TWENTY-FIFTH
Father,
You'll never guess! Greg has found his bloodline gift! He has a natural affinity for wandless casting! It's amazing to watch him cast wandlessly, and frankly I'm shocked at the level of his mastery. It's almost as if he'd been training himself for years, instead of only discovering the gift recently. You must tell Mr. Goyle about his son. Yet another thing of which the man could be proud and something that would not have been discovered, had his wife survived our encounter.
Thank you, Father, for everything. In giving me your name and your legacy, you've given me the world. You brought me friends that I will not be able to survive without, and honor that I will never feel I truly deserve. I become stronger every day, with your love and support bolstering me. I drift farther away from that deep well of Darkness as I grow closer to my friends, and my consorts. Have no fear; I will still be the Dark Lord Voldemort's son, in all ways. I'll just be able to do it with a more human face.
The Zabinis and Davises will be approaching you during our summer holiday for permission to draw up a betrothal contract between Blaise and Tracey. They both already feel very strongly for each other, and a union between their families will only strengthen our organization, as it will effectively highlight your stance on muggleborns and halfbloods being equal to purebloods, since the pureblood parents in each family are excited for the union. Hopefully, it will knock back some of the arrogance the purebloods in general, and some in your organization, still hold. All of it wholly undeserved, of course. They still fail to realize that all their inbreeding has stunted their magical growth, and has created more squibs than ever.
How are things with you, Father? I miss you terribly, but my Circle keeps my mind occupied when I start to feel a bit melancholy. I was finally able to convince the girls to stop addressing me as 'Lord'. Actually, it was Blaise that convinced them. He will make a fine foreign diplomat for my Circle, when the time is right. It's just really, really strange for them to address me thusly. I'm just a kid, and I've done nothing to deserve that level of respect and reverence. Anyway, I'm off to work on my art contest project. I can't wait to be home for longer than a weekend. Until Friday, I remain
Yours,
Corvus
My son,
I am very pleased to hear that Gregory has discovered his bloodline gift, and it is a marvelous one. It will stand you in good stead, should you and your Circle find yourselves in a sticky situation without your wands. Arthur is, at this moment, sitting in my office, his face slack in shock from the news. It is very amusing, but I didn't want to laugh and disrupt my reply.
You are very welcome, Corvus, and I must thank you, as well. You've brought to me a level of love and care that I'd never received, from anyone, and you did it with absolutely no expectations. I'd never seen, nor have I ever been on the receiving end of, so much unconditional love, and it's healed me in ways completely unexpected. As you know, I had lost my mind when I created all of my safeguards. When I realized that I couldn't continue on the way I was, I brought them to the manor. As well, I was exceedingly fearful that someone else would discover them, and put my life and plans in jeopardy. When I had collected them all in one place, I began to regain my right mind. When you fell into my life, completely unexpectedly, your love and care went further, and I am now nearly whole again. I can now think rationally, and approach the issues with the wizarding world more sanely. You, my son, are my anchor. You keep me grounded and safe. I love you, child, and always will.
The Zabinis' and Davises' plans will most definitely meet with my approval. It is very good that you and your friends are stable and steady enough to consider the future, and make your plans accordingly. It helps that the feelings you have for each other are already very strong. I suspect that you lot will not look outside your own circle for spouses, and that closeness will only make you stronger.
I am doing well. Still collecting those articles about the former headmaster, and plotting revenge, when I'm not missing you. You've spoiled me, son. Your love and companionship has made the years before our meeting seem empty somehow; hollow. I look back on the way I was, and I can't help but cringe with shame and embarrassment at the stupidity I had showed in doing things the way I had. But now I have you, and the world is soon to be at my feet. Everything is turning out the way I want it, and I couldn't have done it without you.
You should be honored and proud that the girls wish to call you 'Lord'. It is only what you deserve, after all, and it has absolutely nothing to do with you being my son. I've seen the way you and your Inner Circle relate to each other, and you give them the love, support and respect that they deserve, without expectation. You are incredibly kind-hearted and generous to those you love, and they feel your love with every word, every action, and every look. You've garnered the unconditional devotion of people who would have, in the not too distant past, spat on you for your blood status. And you did it all without using fear or intimidation. I envy you that skill, and see that, had I approached my goals and my own Inner Circle with the same attitude, perhaps things would have turned out vastly different for me and mine.
However, I do understand why you feel the way you do. That, also, endears many to you. Your complete and honest humility. You are a rarity in this world, son. You are a being capable of unconditional love and devotion, with no thought or expectation of gain or reward. When you take your place as my heir, you will elevate the name of Riddle for all time. You make me so very proud to be a halfblood, and to be your father.
I love you always.
