So this is my second story I've ever written for this site, so let's hope that it's acceptable and at least mildly entertaining.

Disclaimer: I do not Harry Potter. If I did Bellatrix would have survived the final battle and ended up with Hermione.

Chapter one: Re-awakening

The wind whistled through the trees as the dark clouds began to roll in from the east on this early England morning. Lightning crashed within the sky lighting the darkened forest and the manor it surrounded in its pale glow, thunder rumbled within the sky in the distance as the first droplets of rain descend down upon the area followed by a torrent of the cold, piercing water the pounded onto the highest window of the dark and eerily quiet manor encircled by the forest.

It was here that Bellatrix Lestrange, or Black as she had begun calling herself once more after the untimely death of her husband at the hands of Lord Voldemort, rested.

Sitting in one of the few chairs within her sparsely decorated room in the Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix impatiently tapped her finely manicured nail on the polished and carved wood as she stared off into space deep into her thoughts. It had been less than three days since the encounter with Harry Potter and his party in the Department of Mysteries, and she was getting anxious and if she were to be honest slightly worried.

Bellatrix scrunched up her face slightly as she thought of that particular emotion before letting out a nearly soundless scoff into the darkness that engulfed her in the empty bedroom. If anyone, be it Death Eater or and Order member, knew that the woman before them was feeling that emotion they could possibly have had a heart attack.

'That is… if the Order Member in question has other plans. . .' Bella thought with her normal faint crooked smile upon her face as she leaned back in her chair lazily. Keeping the crazed smile in place, Bella thought back to the night when she was handed one of the biggest quests of her entire life. Actually, if she were honest with herself, it was her life's true mission. Everything depended on how she handled herself and how flawless her acting had been up until this very moment. Thinking back to the night the assignment was handed to her, Bella gave a very soft almost unheard sigh as her already deaden eyes glazed over with a memory.

*Flashback: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry January 13, 1969*

An eighteen year old Bellatrix Black slowly walked up the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with a faint smile upon her beautiful face that reached all the way to her bright brown eyes that shown with kindness. Walking past the various painting that greeted her with smiling faces, Bellatrix slowly came to a stop in front of a stone Gargoyle, whose lifeless eyes jerked to her face waiting patiently for the password.

Bellatrix shivered a little bit at the lifeless eyes but refused to show an ounce of her surprise as she gave a slight smile, "Lemon Drops." She said crisply and waited a moment as the old stone statue moved revealing the spiraling stair case that hid behind it.

Stepping onto the stairs after a moment of waiting, the young witch waited until the stairs stopped moving completely stepping up the remaining step and into an oval office with many large windows, and just as many bookshelves lining the far wall. To her right, paintings of old Headmasters and Headmistresses hung each of them wide awake and gazing at the young pureblood that had stepped into the office. Smirking to herself, Bellatrix bowed her head as she spied her relative, Phineas Nigellus Black, smiling widely at her a prideful gleam seen in the old paintings eyes as she sauntered into the room fully.

Combing the area with her eyes, Bellatrix finally allowed them to gaze forward at the large wooden desk before her and then at the old grey beard man that sat in the comfy chair behind it. The man had wizened grey eyes that held a slight sparkle as he gazed at her from over his half-moon spectacles. "Good Morning Miss. Black. I'm glad that you received my owl." He said kindly clasping his hands together on top of his desk. "Can I interest you in some Sherbet Lemons? They are particularly feisty today." He smiled the laugh wrinkles in his face shown slightly as he did popping one of the candies into his mouth after his offer.

"I'm quite alright, Sir. Your message sounded completely urgent, I could not help myself but to get here as soon as possible." Bella answered as she sat down in one of the chairs in front of her ex-professors desk crossing her long legs, her silk cloak sliding open somewhat revealing her traveling attire underneath. "I'm assuming that it was urgent with how cryptic it was . . ." She trailed off watching as the professor's smile faltered ever so slightly.

