Bellatrix Lestrange - Tumblr Posts

heretical take #1: bellamort is riddled (pun intended) with secrets

Maybe it's because 'the truth will destroy them' is one of my all-time, top ten tropes, but I think Bellamort actually fits this.

While I do enjoy the Gomez/Morticia-esque dynamic they're often characterized with, I think they're not so straightforward as murder wife/husband.

(1) Riddled with secrets

Re: my earlier, slightly-heretical post, bellatrix lestrange is not in love with tom riddle (and she would die of mortification if she found out)' I don't believe that Voldemort's backstory is common knowledge amongst even the inner circle of Death Eaters, and Lucius not reacting when Harry taunts Bellatrix about Voldemort's blood status, imo, is insufficient evidence to suggest otherwise.

Bellatrix (in the Bellamort ship/fandom) is characterized as being a 'he's one of the good ones' type of blood supremacist, which would explain why she would be bigoted againsy even half-bloods yet become Voldemort's follower and lover. What I think this neglects is that both the family Bellatrix was born into (the Blacks) and married into (the Lestranges) are two of the most blood supremacist families. Draco Malfoy, for example, calls Hermione a Mudblood and Ron a poor, but he never insults Harry's blood status. The Blacks and Lestrange are probably second only to the Gaunts in terms of the bigotry, and the Gaunts inbred themselves to death. The Blacks are not far off, with Sirius and Regulus's parents, Orion and Walburga, being cousins.

All this is to say, Bellatrix is more than likely beyond the point of being a 'one of the good ones' type of bigot. She loses her temper at Harry, not because she knows the truth and he hit a nerve, but because the idea of the great Lord Voldemort coming from the same dirty, filthy stock as Harry Potter is, well... heresy.

People who write/meta exclusively about Tom Riddle pre-1970s are often accused of forgetting that he's also Voldemort, which can happen, but I think it's equally common for those to focus on Voldemort during/post-rise to power to forget that he's Tom Riddle.

Therefore, on the other hand, I think it's safe to assume that TMR/LV is keeping secrets from everyone. (ref: my #many faces of tag and many faces of tom riddle masterpost for the extended version of my Tom Riddle hot takes).

The relevant summary is that even as Voldemort, he is extremely insecure and ashamed of his blood status. Voldemort is terrified of dying, and terrified of inadequacy, both of which lead to his inevitable downfall through his fixation on killing Harry. If he values Bellatrix's opinion and wants her to think highly of him (unlike Harry and Peter Pettigrew, whom he tells in the graveyard), he would never, ever, ever tell her his father is a Muggle -- his pride just wouldn't allow him to.

(2) Blood is thin, I guess?

The idea that Bellatrix's love for Voldemort is so powerful it can override her bigotry is romantic, yes, but perhaps a little unfounded based on her other relationships. Although we don't know much about Andromeda, Narcissa and Bellatrix seem close, so it's not a stretch to assume all three sisters are close, too.

(I promise I'm going somewhere with this)

Bellatrix and Andromeda grow up together for >18 years, but their sisterly love cannot survive Andromeda's rejection of blood supremacy, in Bellatrix's eyes, her marriage to a Muggle-born and half-blood child.

At the beginning of Deathly Hallows, at the Death Eater meeting, Voldemort teases (very mean-spiritedly) Narcissa and Bellatrix about (half-blood) Nymphadora's marriage to (half-blood) Remus. Bellatrix is extremely offended by this and eagerly accepts Voldemort's suggestion that she 'prune' her family tree.

You can say that Nymphadora and Andromeda are different people, and they are, but the whole Bellatrix/Nymphadora beef shows that Bellatrix is not influenced by her (once) love for her sister, or least, blood purity is much more important to her.

The elevation of blood purity above family bonds suggests that Bellatrix (a talented Occlumens) is very, very good at compartmentalizing her feelings from the ideology she believes in.