Father
I don't know how to fix this, Minerva thought despondently. She was in the infirmary, looking down at a first year Slytherin girl, who had been brutalized by students from the other Houses. Albus had deliberately excluded and isolated Slytherin House, and encouraged the rampant bullying, just so that he could have someone on whom to pin the blame when things went wrong in our world. He's made everyone believe that Dark equals evil, and this is the result. Innocent children, who have had nothing to do with the ills of our world, are being targeted just for the patch on their school robes. She looked at the little girl for a while longer, before nodding firmly and leaving the infirmary. That settles it, then. If the former headmaster's perfidies won't sway the student population, I will.
She entered the Great Hall and stormed up to the Head table, taking her place at the headmaster's chair. She didn't sit down, however. Instead, she glared with steely eyes at the students from Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and especially Gryffindor. The Slytherins, expecting to receive the glare of death from their headmistress, looked at each other in surprise when McGonagall didn't even glance their way. Everyone slowly subsided, sitting tense and quiet as they waited for the axe to fall.
"I am ashamed of every student in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. You are supposed to be the best and brightest that the wizarding world has to offer; yet you continue to prove just how dimwitted you really are. It boggles the mind, frankly."
"What about Slytherin?" someone from Ravenclaw barked into the shocked silence. "How come you're not ashamed of them?"
"Because they are the victims," the headmistress snapped angrily. "I just left the bedside of an eleven year old Slytherin girl, who had been brutalized by some of you. Tell me, what the hell did she ever do to any of you?"
"She's a Slytherin," grumbled a Hufflepuff defensively. "That's all we need to know about her." Before McGonagall could rip into the student body as she was itching to do, Ron Weasley stood from the Gryffindor table and walked to the front of the Great Hall, standing before the head table with a look of disgust in his eyes.
"She," he snarled loudly, "is an eleven year old girl. Would you feel the same way if it was your sister? The Slytherins are not what we'd been led to believe they are. For the record, Zacharias Smith had cornered me in an alcove on the fourth floor, and had accused me of cheating off of him. When I denied it, he threw a cutting curse at me, and gravely injured me. It was a Slytherin girl, namely Pansy Parkinson, that prevented me from bleeding to death. She healed me, in spite of my attempts to attack her, and my continued harassment of her and her friends. If you ask me, it isn't the Slytherins that are evil; it's the rest of us, for taking the word of an insane pedophile, instead of learning about the denizens of the snakepit for ourselves." He turned to the Slytherin table and bowed at the waist. "I humbly beg your forgiveness for my attempts to injure you, and for my persistent slander of you," he said to the entire House.
Vince stood from the table, and at a signal, everyone else rose and stood tall, making Severus beam proudly at his snakes. "We accept your apology, Ron Weasley, and invite you to break bread with us." The pureblood ritual over, Ron straightened and walked over to the Slytherin table, head held high and with a spring in his step.
"That," Minerva said into the stunned silence, "is what being a true Gryffindor, and pureblood, means. Ten points to Gryffindor for Ron Weasley's honor and respect, and fifty points to Slytherin for their generosity and graciousness."
Corvus,
It seems the Weasel has had a massive change of heart, mainly due to Pansy's rescue. When she healed him after that attack, she showed the best of Slytherin House, and it affected him greatly. Couple that with the articles in the Prophet, and he's become ours. We have nearly every Weasley on our side now, which will definitely deplete the warm bodies Dumbledore had at his disposal in his Order of the Phoenix. Hopefully, with all of his sins laid bare to the wizarding world, that useless vigilante group will finally disband.
Weasley has promised to bring others from Gryffindor over to our side. He is unaware of Percival's allegiance, or that of the twins. I am not sure if we should reveal their membership, or if we should leave that to his brothers to expose. How is William doing as Curse Breaking professor? I'm sure he has to be a damn sight better than Jovtveva was. At least he won't be prejudiced against those of mixed blood.
McGonagall has forbidden Hogsmeade weekends for all but the Slytherins. It seems that someone, or several someones, from one of the other Houses brutalized little Alicia Carrow, Amycus' niece, and put her in the infirmary. The headmistress went to see her, and when she came back, she was livid. Tore into the rest of the school with great venom. It was then that Weasley stood up and expressed his own disgust, before turning to us and apologizing. He even used the formal pureblood form of apology, and we accepted. How do you want us to handle this?
Vince
Vince,
Thank you for making me aware of the goings on at Hogwarts. I am pleased to hear that Pansy's efforts to reach out to another from another House were met with success. Yet more allies to stand with me when I finally attend Hogwarts. Father will be thrilled.
I'm glad that he made such a formal apology, and that you accepted. Rituals like that have great power, and now that he's a part of the snakepit, even if he stays in Gryffindor, he will not want for anything. By the way, find out, surreptitiously of course, if he or his brothers know of their parents' pending divorce. Lucius has informed me that Molly Weasley has filed for divorce from Arthur, citing irreconcilable differences. She has also given over custody of Ronald and his sister to Arthur. I'm not sure how that will affect him. If he doesn't know, remain silent on the matter. However, if he is aware, make sure he knows that he will always have sanctuary in the snakepit.
