Chapter 5
Bellatrix was woken up by her owl, Nyx, hooting.
“Quiet! bird!” She threw a pillow at her pet; she then realized that Nyx had brought a piece of paper with her. “Andy already responded?” She mumbled to herself, not wanting to wake up then other girls as it was only 5:00 a.m. She gripped the paper slightly and gulped when she realized the letter was sealed with her parent's stamp.
The letter read:
Dear Bellatrix,
It has come to our attention that you’ve sent two separate letters.
We do cheer your sorting and pray for a successful first day but we cannot help to wonder why would our eldest daughter sent one letter to her family an another to her younger sister.
“Shit.” Bellatrix cursed and kept reading.
The letter was burnt before we could get our hands on it, thank your sister Andromeda for that who, by the way, is grounded because of your spiteful actions.
You are from now on forbidden to write to your sisters, if you wish to contact them you can write to us and we will deliver the message to them.
Sincerely,
Cygnus & Druella Black.
“Why on Earth are you awake already?” Rita yawned. “Are you sending another letter?”
Bella frowned, if it wasn’t enough to deal with her parents, she had to also stand Miss Skeeter. “It’s none of your business.” She replied coldly.
“Oh, but it is, your grunting has awakened me during my peaceful sleep.” She sat up and put her red glasses on. “What’s up?”
Bellatrix rolled her eyes. Was she pretending to be interested? Or was it genuine interest? God, why was she so difficult to read!?
“I just miss my sisters, that’s all.” Of course she wasn’t going to tell them the truth, not even Blair knew what happened inside the walls of the Black Manor. Rita was a total stranger, an intruder even!
“I miss my siblings too.” Rita walked towards Bellatrix and sat on her desk.
“So, you have siblings too?” Bellatrix asked while she threw the letter inside a drawer. “You look like an only child.”
“I have two older brothers, Claudius and Oliver Skeeter.” I didn’t ask their names but okay. “They live with my grandparents in the U.S”
Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. “I thought you said your grandparents moved here decades ago?” She thought she had caught her lying.
“They did, then they moved back.” Rita sighed. “Long-story-short, the only family I have now in the U.K is my aunt Louise...”
Bellatrix furrowed her brows. “What? So, you only live with her?” Imagine. She thought to herself. She imagined only living with one relative it would be so... quiet, perhaps too quiet. “How... curious.” “Oh, spare me your pity, Black.” She scowled. “I’m quite comfortable with her! We knit; we drink tea... and she taught me to write for which I’m grateful.” She sat on her own bed again. Bellatrix could imagine that, and also, Rita had too much of a posh accent to not have been living here prior to Hogwarts.
A truly comfortable life... But again, something about the girl’s shiny blue eyes told Bellatrix she wasn’t being completely honest. Rita seemed too polite, too proper, or perhaps, she was taught to behave that way and stayed like that, she didn’t have to put on a facade like Bellatrix every time she was in front of her parents.
****
“You see that redheaded Gryffindor girl over there? Rumour has it, she has a secret relationship with someone from our house...” Adeline whispered while they were having their first lesson ever; transfiguration.
“I think it’s that 5th year boy... what’s his last name?” Rita Skeeter whispered.
Bellatrix turned around. “That nonsensical gossip could be very hurtful to the family and-”
“Miss Black.” Professor McGonagall sighed. “I see your eagerness in talking, might as well spend your energy in transfigurating this bottle...” She put a crystal bottle on Bellatrix’s desk. “... into a butterfly.” Bellatrix wanted to snort, but she contained herself, this was easy magic, non-dangerous magic.
With a flick of her wand, she performed the spell right.
“Oh- Great job Miss Black.” McGonagall cleared her throat. “But let’s get back to our lesson.”
Everyone in class started whispering, she was a Black! what did the teacher expect? She wasn’t like the rest of them. She turned around again, only to catch Rita Skeeter smiling at her.
History of Magic was without a doubt the subject that bored her the most.
“The Goblin Rebellion was an uprising against...” She would simply stop listening, this wasn’t the history she had learned about. It was different, yes, and new, but the teacher’s voice was too droning.
Rita, on the other hand, seemed to be very interested. She was participating and taking notes, something a filthy muggle would do if they had never heard about goblins... Bellatrix was still suspicious, yes Rita was a Slytherin and seemed to have a wealthy background, but the black-haired girl was sure she was hiding something.
Next class was charms, with Professor Flitwick.
“The levitation charm!” the Professor spoke. “It’s one of the most basic charms, the incantation is simple, wingardium leviosa!” he walked towards Rita’s desk. “Could this young lady perform the charm to us?”
Rita smirked. “Well of course” She raised a feather from her desk with the power of her spell.