(3) You like me and want to be me so much, it makes you look stupid

The other thing about Bellamort, is why even? Why would Voldemort, who is a character who's depicted to have a, let's say, hard time with love, be romantically or otherwise attracted to someone?

Yes, Bellatrix is smart, and beautiful, and powerful, and from a very established and wealthy wizarding family, but why is Voldemort so impressed by all this?

Sometimes we find people attractive because we want to be them. Not in a Saltburn-esque, drinking bathwater and wearing their skin kind of way, but nonetheless. Bellatrix's circumstances, of being born into a pureblood family and likely having at least a decent childhood, is something Voldemort covets but can never achieve.

For Bellatrix's part, she quite literally worships Voldemort, which is strange, because unlike, say, Pettigrew, obsequiousness does not become her -- when dealing with anyone else, she is always haughty and often belligerent.

All her life, Bellatrix had been taught to believe that people who are not pureblood witches and wizards are far below her, half-bloods included. The fact Tom Riddle was raised as Muggle, no doubt, would also disgust her. Some say that Bellatrix might make an exception for Voldemort because he's powerful, but I doubt it. I think this suggestion neglects that not only is stubbornness one of Bellatrix's key personality traits, but she is one of the most stubborn, hard-headed characters in the whole canon.

Notably, wand stiffness/floppiness is correlated with the mindset of the owner, and Bellatrix's wand is unyielding, just like her. The world bends to her mindset. Not the other way around.

The only way Bellatrix could consider Voldemort worthy of worship is the fact that she thinks he is pureblood. And, in turn, Bellatrix's bloodline is one of Voldemort's favourite things about her.

@theartfuldodger26 Your post made me laugh (in a good way) so I had to write something based off it but I don't know if I'll ever finish it so I've decided to just post what I have instead of condemning it to Notes app purgatory.

OG post: “So, there're three options for the teenaged Bella/Tom dynamic. Bella is hideously bigoted towards him and he completely ignores her (until they fuck), OR Bella is hideously bigoted towards him and he is extremely cool with her (until they fuck), OR Bella is hideously bigoted towards him and they argue often (until they fuck).“

Bellatrix Black takes it upon herself to be hideously bigoted towards the sole half-blood (maybe Mudblood) in Slytherin House. Tom Riddle can’t risk detention, so he chooses the cloak-and-dagger method to get back at her. Why do they care so much about each other’s opinions, anyway?

Of course, the last thing Tom Riddle should be doing right now is messing with the blasted Head Girl.

For one, the whole school (except him) is terrified of her, and for very good reason. Bellatrix Black is a witch of formidable power, great intelligence and pride, and a furious temper. And if she catches him placing a very nasty and elaborate curse on her favourite quill, he’ll be the next subject of her ire. That will lead to a duel, and Tom can’t afford to have a detention on his perfect record. All the same, he can’t let her insults go unpunished.

She started it, Tom thinks, shaking his head. She always does. 

Last night, before they went on patrol, Tom accidentally knocked her bottle of ink over, and she took it upon herself to leap from her chair to call him a ‘filthy, lying, thieving Mudblood,’ in front of the whole common room no less. Red had swum before Tom’s eyes as she ranted about how disgusting and dirty he was, and how he didn’t deserve to be at Hogwarts, much less in Slytherin House, eyes flashing, and it had taken every ounce of his composure and even Occlumency to keep his lips pressed tightly together, bite his tongue, and ignore her. Oh, how he’d itched to tell her it was her own fault for leaving her ink unattended at the very edge of the table, or, better yet, to challenge her to a duel.

And then, he’d headed deep into the dungeons so no one could hear him, and screamed, just so he could blow off enough steam to have some patience left for their patrol.

One of Bellatrix’s younger sisters, Andromeda, had given him a sort of guilty look upon his return. But that did absolutely nothing to quell Tom’s fury.

And so, here he is, indulging in a fit of petty revenge, that scratches an itch neither Calming Draught nor nicotine ever can.

