My Father

My father was proud of his methods.

My father was proud of his standing.

My father was proud of his laws.

I was proud of my father.

I defended him. I defended his methods, his work, his laws, his position. I listened to him. I followed his orders. I rarely disobeyed him.

Mother rarely disobeyed him.

No one disobeyed him.

He believed that, as long as you obeyed him, that everything would be right. Things only went wrong when you disobeyed him.

I believed that.

I never disobeyed him.

I believed he was right. I believed his laws were correct. I believed his ideas, his thoughts, were sound. I believed he was right.

I believed in him.

I believed everything he told me. I believed everything he told me to believe.

I was young. I was an idiot. I was raised that way. I can be forgiven.

He loved my mother.

So did I.

She was beautiful. She loved me.

I don't know if he did.

She saved me. She begged him, begged and pleaded, and he visited. And we switched places.

She died soon.

I stayed with Winky. I liked Winky. She was a good House-Elf. She did what she was told. She did what I told her to. Very few people did that.

My mother could change my father's mind by begging. I could not.

I tried.

Perhaps he knew I was lying. He might have. He knew a lot. I believed that, too. I still give him credit for it - he knew a lot.

Perhaps he had had practice telling if people were lying. He questioned them. At the Ministry. When he was important. When he was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He questioned Death Eaters. Or witnesses. Or people who had helped the Death Eaters. He knew if they were lying. At least, I believed he did.

Perhaps he knew I was lying.

You have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law so that we may pass judgement on you, for a crime so heinous -

Father ... Father ... please...

I begged him not to.

- that we have rarely heard the like of it within this court. We have heard the evidence against you. The four of you stand accused of capturing an Auror - Frank Longbottom - and subjecting him to the Cruciatus curse, believing him to have knowledge of the present whereabouts of your exiled master, He Who Must Not Be Named -

Father, I didn't! I didn't, I swear it, Father, don't send me back to the Dementors -

I lied.

You are further accused of using the Cruciatus curse on Frank Longbottom's wife, when he would not give you information. You planned to restore He Who Must Not Be Named to power, and to resume the lives of violence you presumably led while he was strong. I now ask the jury -

Mother! Mother, stop him, Mother, I didn't do it, it wasn't me!

A lie.

I now ask the jury to raise their hands if they believe, as I do, that these crimes deserve a life sentence in Azkaban.

They raised their hands. They all raised their hands.

No! Mother, no! I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I didn't know! Don't send me there, don't let him!

All lies.

The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban, we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!

Mrs. Lestrange.

I'm your son! I'm your son!

You are no son of mine! I have no son!

If I am not his son, I have no father.

He is not my father.

I do not believe him anymore.