Bellatrix, Do You Want to Make a Move?

Everyone was stunned.

Bellatrix's mouth remained in the shape of her previous question, but the next syllable was cut off mid-air.

She blinked, the first time tonight she blinked out of confusion, not out of performance.

Narcissa's fingers tightened around Lucius's arm. Lucius switched the Snake-headed Staff to his left hand and placed his right hand on the back of Narcissa's hand. As if receiving some kind of signal, Sirius shifted his body forward slightly, shifting his weight onto the balls of his feet.

Rodolphus looked at Regulus, his indifferent, spectator-like expression slightly softening, his brow furrowing briefly before returning to normal. He walked over from beside the doorframe.

He was tall and walked quickly, his robes fluttering behind him. He passed behind Bellatrix and stopped a few steps away from her.

It wasn't exactly close, but it was in the same direction as Bellatrix, facing Regulus.

Bellatrix turned her head and glanced at Rodolphus.

She pursed her lips, the lingering warmth of her performance quickly fading, replaced by something else: wariness.

This scene wasn't in her script, Regulus suddenly turned the conversation to Rodolphus. She didn't know what he meant, but she wouldn't interrupt for the time being.

Her gaze returned to Regulus, and the light in her eyes had turned cold.

Regulus looked at Rodolphus, his tone almost as if he were saying the salmon was good tonight.

"Rababstan attacked my people at Hogwarts, those two Half-bloods."

"They tried to force- Veritaserum to find out what I had planned, but they were caught and ran away."

He paused, then continued, "I think you should know that the Lestrange family made a move against the Black heirs." A very faint sound came from the corner.

Rababstan shifted his foot and shrank further behind the pillar, half his face disappearing into the shadows, leaving only one eye and a section of his forehead visible in the candlelight.

His face had turned ashen, his eyes darting around in their sockets. He glanced at Rodolphus's retreating figure, then at Bellatrix's profile, before fixing his gaze on the floor.

He tried to run, but the door was sealed by Magic after the servants left, and he could only shrink into the shadows, trying to make himself as small as possible, as nonexistent as possible. Regulus had spoken in front of everyone, but that wasn't the worst part.

The most crucial question is why he did it in the first place.

He wanted to impress Bellatrix; he wanted that woman to know he wasn't a child anymore, that he could handle things.

He wanted to see the way her collar would droop when she bent over, to imagine the lines of her hips peeking out from under her robe as she walked, and to wonder when that button would come undone.

If these things were known...

Rodolphus will know that his brother is after his wife.

Bellatrix will find out too.

Bellatrix glanced at Rababstan, then looked away. She looked at Rodolphus, then at Regulus.

She had no idea that Rababstan had done such a thing.

Her letter, her advice, her affair with Regulus —it was all about her and the Black family from beginning to end. When did Rababstan get involved?

Her brows were furrowed and didn't relax.

Rodolphus stood there, his face expressionless.

He turned his gaze away from Rababstan.

idiot.

It was already foolish enough to provoke the Heir of the Black family, but to be caught was even worse.

Even if they were found out, they wouldn't tell their families; instead, they'd hide it from the neighbors and confront them directly.

For Pureblood families to lose face in this matter is even more humiliating than losing a Wizengamot vote.

The Lestrange family doesn't need to do such underhanded things.

Even his attempt to hide was so awkward.

Rodolphus had initially thought this was an internal affair of the Black family, a tug-of-war between Bellatrix and her cousin, and had nothing to do with the Lestrange family.

He watched the play all night and planned to go to sleep after the Black family left.

Now he's been brought onto the stage.

Rodolphus looked at Regulus again.

Regulus had been suppressed by Bellatrix for so long, and now he suddenly turned his attention to the Lestrange family. Was he trying to change the subject?

He considered the possibility that the kid had come all along with the Lestrange family.

But that thought only flashed through my mind; it shouldn't come to that.

A twelve-year-old wizard would be lucky to withstand Bellatrix's pressure; he probably wouldn't actively drag the Lestrange family into it. More likely, he's trying to divert attention from Bellatrix's pressure by bringing up Rababstan, hoping to put some pressure on the Lestrange family and give himself a breather.

This little wizard's methods weren't particularly sophisticated, but they were still quite measured.

The Lestrange family held a significant position within Voldemort's faction, and he himself was among the most loyal.

Loyalty is one thing, but maintaining the family's reputation is another.

The Lestrange family no longer has a senior wizard to command respect, their wealth is inferior to the Malfoy family, and their political resources are not as great as the Black family. The only thing that allows the family to survive is their absolute loyalty to Voldemort.

A direct confrontation with the Black family is not worthwhile.

What do you want?

Rodolphus's tone was devoid of any superfluous words; he neither argued nor denied, nor inquired about the background, but went straight to the conditions.

Because it was unnecessary, the Heir of the Black family spoke in front of these people, while the Patriarch of the Black family stood by without saying a word. This is the clearest assessment.

Asking again if it's true or if there's a mistake will only make you more embarrassed.

Regulus did not answer.

He turned his head and glanced at Sirius.

Sirius, Sic.

Sirius didn't understand, but that was exactly what he was waiting for.

His lips curled upwards and outwards, finally settling into an undisguised smile.

Throughout the entire banquet tonight, he stood next to Orion, listening to hours of nonsense and seeing dozens of hypocritical faces.

He tolerated Walburga's rambling, the obsequious faces of those small families, Bellatrix's speech that gave him goosebumps, and the performance of her circling around Regulus just now.

All my patience was released the moment I heard the word "Sic".

He walked away from Orion.

As he walked, he pulled his wand from his robes and twirled it between his fingers.

Regulus's words echoed in his mind, "Appear at the crucial moment, when everyone is watching, and strike decisively. Cool."

