Wand-Leader & The Spy

Prologue

Wiltshire, Britain, November 1st, 1981

"You-Know-Who is dead!" The news spread like wildfire through Wizarding Britain. Wizards and witches danced in the street and fireworks were launched in numbers to even make the muggles take notice. Owls darkened the skies at Hogwarts, taking wing to inform every family. In Little Whinging, a baby was placed on the doorstep of a middle-class family to be raised in safety.

And in the manor of the Malfoy family, the Inner Circle of Voldemort's Death Eaters had gathered. Lucius Malfoy, the Dark Lord's right hand. Bellatrix Lestrange, his chief enforcer. Theophanes Nott, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr., Antonin Dolohov, and Augustus Rookwood. Shaken by the news of their Lord's defeat, they were eyeing each other with suspicion in their eyes, knowing that some of those present would be thinking of saving themselves, at the cost of betraying their comrades and the Dark Lord's cause.

"The Dark Lord didn't die! He cannot die!" Bellatrix was standing, daring anyone to contradict her. "He cannot have been defeated by a mere baby! They are lying!"

"But why hasn't he returned to us? Why hasn't he summoned us?" Dolohov braved her ire to ask the question that everyone wanted to ask.

"He has his reasons. He might need our help. We must be searching for him!" The eyes of the witch showed signs of insanity. Lucius Malfoy realised that she was close to losing what shreds of control she still had. Her husband and brother-in-law were agreeing with her, no surprise there, and Crouch voiced his fervent support - the young man had a fanatical glint in his eyes. It was time to speak up.

"You are right." That surprised most of his more level-headed comrades, Lucius knew. "The Dark Lord didn't die. But the blood traitors believe he did. If we are caught searching for him, they'll see this as confirmation, and take heart. Our enemies were on the brink of collapse, we all know that. Mudbloods and blood traitors were fleeing Britain, morale among Aurors was eroding with each day, each dead traitor, and not even Dumbledore would have managed to keep the traitor Minister in power for much longer." The blond wizard stood up and started to walk around the table.

"We would be failing our Lord and his sacred cause were we to openly admit that we have lost contact with him." He spotted Rookwood smiling faintly. "The Dark Lord never died. We need to show that to the rabble opposing us, even without our Lord himself present among us."

Bellatrix looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"The Dark Lord will be seen, in public, striking at his foes, with his trusted followers at his side. The lies of Dumbledore will be exposed." He saw that Rookwood and Dolohov nodded in understanding.

"You mean to take the place of the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix gasped, her hand twitching. The crazy witch was an instant away from denouncing his plan as treason.

"Never! No one can take, no one will be taking his place. But we will crush his enemies in his name so that when he returns he will return to a Britain united under his banner, awaiting his rule." That seemed to placate Bellatrix. "Augustus, can you provide us with the means to fool the blood traitors?"

The Unspeakable nodded. "They will witness the Dark Lord striding towards his enemies, striking them down, and sending them fleeing in renewed terror."

"Tomorrow we'll strike at Diagon Alley and show them that the Dark Lord never died." Lucius knew Bellatrix had to be dealt with, sooner or later, she was just too unstable, but she would be useful in the short term. Her fanatical loyalty towards the Dark Lord was well known, and her presence would help with the ruse.

In a way this development was even fortunate. He was sure that news of the Dark Lord's survival after he had been declared dead would not just destroy Dumbledore's reputation, but also utterly crush the morale of their enemies, and he doubted the Ministry would survive such a blow. And once the war was won and pureblood rule restored, the Dark Lord would be retiring to research the secrets of the Darkest Magic, only appearing a few times in public and leaving the ruling of the country to his trusted advisor and right hand, Lucius Malfoy.