The Vicious Cycle

Description:

When Harriet Potter died for the second time she was once again given the option to live again. Only, this time, she would be sent back to 1989, to be the nine year old unknown daughter of Sirius Black and Bellatrix LeStrange nee Black, emerged into the world of Pureblood politics and the truth behind the Black family.

(This will be fairly short as it's only a prologue, but I hope you enjoy!)

Prologue

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There was nothing left to fight for.

The Death Eaters had captured almost every order member standing, they had invoked terror alike to no other into the heart of a community. One that was no longer standing.

Wizarding Britain didn't exist anymore; and neither did hope.

And that was what had led to this moment. Harriet Lilly Potter, standing in front of the graves of her fallen friends, white roses in hand, left as the last woman standing.

Her hands were crimson from having dug her nails into her hands, her way of coping with the undeniable pain that came with the loss of everybody she ever knew and loved, her eyes haunted and cold.

Not for the first time, she was submerged into the silence. But she wasn't alone.

She whirled around, her years of battle making her aware of the approaching enemy, despite their silencing charms. There was a group of what had to be thirteen of them, each identical to the next except for the centre one.

Voldemort himself.

There was a slim chance of her getting out of there, thirteen to one – the thirteen including the Dark Lord – didn't seem very hopeful.

Not that she had any hope left anyways.

But she'd be damned if she didn't at least take some of them to the grave with her.

And so she did.

Curses flew past the dark haired woman as she dodged and retaliated, her offence and defence skills undeniably superior to any of the twelve individual Death Eaters, but together and with the Dark Lord it was only a matter of time before her battle dance ended.

Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Marcus Flint, Adelaide Murton, Yatin Bhagat, she recognised many of the Death Eaters that she struck down as she weaved her way to Voldemort himself. Viola Richmond, Gemma Farley, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Zubeida Khan, Draco Malfoy.

Finally she was duelling Theodore Nott, perhaps a better dueller than the rest but still – whilst she was pumped on the adrenaline of her incoming death, (which was undoubtable, with Nagini still alive meaning that she couldn't kill Voldemort) not formidable enough.

Within several minutes she had blasted him to the side, turning to whirl back to face the snake-faced 'Lord', only to have an 'Avada Kedavra' thrown to her back.

And the minute the spell hit, all she knew was black.

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Harriet Potter awoke to a familiar, blinding light, the very same that had assaulted her eyes when she had awoken upon her first death. When the recognition hit her all she felt was relief, relief that she would finally be able to be at peace. See her parents, and Sirius, and Remus, and Hermione, and Ron and Cedric again.

"Your time is not up yet, Harriet," came a voice that she had long missed, the voice of Remus Lupin.

He smiled at her, lending her a hand up giving her a moment to observe him. He looked much younger than he ever had, the worn out and tired look that had been a frequent in his eyes had dissipated, the stress lines that had once marred his pale skin were gone too. He looked happy, content, and she glad for him.

But was not glad with the words that fell from his mouth, the words she spoke being, "what do you mean?"

"Fates not finished with you yet, you still have time to live, Harriet."

"So I'm going to be sent back again?" Her inquiry was filled with reluctance and slight anger, she didn't want to have to go back to a world where all her friends, all her family were dead, she didn't want to have to carry on fighting when she had nothing to fight for. Not anymore. But she would. Hermione had called it her hero complex, always putting others before herself. And no matter how much she longed to finally have peace she wouldn't use it at the cost of others.

"Yes and no," Remus informed her with a friendly smile, "you'd go back to a sort of alternate reality. You'd live your life again from the age of nine but you wouldn't be you, you wouldn't be the girl who lived."

"Would I still have all my memories?" Harriet inquired of him, leaning that the answer was a 'yes' with Remus' nod, "who would I be?"

Remus grimaced slightly but none the less answered, "the daughter of Sirius and Bellatrix."

Harriet found that she rather resembled a fish in her momentary shock, "Bellatrix? But they're cousins that's-,"

"Common," Remus interrupted, "for old pure blood families."

Her mouth felt dry as she asked what would be her final question, "and if I don't?"

Remus looked at her gravely, pity evident within his chocolate brown eyes, "then you'll be a ghost, cursed to walk this earth and watch the destruction, you will never find peace."

Harriet nodded. While she was at loathe at the idea of Bellatrix being her mother accompanied by the factor that she would be de-aged to the age of nine she much preferred that alternative than to spending the rest of eternity watching as the factions of light and dark destroyed each other with their magic, and as muggles destroyed each other with their nuclear and atomic weapons.

Remus seemed to already know her decision, for he smiled at her understandingly before beginning to turn upon his heel, that was until she called out, "Remus."

He turned to her.

"I'm so sorry about Tonks and Teddy, I'm so sorry I couldn't save them. I tried but I just wasn't fast enough."

"They're with me now, Harriet," Remus informed her, walking to put a hand on the shoulder of the girl he had thought of as a family member, "and your parents are so, so proud of you. Never forget that, never doubt that."

And with that he was gone.

And with that, she was gone too.