Enjoy!


Chapter 9

Creativity is the most important part of the Dark Arts. One can know all of the spells to cause pain and suffering, but they are boring in comparison to the combinations one can create from these spells.

"Load of crap if you ask me." I muttered under my breath and put Krakov's Guide to the Use of the Dark Arts down. I was in the Lestranges' library and attempting, though it seemed to be in vain, to learn more about my chosen profession.

Krakov was an idiot. He kept muttering about creating combinations of spells to be the best dueler, never accounting the amount of acrobatics necessary to dueling. The Lestranges need to update their library and fast.

I put the book back with a sigh and made my way out of the room. It was a week after Granger's and my date to the Muggle restaurant. We did have a correspondence going, so much so that my owl was currently on strike.

I walked into the dining room to see the house elves had set the table for breakfast for three. Sharing breakfast with other people in the Manor was bizarre at the beginning because, after my maid outlived her usefulness, I was living alone during school breaks. I do miss that time; I felt like an actual Pureblood during that time. I dressed and behaved like one without worrying about anyone judging.

The door opened and the actual Manor's owners walked into the dining room. I had taken my place at the right of the head of the table. Rodolphus sat next to me at the head and Bellatrix took the chair across from me.

Each of our mail and a copy of the Daily Prophet was next to our spoons. I had a few letters, but I was busy pouring myself some coffee to look at them yet. When I finished and tasted the coffee, I sifted through the letters.

"Andrew, you're going to have the Manor to yourself tonight." Rodolphus commented, not looking up from the newspaper.

"Oh?" I said, raising my eyebrows at him. I was keenly aware of Bellatrix watching me like an obsessed fan watching her idol. I'm not my father, Bella. I may look like him before he got his new body, but I'm not him.

"There is going to be a meeting tonight at the Malfoy Manor." Rodolphus answered.

"Okay." I said. After my father spoke to me about being a Death Eater, I still fumed internally, but never showed it.

I busied myself by looking at my letters. There was one from McGonagall asking me if I was going to be returning to Hogwarts this year and if so, if I would accept the Head Boy position. I put that to the side because I did not know if I was going to be returning to Hogwarts. My father and I had not discussed it. He kept telling me to learn the Dark Arts and I was practicing for hours with the Lestranges on my dueling, but Hogwarts never came into the conversation. I knew something was brewing. It felt like the calm before the storm. We were prepping for a war that was going to start at any moment, but we did not know which.

Another letter was from Granger. She was quite the tiresome girlfriend. Maybe Mudbloods are naturally clingy? However, she was writing weirdly as of late. She kept pointedly not talking about her parents, which was bizarre because I know that the Grangers spend most of their time together. She did not even mention going on a trip this summer, which was weird because she always went on vacation with her parents.

I was frowning at this point because it was odd and warning bells were going off in my head, but I did not know why. Why was the entitled Mudblood not mentioning her entitlement?

"What's wrong, Andrew?" Bellatrix asked in what she thought was a coy voice.

I mentally cursed, forgetting my stalker for a moment. I put on a small smile as I looked at her, my brain was fumbling for an excuse, and then it appeared.

"The Mudblood is complaining how she hasn't seen me for a week." I rolled my eyes in fake annoyance. I know I should trust Bellatrix since she is my father's most faithful -ha!- but I just could not. A forty six year old demented woman looking at me like I'm a sex toy is not going to put her in my good books.

"Women." Rodolphus laughed. I had never been more grateful to hear Rodolphus speak. Yes, he has always tried to be an uncle to me, which I appreciated. But his comment distracted Bellatrix and she got huffy and started yelling at him, which meant that I was allowed to pick up my last letter.

It was a wedding invitation for Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour. I smiled because my father was going to be happy. He kept reminding me to tell him about Dumbletwit's twits' activity, and now I had something to tell him.

"Excuse me." I said, throwing my napkin on the table, picking up my letters, and leaving the room.

My father was not so ordinary as to eat meals with us, so he was in the study. I knocked on the door and heard him commanding me to enter. I went in and knelt in front of the desk. For once, I did not have to kneel for thirty minutes, instead my knee barely hit the ground when he told me to rise.

