The Third War by dumbledorefluertwins
Chapter Notes: There's no action in this chapter but I hope things are still quite gripping. I realise Bella is a bit OOC in this chapter but you'll see why in the next chapter. Oh, and before I forget, I have several plot bunnies bouncing around in my head, so, d'you all want a prequel to this (seventh year fic), a different prequel (Harry's just recovered, getting married, kid's ectr.), a sequel to this (Sirius' 1st yr) or a what if?/spin off(If Harry had died)? I can't decide, I don't think I'll do all four - I won't have time before DH comes out and I would never be able to write an alternate ending. So, it's up to you lot.
A woman stood at the end of the corridor. She looked to be in her late forties and her long dark hair was braided with thin silver and gold ribbons that shimmered in the light. Her make-up was done perfectly, subtle and highlighting her best features.
“My name is Elisa,” she said cheerfully, walking towards them. The children eyed her suspiciously. She didn’t look like a Death Eater and she seemed happy and optimistic. However, there was something that just didn’t seem quite right about her...
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you,” she smiled, “Here are your wands. I’m sorry we had to take you by force, but it was the only way. Why don’t you come with me to the sitting room and we’ll explain everything to you?” She handed them their wands. The moment he got his wand in his hands, Danny tried to stun her, but she blocked it without so much as a look at him.
“Please don’t try anything. I’m here to help you, and even if you did manage to stun every person in this building, you wouldn’t be able to go very far. As you probably know, there’s nothing around this building for several miles except for thick rainforest and the only way out of here is by Apparition, because no doorways to the outside have been built. Please, come with me, I promise that we have no intention of harming you.” Elisa smiled warmly and gestured for them to follow her. They followed her hesitantly. Elisa reached the end of the corridor and pulled back one of the rugs, revealing a trapdoor. She opened it and slipped agilely down. The children peered down nervously to see Elisa beckoning them on. One by one they jumped down the trapdoor into a cosy room, with four, brown leather sofa’s grouped around a glass coffee table, which had food on it that was eerily similar to the food they found in their rooms. A ladder was attached to the wall underneath the trapdoor, creating a way back up. A fire crackled merrily at one end of the room, and a wireless was sounding out music quietly from the other. Colourful plants around the room gave off a sweet scent, and beautiful paintings covered the dark red walls.
“Wait here, Bella will be with you shortly. Oh, do feel free to eat; you all must be starving,” smiled Elisa, and without another word she Disapparated from the room.
“Bella?” whispered Sirius. All the children had been brought up fearing that name. Bellatrix Lestrange, whose powers were nearly as strong as Harry Potter’s, was thought to be hiding, or dead. Nevertheless, she was still the most hunted witch in the world and it was the greatest desire of many to get her alone, wandless, and show her what they thought of her.
They all managed to squeeze onto one couch, huddling together. Although they had only met each other a few moments ago, the fear had brought them close. Jaime knew what they were all thinking; he was thinking it too, though he didn’t voice it. They were all going to die. But he needed to know why. For him and his siblings it was obvious. Lestrange wanted revenge on their father. It was the same with Danny, but the others? He’d never heard their surnames before.
“Rosa?” he asked, quietly.
“Yes?” Fear was obvious in her voice, even though she was whispering.
“Were you parents involved in the war?” Jamie was aware of everyone listening but he ignored them and studied Rosa’s face. He could feel himself blushing slightly.
“No. Well, my Uncle was killed but that was a random attack on his village. They didn’t know his name or anything. We were lucky.”
“Oh. What about you, Nicolas?” He shook his head.
“Not really. I’m half-blood so my Dad didn’t even know anything about the war and my Mum did lose a few family members, but they were all from big attacks; they weren’t singled out or anything.”
“Camilla?” She shook her head. Jamie sighed.
“I don’t understand. They seemed to know exactly which children to go for but I don’t know why they wanted you three. I can understand the rest of us but…”
“There’s no point in fussing about it. What’s done is done and there’s nothing we can do about it,” said Lillian, dully, her glistening eyes fixed on a vase of flowers. They sat in silence, waiting to die, waiting to live, waiting to be told what was going to happen.
A crack sounded through the room and Bellatrix Lestrange appeared in the middle of the room. None of the children moved. Bella stared at them. It was like this for a few moments until Lillian broke the silence.
“If you’re going to kill us, hurry up and do it.” Bella blinked and smiled slightly.
“I have no intention of killing you, dear child.” Jamie raised his eyebrows.
“What?”
“I don’t want to harm you.”
“Come again?” Danny looked at her as if she’d sprouted an extra head. She gave a light, ringing laugh and sat on the sofa opposite them.
“My dear children, I won’t hurt you. Listen, and I’ll tell you everything.”
***
Harry sat at his desk, his head in his hands. The school was silent, the children had been sent home until further notice. The only sound was the faint howl of the wind outside. All of his children… he didn’t understand. Why now? Why had they waited all these years, when he thought he was safe?
