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When these Death Eaters appeared I immediately focused my attention on them, knowing that these were some of Voldemort's closest and most loyal wizards. Those who, in a way, were the reason he was so influential among the pureblood and supremacist wizards.
Of course, I knew that these were not all the wizards in the Dark Lord's inner circle.
Professor Snape – whose magic I wasn't sensing among the Death Eaters in the graveyard – should still be at Hogwarts, alongside Dumbledore. And Karkaroff at this moment was probably preparing to flee or had already fled.
As for the other Death Eaters who weren't here, they were either already dead or still locked up in Azkaban.
But these imprisoned Death Eaters weren't as important as the ones here now.
I was aware that the dark wizards who were here now were the ones who bribed the ministry in the trials 13 years ago, managing to avoid imprisonment.
Because of this, they were able to live freely in society, spending the remaining 13 years bribing more people and suppressing rivals, and now they exerted a great influence in the British wizarding community.
And in the general context of the upcoming war, they will be the true and main danger and threat, much more than the imprisoned Death Eaters who were just crazy, bloodthirsty and cruel.
The wizards in this graveyard had already deeply infiltrated into the Ministry of Magic and other powerful organizations, controlling many people and forces, making it easier for Voldemort to regain his power.
Knowing this, I focused on feeling the magical signature of all of them, trying to see if I recognized any of them as any of the wizards from the dark families that I had seen in my four years in the wizarding world.
And those that I couldn't recognize, I made sure to try to memorize their magic, as all of these wizards would be the ones that I would have to pay close attention to when I started the process of 'cleansing' the ministry.
As the wise men of war used to say: Eliminating mere cannon fodder soldiers does not end a war. If you really want to deal a heavy blow to the enemy you must focus on destroying their resources.
"Master!"
"Congratulations on your return, my lord!"
"I'm so happy to see you!"
"My lord!"
As soon as they saw their master standing in the middle of the graveyard, the Death Eaters who had just arrived immediately came forward, kneeling servilely before him.
They then began to speak flattering and congratulatory words to Voldemort, trying to please him as they approached to kiss the hem of his robes.
Voldemort, seeing this, showed no reaction other than a cold and indifferent look, letting them humble themselves at his feet with a feeling of sadistic satisfaction.
Having demonstrated their loyalty and servitude to the Dark Lord, these Death Eaters did not dare to waste his time any longer. They stood up silently, stepping back and forming a circle around Voldemort, Harry and me.
As each Death Eater took their place in the graveyard, the evil wizard turned his gaze back to Harry, before approaching him with a cold, imposing smile.
"See, Potter... This is my real family now," he began to say in a hissing, slurred whisper, low enough that only Harry - and I, who had enhanced hearing - could hear.
"These filthy fools buried in these graves... are nothing more than echoes of a shameful past that I chose to bury with them."
"Now, what matters is the future — the future that I will shape with my own hands. And in that future there will be a world where I, Lord Voldemort, reign supreme, sovereign over everything... and everyone!"
Saying this, there was a touch of presumption and arrogance in his voice, as if all of this was not a goal, but rather an irreversible and concrete fact.
Voldemort didn't wait for Harry to react or say anything after his bold proclamation, and without a second glance at the Boy-Who-Lived, he turned back to his servants who were still standing in silence.
This night should be a time of celebration, happiness and pride for all these Death Eaters, as their all-powerful master, after more than a decade, had finally resurfaced.
However, looking at the terrifying wizard standing in the middle of the graveyard, they could only feel a suffocating and evil tension in the air. A chill ran through their bodies, so nervous that they didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
Voldemort, who didn't care about the fearful and distressed looks of his servants, began to walk with slow steps in front of them.
"Well, I see there are a lot of empty places here today..." Voldemort began, looking around at the empty spaces between the Death Eaters.
"Some, I know, were unable to attend today as they are still imprisoned in the deepest parts of Azkaban... Something I will resolve eventually."
"However, those who are free and did not come to my call, will have to give me a very good explanation later." He narrowed his eyes dangerously, with everyone sensing the threat in his tone.
"Now, as for the rest of you…" he paused for a moment, looking at these dark wizards who immediately lowered their heads in submissiveness.
And seeing this, Voldemort snorted coldly, before continuing to walk, "You came as soon as I called you, and that is acceptable. It shows that you still consider me your master."
"However, this still does not erase your grave mistake… The mistake of not seeking me out before today." The more the dark lord spoke, the colder and angrier his voice sounded.
Sensing that Voldemort's emotions were becoming more dangerous, a Death Eater quickly stepped forward in panic.
"My lord, we didn't know where you were. If we had, we would have gone to you immediately!" he said, trying to make an excuse for their lack of effort.
"Heh, would you?" Voldemort sneered.
"Of course, my lord!" another Death Eater stepped forward, "We would have done everything we could to come to you, and it would have been an honor to help you—"
"{Crucio}!"
"Aaaahg!"
This Death Eater didn't have time to finish his sentence before he was hit by the red ray of the Dark Lord's dark spell.
He was now writhing on the ground, screaming in pain as Voldemort just stared at him indifferently.
Seeing his colleague being tortured in front of him, the Death Eater who was the first to step forward immediately froze in fright, not daring to make any movement or sound, afraid that he would be the next victim of the evil wizard's Unforgivable Curse.
The torture lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to satisfy Voldemort's sadistic pleasure, and also to remind his servants how dissatisfied he was, and how cruel he could be because of it.
"Don't think I don't know why you didn't look for me," Voldemort began to say cruelly, "You all thought I was dead, defeated… Your guilt about this permeates the air"
"Many of you didn't even think about finding out what happened to me, too happy to enjoy the benefits and riches you got after surrendering to the ministry."
"Unlike those in Azkaban, like the Lestranges, who chose to go to prison rather than deny their master, or those who fought to the death in a last stand of loyalty."
"You have disappointed me. Dishonored our cause... And I hope this was the last time." at the last sentence the dark lord's voice slowed and lowered, with a cold and dark tone to it.
A frightening pressure then fell upon the Death Eaters, with all of them noticing the warning and threat in that sentence.
Even though I wasn't the focus of this pressure I could still feel it clearly, which made me frown.
'So this is his strength right after he resurrects... I don't even want to imagine how strong he was in his prime' I thought, unable to help but feel a sense of worry.
But shaking my head I decided not to think about it for now, looking back at Voldemort who was scolding and threatening his Death Eaters.
While all of this was happening, my mind was working tirelessly, thinking of strategies to get Harry and me out of this cemetery safely — and at the same time I was also preparing to inflict serious damage on these dark wizards.
End.
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