"What is it, Andrew?" My father said, writing something down on a piece of paper and not looking at me.

"I have received an invitation to a Weasley wedding, my Lord." I informed him. His quill stopped scratching and he looked up at me. I thought I saw a hint of an idea forming behind his red eyes.

"Give it to me." He commanded. I quickly did, and then stood back. I had my hands behind my back and was carrying myself straight and tall like a good Pureblood young man.

My father read the invitation, and then sat back in his chair, thinking and plotting. I knew better than to say anything because I could risk leaving the study one buttock short. Then his scarlet eyes snapped at me and I was entranced like a moth to a flame.

"This . . . is . . . perfect . . ." He breathed, eyes flashing. I could see his plot churning and rolling forward in his mind. "Thank you, Andrew."

I bowed my head. "You're welcome, my Lord." No, I was not going to ask Lord Voldemort why it was perfect. I do like my hair. And my face.


The Weasels do know how to throw a party, I'll give them that. I had dressed in a nice black suit with a pink tie -guess what my date was wearing? You'd think she'd hate that color by now.

Granger and I were currently dancing after I recovered her from Krum. Stick to Quidditch, boy-o. I had thought was rather mature at the time I came up with it. I noticed Ronald Weasley glaring at us, but he was irrelevant. I did not see Harry Potter though and that was concerning.

"Where's Harry?" I asked Granger conversationally.

She shifted her gaze so that she was staring at my shoes. "His uncle and aunt didn't let him come."

Lie. The meeting Rodolphus had mentioned was so that Snape could inform the Death Eaters and my father when the Order was going to move the Melancholic One. My father and his Death Eaters attacked the extraction crew and killed Mad-Eye Moody, but didn't get Potter.

My father was very angry and I'm surprised the Manor is still standing.

"That's too bad." I commented referring to Potter. Granger nodded in agreement, but still did not meet my eye.

I twirled her around the dance floor and saw the happy newlyweds. Now, I understand that Paris is the fashion headquarters of the world, but swans on your wedding dress? Really? Fleur, you did not make that work.

There were many people at this wedding that were not Weasleys, a good deal of Ministry officials coming to celebrate Arthur Weasley's eldest son.

Granger was being too introspective, which was annoying because she should be paying attention to me. She was biting her bottom lip and staring at my chest, but I knew she was thinking too much about something else.

I stroked her cheek and asked, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head and looked at me in surprise as if she had forgotten I was there. Insolent Mudblood. "Nothing's wrong, I was just thinking about taking the N.E.W.T.S."

"The N.E.W.T.S.?" I said disbelievingly.

"They determine what career you can apply for, Andrew." Granger said shocked. Not that you're going to be able to apply anytime soon, Magic Thief.

I decided to let it drop and continued to twirl the liar around the dance floor. Isn't lying a sign of a bad relationship? I am no liar; everything I say is a hundred percent true.

Suddenly, a bright white light soared across the sky, went through the top of the tent, and landed in the middle of the dance floor. Granger and I broke apart as a white lynx Patronus carried a familiar voice that I could not place.

"The Ministry has fallen. The Minister is dead. They're coming." The voice said.

The Ministry has fallen? They did it! That's why my father thought the wedding was perfect! Many Ministry officials were here and the Ministry was vulnerable. A ghost of a smile graced my face, which lasted for a moment before I noticed the chaos around me.

Granger was gone. I looked frantically for her because how could she leave me? I'm awesome. People were Apparating left and right, but Death Eaters were appearing and starting to attack the party goers.

Glee filled me before I realized that the Death Eaters were going to think I was still one of Potter's friends. Dammit! I thought as a curse whistled past my ear. I spotted a bush of brown hair on the other side of the tent.

I ran in that direction, while ducking and dodging curses flying randomly. There were screams and pops of Apparation all around. Granger was joined by Weasley and another red-haired Weasley that I did not know.

The odd Weasley screamed Ginny's name as a Death Eater began dueling her. I continued running towards Granger as I watched Professor Werewolf grab the odd Weasley and push him away. Granger grabbed both Weasleys' hands and held them tight.

