Bellatrix Lestrange

 Bellatrix Lestrange

Biographical information

Full Name

Bellatrix Black

Birth

1951

Died

2 May 1998, Great Hall, Hogwarts Castle, Highlands, Scotland, Great Britain

Cause of death

Destroyed by Molly Weasley

Age

46 - 47

Blood status

Pure-blood

Marital status

Married to Rodolphus Lestrange

Alias

Bella (by Narcissa Malfoy, Voldemort, and Severus Snape)

Title

Madam

Physical description

Species

Human

Gender

Female

Hair color

Black

Eye color

Brown

Skin color

Pale

Family information

Siblings

• Andromeda "Dromeda" Black-Tonks (estranged younger sister)

• Narcissa "Cissy" Black-Malfoy (younger sister)

Parents

• Cygnus Black III † (father)

• Druella Rosier-Black † (mother)

Grandparents

• Pollux Black † (paternal grandfather) 

• Irma Crabbe-Black † (paternal grandmother)

Uncles/Aunts

• Orion Black † (paternal uncle)

• Alphard Black † (estranged paternal uncle)

• Walburga Black † (paternal aunt) 

Cousins 

• Sirius Black III (paternal first cousin) 

• Regulus Black II † (paternal first cousin)

In-laws

• Edward "Ted" Tonks † (estranged brother-in-law)

• Prof. Remus Lupin (estranged nephew-in-law)

• Lucius Malfoy (brother-in-law)

• Rabastan Lestrange (brother-in-law)

Nieces/Nephews

• Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin (estranged niece)

• Draco Malfoy (nephew)

Relationships

Allies

• House of Black
• Malfoy family
• Death Eaters
• Lord Voldemort †
• Rodolphus Lestrange †
• Rabastan Lestrange
• Severus Snape †
• Peter Pettigrew †
• Barty Crouch Jr.†
• Fenrir Greyback †
• Dementors
• Nagini †
• Dolores Umbridge

Romances

• Rodolphus Lestrange † (husband)

• Lord Voldemort † (late lover)

Enemies

• Order of the Phoenix
• Ministry of Magic
• Remus Lupin
• Albus Dumbledore †
• Nymphadora Tonks
• Sirius Black III
• Harry Potter
• Weasley family
• Hermione Granger
• Luna Lovegood
• Longbottom family
• Lovegood family
• Tom Riddle
• Dumbledore's Army

Magical characteristics

Wand

12¾", Walnut, dragon heartstring

Affiliation

House

Slytherin

Loyalty

• House of Black (paternal)

• Rosier family (maternal)

• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (formerly)

• Slytherin

• Malfoy family

• Lord Voldemort

• Death Eaters

• Lestrange family (in-laws)

Bellatrix Black was the daughter of Cygnus Black III and Druella Black (nee Rosier). She had two younger sisters: Narcissa and Andromeda, and had a fairly strained relationship with her cousin, Sirius Black. At eleven, Bella began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was sorted into the Slytherin House. Bellatrix joined the Death Eaters after graduating from Hogwarts. She participated in the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom.

Skirmish at Malfoy Manor

"You're lying, you filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth! What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth, or I swear, I shall run you through with this knife! What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"

— Overheard parts of Bellatrix's interrogation of Hermione Granger

In March 1998, when Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger were captured by a group of Snatchers and brought to the manor, Bellatrix was initially eager to ensure that Voldemort was informed immediately, and she and Lucius briefly argued over who would summon him. When she spotted Godric Gryffindor's Sword amongst the trio's captured possessions, however, she at once flew into a panic because the sword (as far as she knew) was hidden in her vault. This led Harry to deduce that there could be something of great importance in her vault, which ended up being one of Voldemort's Horcruxes: Helga Hufflepuff's Cup. Bellatrix, coming out of her panicked state, ordered the Snatcher holding the sword to hand it over to her and stunned the man when he refused.

The other Snatchers turned on her at once, but even though it was four on one, they were no match for her, and she quickly stunned three of them and forced Greyback to his knees, demanding to know where he had found the sword. He then informed her that the sword had been found in the Trio's tent. She then took charge of the situation by resorting to torturing Hermione into revealing how the sword was in the Trio's possession and demanded that the rest of the prisoners be taken into the cellar temporarily, while ordering the Stunned Snatchers to be placed in the courtyard to be disposed of by her personally at a later time.