Dumbledore stood from his desk walking over to his phoenix, Fawkes, and pet the gentle creature not looking at the young woman for a moment before training his gaze onto her. "Yes, Miss. Black. What I have called you for is of upmost importance." He started gravely before moving his gaze off, "Tell me. Have you by any chance come across a man by the name of Voldemort while you have been away from the castle?"

"My father had a meeting with him not to long ago, actually Professor. My betrothed and his brother have been making preparations to meet with him and discuss some revolutionizing development the man has created. He sounds completely . . . . insane if I may be so bold. He's been making his rounds through most of the pure blood families to secure their loyalties in his revolution."

Dumbledore nodded a little bit at this snippet of information, "Have you found out what this 'revolution' will consist of Miss. Black?"

"I have heard only what my father has been spewing, as well as the things Lucius has been saying here and there when he's boasting. I do know that they are seeking to 'purge the world of all mudbloods, blood traitors, and muggles' and create a world based upon Pure blood domination." Bella said offhandedly without much care for the slogan the others of her kind threw around, as a Christian throws around the words of the bible.

"Yes, your information is quite correct, Miss. Black. Voldemort seeks to destroy everything that does not meet the standards of the Pure blood world. Odd seeing as he himself is a half-blood." Dumbledore mused with a slight smirk upon his face. "Voldemort, or as he was known here at Hogwarts, Tom Riddle has been very successful in garnering a lot of supporters for his revolutionary ideas, and I'm afraid things may turn for the worst if things are not put in order quick enough."

"And this has to do with me how, Professor?" The raven haired beauty asked looking at her Professor with a slight glare her mind already working ahead to what the newest Headmaster of Hogwarts may want with her.

"My dear, I come to you as a friend, and as a member of the newly created Order of the Phoenix to ask a tremendous favor of you." Dumbledore said walking back over to his large comfy chair and sitting down looking at the woman before him. "I wish for you to join our side of this impending war . . . and infiltrate the ranks of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, his inner circle if you will."

Bellatrix balked at the idea looking at the man who gazed at her with a stony gaze. "Professor, I hardly think that I could do what you ask. First off, I may have the title as the best witch of my age as well as a renowned dueling champion, but this Voldemort fellow seems to be someone who will not look for women to enter his circle if he believes in the basic principles that most pure blood males do." She pointed out looking at the man with obvious disbelief in her eyes, "Secondly, if I even had the chance of doing what you ask… then wouldn't I have to do things that will inevitably lead me to do things . . . . Dark things… Things that I should and probably would be sent to Azkaban for?"

Dumbledore looked at her his face grave and his age shown clearly as he gave her a level stare, "Yes, Miss. Black. There will be things that you will have to do that will cause great pain and suffering to others, you will have to fight and kill people you have grown up with, and you will have to watch the most dangerous things in your life; however, this could end up in a war that will decide the fate of the Wizarding world as we know it. Everyone will have to kill or be killed no matter what side of it you are on, Miss. Black. You will still have to fight and kill people you have known for years. At least if you are on our side, I can assure you that your fears of Azkaban for your future crimes will not be as you perceive. If Tom has been defeated for good, and your loyalty to us is shown through this very memory, I can assure you full amnesty."

Bellatrix frowned a little bit at the man before her, cutting her eyes dangerously as she watched the Headmaster of Hogwarts keep a steady piercing gaze upon her. "If he has been defeated for good?" She questioned not liking the tone he used when at the end of his little speech.

"There has been a prophecy recently given by a divinations teacher that forebodes to the return of the 'dark lord' and only his equal will be able to destroy him. The prophecy has said that the Dark Lord shall rise again and neither he nor the boy will be able to live as long as the other survives." Dumbledore voiced looking at her his twinkle gone from his eyes. "I know that my assumption could be wrong, Miss. Black, however I do believe. . . that even if this war is won by the light, the dark lord will return stronger than ever. . . and I fear that you will be of service to him if that should come to pass."

