days at Hogwarts

Chapter 575 Death Eater Council

On an early autumn morning, a fountain emitted moist mist, and I walked along the gravel road to the door of a very respectable mansion. The diamond-shaped glass of the window reflected the shining light. No one opened the door, and the door opened automatically inward.

The entrance hall was large, dimly lit, and luxuriously decorated. A luxurious carpet almost covered the entire stone floor. As Snape and Narcissa strode past, the pale-faced portraits on the wall followed their eyes. The two stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, hesitated for a moment, and Snape turned the bronze handle.

The usual furniture in the room was pushed randomly against the wall. A roaring fire was burning in the magnificent marble fireplace, illuminating the room. Above the fireplace was a gilded mirror. In the middle of the living room was an ornate round table, around which a few people were sitting.

Snape glanced around calmly, and saw a group of familiar faces. He lowered his eyes to hide a subtle smile.

Voldemort sat in the main seat with his back to the fireplace. His hairless face emerged from the shadows. It was pale and smooth, as if it contained a pearly light. His snake-like vertical pupils were scarlet in color, and there were two long and thin nostrils on his smooth face.

Bellatrix and Lucius sat next to each other, leaving a few empty seats in the middle. Then came Alex, Avery, and Nott, who sat together. Crabbe and Goyle, two big guys, sat alone together...

"Severus, sit here." Voldemort pointed to the empty seat immediately to his right, with Bellatrix sitting on his left.

Snape sat down silently. Narcissa sat next to Lucius consciously. Facing his inquiring gaze, she shook her head and forced a smile.

There were no extra greetings or pleasantries when acquaintances gathered together. Voldemort looked around and asked calmly, "Lucius, Avery, have you found the person in the photo?"

"I'm sorry, master. I have no clues here..." Lucius raised his head. In the light of the fire, his skin looked sallow and dull, his eyes were sunken, his expression was melancholy, and his voice was hoarse.

“I’m sorry, Master. I…our investigation ran into an accident…” Avery seemed more flustered than Lucius. He timidly glanced at Voldemort, who had his back to the fire, and said tremblingly, “The Ministry of Magic got wind of our investigation in Hogsmeade. A senior deputy minister of the Ministry of Magic set a trap for us at the Hog’s Head Bar, and we were almost caught…luckily, Alex and I reacted quickly.”

"Do you remember what I said before, Avery?" Voldemort cast his eyes over and said softly, "I haven't forgiven you yet. I want you to pay off the debts you have owed for more than ten years, and now, you owe even more... This makes me doubt whether you can really pay off the debts?"

Avery's body trembled slightly. The people around the round table looked at Voldemort with trepidation, not even daring to look at Avery with pity. They seemed to be worried that Voldemort would use his life to repay his debt.

Narcissa didn't dare look directly into those terrifying snake eyes. When she looked away, she saw that Snape's expression didn't change much. She looked at him deeply again, recalling what Lucius had told her last night.

"No matter what happens, don't panic and don't lose your composure, Narcissa. Two capable servants have been killed. He will cherish these few servants even more... Until those people in Azkaban are rescued, no one will be in danger..."

"It's not my fault, it's not my fault, Master. It might be that Lucius's high-profile investigation leaked the news..."

Avery was blinded by fear, and before he could further anger Voldemort, Snape cleared his throat and interrupted his defense in a low voice: "I may have a clue here."

"If I remember correctly, Severus, you were not involved in this investigation." Bellatrix said meaningfully. As Narcissa's cousin, the two looked completely different. She had dark skin, messy hair, and puffy eyes. If Narcissa was a noble lady raised in a manor, she was the weird witch in Knockturn Alley.

Snape glanced at her and said nothing. Instead, he turned his head to look at Voldemort who was sitting in the main seat.

Voldemort smiled coldly, and a hissing sound came out of his lips: "...You can always surprise me, Severus."

Snape nodded and said, "The Senior Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Magic, Dolores Umbridge, is currently the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Her ambush was not in vain. It seems that she got the portrait left by Avery..."

Many people turned to look at Avery and Alex, their already complicated expressions revealed a hint of pity. The two people being stared at were so scared that their faces turned pale, and they buried their heads and dared not look at the person sitting in the main seat.

Voldemort leaned back slightly, leaning against the leather chair back, showing an interested expression.

Snape briefly explained Umbridge's use of the excuse of investigating Hogwarts, and then talked about what happened in the Divination class:
"She took the photo to the divination professor Sybill Trelawney and made a prophecy about the clues in the portrait. The content of the prophecy... I know part of it, but not the whole thing. The situation at that time was a bit strange. Trelawney seemed to have lost consciousness and was only driven by instinct. Only Umbridge could hear her voice clearly. The little wizards watching did not hear the content of the prophecy."

