Chapter 61 - Christmas Eve Aftermath

Following the Christmas party upon his immediate return home, Orion Black sent a rather pointed, urgent letter to his cousin, Cygnus Black.

"Dear cousin,

Cygnus, you must urgently separate that misguided daughter of yours, Bellatrix from Lord Voldemort. I know you find him darling, but he is a bloody muggle-born wizard himself! Luckily, I never endeavored to acquaint myself with that nauseating fellow as his true muggle name is Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Abraxas Malfoy has already brought it to all our attention during the Christmas party of that charlatan's true intentions. I urgently advise you to distance yourself as quickly as possible from that man! Nothing good will come of it, mark my words!

Sincerely,

Orion Black.

P.s. I suggest that you separate Narcissa immediately lest anything foul occurs."

Cygnus rises to his feet as his rugged, handsome features twist with fury. His hair is slightly sprinkled with early silver dangles at his rapid pace as he narrows his icy gray eyes that blaze with a frostbitten chill. Despite the late hour, Cygnus storms through the stone castle into his youngest daughter's quarters. The portraits on the stone walls shiver and fade away at the wrath of Cygnus. Still rather tall, a strong man with broad arms that still showed his prowess as a Quidditch beater.

In her grand poster bed, Narcissa Black wakes up with a fright as her blue eyes blink in confusion at the loud entrance of her father as the door slams roughly against the stone wall. "Father, what is it?" Narcissa anxiously stammered.

"Did you know about this?!" Cygnus roared as he waved the written letter in his hand.

"What father?" Narcissa said in confusion.

"Read it!" Cygnus bellowed as he shoved the letter in front of her nose.

Narcissa's eyes dart back in forth as she reads the letter from her father's cousin, Orion Black. Narcissa pales as guilt and shame cross her face as Cygnus now incited says, "Did you know about this and you did not speak of this a word to your mother and me?"

"It just recently came to my attention, I didn't know if father or mother would believe me," Narcissa hastily replied.

Cygnus coldly studies his youngest daughter and says, "Oh, and was it, Lucius Malfoy, who told you?"

Narcissa eyes flash as she lied, "Yes, father."

"Very well, but does your sister, Bellatrix know?" Cygnus said as his voice lowered to a dangerous level.

"I-, I don't know," Narcissa replied as she recalled, Lucius's rude words about her sister.

Seeing Narcissa pause in her speech, Cygnus abruptly strikes Narcissa with his hand causing a red, violent bruise to form on her cheek. Slammed painfully into the bed board, Narcissa holds her enflamed cheek as she warily eyes her father. "I said, tell me the truth," Cygnus dangerously said.

"I don't know father, but Lucius-," Narcissa quickly bit her lips as she stopped.

"Lucius, what?" Cygnus perilously said as he drew near to Narcissa's quivering form.

"Lucius said, that despite all this time, Bellatrix still has no child," Narcissa tremblingly said. "Lucius said it was no wonder given her lack of interest in Lestrange and how Bellatrix fawned over L-. How Bellatrix fawned over Tom Riddle like a lovesick puppy. Lucius said that even if we told Bellatrix the truth of the matter that Bellatrix would not hear a word said against Tom Riddle as he could do no wrong in her eyes."

Cygnus wrenches the letter off the bed as he icily says, "Bellatrix, will immediately desist or she will see herself stricken off the family tree. I will not have another Andromeda in the family!"

"But-," Narcissa said.

"But what?!" Cygnus bellowed causing Narcissa to flinch.

"But Lestrange is a loyal follower of Tom Riddle as well as is his younger brother, Rabastan Lestrange," Narcissa quietly replied.

Cygnus narrowed his eyes and says, "Is that so? Then we will see about that?" Cygnus storms out of Narcissa's room leaving Narcissa shivering in bed as her eyes fill with unfallen tears.

Despite the freezing wind and snow, Cygnus pulls on a cloak and boots and marched out into the harsh weather. A thin layer of frost and snow begin to form on top of Cygnus's cloak, but given his raging mood, nothing short of a blizzard will stop him. Far enough from the castle, Cygnus apparated away to appear outside of a dark leaky pub in Albany.

Cygnus fiercely storms into the seedy pub filled with Death Eaters and other dubious characters. The pub is dimly lit as shadows crawl all over the place as things creep over the crumb filled floor. "Where is Bellatrix?!" Cygnus roared as the door slammed behind him shut.

