Chapter 1336: Where is the Elder Wand?
Chapter 1336: Where is the Elder Wand?
"What is it, Yaxley? I said I didn't want to be disturbed unless it was important," Severus Snape, standing by the fireplace, scowled at his colleague, irritated at being summoned once again.
The emerald green flames that had just risen from the fireplace dissipated, and Snape's face was grim as he regarded his fellow Death Eater.
"I never intended to give you an order, Severus," Yaxley said, gesturing for Snape to sit down. "I merely wished to relay a message from the Dark Lord."
"What does the Dark Lord require of me?" Snape inquired, his brow furrowed as he addressed the confident-looking Yaxley seated in the armchair.
He knew that the Dark Lord had been abroad lately, searching for someone, and that things didn't seem to be going as smoothly as planned.
"The Dark Lord wishes for you to locate Dumbledore's wand," Yaxley conveyed Voldemort's message to Snape.
"Dumbledore's wand?" Snape was perplexed by Voldemort's request.
What did Voldemort intend to do with Dumbledore's wand?
"Yes, it seems the Dark Lord is dissatisfied with his current wand and seeks one of greater power," Yaxley whispered, "to deal with that mudblood once and for all."
"I won't deny that Albert Anderson is a cause for concern, but surely he hasn't warranted this much attention from the Dark Lord?" Snape was deeply confused.
He was aware of the Dark Lord's wariness of Anderson, whose strength had far surpassed that of a typical wizard and was nearing the level of the late Dumbledore.
The Dark Lord certainly did not wish to see another wizard rise to Dumbledore's level of power, but it seemed odd that he would pin his hopes on acquiring a more powerful wand to deal with Anderson, as there were surely better alternatives.
"I've heard the Dark Lord is searching for the Elder Wand," Yaxley said, deliberately revealing only a fragment of information to Snape.
"What is that?" Snape asked, his expression one of astonishment.
Yaxley spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I am merely following the Dark Lord's orders."
"So, the Dark Lord believes that Dumbledore's wand may be this so-called Elder Wand?" Snape found the whole situation rather amusing.
"It's not impossible," Yaxley said. "Don't forget, Severus, that even in his old age, Dumbledore retained an extraordinary amount of power."
Even Yaxley had to admit that Dumbledore's power was uncanny compared to that of other wizards his age.
Typically, a wizard's magical power would show a noticeable decline after a certain age, but that centenarian had remained remarkably powerful until his dying breath.
"I will locate that wand, but as you know, I did not remain at Hogwarts after Dumbledore's death. I will need time to discover its whereabouts," Snape said, intending to discuss the matter with Dumbledore's portrait upon his return.
"You only need to find out where it is; the Dark Lord will retrieve it himself," Yaxley said, raising his glass of wine toward Snape. "Remember, that is crucial."
"You seem to know something I don't," Snape said, turning back from the fireplace and resuming his seat in the armchair, his eyes fixed on Yaxley's unpleasant face.
"I can tell you, but everything comes with a price," Yaxley said, narrowing his eyes at Snape, awaiting his response.
"What do you want from me?" Snape inquired, understanding the underlying meaning of the cunning man's words and guessing why he had specifically requested this face-to-face meeting.
"Hogsmeade Village has been rather restless lately. I want it to become the largest black market exchange in Europe," Yaxley said, a smile of pleasure tugging at the corners of his mouth. He knew he had Snape's agreement.
While Snape's authority paled in comparison to his own, Yaxley was well aware that only by joining forces could they suppress the other Death Eaters' schemes and transform Hogsmeade Village according to his vision.
"Very well, but the Dark Lord..." Snape began, hesitant.
"The Dark Lord doesn't have time to concern himself with such trivial matters, and I'm certain he will be pleased with this development," Yaxley interrupted, taking a confident sip of his red wine.
Snape hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
He didn't care what Yaxley wanted to do in Hogsmeade; he was more curious about Voldemort's true intentions.
