I'm still not the owner of any figures, or a female fantasy writer...
When Bella saw her husband coming out from the ceiling, she only looked slightly surprised. "Oh, my Lord, so you didn't make the test quite real…?" Roudolphus thought he could also see a little bit of disappointment in her face, but he tried his best to ignore it.
"You have both passed your test on loyalty and ruthlessness – Bella with honors, Roudolphus with a little assistance. This places you as my loyal servants, and shows that you're worthy of more dangerous tasks."
"Of course", the Lord continued, "Not everyone has passed the test. Take your dear brother-in-law Bella…dear Lucifus…." The lord gave a despiseful laugh "I called him in for the test, showed him his young wife, who's not even got a Dark Mark….hah!" "He didn't even try! He threw away his wand! And then he went on the knees before me…" the Lord made a mocking parody of Lucifus' voice, "Noo, my Lord, please…don't kill her….she's carrying my child…take me instead, and spare ther lives…hah!" the Lord spat out.
"Can you think of anytning more disgraceful? Not only disobeying the Lord, but throwing away your wand…being willing to give up the most important, your own life…for what? A woman, and not even a marked Death Eater, and a little brat that you haven't even seen?"
Both the other shuggered. The lord could see that Bella had a reaction when he had said "woman" like that, but she still managed to give a discraceful laugh. "No, of course, my Lord…What a disgrace, what a cowardness…." "So," Roudolphus added,, quite feebly, "Lucifus will be thrown out from the inner circle of Death Eaters now?"
The Lord shook his head. "No," he said. "The Malfoy's name, wealth and connections can still be very useful for us, and I guess I can still use Lucifus for surveillance and contact-making. He and his young friend, Severus Snape, will be used on different and less honorable missions."
Bella looked almost disappointed, she'd never cared much about her arrogant and lightly-headed brother-in-law, who also had befriended a young half-blood with no money or connections. However, she knew better than questioning the Lord's judgment.
"But at the same time, you can believe me…if I ever need to take the wand away from one of my Death Eaters, I will not forget how easy he surrendered it!" the Lord added, with some afterthought in the tone.
"However, let me continue on why you're here" he went on. "I have a lot of faithful Death Eaters out there doing my work, but it has been very various on how well the job is done, how the cover-ups had been, and if they have showed the correct ruthlessness and brutality."
"I have therefore decided to make a special squad, of my most ruthless killers, my cleverest and most faithful Death Eaters, who will perform my most important jobs, on killing, cursing and taking out Mudbloods, muggles and Blood-traitors, sabotaging the Ministry's job, and other work. I'm therefore making you central in my Death Sqaud, squad of Killing and Curses."
"That's a huge honor, My Lord!" Bella said. "Yes of course, my Lord…a - very big honor…" Roudolphus went in.
"And Bella," the Lord continued. "I'm under the impression that you have not always approved my view on witches in the wizarding world in general and my squad in special…?"
"Oh, no, my Lord!" Bella said, "I would never THINK of questioning your good judgment on this matter…"
"Of course you wouldn't. However, it's a wrong impression if you believe I think that witches always should stay behind, obey and be controlled. If a witch is doing my services properly, she can be entrusted quite as much as a male wizard."
"What's impoartant I serving you faithfully, my Lord!" Bella said with her most passionate voice.
"And to prove this" the Lord continued, ignoring the interruption, "I am going to name YOU, Bellatrix Lestrange, leader of my Squad of Killing and Curses!"
Bella looked at the Lord, almost with tears of joy in her eyes. "My Lord, that's the biggest honor…you can believe in me, I will never disappoint you!"
"I know, Bella, you'll never disappoint me…and live."
The Lord then looked at Roudolphus, registered that he knat his hands very tightly….but he looked up, and said "My wife, like myself, is of course honored to be in your service, and will do all that we can to fulfill it just the way you want it…"
"I knew you would approve, Roudolphus. Now, let's see…with you on the team I will also have your younger brother, Rastaban, and then I think the Carrow siblings…and, let me see…Barty Crouch, I think"
The Lestrange couple looked at each other, utterly confused. The last name the Lord had mentioned was, besides Albus Dumbledore, considered the worst enemy of Death Eaters – the Minister of Magical Law Enforcement, who had told every paper an information channel in wizard's Britain that he would not rest until the Death Eaters and their leader had been "rounded up, taken in, and brought to either Azkaban or the cemetery".
The lord smirked. "Oh, I might not have told you that…the young son of our dear Minister had come in and joined our cause, together with another young friend named Rouphus Black…your cousin, I believe, Bella. They have swore loyalty to me, been marked with a Dark Mark, and is now Death Eaters eager to prove their worth. Barty Crouch jr. was a good Slytherin, member of the Slug Club (though, that club is not either what is used to), and of an old pure-blood family. Why should he not be welcomed among us?"
"But my Lord…" Roudolphus stuttered – "Are you SURE young Crouch can be trusted?"
"Well, I put him through the same test as you, and…he killed his father with great enthusiasm." Somehow that argument seemed extraordinarily convincing for the Lord. Roudolphus wondered if he had got any experience on the matter.
"Of course, my Lord, it's brilliant!" Bella said. "And if we ever come into a tight corner before the ministry, the boy can also be useful as a hostage!"
The Lord laughed coldly. "Oh, Bella, even if I like your thinking…if you know old Barty Crouch, that idea is totally worthless!"
"You see, in some ways our dear Minister is thinking just like me, or a faithful Death Eater…he's fully willing to sacrifice a life, even the live of his own son, if that serves his cause. Can he take us out, he won't care if his son is taken in the riot, and if he understands the boy is one of us, he will deny any relation as we speak!"
"But that will do for now. I will make sure that your whole team of Killing and Curses is called together, and you, Bella, will take your instructions straight from me, and be reporting straight to me, from now on."
Bella looked like that was the best instructions she'd ever got.