Bellatrix's Lost Daughter

Ch. 23 The Day After

I returned home that night with a permanent smile on my face as I headed to my room where I quickly fell asleep. I woke the next day thinking of Kyle. I needed to see him and so I got up pulling on jeans and a tank top. I ran downstairs to find my father standing there.

"Hello Natasha, Kyle isn't here. I needed something so he went to retrieve it and I promise it's something simple," my father said as I frowned slightly but nodded.

"I'm going to head out to the garden. When he returns tell him where I am please," I said pressing my lips to my father's cheek before I headed outside. I sat in the garden letting the sun warm my skin. I shut my eyes as memories from last night floated through my head the kiss standing out from everything else. I felt two arms wrap around me as a scream escaped my lips followed by a violent apperation. My body thrown roughly to the floor the moment we landed. I winced in pain as my dark eyes found his cold blue ones.

"Crucio," He said seconds before pain filled my body. I arched my back trying desperately to stop the searing agony Dumbledore was causing me as my screams filled the room. He laughed at me only releasing the spell when he grew bored. I panted laying weakly against the floor unmoving as he crouched down next to me. "I warned you and yet you still ignored me. Last chance, help me or I will break you just like the Longbottoms." I didn't respond and instead tried to ignore the lingering effects of the Cruciatus Curse.

"Can't we just get rid of her. She isn't of use anymore?" Harry's voice filled the room and for the first time I realized I wasn't alone with Dumbledore.

"She's the fulcrum to his strength," Dumbledore said looking at me with disgust. "Natasha if you don't join us we will do exactly what I said!"

"No," I managed to say weakly with defiance in my eyes. He stood his face hard. I didn't hear the words leave his lips but I felt the pain. My body fought against itself while the pain flooded every inch of my body an involuntary scream ripping past my lips once more.

"You stupid brat!" Dumbledore yelled while three year old me sobbed on the floor holding her knee. "Why are you crying? It's barely hurt!" He continued to yell as I cried. "Just like your horrid parents." He mumbled before drawing his wand. "Crucio." My tiny form wiggled on the floor as my screams echoed around the room. I couldn't escape the pain until Dumbledore stopped and muttered "obliviate."

The new memory faded away as Dumbledore stopped the curse. I breathed heavily while Dumbledore looked at me.

"You hurt me my entire life," I whispered my voice raw from screaming while Dumbledore glared at me. "I was a child."

"You were never a child!" He roared hitting me with another spell. "Sectumsempra!" Blood gushed from the gashed Dumbledore created on my body as I gasped. Blood spurted from my mouth as I coughed.

"If I wasn't a child then you weren't good," I said seconds before darkness consumed me.
---
I woke later still in Dumbledore's office but I was chained to the wall. I looked and saw the cuts had been healed but I was still covered in dried blood. Tears pooled in my eyes as I thought of my family, they must be worried.

"I see you are awake," Dumbledore said and then came the pain. I cried out as he continued to use the Cruciatus curse on me. He released the spell as my eyes found his. "Your father will love to see you like this." He smirked as I pulled against the chains ignoring the pain as anger pulsed through me.

"You're a monster!" I yelled at him while he laughed.

"Hardly," He said before sitting at his desk to owl my father I believed.

"He won't come for me," I stated but Dumbledore continued writing before giving the note to Fawkes. Within a few minutes my father had written a reply which Dumbledore tossed at me.

Deal

I stared at the word on the paper when Dumbledore grabbed my bicep unlocking the chains before apperating to where everything started, Wool's orphanage. Dumbledore stood with his hand squeezing my bicep while we waited in the dark for my father's arrival which I hoped never came. My heart dropped when my father and mother appeared before me. Dumbledore let go of my arm and my legs gave out as I hit the ground pain flashing across my body.

"Nat," my mom cried out taking a step forward only to have my father stop her.

"Let her go and you can have me," my father said as laughter filled the room.

"Why would I do that when I can make you suffer in the cruelest of ways," Dumbledore responded. I knew what he meant and I also knew nothing could stop what was going to happen. "Avada Kedavra!" The green light flew off Dumbledore's wand striking me before anyone could react. I felt a brief moment of agony before I felt nothing. The last thing I saw before darkness consumed me was the tears of pain and anger on my mother's face while my father held her tightly not letting her do something reckless.
---
"Natasha," a voice called to me as I opened my eyes. I was laying on the grass in an unknown location. I got to my feet looking around before freezing at the person in front of me.

"Who are you?" I asked as she approached me with a kind smile.

"I'm your grandmother," she said caressing my cheek. "My son loves you dearly little snake."

"You're Merope," I muttered looking at my grandmother in shock. She laughed slightly at my expression before growing serious.

"Natasha, listen to me. You need to fight, fight for them and don't give in," she said firmly as confusion filled me.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Oh little snake you are so much stronger than you know," she whispered as everything began to fade around me. "I love you just as I loved Tom."
---
My eyes flew open as I coughed taking air into my lungs.