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Chapter Ten – The Regime

"You actually think I should let you live, when you know so much about my past? Really Thorfinn, your stupidity astounds even me, and I had so little in the way of expectation to begin with."

Zabrina was in her element, another runaway death eater had been unable to slip through her clutches and she was enjoying prolonging his torture. There were fewer Death Eaters to be found these days; most had fled when word reached them of the new regime so she was going to make sure Thorfinn Rowle's demise was long and arduous, for him at least.

There was very little in the way of fun to be had when ruling the magical world without anyone actually knowing she was doing so. Kingsley reported to her under the instruction of the Imperius and she decided which law she wanted passed and whom she wanted thrown in Azkaban and really, there wasn't much else to it. She just relished the control, the power that came from being in her rightful place, at the top.

Draco was doing well in the ministry, paving the way for her with his numerous Order contacts that he was managing to secure, life really was easier when you were supposedly dating the 'chosen one'. She smiled as she thought about Hermione Granger's expression if she were to know that the worshipful feelings that she felt for Zabrina which made her suck up to Draco, her department superior, were all part of a spell. Any further advancement could be achieved, Zabrina thought, over time. She was, after all, still young in people's eyes and if she desired to rise to minister of magic in a few years well, the option was entirely open to her. She could really do anything she pleased.

She was interrupted from her pleasant musing by a knock on the castle door. It was dim, heard from a distance and she waited for her house elf to come and tell her who was there. A sharp crack of apparition later and the elf had informed her of the minister's presence. Sighing, Zabrina looked at her half finished torture session with regret.

"Good news Thorfinn, our time together has come to a sudden end, good for you I suppose. I however am going to miss the sound of your screams, so tuneful. Alas-" and with a flick of her wrist his dead body crumpled in a heap at her feet.

Making her way to the entrance hall Zabrina wondered at the Minister's premature presence, he was not due to report for another week yet so something important must have happened. The thought made her speed up, she looked forward to discovering what that could be. Stepping outside onto the steps Zabrina saw Kingsley's unmissable form instantly, though there were suddenly many more figures emerging behind him. Several members of the Order along with Potter, his Weasley sidekick and a few Aurors stood before her, all with wands drawn and looks of hatred upon their faces.

"Zabrina Black we are here to take you into custody following serious allegations made about you and your magic." Kingsley's deep voice sounded loud in the still quiet of the afternoon and it took Zabrina a moment to register what he was saying.

"Whose allegations?" She demanded. "Who could have spoken to you? I have done nothing-"

"We know Zabrina."

Harry Potter had spoken up, clearly furious and, by the looks some people were giving him, speaking out of turn.

"We know you cast a spell on everyone to make them believe you were some kind of good person." He sneered the words and she felt a rage building within her, she had been good, far better than her rotting grandfather had ever been, she had allowed them to continue with their lives as though everything was normal, how dare he treat her like some idiot who had played a game greater than herself!

"Potter I would advise you to keep to the plan." Kingsley muttered in warning but it was too late because Potter had uttered what was soon to become his downfall.

"You were betrayed by your own boyfriend! He told us everything! If that doesn't prove that you are nothing better than Tom Riddle's worthless granddaughter then-" but he had gone too far.

With a vicious, upwards movement Zabrina had ripped all their wands from their hands, shattering them in mid-air like a collection of meaningless twigs. The shock on their faces did not register with her as she felt the fiery crush of despair and a ripping, searing pain as her heart shattered into a million pieces and, she could well imagine, cease its beating forever. There was no going back from this, this utter destruction and betrayal that was writhing and twisting within her like some many headed serpent, desperate to be released.

And so release it she did.

Feeling the absence of her once beating heart like a wound she summoned a vortex of swirling black mist, wishing to be as vindictive as possible she imperiused all before her in one fell swoop.

"You are all now going to pay for the mistake of one fool."

She spat that word as though it were dirt on her tongue, glaring at the pathetic figures before her as though they were nothing more than ants to be squashed.

"I may be the granddaughter of a wizard with extraordinary power but I never desired to be as evil as him when wielding it over my subjects. However, your coming has brought about a new age in my rule and from this moment your families will wish that Lord Voldemort had not been defeated because he was nothing, nothing in comparison to the lady of darkness that I will grow to be because of this day!"

