Diagon Alley
Chapter 2: The Diagon Alley
August 21st, 1962
“Anything other book you need?” Druella adjusted her sunglasses, her blond hair shining with the sun.
“I think we can go to pick the wand now.” Bellatrix tried to hide her excitement, that was the only thing she cared about, having a pretty and powerful wand. It's not like it mattered though, as she has always been able to do magic without a wand. The Blacks had a gift for that, ‘born knowing’ some would say, that’s one of the reasons everyone had such a big respect for the family, something inside them makes the automatically better; and that scares the mob.
Ollivander’s was packed with kids, but his eyes went straight to Bellatrix. “So soon?” He chuckled.
“A pleasure to see you, Ollivander.” Druella smiled and nodded politely. “And yes, my oldest is going to Hogwarts this year.”
“I see...” He smiled at Bella. “Let’s see what wand fits you the most.” About 20 minutes later, Bellatrix found her wand, or shall I say the wand found her. It was 12¾" long, made of walnut and had a dragon heartstring core.
“Cool!” Bellatrix smiled.
“This one is one-of-a-kind kid, I’d say it’s special, unyielding.” He chuckled.
“Thank you, Garrick.” Druella paid for the wand. “See you next year.”
“See you, Mrs. Black!”
Bellatrix had forgotten how much she loved shopping, it had been a while since she had gone out of the Manor, as there was no need for her to get out. Everything was done for her by the House-elves. In fact, she only left when there was a Ball, or it was Christmas or another festivity. The people she visited the most where her cousins, Sirius and Regulus.
“Did you get everything you needed?” Druella arched an eyebrow. “If you forget something, it’s your fault.”
“I think I’ve gotten everything.” Bellatrix smiled. “I’m actually excited to see what awaits for me at Hogwarts.”
“Silly girl.” Druella laughed cruelly. “You’ll get sorted in Slytherin, you’ll graduate, you’ll marry and you’ll have children, just like I did.” She started dragging her child down the alley. “If you think even for a moment you’re going to enjoy Hogwarts, expect disappointment. The golden years of that institution are now long gone, with the increase of filthy mudbloods and those half-bloods aberrations, Hogwarts is now at its lowest.” Bellatrix juts looked at her mother, pretending to understand all of the words she was spitting out of her mouth. Druella always talked like that, her words were like poison, the more you listened to her, the more dread you felt.
“Thanks Merlin Slytherin only accepts purebloods.” Druella stopped walking and looked at Bellatrix with concern. “Bellatrix, things have an order. The people that want our world to change are our enemies.” She touched one of Bellatrix curls. “Our house is currently the wealthiest, most respectable and purest. You are a first born, it is up to you to maintain our image. People talk child, even some newspapers dedicate an entire page to speculations of our family...”
“Mother, I would never put any of you in danger.” She looked at Druella with her deep brown eyes. “Have I done something wrong?”
Druella chuckled and patted her shoulder. “You should’ve been a boy.” she sighed. “It would have saved me so much trouble.”
Those words would occasionally echo in Bellatrix’s mind. I should’ve been a boy.
A boy, a man, an heir. Because Bellatrix couldn’t possibly be head of the family, she was going to be married off to some other pureblood, maybe if she was lucky, she would even learn to love the man she’ll marry to. If she was a boy she could be as fierce as she wanted, run around, go home covered in mud and no one could say a thing, she could scream even! At least that what she thought being a boy meant.
I’m sorry Bellatrix would have wanted to say, but the words were stuck in her throat and they never came out.
“By the way, you won’t have the counsel of your cousin Finley, he’s spending his last year abroad, studying at Beauxbatons.” Druella was referring to Finley Rosier, a tall blond guy, not very noticeable. Studying abroad is considered a privilege even inside the pureblood society, the Rosiers were lucky to still have family in France, otherwise Finley would have remained at Hogwarts.
“Oh, that’s...bad.” It took a while for Bellatrix to even picture her cousin, she hadn’t seen him in a while.
“Anyways, I’ve had enough of the polluted streets of Diagon Alley, grab my hand, we’re apparating to go home.” Bellatrix and Druella left the alley to go back to their obscure Manor surrounded by nature.
The house-elf, Kreacher, greeted them. “Mrs and miss Black, Orion and Walburga Black are here.”
“What?” Druella looked confused.
The pair were very alike, both with deep black hair and grey eyes, but this was no coincidence, as Orion and Walburga were first cousins.
“Druella, dear.” They kissed on the cheeks. “We’ve should’ve sent a letter.” Walburga’s voice was soft yet... imponent.
“Nonsense, Walburga! This is your house as much as it is ours.” Druella smiled, but she didn’t look happy, she seemed worried. Maybe it was the unexpected announcement... or maybe it was something else. “Please, seat down!”
“Where are the other two?” Orion smoked from his pipe.
“Upstairs, playing.” Druella answered. “Girls come downstairs on this instant!”
“Sirius don’t touch that!” Walburga hissed and smacked him on the head.