“Oh, splendid! What’s your name young girl?”
“Rita Skeeter, professor. I aspire to be the first one of your class...” At that moment Bellatrix, who was sitting next to her snorted. “Something funny?”
“Oh, not at all...” She laughed. “You did a wonderful job lifting that very heavy feather from your desk, you should take a break!” She mocked Rita.
“You didn’t even try performing the spell!” Rita rolled her eyes.
“I don’t need to perform anything, that is just too easy.”
“Ladies...” The Professor intervened. “Five points from Slytherin, there’s no need to be bickering in my class...”
Suddenly, Bellatrix raised to the air a pile of books with her wand.
“Splendid Miss Black! Ten points for Slytherin.” The professor applauded her.
Rita gave Bellatrix a look. And she knew that look, it meant I accept the challenge. Since that moment they would have an academic rivalry.
“Five points for Slytherin!” They would give them to Rita in astronomy class for knowing the constellations in alphabetical order.
“Five points for Slytherin!” Horace Slughorn would give to Bellatrix for achieving to make a freezing potion.
“Five points for Slytherin!” The professor gave to Rita Skeeter for knowing the dangers of eating Venomous Tentacula.
And their final class of the day, Defence Against the Dark Arts, or DADA.
Bellatrix and Rita ended up together walking upstairs to go to the class.
“I have to admit you make a worthy opponent.” Rita began talking, catching her breath from climbing those gigantic stairs.
“Worthy? You have nothing on me, Skeeter.” Bellatrix smirked. She tried being polite at first, behaving like a lady and being calm like her father said, but she was very competitive, and she hadn’t realized it until now. But still, Bellatrix thought Rita couldn’t compete with her, she knew wandless magic after all... Although it’s true Rita seemed to possess more textbook knowledge than Bellatrix, the black-haired girl had to admit with the blonde’s responses in Herbology.
“Let’s make a wager...” Rita adjusted her glasses. “If you win any points in DADA, I owe you something... but if I win the points, you owe me...”
How hard could it be? Bellatrix had been surrounded by Dark Magic her whole life; she could easily win this.
“Alright, prepare to lose Rita!” Bellatrix laughed. “You’re a fool, you know that?”
“Am I now, Black?” Rita pushed her to the side with her shoulder, “Just you wait...”
The professor presented himself and began speaking. “You very first assignment will be conjuring the knockback jinx... now does anybody know the words to cast such spell?”
Both Rita and Bellatrix raised her hands at the same time.
“Hmm... you!” He pointed at Bellatrix. “Miss Black, right?”
“Yes sir, and the answer is Flipendo.” Bellatrix smiled, knowing it was correct.
“Wonderful!” But he didn’t give her any points. “Could you two stand up? we are going to make a demonstration.” Rita and Bella looked at each other. They stood in front of the class, looking at each other trying not to blink and pointing their wands to each other. This was Rita’s first time watching a duel, Bellatrix assumed. The raven-haired girl had witnessed many duels before, every time there was a ball or a social gathering the men tended to drink too much and challenge themselves jokingly, although some of them end up getting hurt.
“Whenever you want, ladies.” The professor said expectantly.
“Flipendo!” Bellatrix said first, her wand casting the spell successfully.
“Protego!” All of the sudden, Rita casted a protective spell, which wasn’t what the professor had instructed.
“She’s cheating!” Bellatrix protested and frowned.
“She’s simply defending herself Miss Black, now the real question is... what are you going to do about it?”
“Flipendo!” Rita casted the spell before Bellatrix could react, making her fall backwards. She started to hear kids laughing at her, which made her furious.
“Alarte ascendare!” Bellatrix furiously pointed her wand at Rita. That spell made Rita shoot straight to the air, the kids in the class gasped. Rita fell to the ground and hit the floor with her nose; she started bleeding.
“Miss Black! Detention with Dumbledore!” The professor frowned. “And five points from Slytherin!”
“Detention?!” But I’m a Black! “But she-”
“And take Miss Skeeter to the infirmary!” Bellatrix nodded; she should never fight with teachers if she wanted to be the first of her class. She knew this could've happened, if only that little pretentious blonde had stayed quiet...
“Ugh...” Bellatrix rolled her eyes. “Here, take this.” Bellatrix carefully put a handkerchief on Rita’s hand and guided the blonde’s hand to her own nose.
“I can do it myself!” Rita grunted in pain and slapped Bellatrix’s hand.
“God I can’t stand how stubborn you are!” Bella raised her volume. “Even like this! Stay still.” She was surprised the blonde girl wasn’t crying.
Rita scoffed. “Go away I’ll find the infirmary by myself...”
Suddenly, Bellatrix grabbed Rita’s hand firmly, and practically dragged her through the hall.