With that, she directed the imperiused into the swirling, portal-like vortex before her, noting with relish that they disappeared. It was a spell of her own division, they would be thrust into the muggle world, stripped of all power and knowledge of magic and doomed to be lost and forgotten to all who knew them. It was the perfect way to cleanse you of your enemies whilst humiliating them as they sunk into the lowest level of muggle society, unlikely to ever be found.

Zabrina finished the spell when the last person had disappeared. She barely had time to bask in the defeat of her enemies before the burning rage of vengeance consumed her, and she apparated away to destroy the one who had taken her heart and obliterated any hope for her future.

"You Promised!"

He screamed, his voice horse and his breathing ragged.

"You promised you would never kill me!"

"Yes Draco, and you promised you would never betray me!"

She spat out his name as though it were a blight upon her tongue, her anger clouding her vision and making her wand hand twitch, sending sparks in the direction of her victim, cowering on the floor.

She had arrived only moments ago and already Draco was at her mercy, twitching in the foetal position from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. He had been home alone, just waiting, she supposed, for the inevitable backlash that his betrayal would bring. Whether it be the ministry at his door telling him that the girl he- the girl he had once been friends with was defeated or, whether it was her and therefore so much worse. Either way he had been waiting, knowing that there was nowhere to run.

"I trusted you Draco, above all others. Ha! To think that I was going to be peaceful, content to spend my days flicking the strings of power with you at my side. How wrong I was!"

She smirked down at him, her features distorted with hate.

"Now I am no longer burdened with the capacity to feel, you have shown me that such things as love or devotion are exactly what my grandfather thought them to be. Unnecessary!"

"I will never forgive you Draco, for your betrayal, but I will keep my promise because I am better than you in that respect. You will never see the light of day again and all the while, you will know that it was your foolishness that lead to the destruction of the magical world as we know it, or as it could have been. Without my feelings for you holding me back I can see clearer than ever before and you will rue the day that you ever decided to turn on me."

He was staring at her wide eyed, as though what was before him was of unknown terror and quantity, and she revelled in his fear because if he feared her than she was just like her grandfather and from now on that was what she must strive to be. Only ten times worse.

"Legilimens," she half whispered the word, staring into his eyes and defying herself to feel even a flicker of emotion. She wanted him stripped bare, his every thought hers to claim, vulnerable and exposed like she had been.

In his mind she saw many images, each one fast and frantic as though he was trying to gather it all in order to thrust at her and overwhelm her, but she was skilled in this branch of magic and it did not phase her. Suddenly she landed upon an image of herself, a fission of fear ran up her spine before she realised that it was nothing more than a dream. Before she could move away from it, however, the dream her spoke. "Draco!" it cried, "you saved me!" Then the two figures embraced and she could sense Draco's satisfaction, his pride in his ability to protect her and hold her like he wished too. Without restraint or fear of retribution. Zabrina noted that in the dream she most definitely did not have her wand, she was helpless and allowed herself to be touched and held as though such things were not beneath her. Zabrina felt disgusted; on top of his outward betrayal he had also betrayed her with his own mind. She had though what they shared was special, unique, but in reality, all he wanted was for her to be like any other girl, submissive and controllable. Withdrawing hastily and no doubt painfully from Draco's mind, she did not notice the small and unobtrusive wall that was built up around a tiny, inconsequential part of his time at the ministry.

Breathing heavily Zabrina stared at her once love, she was satisfied that she felt nothing but contempt for him now.

"Rest assured Draco," she whispered, "there has never been anything ordinary about me. I am untouchable and your pathetic fantasies are worthless, especially now after what you have done to me."

His blonde hair was slick against his forehead with sweat and his eyes were filled with something she could not quite place. All of a sudden it came to her, the look in his eyes was hope. He still had faith in her, despite everything, and at that moment, Zabrina vowed to never look into his mind again.

"Goodbye Draco," she whispered before throwing a stunning spell his way.

Levitating him away from the manor, she watched with joy as her fire lit up the sky and ripped apart the core of Draco's power, his inheritance. When the manor was little more than a smouldering wreck she apparated them both to her castle where she threw Draco in the deepest and darkest of her dungeons, then stalked away to wreck havoc on those who wished to destroy her.

