The Black Riddle

Ch. 1 Black Riddle
The Dark Lord was sitting in his study with a silently crying Bellatrix Black cuddled up in his lap. He did not approve of her parents choice of husband for their daughter, in fact he did not approve of arranged marriages at all. He only had one reason for his opinion; a female, of any species, would find mates on the basis of scent. An attractive scent for a female would alert her unconsciousness of that this particular being was a good potential match. In simple words; physical attraction. Well-matched parents produced powerful heirs. Pureblood families had reproduced by arranged marriages for centuries and it had all been a string of ill-matched couples- leading to the situation today; weak magic.

Had Bellatrix been born a thousand years ago, her level of magic would have been normal. The ability to wield weather and cast silent and wandless killing curses would not stand out. She would not have to hide. She truly was worthy of being a dark lords daughter, even if not by blood or law.

“It’s not fair!” Bella sniffed “Why him. He’s the most loathsome man I have ever laid my eyes on.”

“I must agree with you childe, he is not an ideal match for you by any standards.”

“Thank you.” She said. Her voice was nothing but a muffled sound coming from the crook of his neck.

“For what darling?”

“For not patronising me and telling me it’s all for the best, that I should be grateful. After all, no one would want to marry Bella the bitch, slut of Slytherin.” Tom mused at the double meaning of her words and shook his head.

“You are by no means a slut, although you could have any guy you wanted if you tried.” She truly was a beauty. Her silver grey eyes, thick wavy black hair and curvaceous body were a sight for sore eyes. He had often wondered of how she had manages to maintain such a soft womanly figure with all her training. She had thirteen years of combat training under her belt. It truly was a miracle.

“You left out ‘bitch’.” She sniffed. Tom cuckled.

“Well, you can be brutally honest with people you don’t like, and lest face facts, there are not many of them.”

“No, I guess you’re right” she snickered “but I’m still getting married tomorrow to Mr. Slimy”

“I know darling. I know.”

“And by tomorrow evening I’ll be carrying the next Leastrange heir. Urgh!” Bella shuddered at the though. Her comment had Left Tom in a slightly dazed line of though. Bella sat curled up next to him with her feet in his lap watching as his thought drifted.

“Are you a virgin?” he suddenly asked and looked her straight in the eyes. Bella blushed crimson. She could not believe that her father figure had just asked her ‘that’.

“Yes”

“Good.” He said with a relieved breath.

“Why” she asked curiously.

“There is a spell…”

“If you’re going to do the contraceptive talk there is really no use. A fertility potion is in the contract, and they are unaffected by contraceptives”

“I know, but there is a spell that could stop you being able to conceive altogether.”

“You mean making me infertile?!”

“No, no, no. Not ‘infertile’ as you put it, but you would only be able to conceive with you perfect match, not ‘okay’ or ‘accepable’ but ‘The One’ and only then if you both truly want it. It wont be a conscious decision, rather you body will somehow know if you are ready and if your partner is, as they put it, The One.” Tom hurriedly explained with some urgency

“Wow. You can really do that?”

“It is a Dark Spell. Very much so. That is why I asked if you were a virgin. Salazar Slytherin created this spell so that his female heirs could avoid any unwanted pregnancies. Clever really. The Spell itself is simple, but it is in parsel-tongue, which is why not everyone knows of it.”

“That’s just brilliant! Can we do it?” Bellatrix was bouncing up and down on the sofa and basking in her newfound hope.

“Yes, but there is a catch.”

“Oh.”

“You have to have Slytherin blood in you for the spell to work.” Bella deflated as she heard his words.

“So there is no way then?” she asked brokenly.

“Well…” Tom said hesitantly “I could do a blood adoption” Bella snapped her head up.

“You would do that?”

“Yeah. I already think of you as my daughter, so why not make it fact?” Bella threw herself around his neck and hugged him tightly.

“I love you.”

“I know you do hon.”

“But how do we do it, wont we have to go the ministry and stuff?”

“No, it’s rather simple. We could do it right now, and then do the other spell.”

“Okay.” Tom reached to the box on his desk and retrieved a small dagger. He cut a long, but shallow cut in his palm and did the same in Bella’s. They held their palms flat together and let their blood mix.

“I now declare Bellatrix Black my daughter and heir. Do you accept?”

“I accept.” As the words left her lips a golden blow surrounded their joined hands. Their eyes never left the other’s. Only when the glow faded did they see the scroll of parchment that had appeared on the desk. Tom unrolled it so the both of them could see what it was. It was Bella’s Birth certificate. Her name was now officially changed to Bellatrix Black Riddle and underneath the names of her birthparents was an added line:

Adoptive Parent: Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Tom snatched a quill from a drawer and signed the document. They watched as it rolled itself up and disappeared in a quiet ‘pop’. Bella sighed happily and lied her head against his chest. She still had to marry Rodolphus, but now she had a father that would support her no matter what would happen. She would be his little girl forever. Tom wrapped his arms around her and squeezed gently. Almost as if he had heard her thoughts he said.

“My beautiful little trixter. You do know that you can get married, have a dozen children, two dozen grand-children and a mountain of great-grand-children and you’ll still be my baby girl forever.”

“Just don’t smother me completely…Daddy.” Tom felt a warm pulse spreading in his chest; love, pride, protectiveness, all the things he had never known until he found her.

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The grand-father clock struck midnight before they moved.

“We should get you to bed. It would not do if the bride fell asleep by the alter.”

“If I go to sleep tomorrow will come faster. I want to enjoy my freedom while I can.”

“Very well darlin’, but we need to do the contraceptive tonight, preferably now.” Bella hoisted herself up from his lap and onto her feet.

“By what I have read there are some side effects from the spell. The diaries of the people that have used it before does not say anything of what those side effects are, only that they would do the spell again if they could go though what ever it was again, so I guess you shouldn’t worry. It also said that after you have gone through yours, your predecessors’ stories will be reviled to you and you must write down you own. No one will ever read that until the next girl to do the spell- whom would be one of your female descendants, as you have no sisters of Slytherin blood. Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be. Do I need my wand?”

“No, just repeat after me.” Bella nodded

“Shilo sana hassiniosss asssilo” Bella repeated the incantation as he said
before dizziness overtook her.

Tom lunged forward and grabbed her as she fell to the floor only to almors drop her again as she started to fade into nothing.
When she was completely gone he sighed and scratched his neck.

“Well, I guess disappearing will keep her from getting pregnant, I just hope she’s back tomorrow or it’s my neck.”

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