Bellatrix proceeded to brutally torture Hermione with the Cruciatus Curse and a knife, asking her again and again about the Sword and if they had taken anything else from their vault. Even in extreme pain, Hermione managed to lie, claiming the real sword was only a copy.[3] However, Bellatrix doubted this claim, which led to Lucius suggesting that Draco retrieve the goblin prisoner Griphook from the cellar to tell her if the sword was a fake or not. Griphook also managed to lie, obeying Harry's request not tell Bellatrix the truth, keeping the trio's secret safe. After Peter Pettigrew (who had been sent to check on the prisoners after hearing a suspicious noise) was strangled to death in the cellar with his own silver hand, given to him by Voldemort after showing mercy to Harry and Ron, Harry and Ron escaped the cellar and proceeded up the stairs to aid Hermione.

Bellatrix threatened Hermione with her knife after Harry stunned Greyback and Lucius, and Ron disarmed her. While holding the knife to an unconscious Hermione's throat, Bellatrix demanded that the prisoners drop their wands and then pressed her Dark Mark, calling Voldemort. However, Dobby (who had been sent by Aberforth Dumbledore to rescue Harry and his friends) created a diversion by causing the chandelier to fall from above Bellatrix's head, making her release Hermione and jump out of the way. She lashed out at the house-elf in complete disbelief of his rebellious action against his "former masters". Dobby claimed he was a "free elf" and Disapparated. As the house-elf Disapparated with Harry, Bellatrix threw a silver knife at them in a desperate attempt to prevent their escape, and the Apparition sucked up the knife with it, wounding Dobby in his chest, who then died. She also lost her wand in the skirmish.

Bellatrix and her relatives were severely punished by Voldemort for allowing Harry to escape. After the incident at Malfoy Manor, Hermione used a hair of Bellatrix that had fallen on her while she was torturing her to change herself into Bellatrix using Polyjuice Potion, therefore letting her sneak into Gringotts, as Diagon Alley was infested with Death Eaters.

Duel with Molly Weasley

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

— Molly Weasley challenges Bellatrix

During the Battle of Hogwarts on 2 May 1998, Bellatrix finally succeeded in murdering Nymphadora Tonks, her estranged sister's daughter.[16] When Voldemort called a temporary retreat, waiting for Harry Potter to turn himself in, she waited by his side and offered him help when he was dazed after using the Killing Curse on Harry, but this offer was coldly rebuffed. Bellatrix eagerly asked Voldemort if she could check Harry for signs of life, but she was refused again. Voldemort instead sent her younger sister to confirm his death. When Narcissa had lied and told Voldemort that Harry was dead, Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters followed Voldemort to Hogwarts to announce Harry's "death", gloating at the despair of the survivors.

When the battle resumed, Bellatrix fought Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood all at once, having become the last Death Eater standing aside from Voldemort, who was also fighting three opponents. It was said that despite all three young witches being skilled and working in tandem, together they did not outclass her. She cast a Killing Curse at Ginny, which narrowly missed its mark by an inch. The act was witnessed by both an invisible Harry, who was infuriated enough to actually target Bellatrix over Voldemort, and Molly Weasley.

The Weasley matriarch, having already lost one child that night and distraught at the prospect of losing her only daughter, promptly threw off her cloak and shouted a vocal challenge to the Death Eater as she charged forward, causing Bellatrix to cackle with laughter at her. However, Bellatrix's reckless, arrogant laughter quickly turned to rage as Molly began to attack, making her realise her opponent was more formidable than she had expected. The two began to duel, with the intensity of their powers being stated as causing the ground beneath them to become hot and cracked due to their intent to finish the other off once and for all.

Death

"Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart. Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge: for the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed."

— Description of Bellatrix's demise at the hands of Molly Weasley

Despite Molly duelling fiercely, Bellatrix continued to laugh and mock her opponent with sadistic glee. She did this even as Molly's powerful curses missed her by inches, eventually providing an opening for Molly to strike her in the chest with a curse, which proved fatal.

As her body toppled to the ground, an outraged Voldemort turned on Molly, which prompted Harry (who had watched the battle unfold beneath his Invisibility Cloak) to reveal himself. The final showdown between him and Voldemort ensued, but Bellatrix didn't live to find out that her mistrust of Snape had been valid or see her master's final defeat moments later.[3]