"How much longer are we going to just observe them?" Bellatrix hissed at Barty. "I'm ready for them to tell us where we can find the Dark Lord. I don't want him thinking that we have all abandoned him."
"Soon, Bellatrix, soon," Barty replied calmly.
"How soon?" Bellatrix shrieked.
"Do you want the Longbottoms to hear you?" Barty taunted.
Bellatrix looked at Barty in outrage, but she didn't say anything.
"Someone is about to get a Howler," Rodolphus suddenly remarked casually. He looked closer. "Bellatrix, it looks like your sister's owl."
Everyone looked, and they saw that there was indeed an owl carrying a red envelope.
And it was flying right towards Bellatrix.
The owl dropped the envelope right at Bellatrix's feet before flying back into the air.
"I can't believe she actually had the audacity to send me a Howler," Bellatrix hissed. "What was she thinking? What's wrong with her?"
Barty pulled out his wand to cast Muffliato.
I can't believe I'm actually using a spell invented by that cowardly traitor Severus, Barty thought.
But as soon as the Howler were opened, everyone in their immediate area (including the Longbottoms) would know that they were there, and that couldn't be allowed to happen.
Bellatrix picked up the Howler and opened it.
Immediately, Narcissa's voice began to yell angrily, "I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU IMMEDIATELY, BELLATRIX! IT IS ABOUT A MATTER OF GRAVE IMPORTANCE! GET HERE NOW OR I WILL DO WORSE!"
With those words, the enveloped burst into flames, leaving only ashes behind.
Barty, Rodolphus, and Rabastan all looked at Bellatrix.
"What?" the witch exclaimed angrily. "Don't look at me like that. I am not responsible for my dear sister's behavior."
"You better go see her and find out what she wants before she does something that will give us away," Barty spoke.
Bellatrix pulled out her wand and pointed it straight at Barty's face.
"Do not do anything while I am gone," she snarled. "You will need my help to get the Longbottoms to talk. You are but an infant in the art of torture."
Barty gave Bellatrix a mock bow. "As you wish, my lady."
Bellatrix hissed through her teeth and she gave Barty a dangerous look before Disapparating.
Narcissa paced nervously in her personal study. Lucius had left for the Ministry immediately after breakfast, and she was worried that this time he wouldn't be coming back home.
She was also worried about Bellatrix. Would the Howler be enough to finally get Bellatrix to come talk to her? And if it was, would Bellatrix actually listen to her? Lucius couldn't hold off much longer on exposing Barty.
There was a crack, and Dobby appeared in the room.
"Your sister is here to see you," Dobby spoke.
"Finally," Narcissa hissed. "Escort her here, Dobby."
"Yes, Mistress."
Narcissa forced herself to sit down on the couch.
It wasn't long before Dobby walked into the room, closely followed by Bellatrix.
"You may leave now," Narcissa told Dobby.
"Yes, Mistress."
"I got your message," Bellatrix growled at her sister. "What's so important that you had to send me a Howler? A Howler! What were you thinking, Narcissa?"
"You were ignoring my other letters," Narcissa responded. "You left me with no other choice."
"Whatever," Bellatrix responded, waving her hand impatiently. "I'm here now. Tell me what you want and make it quick. I have more important things to do than to listen to your silly concerns."
"I don't consider your freedom to be a silly concern," Narcissa snapped.
Bellatrix looked at her sister in disbelief. "You're still worried about that. Cissy, you know that there is nothing more important than me than the Dark Lord. And he ought to be the most important thing to you as well. You should be wanting to find him as well."
"Lucius has been to the Ministry," Narcissa spoke, "and he has not heard anything about where to find the Dark Lord. He is gone, Bella."
Bellatrix rolled up her left sleeve.
"He is not gone," Bellatrix hissed. "My Mark is still here. It wouldn't be still here if he was gone."
"Well, wherever he is, he is currently weak," Narcissa responded. "He is in no condition to continue this war at the moment."
"You wouldn't be speaking this way if it was Lucius that was missing," Bellatrix said, her voice a combination of mockery and anger.
Narcissa sat up even straighter.
"Lucius is my husband," she spoke in a soft but deadly voice.
"And he has done his part in creating an heir for both his family and ours," Bellatrix drawled lazily. "He has served his purpose. He is no longer needed."
"We have had these types of conversations before," Narcissa responded. "We are getting nowhere by continuing on like this."
"Then I'll be leaving," Bellatrix returned.
"Wait," Narcissa cried. "If you won't listen to me about looking for the Dark Lord, then at least listen to me about Barty."
"What about Barty?" Bellatrix pressed.
"Don't look for the Dark Lord with him," Narcissa said.
"Why not? I will admit that the boy is full of himself, but at least he has his priorities straight."
"He is not as experienced as you," Narcissa tried to explain, wanting to be careful with her words. She didn't want to risk saying anything that would give away Lucius's plan to betray Barty.
"Which is why he's with me," Bellatrix responded. "But despite his inexperience, he does have his uses. He's not a complete idiot, and he has some skill with a wand. He will be most helpful to me."
"Still, though, his inexperience could cause him to make a mistake," Narcissa tried again, "and that mistake could end up costing you everything. The Aurors are not letting up just because most of the public believes that the Dark Lord is dead. Have you not read the Daily Prophet today?"