No one, not even Abraxas Malfoy, gets under Tom’s skin the way Bellatrix does, but he can’t let her know that she has that power over him. And given that Abraxas is three years Tom’s elder, attacked him at night, and made it his personal mission to make Tom’s life hell as soon as he suspected Tom to be Muggle-born, while Bellatrix has only gone as far as to be over-the-top verbally abusive, that doesn’t make sense.

Maybe it’s his increased exposure to Dark magic over the years. Irritability is the most well-known and common side effect.

No use pondering it. He speaks the last bit of the incantation, then stands up slowly and quietly. It’s three in the morning, and everyone in the girls’ dormitory is fast asleep. Tom, having grown up in an orphanage (thank God he doesn’t have to go back, ever again) is well-versed in the act of sneaking around without rousing anyone from their slumber. 

As he tiptoes towards her bookbag to replace the quill, Tom notices that the curtains around her bed are not fully shut. He glowers at her sleeping form — long, thick hair splayed out across the green pillowcase, a slight frown on her forehead, her mouth slightly open. The thought of hexing her in her sleep doesn’t cross his mind — cursing her items is one thing, but attacking an unconscious person is just cowardly and therefore utterly below him. Instead, Tom’s mind finds itself drawn to the surprising thought that, when she’s not insulting his supposed blood status, Bellatrix Black is actually quite beautiful. He has to confess that he never understood what Mulciber and the others were on about during their girl-crazy phase (upon reflection, they’re still in that phase). But now, he feels the cold-hot-cold fire of hatred mix with… something else unknowable, as he stares at her.

She stirs a little in her sleep, and Tom freezes. Why didn’t he think to use a Disillusionment Charm?

Luckily, she falls back into a deep sleep, and Tom hastily makes his escape. When he shuts the door between him, he’s sweaty and breathing hard, cold adrenaline racing through his veins. His legs feel shaky.

Silently, he makes his way back to the seventh-year boys’ dormitory, where the sound of Mulciber’s snoring instantly embraces him. It’s late, and he’s got N.E.W.T. Transfiguration with Dumbledore in the morning, so Tom gets into bed, pulls the sheets over his head, and hopes for dreamless sleep.

:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

The ambient sounds of the dormitory are the first thing to greet Bellatrix in the morning, before she even opens her eyes. For some reason, she had a strange dream last night, of a figure looming over her.

Probably nothing. Bellatrix doesn’t go in for all that Divination nonsense, anyway. Her N.E.W.T.’s are coming up; it’s expected that she would experience some symptoms of stress.

As long as I do the House of Black proud, she thinks, sitting up, locating her hairbrush, and attending to the knots her hair has accumulated from tossing and turning all night. 

By the time she is done with her toilette, her hair is glowing with a glossy sheen, her tie has been done up, and her Head Girl badge neatly pinned to her robes. She points her wand at her perfume bottle, lifting her hair from behind her ears as it hovers there, dousing her in a light cloud of scent. 

She’s the first to leave the dormitory, some of the other girls still asleep, their curtains still drawn shut. No matter, she can take points later if necessary.

The seventh-year Slytherin boys are just ahead of her as she slips out of the common room and into the dark dungeon hallway — the Head Boy, Tom Riddle’s soft, silky tenor carries further than the deeper voices of the others, and Bellatrix sneers at his unpleasant accent besmirching the halls of Hogwarts. He sounds like a barrow-boy, and when they pass the group of boys, she makes sure to tell him exactly that.

“Who do we have here?” Bellatrix places her hands on her hips, and advances forward, everyone but Riddle shrinking back. “Riddle, I was thinking,”  she adds sweetly, “with the way you sound— don’t you have apples to sell in a wheelbarrow?”

Some of the boys behind him titter, hurrying to suppress their laughter.

