything, Bellatrix got a letter from home a week before the Christmas holidays telling her to stay at school while a few things were sorted out. However, in that same letter, she finally got good news.

"Andy," she called gently to the girl sat despondently opposite her at the opposite side of the table from her. "Andy, look. There's a letter from mother."

The girl looked up, suddenly interested. "What does it say?"

"Dear Andy and Belly," Bellatrix began in a quiet voice. "I am so sorry, my dear girls, for your father's attitude. Andy, I can never imagine what you have to go through. I have had words with Cygnus. I told him that you mistook Molly Prewett for the Midgeon girl and he believed me, so you're OK to come home, darling. However, I don't think it's safe enough for you to come home for Christmas, so please stay at the castle. Know that it is only in your best interests. I would love to see you again, and so would Cissy, but your father is in a foul mood and I believe it would be better for you to stay. Remember, I love you so, so much. Always have, always will, your mother, Druella."

There was silence for a while, before Andromeda began to cry, but this time with happiness. "I can go home, Belly," she grinned, and Bellatrix grinned back. 

"Just make sure that you're never caught talking to Gryffindors again," she said, sticking her tongue out, and the two laughed. 

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For the most part, the Christmas holiday went well. Much better than last years, anyway, in Bellatrix's opinion, as every time the memory of that Christmas came into her head, she cringed and felt like crawling into a ball and crying for days.

The days of the holiday past in relative silence. The two sisters would wake up, have breakfast, and then wander the castle, or the grounds, for a while, before going back in for lunch or dinner and then continuing their wanderings. In the evenings, they sat around and read mostly, but just enjoyed each other's company.

And then the other students came back from their holidays, and bad news once again dawned on the Black sisters via an owl, but this time it was far worse than anything that had happened before.

Their mother was dead.

"Andy!" Bellatrix screeched, bursting into the Library, where her sister was catching up on last-minute homework. The librarian gave her a look, but she ignored her. Tears were streaming down her face and she was feeling hysterical.

"Bella, what's-"

"It's mum," she interrupted, sobbing. "She's dead."

Andromeda's eyes widened. "What?" she gasped.

"Here," Bellatrix said, holding out the letter. "Read it."

"Dear Bellatrix and Andromeda, I'm dreadfully sorry to inform you that your mother has died," Andromeda had tears in her eyes, but she continued to scan the page as though it would tell her it was all OK. "-she was found early Christmas morning, dead on her bed. The circumstances are suspicious, as there is no sign of any- we suspect the Killing Curse?! Please understand that... blah, blah, blah... we will not be carrying out an investigation?! What?! My mother is DEAD and they can't find it in themselves to find out who did it. MY MOTHER IS DEAD!" she screamed at the top of her lungs and collapsed into her chair, sobbing.

Bellatrix saw the state her sister was in and began to cry even harder. Her mother, her rock... the only person who could support and stand up for her, who would try and keep her safe in a world where everyone was trying to get her to do evil things. The one who continuously told her she loved her, who kissed her goodnight and sang to her when she was scared, and knew her favourite things off-by-heart. Her mother was dead. Gone. Never coming back.

They were alone.