The Slytherin common room was hushed, lit only by the green shimmer of the lake pressing against its tall windows. Most students had gone to bed long ago, but Bellatrix Black never cared for curfews. She sat draped across one of the leather armchairs, wand twirling lazily between her fingers, dark eyes glittering with something fierce and dangerous.

You hesitated in the doorway, unsure whether to approach. Bellatrix noticed instantly. Of course she did. Her gaze snapped to you, sharp as a blade, and a slow smile curved across her mouth.

“Well, well,” she purred. “Did you come to lecture me on rules like some dreary prefect? Or did you come because you couldn’t resist?”

You rolled your eyes, though your heart quickened all the same. With Bellatrix, it was always like this: a pull, a current too strong to ignore. You stepped closer, lowering your voice. “I just came to see what you’re plotting this time. You always look…” You searched for the word. “…hungry.”

That made her laugh, low and delighted. She leaned forward, hair spilling over her shoulders, face lit by the eerie glow of the lake. “Hungry. Yes. That’s exactly it. Do you know why?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Because this place is small, stifling. They think we’re here to learn charms and essays and silly little schoolyard duels. But there’s so much more waiting out there. Power. Real magic.”

Her tone sharpened on those words, and you felt the air shift, charged like a storm.

She stood suddenly, crossing the space between you in a single, fluid movement. Her hand brushed your arm, light, but electric. “The Dark Lord understands. He’s more than a man. He’s… inevitable. And I will stand beside him when the rest of this world crumbles.”

You swallowed, trying to keep your voice steady. “And where does that leave me?”

Bellatrix tilted her head, studying you with a predator’s patience. “That depends. Are you brave enough to join us? Or will you stay behind with the sheep, bleating about right and wrong or whatever else you believe in?”

The choice she offered was no choice at all. You felt the weight of her stare, the intoxicating conviction in her words. Bellatrix didn’t just believe in the Dark Lord. She burned for him, and anyone close to her was in danger of being pulled into the same flames.

She stepped even closer now, close enough that her breath brushed your skin. “Don’t worry,” she whispered, smile sharp and wicked. “If you follow me, I’ll make sure the Dark Lord knows your name. And if you don’t…” Her fingers trailed up your sleeve before she pulled away, eyes glittering with cruel amusement. “Well. You’ll be nothing. Forgotten. And I don’t think you’d like that very much.”

For a long moment, silence hung heavy between you, broken only by the muted rush of the Black Lake against the glass.

Bellatrix turned back toward her chair, her voice floating behind her like smoke. “Decide quickly. He doesn’t wait for anyone.”

And just like that, you understood. This wasn’t a girl dreaming of power. This was someone already half-consumed by the shadow of the Dark Lord.