"If there was any news about the Dark Lord, it wouldn't be in that piece of rubbish," Bellatrix sneered.
"But surely you must have heard people talking," Narcissa returned. "Sirius's arrest and imprisonment for the supposed murder of thirteen people isn't exactly minor news."
"Oh, yes, I did hear some people talking about him," Bellatrix said, the anger in her voice clear. "It's no less than what that filthy Blood-Traitor deserved."
"I couldn't agree more," Narcissa replied. "But don't you see what this means for us? This will make Crouch ever bolder and even more vicious in his quest to round us all up. Don't think for a moment that Barty's presence with be enough to protect you. Crouch wants to be the next Minister of Magic, and he won't allow a Death Eater son to ruin that. And I also know for a fact that you have no more connections in the Ministry than Sirius did."
"Well, not all of us are as concerned about being a politician as Lucius is," Bellatrix sneered. "Some of us actually have our priorities straight. Some of us actually care more about the Dark Lord than themselves."
"Do you truly believe that the Dark Lord cares as much about you as you do him?" Narcissa asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.
"You are close to speaking treason, Cissy," Bellatrix warned, her eyes narrowing. "Lucius has clearly been a bad influence on you."
"This is me speaking, not my husband," Narcissa snapped. "I am more than capable of thinking for myself."
Narcissa's voice then became more concerned. "Bella, please, for my sake, stop your search for the Dark Lord. Haven't we lost enough family already?"
"Nothing is going to happen to me, Cissy," Bellatrix replied. "You worry too much. Besides, we are already close to finding the Dark Lord."
"You are?"
"Yes," Bellatrix grinned. "We're going to be having a little conversation with the Longbottoms very soon."
"The Longbottoms? Why them?"
"They're close to Dumbledore," Bellatrix explained, "and there's no way that Dumbledore doesn't have some idea of where the Dark Lord can be found. And if the Longbottoms don't know enough, we can always hold them hostage until Dumbledore comes to speak with us personally."
Narcissa groaned. "Don't be a fool, Bella."
"Don't you dare call me a fool, Cissy," Bellatrix growled. "I'm not afraid of Dumbledore. He's just an old man who thinks way too highly of himself."
Bellatrix's voice then turned crazed. "Oh, Cissy, the mighty will fall, and it will be a glorious sight."
"That would depend on which mighty falls," Narcissa replied.
"You worry too much, Cissy," Bellatrix returned. "Now, do you have anything of actual importance to tell me? Because I really must be going."
"No, I have nothing more to tell you that you would actually listen to," Narcissa sighed. "Just try to be a little careful."
"The Longbottoms aren't nothing that I can't handle," Bellatrix replied. "I will be just fine. Now stop acting so silly."
She then turned and left the room.
Narcissa shook her head. She had tried her best, but Bellatrix had made her decision.
Narcissa then directed her attention to the ring on her finger. Bellatrix's plan of going after the Longbottoms could prove to be useful to Lucius, especially since Barty was going to be there as well.
But that would mean betraying her own sister.
But what if betraying Barty ended up being the key to saving her husband?
"Lucius won't give anyone the full details," Narcissa muttered to herself. "He may not like Bella, but he knows how much she means to me. He will say just enough to get people interested into finding out what exactly young, perfect Barty has been up to."
Narcissa just hoped that Bellatrix would be resourceful enough to keep herself safe.
Lucius made sure to keep himself close to people that he had spent some time making strong connections with. When Crouch did eventually come for him, he wanted to make sure that his arrest would cause a scene.
"The whole Black business was just awful," a woman said. "Thank goodness we have someone like Crouch to handle such things."
"So, it doesn't disturb you at all that someone has just been sent to Azkaban without a trial?" Lucius pressed, his voice full of concern.
"Not when they're clearly guilty," the woman replied.
"But Black has not been the only one sent to Azkaban without a trial," Lucius responded. "I have several friends in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and they have told me about numerous people that were sent to Azkaban with no concrete evidence against them. Black was a rare case. And I think it's safe to say that those that work in that department would know more about such things than any of us."
The woman began to shift nervously on her feet, clearly disturbed by Lucius's words.
Everyone else in their company also began to look uncomfortable.
"Well, if that's the case, then something must be done about it," Fudge spoke up. "It's not right, and it's not the type of world that I want to live in. I want to live in a world where actual evidence and proof matters. Why, an innocent person could be sent to Azkaban for life if that is how Crouch is running things."
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lucius caught sight of a group of Aurors coming their way.
All the Aurors' eyes were on him.
Lucius noticed that Moody was in the lead, which didn't surprise the blond-haired wizard at all. Moody had probably insisted to Crouch that he be the one allowed to arrest Lucius Malfoy.
"Good morning," Lucius greeted all the Aurors politely. He made a point of especially nodding his head respectfully at Moody.
"Lucius Malfoy," Moody spoke.
That's right, Lucius thought. You go ahead and act as if you don't know me. And why are you being so formal? You've never been formal with anything.
Outwardly, Lucius gave Moody a puzzled look, as if he was wondering what an Auror could possibly want with him.
The group of people that Lucius had been talking to were also giving Moody puzzled looks.
"Yes, that's me," Lucius said politely to Moody. "What can I do for you?"
Moody pulled out his wand and said simply, "Mr. Malfoy, you are under arrest."