Chapter 1014: Who is More Cunning?
Chapter 1014: Who is More Cunning?
"What are you looking at?"
Isabel hugged Albert from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder, her gaze falling on the strange metal book in Albert's hand. Years of living together told her that this book held some secrets.
"Nothing much," Albert replied, placing the metal book on the nightstand and yawning. "Let's get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, I'll take you out for a walk. It must be boring to stay cooped up here all the time."
"There's not much to do in Hogsmeade either," Isabel said, though she didn't refuse. It had indeed been boring, especially when she was alone.
"Where do you want to go on our date tomorrow?"
"A date? That sounds lovely and nostalgic."
Soon, the lights in the bedroom went out, and snippets of their conversation could be heard.
On the metal book resting on the nightstand, the sketched lines were gradually fading.
If someone were to open the metal book and examine it closely, they would find that the page Albert had been looking at was actually a map. There were various ink dots on the map, and one of them was labeled: 'Lucius Malfoy'.
Finding Voldemort's whereabouts was not as difficult as one might think.
All one needed to do was locate where Voldemort was hiding, and as the Dark Lord's most loyal servants, the Death Eaters would undoubtedly know his location.
By tracking one of the Death Eaters, Albert could uncover Voldemort's hideout.
Fortunately, Albert knew of a well-known Death Eater at Hogwarts, someone he could easily track—Professor Severus Snape, the Head of Slytherin House.
While Snape might be a skilled wizard, it didn't mean he could instantly see through magical traces or anticipate that someone was tracking him.
A button, a thread sewn into his clothes, or something even more inconspicuous—these items, enchanted with a tracking spell beforehand, would help Albert pinpoint Voldemort's lair so that he could inherit the Dark Lord's legacy after his demise.
Assuming there was anything worth inheriting, of course.
Well, that thought was just a joke.
Nonetheless, having some control over Voldemort's movements and gaining an intelligence advantage was undoubtedly beneficial.
At that moment, in Voldemort's lair, the Dark Lord himself was receiving a Death Eater for an audience. He was unaware that his so-called legacy was being targeted.
Although Voldemort had cast a spell to block this area from appearing on maps, he couldn't prevent the presence of human traces.
While Albert couldn't draw Voldemort's lair on the map, he could still narrow down the general area, and any wizards operating within that region would be marked on the map.
The area where the Death Eaters were concentrated in large numbers would naturally be Voldemort's lair, and perhaps no one had ever thought to use human traces in this way before.
"...The giants have agreed to side with us, and to a certain extent, it won't be difficult to command them to do our bidding." MacNeil bowed slightly to Voldemort, updating him on the recent events. He assured the Dark Lord that through pre-prepared channels, he could bring the giants to Britain whenever he needed them.
"Severus informed me," Voldemort said, looking at MacNeil, "that Dumbledore sent Hagrid to make contact with the giants."
"Yes, we found them and led the giants to raid their hideout," MacNeil continued, lowering his head further, "Unfortunately, I was unable to keep them there permanently. The witch accompanying Hagrid was Olympe Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons. She defeated several giants and escaped with Hagrid."
Voldemort didn't blame MacNeil for this, instead replying calmly, "I only need you to ensure that your channels can bring those giants to Britain when I require them."
"No problem, Master," MacNeil breathed a sigh of relief.
"Very well, you may leave. Send Yaxley in."
MacNeil quickly departed, and soon a Death Eater named Yaxley cautiously entered the room.
When Yaxley met Voldemort's scarlet eyes, he lowered his head, unable to meet the Dark Lord's gaze. The once infamous Death Eater appeared as meek as a tame cat.
"Have you found the whereabouts of that traitor, Karkaroff?" Voldemort asked, his eyes fixed on the wizard below him.
"No, Master," Yaxley replied, his head bowed even lower. "I have received accurate information that the traitor Karkaroff is hiding in the north. I need more manpower to search for his whereabouts."
"Then continue your search. Karkaroff must die, and traitors must be punished." Voldemort stared intently at the man below him. "Do not disappoint me, Yaxley. Go and fetch Lucius."
Yaxley breathed a sigh of relief and bowed respectfully to Voldemort before slowly retreating from the room. Soon, Lucius Malfoy entered.
"Lucius, I hope you bring me some good news," Voldemort said, fixing his gaze on Malfoy.
Ever since he learned that the diary entrusted to Malfoy had been destroyed, Voldemort had no intention of forgiving him. However, he couldn't kill him outright, as that would cause other Death Eaters to lose faith in him.
There were many ways Voldemort could punish someone.
If Malfoy failed to complete his task, Voldemort wouldn't mind giving him an unforgettable punishment.
"Fenrir Greyback has successfully recruited most of the werewolves in Britain and is attempting to attract more from all over Europe. I believe he will not disappoint you, Master," Malfoy said in a low voice.
"You know I don't care about that," Voldemort replied, dismissive of the werewolves.
Indeed, he didn't care about those hairy beasts. He knew they had no choice, as they were shunned by the wizarding world, so siding with him was their best option.
"The Order of the Phoenix is likely aware that you have your sights set on the prophecy orb in the Department of Mysteries. They have people watching the entrance to the department. I once used the Imperius Curse on Sturgis Podmore to break into the department, but I failed. I think..."
"Get to the point," Voldemort interrupted.
"I used the Imperius Curse on Broderick Bode, the Silent, and I believe he will be able to retrieve the prophecy orb.
