"There's something else we need to discuss before you leave," Lestrange said, interpreting Neville's movements correctly. "The Dark Lord has decided to return to a harsher course of action once more."
Neville had already noticed that. As far as he knew, Bellatrix had never been tortured by him since he cooperated with the Lestranges.
"This is directed against his followers as well as his opponents and those he accuses of opposition. The relevant points are going to be published soon but I think it's advisable to inform you as quickly as possible. You might remember the discussion about your mother's status we've had a few weeks ago?"
"Yes, I do," Neville said slowly and with growing horror listened to the new information Lestrange was disclosing to him now.
"You have to examine my mother and she'll have to live in our house like a prisoner?" he finally asked. He had understood Lestrange's words well enough but he wished to hear that it had only been a cruel joke. Neville should know better. Lestrange wasn't a friend of jokes of any kind. "Why can't you simply leave her alone now?" For a moment, his anger overruled his caution.
"This hasn't been my idea. I'm only passing on the message," Lestrange said. "The examination part is the least of our worries. I'll simply tell the Dark Lord what we've decided to tell him. We both know that she's not actually ill enough to be unable to become a citizen."
"She is," Neville said. The alternative would kill her. He had barely managed to go through this himself back then and he had done it with a purpose. His mother had nothing like that.
"But why this law that she's not allowed to leave the house on her own? She can't even go shopping or take the children to the playground or the magical zoo anymore. That's chicanery and nothing else."
"No Neville, it is not. It actually makes sense. If someone is not able to take care of him or herself, the person normally isn't able to get along outside on his or her own either. This rule has been applied rather leniently and many people have used it to avoid contact with the regime. So far, no one has been bothered by this because it doesn't do great harm but the Dark Lord has decided to change his policies now."
Neville sighed. If only she had filed this claim the usual way as long as this had been possible. Their hesitation had cost them this chance.
"But why? Why does he suddenly think people like my Mum are a threat and wants to see her personally? She would have filed this written plea for clemency, we had almost decided this already."
"I don't know that Neville. The Dark Lord has become rather paranoid recently. Not unlike back when he had to deal with Harry Potter. He didn't share the reasons for this with us."
Neville mentally cursed the Dark Lord hoping that his Occlumency was good enough to keep that from Lestrange. Why did he have to decide to make their life more difficult for no reason? His mother had just started to go out on her own again and now she should be banned from doing so? Should she spend the rest of her life locked up at the Longbottoms' house only allowed to leave when he was with her? What kind of life was that?
"So you would tell the Dark Lord that she is ill enough for this?" Neville asked.
"I will if that's what you decide to do," Lestrange said.
"There isn't really an alternative, is there?"
"I've told you what the alternative is."
"She won't do that."
"Simply inform her about the situation and tell me what decision you've reached," Lestrange said.
These words were too much for Neville. "Simply? This will surely be a very easy conversation!" Anger was flaring up inside him. He barely noticed how it turned to magic. The carpet under Lestrange's desk caught fire.
Neville was shocked. Something like that had never happened to him before. Well, during the illness but he didn't count that. Lestrange put the fire out with a quick spell.
"I'm sorry," Neville said. "I didn't mean to-"
"I know that. We discussed that you might be more prone to accidental magic now. Work on it. I still need the files in this office."
"It's just a bit too much," Neville said.
Lestrange cast a spell that Neville had never seen before. It formed a circle of red light around the room. He gazed at it transfixed. Was it supposed to prevent more accidental magic from Neville?
"It will assure that our conversation remains private," Lestrange explained curtly. "You're not the only one who's unhappy about the way things have developed. The problem is, we can't do much about it. As far as your mother is concerned, there are two options now. Option 1: She remains under your guardianship which would leave her confined to the house and require us to lie to the Dark Lord. I'm capable of that and you might be as well but I'm not certain. If your emotions get the better of you, your shields become very weak."
They would have to lie to Voldemort. Neville knew that this wasn't easy. He was actually surprised that Lestrange considered doing it for them. It would make them depend on him forever though. Not a very pleasant thought.
"Option 2: She agrees to plead for clemency in front of the Dark Lord. This means she has to lie to him and keep her true beliefs from him," Lestrange added.
"What makes you think you know what her true beliefs are?" Neville asked startled.
"You're not seriously asking me this, are you? Why would she have changed her mind? And if she had she'd have applied for citizenship all along."
This complication hadn't occurred to Neville at all. He had only thought about the emotional impact this would have on his mother but had never considered the fact that Voldemort was an extremely skilled Legilimens. He would find out what she truly felt and the result would be a catastrophe. He simply couldn't imagine his mother being skilled enough in Occlumency to fool the Dark Lord. She seemed so vulnerable and weakened in her magic.
"Only Alice herself knows if she can fool the Dark Lord and she's the only one who knows which option she prefers as well. Therefore you need to tell her. Stop treating her as if she were a small child."
