8 Chapter 8

Chapter 8

DAPHNE GREENGRASS

Her heart wept as she found herself sitting in the Supreme Mugwump's chambers once more, with both Percy and Amelia Bones sitting there, their faces pale as they both read through the reports in their hands.

It was something she hadn't wanted to release. Yet now, it was part of the proceedings and, hence, a part of the official record.

"Gods, just what is this," Percy was the first one to speak as he turned to face her, and her lips thinned as she carefully thought about what she wanted to say.

"You must be aware of Crovus's mother, right," and he nodded. Of course, who in Britain didn't know about the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange, the right-hand woman of Voldemort, said to be his most loyal follower.

She then turned towards the Minister, who had a somber look on her face, and she had probably connected all the dots now. And before she could continue, the Minister herself began, slowly and somberly.

"Bellatrix Lestrange was perhaps the most talented witch of her age. She was my junior by some years, but even at Hogwarts, she was a menace with a wand," Amelia Bones said, and Daphne nodded. She had heard similar stories from the other people she had tracked down while checking out the whole story.

"But what does this all have to do with her? Bellatrix Lestrange died years ago," answered Percy, and her lips thinned. Hadn't that been a surprise, for a while in the midst of the war, one day one of Voldemort's most loyal followers had died without much fanfare. And even today, only a few people knew about the circumstances of her death.

"Because Bellatrix Lestrange wasn't always the crazed woman she would later go on to become," she answered Percy's question, who frowned and looked towards the Minister, who nodded.

"Yes, she is right. While Bellatrix Black, as she was called in those days, was always rather prickly and proud, she was in no way mad, or obsessed with blood purity or Voldemort. The change truly began with the shocking news of her betrothal to Rudolphus Lestrange," she said.

"And why was that?" Percy asked.

"Because the match made no sense," she answered, "Rudolphus Lestrange was simply a dolt. He had little talent and was an abysmal wizard," and then she turned to face Percy.

"This was the time around which she began to change, and no only now we know that the change in her wasn't truly natural," she answered as she pointed at the part of the report, mentioning the traces of modified amortentia found in her blood. It was a highly modified form that was more potent and gave a good explanation about the witch's behavior.

Percy read the file again and had a disgusted and shocked expression which quickly morphed into one of intrigue, as he asked her.

"But does this have to do with Crovus?" and she hesitated before she finally began with a sigh.

"Voldemort used amortentia to control Bellatrix Lestrange and expand his influence, yet when he came to learn about the prophecy, he began to grow concerned, and so he made a contingency plan in the event the prophecy proved to be true," she answered.

"He began to hunt down the child of the prophecy, but he also made another plan. A plan to rise up once more in case he died. I believe you are aware by now of how he achieved his immortality," she looked towards Percy, who nodded as he whispered the name of the abhorrent magic used by Voldemort to split his very soul.

"Horcruxes," he answered and he nodded.

"He had given some of these Horcruxes to his loyal followers, and now all he needed was a perfect vessel to control through these phylacteries, and that vessel was Crovus," she answered and saw the Minister sigh as she took of her glasses and sighed.

"And Crovus was that vessel," answered the Minister, and she nodded.

"Yes, he was. Voldemort used a ritual, for the abuse of magic had affected his bodily functions. He used Bellatrix Lestrange, and suing an extremely twisted ritual, he created a semi-soulless container for himself," she answered and saw both Percy and the Minster pale at her words.

There were few things in magic as sacred as children and souls. And any magic that defiled these two very sacred things was considered vile. Yet Voldemort had dabbled and decorated both of these things. He had disgraced the soul by making Horcruxes and then destroyed an innocent life trying to create a vessel for himself.

It was abhorrent.

"Merlin!" cursed Percy as he shook his head and took a small sip of water, and looked at the report she had given him once again while he continued to shake his head, being both shocked and abhorred by everything he had just heard.

"What happened to Bellatrix Lestrange?" questioned the Minister, and she saw Percy's head snap towards her, as well. She looked at the Minster.

"I believe you already are aware. She died," she answered cryptically, and the Minister leaned forward.