"Sybill Trelawney..." Voldemort repeated in a low voice, his scarlet snake eyes bursting with bright red light, his eyes were as sharp as torches. Several people nearby quickly looked away, as if they were worried that the ferocious eyes would burn them.

"What a familiar name. I remember that more than a decade ago, a prophet also made a prediction for me. At least from a superficial point of view, she was partially right..."

"That's Sybill Trelawney," Snape reminded softly.

This inexplicable sense of déjà vu was so strong that Bellatrix, who knew the inside story, frowned tightly. It was you again, another prophecy, and even the same prophet... Although the other Death Eaters did not know the inside story of the prophecy from more than a decade ago, they were recently ordered to investigate the Prophecy Hall of the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic, and more or less guessed some information, and their expressions were slightly subtle. "I know what you are thinking..."

Voldemort turned to look at his followers, still with a cold smile on his face, his voice unchanged: "You are hesitating, you are suspicious, you are worried that what happened more than ten years ago will happen again... Even though I have proved that I have boundless magical powers, even though you have witnessed my resurrection from the dead, you have witnessed my comeback..."

"I know what you are thinking. You still believe that there is a more powerful force that can defeat the Dark Lord... because that person is still alive, the protector of mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore..."

The flames in the fireplace trembled slightly, causing the shadows in the room to tremble as well, except that some people's shadows trembled faster and with greater amplitude, making it look as if the shadow's owner was shaking with fear and anxiety.

Voldemort's gaze forced every Death Eater to lower their heads. After a few minutes, he turned his gaze to the opposite side of the round table. The seat there was empty and nothing could be seen. Only an inexplicable red light flashed in his eyes:

"Invite Professor Umbridge as a guest. I believe she will make a wise choice. What do you think?"

“This might be a little difficult…”

Alex, who currently works at the Ministry of Magic, spoke up. In the eyes of other Death Eaters, he was incredibly brave. "Umbridge is the Senior Deputy Minister. She usually only appears in the court for major cases and the Minister's office. She basically has no field activities. Now she is also the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Her whereabouts are uncertain, and her chances of showing up are even less... Not to mention sneaking into Hogwarts to kidnap people, this..."

Although he didn't finish his words, everyone else understood the meaning. In some ways, Hogwarts' defenses were tighter than the Ministry of Magic.

"Yes, there is no chance to do it at the Ministry of Magic or in school, and I can't find anyone at other times..."

"I can't do anything even if I want to."

"..."

Lucius had not intended to speak, but recalling his recent situation, he pretended to be sincere and said, "Under normal circumstances, there may not be a chance... But I know a little about this Ms. Umbridge. She is someone who craves fame, wealth and power. If a banquet invitation is sent out in the name of the Malfoy family, the more dignitaries appear at the banquet, the greater the chance that she will attend."

Voldemort smiled approvingly: "I knew you were always considerate, Lucius, and always able to help me solve my problems... I noticed that you and your family seemed unhappy recently, and I thought that I was staying at your house, and there was something that made you unhappy. What do you think, Lucius?"

"No...No, Master!"

"So, when does the party start?"

"The most grand banquet will be during the Christmas holidays, Master..." Lucius' voice trembled and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"During the Christmas holidays, a grand banquet is perfect for welcoming those friends who have regained their freedom, but I can't wait..." Voldemort tilted his head slightly to one side, looking at the expressions of Lucius and Narcissa, "But there is no better idea now, so let's prepare it this way."

"Yes, Master!"

"..."

Snape listened to the discussion silently without saying a word. He waited until Voldemort dismissed his Death Eaters and Lucius and Narcissa went out to see them off. Only he and Voldemort were left in the living room. Then he whispered, "If you still believe in me, perhaps I can give it a try..."

Facing Voldemort's venomous gaze, his expression did not change, and he said calmly: "In Hogwarts School, there is no one more convenient to do it than me. Just a few drops of truth serum will make her reveal all the secrets buried deep in her heart."

“I had forgotten, Severus, that you are a master of potions.” Voldemort pretended to listen carefully, the red light in his eyes becoming brighter. “Of course I am willing to entrust my faith, but we all know that for some stubborn and arrogant wizards, the effect of truth serum is limited.”

"If possible, I will bring her to you and you can use your magic to open her brain yourself."

"It's a pleasure to talk to you..." Voldemort hissed, his scarlet snake pupils staring straight into Snape's black eyes. After a while, he suddenly smiled. "If everything goes well, maybe you should start thinking about what to use to make your Horcrux."

Snape raised his head suddenly, and a clear look of joy bloomed on his previously cold face.

(End of this chapter)