Belonging in Slytherin

The news about Healer Beanacre's arrest ran round the school like wildfire. After all, if the Healers had started killing people for You-Know-Who, no-one would be safe. It even knocked Bellatrix Black's love life off the top of the gossip list. Ethelina kept trying to think of ways to make things better for her best friend.

A very subdued Viola returned to the common room that evening. Strangely, the older pupils were much kinder to her than the younger ones. When Jessica ventured a sneer about Healer Beanacre, Crispin made a cutting remark that had Jessica leaving the room in tears. Lucy Whitby gave Viola half a dozen chocolate frogs and told her to send them to her father. Even Bellatrix, spotting Viola in her favourite fireside chair, sat in another opposite.

"Tell me more about the goblin wars," Ethelina urged Viola, hoping that doing something that would please her father would give Viola hope.

Viola sniffed, tears dropping off the end of her nose into her history book. "I keep telling myself that if I keep learning this stuff, he'll be so proud when he gets out." She slammed the book shut. "It's useless! USELESS! If they find him guilty, he'll spend the rest of his life there." She didn't sob loudly, but kept crying silently, as though she were full of tears and they had to come out, even if she didn't make a fuss.

Bellatrix looked at Viola. "Your father was a Ravenclaw."

"Y-yes."

"Well then, he will have the brain to help himself, won't he? He will get out."

"No-one gets out of Azkaban," Viola sniffed, "Unless they're let out."

Bellatrix shrugged. "You had better hope the Wizengamot let him out, then."

"He's innocent!" Viola told her.

Bellatrix fixed Viola with a hard stare. "The innocent do not always go free and the guilty do not always get punished."

"That's..." Ethelina began.

Bellatrix's attention switched like a lioness spotting easier prey. "That is the truth. You think I'm cruel."

"Well, yes..."

"What is worse, the cruel truth or the kind lie?"

"This is one of your trick questions. They're both bad. I don't want either."

A strange look came over the older girl's gorgeous face, a look of sorrow. "Little Bug, sometimes you have no choice. You accept what you are given, you do not take what you want." She continued, "Phineas Beanacre has been accused of killing Muggles. He might be guilty. He might be guilty but acting under the Imperius Curse."

"No!"

"A late-night train crashed, allegedly. All people on board died, allegedly. The Muggle newspapers are claiming no-one should have died given the damage to the train. Muggles were still alive when the Aurors called the Healers to the train because it had been attacked by Death Eaters. Later all the Muggles were dead. Unless Healer Beanacre is a very bad man at his job, he killed at least some of them."

"He's a good man," Viola said. "He must've been made to do it."

"Well then," said Bellatrix, "He should walk free, if you have faith in the Ministry's justice." With that, she buried herself in writing a letter.

Ethelina gripped Viola's hand. "Be brave, Vi. Like your mum said."

Viola pulled her hand free. "I think I need a hot bath and an early night," she said, and stumbled off upstairs. Ethelina glared at Bellatrix, then went to sit elsewhere in disgust.

Lucy was counting over a bag of beads on a table in the corner. She saw Ethelina looking gloomy and tossed her one. "Cheer up. Write to your brother or something. Send him that."

Dear Bert,

Everything's gone horribly wrong this term. Viola's dad - you've never met him - has been sent to Azkaban, but it looks like he was under a curse so we hope he'll get out soon. Anyway, she's stopped being nosy, so it's time to worry. Tell me something happy from your school. One of my housemates said to send you this; I think she thinks Squibs are a bit like kittens and like sparkly things.

Love

Eth

Dear Eth,

If your friend has any more of those sparkly things going spare, send me some more. Tell her I really liked it and am making a colection. Its an EMERALD! Miss Marvell said its worth a lot of money and I shouldn't have it, so if I keep it, we can use it for something good one day.

Sorry about Viola's dad. I wish they would lock up Cassiuses dad instead, he doesn't want to go home for easter and its worrying him all ready.

Do you think 11 is too young to send Valentine cards?

Love, Bert

Ethelina smiled as she read the last line of the letter. Bert, sending Valentine cards? She was the older twin, by seven minutes, and somehow Bert had always seemed much younger than she was. Her baby brother had a crush on someone.

"What's so funny," Kelly asked.

"I think Bert's in love," Ethelina grinned. Where would Lucy get an emerald? More importantly, hadn't she been sorting through an entire bag of 'beads'? There's no way Lucy, with her keen eye, would miss a precious stone in a bag of glass, which meant the entire bag had been full of high-grade gems, most of which had been a warm yellow. "And he's trying to start a rock collection."

Viola managed a watery smile. She'd been a little happier since her father's trial date had been set. At least she knew she'd find out his fate soon, rather than later. Today was Saturday; a day Viola knew would feel horribly drawn-out but one that Ethelina and Kelly were trying to make as pleasant as possible.

Lucy Whitby was looking much less cheerful than usual. She'd just received - and shouted loudly about - her third job application rejection. It seemed that no wizard goldsmith in the country was willing to take on a member of the notorious Whitby family as an apprentice. It made breakfast entertaining for the other Slytherins, at least. Bellatrix was another long face at the table, having also received what looked like bad news, but she was so touchy that it was dangerous to seem amused by her. After picking at her toast for five minutes, she stamped off. The three girls made plans for the day.

"I thought we'd spend today by the lake," Ethelina said.

"More Goblin Wars?" asked Kelly.

"Nah," Viola said. "Let's just read for fun, my mum braved a Muggle town and got me another one of those Worst Witch books. Thought it'd make me feel better... and who knows, if the weather's nice we might see Severus trailing round after that ginger bit he has Potions with. Not sure what he sees in her - but at least she has the sense not to see anything in him."

