“You two must behave while I’m away, understand?”
Bellatrix’s voice was low, a near-whisper as she leaned close to her younger sisters, her raven-black hair mingling with Narcissa’s platinum blonde and Andromeda’s chestnut curls. She held them close, her lips pressed to Narcissa’s temple.
“You mustn’t upset maman and papa. Promise me, I need to know you will be safe.”
"Yes, Bella." Narcissa whispered wetly, pale face and bright blue eyes swimming with tears as she clutched her older sisters hand, "Promise."
"I want to show you something before you leave." Andromeda whispered excitedly, "I've been working on it really hard."
"My Andy, pro-"
"Oui, Oui, je promets." Andromeda said impatiently, "Just watch."
Andromeda's face screwed up in a way that would surely result in punishment if their mother had seen it, hands held out in front of her in a way their father would call unladylike with a snarl on his lips.
"Are you going to do anything?" Narcissa asked, still clutching Bellatrix's hand so tight that both were pale from the lack of blood flow
"Yes, just... I need... Almost." Andromeda grunted, face turning red with effort "There!"
And then, in a delicate and mesmerizing display of magic, small butterflies emerged from Andromeda’s fingertips. They were black, white, and silver—gentle and peaceful in their flight, drifting toward Bellatrix and Narcissa. A black butterfly landed on Narcissa’s nose, causing her to giggle despite the tension hanging thick in the air. Bellatrix’s lips twitched into the faintest smile at the sight of her sisters' impressive feat of magic.
"Wonderful, my Andy, they are pretty." Bellatrix smiled, reaching out her free hand for a silver butterfly to land on
“There’s more,” she grinned, her excitement palpable. “They’re me. If I get hurt, they get hurt.”
Bellatrix frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion.
“Sorry?” She lowered her hand, staring at Andromeda, unsure of what she was hearing.
“So you don’t have to worry, Bella,” Andromeda rushed on, “You’ll know I’m fine because they’re fine, and if I’m fine, then Cissy is too. They won’t leave you—ever—unless I let them, and I won’t. Isn’t that amazing?”
True to Andromeda's words as an almost-ten-year-old, the Butterflies accompanied Bellatrix wherever she went. Dulling slightly if Andromeda scraped a knee, growing weak when she was sick, and half scaring Bellatrix to death the one time she woke and they weren't there. Andromeda was fine, they just fell asleep on the windowsill that night.
At first she was teased for them. The Heir of the Ancient and Moste Noble House of Black appearing at Hogwarts, tiny, sullen, a sneer ever present, and a small bundle of Butterflies following her through the castle. It hadn't taken long for her fellow Slytherin's to put together the health of the Butterflies in regards to Bellatrix's mood. Flying around playfully, they could joke and laugh with her. Slightly fatigued, be careful with what you say. Dull in colour, steer clear.
Second year found her return with her Butterflies and Petals in her hair which matched first-year Andromeda's. The same rules applied, the Black Sister's had nearly cursed half of the school during the winter and the petals were slightly wilted.
By the time Bellatrix was in Fifth Year, it was a widely spread rumour that the Butterflies and Petals somehow represented her sisters. A particularly smart Ravenclaw had noticed how when the Black Sister's were healthy, they were fine and when Andromeda and Narcissa had caught a particularly nasty flu both seemed to dull and wilt and Bellatrix's mood grew borderline savage.
It wasn't until Seventh Year, when Bellatrix had opted to stay at the castle over break to study more for the N.E.W.T.s, as had the rest of the graduating class, that all but one Butterfly exploded in a shower of dust in the middle of dinner.
A stunned silence spread across the Slytherin table as the remaining butterfly fluttered around Bellatrix, it's wings now heavy with sorrow.
The room seemed to buzz as Bellatrix slowly raised her eyes from the shattered butterfly dust. Her hand trembled as she set down her spoon, the reality of the moment settling in.
"Bells?" Regulus whispered, face pale and hands shaking "Wh-What does that mean?"
Sirius was half risen out of his seat by the time the rest of the Great Hall had noticed the sudden silence and tense atmosphere. He was half across the Great Hall by the time Bellatrix finally moved, snapping her book shut with a thwack and shoving out of her seat noisily. He had reached Regulus just in time for the Great Hall door to bang close so loudly it had a first year scream.