“Bellatrix take care of the children while the grown-ups talk, hm?” Druella raised both of her eyebrows.
It wasn’t new to her, she was always in charge of her younger cousins, and if something happened, she was the one to blame. That’s why she wanted to keep everything under control. But three-year-old Sirius was a havoc.
Bella liked Regulus better, smaller, quieter, more malleable. He was a baby still! Only a year old, Bellatrix had to hold him all the time.
“Hi, Bella!” He smiled, one of his teeth was missing.
Bellatrix sighed. “Hi Sirius.” She crouched and looked at him. “Do you promise me this time to behave?”
Narcissa and Andromeda ran downstairs.
“Are they gone?” Andromeda asked.
“They are inside father’s office; I don’t know how long they’ll be.” Bellatrix picked Regulus up. “Let’s go to play outside.”
They sat on a meadow. Narcissa was running around with Sirius, baby Regulus was asleep, his head touching the grass.
“He looks so peaceful...” Andromeda put down her book. “I wish he could stay like this forever,”
“Me too...” The baby cooed. “Hopefully he won’t be a pain in the ass like his brother.” Bellatrix chuckled.
“Oh my, Bellatrix!” Andromeda got up. “That is not lady-like thing to say!” She was imitating Druella, apparently.
“Mother but you don’t understand!” She pleaded on her knees dramatically. “They are both stinky and nerve-wrecking!”
“The time has come!” The brown-haired girl broke a branch from a tree and simulated it was a wand. “A punishment for your insolence!”
“I shall fight for what I stand for!” She broke another branch from another tree. “Expelliarmus!”
“Protego!” Shouted Andromeda.
“Wizard duel!” Shouted Sirius.
“Stupefy!”
“Protego!”
Bellatrix frowned. “You can’t just protect yourself, do something!”
“Who cares? We’re faking it anyways.” Andromeda pointed the stick at Bella “Bombarda!” She smirked. “You’re dead.”
“I want! I want!” Bellatrix gave the stick to Sirius. “Stupefy!”
“Protego and... serpentosia!” A snake appeared out of thin air, making the kids scream.
“What the fuck!” Bellatrix grabbed Andromeda’s stick, “Did you hex this?”
“Where’s the snake?!” A worried Narcissa gripped Bella’s dress.
“Why and when would I hex a stick!” Andromeda frowned.
“Guys!” Sirius screamed. “The snake is with Reg!”
The baby slept peacefully, that was until the snake decided to bite him. Poor Regulus screamed and cried.
“Shit!” Bellatrix curse and ran to grab the baby. “Finite Incantatem!” And the snake vanished but the bite marks and the blood and the poison, were still there. She started at Andromeda; her eyes deadly.
“It wasn’t me!” She grunted. “We were playing!”
“Are you aware we have to explain the not only to Mother and Father but to Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion? Hm?” Bellatrix scoffed. “You’re so... stupid!” She shouted.
“But I didn’t do anything!” Andromeda teared up a bit.
“Shut up I’m trying to think!” But the cries of little Regulus weren’t helping either. “Silencio!” She silenced her cousin’s voice.
“We have to tell them the truth! He could die of the bite!” Narcissa’s voice broke
“He can’t die of the bite! Can he?” Bellatrix was gradually stressing out more.
“Kids!” Four figures apparated in front of them. Shit...
Walburga gasped. “Wh- Finite Incantatem!” She started to hear Regulus crying. “Why is my son’s arm bleeding!? What happened!” She demanded an explanation sternly. “SPEAK!”
“I’m sorry...” Andromeda started crying. “I had a stick and a snake came out of it and-”
“I’ve heard enough!” Cygnus raised his volume. “You are responsible, you must be punished for your actions!”
“The cruciatus curse may finally teach her some manners! She barely looks as a family member; she must at least learn how to behave like one!” Orion added.
“No father, mother no, please!” But her mother had turned her head away, embarrassed of her actions.
“Come here young lady!” Cygnus started dragging her away.
“No!” Andromeda screamed and cried. “No please! I’M SORRY!” His wand pointed towards her.
Suddenly, Bellatrix screamed, “SHE LIES!” Her breathing was heavy. “It was me; I was joking around with my new wand and... I wasn’t looking after the baby like I promised...” She looked at Andromeda and then at her father. “I’m sorry.”
Cygnus yanked Bella's hair and dragged her inside the Manor. “You insolent, spoiled, brat!” He hit his desk. “You dare embarrass me in front of our family?!”
“I’m so-”
“Crucio!” He pointed his wand at her. The pain the cruciatus curse leaves is indescribable, for Bellatrix it was worse than breaking all of one’s bones at once, your eyes felt as if they were going to burst and your soul stucks between the nothingness, an infinite void for an infinite pain.
Bellatrix doesn’t remember much after that, she could hear a faint voice. “Bella I’m so sorry...” A faint shadow of a brown-haired girl looked at her as she lied on the floor, petrified.