Hermione/Bellatrix

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Pairing
Pairing: Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Lestrange
Alternative name(s): Bellamione, Hellatrix, Hermione/Bellatrix, Hr/B, HG/BL, S.S. Bad Hair Day, H.M.S. Tainted Blood
Gender category: femslash
Fandom: Harry Potter
Canonical?: no
Prevalence: common for femslash; minor pairing overall
Archives:
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Hermione/Bellatrix, also known as Bellamione, is the non-canon pairing between Hermione Granger, one of the main protagonists in the Harry Potter book and movie series, and Bellatrix Lestrange (born Bellatrix Black), one of the most loyal Death Eaters of Lord Voldemort, the series' main antagonist.

Despite the canonical contrast between their good versus evil inclinations and the infrequency of their interactions, fans are drawn to the pairing because of story parallels between the two characters, and fanon interpretations of either character that strengthen the parallels. The allure of this ship lies in the potential for intense but conflicting feelings between the two characters themselves, and between the reader and the characters. Thanks to a few early popular stories and the varied ways fans explore this pairing, it is one of the top two F/F pairings in the Harry Potter fandom.[note 1]

Canon

Hermione and Bellatrix had few interactions in either film or book canon, and each of the interactions were very antagonistic. In Order of the Phoenix, Bellatrix briefly takes Hermione hostage in the Department of Mysteries (located in the Ministry of Magic). In Deathly Hallows, Bellatrix tortures and interrogates Hermione in Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix repeatedly refers to Hermione as "mudblood," and in the film Deathly Hallows Part 1 she carves the word into Hermione's arm.

Fandom

Bellamione shippers often cite the parallels between Hermione and Bellatrix, in spite of their significant differences. Both women are highly intelligent and driven, but also extremely loyal to a male leader. Some fans view Bellatrix as a darker version of who canon!Hermione could be, in a different world. Relatedly therefore, there are AU Dark Bellamione fics in which both engage in torture, killing (similar to Murder Husbands), or other destruction.

In early 2012, about a year after the release of Deathly Hallows Part 1 movie in Nov 2010, Those Gilded Chains We Wear by KuraiBites began on FFN, building the popularity of this ship. Although the fic is unfinished and has not been updated since 2016, it is so popular it inspired a TVTropes page, a tumblr focused on TGCWW, and other fanworks. Around 2011-2012, there were also several popular stories published by liidg[note 2], including Dark Effects and Primal Instincts. As an example of the world-building by liidg, Primal Instincts is notable both for its lore surrounding how Bellatrix and Hermione are connected to their own magic, and being the "hyena dick fic" because both are animagi (Bellatrix a hyena, and Hermione a cheetah).

However fans are drawn into this ship, they tend to remain because they enjoy exploring character dynamics between Bellatrix and Hermione and others, complicated with interplay between the characters' "darker" instincts. Although she is an often-mentioned character on the side of the Dark Lord, her characterization in the books is still mostly open to fandom interpretation.

The popularity of Hermione/Bellatrix has also increased interest in shipping Hermione with the other Black sisters[note 3], Hermione/Narcissa Black Malfoy and Hermione/Andromeda Black Tonks, even the fan-developed tag Hermione Granger scores a Black Sister Hat Trick.

There is some tension between Ron/Hermione shippers and Hermione/Bellatrix shippers, although it isn't quite a ship war.[1] There is also a subset of fans who dislike the ship and view it as gross or a glorification of the canonical torture scene.