"Now, will you tell me what you know?" Snape asked.
"I questioned Ollivander, and he told me about the legends of various powerful wands throughout history—the Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, and so on," Yaxley said, pouring a glass of wine for Snape. "If the Dark Lord were to possess the legendary Elder Wand, he would be invincible. I must admit, it's enough to strike fear into anyone's heart."
"Those are just legends," Snape said, "or perhaps just tales of powerful dark wizards throughout history whose strength and lives lent credibility to the wands' reputations. Take the case of Albert Anderson, for example. His power doesn't come from his wand; it comes from within. I believe the Dark Lord realized this after capturing Ollivander."
"Ollivander knows where the Elder Wand is," Yaxley suddenly interjected.
"What?" Snape was taken aback.
"According to Ollivander, the Elder Wand is with Gregorovitch," Yaxley said, setting down his wine glass. "That's why the Dark Lord has been searching for Gregorovitch's whereabouts lately, but that old man seems to have gone into hiding, anticipating the Dark Lord's move."
"So, you're telling me that ridiculous rumor is true?" Snape's expression turned peculiar. "If that wand is as powerful as they say, why would Gregorovitch hide? And if you heard about such a wand, wouldn't you be tempted to seize it for yourself?"
"I don't know," Yaxley shook his head. "Even Ollivander couldn't be sure if it was true. Many people treat these stories as mere fairy tales, but that doesn't mean the wands never existed. At the very least, Dumbledore's wand is suspicious. Remember, he lived for over a century, and it's abnormal for him to still possess such immense magical power at his age."
"I will do my best to locate Dumbledore's wand before the Dark Lord returns to Britain," Snape said, rising from his seat and heading toward the fireplace, preparing to use the Floo Network to return directly to the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts.
"Always so dependable," Yaxley said, raising the glass bottle of wine and peering through the crimson liquid at the spot where Snape had just disappeared into the fireplace. "Good luck, old friend. Let's hope for your sake that Dumbledore's wand isn't the Elder Wand."
"If Dumbledore's wand really is the legendary Deathstick, then Snape, who killed him, is probably going to be out of luck."
According to the rumor, one could only become the true master of the wand by claiming it from its previous owner. Since Snape had killed Dumbledore, it implied that for Voldemort to obtain the wand, he too would need to engage in bloody slaughter.
Given Yaxley's understanding of Voldemort, even if Snape was his most capable assistant, he would still be sacrificed without hesitation.
This meant that he would become Voldemort's sole trusted aide, and though it might make him busier, it was undoubtedly a wonderful thing.
...
"Oh, you mean Lord Voldemort is searching for a powerful wand?"
Upon returning to the Headmaster's office, Snape immediately shared the news he had heard from Yaxley with Dumbledore's portrait.
However, the long-deceased elder seemed unconcerned.
"You don't seem surprised," Snape said, somewhat taken aback by the old man's reaction.
"It's probably because Mr. Anderson has been putting immense pressure on Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore chuckled.
"How can you laugh about this?" Snape felt his whole body tense up.
"Don't worry, Severus. It just goes to show that Mr. Anderson is indeed formidable."
Having witnessed Albert's growth firsthand, Dumbledore knew the young wizard better than Voldemort did. The only comforting thought was that Albert was a good-natured person, and there was no need to worry that he would become as dreadful as Voldemort.
As for Albert's methods of dealing with the Death Eaters and the mysterious man, Dumbledore saw no issue with them.
This was a wizarding war, and people died in wars.
Dumbledore also did not believe that Albert's influence had significantly affected Scrimgeour's decisions.
After all, Scrimgeour was an adult, the British Minister of Magic, and a former Auror. It was normal for him to make judgments that directly reduced the number of Death Eaters to weaken Voldemort's forces in such a perilous situation, as it had indeed helped them turn the tide quickly.
"Lord Voldemort has instructed me to find your wand."