"That's none of your business," Neville said, anger threatening to take over once more. This time, he made sure that he didn't start any fire though.
"If this was about any ordinary patient you would completely agree with me."
"I understand that you don't want to lie to the Dark Lord," Neville said taking the discussion back to the core of the matter. Lestrange would of course prefer the option where Alice had to persuade the Dark Lord and was the only one in danger if something went wrong. Neville knew how Voldemort treated disobedient followers and Lestrange had no obligation to put himself in danger for their sake, Neville knew that. It was their only option though. If they didn't want to go underground but this was a last resort. Especially with Hannah and the children.
"Lying to the Dark Lord for you is nothing new to me," Lestrange said. "I know things about you that he must never learn of if you don't want to be in grave danger and I've kept them to myself for a long time."
Neville felt as if a heavy weight had been dropped into his stomach. He couldn't mean that, could he? Had he found out about the Order after all? His hands clenched around his chair. He was telling him now, at the end of this long conversation? Neville forced himself to look at Lestrange and listen.
"You've been a great help in the treatment of the many war casualties and you've had a huge part in the good reputation Saint Mungo's enjoys nowadays," Lestrange said. "This way, you have contributed more than many Death Eaters. You're also giving medical treatment to fugitive opponents of the regime who live in hiding though. You do not believe in the Dark Lord and you never did. You never changed sides, only strategies. The Gryffindor who wanted to be a Hufflepuff has chosen the Slytherin way of life. This additional lie about your mother's health doesn't really make a difference."
Neville starred at him open-mouthed, his hands still around the legs of his chair. He knew and the way his words sounded he had known all along. Could this be true?
"I'm not a fool Neville. There have been more than enough signs. Every time you become emotional... This hasn't been too much of a problem so far but with the new situation, this might change."
"So you're going to tell him what you think about me?" Neville asked. His breathing had become very shallow. Lestrange would surely notice. Had this been all? Was it over now? Would Lestrange hand him over to Voldemort? Him and his mother and his wife and children? Hannah was on their side, would they leave her and the children alone at least? He should have known that he wouldn't be able to fool them forever.
"I have to admit that the situation is causing a bit of a dilemma for me. Bellatrix has been looking for the fugitive members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army for ages. So far, the Dark Lord hasn't been too concerned about her lack of success because they didn't cause any trouble. This has changed now. He's coming down on her hard and while she is clueless, I know that you probably have the names if not the whereabouts of those people."
Neville wasn't able to think any coherent thought anymore. He felt cold sweat on his face and under his arms. He wouldn't betray the Order, never. At least, he wasn't their Secret Keeper.
"If I knew that catching these people would earn my wife the Dark Lord's respect, I'd attempt to get the information from you. This isn't the case. It wouldn't make any difference at all. You've sworn the Healer's Oath and you take it seriously. I do not blame you for that. I'm not going to tell the Dark Lord about it. I'm not sure how long you'll be able to keep this up though. The Dark Lord didn't make it explicit but he seems to be suspicious about your family. You need to be extremely careful and you need to improve your Occlumency skills."
Neville took a deep breath. So Lestrange didn't mean to turn him in. At least not right now. He might do so whenever he liked. The idea that he was siding with one of the supposedly most faithful Death Eaters against the Dark Lord felt unreal in a way.
"I know that you still have trouble believing it but I don't want you to come to harm. I've kept this secret for a long time because I didn't want you to waste your strength worrying. Strength you could instead dedicate to your work. Now you need to know that I've found out the truth and that others might do the same. I'm fairly skilled at Legilimency but my skills in this area aren't extraordinary. You will learn proper Occlumency from me and I can only tell you that you need to be extremely careful if you still want to meet these people. The good times are over and there's danger ahead. I'd wish to tell you something else but that's the truth."
"I've figured out that much," Neville said.
He had still trouble thinking normally. The thing he had feared had indeed happened. The only thing that wasn't the way it had been in his worst nightmares was the fact that Lestrange wanted to help him. Neville had trouble believing this though.
"Why do you want to help me? You're one of his most loyal Death Eaters."
"I promise you that I will keep your secret," Lestrange said. "That's all I can tell you at least for now. I might ask you to do me a favour in return at some point in the future but so far, there's no need for that."
Neville didn't like this at all. He didn't want to be in Lestrange's debt. He was especially worried about the idea of some sort of obscure favour. With the threat of his own and his family's death over Neville's head he'd be able to make him do many things. Things Neville would never do if he had a real choice. Maybe this was Lestrange's way of serving Voldemort. An effective method of controlling Neville. If only he understood Lestrange and his motives better. It might make the situation a bit more predictable. The Death Eater gave him no chance to get by this kind of knowledge though.
"That's all for now. I'll contact you because of the Occlumency training. No one will be suspicious if we spend a bit of time together, we do so anyway."
Neville left Lestrange Manor, feeling as if he were trapped in a nightmare he would never wake up from.