"Lucius," The cold high voice said to the blond Death Eater who knelt before his master. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you Lucius."
"I've been nothing but faithful My Lord," Malfoy said as he stared at the floor.
"Faithful? Faithful enough to come find me when I needed you the most?" Voldemort said softly but in a voice that chilled the very air Lucius breathed.
"My Lord, I had no idea where to find you...I swear."
"You, with all of your gold, couldn't do what that weak-minded rat was able to do?" Voldemort asked.
Lucius Malfoy had no reply, so all he could do was remain silent.
"Then you gave the thing I told you to protect with your life to some silly girl in hopes of changing a law?"
Sweat now beaded on the brow of the Death Eater. The silence in the room was deafening. He couldn't even hear the shuffling footsteps of the two muggles that had been imperiused to serve his master. In fact the only sounds existing to Lucius Malfoy at that moment were those of his own breath and heartbeat.
"Faithful," The word hung in the air. "And now...now because of your foolishness I was forced to flee your home. Tell me Lucius, what did you tell the Ministry to gain your freedom? How faithful were you when you were questioned?"
"No...nothing my Lord," Lucius stuttered. "I...did tell them about you appearing but I...I was given veritaserum."
"We shall see," The Dark Lord replied. "Now look at me Lucius, open your mind to me."
Twenty minutes later Lucius was lying on the floor crying as pain like he had never known before shot through his head. His master had been most brutal in the mental interrogation.
"WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM?" Voldemort screamed out. "What memory were they trying to hide from me?"
"Nothing my Lord," Lucius cried. "I...I would never betray you. Please, you must believe me."
"Must? I must believe? Because why? Because you have been so FAITHFUL?" The Dark Lord snarled as his wand came up again. "Legilimens," Deeper he dug into the memories of his servant. He fed more and more power to break the memory modification that he was positive had occurred. Ignoring the screams of his servant he continued the assault. He thought he'd done it when he felt the memory of Lucius sitting alone in a room shatter only to be replaced by...nothingness. Voldemort found himself staring into the vacant cold grey eyes of a very dead Lucius Malfoy.
Voldemort sat back in his throne as he studied the dead body in front of him callously. Though no regrets or remorse would ever be felt by him, he was annoyed by the loss of such a useful tool. A tool he had planned on using for his gold and connections. With a wave of his wand he sent the body to the exact place and position he wanted it in.
Narcissa Malfoy awoke the next morning and found her husband's side of the bed was still undisturbed. She knew he had been called to Voldemort's side and had been worried about him. As she made her way to the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea, she glanced into her husband's study. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the familiar blond hair cascading onto her husband's desk. It appeared he had returned and fallen asleep before he could come to bed.
"Lucius?" She called quietly. "Lucius, you should go to bed."
When her husband still didn't answer, she walked over and shook his shoulder. The motion caused the body of the Death Eater to shift and it fell out of the chair. Narcissa didn't understand as she watched her husband fall upon the floor until she looked down and saw his open blank eyes staring back at her from a face filled with unmasked pain.
*** June 28th 1995 ***
Monday morning Harry and his bondmates had their next surprise in the Daily Prophet. Skeeter had told them that her editor wanted to tease the interview with Harry another week before actually publishing it so he could garner as many subscriptions as he could. Harry almost spilled his pumpkin juice when he unfurled the paper to see a large picture of Lucius Malfoy staring back at him.
Lucius Malfoy's Mysterious Death
By
Patricia Perriweather
Yesterday morning officials from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement were called to home of prominent businessman and former (and evidence suggests current) Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. His wife, Narcissa Malfoy discovered her husband's body slumped over his desk upon awaking. Sources say officials investigating the scene found no evidence of struggle or foul play nor was the killing curse thought to have been used.
"It's possible that he died of natural causes," Another source in the DMLE suggests.
Narcissa Malfoy, wife of the deceased was insistent that she had no idea what her husband had been up to the previous evening, but I shall remind the readers that Mr. Malfoy was recently involved in assisting the Dark Lord when he returned. He was released from custody after questioning. Could Malfoy's death be associated with that return? An old victim who wanted revenge? An angry Dark Lord? This reporter shall continue to report on any further information that comes available.
Dark objects found while investigating Malfoy's death see page 8.
Crimes Lucius Malfoy was cleared of when he was found innocent by reason of Imperius see page 4.
Harry couldn't help but look over at Ginny Weasley who was reading the article with Gabrielle. When she had finished the same article for the second time, she looked over at her friends and asked. "Is it wrong for me to be happy about someone's death?"
"Non," Fleur responded first. "Zat man tried to cause your death, and we all know 'e was willing to 'elp Voldemort. 'E would 'ave killed 'Arry if Dobby 'ad not saved 'im. Be 'appy for ze many people 'e will no longer torture or kill."
While Fleur was talking to Ginny, Harry looked toward the Slytherin table. He found Draco still staring at the newspaper while everyone around him was doing anything they could to not look at or talk to the young man. Harry's eyes followed his nemesis as he folded the newspaper, stood up and stiffly walked out of the Great Hall.
Harry was surprised that he didn't feel a single shred of pity for the young man who had just lost his father. He knew that in a past time he might have, but the moment Draco had touched Gabrielle any chance of him caring what became of the ferret had died.
Fleur had the start of her graduate exams that morning. Since a good portion of the Beauxbatons seventh years were at Hogwarts, the French Ministry had sent a small delegation of test givers to conduct them. Instead of N.E.W.T.S they were called ASPIC Exams which Fleur said stood for Accumulation de Sorcellerie Particulièrement Intensive et Contraignante or Accumulation of Particularly Intensive and Constraining Sorcery.
"Good luck," Harry said as Fleur left the table.
"Thank you," Fleur replied. "No kissing," She continued mentally with a mischievous grin.
....
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