Bellatrix Lestrange
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Bellatrix Lestrange, née Black, is a fictional witch from the Harry Potter fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling.
Family
Bellatrix Black was born in 1951 to Cygnus and Druella (Rosier) Black. She is described as a tall woman with sleek black hair, a thin mouth, heavily lidded eyes, pale skin, and the Black family's patrician good looks and bearing. Bellatrix married Rodolphus Lestrange after graduating from Hogwarts. It is implied that she has no children.Bellatrix is related by blood and marriage to many characters in the novels: she has two younger sisters, Andromeda and Narcissa. Andromeda married a Muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks, and was subsequently disowned by the Blacks; Narcissa married Lucius Malfoy, scion of a wealthy pure-blood family. She is also a first cousin to Sirius and Regulus Black, and an aunt to Nymphadora Tonks and Draco Malfoy.
For more information on Bellatrix's pure-blood pedigree, see the Black family tree.
At school, Bellatrix associated with a group of students - including Avery, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Evan Rosier, Severus Snape, and Wilkes - who nearly all became Death Eaters. It is assumed she was drawn to Lord Voldemort because they both believe in an ideology that favors pure-bloods over other wizarding folk. This elitist notion, shared by the Malfoy and Lestrange clans, was ingrained in Bellatrix since childhood by her family. (The Black family motto, "toujours pur" (fr. "always pure"), reflects their steadfast belief in blood purity.) Although a proud and intelligent woman, Bellatrix is also a sadist and murderer.
Bellatrix and her husband were active in Voldemort's rise to power, and managed to evade capture and suspicion until after the Dark Lord's downfall on 31 October 1981. Rather than desert their leader like many other Death Eaters, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Barty Crouch Jr. magically tortured two well-known Aurors - Frank and Alice Longbottom - in an attempt to gain information about Voldemort's location. For using the Unforgivable Cruciatus Curse to drive the Longbottoms insane, Bellatrix and her three associates were sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban. At their trial, Bellatrix proudly and defiantly proclaimed, "The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic Press, 2000. Pages 595-96. ISBN 0439139597 After his rebirthing ritual, Voldemort stated that the Lestranges were among the most faithful members of his inner circle.
Fourteen years later, Bellatrix was one of the many Death Eaters who broke out of Azkaban and rejoined Voldemort in January of 1996. Bellatrix was changed psychologically and physically by her time in prison. Her good looks were reduced to a remnant of their former beauty, making her appear gaunt and skull-like in mug shots printed in the The Daily Prophet.
The Second War
Bellatrix was present, in June of 1996, at the battle of the Department of Mysteries, in which a group of Death Eaters attempted to steal Sybill Trelawney's prophecy pertaining to Voldemort's downfall. During the mission she proved her magical prowess by defeating two Aurors (Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt) in one-on-one duels, killing her cousin Sirius by knocking him through the Veil in the Death Chamber, and deflecting one of Albus Dumbledore's spells as she made her escape. Bellatrix was the only Death Eater to evade capture after fighting in the Department. However, she was subdued by Dumbledore in the Ministry of Magic's Atrium after dueling with Harry Potter. Voldemort interceded on her behalf, freeing and Disapparating with her.
Following the Black family's inheritance tradition, as next of kin Bellatrix should have inherited her cousin Sirius' estate (including Number twelve, Grimmauld Place) after his death (suggesting that the Common Laws preventing material gain through murder do not apply to wizards, or at least to the Black Family). However, Sirius willed his possessions to his godson, Harry Potter. To make sure there would be no dispute over the legal ownership of Sirius's property (and prevent the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters from falling into enemy hands), Kreacher was brought before Harry to see if the house-elf would obey him. Despite Kreacher's intense hatred for Harry and fondness for Bellatrix, the magic that binds house-elves to servitude proved the legality of Harry's inheritance.
In July of 1996, Bellatrix attempted to keep Narcissa from confiding Draco's secret mission to Severus Snape. She mistrusted Snape not only because of his low birth, but for many practical issues about his loyalty to the Dark Lord. Snape surprised Bellatrix by asking her to bind him and Narcissa with an Unbreakable Vow to assist Draco. Later, Snape implies that Bellatrix is a skilled Occlumens and has been teaching the art to Draco.
State of Mind
Although Bellatrix's state of mind before her imprisonment is not fully described, afterwards she clearly appears of unsound mind. In the Department of Mysteries, Bellatrix took ghoulish delight in recounting her crime against the Longbottoms and subsequently torturing their son, Neville. She mocked Harry Potter in a false baby voice, and was easily provoked (a temper that seems to run in her family). Bellatrix also seems paranoid; while following her sister to Spinner's End, she impulsively killed a fox for fear that it was an Animagus spy.Bellatrix is also fanatically devoted to Voldemort. In Half-Blood Prince Bellatrix evidenced a pitiless disdain for Narcissa's concern for Draco when she expressed that she would have been proud - if she had a son - for him to enter into the Dark Lord's service. Bellatrix also feels that she is one of the Dark Lord's closest associates. During her duel with Harry in the Ministry of Magic, she asserted "I was and am the Dark Lord's most loyal servant, I learned the Dark Arts from him, and I know spells of such power, that you, pathetic little boy, can never hope to compete".Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic Press, 2003. Page 811. ISBN 043935806X However, there is growing evidence that Bellatrix is not as close to Voldemort as she would like:
- Bellatrix did not know about the prophecy until after Voldemort's defeat.Rowling, J.K. ["Rumour: The Lestranges were sent after Neville to kill him"]. J.K.Rowling Official Site. Retrieved 15 May 2006.
- In Order of the Phoenix she was enraged to hear from Harry that Voldemort was a half-blood. She had been unaware of this fact, although the revelation apparently has had no effect on her loyalties (perhaps she did not believe Harry).
- When Bellatrix conversed with Snape at his home, she was visibly flustered and defensive when he insinuated that Voldemort was keeping information from her.
Harry Potter films
Bellatrix had only a minor, unnamed part in the Goblet of Fire novel. As such, she was cut from the Goblet of Fire film.
However, Bellatrix played a major role in Order of the Phoenix novel and, consequently, the Order of the Phoenix film. Persistent rumors linked Elizabeth Hurley to the role, although Warner Bros. asserted there was "no truth whatsoever" to reports that she had been cast.Anelli, Mellisa. ["WB: Hurley Not Cast in Fifth Potter Film"]. The Leaky Cauldron. 8 February 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2006. As early as August 2005 rumors began linking Helen McCrory to the role.Cummins, Fiona. ["Exclusive: Helen is New Foe for Harry"]. The Daily Mirror. 2 August 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2006. On February 2, 2006 it was announced that McCrory was indeed cast as Bellatrix.["Luna Lovegood role has been cast"]. CBBC Newsround. 2 February 2006. Retrieved 2 February 2006. However, she became pregnant and would not have been able to film the intense battle sequences in the Ministry of Magic. (She was three months pregnant in April 2006Cummins, Fiona. ["Exclusive: Baby for Helen"]. The Daily Mirror. 1 April 2006. Retrieved 23 June 2006. and would have been eight/nine months pregnant when the battle of the Department of Mysteries is to be filmed in September and October of 2006.Beck, Marilyn and Stacy Jenel Smith. ["Isaacs' magic moment"]. LA Daily News. 21 June 2006. Retrieved 23 June 2006.) News that Bellatrix's part had been recast, with Helena Bonham Carter replacing McCrory, occurred on May 25, 2006.
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