Rhapsody | Bellatrix Black

Arrival At Lestrange Manor

Bellatrix didn't know how she was to get to the dinner party, nor what to expect, but on the day specified in the letter, she was sent a note that told her of a secret passage from just outside the dunegons to the outskirts of Hogsmeade, and that she would be met there by a chaperone.

She had been wondering too much about the party and neglected to realise that she had nothing to wear; but this was taken care of too. She was sent a dress in the owl post, a beautiful black gown that fit perfectly. When she tried it on in the privacy of the girl's bathroom on the night, she felt like somebody else. With her thick black curls out of their usual  hairband and loose around her shoulders, she looked taller, older, more confident, more sure of what she was doing. For the first time, she wondered about makeup. They weren't allowed to wear it at home, but she had seen some of the other girls with it.

Bellatrix snuck back to the dormitory and borrowed Livia's red lipstick from her bedside table, then smiled at herself in the mirror, admiring how the colour flattered her pale skin. She had no pockets in the dress so put on her own cloak, shoving her wand into the pocket. The school cloak rather spoiled the adult effect; she pulled a face at herself in the mirror before checking her watch. It was quarter to, and the walk would take her about ten minutes. She had better get going.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she made her way through the narrow passageway, but they were ones of excitement rather than nerves. She felt light headed with expectation, and as she rounded a corner, she saw a heavy trapdoor. When she came to it, she reached up and knocked on it lightly, three times. This was the signal that had been specified in the note.

As she watched, it was heaved open, and a hand lowered to help her up. Bellatrix took it, and with ease, she she was helped up to the open sky. It was a dark and moonless night, but she could see the lights of the castle in the distance; shivering a little, she turned to the man who had helped her out of the passageway.

With disappointment, she realised that it was not the Dark Lord, then quickly scolded herself. Of course the Dark Lord would be too important and too busy to meet her from school. Instead, her chaperone was only a few years older than herself. He wore a set of smart black dress robes, but there was no denying the boyish spill of the blond hair across his forehead, nor the slight roundness of his face. She recognised him vaguely - one of the Lestrange brothers.

"Bellatrix Black," he said, looking her up and down with a small sneer. "Nobody said you were just a little girl. How old are you?"

"Old enough. You're not of age either, are you?"

The boy's cheeks pinked. "I will be in March."

"You don't have your license then, so we must be taking a Portkey," she turned her head and gathered her cloak around herself. "Two minutes to eight. Where is it?"

With some reluctance he took what appeared to be a silver cigarette case from his pocket, then regarded her with frank curiosity. "Why are you invited? Mother wouldn't tell me."

"That's a secret," she said primly, then checked her watch again. "One minute."

He held the case out to her, and she placed two fingers on the cool metal, beside his. "Have my parents been invited?"

He shook his head. "The Dark Lord said they weren't required."

She felt an odd little thrill at his words. This would be the first time she would ever be anywhere without supervision from her parents or teachers. It was exciting.