Bellatrix Lestrange: Biography, Fanaticism, Secrets

Bellatrix Lestrange is Voldemort's most loyal Death Eater and the most dangerous one we meet in the books. She does not obey out of fear. She obeys out of devotion, which makes her impossible to reason with. She is one of the few villains in the series who enjoys what she does.

Who she is

She was born into the Black family, cousin of Sirius and sister of Narcissa, and married Rodolphus Lestrange. She was sentenced to Azkaban for torturing Neville's parents (Goblet of Fire, ch. 30) and broke out with other Death Eaters in the mass escape of 1996. The books never state her house, but Rowling confirmed Slytherin outside of them.

Key moments

• Goblet of Fire, ch. 30: Harry sees her in the Pensieve at the trial for the Longbottoms' torture. She is proud, waiting for the Dark Lord's return.
• Order of the Phoenix, ch. 35: she kills Sirius with a spell in front of the Veil.
• Half-Blood Prince, ch. 2: at Spinner's End she tells Snape she does not trust him, even though her sister asks otherwise.
• Deathly Hallows, ch. 23: she tortures Hermione at Malfoy Manor for information about the sword.
• Deathly Hallows, ch. 36: Molly Weasley kills her in a duel.

Relationships

With Voldemort, complete devotion: she calls him Master and defends him against everything. With her sister Narcissa, a bond strained by different loyalties. With Sirius, the Black family blood and a deadly hatred. With Snape, open distrust.

What almost nobody notices

In Deathly Hallows (ch. 23), when she sees the Sword of Gryffindor in the captives' hands, Bellatrix panics. She fears someone has broken into her Gringotts vault. Voldemort entrusted her with a Horcrux, Hufflepuff's cup, which Harry and his friends end up finding there (ch. 26), and she knows what could happen to her if it is lost.

And in Order of the Phoenix (ch. 36), after killing Sirius, she runs out of the Department of Mysteries shouting that she killed him. She flaunts the murder like a trophy. It is the moment Harry stops seeing her as just another criminal and starts to hate her.

Hermione impersonates her with Polyjuice Potion to get into Gringotts, using Bellatrix's own wand, taken at the Manor (ch. 26). The witch who inspired the most fear becomes a disguise.

If you think Slytherin is only ambition, the house quiz may surprise you. Or read Slytherin House: Why It Isn't the House of the Villains.