What a sad, compelling story that offers a convincing explanation of how Antonin ended up in the service of the Dark Lord. Dolohov is one of my favorite minor characters to read, and he's tragically beautiful here. His backstory, so full of pain and rejection, is heart-breaking in its credibility. Poor Antonin so consumed with his lust for vengeance that he couldn't see the self-destructive parallel he shared with his mother.
It's exciting that it was Filius' obsessive ambition that drove their relationship to its end and that he was apparently stepping out! I find this flawed manifestation of Filius pleasing, and their complicated, past relationship certainly helps to explain Filius' neutral interest in the war. Very thought-provoking, I enjoyed this.