But Riddle ignores her, as usual, not even blinking, the corners of his mouth and his eyebrows perfectly steady, though he shifts his feet uncomfortably, as if to attempt to hide his shabby but nicely-polished shoes. Bellatrix looks him up and down again, scanning him for more faults — she has no idea why riling him up amuses her so, but she’s not one for self-denial.

She can’t fault the rest of his appearance — his robes, like his books, may be secondhand, but everything is folded and creased and ironed impeccably; even the Head Boy badge is immaculately polished and gleams in the light. Not a strand of his jet-black hair is out of place, neatly gelled back, and not a hint of five o’clock shadow is visible, which is more than she can say for most of the seventh-year boys.

It is then that Bellatrix realises she has effectively been ogling Tom Riddle, who stares back at her impassively. How she hates that impassive, cold stare, made even worse by the innocent sloe-eyes. 

“Nothing to say?”

He shakes his head slowly and deliberately, and then breezes past her without a word. Bellatrix turns on her heel as she watches his retreating back, her blood boiling. 

She will make him break. She knows how to push everyone’s buttons (but not his, apparently). She will make him snap, like when he duelled Abraxas in their common room in the fourth year, his glorious rage and (though she loathes to admit it) sheer power intrigued Bellatrix, and, by Morgana, she will see Tom Riddle’s composure break again, and she will be the cause and witness.

Yes, she thinks, as she enters the Great Hall. She will push Tom Riddle, that hateful, dirty Mudblood, right to the edge, and find the true source of his mysterious power, that he definitely shouldn’t have.

We're in agreement that Bellatrix thinks Lucius, is a bum right? As in, she is 'okay' with Narcissa marrying him because he's a pureblood, but she regards (and refers to him) as Narcissa's Loser Cringe Boyfriend?

The scariest thing Molly Weasley ever did

Everyone loves the "not my daughter" scene. Molly's rage against Bellatrix is a force of nature.

After the famous line, she fires a hex at Bellatrix's heart. This where it gets interesting. No words are spoken, so she cast it using intent alone, which requires some skill.

More importantly, it was a HEX. Of the known hexes in the Harry Potter universe, none are fatal by themselves. What most of them have in common, however, is their use in growing, warping, and otherwise transforming human body parts.

The other important note here is that she aimed and struck Bellatrix's heart. Not her chest, her heart. Bellatrix dies instantly, but sustains no visible damage.

Conclusion: Rather than use the killing curse, Molly made it personal by using a growth hex in reverse. She used magic to shrink Bellatrix's heart. Given the way wands are treated as an extra limb in the HP universe, she may as well have crushed her heart with her bare hands.

Voldemort: So I’m planning to torture harry so any suggestion?

Bellatrix: Send draco to use cruciatus on him

Lucius: Don’t send him. Just let draco stay here. It’ll be better trust me

Voldemort: Why should I? It’ll be better to use cru–

Lucius: Both of them are gays so don’t let them see each other. Torture him mentally.

Voldemort: Good idea lucius!

A few days later….

lucius: I CAN’T FUCKING TAKE IT ANYMORE! JUST FUCKING SEND DRACO TO TORTURE HIM. I RATHER SEND HIM THAN LETTING HIM STAY HERE AND HAVE HIM TORTURE MY MIND.

narcissa: *patted his back* there there good boy

bellatrix: ayyo what happened?

Voldemort: Draco kept bragging disgusting words about love to lucius after days not seeing harry.*passing tissue to Narcissa who was coaxing Lucius*

On the other hand…

Ginny : Oh merlin what happened to him?!What’s he doing?!* pointing at heavy eyebag Ron*

hermione: He’s writing a letter to send to Voldemort.

ginny: What for?

Hermione: If he wants to torture harry then it’s better to send malfoy because he himself couldn’t take it anymore.

Ginny: Is it that bad?

hermione : *pointed at harry*

Ginny: JUST LET HIM FUCKING WRITE THE LETTER

You know, I’ve always thought that I would die in this war. I’ve always thought people will remember me as the villain. But now I’m standing in the Manor’s living room, staring at two green eyes that I know very much so, I think I might have a second chance.