“Stop! I told you I can manage!” Rita scowled, making her nose hurt even more.
“Clearly you can’t” Bellatrix grunted trying to drag her forward. “Quit resisting or I’ll make you fly to the infirmary!” Bellatrix hissed to the blonde girl. Rita finally shut up, which took Bellatrix by surprise, she really thought she would keep fighting.
Once Madame Pomfrey gave Rita a potion, she stopped bleeding, and her nose was going to be healed soon.
“How on Earth did a first year get an injury like that? And on the first day?” Madame Pomfrey asked.
“I guess I got carried away a little...” Bellatrix chuckled nervously. She looked at Rita, her eyes dimmer than before.
“Oh, spare me your pity, Black!” Rita rolled her eyes. “Or laugh, I don’t care!” She stared at Bellatrix a little longer. “What? Are you truly sorry?” Rita chuckled. “Bellatrix Black is feeling remorse?”
“Perhaps...” Bellatrix leaned closer to Rita, almost instinctively. “Does it really matter what I’m feeling? You’re the one who started this...” She narrowed her eyes. Why would Bellatrix allow Rita to see weakness in her? They weren’t even friends!
“You’re supposed to be in detention, by the way.” Rita smirked. “You’re so superiorly smart I’d figured you would remember it by yourself.”
Bellatrix cursed silently.
****
“Not even a day and someone has already visited the infirmary...” Dumbledore raised his brows at Bellatrix, who was sitting in front of Dumbledore. “Thoughts on that, miss Black?”
“It was an accident.” She frowned. “Maybe if she stopped talking I would’ve-”
“Miss Black.” Dumbledore sighed. “I am aware of your... genetic advantage...” He treated his words carefully. “But that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to use whatever magic you use to wish whenever you want! There’s a time and place... You’re not the first Black who has been sent to this office for an incorrect use of magic.”
“My father?” Bellatrix arched an eyebrow.
“Your Aunt Walburga.” Dumbledore chuckled. “She had that... fiery spirit of yours, almost unyielding.” Aunt Walburga?! Misbehaving?!
“I wasn’t aware...” She tried to maintain her composure. “But she was a kid so it makes sense.”
Dumbledore chuckled. “She was keen on learning Dark Magic, many times she had been caught 'sleepwalking' on the prohibited section...” He sighed. “She was a brilliant witch, miss Black, and I’m sure you’re an outstanding witch too... But Hogwarts is a place to learn and improve, not to crush and impose power!”
“I understand...” He doesn’t want me to unleash my full potential, just like mother and father had warned me would happen at Hogwarts.
“However, I do expect great things from you...” He titled his head to the door’s direction. “You’re dismissed.”
Bellatrix wanted the day to be over, but she had to admit it had been fun. She hadn’t really been punished for her actions, for hurting Rita. Rita...
“Bella!” Blair hugged her. “Are you expelled?”
“Oh, he wouldn’t dare...” At that moment he realized why she hadn’t been punished. He wouldn't dare... Dumbledore knows the Blacks are stronger, no one was going to dare to touch her...
Bellatrix felt a rush through her body, euphoria.
“Are you okay?” Blair narrowed her eyes. “Why are you smiling?”
“Oh, it’s nothing dear friend...” They interlocked arms and began walking to Slytherin’s common room. “I’m just happy they didn’t expel me.”
“How’s Rita?” Blair asked, but Bellatrix only shrugged. “She’ll survive, she’s a weak and whiny wannabe.”
Blair chuckled. “I thought you were friends?”
“Me? Friends with that phony?!” Bellatrix cackled. “What made you think that?”
“I guess the fact that you guys spent the whole day together and you were both smirking at each other?” Blair looked at Bellatrix. “Are you sure you’re not even a tad bit curious about her?”
“Oh, I am curious... because I know she’s hiding something, and I’ll figure what it is.” Bellatrix smirked.
“I’m sure you will!” Blair stopped walking. “By the way, we’re going to the lake this afternoon, you’re coming obviously.”
“With who?” Bellatrix asked, fearing knowing the answer.
“With Adeline, my brother and... Rudolphus Lestrange.” Blair smiled at the end of the sentence. “You don’t have to play coy with me! I know you like him!”
“I don’t!” Bellatrix groaned.
“But you have to admit there’s something going between both of you, I mean, you guys have too much chemistry!”
“Stop it!” Bellatrix hissed.
“It’s okay to have feelings Bella, don’t let your parents tell you otherwise!” But it was true, she didn’t want to have feelings for anyone, she thought it would make her weak and helpless. But if Bella ever suffered the curse of falling in love, she would like to be with someone as smart as her and as beautiful as her. And she simply didn’t find those qualities in Rudolphus Lestrange.