Chapter 839: Voldemort: I Have Never Seen Such Shamelessness
Chapter 839: Voldemort: I Have Never Seen Such Shamelessness
In the evening, a black figure descended like a withered leaf from the sky, slowly drifting down to the ground in front of Riddle House.
After a brief adjustment of his appearance at the door, Snape pushed it open and walked straight in.
The serpent Nagini, who had been resting in the living room, awoke instantly at the sound of the door opening. She raised her long, sinuous body and let out a series of eerie hisses.
Snape glanced over but quickly turned his gaze back, lowering his head slightly and speaking respectfully.
"Master, you summoned me?"
From the shadows of the main seat in the living room, Voldemort's figure emerged. His blood-red, snake-like eyes fixed intently on Snape, and his pallid complexion looked unsettling.
"I heard the rumor. Dumbledore is dead?" Voldemort asked bluntly, without any pretense of pleasantries.
"Yes, Master!" Snape replied cautiously. "I did as you instructed and handed Notte over to Dumbledore. Things unfolded as you predicted; they had a disagreement and eventually a battle broke out..."
"But from what I know, Ivan Hals is incapable of killing him!" Voldemort interrupted, his tone confident.
He knew Dumbledore's strength all too well. In a true fight, even Voldemort himself might not have been a match. It was almost impossible for anyone to defeat such a powerful wizard in a direct confrontation!
Even if he were to lose the battle, Dumbledore could easily escape—no one could have stopped him...
Unless... unless Ivan Hals had somehow gained more power in the past six months, reaching an unfathomable level.
The thought of this possibility sent a ripple of fear through Voldemort's heart.
Typically, it was not easy for a wizard to increase their power ceiling. It usually required extensive knowledge accumulation over a long period or undergoing extremely dangerous magical transformations.
Voldemort himself was a prime example.
As the most talented wizard in the British Wizarding World, he could often master most dark spells within minutes.
After obtaining Slytherin's Legacy and completing his first Bloodline Fusion in his fifth year, his power had grown exponentially, surpassing the magical capabilities of adult wizards.
Even so, it took him until the age of twenty-five to dominate Britain.
To achieve such power, he had sacrificed everything, even risking his life multiple times through dangerous magical transformation experiments, transforming himself into a complete monster!
In comparison, Ivan Hals' growth trajectory could only be described as unfathomable. At just fifteen or sixteen, he had already reached a level of power that could rival, or even surpass, Voldemort's.
What made Voldemort feel envious and resentful was that Ivan Hals seemed to have discovered a risk-free method of bloodline fusion, which might explain his rapid advancement.
Snape, unaware of Voldemort's thoughts, knew he had to prevent the Dark Lord from falling into despair. He replied, "Master, I share your thoughts. Ivan Hals is incapable of killing Dumbledore, so he must have used some underhanded means."
"Tell me more..." Voldemort's eyes narrowed, showing a glimmer of interest.
"While examining Dumbledore's body, I discovered that it had been corrupted by Dark Magic..." Snape recounted the details of his examination, blending truth and fabrication.
Hearing this, Voldemort's tense expression visibly relaxed. He was familiar with this peculiar Dark Magic, which he had discovered in Slytherin's hidden library during his fifth year. There was no known countermeasure, and once infected, even powerful wizards like themselves could not escape its effects.
Of course, the conditions for using such potent Dark Magic were extremely stringent. In most cases, it could only be attached to a magical item as a trap, and it required the target to touch the item and activate it with their magic.
It was precisely for this reason that he had not used this Dark Magic against Dumbledore before.
After all, this White Wizard was no slouch when it came to Alchemy. Voldemort did not believe that he could tamper with a Magic Item and expect Dumbledore to be oblivious, let alone foolish enough to willingly input his magic to activate it.
He wondered what means Ivan Hals had employed to achieve this.
As this thought crossed his mind, Voldemort's expression grew increasingly grim. He suddenly realized that the blasted brat, despite his young age, was even more adept at underhanded tactics than he was.
The attack on the Ministry of Magic a few months ago had nearly driven him to the brink of fury.
Seventy loyal Death Eaters had been completely wiped out in the Ministry of Magic!
Worse still, he had been unjustly branded as the one who attacked the Ministry and abandoned his followers in the heat of battle.
Voldemort's heart felt as though it were bleeding, but he still managed to look at Snape and offer some comfort. "The information you provided is very valuable, Severus. The Dark Lord will not neglect anyone who remains loyal to him!"
"Thank you, Master!" Snape said, his voice filled with excitement. "I'm afraid I can't return to Hogwarts now..."
"Does this mean you've been exposed?" Voldemort's brow furrowed, and he asked sternly. "Was it Lucius Malfoy who revealed your identity?"
"Yes, Master", Snape nodded quickly, continuing. "However, Ivan Hals doesn't trust those traitors very much, so I told him that I had been working for Dumbledore all along, passing information to the Order of the Phoenix about you..."
"Then you betrayed a lot of Dumbledore's information to make him believe you had switched sides again?" Voldemort asked with a cold laugh.
"Ivan Hals believes he has control over the entire Wizarding World, and I am a man who knows when to adapt!" Snape nodded hesitantly, then quickly added, "Of course, my loyalty is to you, Master! This situation probably won't remain hidden for long... If Ivan Hals finds out that I was the one who incited Dumbledore against him, he will not spare me!"
"Don't worry so much, Severus!" Voldemort interrupted Snape. "I know Dumbledore, and he wouldn't reveal your involvement to Ivan Hals. If he had, you wouldn't be alive now!"
"So you are safe, safer than anyone else! Don't forget, Ivan Hals likely used the information you provided to eliminate a major enemy. He is now very convinced that you have betrayed Dumbledore and are on his side!"
Voldemort methodically outlined the current situation for Snape. "In other words, you have successfully gained his trust and can continue with your duties!"
"I believe you have the talent for this, Severus... just as you once deceived Dumbledore."
"As long as you can gather more information for me, I will give you whatever you desire! Whether it's reputation, power, or even..."
"Immortality!" Voldemort emphasized, his voice tinged with persuasion. "Something Ivan Hals will never share with you!"
Snape's eyes flickered with a mix of fear and greed, but mostly with indecision.
Voldemort was not concerned about Snape's hesitation, knowing that there was no turning back for him now...
"Besides the news of Dumbledore's death, do you have anything else to report?" Voldemort continued.
Snape hesitated for a long moment, clearly weighing whether to speak. It wasn't until Voldemort began to show impatience that he carefully replied.
"It seems Ivan Hals intends to pin the blame for Dumbledore's death on you. Minister of Magic Pierce is preparing to issue a warrant for your arrest throughout Britain..."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