He thinks he looks very handsome right now.

All eyes were on him as he walked through the Lestrange family's Banquet Hall to beat up one of the Lestrange.

So handsome.

When Rababstan saw Sirius walking towards him, his first thought was, "This isn't right."

A Black, Gryffindor Black, dares to make a move at the Lestrange Manor? Isn't he afraid of Rodolphus? Isn't he afraid of Bellatrix? This scene just doesn't make sense to him; it shouldn't happen. He's a member of the Lestrange family; this is his home.

He didn't have time to think; Sirius raised his wand.

He glanced at Rodolphus one last time, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

Rodolphus stood still, facing Regulus, without turning around.

Sirius stood five steps in front of Rababstan and flicked his wand.

"Expelliarmus."

A beam of red light struck his chest; it didn't need to be precise, it just had to be fast.

The wand flew out of his hand, hit the edge of a stone pillar, bounced into the air, landed under the long table, rolled several times, and rolled into the pile of half-empty plates, making a hollow, crisp sound.

Rababstan looked down at his empty hands. "You one."

Sirius put the wand back in his pocket.

He pressed close, clenched his left fist, and slammed it upwards towards Rababstan's right rib.

He remembered that Regulus had done the same thing when he hit him.

He used the same method, the same angle, and punched Rababstan in the ribs with considerable force.

But the angle seems a little off; the feel isn't right.

Rababstan hunched over, his face contorted, but he didn't fall.

He could even raise his hand to block, letting out a muffled groan.

Sirius let out a laugh and threw another punch, but still didn't fall.

He got a little annoyed and threw another punch, this time from a different spot, aiming for the softer area below the ribs.

Rababstan's legs buckled, and his body slid down the pillar until he collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach with both hands and his face contorted in pain. Sirius stood in front of him, catching his breath, and shook his right hand, his knuckles aching slightly.

He looked down at Rababstan on the ground, a wide grin spreading across his face.

The Banquet Hall erupted in chaos.

Walburga was the first to react. She screamed, a mixture of shock and anger in her high-pitched voice, "Sirius! What are you doing!"

Her hand was already on the wand, the handle sliding into her palm, as she turned to glare at Regulus, her mouth opening to utter a second curse. Orion grabbed her wrist.

The movement was subtle; one hand rested on it, and it tightened.

Walburga turned his head sharply to look at him, his eyes wide open, his mouth agape, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.

She looked at Orion's face; he was expressionless, motionless, and his breathing hadn't changed.

She then looked at Regulus, Regulus, like Orion, remained expressionless and motionless.

She looked at Sirius again; he was beaming with excitement, his smile stretching to his ears, his eyes shining, as he stood in front of Rababstan, waving his hand. She immediately understood—the three of them had planned this.

Orion knew that Regulus had arranged it, Sirius had carried it out.

Only she knew nothing from beginning to end.

Walburga's mouth slowly closed, and her hands, held down by Orion, stopped moving.

Her expression shifted between anger and grievance before settling into a stiff silence.

Narcissa was a beat too late in reacting.

Sirius sensed something was wrong as soon as she walked out, but it wasn't until the fist landed on Rababstan that she let out a short scream, covered her mouth with her hand, and took a step forward.

Sirius

Lucius placed his hand on her waist, his palm flat against her ribs, and pulled her back a step, shielding her behind him. Narcissa turned to look at Lucius.

Lucius didn't look at her; his gaze was fixed on the hall, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

Bellatrix couldn't possibly remain silent after they did that.

Regulus knew Bellatrix couldn't possibly remain unresponsive.

What he wanted was Bellatrix's reaction.

Lucius remained silent and made no further moves.

Rodolphus stood in his original spot, facing Regulus, his expression silent.

He never looked back at Rababstan being beaten; he only looked at Regulus, and the meaning in his eyes was very clear.

That's it?

Just a beating?

But Bellatrix didn't think so.

When Sirius threw her first punch, her hand was already touching her wand.

She realized that Regulus had never come to back down from the start.

She went through so many circles, said so many words; all her performances were merely the gaps in his waiting.

She was ignored; she was played.

He made a move on her turf, having Sirius beat up the Lestrange family members in her Banquet Hall.

Sirius, a Gryffindor, a Blood Traitor, the kind of Black she despised the most.

He confiscated Rababstan's wand, then took his own, and beat her with his fists, disdaining even to use a wand, as if he were beating a dog. The two things combined made her want to tear everything in the hall to shreds.

Bellatrix's expression cracked, starting from the corners of her mouth and spreading to her eyes; her entire face looked like a completely different person in an instant.

She pulled her hand out from under her skirt, wand in her grasp, turned, and pointed it in Sirius's direction.

The tip of her cane gleamed.

But before her spell could fly out, a beam of light shot from behind, colliding with it the instant Bellatrix's spell left the tip of her staff. The two Magic collided in mid-air, the spell exploding into countless fragments of light that flashed briefly before extinguishing.

Bellatrix's spell was broken.

Regulus stood a few steps away from her, wand in hand.

"Bellatrix."

His voice echoed in the quiet Banquet Hall, his tone unchanged from before, from every word he had uttered that evening. "You want to make a move?"

Bellatrix turned sharply to look at Regulus, and then she suddenly laughed.

She recalled his silence all night and suddenly understood: he wanted this.

He wanted this from the moment she stood in front of him.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping across his face. All the anger of being mocked, the humiliation of being ignored, and the control of being provoked all melted into something she knew and loved most.

"You think you can stand before me just because you've beaten a few students at Hogwarts?" Her voice was burning hot, each word trembling. Regulus didn't answer her; he raised his wand, the tip pointing at her.