Voldemort sat in silent contemplation upon his throne. The room was dark except the candles that lit the area immediately surrounding him. He was still pondering his plan to use Lucius' boy to capture the mudblood that Potter was dating. In refining it, he'd decided he needed a spy in the castle to ensure Draco's continued compliance. Though he'd considered Severus, he was still concerned if the man had anything to do with the losses his Death Eaters had suffered recently. That's why he'd sent the Carrows to retrieve Pettigrew from right under Dumbledore's nose. With all of the witnesses around, the failure would ultimately be placed at the feet of the leader of the light as well as show that his Death Eaters could and would attack anywhere and anytime.
Voldemort had been considering Pettigrew ever since his capture. If he could still be trusted, he'd make a perfect spy in the castle to keep tabs not only on Draco but on Severus as well. He'd read the articles on Pettigrew's capture and how Potter had identified him because of the silver paw. "If he can be trusted, I'll have to give him a new hand, one that would not give the rat away," Voldemort murmured. "But first I need to know why Pettigrew was in the castle." When the Carrows returned the rat, he planned to scour his mind to see why he'd decided to leave the safety of Malfoy Manor and travel to Hogwarts.
"Was he trying to warn Snape of the trap?" This had occurred to the Dark Lord after discovering that Potter had discovered his plans. "Or was he trying to get to Dumbledore while I was distracted?" This was the other possibility, but seemed remote since Voldemort knew Dumbledore would have tried to keep Pettigrew hidden away instead of turning him over to the Ministry if that had been the case.
The article had detailed how Pettigrew's hand had tried to kill him. "One of my better pieces of magic," Voldemort thought. "Though it proves nothing except that Pettigrew was about to betray me in some fashion. Even Veritaserum would cause the hand to react as it did."
He was still pondering Wormtail when the door opened and Alecto Carrows appeared in the door way, only barely illuminated by the light from the other room.
"Very good Alecto," Voldemort said as he waited for her brother to join her.
"My...my lord," Alecto said hesitantly as she moved slowly toward her master's throne. "Amycus..."
"What?" Voldemort said sharply as he rose from his seat. "Where's your brother? Where's Pettigrew?"
"Captured my Lord," The frightened Death Eater replied. "Amycus was captured."
"Pettigrew?" Voldemort asked again but already saw the answer in her eyes.
"Dead," Alecto answered. "Amycus was caught before the trial...I barely escaped. I...I had more polyjuice with me and...and made myself look like a man and...and reentered the courtroom. I ended up having to repolyjuice myself twice more before the trial ended," Alecto hesitated before she continued. "He renounced you my lord...Pettigrew I mean. He renounced you before the entire court."
"Dumbledore probably insisted I presume," Voldemort sneered. He knew instantly how the rat had died if he renounced his true master and Voldemort felt a sense of satisfaction that Pettigrew died for being a traitor.
"No my lord," Alecto replied. "He...he did it on his own. Then his mark started to burn. Dumbledore finally stunned him and took him to the veil immediately my lord," Alecto continued. "Dumbledore returned a short time later and announced that Pettigrew had entered the veil of his own accord instead of succumbing to your magic," She waited with fear in her eyes as she saw the glint of anger appear in Voldemort's red eyes. Her own eyes moved slightly as she snuck a glance at her master's wand arm and swallowed in relief when it did not move.
"Tell me what else happened!" Voldemort commanded. "How was your brother captured?"
"It...it started well my lord," Alecto explained. "Amycus took control of a couple of wizards in the loo with instructions to attack the Aurors when they got close with Pettigrew," Alecto swallowed again but then continued. "It worked perfectly but they had Pettigrew on a cart with a screen at the bottom so after my brother freed him and he changed to his animagus form, Amycus had to reach into the cart to grab him," Again Alecto paused but under the constant stare from her master's red eyes, she forced herself to continue. "Then Black...Sirius Black was there yelling about Pettigrew and he caught Amycus," She gave a small smile as she remembered her brother almost talking himself out of peril. "Amycus almost had the Aurors convinced he was just trying to help them by making sure the rat was secure but then..." She swallowed again but the stare forced her to continue "It was Potter...he somehow recognized Amycus...he even recognized me," Her eyes again glanced toward Voldemort's wand but didn't dare show the relief she felt when again it did not move. "I had already moved toward the door, and when Potter yelled about me, Amycus gave me a chance by trying to kill Bones but he was stunned...as I said, I got out, repolyjuiced myself and then snuck back into the trial for I was positive anyone trying to leave at that moment would have been detained."
Voldemort seethed inside as he only just managed to control his anger. In a voice that barely rose above a whisper, he said "I will make them pay."
"My Lord?"
"The Ministry has become a nuisance...and so has that pesky Order of Dumbledore's," Voldemort continued. "It's time for me to remind people about fear."
"And...and my brother?"
"When I have the Ministry so stretched out trying to protect everyone while their ranks are being thinned as well," Voldemort said, "I will consider your brother."
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