You asked me to tell you who killed your husband: I have discovered who it was, Andromeda, and you may look no further than me. I killed him. I would do it again. There is nothing more to say than this.

Actually, there is. But I want to say it in person.

I have seen the Dark Lord and He would like us to train again. You shouldn't worry about hurting me, Rodolphus.

Perhaps it would be better if you brushed up a bit ... ?

Also, who killed Ted Tonks?

Do you yet live enough to exact the proper revenge on your would-be murderers? Because you did, in point of fact, miss a rather fruitful lesson.

Snape showed true promise; his Cruciatus was strong, his mind not impregnable but steadfast. He will advance. He will succeed. Marius -- Morganna, I do not need this. Rodolphus does not need this. I fear for him.

Lord Vol We shall have faith.

I sincerely hope against it, but I suspect I might be soon divorced.

If one of your little whores has done my step-son a harm, I assure you that there will be a great deal of hell to pay.

In order to maintain the Dark Lord's control of Wizarding areas while the Ministry reconstitutes itself, you will patrol Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade every night from 9 PM to 1 AM. If there are any problems, you are to report them directly to me and I will shuttle the information to the most appropriate senior member. I will have no excuses. You will be there and you will stay out of sight, maintain peace and collect information to return to your superiors.

Here are your assignments (I shall change these on a monthly basis should you prove to be not entirely miserable). I expect a response in the affirmative from every one of you. Though the schedule will change, I expect this monitoring to continue until a more choice Law Enforcement system has been put in place. There are curfew wards that will alert you to potential insolence. It could be days. It could be years.

This has the potential to cut into your social time - but, I shall ask you, what is there more important than maintaining the Dark Lord's grip on England?

Nothing.

Monday

Hogsmeade: Snape and Travers
Diagon Alley: Crouch and Vance

Tuesday

Hogsmeade: Marius Lestrange and Demetrius Mulciber
Diagon Alley: Aquila Avery and Quentin Bletchley

Wednesday

Hogsmeade: Alecto Carrow and Ferdinand Gibbon
Diagon Alley: Harper and Bellatrix Lestrange

Thursday

Hogsmeade: Yaxley and Rabastan Lestrange
Diagon Alley: Nott and Rosier

Friday

Hogsmeade: Malfoy and Rowle
Diagon Alley: Jugson and Marius Lestrange

Saturday

Hogsmeade: Francesca and Vance
Diagon Alley: Alecto Carrow and Ferdinand Gibbon


Sunday

Hogsmeade: Malfoy and Travers
Diagon Alley: Atticus Avery and Rodolphus Lestrange

A lesson my father taught me that I must never forget: To be a woman, possessed of myself in the world that I live in, is to be alone. I do not rely on anyone's strength but my own, I live by my wits and use tooth or claw to take power. To keep power. To command respect.

I will remember this, Father, as I take what is rightfully ours. The affairs of society women is not my place nor, I dare say, is the meddling bureaucracy of the Ministry. If I was a woman who lived in fear, I would wonder what my place was in the Dark Lord's brave new world.

I shall not be afraid. I was not raised to know fear. I know that the Dark Lord shall provide and barring that, I will make my way as ever I have.

I SHALL SMILE as MY LORD TRAMPLES HIM UNDERFOOT. ALBUS bloody buggering Dumbledore, the world's worst gadfly shall DIE. I WILL NOT PUBLICALLY DENY LORD VOLDEMORT MUCH LONGER.

WHEN SHALL HE RISE, WHEN SHALL HIS GLORY BE UNCLOAKED ...

Mister Travers, doth my eyes deceive me? Am I to understand that you espouse these ideologies in your daily life?

I do not stand for such ignorance among Lord Voldemort's ranks.

You are in need of a lesson that can not be transmitted via ink and parchment. I shall find you and show you what women can and cannot do.

So many pregnancies. I recognise Chloris's gesture in the naming of Iris Belvina. I will always remember that kindness.

So much rests upon Narcissa's little child. He shall be the last great scion of the Black tradition, though he bears the Malfoy name. Through his blood my father will live on through countless generations, long after I am dead and gone.

And I There is nothing I can do about it. There is nothing to say, nothing to feel, nothing to gain, nothing to lose. It's gone. I have filled my life with purpose, I have given way to the Dark Lord's will. I will not regret something I never wanted, anyway.

I am cold and barren as the moon. I am the virgin huntress. I shall not be moved.

By the Dark Lord's will, you have succeeded in this endeavour and I am pleased to call you comrades. But death, though painful, is easy. Perhaps the easiest thing in the world. Now for Reconstruction, now for re-imagining. The Dark Lord entrusts His vision to your sometimes capable hands. See that you do not fail if you do i will kill you all Him.

Breakfast?

The New Year heralds a great many things for us; a multitude of firsts await our wondering eyes and our ready, open hearts. I say this to you because I believe that a new era - one seeded in the glorious traditions of our past - may only be borne out of blood, tears and heartache.

And I say to you: Have we not shed enough tears? Have we not spilt enough too precious blood? Have our hearts not been wrenched from our chests by those who would dare to call themselves magical?

NO MORE.

1980 shall be our year. With the Dark Lord's will, we shall see victory in a scant few days.

If any doubt the nature of Regulus's death, have them killed. I don't care who they are. I expect that you will find Barty very helpful in this endeavour.

My dear, dear student. You have been more loyal to me and mine than some of my own blood. You are as family to me and I would, in the name of the Dark Lord's great honour, do most anything for you. And in saying that, I must say this else:

I think you, of perhaps all our compatriots, most intensely understand the importance of designating a suitable end for Regulus. Though his demise proved both untimely and circumspect (as to his disappearance), I charge you with maintaining the levity and respect that should be levied to the heir of the most ancient and noble House of Black. And also your brother in everything except blood.

If there are those who doubt him - who doubt me - I would that you tell me. Together, then, we can dole out swift and suitable justice to they who would besmirch our Regulus's memory. I expect you will find Marius very helpful in this endeavour, as well.

The New Year fast approaches. We need to make our plans and quickly too.

Tell no one else. We are going to bear this burden for our family. I am gathering the necessary documentation and subsequently paying off the proper Italian authorities.

This weekend, I will make it known that Regulus's body was found off the coast of Italy, beaten to death by a horde of angry Muggles due to a local misunderstanding of which he unwittingly stumbled upon. He was in Italy for only a short time to secure a wedding present for Julianne - a villa on the island of Capri.

It is a necessary fiction, darling. No one else may know and you (if it is more palatable to you), may believe it if you must. I can be strong for us.