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Chapter 795: You Should Be Grateful for Lacking the Talent to Be a Villain
Chapter 795: You Should Be Grateful for Lacking the Talent to Be a Villain
Malfoy fell silent for a moment, glancing around nervously before stammering, "There's something I need to tell you in private..."
"Sure!" Ivan waved his hand, signaling the young wizards to continue practicing their spells, then led Malfoy out of the Room of Requirement.
As they walked down the castle's empty corridors, Malfoy, seeing no one around, hesitated before speaking. "The Dark Lord wants to kill you..."
"Uh-huh, I know!" Ivan arched an eyebrow, not the least bit surprised.
He had already used Legilimency to extract the relevant memories from Malfoy's mind, so Ivan stopped walking and turned to face him, saying, "The person Voldemort chose to carry out the deed is you, isn't it, Malfoy?"
Draco Malfoy's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Ivan, wondering how he could have known. He hadn't followed the Dark Lord's orders, so there was no way he could have been exposed.
Could there be a spy among the Death Eaters?
Malfoy became visibly anxious, fearing Ivan might misunderstand. He hurried to explain, "The Dark Lord instructed me to find a way to assassinate you, but I haven't done it. And Snape—Professor Snape is here to supervise me, so I have to send you something periodically to show I'm working on it. I told him to put sweets in the packages to lower your guard, preparing for a future poisoning attempt..."
Malfoy blurted out everything he should and shouldn't have, but the more he talked, the more panicked he became. Ivan's expression remained unchanged, as if he had known all along.
"Relax, I'm not doubting you", Ivan reassured Malfoy, calming his agitated emotions. "But you came to me tonight just to tell me this?"
Malfoy hesitated for a moment before speaking. "My father wants to meet you. The last two messages were to show our good faith..."
Malfoy's expression became awkward. In truth, Lucius had instructed him to do everything possible to win Ivan Hals's favor, to mend their relationship. But facing a "mortal enemy" he had been at odds with for over four years, Malfoy found it hard to swallow his pride, resorting to sending gifts and information as a clumsy method.
"Really? Lucius wants to meet me?"
Ivan finally showed a hint of surprise. He tried to probe Malfoy's thoughts but found that even Malfoy didn't know why Lucius wanted to meet him.
But Ivan could guess the traitor's motives. The Dark Lord had suffered a major defeat and was hiding like a stray dog in a safe house, looking like he was on his last legs. So, Malfoy's father had decided to switch sides.
With this in mind, Ivan composed himself and continued, "So, you're following Lucius's orders to betray Voldemort? What about you? I remember you were quite eager to become a Death Eater..."
Ivan's tone carried a hint of sarcasm, and Malfoy's face turned beet red. After a long pause, he stammered, "I thought... I thought becoming a Death Eater would..."
"Let you bully Muggles and restore the glory of pureblood wizards?" Ivan coldly finished Malfoy's sentence, then sneered. "But you were wrong. You found out that Death Eaters are just a bunch of lunatics. Voldemort is ruthless to Muggles, but even more cruel to his own people. In his eyes, you are nothing but the lowest of servants and lackeys!
He forced you to kill me, and you were afraid because you couldn't do it, right? You feared that if you failed to complete the task, he would torture and kill you and your family?"
Ivan's gaze towards Malfoy was as sharp as a carving knife.
Draco Malfoy opened his mouth to protest, but ultimately closed it in defeat.
Because Ivan wasn't wrong. He had indeed thought that way before, even considering becoming a Death Eater to be a cool thing.
Until that day, when he witnessed his father, Lucius, being tortured by the Dark Lord with the Cruciatus Curse for a mistake. His fantasies crumbled in an instant...
The Dark Lord's rule wasn't a paradise but a bottomless hell.
Being a Death Eater wasn't a game. It was a stark choice: kill or be killed, with no third option...
"So you have too many qualms and lack the talent to be a villain, Malfoy..." Ivan said, half mocking, half reflecting.
Draco Malfoy remained silent, his expression deeply dejected. The sight of Lucius groveling before Voldemort had shattered his worldview and made him realize that the so-called Pureblood honor was meaningless.
Noticing Draco's despondent state, Ivan shook his head and decided to stop pressing the issue. He spoke directly.
"You said your father wanted to meet me, Malfoy? I can give him a chance. Tell Lucius to come to Hogwarts tomorrow night... I'll be waiting in the Reception Hall on the first floor at one o'clock in the morning!"
"Be on time..."
...
Saturday night, Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy stood in front of the entrance hall, anxiously waiting, his gaze constantly scanning the castle to avoid being caught by Filch on patrol.
At 12:10 AM, a figure cloaked in black robes entered the entrance hall.
Draco sighed in relief and hurried over. The figure lifted the hood, revealing Lucius Malfoy.
"I received your letter, Draco. You did well this time. Now, take me to Ivan Hals", Lucius said, patting Draco on the shoulder in approval.
Draco nodded and quickly led Lucius to the Reception Hall on the first floor.
Along the way, Lucius frequently inquired about the events at Hogwarts since the start of the term, especially everything related to Ivan.
These were critical times, and to avoid interception, they had kept their letters vague. So far, Lucius only had a general understanding.
He knew that Draco had tricked Snape by sending a package, hiding intelligence in it, and thus gained Ivan's trust, leading to this meeting.
However, Lucius was dissatisfied with Draco's methods for recruiting Ivan Hals. It was too petty! Spending only a few dozen Galleons was disappointing; typically, it would cost tens of thousands to win over a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Magic.
"If you don't know what Hals likes, you can try through his friends. Give them some gifts... those kids are easier to handle, like new brooms or fancy toys", Lucius advised.
Draco's face darkened, and he didn't respond.
Friends? Which friends?
The annoying Harry Potter? Or the red-haired Weasley? He certainly didn't have the face to give them gifts...
(End of Chapter)
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