He hated Bellatrix Lestrange for doing this to him. He had never hated anyone so much in his life “ not Snape, Wormtail or even Voldemort. He would kill Bellatrix Lestrange, but he had no idea where she was or what she was doing to his children.
“If you hurt them… if you put them through what I went through,” he whispered, warm tears escaping from his eyes, “I’ll kill you Bellatrix. I won’t rest until I get them back, or until you are dead.”
***
“You see, children. I have done terrible things in my life. Awful things that I have regretted everyday. But I did them for good reasons. I’m not a bad person, really.”
“You killed people,” said Sirius, coldly.
“So did your father.”
“He had no choice! He had to! He didn’t want it! He didn’t enjoy it!” Despite his surroundings and the circumstances, the Weasley and Potter tempers in him were coming through.
“I’m not saying he did!” she exclaimed quickly, “I’m just saying-”
“You tortured him. He nearly died. His friend did die.” Bellatrix looked very sad.
“I know. I would do anything to go back and change that but… I was just so angry! I know your father had no choice in the matter; I do not blame him for it. But, he killed many of my friends. And the one man I looked up to, more so even than my husband.”
“He was an awful man. I highly doubt he was even a man. He was a monster,” said Rosa, fire blazing in her dark brown eyes.
“Was he? He had an awful childhood-”
“So did Harry, he didn’t turn into a maniac!” yelled Danny.
“Let me finish,” Bella said, patiently, “He had an awful childhood and was led astray. He wasn’t an evil man; he just had very strong views and was willing to do whatever was necessary to get those views across. But, I know you will not agree with me, so I will not waste time arguing his innocence with you. I will be honest with you. I am dying. A Muggle disease, I think you may have heard of it? Cancer? It’s too late for treatment for me. And before I go I wish to look upon the face of an old boyfriend. Possibly the only man I ever loved. He was killed during the War against Grindewald by a Muggle bomb in 1943, which was where I developed my hate for Muggles, I suppose.”
“If he’s dead then you need to accept that. There’s no spell that can reawaken the dead, unless they had made a Horcrux, and then they’re not even worth bringing back,” said Lillian, remembering the words her father had told her a long time ago. Her hamster had just died, and she was begging her father to bring him back. She would have smiled at such a trivial problem now, if she had not been so terrified.
“Oh, it’s not a spell. It’s a potion. It was only recently developed in the Department of Mysteries, and it will only bring him back for a few minutes “ one minute for every year he lived.”
“Why do you need our help? Does it require a sacrifice? That way you can get what you want and get back at all those who opposed you in the war; killing two birds with one stone,” spat Lillian. Bella did not flinch or smile, but spoke calmly, with patience.
“No. It is pure coincidence that three of you are Harry Potter’s children and that you,” she nodded towards Danny, “are the son of Remus and Nymphadora Lupin. You children have all been brought together because you are ‘The Seven’.”
“The Seven?” asked Camilla, her icy blue eyes growing round at the thought of being important. Bella nodded.
“Yes. It has been told for eons that seven children will come and open the gate.
One, will be a temptress,
Another, born into a house of vanity and pride,
Two, will not yet show their true power but are as strong as the sun is hot.
Three, will be born from the war weary.
They alone will open the gate,
And create a pathway between the worlds.
“You see? You are those children. I know that to you the prophecy will make no sense. That you will probably ask me how I know that it is you seven, and not other children. But the veil has been uttering your names for a long time now, to those that hear and understand it.”
“That’s not a real prophecy. Real prophecy’s rhyme,” said Rosa, stubbornly. Bella laughed softly.
“How ignorance can be so intelligent! It rhymes in Parseltongue, the language it was made in. I spent many years translating it. I do not speak it naturally but there is one book that I am lucky enough to own that can teach you.” Bella looked out of the window, where a glorious sunset was sweeping over the skies and birds were singing their last song of the day.
“I shall tell you more tomorrow. Now, you should eat and then sleep,” She said, gesturing towards the food laid out on the coffee table.
“It’s poisoned,” said Lillian. Bella shook her head.
“I have just told you that I need your help, have I not? If I had wanted to kill you, I would have done so in the castle. Eat, you must be hungry.” When she saw their hesitant and nervous faces she took a little food from each bowl and ate it, showing that it was not poisoned. Then before she left she laid out a few rules.
“Please do not attempt to climb out of the windows or balconies. There is a charm that prevents you from doing so which is unfortunately rather painful. You have been given your wands but they will be confiscated if used to attack anyone. Don’t try and send messages home “ you shall see you parents soon enough if you co-operate and they will be informed of your safety. That is all I ask. I will see you all again at three O’clock tomorrow afternoon.” And then the children were alone. They ate the food greedily, their hunger coming through more than ever. They then climbed up the ladder under the trapdoor to the corridor and bade each other goodnight. But they all found it difficult to sleep that night. They tossed and turned trying to figure out the prophecy. Something about Bella’s story wasn’t quite right, but they would have to find out tomorrow as one by one, exhaustion caused each child to fall into a restless sleep.