Common Fandom Tropes

Example Fanworks

Fanfiction

  • The Promises Beyond The Thunderstorm by MadameCissy, 104k. (2009) The first work posted as Bellatrix/Hermione on fanfiction.net.
  • The Black Prophecy by beforeyouspeak, 209k. (2013-2020) Dark AU- Hermione was sorted into Ravenclaw, she lives a life of isolation in search of knowledge. Enter one of the oldest magical families, will Hermione find her place in life and happiness? Includes Black family and character dynamics, worldbuilding, and the tag "Hermione Granger Scores a Black Sister Hat Trick". Rated Explicit.
  • A Dark Bouquet (series) by wynnebat, 3k total. (2014-2015) In a world ruled by Voldemort, Hermione and Bellatrix build a life together. AU where Voldemort wins.
  • Sing To Me Your Insanity by ClumsyDreamer, 266k WIP. (2016-2020) AU where both are sirens.
  • Reign Down by drD, 185k WIP. (2016-2020) A dark!Hermione AU where Voldemort wins.
  • Glass Silence by Zarrene Moss, 270k main part of a series. (2018) In another world, Hermione Granger never attended Hogwarts. Orphaned at age three, she grew up supporting a low-income adoptive family without the means to pay for her education. Post-war desperation and a chance encounter lead her into the employ of the three Black sisters. She finds herself caught in their deadly web, helplessly waiting to see who will reach her first. Canon-related AU, includes the tag "Hermione Granger Scores a Black Sister Hat Trick". Rated Explicit.
  • Huge Small Problem by drD, 5k. (2018) Hermione attempts to call someone from beyond the grasp of Death. What she did not expect to get was a child, nor did she expect that child to be Bellatrix Lestrange.
  • Jinx and Counter by Zarrene Moss, 4k. (2018) Twenty years after the war, Hermione confronts an old demon.
  • As We Chase the Sun by intheinkpot, 167k WIP. (2018-2021) After torturing the Longbottoms, Bellatrix Lestrange fakes her death to escape the Aurors, her escape aided by a secret: she is an unregistered Animagus. She makes her way to the Forbidden Forest to continue her search for her master, but there is a reason that Animagus transformations are so dangerous. Isolated and without human contact, she loses herself. When Sirius discovers her, Dumbledore hatches a plan. Black family centric. Eventual Bellamione. AU that is divergent from early canon.
  • Another Time by TaylorMade, 33k WIP. (2018) In another time, it was an entirely different Wizarding War. What happens when a survivor, a soldier, of that other world finds herself the victim of a cross-temporal displacement? (This term will be explained in the story.) Canon/AU Crossover.
  • In the Dead of Night by Lost_my_soul_in_a_black_hole, 180k main part of a series. (2020) Hermione discovers something about her professor that leads her to go knocking on her door, late at night. AU with Bellatrix as professor at Hogwarts.
  • Through Sand And Sea by Looktotheedges, 361k main part of a series. (2020 - 2021) Includes a love potion, mermaids, metamorphmagus theory, slow burn, and time travel.
  • light long gone and burning strong by basketofnovas, 5k. (2021) Years after Voldemort's victory, Hermione poses as a foreign research consultant to infiltrate Bellatrix Black's home. She finds Bellatrix unexpectedly sympathetic. AU where Voldemort wins, rated Explicit.
  • LIBERTATEM VINCULA by DreamKissed, 7k WIP. (2021) Every person has their limits. Their strength is finite. Hermione is done running, and not by her conscious choice. Captured and bound to the head of the House of Black, she finds a certain peace however. AU where Voldemort wins, rated Explicit.
  • Pas de deux by Lost_my_soul_in_a_black_hole, 109k WIP. Hermione Granger is a ballet dancer, working hard in a coffee and music lounge to make ends meet. When the Madame of her dance school invites famed dancer and choreographer Bellatrix Black to teach at her studio for a week, Hermione is immediately drawn to her. Even better; Bellatrix is in town to cast her new show and is looking for talent in Madame's studio. Will Hermione be her leading lady on and off stage? AU with no magic, rated Explicit.

Fanvids

Meta

Fanart

Example Fanart

Archives and Communities

Fanfiction Archives

On Tumblr

Other

Additional Links

Notes

  1. ^ AS of June 2023, in the category of f/f in the Harry Potter fandom on AO3, the two top pairings are 1900 Hermione/Pansy works and 1850 Bellatrix/Hermione works.
  2. ^ The WayBack Machine link is an example of their story titles and writing dates, as well as a chapter here or there of the fics, but they have since removed their work from FFN.
  3. ^ As of February 2023, the Hermione/Bellatrix tag on AO3 has 1755 works, the Bellatrix/Narcissa tag has 846 works, and the Hermione/Andromeda tag has 258 works.

References

  1. ^ Tumblr post by helena-lestrange, Archived version (Accessed June 11, 2020)
  2. ^ Archive Link to front page from May 19, 2020.
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