Saying that Bellatrix Lestrange is one the most notorious villains in the Harry Potter franchise is the understatement of the century. As one of the most evil witches in wizarding history, she is the personification of what a villain is on film and in novels. Many of the most wicked acts in this series were perpetrated by Bellatrix, and she is known to induce nightmares in frightened viewers. Other than Voldemort himself, there isn't anyone more dangerous on the evil side of the Harry Potter universe.
There is no denying how evil Bellatrix is, however that does not mean there are not misconceptions about her. Like every great villain, she is not black and white. There are many things about Bellatrix that the average Potter fan does not know, and many things that movie-only fans get wrong. It is difficult to paint someone like Bellatrix with a two-dimensional brush as she is very complicated. While very few people would confuse her with a good person, there are things that need to be known before she can be fully understood.
As evil as Bellatrix is, she is still a person who has a lot going on underneath the surface. To fully understand her, both her past and present need to be analyzed, and each of her actions need to be looked at objectively. The only question is - who is brave enough to dive in and learn more about her?
For only the bravest witches and wizards, here are 20 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Bellatrix Lestrange.
20. She Is Not "Crazy"
It would be easy to point the finger at Bellatrix and say that she is the craziest witch in the Harry Potter universe. She has given more than enough reasons for everyone to think so. However, what makes her even more dangerous is that she knew exactly what she was doing the entire time.
When Voldemort employed Bellatrix as his right-hand woman, he made an excellent choice. Bellatrix fully believes Voldemort's ideologies, and will do anything to ensure that his vision is carried out. She has done some unspeakable things, but it cannot be blamed on mental illness. She willingly participated in these acts, and would do it again if given the opportunity. Bellatrix did not need an excuse; she would have followed Voldemort through anything.
19. She Is No Longer Beautiful
While Bellatrix Lestrange is played by the beautiful Helena Bonham Carter in the Harry Potter universe, her novel counterpart is not described as good-looking. In fact, her withered features were even described as "ghastly" by Potter's group.
During her fifteen year stint in Azkaban, Bellatrix had an understandably difficult time. Due to the severity of her crimes, she was kept in solitary confinement for her prison sentence, which began to take its toll on her features. As a woman from a wealthy family, she had always been well-fed and taken care of. However, prison time is very different and she began to wither away and lose her once beautiful features. Though Carter sported some fake teeth and wild hair in the films, it didn't quite match up with her descriptions from the book.
18. She's Almost as good in battle as Voldemort
Voldemort's group of Death Eaters have often been compared to Stormtroopers from Star Wars - they look menacing but have very poor aim. In fact, each time that Harry Potter and his group come face-to-face with Voldemort's followers, they are able to either escape or defeat them. However, Bellatrix Lestrange is certainly one of the few who can stand out from this group.
While Death Eaters like Macnair and Dolohov are defeated by Potter, Bellatrix has much more magical strength than people give her credit for. Not only does she not back down from a fight, but she can hold her own. In fact, her magical powers may put her on nearly the same level as Voldemort. During the battle at the Ministry of Magic in Order of the Phoenix, Bellatrix is faced with Dumbledore's intense power. However, she is able to deflect one of his spells and escape. Only a truly strong witch would have been able to do so.
17. She didn't use Avada Kedavra On Sirius
This visual of Bellatrix taking out Sirius Black during the Order of the Phoenix is truly heartbreaking. Whether a fan read it in the book or saw it in the films, it was a very difficult moment to process. However, the two different mediums treated the tragedy very differently.
The movie universe featured Bellatrix casting Avada Kedavra at Sirius before he disappeared through the mysterious veil in the Death Chamber. However, the book does not name the spell that she uses. Furthermore, it is not accompanied by the flash of green that signifies the Unforgivable Curse. Since the book came before the film, it stands to reason that this how JK Rowling meant for it to be portrayed. Regardless of the method she used, it does not make the news of Sirius' ing easier to deal with.
16. She wasn't Actually Present For Dumbledore’s Demise
Speaking of the differences between films and books, Bellatrix's involvement in another depressing Harry Potter moment is also different based on the medium. During the plot to end Albus Dumbledore, the film depicts Bellatrix being present for his demise. She even furthers the situation by destroying the Great Hall at Hogwarts and setting Hagrid's hut on fire in celebration. The visual of her happily prancing through the grounds and casting the Dark Mark will not soon be forgotten, but it never occurred in the books.
The Half-Blood Prince book does not show Bellatrix present in the Astronomy Tower that night. Whether she was present or not, there are still legions of fans recovering from that night.
15. Her plans for Delphini
Fans familiar with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, they know that Bellatrix Lestrange had a daughter named Delphini. It was revealed that Delphini's father was none other than Lord Voldemort himself. It stands to reason that a daughter like this would wind up as one of the most evil people in the wizarding world. However, it seems that Bellatrix actually had other intentions.
While she did not have children with her husband Rodolphus, Bellatrix did say that if she had a son she "would gladly give them up to the service of the Dark Lord." Yet, she does not mention anything about if she had a daughter. It seems that Bellatrix may have had a soft spot for her daughter, and actually intended to hide her from the world of being a Death Eater.
14. She was one of the only female Death Eaters
Bellatrix may have become one of the most feared witches in the world, but her life was not without adversity. As they say, it's a man's world. Well, it also appears to be a wizard's world, as Bellatrix had to deal with the patriarchy in her evil cult.
Through all the ranks of Death Eaters, Bellatrix is only one of two females in Voldemort's party. For her and Alecto Carrow, there was likely a lot of sexism to work through on her way up the ranks of evil. Even her sister Narcissa, the sole female member of the infamous Death Eater family, the Malfoys, wasn't a full Death Eater. It would be a mistake to assume that Bellatrix did not have to deal with gender politics.
13. Voldemort wasn't the only one she loved
Bellatrix's love for Voldemort is on display each time fans see them together. She is constantly fawning over him, making it very clear that she has romantic feelings for him. It is also made very clear that Bellatrix's marriage to Rodolphus was only for show. However, it seems that Bellatrix was capable of loving others who were not Voldemort.
The Black family elf Kreacher did not have any love for many people other than his master. However, as hateful as she is to most people, Bellatrix was always very kind to Kreacher. In fact, Kreacher even kept a picture of Madame Lestrange by his bed because of how kind she was to him. It seems strange that Bellatrix would have been so kind to Kreacher, but she obviously made enough of an impression on him for him to believe there was love between them.
12. She purposely taught Harry about Unforgiveable curses
One of the often cited criticisms against Bellatrix is that she provided Harry with information he could have used to defeat her. During their battle at the Ministry of Magic, Bellatrix goaded Harry into performing an Unforgivable Curse on her. When his Cruciatus Curse did not cause her the pain he intended, she gives him the secret to performing it - he has to really mean it.
Fans say that giving Harry the key to causing her harm was a big mistake. However, Bellatrix is the type of foe who enjoys taunting her opponent. Giving Harry this information was calculated on her part since she knew he would not be able to do it. This was her way of flexing her muscles during the fight, as she always had the upper hand even after letting Harry in on the secret.
11. Her name's positive meaning
Most fans would consider calling Bellatrix beautiful to be an affront to humanity. Also, the "strange" part of her name seems to be typically on the nose, as is JK Rowling's habit when naming characters. However, the etymology behind her first name actually gives way to something beautiful.
The term Bellatrix comes from the constellation Orion, where Bellatrix is the third brightest star in the cluster. It also comes from the Greek term "female warrior." While her actions during the Wizarding War were anything but beautiful, this does describe her very well. Bellatrix is certainly a strong warrior, and also shines very brightly as a member of the Death Eaters.
