Chapter 15

Canes Venatici: Pursuing the Prophecy

Autumn 1995 - Spring 1996

On 1st September 1995, Narcissa and Lucius stood together on Platform 9¾. Lucius' withdrawal from society over the first part of the summer and rapid recovery had been explained away as a misdiagnosis: "It wasn't Dragonpox at all! But never mind - better safe than sorry! Especially after what happened to Abraxas..." People had been sympathetic, and none questioned Narcissa or Lucius any further about the mystery illness. Now, the couple were waiting for their son to come back and collect Apus' cage. Draco had just hauled his trunk onto the train, joining his friends in looking for a good compartment. He had grown over the summer, and now looked more like Lucius than ever; tall, suave, and confident. Narcissa stepped to one side as a large black dog zoomed past her, darting down the platform. It was barking cheerfully, then skidded to a stop, bouncing up and down at the side of none other than Harry Potter. Lucius' grey eyes followed the dog, and he bent his head, whispering to Narcissa,

"Your cousin, I believe?"

"Yes, I think you're right," she replied, watching the dog with narrowed eyes. Peter Pettigrew had recently reported to the Death Eaters that Sirius Black was an unregistered Animagus, which was how he had escaped from Azkaban and so far evaded re-capture. Pettigrew, it transpired, was also an Animgus, who could transform into a rat, hence his curious nickname of 'Wormtail'.

Draco re-joined his parents, holding out his hand to Lucius and saying, "Goodbye, Father." Lucius shook his hand, then spoke in a low voice to his son,

"See that dog, Draco? He is the escaped convict, Sirius Black. I think I shall leave an anonymous tip-off at the Ministry - we really cannot have criminals roaming our streets, now can we? And perhaps you should drop a hint in Potter's ear - make him sweat."

"Yes, Father," Draco drawled, smiling maliciously.

"And remember what I said about Umbridge. Keep on her right side; she is not one of us, but will further our cause," Lucius continued.

"Yes, Father," Draco repeated.

Lucius' new contact, Dolores Umbridge, had been appointed to the positon of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, since the Headmaster had been unable to find a suitable candidate for the post. He given his son a prep-talk on the last day of the school holidays, saying, "The Ministry is taking a very active interest in Hogwarts this year. I have already highlighted to Umbridge which professors to keep her eye on, such as that brainless, half-breed oaf, Hagrid -" Draco had let a snort of derisive laughter. "- and I have, naturally, made sure to praise Severus frequently in her presence." Lucius had then turned his grey eyes upon his son. "I wish to hear you are working hard, Draco. I expect you to live up the honour and responsibility of your new position." Draco had nodded, fingering his new badge, smirking. He had been made the new Slytherin prefect, along with Pansy Parkinson, his date from the Hogwarts Yule Ball. Narcissa had not been too happy with this connection, suspicious that the girl might have set her sights on her son. Narcissa had kept a sharp eye on her son's letters after Christmas and listened carefully to his conversation over the summer, but he had hardly mentioned the girl again. Narcissa had breathed a sigh of relief; her little boy was still hers.

Back on the platform, Narcissa hugged her son and he whispered to her, "Bye, Mum. Love you."

"I love you too, baby," she murmured back, then released him. He walked away from them, carefully carrying his owl, and disappeared onto the train.

Narcissa couldn't pretend she wasn't relieved Draco was going back to school. The summer had been tense for the Malfoy family. The Dark Lord had frequently requested Lucius' presence, and at their last meeting, had ordered that the Malfoys give their home over to his use - thankfully, only after Draco was back at Hogwarts. Narcissa made sure she hid her relief from Lucius - he wanted Draco at the forefront of the Death Eater's proceedings, but Narcissa was more cautious. He's so young, it would just to go his head, he wouldn't know what he was getting himself into... She thought of Regulus, panicking, then getting killed for his change of heart. I won't let that happen to Draco. Once he's of age, he can make his choice. But in her heart she knew there was no choice. Draco was a clever, confident young man and was becoming a powerful wizard. His future was set; he would be marked, like his father, and serve the Dark Lord as a Death Eater. Narcissa felt sick as she imagined Draco going through a violent initiation like Severus' had been. She winced as she thought of the pain Draco would feel as the Dark Mark was burned into his delicate skin, and dreaded the days her little boy would take to recover from the mental and physical torture the Dark Lord put all his new recruits through. But it is all for his own good. She reminded herself. He won't have a future unless the Dark Lord prevails. Draco is a pure-blood; he deserves the best life can offer, and shouldn't have to live hiding his power from Muggles and seeing what is rightfully his claimed by Mudbloods!

