"I'll choose my own suitable wizard, thank you very much," Bellatrix replied primly.
"How dare you?" Druella demanded. "Your aunt has gone to a lot of trouble on your behalf. It is your duty to marry a suitable pureblood."
"I'm still in school," Bellatrix reminded them.
Druella sighed. "I know that, Bellatrix. However, events demand certain sacrifices. Our society has come to a crossroads. You can't afford to be in school at this important time. It is time for you to leave school and help shape the destiny of our world."
Bellatrix arched her eyebrows. "Do tell me more."
"Come to dinner and we'll tell you everything," Walburga said. "Rodolphus Lestrange will be waiting for us. You remember him. He's an excellent young man."
"Rodolphus?" Bellatrix asked, acting as if she had not known about him prior to her aunt's revelation. "You're consorting with him? Don't you realize that he's practically been expelled from Hogwarts?"
"Not expelled," Walburga said shortly. "He left, unable to bear being under the tutelage of that Muggle-loving headmaster."
"Is that so?" Bellatrix asked. Briefly, she considered revealing what had happened the night the Lestranges had left Hogwarts, but decided against it. It wouldn't convince the matriarchs of anything, and Rodolphus was sure to have already planted an explanation for anything she might say. "Have you been consorting with the Lestrange brothers often?"
"They've been around," Bellatrix's mother admitted. "Rodolphus cares a great deal for you."
Her violet eyes cold as ice, Bellatrix met her aunt's eyes. "You realize that they probably killed Orion. That makes you complicit in his murder."
Bellatrix's ears rang as her aunt viciously slapped her across the face. Her reflexes well-trained from numerous practice duels with Harry, Bellatrix brought her wand up and banished her mother and aunt away from her, following the spell with a couple of jinxes meant to miss them entirely and only intimidate them.
"I see I've found the truth," Bellatrix yelled at them, trying to hold back the tears that had come in response to her being slapped.
"You know nothing, you ungrateful child," Walburga hissed loudly, slowly bringing herself back to her feet. "Now that you can't hide behind your father, you'll learn about reality."
Bellatrix shot a couple of blasting spells at the gravestone behind Walburga to discourage her from any sudden moves. Druella, her mother, was still lying on the ground, groaning.
"You're a fool," Bellatrix yelled, unable to think of anything more poignant in the heat of the situation. "I'll marry who I please, and in time, you will have to admit that I chose more wisely than you could have." She glanced at Narcissa and tried to soften the expression on her face. "You're free to come with me."
Narcissa shrank back and shook her head after glancing at her mother and aunt who were quailing under the aim of Bellatrix's wand.
Bellatrix scowled at her younger sister. "Little idiot."
Bellatrix turned and began stalking away from the cemetery, leaving her mother and aunt quailing halfway behind a tombstone, her younger sister trying to stand apart from the confrontation.
"Do you really think Harry Ashworth is better than Rodolphus Lestrange?" Walburga yelled after Bellatrix. "He's a nobody!"
Bellatrix ignored her aunt and continued walking away from the gravestones
"If you leave tonight, I will strike you from the Black family!" Walburga shouted. "You will be disinherited. Your heritage will be nothing!"
Bellatrix, now in the tall grass bordering a stand of trees, spun around and pointed her wand in the general direction of her aunt, more than ready to cast a dangerous hex as the slightest provocation. "You don't have that power," Bellatrix screamed defiantly. "However, one day, I will be Lady Black. I will be mistress of this family. On that day, I will burn you from the family tapestry."
With that, Bellatrix waved her wand and apparated to just outside the gates of Hogwarts with an extremely loud popping noise. As she stalked through the gates and up to the castle, the incensed Bellatrix concluded that she did agree with at least one thing the matriarchs had said. It was time for her to leave Hogwarts and help shape the magical world's destiny. The House of Black will rise to power again, and I will be Lady Black, she vowed.