She will revert to her maiden name of Prewitt, which is a blessing. The Prewitts have always been a predominantly Dark family, and the addition of them to our ranks will give us more leverage when Father finally takes over the Ministry.
Blaise and Tracey are going to have a betrothal contract drawn up during the summer holiday, but won't sign it until they turn thirteen. Father is very happy with this; since Tracey's mum is a muggleborn, the marriage will show the world that Father doesn't hold with all that pureblood nonsense. Hopefully, it'll sink in with his minions, as well. We miss you terribly, and can't wait for summer.
Corvus
March 14, 1992
The Daily Prophet
THE INFAMOUS 'DUEL'
How Albus Dumbledore fooled us all
Betty Braithwaite, reporter
Here is the next set of diary entries, and, dear readers, they are doozies. I'll just let them speak for themselves.
October 1, 1945
Dear Diary,
Gellert and I have been hashing out the final details of our plans to take over the wizarding and muggle worlds. We've decided that, after Yule we will have a 'duel', in which I will 'vanquish' him and save the wizarding world from a 'Dark Lord'. This will ensure that I am revered above any other wizard since Merlin, and will cement my godhood with the masses. He's been causing mayhem up and down the coast; at least, that's what it looks like. He's been using the muggle world war to fake the destruction of the wizarding world. He's been attacking areas that have already been bombed extensively, using the collateral damage to the populations there to encourage the ideas that he's a 'Dark Lord'. He's very convincing, and there's no appreciable loss of magicals' lives. Tom, meanwhile, has continued to make his horcruxes, and is very nearly insane. He's been rampaging throughout the world, killing muggles left and right as he searches for more arcane knowledge. He will make the perfect Dark Lord, when the moment is right.
December 27, 1945
Dear Diary,
It's done. The 'duel' went off without a hitch, and Gellert is now living in Nurmengard, a 'prison' to house all the muggleborns and halfbloods I round up, once my rule is complete. Right now, it's being used more as a safe-house for my lover. When I have taken up the mantle of supreme ruler, it will serve as the muggleborns' and halfbloods' tomb.
I ensured that I had a large 'audience' for the show, and we made sure that everything looked very convincing. I flung a 'curse' at him that had the right color, and he fell on cue, looking, for all the world, as if he'd died. My heart nearly stopped at the sight; it was a moment that I shall never forget, nor do I want to ever relive it for real. They cheered, of course, and congratulated me. They promised to support me in my every endeavor, and of course, I humbly refused. That just made them want to do even more for me. Such sheep, these people are. So easily led and fooled. Absolutely perfect.
I need to find whatever spies he'd used, and eliminate them, Tom thought angrily, even as he continued to cut out the article. I'll not have his blind, eager sycophants ruining everything I'm trying to do. The most important thing, however, is ensuring that they, in no way, know about Corvus, or his beginnings.
Corvus,
Ron Weasley is very aware of the trials between his parents, and is resigned to the divorce. He doesn't really want to live with his dad; it seems that the senior Weasley has humiliated and embarrassed them on several counts. He is also aware that we continue to correspond with you, and would like to take a meeting with you, to tender his apologies for his abhorrent behavior in Diagon Alley before school. He has realized, both through Pansy's intervention to help him and the continued attacks on Slytherins, that he had no right to insult you, and absolutely no right to touch you. He did not know you, nor any of us, but through the prejudiced ranting of his father, and had based his behavior on those parameters. We've let him know that he will have sanctuary here in the snakepit, any time he has need.
His mother has written to him, to try and mitigate some of the wrong-headedness his father had instilled in him. She has also explained that the Prewitt family is a known Dark family, and that, when she reclaims the Prewitt name, that will make her, and any of her children who choose to claim the name, Dark as well. We've talked it over with him, and have assured him that, should he also claim the Prewitt name, doors will be opened for him that weren't before. He will have a prestige that he's never known, and support that he wouldn't receive elsewhere. He is considering the matter very carefully. I hope he chooses well.
Vince
Vince,
You and the others are doing very well. I am so very proud of each and every one of you. Now you are beginning to understand why I rely on you lot so very much. I could not have managed any of this on my own. Father has been made aware, and he has something planned for the summer vacation. Count on being spoiled and rewarded handsomely, all of you.
Let Ron know that I will be willing to take a meeting with him during the break. I will not meet with him alone, however; I still look like Harry Potter, and I refuse to glamour myself for it. So, I will need all of you there with me, just in case things go pear-shaped. I don't know if the former headmaster has shown the Weasleys any pictures of me or anything; hard telling what that man has done. I do know that he's told them about me ad nauseum, but I'm not sure about any visual aids.
I agree that, should he choose to align himself with the Prewitt name, he will reap many benefits. Let me know what he decides, and we'll go from there. Keep up the good work, and continue to gain allies for me, for the time I attend Hogwarts. You all do me so very proud.
Corvus