The beginning of the end: Bellatrix Black

The black rose

Thursday, July 9, 1969

I snap back from this timeless stare. Moments of memories pass before my eyes as I look into the light of my raven. How does he feel?

I am startled by the noise of the grand bell down the hall. Midnight. Peculiar how I never payed any attention to the clock and now, it is the only thing that ties me to reality.

I cast a quick spell to light some of the candles. Not all of them just enough to brighten my way.The raven's eyes are still attached to me. Open the windows, I whisper. Maybe this is what the raven has been waiting for.

It takes off, into the night. Slowly its light fades into the darkness.

I take a deep breath of fresh air. My lungs are filled with the pleasant aroma of this summer night. The fog around my mind disperses and I see my purpose clearly now.

Cissy.

I take one candle, my mantle and end all the enchantments on the room, locking me as I leave out of my personal cell.

I cast another one to silence my noises. Cissy's room is next to mine. I should bother with knocking but not at this time and I know that my little sister wouldn't shut people out. I enter her room.

I am surprised to see that it is lit. There is a strong smell of paint and paper. I look around to see Narcissa fully focused onto a canva.

She is a mess. Her hair is tangled, she is pale and has dark circles under her eyes. Her clothes are in disastrous state - torn and stained.

Narcissa doesn't look up to me but the shift in her position tells me that she knows that I am here. I go closer. I suddenly realize how afraid I am of scaring her.

I stop dead, unable to make another step. I look around and see all the paintings laid across the room, which is also a mess.

My focus is now back to Narcissa. She is slowly dropping her palette and brush.

"Cissy?" I whisper. She looks at me with uncertainty. I move to her, filled with desire to see her art.

It's a bouquet of flowers, painted in different shades of black except for one. A blood-coloured rose. Every detail and every shade painted into perfection.

I have seen Narcissa's painting before, which is a privilege denied most of the people. All but one left now - me.

She wraps her hands around her own body even though it is warm in the room.

"Magnificent" but as I say it I remember that day I came to Hogwarts for the first time and said the same words. The memories would have overwhelmed me if it wasn't for Cissy taking my hand in her delicate one.

"Thank you for coming to me." she looks into me with her blue eyes. Just like Father's. They are perhaps the only thing, apart from his soft voice, that I remember of him.

All that I know from what I have overheard is that he worked with dragons. People said he loved nature about as much as he loved Mother. People say this is why she fell in love with him even though it was an arranged marriage.

But Mother never talks about him. Some say she went slightly mental after his accident. I choose not to believe this. It is just a good excuse for all that she has done.

She hugs me unexpectedly and I nearly fall. But I don't. She starts sobbing looks again at me "Is Andromeda really, truly gone?" Cissy manages to ask and I just nod.

"I-I saw her running away that night" I mumble and actually realize what I just said.

"And you did nothing about it?" she is now angry. No.

"I didn't think about what she was doing" A lie. I hope Cissy doesn't find out.

"She left because of that Muggle-born, you know? She expected Mother's reaction and decided it was better to save it for herself. She was probably right to leave."

Narcissa doesn't take her eyes off me. Just like the raven. I hope she doesn't fly away like him.