Snape looked up at Dumbledore's portrait and asked, "He seems to think that your wand is likely to be the so-called Deathstick."
"My wand is indeed more powerful than an ordinary wand, at least it worked very well for me, but it may not be the same for others." Dumbledore frowned in thought. "As for where that wand is, perhaps, Minerva put my wand in my coffin with me. You can open my coffin and have a look."
"You know what I mean!"
Snape ignored Dumbledore's suggestion to look in his coffin and instead said irritably, "Whether your wand is the Deathstick or not, if it really is the legendary wand, we can't let it fall into Lord Voldemort's hands. If he possesses the Deathstick, he will become invincible, and even Albert Anderson won't be his match."
"Lord Voldemort is actually testing you," Dumbledore suddenly said, "Otherwise, he wouldn't have let you obtain such important information."
Snape looked at the portrait of the old man behind the headmaster's desk, and after his facial muscles twitched slightly, he asked, "Do you think I should hand your wand over to Lord Voldemort?"
"Let's just say I should tell Lord Voldemort that my wand was placed in my coffin," Dumbledore corrected.
"Aren't you afraid..."
"I'm already dead," Dumbledore gently reminded him. "Moreover, I don't think it would make much difference if Lord Voldemort got his hands on my wand."
"So, that wand isn't the so-called Deathstick?" Snape asked again, his tension easing slightly.
"At least the one in my coffin is definitely not the wand Lord Voldemort is looking for." Dumbledore set a linguistic trap, tapping his finger on his head. "A powerful wizard relies not on a formidable wand, but on his own intellect. Isn't Mr. Anderson the best example of that?"
"Ollivander said that Gregorovitch once possessed a powerful wand, and now Lord Voldemort is searching for Gregorovitch all over Europe, but he just can't seem to find him." Snape said, and as if he had just thought of something, he suddenly looked up at the portrait in front of him with incredulous eyes. "Could it be that you're the one who hid him away?"
That was indeed a possibility, as someone had predicted long ago that this day would come.
"No, it was Mr. Anderson," Dumbledore admitted. "He hid Gregorovitch away, after all, anyone who heard that Lord Voldemort might come for them would carefully consider their own safety."
"So, that Deathstick is actually with Anderson?" Snape looked at Dumbledore in shock.
Dumbledore smiled but remained silent.
No wonder Albert Anderson was Dumbledore's trump card.
Snape could hardly imagine how terrifying Albert Anderson would be if he possessed the Deathstick.
Lord Voldemort would certainly not be his match.
What was even more dreadful was that Mr. Anderson had been hiding his true strength all this time, quietly waiting for Lord Voldemort to take the bait, without revealing that he possessed the Deathstick.
When the time came for Lord Voldemort to face Albert, Snape couldn't help but mourn silently for the Dark Lord in his heart.
What was even more tragic was that, from start to finish, Lord Voldemort had been falling into Dumbledore's carefully laid trap.
However, no one could have possibly imagined that.
Upon further reflection, Snape didn't find it strange.
After all, to outmaneuver Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore was willing to sacrifice his own life. Moreover, there was also Albert Anderson, who could accurately predict the future. If the two of them were working together to scheme against Lord Voldemort, it was truly a frightening thought.
"What should I do next?"
After realizing that his worries were unnecessary, Snape didn't bother to think too much about the matter.
"Complete Lord Voldemort's task, and protect the students of Hogwarts. I believe they won't cause you any trouble for the time being." Dumbledore said calmly.
"I'll go and confirm whether the wand is in your coffin or not." Snape decided to complete the task first, as Voldemort's suspicions and tests made him somewhat uneasy.
Watching Snape's departing figure, Dumbledore gently sighed and then disappeared from the portrait frame.
He intended to meet with Albert and discuss this matter with him.
Although Dumbledore had great confidence in the young wizard, there were some things he needed to know, as the current progress seemed a bit too fast in Dumbledore's opinion.
(End of Chapter)
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