An excellent piece of background information! There are dark secrets in the best families--especially there. Did Augusta ever learn what drove her nephews to this action, and where they actually stopped? It doesn't seem so.

Considering their family history, some Death Eaters would have done better on a shrink's couch than in Azkaban. Powerful and chilly. Thanks for sharing.

I think the Blacks are approaching the Gaunts for inbred instability.  Chilling.

Excellent snippet from what could have been.  I am fond of Bella, so I loved your rendering of her: insane and vicious. It was a particulalry nice twist that the destruction of their minds was down to 'fun' rather than revenge; it made the damage all the more nasty and vindictive, which is Bella's forte.  This left me aching.  Very well done.

Well, there is that Longbottom on the Black family tree, isn't there? What's terrible here is seeing the horrible things people will do because they love someone. What dysfunction! And what a horrible, horrible ending, knowing what we know about how things will turn out. Well done.

Oof, what a harowing tale.  Well told.

This was a seriously chilling read. Also, quite a plausible explanation for the crazy Lestrange family. Sad that Frank and Alice ended up suffering because of a choice Augusta made.

Arranging marriages with only political advantages to bloodlines is bound to generate many more domestic violence scenarios that any other kind of partnership. I think (and hope for humanity). Your story gave the Lestrange brothers excellent motivation for their actions.

Nasty buisiness, that.

A clever - if chilling - journey into canon. I kinda hate JK for the things she did to that generation.

Chilling.  Horrible history between Augusta and her sister.  Really, really ugly stuff.  And then the delight of Psycho!Bella.  Nicely done.

Bella is one scary piece of work.

Wow, they are one crazy bunch.  This was creepy (in a good way).

You've portrayed the instability/madness of the LeStrange family very well.

Ugh. That whole family seems to be a mess. I actually think in this case, that maybe what happened to Alice and Frank was a blessing in disguise - because they are alive and all the others are not.

Very well written. Bellatrix even scared me.

Oooh dear. Not exactly Augusta's fault... ouch. So very sad.

Wonderful. Love it - love your depiction of Frank & Alice (another true tragic tale), and the 'justification' from the Lestrange brothers, a family affair; Bella continuing to indulge her demons within on them. Powerful work!

Wow.  Just amazing.  Nice back fill of canon.

Ouch. Karma *is* a bitch.

I really, really did not want to read this one but I must say I'm glad I did. It has given me an insight into why Frank and Alice were targeted. I have never liked Neville's grandmother, she hurt him very much.