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Chapter 1422: A Bad Idea
Chapter 1422: A Bad Idea
"The situation isn't as dire as you think, Mr. Snape. Anderson is far more capable than you give him credit for."
The portrait on the wall regarded Snape for a moment before offering a soft word of comfort.
"He's pushed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named too far, making the Dark Lord feel threatened," Snape muttered, believing that the Muggles' misfortune was a result of Albert tightening the noose around Voldemort's neck.
Perhaps if they had lain low and stayed hidden, there wouldn't be so many disputes.
"That's only one reason," the portrait continued. "The conflict between the two sides was irreconcilable from the start. You can't expect either side to back down, especially now that the Dark Lord's influence is waning. Don't hold your breath for concessions."
"Then..."
Snape's words trailed off as he lifted his head, his eyes falling on the familiar figure that had appeared from the emerald-green flames in the fireplace.
"Good evening, sir," Draco Malfoy greeted, stepping out of the fireplace and brushing off the ash from his cloak before addressing Snape, who was seated behind his desk.
"What brings you all the way to Hogwarts, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Pansy is pregnant, and we would be honored if you would be the godfather of our child," Draco Malfoy said, a rare smile gracing his face. In this moment, the weight of the Malfoy family's expectations seemed to lift from his shoulders with the news of Pansy's pregnancy.
"Congratulations," Snape replied, and for a brief moment, his usually expressionless face seemed to show a hint of emotion. He knew that his old friend, Lucius, would be overjoyed to hear this news.
At the very least, the Malfoy family no longer had to worry about their lineage ending.
"Thank you. Will you accept the role of godfather?" Malfoy asked, his eyes fixed intently on Snape, hoping for his agreement.
"I'm afraid not, Draco. I'm not suitable for such a role," Snape declined, seemingly oblivious to the hopeful look in Malfoy's eyes.
"We can think of no one better suited than you, Professor," Malfoy insisted, well aware of the help Snape had offered him in the past. As Voldemort's right-hand man, strengthening their relationship seemed only natural.
"We'll discuss it later," Snape said after a moment's hesitation, not giving a direct refusal.
Draco breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Snape hadn't shut down the idea completely. Changing the subject, he brought up another matter—Snape's offer to teach the Death Eaters dark magic.
To be honest, Draco couldn't fathom why Snape would make such a foolish suggestion. After much hesitation, he finally asked, "Professor, why did you bring up the idea of teaching the Death Eaters? Surely you're aware that most of them won't be interested in attending classes."
"Someone had to bring it up," Snape said calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"But..."
"The gap is wider than you think," Snape interrupted, glancing at the door. "The chasm between the current Death Eaters and the members of Albert Anderson's Defense Association is greater than you realize. There have already been several clashes, and anyone who isn't a fool should be able to sense the shifting tides. We are on a downward spiral, and I have a feeling that if we don't do something soon, we'll be in deep trouble. Having taught Anderson for seven years, I know the kind of person he is. He's quietly plotting something, and if we don't prepare, he will slowly weaken and crush us. By then, not even the Dark Lord may be able to turn the tide."
Draco remained silent for a long while before asking, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Not for now," Snape replied.
As if a thought had just occurred to him, Snape added, "However, you can attend the weekly Dark Arts exchange gatherings. I don't know how many will show up, but it certainly won't hurt to learn more dark magic."
"Good night, Professor," Draco said, giving Snape a slight nod before turning to the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the flames, vanishing amidst the emerald-green fire.
"He's gone. You can come in now," Snape said suddenly.
"Why didn't you accept?" Yaxley asked as he pushed open the door and entered the office, looking up at Snape. "Opportunities like this don't come along often. Still, it's a shame that the Malfoy family has declined so much that he has to worry about his family's future at such a young age."
"You didn't come here to discuss that, did you?" Snape said, clearly uninterested in the topic.
"The Dark Lord has agreed to host the first Dark Arts exchange gathering himself." Yaxley shared the good news with Snape.
He actually agreed with Snape's assessment of the Death Eaters' current state. In their clashes with the traitors from the Defense Association, they were barely holding their own, and their incompetence was infuriating.
Yaxley had also heard about the prophesized battle between Harry Potter and the Dark Lord, and he believed it to be a scheme concocted by that Muggle-born, Albert Anderson.
But if both sides were to engage in an all-out war, could they win?
In the past, Yaxley would never have considered this foolish question, but now, after multiple setbacks against the Defense Association, he had come to realize the weakness of the Death Eaters, and this weakness was something that Anderson, that mudblood, had engineered.
That guy was patiently waiting, ready to deliver a fatal blow.
"If it's under the Dark Lord's name, the other Death Eaters should all attend, but it's hard to say what the outcome will be," Snape said, somewhat surprised that Voldemort would support him in this way.
"Don't worry, as long as they're willing to exchange knowledge, they will definitely gain something. I believe no one wants to be beaten down by those traitors," Yaxley reassured.
There was no other choice; reliable allies were few and far between, and the two of them now shared a bond born of mutual understanding.
"There's also another matter, regarding the Ministry of Magic's new policy targeting wizarding families who dare to oppose the Dark Lord."
Yaxley brought up another reason for his visit.
"The new Junior Assistant to the Minister, Dolores Umbridge, suggested that they should investigate all of the magical Britain to find those who have suddenly gone missing. You know, those who joined the Order of the Phoenix and the Defense Association are likely among those who disappeared without a trace."
"That's the worst idea I've ever heard."
Snape was shocked by Umbridge's recklessness, even suspecting that she might have been Imperiused, leading her to propose such a ludicrous idea.
"Is there a problem?" Yaxley asked, surprised by Snape's reaction.
"Are you sure this won't push those neutral wizards to our opposition?"
"You should be clear that our control over the British wizarding community is not as solid as we imagine. We know exactly which families the members of the Defense Association come from. If the Ministry starts investigating them, a lot of things will be exposed. Are you certain this won't backfire?" Snape said meaningfully, "We don't need to create more enemies for ourselves."
"I've considered this issue as well, but we have to resolve the problem of the Defense Association somehow. At the very least, we can make them back down or surrender," Yaxley replied. Of course, he had thought about these issues, but taking such action wasn't all bad. At the very least, it might dismantle the Defense Association.
After all, they also had families, and kidnapping children to force their relatives to submit had proven effective in the past. This strategy could be turned against them as well.
"It's a risky gamble, a crazy gamble," Snape frowned, "You should be aware of the terrible consequences if we fail."
"We have to curb the expansion of the Defense Association."
"The number of members in the Defense Association has already reached its limit. Most wizards are cowards who value their lives. We shouldn't push the wizarding community in Britain too hard, or we might face serious repercussions."
"With the Dark Lord's involvement, there definitely won't be any issues. Alright, let's compile this information and leave the final decision to the Dark Lord!" Yaxley knew he couldn't convince Snape, but he also didn't want their relationship to become too strained. Ultimately, the decision rested with Voldemort, the true leader.
"Quite a clever fellow. However, I suspect the mysterious man won't appreciate having his problems dumped onto his subordinates."
A voice suddenly rang out, and Yaxley crumpled to the floor.
"Who's there!"
The sudden change startled Snape, and he instinctively reached for his wand on the desk, preparing to cast a spell at the empty space in front of him.
However, he found himself frozen, unable to move.
"Calm down, Severus. I'm just here for a chat, as your actions are putting me in a rather difficult position."
(End of Chapter)
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