Bellatrix Lestrange

Bellatrix Black Lestrange is a fictional character from the Harry Potter books, a Death Eater who is extremely loyal to Voldemort

Related Topics:
Fictional character - Harry Potter - Death Eater - Voldemort

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Bellatrix's name means "amazon" or "warrioress", and, like many members of the Black Family, is named after a star. Bellatrix (also known as Gamma Orionis) is the name of one of the brightest stars in the constellation Orion.

Related Topics:
Gamma Orionis - Orion

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Bellatrix Lestrange was born Bellatrix Black, first cousin to Sirius Black and Regulus Black, and sister to Narcissa Black and Andromeda Black.

Related Topics:
Sirius Black - Regulus Black - Narcissa Black - Andromeda Black

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Bellatrix became a Death Eater and married Rodolphus Lestrange, brother of Rabastan Lestrange. By that time, she had become a sadist. One year after Lord Voldemort's defeat, the three of them (and presumably Barty Crouch Jr. as well) tried to discover information about the location of the discorporate spirit of Lord Voldemort, by using the Cruciatus Curse on Frank and Alice Longbottom. Their victims went insane from the torture, and for that crime the four of them were convicted to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

Related Topics:
Death Eater - Rodolphus Lestrange - Rabastan Lestrange - Sadist - Lord Voldemort - Barty Crouch Jr. - Cruciatus Curse - Frank - Azkaban

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Fourteen years later, the three of them were amongst the imprisoned Death Eaters who broke out and rejoined Lord Voldemort. The Lestranges are considered some of Voldemort's most devoted followers.

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Bellatrix Lestrange was in a group of Death Eaters who tried to steal a prophecy belonging to the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic from Harry Potter. During that mission she proved to be a fierce and very skilled fighter by putting the two Aurors Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt out of action and by solely escaping Dumbledore after his arrival at the Ministry. She also murdered Sirius Black in a duel at the Ministry, even though he was her cousin. She escaped from the Ministry with Lord Voldemort, and is presumably now with him at the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Related Topics:
Death Eater - Department of Mysteries - Nymphadora Tonks - Kingsley Shacklebolt - Dumbledore - Sirius Black - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Bellatrix tries to keep her sister from asking Severus Snape to aid and protect Narcissa's son, Draco Malfoy, as she does not trust Snape. She shows no sympathy for Narcissa's fears for Draco's safety, boasting that if she had sons she'd be proud to sacrifice them in service of the "Dark Lord". Bellatrix is also revealed as skilled at Occlumency, and teaches this art to Draco. On her way to the meeting with Snape, Lestrange callously kills an innocent fox, believing the poor animal to be a spy for the Ministry of Magic. The creature was just trying to scavenge some garbage to eat.

Related Topics:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Severus Snape - Draco Malfoy - Occlumency

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Following Black family custom, Bellatrix would have inherited Number 12 Grimmauld Place and everything in it after Sirius's passing (as his next of kin). However, Sirius's will indicated that Harry receive his possessions. To make sure there would be no dispute over the legal owner of Sirius's property (and prevent the Order's headquarters from falling into enemy hands), Kreacher was brought before Harry to see if he was indeed the house-elf's rightful owner. After Kreacher obeyed a direct order from Harry, the matter was settled - and Bellatrix was denied what would have been hers by right of kinship and descent had Sirius died without a will.

Related Topics:
Order - Kreacher - Kinship and descent

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To date, Bellatrix, along with the woman called Alecto who was in the Astronomy Tower when Albus Dumbledore was killed, are the only female Death Eaters known by name. Narcissa Malfoy may also be one, though so far she has only shown where her loyalties lie, and it is not stated outright if she bears the Dark Mark.

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