"Where is she?" Headmaster Dumbledore asked the pale faces of Sirius and Regulus Black
The two boys had immediately left the Great Hall after Bellatrix only to be pushed back by a protego from the Headmaster himself and dragged to his office, where they had steadfastly refused to talk and had gotten more antsy by the moment.
"She is not in trouble for leaving school grounds, she is of age and it is the Christmas break. I simply wish to know that she is safe, as is my duty as Headmaster." The headmaster spoke calmly, hands spread open on the desk and head slightly bowed "I know her Butterflies are of importance, and I know that whatever happened to them is upsetting for her. I do not wish for her to get herself hurt."
"You needn't to worry about her, Headmaster." Regulus stated grimly, looking at Sirius from the corner of his eye "She... She'll be at the manor, is my best guest. I'd stay away from it if I were you."
"Can we go now?" Sirius snapped, already on his feet and a firm hand on his brothers shoulder
"What have you done?" Bellatrix whispered as soon as she stepped from the Floo to the Study of Black Manor to find her Father stood over Andromeda's lifeless body, shoving him roughly away from her and dropping to her knees, hands shaking as she tried to stem the blood that seemed to flow from every orifice of her little sister "What have you done?!"
Cygnus sneered, his face twisted with arrogance. “I have pruned the tree,” he said coldly. “She is a blood-traitor.”
"She is mine!" Bellatrix snarled, standing to her feet and drawing her wand, pointing it steadily at her Father's chest.
Before she knew it, Bellatrix found herself locked in a duel with both of her parents. Cygnus and Druella switched between offence and defence between themselves fluidly, shield after shield deflecting each of Bellatrix's curses while the other would shoot an array of near-deadly curses and jinxes at their eldest daughter. Cygnus had began training Bellatrix in the Dark Arts at a young age, always quick with a Crucio when she failed to really mean them and under different circumstances, the stern man may have been proud of the particularly powerful one that struck him and brought him to his knees before his wife intervened with an Anepneo that left Bellatrix red in face, clawing at her own throat until blood trickled down her throat. Druella herself may have been proud with the silent Oscausi that cancelled out her spell, Bellatrix had had it used on her enough times in childhood had it not been for the dire situation they found themselves in.
While all parties of the duel had no qualms about bloodshed, even between parents and children, neither side wanted to be the one to truly end the Duel in what was slowly becoming the only way it would end.
Windows shattered, portraits were destroyed, walls burnt with the heat of the spells. Bellatrix could slowly feel a pressure build inside her head, thumping harder and harder at every glance to Andromeda's body, every crucio that just barely nicked her, every slicing jinx that hit it's mark on her perfectly. The breaking point was when she twirled to miss a crucio, only to meet Narcissa's terrified eyes seconds before it hit the youngest in the chest and a gut wrenching scream was yanked from her lips before fainting in a heap.
"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix screeched, the green bolt illuminating her Father's shocked face microseconds before he fell with a thump, "Diffindo!" Bellatrix did not flinch when she felt her mothers hot lifeblood splatter across her face, nor when Druella gurgled wetly, or when she slowly slumped against the wall leaving red stains behind her, eyes locked just above Bellatrix's shoulder. Bellatrix slowly turned to meet shocked and twinkling blue eyes behind half moon spectacles.
"Miss. Black-" The Headmaster started
"You can lock me up and throw away the key after you save her." Bellatrix nodded her head towards Andromeda's still prone form, "I am not sure what they have done to her, but she lives still. I know she does."
Albus opened his mouth to speak before nodding and slowly dropping to his knees beside the middle Black sister. Bellatrix tried to strain to hear the words he was murmuring, tried to follow the wand movements he was making but found her breathing grow faster and shallow, her hands began to shake and she felt all too warm and all too cold all at once. Buzzing filled her mind as thoughts raced, her throat grew tight and her eyes stung.
What would happen to the girls?
Who would look after them?
Who would ensure they were safe and loved?
I can not survive Azkaban.
They can not survive without me.
What if he can't save Andy?
What would happen to Cissy?
What, what, what.