"Lucius revealed his plan to control a Silent to retrieve the Prophecy Orb, thus avoiding the embarrassing situation of not even being able to enter the Department of Mysteries," Voldemort mused. "The only regrettable part is that the Silent can't divulge information, otherwise, the situation wouldn't have gotten so bad."
Malfoy hesitated, knowing that if he could get Augustus Rookwood out of Azkaban, the man's experience working in the Department of Mysteries would undoubtedly be a great help in obtaining the Prophecy Orb.
But Malfoy dared not do that, for he could not afford to lose his value in Voldemort's eyes.
"I have some news about Albert Anderson's background," Malfoy said, changing the subject.
"Oh?" Voldemort replied.
The Dark Lord had taken a keen interest in the Mudblood named Albert Anderson, especially after the Triwizard Tournament. Given the chance, he would not hesitate to dispose of him.
"According to my investigation..." Lucius paused briefly before continuing, "Albert Anderson is likely a Squib's descendant."
"A Squib's descendant?" Voldemort inquired, his interest piqued.
"According to the information extracted from Anderson's neighbors, both his parents are Muggles. His grandparents were likely Squibs." Malfoy stole a glance at Voldemort and, seeing his expression, continued, "Decades ago, the Smith family had a Squib child who was secretly dealt with. I suspect that this Squib, instead of being killed, was exiled to the Muggle world to fend for himself, and he later changed his surname to Luke Anderson."
"So, he is a Squib's descendant?" Voldemort said softly, his eyes narrowing.
"I believe so, and I obtained the name of that Squib from an informant—Luke Smith," Malfoy said, still finding the whole situation bizarre, but these were the results of his investigation.
Voldemort fell into a brief silence, unable to comprehend how a Squib's descendant could possess such formidable magical power.
"I have more news, Master," Lucius continued, eager to showcase his value. "That Mudblood, Albert Anderson, is capable of making prophecies with a crystal ball. I suspect he is the Seer that Dumbledore wishes to invite."
"And?" Voldemort asked.
"That is all, Master," Lucius replied, his tone slightly hesitant.
"Very well, you may leave. Send Avery in," Voldemort said, his eyes narrowing as a thought occurred to him. "And find an opportunity to dispose of that Mudblood named Anderson."
"Yes, Master," Lucius said, his head bowed and his expression pained.
Albert Anderson was not an easy target, or someone would have already taken care of him.
Soon after Lucius left, a pale-faced Avery entered the room.
"Master," he said, his voice trembling slightly.
Ever since the failed attempt on Albert's life, Avery's standing among the Death Eaters had plummeted.
After all, someone had to take the fall for Wormtail's death.
"Avery, I need you to be ready at all times," Voldemort said, his voice cold and commanding. "When the time is right, you will help the other captured Death Eaters escape from Azkaban."
"Master, that is not a difficult task. If the Dementors fully turn to our side, we can simply release all the prisoners in Azkaban," Avery said, his tone respectful yet eager to please.
"It is unwise to reveal ourselves just yet, so a prison break is the best option," Voldemort said, his eyes glinting with a mixture of cunning and power.
He was well aware that it was not the right time to expose his survival to the world. With Fudge creating chaos for Dumbledore, it was the perfect opportunity for him to rebuild his strength and regain his foothold in the wizarding world. He also knew that Dumbledore was eager for the news of his survival to spread, as it would unite the entire British wizarding community against him.
Therefore, Voldemort chose to bide his time, hiding his forces and waiting for the right moment to strike. He knew that Avery's negotiations with the Dementors would soon bear fruit, and the guards of Azkaban could be turned to their side without much fuss.
Before he revealed himself to the world, Voldemort intended to gather his forces, regain his strength, and match the power of the Ministry and Dumbledore combined. He would then instruct his followers to break his loyal Death Eaters out of Azkaban, with a particular focus on rescuing Augustus Rookwood.
That man, with his experience in the Department of Mysteries, would undoubtedly be a valuable asset.
While the Silent could not divulge information, they could still be of use in other ways.
By tasking Lucius with this mission, Voldemort was merely testing the waters, using Malfoy as a disposable pawn. If the plan succeeded, all would be well, but if it failed, he would have a perfect excuse to punish the Malfoy family.
After this, Voldemort met with each of his Death Eaters, listening to their reports and assigning them tasks.
He knew he had to accelerate his plans, for Fudge might be ousted by next summer. Despite his reluctance to believe in those pesky prophecies, he knew he had to be prepared for any eventuality.
There was another reason for his haste.
Ever since his resurrection and the full restoration of his powers, Voldemort had sensed a peculiar connection between himself and Harry Potter.
He had been attempting to strengthen this link, seeking to invade Harry's mind. As an expert in Legilimency, Voldemort found Harry's mind surprisingly easy to penetrate.
Once he established control, he could manipulate Harry's thoughts, use him to spy on Dumbledore, or even turn him against the old wizard.
In Voldemort's eyes, Dumbledore was the true threat, the greatest enemy, while Harry Potter was a mere nuisance.
Compared to dealing with Dumbledore, disposing of Harry was a far simpler task.
And so, Voldemort had been trying to infiltrate Harry's mind, but to no avail. Some unknown force seemed to be weakening his power.
He suspected the ancient protective magic surrounding Hogwarts was interfering with his attempts.
Nonetheless, even if he couldn't directly control Harry, there were other ways to influence the boy, such as misguiding him—a task that Voldemort did not consider particularly challenging.
(End of Chapter)
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