Throughout the autumn and early winter, the Death Eaters met regularly in the drawing room at Malfoy Manor, but Narcissa was not invited to join them. She stayed in her parlour until Lucius came to get her and filled her in on the evening's events. Narcissa had stepped down from her position as Head of the Committee of St Mungo's over the summer, deciding it was too risky to open her home up to the Dark Lord and the rest of society simultaneously. She was glad she had done so, as the Dark Lord then told Lucius that, once Azkaban was breached, he expected them to give house room to Bellatrix, her husband and brother-in-law. Narcissa was both nervous and excited. She had not seen her sister for so long, and she found herself day-dreaming, wondering what Bellatrix would be like now. The Dark Lord had already damaged her mind before she was arrested... and now she's been under the influence of the Dementors for nearly fourteen years... will I even recognise her? How much of my big sister will be left?

Lucius was back in his usual position at the Minister for Magic's side, using his social status for his Master. Lucius was ordered to influence Fudge and the wider Ministry, to identify any potential threats to the Dark Lord's return, and to attempt to infiltrate the Department of Mysteries. For Voldemort confided to his Death Eaters that, hidden in the bowels of the Ministry, was a prophecy about himself and Harry Potter.

"He heard the first half through a spy," Lucius told Narcissa. "But they were discovered before they heard the second half... the Dark Lord believes it will tell him how to kill Harry Potter and achieve immortality. The prophecy said Potter is the only one with the power to defeat him."

"Who was the prophecy made to?" Narcissa asked, but she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"Albus Dumbledore," Lucius said shortly, confirming her suspicion.

The Order of the Phoenix clearly thought the prophecy was valuable, as they actively sought to protect it from the Dark Lord. Severus, who was a member of the organisation, had told them the main entrance to the Department of Mysteries was being guarded by different Order members under an invisibility cloak. However, he had no way of getting details of the shifts to his Master whilst keeping his cover, as he was not required to participate in this guard duty himself. Lucius had therefore been tasked with the difficult job of finding an invisible guard, who may or may not be there, on a floor of the Ministry he had no business being on. Lucius had made excuses to go to the Ministry more and more often, and on 12th August, succeeded in the first part of his mission. Lucius had actually managed to cast the Imperius curse on Sturgis Podmore, and forced him to try to steal the prophecy at the end of the month. The attempt, however had failed, and Podmore had been arrested and sent to Azkaban. Voldemort had been furious, but miraculously, Lucius had avoided punishment. Valdis Avery had stepped in, quickly reassuring their Master that, even if Podmore had managed to get through the external door, he couldn't have retrieved the precious prophecy. "I remember Rookwood telling me the department is protected by all sorts of enchantments. We need someone who knows what really goes on inside that room..." Augustus Rookwood was the obvious Death Eater for the job, having been an Unspeakable during the First Wizarding War, but the plans to break into Azkaban were moving along slowly, then came to a grinding halt. The Dementors had originally been amenable to the Dark Lord's plans, and had agreed to support the break-out, but then they had changed their minds, demanding freedom over the Muggle and wizarding worlds if they supported Voldemort. The negations went on, the Dark Lord unwilling to give autonomy to creatures he knew he had no real control over, and the Dementors eager to have freedom to the fullest extent. They reached a stalemate at the end of October, and so Lucius was forced to go back to the Ministry and find a new victim to bend to their will.

