Chapter 1500: Death Draws Near
Chapter 1500: Death Draws Near
As the Order of the Phoenix prepared for the upcoming final battle at Hogwarts, Voldemort, who had just endured a brutal beating in Nurmengard Prison, was retrenching his forces, intending to retract his tendrils of influence back to Britain.
Now that he had acquired the Elder Wand, remaining on the European continent would only invite endless trouble.
As for the grudges he had formed with various European Ministries of Magic, Voldemort believed that none of them would be foolish enough to stir up trouble in his backyard.
However, this order left the originally restless and mischievous Dark wizards greatly disappointed. They had expected Voldemort to unleash a maelstrom across Europe, never imagining that he would conclude his affairs in such a perfunctory manner.
Most of the Dark wizards were especially displeased, having grown accustomed to their lavish and indulgent lifestyles. How could they possibly return to their previous meager and miserable existence?
Unfortunately, after Voldemort returned to Britain, these wizards, who had previously acted under the guise of 'Voldemort', found themselves without the Dark Lord's protection and were now on the blacklists of various countries' Ministries. If they didn't hurry and flee, they would surely be hunted down by the furious Aurors. The group of Dark wizards who had caused the most trouble were directly abandoned by Voldemort as a means to placate the anger of the European countries, lest they have no outlet for their rage and instead turn to Britain to challenge him.
Unfortunately, peace was never an option once Voldemort began his antics in Europe. Some people, driven by hatred, would not allow their Ministry to compromise with the Dark Lord.
This directly led to Voldemort's right-hand man, Yaxley, becoming exceptionally busy. Not only did he have to spare time to listen to and appease the 'complaints' of the Dark wizards, but he also had to negotiate with the European countries under the guise of the Ministry, seeking a 'peaceful' resolution to the disputes.
In reality, it was about giving those groups a way out, allowing them to achieve something politically to calm the fury of their constituents and prevent the situation from escalating.
No one wanted to be assassinated in their sleep.
And so, a verbal agreement was born.
As for the unlucky sacrifices, they didn't cause much of a stir among the Dark wizards. Those who were willing to join Voldemort's ranks were mostly selfish and self-serving individuals.
This could be seen in the meeting Voldemort convened, where these foreign Death Eaters were all too eager to agree to sacrificing some insignificant Dark wizards to alleviate the crisis brought about by the European countries. They even went as far as to volunteer to facilitate it, completely indifferent to the lives of their fellow Dark wizards.
The reason for this was quite simple. Once they became Death Eaters, their interests were tied to Voldemort's.
As for the Dark wizards under their command, they were merely cannon fodder for their ambitions.
After the meeting on 'How to Completely Eliminate the Threat from European Countries' concluded, Snape, who had returned to Hogwarts, felt exceptionally heavy-hearted.
Because during the previous meeting, he had actually sensed hostility from the Dark Lord.
Did the Dark Lord want to kill him?
A ridiculous thought suddenly popped into Snape's mind.
Why?
This was very abnormal.
After all, he, Severus Snape, was not only the one who had killed Dumbledore, but he was also Voldemort's right-hand man, helping him control the students of Hogwarts and wielding significant influence among the Death Eaters.
Why would Voldemort want to cut off his own hand?
It made no sense.
But Snape didn't think it was a false impression.
Because that murderous intent was too strong to ignore.
Could it be that Voldemort had discovered he was a spy?
Impossible.
If the Dark Lord had truly discovered this secret, he would have killed him directly, leaving no chance for survival.
Then why?
When Snape connected the dots, he immediately suspected that it had something to do with the Elder Wand.
Voldemort's decision to retrench his forces was definitely related to his trip to Nurmengard to see Grindelwald, and the Dark Lord had gone to see Grindelwald for the Elder Wand.
Given Voldemort's style of conducting affairs, the fact that he was now ordering everyone to evacuate the European continent indicated that he had obtained the Elder Wand.
The question was, why would Voldemort want to kill him after obtaining the Elder Wand?
If anyone knew the reason—Snape glanced at Dumbledore's portrait on the wall, pretending to be asleep. Only he and Albert could possibly know the secret.
Moreover, the pit that Voldemort had fallen into at Nurmengard was undoubtedly dug by them.
When faced with Snape's questions, Dumbledore's portrait chose to feign sleep, seemingly unwilling to offer any clarification.
"It seems that I am also a tool for you to use and discard at will, no different from Harry Potter," Snape said, gazing at Dumbledore's portrait. "I actually pitied Harry Potter earlier, thinking he was the pig you were fattening for slaughter. How ridiculous of me."
Hearing Snape's words, Dumbledore's portrait finally deigned to open its eyes.
"I am already dead, Severus. Don't be too harsh on the dead," Dumbledore said.
"Then what's the deal with the Elder Wand? Don't tell me you don't know the reason," Snape said, his tone challenging.
Snape was not afraid of death, but he despised being treated like a fool, and he certainly didn't want to be killed by Voldemort one day, left to die in confusion.
Yes, Snape never believed that the Dark Lord would spare him in the end.
The reason he hadn't killed him directly yet was probably due to the unstable situation. Once they resolved the threat from the European continent, Snape suspected that he would meet an unexplained demise.
His intuition told him that his death was likely part of Dumbledore's plot against the Dark Lord.
To this day, Snape still believed that the Elder Wand Voldemort was seeking was the one in Dumbledore's tomb, which was why Voldemort was so confident that he had obtained the Elder Wand after meeting with Grindelwald.
The reason was simple.
Grindelwald had once possessed the Elder Wand, but after he was defeated by Dumbledore, the wand naturally fell into the old wizard's hands. This was probably the secret to Dumbledore's enduring power even after living for a century.
That wand was taken by Dumbledore to his grave and ultimately ended up in Voldemort's possession.
However, if the Elder Wand was truly that powerful, why would Albert Anderson allow it to fall into Voldemort's hands?
Wouldn't it be better for him to use the Elder Wand to kill Voldemort himself? This was why Snape was convinced that the wand was definitely a trap set by these two cunning individuals, and there was no doubt that Voldemort had fallen right into it.
As for why Voldemort had targeted him, Snape still hadn't figured it out, but he believed that Dumbledore would tell him.
"Because you killed me," Dumbledore said softly. "The wand can only be considered an ordinary wand in Voldemort's hands. The one who took it from my grave is not the true master of the Elder Wand."
"Does Voldemort think that by killing me, he will gain control of the wand?" Snape asked, his eyes narrowing. "But I don't believe you would let him possess such power. Unless the wand is a fake or I am not the true master of the wand, and even after Voldemort kills me, he still won't be able to fully control it."
"So, that's how it is... Albert Anderson," Snape murmured, his eyes narrowing further. "He is the true master of the Elder Wand."
"When Albert duels Voldemort..."
The expression on Snape's face was complex, as he could easily guess what the outcome would be.
"Rest assured, I will keep the secret. When I agreed to return, I already anticipated that this day would come," Snape said, glancing at Dumbledore's portrait before turning and leaving the headmaster's office.
(End of Chapter)
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