"Is it him, Draco? Tell us, my boy." said my father while grabbing my shoulder very tightly.

I wanna rip my shoulder off. Just where he is touching me. He is saying those words so fondly. But I know that fondness is not for me. It’s the excitement that he can finally be more for his so called lord.

"Leave him! I swear to Merlin it’s not him! Can’t you see he doesn’t even have the scar!" Granger is screaming so hard I think she might lose her voice for a while.

I know it's him. Harry James Potter, standing right in front of me. On his knees waiting for my answer. Everyone is waiting for my answer. My parents would be so proud of me if I tell the truth and give him to Voldemort. If I do that we can live a great life. At least my father says so. And if I don’t... I guess we will see that.

“I can't be sure." words leave my mouth. It leaves a bitter taste. It’s a big lie. It can destroy me. If I got caught I will get tortured again. This time I don’t think I would make it. Potter’s eyes shows a glint of surprise but somehow he doesn’t show any emotion on his face.

"Are you sure Draco? Take a look again. Maybe it's him don’t you think huh?" my father says while his voice is cracking slightly. Sweet Merlin, he doesn’t give up does he?.

“I can't be sure." I said again. "His face is a mess. I can't tell if it's him or not."

I’m scared. I am so fucking scared. But I can't go back now. My father says something very harshly to my ear but I can’t hear anything. Why can't I hear anything. It feels like I'm in a bubble. I feel myself pulled away from Potter.

"Put the boys in the cellar!" said my bitch of an aunt Bellatrix as she grabbed Weasley by his collar and threw him towards my mother. She got very close to Granger and said, "I’m going to have a conversation with this one, girl to girl!"

Fucking hell, I hate her voice. As I hear those words my father nudged me on my arm and gestured upstairs with his head. I nodded and as I was leaving the room I heard a big thump and I saw that psychopath leaning over Granger while she is laying on the ground. I can't make up the words they are saying but I can hear Granger’s sobs.

I heard my aunt stop talking and move her head to grangers exposed arm. I flinched as she stated to scream. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. Is she. Holy shit. No. No. No. No. What the fuck. I ran away. Fucking.. I... This was inhumane. I know she is crazy and everything but this? I can hear her screams. I should help her. I really should. But what can I do? I know the moment I try to do anything I am dead. So are they. I slid down and sit on the ground. I think I’m in a hallway.

I can’t even recognize my own house. I’m trembling. I feel wetness on my cheeks. I feel like I’m watching all of these like I'm in a theatre and there is a play on the stage. I’m not in my body. Everything feels so unreal.

I hear a loud bang. I got up quickly and ran to the living room. I didn’t even realized Granger stopped screaming. As I arrived in the room I saw a complete disaster. Potter and his friends somehow managed to get out of the cells. I turned my head and I felt all of my blood is drying up to nothing. My fucking aunt is holding a dagger to Granger’s throat. Is she going to kill her?

"Call him!" she said to me. I can't. I can't do something like that. I think she knows that too. As well as my father. He stepped up and pulled his sleeves back. The dark mark looks so alive and I hate it. Just as he called the lord we heard a slight creak. I looked up. Dobby? Seriously what the actual fuck.

Then everything happened so quickly. The chandelier suddenly dropped and Granger rushed to her friends. Potter came up to me. Fucking prat take my wand from me. How the fuck am I supposed to protect myself now?

"Stupid elf! You could’ve killed me!" Bellatrix shouted. Wow how observant of you.

"No! Dobby never meant to kill! Dobby only maim or seriously injure" if I wasn’t shitting my pants from the horror I’m feeling right now, I could’ve laughed at that. My mother raised her wand and just as she tried to do a spell her wand flied out to Dobby.

"How dare you take a witch’s wand! How dare you defy you masters!" said Bellatrix. For fucks sake is she ever going to stop talking.

"Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends." said Dobby. Wow that was very inspiring thank you Dobby. They hold hands and appeariate away.

My aunt has a smirk on her face though. Why is she smiling? Then i realized her dagger was not in her hand. Oh no. But I have no time to worry for them. I need to get out of here right now. I tried to run away but I felt my body freezing. Fuck they noticed me, of course.

"Now now my dear nephew, is there anything you would like to share with us?" said to me Bella, as she smiled crazily. My breath got quicker.

"No? It’s ok, I can help you!" she said with a fake innocence. Then I felt an immense amount of pain. I wanted to scream but I couldn’t open my mouth. I was crying hysterically but I couldn’t even move my finger. I looked at my parents with hopeful eyes thinking maybe they would help me. But all I could see is just dissatisfaction. They... They think it's ok? For their son to feel this pain? Oh... I felt an another rush of pain in my body and it ripped my thoughts away. This time I managed to make some sounds. She probably heard me and smirked. I wanna rip that smirk out of her face. She grabbed my hair.

"Oh be patient Draco! we are just getting started! Just wait for our Lord!" she said. That was the last thing I heard before I lost my consciousness.

*At a black family dinner*

Orion: I need you all to be straight with me

Everyone:

Sirius: Well shit then bye guys

Bellatrix:

Regulus: Yeah…Uh i’m out too

Andromeda:

Narcissa: Merlin’s beard people One dinner one normal dinner please

😂

Lucius, to Bellatrix: How do I say this delicately? You’re a horrible guest and nobody in this house likes you

Narcissa: Let’s frame our statements with “when you do this, it makes me feel this.”

Lucius: Fine. Okay. Uh, let’s see… when you live here it makes me feel angry. Because you’re a horrible guest and nobody in this house likes you

my roman empire is dead, gay wizards

self care is putting the “fluff” tag when you search in the marauder fandom

Singh..

Hypothetical question

How many people would be interested in an AU where Hermione is a doctor and all the staff is slowly falling for her?

(Paramedic Andromeda, nurse Pansy, surgeons Fleur and Bella, doctor Narcissa)

I am once again blaming my shipping choices on @drabsyo

Granger’s Anatomy is here!

Hospital AU!! It’s out guys!!

Sorry there’s a lot of medical terminology but it’s explained and I gave links to stuff

Yet again, blame @drabsyo

Someone on Granger’s Anatomy commented they didn’t know who to root for for winning Hermione over.

I don’t know how to tell them it’s a poly fic and at this point I’m too scared to

Ginny: Do you have a crush on anyone?

Hermione: The only crush I have is crushing anxiety.

Ginny:

Hermione: Okay and maybe on, like, five people.

Yes, it is tragic that Harry lost yet another father figure in this scene.

But what makes this the most heartbreaking, though, is Remus.

Look at his face. He is trying to restrain Harry from doing the very thing he wants to do himself - because he just lost his best friend. Again. After years of thinking Sirius was a traitor, and feeling completely alone in the world, he finally got his best friend back. Only to have him wrenched away before his eyes.

That first gif - the look on Remus‘s face is the most devastating part of this whole film. And yet, despite all he’s lost, he’s pushing through his own grief to try and protect Harry.

What if Regulus survived the cave and killed and polyjucied into Bella?

Regulus got out of the cave and killed a random family member

And that was Bellatrix

He was able to have a husband, a good relationship w/ a sibling, live his life how he would have wanted just in a different body

And then November 1st 1981.....

Sirius is in the same cell as him and barty (who knows his regulus), and all sirius is doing is crying and screaming for his friends, boyfriend, to forgive him for everything he has ever done

And regulus needed to be mean to sirius

After the death and betrayal of his best friends and all reg can do is laugh like an idiot

and a few years after they both escaped, Azkaban Reg kills Sirius, or hits him with a spell which lead 2 his death

Only 2 get killed 2 yrs later