The fact that Lord Voldemort had returned was still being simultaneously ignored and suppressed by the Ministry, with the Prophet declaring Dumbledore and Potter were deceitful attention-seekers. This discredit had already resulted in the removal of Dumbledore from several of his titled positions, and the tide of wizarding opinion had turned against the once-revered Headmaster and the Boy-Who-Lived. Fudge then began to move to have Dumbledore's grip on Hogwarts loosened. At the end of the first week of term, Lucius had been approached by the Daily Prophet, asking for a quote about the appointment of Dolores Umbridge as Hogwarts High Inquisitor. He had happily obliged, subtly implying that the Headmaster was senile and putting the students in danger. The article had expanded on this hint beautifully, listing the employments of werewolf Lupin, half-giant Hagrid, and crazed ex-Auror Moody as evidence of this encroaching insanity. And so Voldemort continued to operate from the shadows throughout the autumn months, covertly building up his ranks once more. Several Death Eaters were sent on the trail of Horace Slughorn, whom the Dark Lord wished to recruit, but they could not find him, no matter how hard they tried. They had, however, made good headway with the giant population. Macnair had been sent to negotiate with them, and returned several weeks later with the good news that he had been successful in persuading them to join the Dark Lord once more. "I beat the half-giant to it!" he crowed. "Him and that huge woman, they tried to get the giants on side - but it was no question which way they were going to go. We've got them!"

Shortly before Christmas, Lucius also struck gold. "I got an Unspeakable, Bode!" he cried in triumph to Narcissa, but his victory was short-lived. Lucius got Bode as far as the Hall of Prophecy, had him reach up to take the glass orb off its shelf, then, inexplicably, the Imperius curse he had placed ended. "I don't understand." Lucius looked confused and scared. "I had him! He was resisting, but I had him. He almost had the damn thing in his hand! I don't know what went wrong..." Lucius had to report his failure to the Dark Lord. Voldemort was most displeased, and used the Cruciatus curse on him again. The punishment was mercifully short, but Narcissa still felt sick as she heard her husband's screams reverberating up the stairs of the Manor to where she sat in her parlour. The Dark Lord then took matters into his own hands, ordering a meeting back at the Manor in a few days' time. "He said he's sending in someone else this time, someone he knows won't fail," Lucius whispered weakly as Narcissa tended to him after the Dark Lord had left.

"Who?" she asked, gently stroking his hair off his clammy brow.

"Nagini." Lucius shuddered. "His snake, the hold he has over her... it's unnatural. It's like she's a part of him."

On the night the Dark Lord sent Nagini to the Department of Mysteries, Narcissa was, once again, sat alone in her parlour whilst the Death Eaters met downstairs. She hovered on the landing after the Death Eaters had arrived, but all was quiet. She sighed, resigning herself once again to the fact she would have to wait for Lucius to tell her what had happened. It was a few days before Christmas, so she tried to busy herself with wrapping Draco's gifts. He would be coming home in a couple of days, and she was looking forward to having her son by her side again. His letters home were still very clipped and formal, but she was pleased to hear he was doing well at his lessons, practicing hard at Quidditch, and was enthusiastically taking up his prefect duties. Narcissa was also still writing to Severus, and his letters were full of his usual complaints: Harry Potter, being forced to sit through school feasts, Harry Potter, substandard Potions ingredients, Harry Potter, the general imbecility of most of the student body, Harry Potter and the High Inquisitor. Umbridge had apparently had the tenacity to inspect Severus' class and dared to ask him a series of 'pointless and inane questions' about why he wasn't teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. Narcissa had laughed as she had read the rant on that particular subject, and said to herself, You hit a raw nerve there, Dolores! You'd better watch out - I certainly wouldn't want to get on Severus' wrong side. She wrote back with banal tales of her life at home, dinners with Lucius' contacts and shopping with Zillah and Sephy. They kept things light and conversational; with the Dark Lord returned, they couldn't risk writing about anything important, in case their letters were intercepted. Narcissa was just charming a ribbon onto a wrapped Broomstick Servicing Kit for her son, when she recognised Ingle's gentle knock at the parlour door.

"Enter!" Narcissa called, and the little elf stepped into the room, bowing respectfully,

"Begging your pardon, Madam Malfoy. You is having a visitor."

Narcissa nearly dropped her wand in shock. "Ingle!" she hissed. "You know what's happening in our home right now! No-one can know! Send them away - now!"

But the elf did not move. She looked nervously at her mistress and said, "Please, Madam Malfoy. It is an elf, not a human. He is saying he is knowing you, he is saying he is having important information about your order?"

"An elf? My order?" Narcissa glared at Ingle, the feeling of anger she had so often had towards Dobby slowly creeping over her. "What are you talking about, Ingle?" she asked in a dangerous voice.

"His name is Kreacher, Madam Malfoy, and he is saying he is having information about your order of a phoenix." Ingle bowed again as she spoke.