"I want the truth, Greengrass. What happened to her? None of the Death Eaters knew anything, and I have a very good suspicion that your client is somehow involved in this as well," began the Minster, and her lips thinned as she refused to budge and continued to look the Minister straight into the eyes.

In the end, the Minster yielded and gave an offer.

"What do you want?" the Minster began, and she smiled as she spoke up.

"Remove my client from Azkaban to a low-security cell, and remove the dementors. And I want you to allow visitation, as well," she answered, and Percy immediately cut in.

"No, that is absurd just beca…." But the Minister raised her hand, and stopped him mid-sentence, and nodded.

"Done, now answer me. What truly happened with Bellatrix Lestrange?" questioned the Minster, and she closed her eyes as she disclosed what she had discovered from Narcissa Malfoy.

"Crovus began to suspect the use of the modified amortentia while he was undercover. His suspicion was true, and with the help of her sister, Narcissa Malfoy, and Professor Snape, they were able to remove the potion's influence from her," she began. She still couldn't get the look of sadness and pain she had seen on Narcissa's face as she had told her about this out of her mind.

"Then what happened," questioned the Minster, and her voice shook as she continued.

"They were successful, but it was too late," she answered, and the room descended into silence once again, "she had nearly lost her sanity. I was told that she begged for them to kill her. According to Narcissa Malfoy, she was mentally broken. It was all too much for her."

And she couldn't even imagine what that woman had gone through. Being under Voldemort's control, then being under the influence of Dementors for over a decade. It was just too much to imagine.

"In the end, Crovus granted her this final wish," and she looked up to see the Minster's aghast face as she looked at her with widened eyes.

0000

CROVUS LESTRANGE

For the first time in months, Crovus Lestrange finally found himself able to think freely. The voices and the visions that they had tortured him with came to an end as the guards moved him to a new cell in the basement of the Ministry.

Crovus was mad at himself for the outrage at Court. The revelation about the circumstances of his birth was something that he had never wanted to discuss. Yet it had been brought up, and he hadn't missed how Daphne was not surprised by her words and already had his medical report from St. Mungos. A report that only one person had access to in the whole of Britain.

The doors to his cell creaked open, and a single figure moved inside. Her hair swept back in a simple ponytail, a folder tucked on her arms, which were pushed into the pockets of her large turncoat.

He didn't miss the look of guilt and anguish on her face, as she slowly spoke up.

"I apologize for what happened at court today. I should have tried to stop Percy from that line of questioning," she spoke up, and though he was affected by what had happened, he was also aware of the futility of it. He was in no position to complain.

"It's okay," he answered, as he tried to control his shaking hands as he looked towards her.

"Though I must ask you, where did you get that report from?" he saw her wince at his question, and he already knew the answer to that question. There was only one person who held a copy of that report, the woman who had raised him. the woman who had saved his life. The very woman whose son he had tortured with the Cruciatus in front of her own eyes. Narcissa Malfoy.

"I went see Narcissa Malfoy," she answered with a wince, and he sighed. There were few people in the world whom Crovus was close to. His Aunt was one of them, the very woman who had raised him like a son.

"How is she?" he questioned. A part of her hungered for her affection, yet he knew that it was next to impossible now, especially after what he had done.

"She seemed fine," and he didn't miss her inquisitive gaze as she walked towards the wall opposite to him and leaned against it.

"What happened between you and her," she questioned, and his lips thinned as he thought whether to reply to her question or not. In the end, he decided to tell her about it.

"Voldemort was going to lose the war. I planned to make sure of that," he answered with vehemence.

"And so, I tried to warn my Aunt and Lucius to lay low subtly. She had never truly stepped into the spotlight, and I believe she also began to suspect my allegiances around the same time as well. Still, the same couldn't be said about Lucius," he said, lamenting the idiocy and singlemindedness of the Malfoy patriarch.

"And then when I was in my fifth year, and Draco was in his sixth, shit came crashing down," he finished with a sigh. And saw her eyes narrow before suddenly she paled. He saw her eyes widen, and her breath hitched as she stared at him in bewilderment.