The scent of burning flesh was ripe in her nostrils as she stood, poised and in control as the hundreds of ministry workers flocked around her, doing her bidding like the imperiused puppets they were. Many of them stepped over the corpses of those who had tried to stand in her way, these people had probably been their friends, their colleagues but now they were just rubble lying in the way of those hurrying to do their mistresses bidding. Zabrina threw back her head and laughed as all around her massive, floor length banners unfurled from the ceiling, her beautiful face staring out of each one, the eyes flickering from side to side as they watched and recorded all that went on before them. This was power, this was control, and Zabrina was giddy with it in a way that she had hoped never to be, but now it was all there was for her. The world was at her mercy, and she had none to give.

Five years later

"Tommy, look out!"

Hermione Granger's shriek caused them all to spin; only to watch helplessly as the two figures whirled and ducked, duelling fiercely with the death eaters. The small band of resistance fighters was composed mostly of those who had been at Hogwarts with Zabrina, and knew her best. However, they were still vastly outnumbered and often out-wand as Zabrina ensured that anyone who opposed her would have their wand obliterated and not given a licence to purchase a new one. She treated magic like it belonged to her, and it was her gift to give it to others and allow them to wield it. Many were now without a wand after little provocation and the wizarding world felt the loss as people struggled to function from day to day. Fear infiltrated the lives of many, smothering their senses with its cold, deep dread.

"Hermione, run. Now!"

Tommy's voice was loud and commanding as he tried to take on the remaining Death Eaters on his own, giving Hermione a chance to get to cover. It had been stupid to launch a mission with only two wands but Ginny had not been seen for three days and things were getting desperate. The Death Eaters were growing in number every day, haunting the streets of every magical town and carrying out the laws of the self styled 'Lady of Darkness' with a vicious ruthlessness that came with being entirely, blindly devoted to her.

Tommy felt the anger pound in his veins as he thought of his twin and allowed his rage to dictate his spell work as, one by one, the Death Eater's before him fell into puddles of blood. Straightening and pausing a moment to wipe the sweat from his eyes he turned and ran after Hermione and the others, he didn't bother to look back at the lives he had claimed. This was the life they lived now and in a world where it was kill or be killed Tommy made damn well sure he was the one who did the killing.

Whatever the cost.

Zabrina stood in the middle of the street, the blood of her recently deceased followers trickling in rivulets between the cobbles. She was angry, angrier than ever because this was anarchy and she would not allow such dissention amongst the ranks.

"Who gave these men their orders?"

She snarled, turning and facing her Death Eaters that knelt before her, heads bowed so that only their shaking backs were visible to her.

"It was Rookwood, your Ladyship."

One of them spoke up and she recognised the voice of Theo Nott, always a favourite of hers at school and now her most favoured weapon at her side.

"And why are they now in pieces at my feet? Did I not say that the resistance were not to be engaged in combat? Have I not expressly forbid my brother's life, stupid though he is, to be risked in any way?"

"Sorry- your ladyship- but it seems to me that it was them that's in pieces whose life was being risked here, resistance got away scot free!"

That was Gregory Goyle's low voice, ever the devoted follower he was still rather stupid and unable to keep his thoughts to himself. She smirked when Theo, without direction, elbowed the idiot sharply in the ribs. Goyle's breath whooshed out and he prostrated himself on the cobbles before her, muttering apologies under his breath.

"I want Rookwood punished painfully." She directed this at Theo as though there had been no interruption, "and have everyone briefed again about the dangers of engaging the rebels in combat, I want them to disappear quietly and without notice, not with a fight to the death in the street. How am I to ensure the smooth ruling of this world when people keep dying in public?"

With a crack of apparition, she was gone, leaving her faithful Death Eaters to clean up the mess. Honestly, this was what she had been trying to avoid by not having followers in the first place.

"Fools!" She snarled to the empty castle as she stalked up the stairs, the only sound the jingling of chains as her personal slave crawled after her. She smiled fondly as the wretch poured her wine and grovelled at her feet, his face disfigured with years of torture, the empty sockets where his eyes had been covered by a scrap of black cloth.

"You would never disappoint me would you my pet?" She crooned lovingly in his direction before flicking her wand and letting his screams wash over her as he scrambled to get out of the way, lest his blood ruin the rug once again. He had been a man once but he had loved his mistress too fiercely, it had clouded his judgment till he had done the unimaginable, the unforgivable. Tried to force himself upon her person.