Bellatrix frowned at the absurdity of the man before her. He was basically asking her to throw away everything she had hoped, she had dreamed, and she had worked for to join a cause and a war that would more than likely end her life, and that was if she was one of the lucky ones from what she was saying. "You want me to give my entire life up for a cause that will destroy me one way or another? Why me? Why not someone else?" She demanded to know her eyes hard as she looked over the older man.

"My dear Bella…" He said softly looking at her with an expression of sadness. "I only trust the brightest, strongest, and most capable people with my inner most plans. . . and I am entrusting everything in you, Bella. You have always been the leader of the school, the pride, and the iron fist when you were a student here. Your skills are unmatched, your style untamed. We need you for this. You will not come out of this in the negative, my dear girl."

"Then what, if anything, will I receive from this, Professor." She said with an edge to her normally musical voice.

"If your services are required longer than we anticipate the war to last, you will be given a completely new chance when the time is right for you to return to our side completely. The Minister of Magic and the department of Mysteries have both been briefed in the plan that I have proposed, and if your mission is a success, there is a way for you to return – physically, back to the woman you are this very moment. " Dumbledore said simply, "It's a very old, very secretive magical practice that the Ministry of Magic has kept secret for near a millennia when it was discovered by one of your ancestors, Miss. Black.

"You will be given asylum and amnesty immediately upon your defection from the inner circle, and you will be given the magic as soon as humanly possible." Dumbledore finished looking at her. "This choice is difficult I know. . . but the only other person who has the possibility of pulling this off, is Severus Snape. . . and with his blood status. . ."

"It's not guaranteed that he will be accepted in the inner circle. . ." Bella muttered out leaning back in her chair quietly nibbling on the inside of her lip with a frown upon her face. ". . . " The witch went quiet thinking over the deal Dumbledore offered her and the consequences of her actions.

Sitting there as still as a stone for what seemed like an eternity in the closed confines of the office, Bella pondered everything. The pros, cons, and the things she would have to face if she were to make this plan a reality.

"Professor?"

Dumbledore looked up from his clasped hands towards the sullen and dark woman, with a frown seeing not for the last time the weight of the world upon her shoulders.

"I accept…"

***End Flashback***

'The old fool allowed the fate of the world to rest in my hands.' Bellatrix thought her faint smile turning to one of complete madness for a moment before closing her eyes thinking over things over and over as she recuperated from the fighting the previous day her thoughts running rampant.

Bellatrix broke herself from her current thoughts as a slight popping noise was heard over the thunderous rain that pelted the manor, and grabbed her crooked wand with a dark look crossing her face as she stood and looked cautiously around for the source of the noise. Scanning the room, the dark woman spun on the spot with a frown on her face.

"Come out come out where ever you are. . ." She hissed out coldly dead chocolate brown eyes tightening as she caught sight of the purple trim of a familiar set of robes. "Well well well what do we have here?" She said ever so softly her wand pointed in the direction of the barely visible trim.

"Good Morning, Bella." A soft, male voice called out calmly no ounce of fear heard in his unshakeable voice.

Bella blinked for a moment before grinning like a deranged animal shooting over a massive amount of spells at the spot before her cackling like a wild woman she was at the moment. It was time indeed.

Nearly twenty minutes passed before anyone returned to the Malfoy manor and dared to go to the highest room in the top most room, and what they saw was a grizzly scene. The entire room had been ripped apart by spell after spell, lingering effects of paralysis spells, jinxes, and hexes could be seen due to the ripped and torn furniture that had decorated the room and a now small fire was burning in the corner of the large room nearest the decimated wall where a beautiful stained glass window had been at one point. Blood spattered the wall near the giant opening and a pool of it was lying in the exact position of where a charred female corpse lay holding a broken and splintered wand.

The Death Eater that entered the room first fell to his knees and relieved the contents of her stomach into the floor by the door at the stench of fried and cooked human blood, flesh, and hair as the two others just stare wide eyed at the sight. In the middle of the destroyed bedroom lay the final remains of one of the strongest, and most loyal of Death Eater.

The Dark Lord would certainly not be pleased when news of this reached his ears.