Bellatrix was dragged out of her thoughts by a weathered hand pressing down on her shoulder slightly, "Miss. Black." Albus spoke gently, "She will live. I will owl Madame Pomfrey to make a house visit."
"O-okay." Bellatrix breathed out, slowly raising to her feet "Can we wait until she is here before you take me away? I need to know they're okay.."
"I am not taking you anywhere, child." Bellatrix let herself fall back into the armchair with the slight push of Albus' hand
"I killed them." Bellatrix whimpered, the tears that stung her eyes flooding down her face as she grasped at her chest "I'm a murderer."
"I am not taking you anywhere." Albus repeated more sternly, "But you will have to do something for me."
"Anything. I need to stay with them, I'll do anything."
"Have you heard of Tom Riddle?"
THE FALL OF THE ANCIENT AND MOST NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK? THE FATAL END OF CYGNUS AND DRUELLA BLACK
By Seamus Skeeter, Special Correspondent
In what can only be described as a chilling and utterly baffling tragedy, the death of Cygnus and Druella Black has sent the entire Wizarding World into a state of disbelief. The once-gilded house of Black, renowned for its ironclad belief in blood purity and its unwavering ties to the darkest corners of wizarding society, has been torn apart by the violent and mysterious deaths of its most prominent figures. Cygnus, the proud and calculating patriarch, and Druella, his equally formidable wife, were found murdered under circumstances that suggest more than a mere act of violence: this may have been an execution carried out by someone with inside knowledge of the family’s darkest secrets.
The Blacks, long regarded as one of the most powerful and influential pureblood families in the Wizarding World, are now reeling from a blow that threatens not only their wealth and status but the very foundation of the blood-purity ideals they so fiercely espoused. What’s more, the tragic deaths of Cygnus and Druella have cast an ominous shadow over their surviving children—particularly Bellatrix, the eldest daughter, whose increasingly erratic behavior raises troubling questions.
A FAMILY'S DARK UNDERBELLY
Cygnus and Druella Black were known throughout the Wizarding World for their cruelty, their unflinching loyalty to the ideals of blood purity, and their iron grip over their daughters. The Black family, once considered the epitome of aristocratic wizarding society, was anything but a warm, loving household. Behind the walls of their allegedly opulent estate, whispers of abuse, both physical and emotional, were rampant. Sources close to the family describe Cygnus as a man with a temper as sharp as his mind, quick to punish any perceived slight or failure. But it was Druella, many claim, who was the true force behind the family’s iron-fisted rule—a woman whose cruelty knew no bounds and who made sure her daughters were raised in her own twisted image.
Former household staff have spoken anonymously, revealing shocking details about the daily lives of the Black children. “They were never allowed to be children,” one servant recounted. “Cygnus expected perfection from Bellatrix, and Druella made sure Narcissa and Andromeda never strayed from their mother’s harsh standards. If they ever made a mistake, it was met with severe punishment.” When pushed for more details about the punishment these three girls would face, the servant said one word "Unforgivable." Another former associate claimed, “It was clear from the start that Bellatrix was her parents' favorite, but even she wasn’t immune. If Cygnus and Druella didn’t see their children as perfect, they punished them—physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
And yet, despite the suffocating cruelty, one daughter emerged from the wreckage with a fierce determination to protect her sisters—a determination that might explain the tragic events that have left the Black family in ruins.
BELLATRIX BLACK: A SISTER’S LOVE AND A FAMILY’S COLLAPSE
Bellatrix Black, now seventeen, has long been known for her fiery temper and her ruthless pursuit of the dark arts, but new reports suggest that her relationship with her parents was not as simple as mere obedience to their harsh demands. Bellatrix, according to sources, may have harbored a deep resentment for her parents’ treatment of her sisters.
It is well-documented that Bellatrix was Cygnus and Druella’s prized daughter. The Black family’s obsession with blood purity meant that Bellatrix, who seemed to embrace her family's ideals, was groomed to one day take her place among the elite of the wizarding world. But her relationship with her sisters, Andromeda and Narcissa, was complicated—one rooted in deep-seated protectiveness.
