The Potter-Black-Lestrange Household

Bellatrix Black-Lestrange was laughing.

She was laughing part of madness, part of joy.

She could laugh.

She could feel the glee of killing something, even if it was just a random fox.

She didn’t normally kill animals, out of respect for the elements. But considering she ate then buried the fox and had just gotten out of Azkaban twelve hours ago, she considered it acceptable.

Now what was she going to do?

She needed to get her wand back and summon proper clothing. Then she would somehow need to get to her vault.

But what from there? It wasn’t a long term plan. She was still considered a criminal, and she had just escaped Azkaban. 

Gringotts may not turn her in, wether from her being able to Avada them out of existence in a second or being able to bribe them, it didn’t matter. But if another soul saw her, it was back to Azkaban.

Well, most souls saw her. Cissy might, if they were ridiculously careful, take her in. But she’d also tortured her ex she may or may not still have been in love with. Andi- Andromeda was out of the question. 

Severus was considered, he was her “ Lords’ ” other must trusted. But he’d also had an air of ‘I can, am, and will play anyone and everyone.’ She didn’t trust him one bit with something like housing herself. 

She also fooled the Dark Lord and his followers, so maybe they would share common ground on that? It’s still too risky, he’d easily snitch if it benefited him in the short and long term.

‘Alright, that’s enough of that thinking,’ she thought. 

“Accio wand.” She states, and after a minute it appears in her hand. 

Pristine as ever, though perhaps a tad bit dusty. To be expected, she was in Azkaban for 12 years. 

“Accio flame dress.” She says after a moment of admiring her wand.

She quickly changed into her dress, and burning the rags that were the “clothing” of Azkabans prisoners. 

This was a simple black dress. Almost a night dress, besides the adjusted cut off shoulders and gothic lacing added. Oh, and the burned edges at the hem. 

She was kind of (read; definitely), a pyromaniac. She had always loved the heat on her body, not knowing wether the fire would decide it would be merciful or violent. She had always loved cooking for this reason, and often stole her fathers matches to go burn old stumps in the forest. 

Fire dancing was just another extension of this tendency. It started in a rather safe place, and then she got riskier and riskier. It eventually either stopped hurting or she learned how to move with the fire and not get burned. But that marks were still on the legs, and still on the dress.

She didn’t know what to do now. Shed supposed her hair was mess, but it always was. Too frizzy and curly to just be brushed normally, much to her mothers dismay. 

But what to do?

She had to do something, or else she might willingly go back to Azkaban. 

What would a loyal death eater do when they escape from Azkaban with their master dead?

“Revive. Attempt resurrection…” She says, thinking out loud. 

Well, no other death eaters escaped. Besides maybe Pettigrew, but she highly doubt he would start anything. If Vold- the Dark Lord didn’t show a hint of coming back, he wasn’t doing it on his own. 

So, she was on her own to entertain her crippling, assuming it wasn’t dead, sanity. 

But now that she was thinking, he did give her one last order, if the Potters boy survived. 

Was it to kill him, or return him to himself?

Well, the ladder was off the table. So she’d just assume he’d want her to enact the former.

Finding the boy was the first goal.

A simple tracking spell would work. It wouldn’t even be difficult, she’d see a picture of the boy. 

The best idea would be to use her animagus form rather than just show up. Even muggles knew somewhat of the going ons in Azkaban. 

So she transformed into her raven form. It was a simple black raven, with the tail marks showing signs of burns but not hindering her flight. If anything, it may have made it faster.

She followed the magic trace of the spell, flying over the nearby forest. How could she follow a spells trace like this? Her and her sisters each got an ability, apparently blessed.

She herself got the ability of being able to sense magic auras and traces if not outright see it. Andromeda could apparently sense or see strings binding people, and could read people ridiculously well, even when she was younger. Narcissa was excellent at all things divination and often had prophetic dreams or a nagging feeling of something that was about to happen.

So she followed the trace that the tracking spell was leading her towards. It was a decent sized house, two floors with a basement or attic perhaps? 

She could barely feel any magic. What she did feel was only enough for a child. If she squinted it was an outline of a child. 

‘Was Harry Potter living with muggles?’ The thought would have made her throw a vase in human form. Luckily the raven made her more collected.