Bellatrix blinks in surprise and moves to rise to from her seat as Cygnus's infuriated blue eyes fall onto her. Suddenly, Bellatrix finds she is unable to move from her seat as her father storms toward her. "Father-in-law," Rodolphus Lestrange said with a wry smile as his thin, dark features seem gaunt in the tavern light.

Given Cygnus's strength, Cygnus easily shoves Lestrange aside as Bellatrix opens her mouth to speak, but Cygnus raises his right arm and strikes Bellatrix across the face. The blow is so hard that Bellatrix flies out of her seat onto the ground as a trail of blood trickles down the side of her mouth. "Father-in-law, what is this?" Lestrange exclaimed as he ran over to help Bellatrix.

"You will desist in this futile endeavor now, Bellatrix," Cygnus said as his wand suddenly appeared in his hand.

Bellatrix tremblingly touches her face as her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange aides her to her feet. "What is wrong with you?" Bellatrix roared back.

"Do you think, I wouldn't find out?!" Cygnus bellowed enraged.

"What are you talking about, father-in-law?" Lestrange interjected in perplexion.

"Do you think I would not find out that your precious Lord Voldemort is muggle-born?" Cygnus spat out. "Are you trying to follow in your foolish sister's footsteps?!"

"Lies!" Bellatrix growled with hatred. "Who told you such false words?!"

Cygnus strikes Bellatrix again across the face causing Bellatrix to flatter back onto her knees as a trickle of blood this time pours out of her nose. "Anyone with a mind can find out, what that man's true name is Tom Marvolo Riddle," Cygnus grumbled. "Isn't that right, Lestrange?!"

"That is his common wizard name," Lestrange said with feverous zealot eyes. "His true name is Lord Voldemort."

"Do you take me for a fool, boy?!" Cygnus thundered. "I don't care, what that bloody man's name is, he's a muggle-born wizard!"

"Lies, lies, I say!" Bellatrix shouted as she rose to her feet.

"Oh, lies?" Cygnus sneered. "Then tell me, why his mother a witch, a no-good rotten slut, who went down her knees and f*cked a muggle man by the name of Tom Riddle? Did he tell you that he was even named after his muggle-born father? Well did he?!"

Seeing the shocked faces of some of the Death Eaters in the bar, Cygnus scornfully says, "I guess he didn't. How very clever of the charlatan."

Lestrange opens his mouth to defend the dark lord, but Cygnus gives Lestrange a dirty look as though he was staring at trash. "But I suppose you're too blind to see the truth at this point. I should have never let my daughter marry you, boy," Cygnus grunted. Turning to his daughter, Cygnus briskly says, "We are leaving, Bellatrix."

Cygnus roughly reaches for her arm, but Bellatrix wrenches her arm back out of her father's painful grasp. "I won't!" Bellatrix shrieked. "What we are doing will change the entire wizarding world as we know it! I don't know who's been telling such foul lies about the dark lord, but he will pay!"

Bellatrix narrows her eyes at her father in emphasis and spits on the ground a bubble of blood. "As for your father, you will regret ever turning your back on him. For I have no such father," Bellatrix hissed in promise.

A cold light appears in Cygnus' eyes as he says, "Then I have no such daughter, I won't make that mistake twice." Before anyone can react, Cygnus draws his wand and screams, "Avada Kedarva!"

A green light burst out from Cygnus's wand as Bellatrix eyes widen with shock and horror as her body becomes limp and still.

Lestrange and the rest of the Death Eaters are in utter shock as Rodolphus whispers, "You've killed her."

"I will not have her mating like a rutting dog with that man," Cygnus spat. "If you cannot even see that boy, then you are more of a fool than I thought." The Death Eaters are too in shock to react as Cygnus easily makes his way through the pub without being stopped.

Rodolphus Lestrange numbly touches Bellatrix's face as he turns to gaze at Cygnus's retreating back. "He'll come for you," Lestrange quietly stated.

"Tell him, I shan't be waiting. The only one I owe anything to is you, boy," Cygnus fearlessly answered over his shoulder, before stepping out into the snowy night. Perhaps, a part of him eagerly waited for death. Or maybe in the deepest crevice of his soul, a part of him regretted his course of actions and hoped for retribution. Either way, only Cygnus himself knew as he traversed through the snowy night and returned home.