"Hermione!" I yelled. Her brown eyes met my black ones before she Apparated away, and the three were gone. I stopped quickly and stared dumbfounded at the spot. I was barely aware of the fighting halting and Ginny appearing at my side.

"How does it feel to be left behind?" Ginny asked, before walking away.

I could have killed her in that moment.

I looked around and saw that the remaining guests were surrounded by Death Eaters and the fighting had stopped.

"We're looking for Mudbloods." A voice sang from the Death Eaters' side. Bellatrix walked towards the remnants of the party goers. She saw me and a smirk played on her face.

"No Mudbloods." A Death Eater growled in annoyance to Bellatrix.

Bellatrix sauntered forward to the wedding cake, swiped some of the frosting, ate it, and said, "Thank you for the fun. Good-bye."

The Death Eaters all Apparated away, and a few moments after, the last of the party goers did as well. I landed in front of the Lestrange Manor's front gates to find Bellatrix waiting for me.

"I am to take you to your father." She announced, gleefully grabbing my hand and Apparating both of us to the Ministry.

The minute we got there, I knocked her hand off mine and made her lead me to the Minister's office. There were bodies and rubble lying all around the atrium where two years before Potter and his measly friends fought off a group of Death Eaters. Oh, how the tables have turned.

My shoes tapped and clicked against the marble flooring as Bellatrix and I marched to the lift. After entering the lift, it took us up a few floors, and then stopped. We stepped out and walked down the long hallway to the Minister's office. Aurors bodies were smashed against the floor with blood splattered on the wall -reminders of a fierce final battle.

When we reached the door to the office, Bellatrix knocked and my father's voice commanded us to enter. We did, both crossed across the floor to the ornate dark wood desk, and knelt before the man behind the desk, leaning in the leather chair, a content smile on his face. For once, I knelt before him and he was not looking at something on his desk instead.

"Thank you, Bellatrix, you are dismissed." My father commanded, sounding a hint happy. Bellatrix sauntered out of the room, moving her hips to entrance my father. I was going to be sick.

Once Bellatrix left and the door was shut, my father told me to rise. I did and I saw Rufus Scrimgeour's body in a corner and blood oozing from nearly every inch of the corner. My father followed my gaze and a ghost of an impressed smile appeared on his face.

"The late Minister fought well . . . I was impressed . . ." My father said, he looked at Scrimgeour for a moment, and then turned back to me. "This is . . . in part . . . thanks to you, Andrew. . . . I had been planning to attack the Ministry for some time, but I needed . . . ah, a distraction . . . and your information about the Weasley wedding was it. Well done, Andrew."

"Thank you, my Lord." I bowed my head as I allowed a pleased smile to grace my face for a second. It was gone as soon as I looked back up.

"Was Potter at the wedding?" My father asked and I paled. I knew from the flashing behind his scarlet eyes that he saw. Speak, Andrew, quickly!

"My Lord, I believe that he was, but he was disguised with Polyjuice Potion to be a Weasley." I explained quickly and hoped that it would pacify him.

Spoiler alert, it didn't.

"Crucio!" My father's wand was in his hand so quickly that I was sure he didn't even use it to cast the curse.

I fell to my knees, crying out in pain. Then it was lifted, I was breathing hard, but my father had not moved an inch.

"Where is Potter?" My father asked dangerously quiet.

"I don't know, my Lord. Granger, Weasley, and Potter Apparated once the Death Eaters attacked the wedding." I said, before realizing that I should have jumped off a cliff than said anything.

"Crucio!" It was even worse than before and I was writhing on the ground in immense pain.

"Potter didn't even tell his own girlfriend!" I yelled in protest. That only made the pain intensify and I fell facedown and screamed.

Finally, it was lifted and my father was standing above me.

"Get up, Andrew." He commanded, and I got up as quickly as possible, and tried to hide my shaking. "You have failed me. Your mission was to become Potter's close friend, and you failed. You will not being returning to Hogwarts. You will be under the supervision of Bellatrix and Rodolphus until I demand it be otherwise. . . . Now, leave."

I immediately left the room. Once the door was shut, I thought, Did I just get grounded by Lord Voldemort?