Bellatrix and her Master

The Fiancée

Summer 1965,

The letter was still crumpled in Bellatrix's hand, her fist clenched around a few brief, cold, and impersonal words. The Hogwarts Express was beginning to slow down as it approached King's Cross station. The young girl struggled to conceal her stress and irritation. Without the whiteness of her fingers clenched on the scrap of parchment and her slumped posture, one could almost have thought she was completely serene. Andromeda Black, her younger sister, watched her critically, knowing that if Bellatrix were to notice her scrutiny, she would probably be met with one of her legendary scowls.

Bellatrix, however, was not at all concerned with what was happening inside the compartment she occupied. She simply watched the blurred landscape passing by the train window. Seated beside her was a girl Andromeda didn't much care for. She was nicknamed "the Ghost" because of her very pale skin and very blond hair. Andromeda knew that the two girls didn't share many common interests. Truth be told, Bellatrix associated with her only because their parents had subtly hinted that it would be inappropriate to reject the sole heiress of the Averys. Andromeda might have tolerated her a bit more if the girl hadn't made it clear that she considered Andromeda just a child deserving of no respect.

Andromeda had just finished her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while Bellatrix and the Ghost would be starting their fourth year come September. They were all in Slytherin House. Andromeda could have sat with her friends, but she chose to stay with her older sister after receiving a rather mysterious letter from their parents that very morning.

Bellatrix finally tore her gaze away from the window and cast a bored look at her sister and the girl who had been silent since the train's departure.

"You're very quiet, Dromeda, what's wrong?" Bellatrix inquired haughtily.

"It was pointless trying to tear you away from your fascinating observation of the scenery, and your dear friend, the ghost here, doesn't seem inclined to talk," replied Andromeda with an amused smile.

Bellatrix kept an impassive face, but Andromeda knew her remark about the Ghost had pleased her.

"I think your sister is too polite to tell you, but first-years have no business in this compartment. Your presence here prevents us from having a conversation!" exclaimed the young heiress, her expression furious.

"The train is almost there, she doesn't need to leave now," countered Bellatrix.

She was obviously trying not to take sides, but it wasn't without a real effort on her part. Normally, Bellatrix didn't have to exclusively put up with the company of this brainless girl. She was much more often surrounded by older students, mostly boys who were part of Rodolphus Lestrange's circle. The Ghost was always trailing behind, but with a timidness that bordered on pathological, and in accordance with the education she had received, she never spoke when she was in the company of the school's boys. And that suited Bellatrix just fine!

The other girls in her year at Slytherin were not excessively disagreeable, but they didn't resemble her. A bit dim-witted, not an ounce of daring. They didn't interest her. Avery, with her timid personality, had quickly turned to the only lonely girl like herself, and thus Bellatrix became the only friend of the "Ghost" at Hogwarts.

"Why didn't you sit with Rodolphus and the others?" Andromeda asked, her curious eye glancing fleetingly towards the letter Bellatrix still held.

The girl's gaze darkened as her fingers tightened even more around the letter, two small red dots appeared on her cheeks, then she turned back to the window. She was obviously in a great anger, and Andromeda had an idea why. Andromeda couldn't help but admire her sister's composure. With her explosive temperament, Bellatrix frequently lost her temper. The fact that she was trying to conceal her anger at this moment indicated that the matter was serious. Andromeda had always thought that among their family, Bellatrix was the one with the strongest character. Perhaps it was because she was the eldest in the family, but Bellatrix had always been at the centre of the liveliest discussions. Initially, it was because of her beauty. Bellatrix was a tall girl for her age with perfectly defined features, straight and sharp like all Blacks. Her lips were full, almost luscious, giving her a certain sensuality. Everyone said that Andromeda and Bellatrix resembled each other. Their main difference lay in their hair colour: Bellatrix had long, heavy black hair while Andromeda had a brown mane like her eyes. Despite their resemblance, Andromeda often thought that her older sister had something more that left no one indifferent. Perhaps it was her dark gaze or her haughty and proud attitude.