Narcissa leapt to her feet, eyes wide. Kreacher... the Order of the Phoenix... my aunt's home...no... surely not... but if Sirius inherited it then he's living there... and where better for a headquarters... "Send him up, immediately," Narcissa cried, her heart beating quickly.

An hour later, Lucius burst through the door of the parlour, exclaiming at the top of his voice, "We've killed him! At last!"

But his voice clashed with Narcissa's as she cried, "Luc! I know where the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is!" They both stopped and looked at each other, then said in unison,

"Dead? Who?"

"What? Where is it?"

They stopped again, and both laughed. "You go first!" Lucius said, pulling his wife onto the sofa and putting his arm around her. Narcissa excitedly told him,

"Kreacher came to visit me this evening, Luc, you remember, my Aunt Walburga's elf? Well, Sirius inherited him, Luc! And Kreacher has been living at the Headquarters for the Order the whole time! It's -" but her voice cut off suddenly. She brought a hand to her throat. "What the?" she gasped. "What happened?"

"It's protected by the Fidelius Charm," Lucius said, taking her hand. "You can't speak the address."

"Well, I still know where it is!" She jumped to her feet, pulling Lucius's arm. "I can take us there! It's -" But once again her voice cut out. Lucius pulled her back onto the sofa.

"You can't, Narcissa. Trust me."

"But I know where it is! I've been there before - and so have you!" Narcissa howled in frustration. "I could take us there, right now!"

"You could take us to the approximate location," Lucius corrected her soothingly. "You could take us to right outside the front door, but the Fidelius Charm will ensure we don't get any further. The house is impenetrable; unless the Secret Keeper gives us the address, we can do nothing. Otherwise, Severus would have divulged the location months ago."

"This is ridiculous! I know the exact address, it's -" But her voice cut off yet again before she could being to say the words '12 Grimmauld Place.' She let out a scream of rage and Lucius laughed.

"You can't give them away, Narcissa. But this is still an amazing find. Did Kreacher tell you anything else?"

"Not much. He's been forbidden to repeat anything really secret. I made a bit of a fuss of him - he hates Sirius, and I needed to make sure he'll want to come back, so I told him he could stay as long as he liked. Ingle took him down to the kitchen."

"Good." Lucius nodded. "I'll go and speak to him in a minute. And I'll tell the Dark Lord - he may well want to question Kreacher himself. He might know things even Severus doesn't... most of the Order don't like him, so his information is a bit limited, but Kreacher... he'll have seen things and heard things... and if he knows things the Order doesn't realise he knows, they might not have ordered him to keep quiet about them..."

"Now tell me your news! Who died?" Narcissa asked, turning to face her husband as a huge, malevolent smile spread slowly across his face.

"Arthur Weasley." He spoke the words with relish.

"Seriously? How?" Narcissa asked.

"The Dark Lord possessed Nagini," Lucius said, the smile fading slightly. "It was really boring, to be honest. He told us what he was going to do, then he stood in the centre of the room and went completely still with his eyes shut. The snake shuddered and writhed on the floor, then it just slithered off, and we all stood there in a circle around the Dark Lord. He was just standing there completely still, but his eyes were moving behind his eyelids the whole time. We didn't know if he could still see us or hear us, so we didn't move either. Eventually, Nagini came back. She was covered in blood, and she wound herself around the Dark Lord, draping herself over his shoulders, and his eyes snapped open. Then he told us what he'd done." Lucius looked happier as he recounted the next part. "Arthur Weasley was on guard duty outside the Department of Mysteries and had fallen asleep, but he woke up as Nagini approached, and so she - or I guess it I should say 'he' because the Dark Lord was controlling her - bit him repeatedly. One of the portraits raised the alarm, so the Dark Lord had to withdraw. But there's no way Weasley could have survived - Nagini's venomous, and he'd have lost far too much blood." He ended his tale, grinning ghoulishly.

"So the Dark Lord didn't get the prophecy?" Narcissa asked.

"No," Lucius said, his jubilant smile at the thought of Arthur Weasley bleeding to death fading. "No, he didn't. And there's something else. Bode survived whatever happened to him in the Department of Mysteries. He's in St Mungo's. If he wakes up, he might remember what happened and identify me."

Narcissa felt as if the bottom had fallen out of her stomach. If he names Luc, he'll be sent to Azkaban... No, I won't let that happen. "Which ward is he in?" Narcissa asked.