She didn’t care about the kids well being, but being raised by muggles is worse than being raised by a blood traitor. At least the blood traitor will still show you magic and teach you about it. With muggles you have no such thing, assuming they even know your a wix at all.

‘I’ll need to sit by and watch, seeing when is the best time to strike.’ She thought. While a surprise attack would be sufficient, it wouldn’t do the justice her Lord would have wanted.  

So it was to observe and plan. 

- - - - - - 

If she felt like throwing a vase before, she was about to throw the entire knockturn shop and torture these muggles on the broken artifacts now. 

Harry (Calling him the Potter Boy felt like she was just as bad as the Muggles, which even she didn’t stoop that low), came out to weed & garden, and practically spilled himself out to her, in her raven form. He said something like ‘You look like an intelligent bird, can I talk to you?’ And then just talked his little heart off. 

He said he was 6 in a few days, though his birthday wasn’t important, Dudley’s was the only important one. Perhaps a case of child neglect? The marks on his body that she could see were saying otherwise.

He was also rather thin for his age. And this didn’t seem like it was genetics thin either. His height was short too, and again didn’t seem to be genetics. This was already making her wish she could just hex them outright. 

Then he talked about his cupboard, how he felt safe in a broom closet, because his ‘Uncle’ couldn’t reach him there. And then the fact he only got the scraps of food, if there were any left?! Her parents did send her to bed without dinner sometimes, but usually that was when she messed up. That was almost every night, but that was more of her rebelliousness than unfair rules.

And then if he somehow ‘messed up’ his chores, he got hit?! Even her parents didn’t go that far, maybe just a slight pain curse. Though Aunt Walgbura didn’t hold back, and she was on the receiving end sometimes.

But these muggles- no, not muggles. Muggles are better than these monsters. Atleast muggles try to raise their kids properly, even if they cannot. These monsters didn’t even bother. 

To summarize her emotions, she was fuming. But she now had a course of action. 

Harry always came out to weed the garden and water the flora at 2pm & 6pm after dinner. The muggles kid went ‘Harry Hunting’ on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturday, and Sunday at 4pm, before dinner. The muggle ‘father’ went to work from 9am-5pm, with the muggle ‘mother’ at home only leaving for groceries or to drop the kids at school. 

They all sat down(besides Harry, he’s out at the garden) at the ‘Telly’ after dinner, so it’s the most effective time to strike. The sun will also be going down, so unless the muggles nearby smell the fire and call whatever system they have, these monsters won’t notice before it’s too late. 

Harry’s light chatter pulled her out of her murderous thoughts.

“I haven’t seen any of Dudley’s friends today, maybe there sick? I wouldn’t know, it’s the weekend. Don’t let me out when it’s not school time.” She lightly pecked at his ear.

“Yeah, you’re right, I should just be grateful they haven’t bothered the freak.” She heavily pecked at his ear.

“What’s that for? Do you not want to me to be grateful?” She shook her head. For how bright the child often is, it’s surprising how little he understands things about himself.

“BOY, GET IN HERE! I WANT THIS SUPPER PERFECT, OR ELSE NO FOOD FOR THE WEEK!!!” Yells a shrill voice, obviously coming from Petunia. 

“I’ll be back after supper, alright?” He whispers and then walks into the house.

She waited a few minutes before she flew off into the nearby forest and transforming back.

She had about one hour to prepare herself, which was more mentally than anything else. It wouldn’t be hard to cast a few simple spells and the house is already burning in flames. Though she had to make sure Harry would be protected.

“What would work?… Runes, or maybe Charms, perhaps...” She quietly mumbles.

Runes would be the fastest to perform, but may be a touch weak. Charms would take longer, but she wouldn’t need more than one to be greatly effective. Alas, time was not on her side. 

“Runes it is. Accio raven dress.” She says, summoning her dress to herself.

The dress Thankfully the dress still had its thread, because she was already pushing the limits on what the ministry would be able to trace. 

Technically it wouldn’t matter once she burned down the Dursleys, but that spell ironically was harder to trace than something like multiple Accios. It’s a powerful burst, but the burst fades quickly and doesn’t leave a long trace. Accios didn’t require too much energy depending on what we’re you summoning, but left a longer trace because you were quite literally dragging something by magic to yourself. 

She quickly started sewing the runes into the fabric. She thankfully had used these runes before on both of her & Barty Jrs clothes, so it wasn’t too difficult. 