Zabrina smiled at the memory, it had been in the early days of her rule, when her face had looked down upon the wizarding world reporting all that was said and done straight back to her. It had not taken long for people to realise what opposition meant for them or their families, and the ministry had already crumbled in her wake. This man had thought himself to be above such punishment, had thought that his love for her could possibly be reciprocated and he had paid many, many times over for his folly. After she had taken his eyes, those which had looked upon her in a state of undress, she had broken his limbs and after much torture, allowed him to crawl behind her, a mark of what would happen to any of her followers, should they overstep the boundaries that were placed around her. No man would ever again, be allowed to touch her.

She had been most annoyed because the amorous follower had reminded her so much of an incident, one that seemed like so long ago, when another man had tried to take from her that which she had no desire to give, and had been stopped. These memories stirred up the thought of one who lay, rotting in her dungeon and she commanded a house elf not to serve him food for several days as a punishment for her own feelings. It had only taken several hours before she rescinded the command, cursing her own weakness but still refusing to venture below to see for herself the object of her memories. He was down their still, cared for in health and spirit by her elves but she never allowed herself to see him, she had a terrible feeling that she would crack if put under such pressure and instead allowed her anger at the thought of his betrayal to push her on and obliterate such sentiment from her mind.

"Oh Tommy," She sighed to herself, allowing her thoughts to return to the present and the mess that her brother was making. She could not allow him to be killed, that would be unthinkable, being as he was, her other half. His little resistance movement could not get very far, especially as its members kept disappearing and he could do as he liked, plan his little missions, she would not let them succeed.

The clock chimed on the mantelpiece and Zabrina realised that it was later than she had thought, and she had to go and visit her mother. Evangeline still lived at Grimmauld place, isolated from the wizarding world as she had always been; the havoc which her children were creating passed her by and did not prey upon her conscience. Indeed, Zabrina's takeover of the ministry had been all that was needed to bring Evangeline onto her side. She was proud of her daughter for having stood up to those that had long been their family's enemy and Evangeline chose to ignore any whisper of her father, Tom Riddle, or how like that monster her daughter had become.

"Hello mother."

Zabrina said as she entered the woman's room. Kreacher slipped in to pour them tea and cowered in fear when Zabrina reached for a sugar lump. She smirked at him, knowing that he, at least, knew of her reputation even if her mother chose to remain ignorant.

"Mistress is happy with Kreacher's cakes? Mistress need only say and Kreacher will find her whatever she wishes, Kreacher lives to serve the lady of-"

"That will be all Kreacher!" Zabrina said sharply and then in a lower tone, "now get out of my sight before I decide to give you clothes made out of your own skin."

At her whispered words, Kreacher let out a shriek and ran from the room and Zabrina laughed, eying her mother who remained oblivious to the little exchange.

"So Zabrina, tell me, when did you last see Tommy? He used to be such a good boy, always coming home when I wanted him, now he never answers my letters or pays me a call!"

"Mother you know we have talked about this," Zabrina sighed, exasperated. "Tommy does not believe in the new regime, he is my enemy now and therefore cannot come to the house where I might be for fear of capture. I really wish we didn't have to go over this every time I come for tea!"

Her mother could not seem to wrap her head around the twins division, despite the fact that they had become distant with each other throughout their years at Hogwarts, in her mind they were still the two tiny children who had been inseparable growing up.

"Zabrina you should really try to mend bridges with Tommy, I'm sure if you just let me explain your ministry work to him he would underst-"

"Mother!"

Zabrina had had enough.

"If Tommy were to enter this house right now he would try to kill me, I spent the morning lamenting the loss of my friends which Tommy himself slaughtered in cold blood. There are no bridges anymore, the gulf between us is too great and I for one am Sick. Of. Hearing. Your. Misguided. Opinions."

She said the last bit with as much menace as she could muster and watched with satisfaction as her mother began to wilt under her glare. Sometimes Zabrina wanted to drag her mother out of bed and show her what the world outside was like, show her how high her daughter had risen, how the streets could wash with blood after one whisper of a command from her daughters lips. But it was not to be, Zabrina did not think her mother's mind could stand another Obliviate. It was already weak and confused from the last two times Zabrina had cracked and shown the woman her true self.

The blood had stained Diagon Alley red the last time, she thought, with wicked satisfaction.