"No, it cannot be," she gasped as she realized what exactly he had been forced to do.

"Yes, to make the Dark Lord spare his life, I had to take over the task that had been assigned to Draco," he answered.

"The task to kill Albus Dumbledore!"

0000

A worried Crovus walked through the Halls of Malfoy Manor. The manor had changed a lot since the Dark Lord had settled down in it. The once serene environment of the ancient Malfoy manor had become dreary. The once luscious garden had lost all its color, and a sense of vileness and depravity ran rampant through the manor's air.

His heart shook as he heard the sound of familiar screams spread through the manor. His fists balled up, and as he was about to rush towards the main Hall, he heard his name getting called from behind.

"Crovus," and his snapped back, and he stilled as he saw the pale and quivering form of the very woman who had raised him.

"Aunt Narcissa," he said her name and her eyes were swollen, and her face was flushed as her hands shook.

"Draco!....My poor Draco! Help him! I beg you!" she uttered, and he felt his fears materialize. And he rushed to support her as he saw her crying form.

"Please!" she pleaded again as he slowly nodded.

"I will try," but she was apoplectic and gripped his arms tightly.

"NO! Promise me! The Dark Lord listens to you. Plead to him on his part! Please, I beg you!" she pleaded, and his heart shook as he saw her like this. Yet he couldn't intervene. Crovus had a reputation.

"I will try to," he tried to reassure her. But she remained inconsolable and looked at him frantically.

"NO! NO! Promise me! Promise me that you will save him! He plans to kill him! He wants to make an example out of him!" and his heart stilled as he heard those words. This was bad!

"I will try…." but suddenly she saw her expression shift, as her eyes narrowed towards him.

"NO! NO! Promise me!" she spoke sharply, "otherwise I will tell the Dark Lord the truth!" and he stilled as soon as he heard her utter those words. His chest tightened as their eyes met. He quickly cast a privacy ward before he spoke up once again.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" he said impassively and saw her shake her head. A sense of betrayal rippled through him as he was caught off guard by her words. For just now, the woman who had treated him like a son, the very woman whose family he had been trying to save for the past year, had just threatened him.

And her next words shook him to the core.

"Do not lie to me, Crovus! I know that your true allegiances do not lie with the Dark Lord!" she uttered the words that could get him killed.

"I don't know why! But consider this, how magnanimously would the Dark Lord reward me if I were to tell him about the little traitor, standing right by his side!" and he paled at those words.

"How long have you known?" he questioned her. He had always known that Narcissa Black was an intelligent woman, though it was a surprise that she had figured this out by herself while the rest of the world failed to understand him.

"I am not blind to the subtle hints you have been giving us about being careful! Lucius may be blind to the faults of the man, but I can see that the Dark Lord cares little about blood purity, or Britain for that matter," she uttered vehemently before she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Though I wonder what made you stand against the man, given that he favors you so much," she asked him, and his lips thinned as he tried to think about what to say.

"AGHHHH!" they were both interrupted by the scream from the Main Hall once again, and he saw her pale once more before her head snapped towards him.

"Save him! And I shall keep your secret to myself. But if anything happens to Draco, I will…." And she left the rest unsaid. He looked up at the ceiling, and a sense of betrayal and pain took over him. Here, he was being blackmailed by the very person he had been trying to save.

And in that moment, he felt truly alone. Perhaps that was his fate. He chuckled forlornly at his fate and shook his head before he used Occlumency to clamp down on his emotions as he looked once more into her eyes.

She seemed taken aback by her apathetic gaze and frowned but didn't back down.

"Ok! I shall try. But we will talk about this later," he said in an impassive tone, and the woman nodded. He removed the wards and began to make his way towards the Main Hall as Draco's screams shook the whole manor.

And had he glanced back, he would have seen Narcissa Malfoy fall to her knees, her eyes filled to the brim with tears as she saw the vanishing back of her nephew.

0000

Say what you will about Narcissa Black, but she had absolute loyalty to her family, especially Draco. So, while, her leveraging her knowledge over Crovus like that is cruel, you must understand that she is doing it for her son.

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