"Janus Thickey," Lucius replied. "Same as the Longbottoms."

"Leave it with me," Narcissa said, her mind already going through the options. "I'll send Bode a little Christmas gift... he'll never wake up, Luc."

He kissed her hard. "I love you, Narcissa," he murmured against her lips.

"And I love you too, Luc," she whispered, kissing him back. Then Lucius left, heading to the kitchen to question Kreacher about the Order of the Phoenix.

Narcissa went to Diagon Alley the next day. She spent a happy couple of hours buying extra Christmas gifts for Draco before slipping into Knockturn Alley. She purchased a small, innocent-looking green plant with long, gently swaying tendrils, asking the shop manager secure it in a box. She paid him before taking the plant, turning at the door wiping his memory. I'm sorry, she thought as she hurried back into Diagon Alley. But I can't have you linking me to this little purchase. When she got home, she wrote a card out to Bode, charming the handwriting until it no longer resembled her own, and wrapped the box in festive paper. Then she called Ingle, ordering her to deliver the plant to the hospital without being seen. "And don't try to open it, whatever you do," she warned the elf. Ingle bowed and vanished with a faint 'pop'.

Narcissa went to collect Draco from the station the two days later. They had a quiet Christmas morning at home, but for Narcissa it was perfect. It felt safe and warm, as if they were encased in a giant bubble, just her and the two people she loved the most. But she was brought back to reality by the arrival of Kreacher. Draco's eyes nearly fell out of his head as he saw both of his parents fawn over the elf, before asking if he would like to help Ingle prepare Christmas lunch. Kreacher nearly burst into tears of delight, and scurried to the kitchen. Narcissa followed, hastily pulling Ingle to one side and explaining that it was not an insult to her cooking, but they needed to keep Kreacher on side as he had important information for their Master. Ingle had given Narcissa a blank look and resumed her duties with good grace. That elf is really stupid, Narcissa thought, as she headed back to the library, hearing Lucius' voice travelling the corridor towards her, explaining to their son what Kreacher was doing there, and why they were being so nice to him.

After lunch, their family Christmas was put on hold as the Dark Lord arrived at the Manor. Lucius immediately took him to the drawing room, and Narcissa sent Draco outside to practice Quidditch. She did not want her son seeing their Master, not yet. Draco had just closed the back door behind him when, for the first time since his restoration, Narcissa was summoned to the Dark Lord's presence. As she entered the drawing room, she curtseyed deeply, waiting. The Dark Lord's voice, higher and colder than she remembered it being, bid her to rise, and she found herself looking into a face which would haunt her nightmares for weeks to come. It was like a skull, pure white, noseless, with gleaming red eyes with vertical slits for pupils. He held out his arms to his sides and his long white fingers looked skeletal. "You see, Narcissa, your Master has returned in his full glory!" he cried in triumph.

Is he insane? Narcissa found herself thinking. Does he actually think he looks good? Voldemort did not seem to catch this thought, though, and she curtseyed again, saying demurely, "My Lord, I am delighted to see you again. And please accept my humble congratulations at your return."

"Sit," he commanded, gesturing to one of the dining chairs. She felt a spark of annoyance at being asked to take a seat in her own home, but smiled prettily at him, taking the seat indicated beside Lucius. He took her hand and squeezed it, before dropping it again. Narcissa heard a scuffling noise, and saw that Kreacher was also in the room, standing, trembling slightly, by the ornate fireplace. "I have asked you here, Narcissa, to thank you. It seems you have given me a Christmas present." The Dark Lord's mouth split into a mirthless smile. "This elf will be highly useful to me."

"My Lord, I exist to serve and please you," Narcissa murmured.

Voldemort went on imperiously, "I am here to tell you that my negotiations with the Dementors have finally been concluded. Your sister and my other faithful Death Eaters will be out of Azkaban within the fortnight. You will house the Lestranges here."

"Yes, my Lord." Narcissa bowed her head respectfully, feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach at the thought of seeing Bellatrix again so soon.

"The elf will now return to its master. It would not do to have it missing for too long. And it will report back to you regularly, Narcissa. I have told it what I wish to know. Make a note of everything it tells you and relay it directly to myself."

"Yes, my Lord." Narcissa turned her head to Kreacher. "Leave us." The old elf bowed silently and disappeared with a crack. Voldemort then spoke a few words to Lucius and departed. Narcissa went outside without speaking to her husband, watching Draco zoom around the grounds on his broomstick, trying to get the awful, macabre face of her Master out of her head.