A former close friend of Bellatrix, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, described the dynamic within the family in stark terms. “Bellatrix was always protective of her sisters. She spoke of them constantly, wrote them everyday for her entire first year at Hogwarts, and when they finally joined her, they were rarely apart after classes. Bellatrix was more of a doting mother than a barely older sister. Andromeda had been a problem for the Blacks for years. Her defiance—first with her desire for independence and later with her association to that Muggle-born Tonks—was a constant source of stress for Cygnus and Druella. And Narcissa… well, Narcissa was the quiet one, always trying to stay under the radar. Bellatrix hated how they treated her sisters. I think, deep down, she was ready to do anything to protect them—even if it meant taking matters into her own hands.”
Bellatrix’s relationship with her parents had, in fact, become increasingly strained. Despite her outward loyalty to the Black Families values, some say that Bellatrix grew more and more disillusioned with the Black family’s ironclad ideals—particularly when it came to the way her sisters were treated. According to another source close to the family, “Bellatrix had always resented how her parents treated Andromeda Narcissa. She was ruthless when it came to protecting them, even when they didn’t realize it. They didn’t see it coming, but Bellatrix was furious.”
Anonymous students regaled this reporter of stories of Bellatrix's wild temper when it came to her sisters, going from mild stinging jinxes to threats of extreme violence and depravity if another student merely looked at the younger Black's in a way Bellatrix found distasteful.
THE NIGHT OF THE MURDER: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?
The events surrounding the death of Cygnus and Druella Black remain mysterious—their bodies were discovered in their study, a room where many say they conducted most of their unseemly business. With the gruesome evidence of violence, investigators have confirmed that the cause of death was due to a form of dark magic, the type that requires expert skill and intimate knowledge of the victims.
One of the most shocking aspects of the case is the timing: both Narcissa and Andromeda Black were found in critical condition and rushed to St. Mungo’s, with reports of violent injury and shock. Though their conditions were severe, it seems they are both recovering—slowly. Could it be that Bellatrix, in a fit of rage or out of a misguided sense of protection, turned on her parents after they harmed Narcissa and Andromeda one too many times? Or perhaps the attack was an act of self-defense gone horribly wrong—Bellatrix attempting to stop her parents from inflicting more damage on her sisters?
“Bellatrix had already reached her breaking point,” one insider said. “She lost it. One minute she's sitting having dinner and studying, the next she's flying like a harpy from the Great Hall, not to be seen since, and her parents dead. No one knows for sure how it happened, but Bellatrix may have snapped. She’s a lot more dangerous than people realize. She can be charming, but she’s got dark powers, and when she’s angry, she can do things that none of us would ever expect.”
ANDROMEDA AND NARCISSA: THE AFTERMATH
As for Andromeda and Narcissa, both are reported to have suffered serious trauma—though exactly how they were injured remains unclear. Andromeda, who had allegedly been distancing herself from the Black family, is said to have been under constant pressure from her parents. Sources have suggested that, in the hours leading up to the murders, she may have attempted to confront them about their cruel treatment, only to be attacked. Narcissa, meanwhile, had long been the obedient daughter in the Black household, but some say her silence in the aftermath of the murders suggests that she too was involved in the events leading to Cygnus and Druella’s deaths.
But one thing is clear: neither Andromeda nor Narcissa seem to hold Bellatrix accountable for the deaths of their parents. In fact, one former acquaintance of the Black sisters claims that Bellatrix’s actions, no matter how extreme, were seen by Narcissa and Andromeda as a form of love—a final, desperate attempt to free them from the tyranny of their cruel parents.
THE LEGACY OF THE BLACK FAMILY
In the aftermath of the murders, the Black family is shattered. Bellatrix has gone into hiding, and Andromeda and Narcissa are left to pick up the pieces of their broken lives. The future of the Black name now hangs in the balance, as the once-feared family is reduced to a tragic tale of abuse, violence, and betrayal.
For Bellatrix, the question remains: Was this a daughter’s act of mercy, or an unhinged act of vengeance? Will she be celebrated as a protector—or condemned as a murderer? And for Narcissa and Andromeda, will they ever truly escape the dark shadow cast by their parents?
Only time will tell, but the Black family is forever changed—by their own darkness, and by the power of a sister’s love. Are we ready for it?