"Oh, Merlin", Tiberius knew this was not good. Every muscle in his body tensed, his mind a mess because of the fear.
"My... Lord," he began, his voice breaking at each word, "I… I do not understand."
He could no longer maintain direct gaze at the dark Lord as Tiberius felt Voldemort studying his entire being.
Then the dark Lord spoke.
"Ok then, let me ask you this," Voldemort said, "Are you and your family supporters of the Pure Blood ideology?"
How could Tiberius tell the whole truth? He was for the Blood purity, but not to such an extreme as the dark Lord and the Death Eaters. How could he say to Voldemort that many of his business partners were not pureblood?
There was no other choice but to lie.
"Absolutely, my Lord," Tiberius blurted, "We are firm believers in the purity of wizarding blood. It's been a core principle of our family for generations. And since a young age, I have taught my daughters about the importance of blood purity and the dangers of mingling with others."
Tiberius glanced at Daphne and Astoria, who remained with their heads bowed, hoping they wouldn't betray any flicker of doubt.
"Then, tell me, Tiberius, how exactly are you different from this hypothetical business partner you described? The Greengrasses have always been known for their neutrality. You've carefully cultivated your reputation, dabbling in pureblood ideology but never fully committing. Convenient, wouldn't you say? Waiting on the sidelines, to see if I, Lord Voldemort, will succeed or not, while you continue to expand your business."
Tiberius felt a wave of panic wash over him as Voldemort's words sank in. His carefully constructed facade of loyalty and neutrality was crumbling before his very eyes, laid bare by the piercing gaze of the Dark Lord.
"No, my Lord! Please, you misunderstand. We are devoted to your cause. We..."
"Silence!" Voldemort's voice boomed, the force of it rattling the silverware on the table. His sudden shout caused everyone to flinch.
"You speak of loyalty, yet your actions speak of self-preservation."
Then, Lord Voldemort's emotions took a complete turn. "Haha, look at me getting all angry." A cold, humorless laugh erupted from Voldemort.
"Don't worry, Tiberius, consider this a... test. A chance to prove your true allegiance." He leaned back in his chair.
Voldemort knew all too well what sort of man Tiberius was. Staying behind the scenes to avoid any danger while also taking advantage of the situation. After all, Voldemort himself was doing this for some of his plans.
But Voldemort could not allow someone to use him. This was absolutely out of question.
And having someone like Tiberius, who had so much international influence, would greatly accelerate Voldemort's plan, for Greengrass was on his side. Thus, Voldemort had to force Tiberius's hand, leaving him no choice but to join his cause.
As such, Voldemort turned his gaze to the youngest Greengrass, who remained frozen in her seat, eyes wide with terror.
"Young girl," he spoke, his voice softer now, the scary part gone. "Your name is Astoria, right?"
Astoria found it so hard to speak and could only manage a shaky nod.
"Good," Voldemort continued, "You, at least, seem to understand the importance of tradition. Tell me, Astoria, do you agree with the idea of blood purity?"
Why was the dark Lord questioning her among all the ones present? She could not respond. Under the table, she felt her mother's hand, and as she looked at her, Cressida gave her daughter a reassuring nod.
Her voice, when it finally came, was barely a whisper, "Y-yes, my Lord."
"Excellent," he exclaimed, "You, young Astoria, are a prime example of the future generation of purebloods."
Tiberius was in fear that the dark Lord would cause harm to Astoria as punishment.
Thankfully, Lord Voldemort did nothing like that and just questioned her.
Then Tiberius saw the dark Lord's attention was once again on him. "I heard that your family suffers from a blood curse, and currently, this young girl, Astoria, is affected by it."
Unable to understand exactly what the dark Lord would gain from such a question, Tiberius still answered it. "Yes, my Lord. She has... been affected by it."
Voldemort lifted his hand, a silent command that summoned five flasks of potion to materialize on the table before him. Everyone's gaze was immediately attracted to them. The golden liquid inside was so mesmerizing. Tiberius, being in the business for so long, never saw such a potion.
"These are the legendary Elixirs of Life. A gift for your daughter. Make use of it when the curse becomes too severe."
What? Tiberius could not believe Voldemort.
This was the Elixir of Life.
Tiberius's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the precious flasks before him.
Tiberius has searched the wizarding world in the hope of finding a solution for his daughter Astoria's blood curse. Unfortunately, there was not a single cure, and there has never been a wizard who has been able to remove a blood curse. The only solution that Tiberius found was the legendary Elixir of Life.
With the properties of immortality from the potion, Astoria could keep on living as long as she consumed it. Thus, Tiberius Greengrass went to Nicolas Flammel, the only wizard who could produce the potion, as he had the Philosopher's Stone. But to his disbelief, Nicolas refused to give him a single drop, even when Tiberius was willing to give away all his fortune.
And here, the Dark Lord Voldemort was offering him five flasks filled with the Elixir of Life.
"I am sure you all must be asking yourself how I got this potion when the only known possessor of the Philosopher's Stone is Nicolas Flammel." Voldemort paused as he took a necklace from inside his cloak and showed the rest.
Their attention was instantly grasped by the red stone held by the black band of the necklace.
"You see, I do have a Philosopher's Stone of my own."
With that said, Voldemort leaned a little and let the stone touch against the metal fork on the table.