"Give me my letter back!" Narcissa had just about had enough. Bellatrix seemed to be doing all she could to wind her up over the last few weeks. Her sister, Rodolphus and Rabastan had arrived at Malfoy Manor in the dead of night on Monday 8th January 1996. They had been almost catatonic, and had spent most of January and February in bed, recovering from the horrors of their imprisonment in Azkaban. Even when they had recovered, Rodolphus and Rabastan were still quiet and stoic. Bellatrix, on the other hand, had suddenly entered a manic state which showed no signs of abating. She was deranged, wild and uncontrollable. She had fixated once again on Severus, outraged that he had been accepted back to the Dark Lord's side. She suspected his loyalties, and was furious when she found he, Lucius and Narcissa were still friends. Narcissa hadn't seen Severus since the summer, when she had taken him back to Hogwarts. He didn't attend most of the Death Eater meetings, instead, having private audiences with the Dark Lord. This further enraged Bellatrix, who was deeply jealous of the position Severus held, and took every opportunity to disparage him.

"Cissy! It's only from the half-blood traitor, and he doesn't say anything interesting..." Bellatrix smirked as she unfurled the parchment and began to read it aloud in a mocking voice, 'Dear Narcissa, The Potter brat is driving me slowly but surely insane. The Headmaster still insists I have to give him private tuition to attempt to improve his abysmal Potions grade. He is either even more backward than I suspected, or he is being deliberately obtuse in an attempt to drive me to jump off the Astronomy tower by the end of the year...' blah, blah, blah! I wish he would jump off the tower - do us all a favour!"

Narcissa swiped at the letter, but Bellatrix cackled with derisive laughter, dancing out of her reach. Narcissa snarled, "It is none of your business what Severus says! How dare you read my letters! Give it back, or I swear I'll -"

Bellatrix laughed wildly again still clutching the scroll of parchment tightly in her fist. "You'll what? Send me some Devil's Snare to strangle me, like you did to Bode?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Bella," Narcissa shot back, but her sister hadn't finished,

"Or maybe a cursed medallion, like you did to poor little Sephy?"

"How the hell do you know about that?" Narcissa hissed, then she cursed herself. Tired of listening to Bellatrix's ramblings about Severus, Narcissa had invited Zillah and Sephy to join them for tea one afternoon. It had been a dull gathering, but Narcissa had been able to relax slightly as Zillah and Sephy had talked to Bellatrix about normal, ordinary, boring things, giving Narcissa some respite from her sister's rants. "You read her, didn't you? You had no right to do that!" Narcissa accused Bellatrix, her hand closing around the handle of her wand, anger pulsing through her.

"Of course I did! Don't go all high-and-mighty with me, Cissy - I know you do it too. I know all sorts of things." Bellatrix's voice was suddenly low and menacing. "Sephy's mind is such an interesting place... I learnt something fascinating about you through her... What would poor Lucius think if he knew about that little dalliance?"

"What are you implying, Bella?" Narcissa drew her wand, pointing it at her sister. "Sephy Crabbe is a vicious gossip -"

"It's not just Sephy, sister dearest. Zillah thinks it too! Just know that I'm watching you, Cissy - you and that greasy-haired, half-blood turncoat. It's for your own good."

"How dare you!" Narcissa was so angry that she unconsciously fired a Stinging hex at her sister, which Bellatrix deflected easily, laughing again.

"Cissy! You're proving my point here with these theatrics..."

"No! And how dare you imply such a thing about me! You, who salivate every time the Dark Lord enters the room! When was the last time you and Rodolphus so much as held hands, Bella? It's pathetic, the Dark Lord will never love you." Narcissa's voice rose to a scream as she spat these words venomously at her sister.

Bellatrix's eyes darkened, and she raised her wand. Suddenly, the door to the drawing room opened and Lucius walked in, looking between the two witches. "Everything ok?" he asked, his hand subtly moving to his own wand. Bellatrix lowered her wand and smiled evilly at her sister.

"I don't know, Lucius. Is everything ok, Cissy?"