Ethelina said, "I'd better change my library book, then - see you out there."

On her way to the library, Ethelina passed a few classrooms, empty at weekends. Well, supposed to be empty. From one she heard the faintest sound of crying. Walking in she asked, "Are you okay?"

The person crying lifted their head from their arms, and the big, beautiful, fierce eyes of Bellatrix Black stared angrily back at her. Ethelina started to back off in alarm. Bellatrix tapped her wand on the table, and then waved it and the door slammed shut. Ethelina gulped. This was very, very bad.

"I am not all right!" Bellatrix exclaimed. She looked as though she were sizing Ethelina up. At least I know she'll buy a tasteful coffin, though Ethelina in panic. Bellatrix continued, "It is not easy being me."

"Erm, no," Ethelina agreed, thinking, try being the person in the firing line for your moods.

"Sit down. Here."

Ethelina did as she was told.

"You are trustworthy, aren't you, Little Bug?"

"Well, I suppose so..."

"And you are scared of me."

"Of course! I saw what you did to Kelly."

A brief smile flashed across Bellatrix's face. "I'd forgotten about that! Well, Bug, you do pick some strange friends. They'll only hold you back, you know. You could achieve a lot."

Ethelina nodded "I am going to do something special - but my friends won't hold me back, they'll help me and I'll help them." Bellatrix smoothed out a crumpled sheet of parchment.

"There's some truth in that. Even the most inept fool can be useful sometimes." She sighed. "I'm in love. Everyone talks about it. They have such boring little lives, our housemates, nothing going on worth discussing. But I am a Black, and will live a life neither boring nor dull."

Ethelina nodded, not knowing what to say. "He's too old for school?"

A frustrated look of sorrow and defeat crossed Bellatrix's face. "He doesn't know I exist - not as a woman. I would do anything for him; I'd die for him. I've had so many men already tell me how much they loved me, and he couldn't care less."

"Maybe he'll change his mind," Ethelina ventured. Her only knowledge of romance had been gained through the dreadful novels Bellatrix tended to leave lying all over the place, all strong, silent pureblood men and desperately lovely heroines who fell into the clutches of evil Muggles who took their wands and tried to con them into marriage. It wasn't very good experience for dealing with real problems of the heart.

Bellatrix shook her head. "Oh no, not him... I knew I was unworthy, but hoped he might... notice me, at least. But no. Bellatrix Black, seen and dismissed."

"Weren't... erm... everyone thought you were dating Eurig Rosier."

The older girl looked shocked for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "Eurig? No! Nononono! That was just fun, although he thought it was serious. But he knows some interesting people, and through him I met the man I love."

"What are you going to do?"

"Everything he asks me to," Bellatrix said simply. "Even if he doesn't see me now, he will in 20 years when other people have wavered and disappointed him. I'll still be there and I will still love him. There's just one thing..."

Ethelina waited.

"I have told you before, some choices are made for us, Little Bug, and we may not like them, but we have to live with them. My love has made a choice for me." She patted the parchment she'd received in the post.

"You don't look happy with it," Ethelina ventured. What choice? She'd never thought she'd see Bellatrix letting someone else order her around and make decisions for her. She must really be stuck on him, Ethelina thought. I hope he's kind to her. Bella is so erratic, who knows what cruel treatment might turn her into?

Bellatrix patted her hand kindly. "I will do whatever he asks me to. This is the one thing I won't do gladly. But I'll do it." She sighed. "Maybe he'll change his mind... I'm getting married."

"You're too young," Ethelina stated. "And you should marry someone you love. That's the choice he's made, isn't it? Who'll be your husband. And it's wrong."

Another peal of silvery laughter. "Only someone with half-blood family members could say that! Purebloods do not always marry for love. Sometimes we marry for good family, to make more strong wizards. We marry young, too, for that reason."

"You're worth more than that, Bellatrix." Ethelina was honest now. "Wait a few years. You might change your mind about this man you love, you might decide he wants the wrong things."

"No, I feel I will follow him to the end. To my end... It's good to talk to you. Just telling someone makes it feel lighter. Everyone has doubts and fear; the important thing is to ignore them. Purity of purpose, that's what he always tells me. 'Purity of purpose, Bella, like a fire, cleaning things, putting the world right'." Bellatrix smiled now. "I am his fire, I will make his world for him. And I feel you won't talk to anyone else about this because you know it would hurt me."

"I won't talk about it because it would hurt me!" Ethelina exclaimed.

"Well, I'm going to thank you anyway," Bella said, one of her sudden surges of whimsy seizing her. "A Black always pays her debts. I'm going to give you a present."

Oh please, thought Ethelina, not that horrible bracelet. I'd rather have a couple of belts from the bruising hex.

"My family is not without influence, and I'm sure people will be willing to see that it is pointless keeping a pureblood Healer in Azkaban simply for being under the Imperius Curse, once the facts are put the to them properly." Bellatrix smiled. "Healer Beanacre could be achieving much greater things, and he is known to my father. Any wizard or witch with sense will see he should be freed. My father can explain this to people who will have a say in Beanacre's future."

Bellatrix left the room, humming a mournful tune, seemingly cheered a little by having unburdened herself and the contemplation of her own generosity. Ethelina didn't know what to do: tell Viola Bellatrix was going to try to help her father, or keep quiet. Bellatrix had seemed to ramble a bit in their discussion, and Ethelina wasn't really sure what to make of things or the strange man Bellatrix had given her heart to.

Mournfully, she made her way to the library. Healer Beanacre in Azkaban, Bellatrix in unrequited love - sometimes things just went wrong for everyone.