Federal Alchemist at Hogwarts (Rewrite)
Prologue, Part 3
Wiltshire County
In an isolated location, a grand mansion stood firmly amidst a vast open field, surrounded by an expansive and beautiful garden, cut off from the rest of the world.
In one of its many rooms, seated on a luxurious sofa, a woman watched the flames of the fireplace burn as she cradled a small baby in her arms.
Around her, a group of three maids stood motionless, waiting silently.
She was a beautiful woman, with fair skin, platinum blonde hair cascading elegantly like waterfalls, and striking blue eyes that conveyed a sense of coldness and arrogance.
She was the epitome of a British aristocratic lady.
The woman remained calm as she stared at the fire until the sound of heavy footsteps approached from outside.
She stayed still as the doors to the room opened, and the footsteps stopped beside her.
"Well?" she spoke, still gazing into the fireplace. "Any news on her whereabouts?"
"Yes, Madam," replied a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor as he handed a letter to the woman.
Observing this, she nodded to a nearby maid, handing the baby over before turning her attention to the letter that had been delivered.
The content was brief, but the message was clear.
"Gwydir Forest…" The woman folded the letter and reached for a small pouch containing a strange silver powder.
"Madam, should I notify Master Lucius?"
"There's no need. Bella and I will handle it," the woman replied coldly to the butler before throwing the powder into the fireplace.
"Lestrange Manor."
After speaking, the flames in the fireplace turned green, and the woman quickly disappeared from sight.
The old butler stood silently for a moment before leaving to report the events to the head of the house. The maids also left, carrying the small baby to its room.
<><><><><>
In a hidden mansion deep within the Irati Forest, two men sat at a table conversing when the flames in their fireplace burst into green fire.
Drawing their wands, they were about to attack the intruder when they saw a blonde woman appear before them.
"Narcissa," the older of the two spoke first, lowering his wand and displaying a faint smile of recognition for the visitor. "Welcome."
"Hello, Rodolphus, Rabastan," Narcissa greeted the two hosts and then glanced around, frowning. "Where's Bella?"
Narcissa's question immediately erased Rodolphus's smile, while Rabastan merely sat in silence, sipping his wine and pretending he wasn't there.
"She's in her room," Rodolphus replied, his voice slightly annoyed, something Narcissa noticed but pretended not to.
She was aware of her sister's… complicated relationship, but frankly, she didn't care enough to intervene.
After bidding farewell to the brothers, Narcissa was led to Bella's quarters by one of the house servants, while the two returned to their dinner.
However, finding the silence uncomfortable, Rabastan finished his meal quickly and left the room, while Rodolphus, unfazed, remained in silent contemplation.
<><><><><>
Elsewhere, sitting at the edge of her bed, a woman spun a knife in her left hand while remaining silent.
She had thick black hair, dark eyes, and despite the blade piercing her skin, her beautiful face showed no sign of pain. Instead, she exuded an air of arrogance and disdain for the world.
The Lestrange family, one of the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight, was among the most important pure-blood wizarding families in Europe. Their wealth, power, and influence made it nearly impossible for anyone to directly oppose them.
However, in recent years, the family had shown a slight decline, leaving only two direct heirs: Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange.
To prevent further decline, the previous patriarch of the Lestrange family—a member of the Knights of Walpurgis and a loyal follower of Tom Riddle's ideals—arranged a marriage between his eldest son and one of Druella Black's daughters.
Druella, knowing none of her daughters could lead the Black family, accepted the arrangement, securing a high social standing for her daughters while simultaneously boosting the Black family's influence.
Thus, Rodolphus married Bellatrix, uniting the Lestrange and Black families. Shortly after, Narcissa's union with Lucius Malfoy further solidified the influence of the three families, tying them by blood and, whether willingly or not, consolidating power in Voldemort's hands.
However, not everything was as it seemed. While Narcissa and Lucius genuinely cared for each other, Bellatrix harbored no affection or love for Rodolphus.
As a pure-blood wizard descended from the Sacred Twenty-Eight, a second-generation Death Eater, and a powerful dark wizard, Rodolphus wielded significant power both in the public and underground wizarding worlds.
But that was not enough to win the heart of someone like Bellatrix Black. Although she agreed to the marriage, she did so primarily to appease her mother.
Bellatrix was a cruel and sadistic woman who could torture someone for hours purely for entertainment. Though beautiful, her madness and sadism often kept others at a distance.
Bellatrix respected and revered strength and power. While she rarely displayed affection, it wasn't because she was incapable—it was simply that no one had proven strong enough to be worthy of her love.
This fascination led Bellatrix to admire Aila during their school years. As a powerful witch, Aila was undeniably one of the strongest of her generation.
Bellatrix and Narcissa, the only people Aila was truly close to, knew that Aila's knowledge and skills during her school years far surpassed even the best wizards at the Ministry. After graduating, Aila continued to improve herself.
However, Aila's lack of pursuit for fame and her preference to remain relatively unknown in the community made Bellatrix resentful. To Bella, someone powerful should be revered, not live in obscurity.
Bellatrix didn't understand Aila's perspective, though she respected it, believing that Aila's strength gave her the right to live as she pleased.
This admiration and fascination with power, combined with her cruelty, eventually led Bellatrix to join the Death Eaters and, simultaneously, to fall deeply in love with Voldemort.
Bellatrix's 'love' for Voldemort was no secret among those around her. Many Death Eaters were aware of her fixation on their leader. Even Rodolphus knew about it. One could say that part of the reason he joined the Death Eaters—aside from his father's loyalty—was his desire to please Bella and prove himself worthy of her love, which only made her disdain for him grow stronger.
Suddenly, the doors to her room opened, and Narcissa entered.
Her eyes scanned the dimly lit room until they landed on Bellatrix.
"Where?" Bella asked her sister without even looking up.
"Gwydir Forest."
Dropping the knife, Bella stood and followed Narcissa out of the room. Her injured hand still bled as she walked through the corridors of the mansion, but she was unfazed.
The feel of blood on her hand only heightened Bella's excitement, her sadistic smile growing with every step she took.
"Time to meet an old friend."