Atlas Malfoy and how history repeats itself

Part 32

Bellatrix hold her wand out to my neck, staring down at me. I try keep my breathing steady, while Draco hides his face and mum looks down.
"You are Atlas Black?" She hisses. I try keep my head straight while I say, "Yes."
"Yes, Aunt Bella." She corrects.
"Yes, Aunt Bella." I say, through gritted teeth. Bellatrix uses her hand to move my chin round, inspecting my face. Suddenly, she slaps me, sending me falling back onto the sofa. I gasp and she says, "I have a Gryffindor family member?"
"The hat made a mistake," I say, slowly standing up. My walking stick is being held by Draco, and my leg is killing me. I wouldn't put it passed Bellatrix to curse me, so I have to keep my tongue held. I don't want to make my leg worse. Mum puts a hand on Bellatrix's arm, who brushes it off. She snaps, "Cissy. Your daughter is a freak. A Metamorphmagus. Like Andy's daughter. I can fix her."
Her wand is back at my face in seconds and I say, "Aunt Bella..."
"SILENCE." She screams in my face. I bite my tongue and she says, "You are a freak. Crucio."
I feel the worst pain I have ever felt shoot through my body. I fall to the floor, writhing and sobbing. She stops after a while, and laughs, "Pathetic. At her age, I could at least fall to the floor and sit down. I wasn't a sobbing mess."
"Bella!" Mum yells, sitting me up to the sofa. She sits next to me and says, "Bella, how dare you? I know mother and father raised us like that, but I don't raise my daughter like this."
"She needs to know she is a freak." Bellatrix says, holding her wand out again. She says, "Move Cissy. It'll hurt you if you are holding her."
"I'm not moving for you." Mum says. Bellatrix grabs her off and shoves her into Lucius's arms.
"Hold her," She demands. Lucius does, and I hear Bella say, "Crucio."
It feels like it goes on for longer, and by the end of it, I am panting and sobbing. I can't breathe steadily, and it takes all I have to sit me up, even just on the floor.

"Stand." Bella demands. I shake my head and she repeats, "Stand."
"Bella, she can't." Mum says, breaking free from Lucius. She snatches my stick out of Draco's hand and gives it to me. I get myself up with a little help from mum, and Bellatrix says, "What is wrong with her?"
"She has a curse from a while ago that messed up her leg. Then, she got slammed into a wall by Sirius. Now the curses you just performed have horrifically messed up her leg even more. I'm sending her to be with her friends. Her stuff is already there. Better there than here."
She whispers an address in my ear, and takes me up to the study fireplace. I use the floor, and come crashing into some random fireplace. There are a group of people waiting at the table and it takes me a second to realise who they are.

Sirius helps me to a chair and says, "What unforgivable did they use?"
"Sirius? What?" I ask, still crying a little. Lupin holds my hands from the other side of the table and says, "When someone has an unforgivable curse used on them, they act a certain way. Their posture, facial expressions, their hair. You tick all the boxes. Who, when and where?"
"Bellatrix, about a minute and a half ago, at the manor."
Molly turns round and says, "You were cursed less that five minutes ago? Remus, I swear..."
"Molly," I say, grimacing, "I'll be fine."
"Your leg wont?" Remus scoffs, "Look at you. You are depending on that stick more than usual. Did your mother and father stand around and watch?"
"Of course they did Remus." Sirius snaps. He says, "That is how it is. You are around a Black, and you suffer like they did. Bella was prone to being the one cursed the most. That is the only way people do what she wants them to do. Thing is, you can't fix things like being a Metamorphmagus."
"No, you can't." I hear a voice from the doorway. A young woman is stood, smiling, "Oh, and we have got Harry."
I wave, not able to get up. They send Harry upstairs and continue interrogating me.

The young woman, called Tonks, turns to me to face her and says, "They cursed you for being a Metamorphmagus."
"A freak..." I mumble. She is quick to stop me, saying, "I am a Metamorphmagus. I think we are cousins, Atlas."
"My aunt is Bellatrix." I say. She nods and I say, "Brilliant. Now, its lovely to meet you, but can anyone help me stop feeling the side effects of crucio?"
"There are none." Remus says, shaking his head.

I sit with Tonks at dinner, and we have competitions with our hair and our faces.
"Best Molly hair." Remus says, laughing a little. I feel my hair get short and I see my reflection. I win, one hundred percent, but Ginny disagrees. Not long into the meal, I say, "Bellatrix. I need to go home. I'm sorry. I want my mum."
Molly nods and says, "Okay darling. Bellatrix is at your house. Are you sure you can manage going back?"
"I want my mum." I groan, rubbing my leg. Molly helps me to the fireplace and just before I leave, I say, "I am sorry."
"You want your mum."

I regret leaving immediately, as I crash into Bellatrix. She grabs me by my collar, and throws me onto the sofa. I groan and she screams, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"
I hear mum call, "Is she back?"
Bellatrix doesn't answer, but she pushes her wand into my face. Draco walks in and Bellatrix says, "Come on, Draco. Help me. Prove your worth."
Draco freezes and Mum walks in. She shoves Draco out and says, "Bella. Atlas is a child. A child with absolutely no defence. Get away from my daughter."
"Cissy?" Bellatrix laughs, "Do you seriously think she should go unpunished?"
"What has she done wrong?" Mum says, standing over me. Bellatrix tilts her head and says, "She is a Metamorphmagus. A freak. I can fix her."
"I do not want her to be fixed."
"Cissy, move." Bellatrix snaps.
"No." Mum says, "Atlas, baby, go to bed. Go to bed darling."
I nod, and she helps me up. My walking stick shakes a little as I turn, clicking the door of my bedroom shut. I can't wait to be at Hogwarts.