"Yes, Bella." Narcissa drew herself up to her full height and strode across the room to her sister. "If I can have my letter now?" Bellatrix dropped it into her hand and swept past. As she came level with Lucius, she stopped and whispered something to him. His face immediately went blank, and Bellatrix left the room, laughing again. "What did she say?" Narcissa asked.

"Nothing," Lucius said shortly, his face still expressionless. "Just Bella being Bella. What was all that about?"

Narcissa's anger at her sister bubbled again, exacerbated by Lucius' off-hand manner. Fine. If you're going to be like that, I won't tell you a single thing. You haven't even bothered writing to Severus for weeks anyway, so why should you get to see his letters? Narcissa knew she was being unfair; Lucius had been so busy he had had no spare time for personal correspondence, but she was too angry to see reason. "Nothing," Narcissa replied stonily, tucking Severus' letter into her pocket. "Just Bella being Bella."

Things had been strained between Lucius and Narcissa since Christmas. Arthur Weasley had survived his snake-attack, which had bitterly disappointed Lucius. Then there had been the pressure of their three house guests, a visit from the Ministry to tell Narcissa that Bellatrix had escaped from prison, and to be on their guard, should she attempt to make contact with them. Then there was strain of the near-constant presence of the Dark Lord and the regular Death Eater meetings in their home. To cap it all, Harry Potter had given an exclusive interview in the March edition of the Quibbler about the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and had named Lucius as a Death Eater. This magazine was usually regarded by the wizarding population as an eccentric and factually inaccurate joke, but the presence of Potter's story had seen a huge increase in sales. Fortunately, Fudge was still certain that Potter was a delusional liar, and his reliance on Lucius remained unchanged. However, Lucius was being regarded with suspicion by others at the Ministry. The Dark Lord had not been at all pleased, and his anger piqued when he was finally able to speak to Augustus Rookwood.

Rookwood had suffered badly in Azkaban, and had been delirious for some weeks after his escape, confined to bed, unable to remember his own name, let alone the intricacies of the workings of the Department of Mysteries. The Dark Lord was not a patient man at the best of times, and had been furious that Rookwood was not able to answer his questions sooner. However, Rookwood eventually recovered, and was summoned to Malfoy Manor for his questioning. He shakily told his Master that Valdis Avery had been wrong; only the ones about which a prophecy had been made could take it from the Hall of Prophecy. Lucius' attempts with Podmore and Bode could never have succeeded; it had to be Harry Potter or Lord Voldemort who retrieved the glass orb. Valdis was tortured dreadfully for his mistake, his screams and pleas for mercy piercing Narcissa's skull as she tried to ignore it, shut in her parlour. Then Lucius appeared at the door, looking frightened. "He wants you, now." Narcissa did not hesitate, springing to her feet and racing along the corridor and down the wide staircase in her husband's wake. Rookwood was standing in the hall, his face terrified. Narcissa nodded to him as she passed, but his eyes slid past her, as if he couldn't see her. She followed Lucius into the drawing room. It was dark, lit by a single candelabra. All the curtains were closed, and the Dark Lord's white face and hands shone ghost-like in the gloom. He was seated in Lucius' velvet armchair, and crumpled on the floor at his feet was Valdis. He was not moving. Narcissa curtseyed deeply, waiting, as usual, for the Dark Lord to command her to rise before she did so.

"Narcissa, I wish to hear all that the elf has told you. Lucius said it visited again yesterday?"

Narcissa nodded, and replied, "Yes, my Lord. He spoke to both Bella and myself. He said Black is still speaking about Potter daily. He writes regularly to him, and is very protective of him. He sometimes refers to Potter as 'James'. He has contacted Potter using the floo network and has tried to visit Potter on Hogsmeade weekends. Potter, it seems, has been resistant to this. He does not wish to place Black in danger, especially after Black was blamed for the Azkaban break-outs."

Voldemort nodded slowly, then said, "And Lupin?"

"Kreacher had much less to report there. Potter seems to respect him, but Kreacher says the connection to Black is far stronger."

"As I suspected. Potter is weak, blinded by emotion... he will be easy to manipulate to my will." The Dark Lord suddenly rose to his feet in a fluid movement. "I wish you to summon me the next time the elf appears. I need to question it directly, there are details only it has, and these cannot be obtained via yourself."

"Yes, my Lord." Narcissa curtseyed and was dismissed, resisting the urge to glance at the huddled form of Valdis as she left the room. Please don't be dead, please don't be dead...