The Dark Lord would not have become as great as he is without me. I know this, and, deep down, Lord Voldemort knows it as well. He would not acknowledge it, of course, but I would be his second in command if he tolerated anyone substituting for him.
He was great when I first met him, powerful, strong and convincing; but I could see where he could improve. Power only gets you so far. Not even the most powerful wizard could control every single person on this planet. That´s where my particular skills come in.
You see, I know how to play people. You want them to believe you are the most capable man for a certain job? You want the public to respect you for something you've never done? You want a whole country to cower in front of you, at your bidding? I am your man.
I've always been good at that, but Lord Voldemort is my masterpiece. If he had been tempting, I made him a promise of power, alluring like light to the moths. If he had been feared, I made him a paralysing terror that people succumbed to without resistance. If he had been convincing, I made him irresistible.
When I joined him, I saw the potential he had. I knew about his heritage, I'm one of the few who knows he was once Tom Riddle, but I do not care. In fact, I think this inferiority complex I'm sure he has may make him even more convincing – one fights nothing more than what one hates within oneself. It goes without saying that I've never told him that.
Anyway, during his first rise I was his propagandist, his manipulator, I played the Ministry, the press, and the public for him. If I do say so myself I am a brilliant tactician, I can mobilize the masses, I can feed popular resentment –and I did.
Greed and fear – that´s what motivates people. I don´t know how many I convinced of joining the Dark Lord while carefully using these emotions. And once they've joined the cause, it's so easy to get them to fight. At the beginning they don´t want to – why should they risk their lives if they have nothing to gain and only to lose? but then you tell them they are under a threat or attack – you raise their fears – you call those who don´t want to fight cowards and traitors – you tell them to defend themselves against their enemies. And then they will fight for you, and murder, and torture, and they will feel right about it. It's so easy.
You might ask what I got by joining the Dark Lord's side. Well, I don´t think in sides. I have always chosen what gains me most. The Dark Lord offered me greater power so I showed him a loyal facade. But I planned for all eventualities -I always had some security measures just in case my Lord was defeated –and it paid off after his downfall. I had to give up my power plays, at least to some degree, but I could return to a normal and respectable life without losing my face –or my freedom or soul.
I waited. I knew the Dark Lord would come back. And I knew he would welcome me back. That´s what I've been living for these past years, the day he would return. I stayed at Malfoy Manor most of the time, biding my time. It was the longest time of my life and the most boring. I'm no stay-at-home Dad. I'm no family man. I'm simply not interested.
My son? I'm not proud of my son. He is very different from what I would have liked him to become. Oh, he´s not good, no Muggle or Dumbledore-lover, no defender of humanity, like those pathetic dreamers think they are. No, he is the firmest believer in pureblood ideas you could wish for, he will be dead loyal to the Dark Lord –and that´s exactly what I find so contemptible.
If asked he would betray me in an heartbeat –don´t get me wrong, I don´t mind that –but he would betray me for the Dark Lord, to serve someone else, not for himself and his own advantage!
He has never learned to put aside his opinions and beliefs to reach his goals, never would he work with a Mudblood to reach his aims. In fact I don´t know if he has aims of his own at all, apart from his little schoolboy fights with the Potter boy. He is my son, and yet he isn't –he has nothing of my strength and intelligence, my ambition and cunning. He is a follower.
Yes, I am strangely disappointed in my son. He does believe in what I only pretend to believe in. He does not see the greater picture, he does not understand that opinions are only used to manipulate others into doing what you wish; they are not meant for you to be believed in! They will prevent you from becoming truly great.
There are times when I wonder how the Dark Lord could become that great, for he is terribly narrow minded sometimes, too. But, of course, he would and could bend his principles if truly need be; only there was seldom need to – you are not the most powerful wizard of your time for nothing.
But my son is not powerful. The Malfoy line will probably end with him – I don´t know if he has the cleverness to stay alive long enough to sire a child. Maybe the proximity of death – and the Dark Lord's presence is the presence of Death – will knock some sense of survival into him.
I don´t care much though. Contrary to popular belief – and I would never let anyone publicly belittle the Malfoy name – I don´t really care that much about family lines and my name being carried on. What use is it after I'm dead? I will not raise an heir and risk him taking over sooner than I want him to, well, risk him taking over before I'm dead... risk him taking over by causing my death... I'm not my father.
I don´t have to expect that from my son. I don´t expect anything anymore from my son – except faithful loyalty and almost canine devotion. Maybe he should have been a Hufflepuff.
I'm not blind to the irony though –I watch my son with disdain and yet here I am, finally forced to remain loyal, forced to stop toeing the line, forced to choose a side and stay there. Getting caught in the Ministry in Death Eaters´ robes cursing the Boy-Who-Lived sure burns all the bridges behind you.
I have shown my true colours. I do not have the chance to turn back anymore – no backup plans, no safety precautions anymore. I will either win with Lord Voldemort or die with him – victory or destruction, there is no other choice left.
I have chosen and I will follow my Lord. I will fight this battle with all my ability and all my strength. I will be at my Lord's side.
And we shall go down in history as the world's greatest wizards of all time – or as the greatest criminals.