It was a simple black dress, dawned with a blue-black cloak with a hood, similar to a ravens feathers. She didn’t need to ward the cloak, but it made easier to protect Harry. He was definitely small enough to fit under it. 

She looked up at the sky, seeing where the sun was positioned. 

“Alright, time to get walking.” Bellatrix says as she throws on the cloak and starts walking in the direction of the Dursleys.

She was in a non-magic forest, so it was hard to walk through. No wards to prevent her from getting out or poisonous spores. Just a simple walk like her and her sisters used to do.

That was one of the things she most longed for in Azkaban. Her sisters. Just Andy- Andromeda even.  

She missed those familiar faces, even if by what they knew she betrayed them so many times over. It hurt to think about, so she decided not to think about it.

She highly doubted her sisters even missed her. Who would miss her? She’s a powerful witch, sure. But she’s not that strong, can’t even fully resist the Unforgivables. 

Speaking of the Unforgivables, how did Harry survive?

 Crucio is survivable, but you’ll likely not come out in the best state, if a decent mental state at all. 

Imperius is survivable, especially with the added of ‘you cannot order the person to kill themeselves’.

But Avada Kedvra? There is no way you should be able to survive that. It’s the killing curse gods damn it! 

So how is Harry still here?

Perhaps it didn’t hit him and deflected into Vold- The Dark Lord instead? But the killing curse doesn’t bounce…

‘Oh, I’m here!’ She grins as she flips up her hood and jumps over the Dursleys fence.

Harry was already outside, starring up at her in surprise, dropping his gardening tools. 

After a moment he says curiously, “Miss Raven?” 

Bellatrix slowly walks closer and crouches down to him careful to not get too close as not to trigger him, dropping her hood pointing to her eyes.

“You are Miss Raven!” He say, a gleam in his eyes. 

“I’m going to do something to your… relatives I suppose. An absolute torturous, awful, thing. Would you like to watch?” He nods.

“Alright, stay behind me now.” She flips up her hood, stands up and he follows her as she enters the house.

The Muggles don’t even notice her, too focused on the ‘Telly’. So she walks closer, then there heads snap around to look at her. 

“W-Who are you?!” Veron shrieks. Bellatrix just smiles. The Dursleys all shrink in fear.

“She’s one of them! Run!” Petunia yells, but Bellatrix throws a stunner before they got the chance.

“I would taunt you, but I’m currently just so disgusted how you treated a child so I’ll make this ‘quick’, Crucio.” The Dursleys start screaming, and due to the wordless Incendio she casted they were also burning.

Harry steps out from behind her to see what’s going on, smelling it before he sees it.

“Come under my cloak, it’ll protect you from the flames and you can still watch.” She says and Harry lets her drape the massive cloak over him.

Much to her fascination but also excitement, Harry seems to enjoy watching the Dursleys burn.  

‘To be fair,’ she thinks ‘I’d like it if the people who hurt me greatly were burning in agony.’ She still starts laughing like she normally does. Harry giggles along, though not for too long with all the smoke he isn’t accustomed to. She decided when that started it was time to leave.

“Hold on to me, little hatchling. You may feel sick after this apparation, that is completely normal and fine.” She felt his small hands gripping onto the hand down by her legs and she quietly apparated.

 - - - 

“Kingsley, any clue what happened?” Tonks asked while she paced around the ministry’s desk.

“I don’t think I do, Tonks.” He replies, listening to the 5th account, Arabella Fig.

“The last sounds heard were maniacal laughter, it was female but there also seemed like there was a younger boys giggling as well…”  The magic video says, clearly distraught. 

“It could have just been a house fire, the muggles not having vigilance.” Moody says after the account stops. 

“But that wouldn’t make sense, I could clearly feel magic coming from the ashes.” Tonks says, as Kingsley nods.

A pop sound is heard as scroll floats in the air, addressed from The Minister.

“They wish for us to… stop investigating the case and claim it was just a muggle house fire?!” Tonks screams.

“Auror Tonks lower your voice. It appears we must hied the command.” Kingsley says.

The three Aurors leave the office shortly after, all with the same questions on their mind.

‘Why did they ask us to stop investigating?’ ‘Who started this fire?’ and ‘Where is Harry Potter?’