Then, in front of everybody, the metal fork started to change until it became gold.
A gasp escaped Tiberius's lips as he witnessed the miraculous transformation before their eyes. Cressida Greengrass, the wife of Tiberius, could hardly believe what she was seeing.
Tears welled up in Cressida's eyes, blurring her vision. They weren't tears of fear anymore, but a potent mix of relief and disbelief.
Her prayer has finally been answered. So many years have passed in search of a cure.
Now it is real. It is all real.
Those were the thoughts of both Greengrass' parents as they looked at the potion. The inevitable proof was shown by the Dark Lord Voldemort in using the Philosopher's Stone to turn the metal fork into gold.
If Voldemort had the Philosopher's Stone, then there was no doubt that he could produce the Elixir of Life. Tiberius continued to have his eyes glued to the Elixirs. The impossible was staring him right in the face.
He had scoured the wizarding world for a cure, or even a faint speculation, but found nothing. In fact, the real reason Tiberius was chasing after wealth, building so much business, was to generate enough resources for founding a cure.
The irony was bitter.
Now, here it was, offered by the most dangerous wizard alive.
But it did not matter. Tiberius was willing to go to any end to get a cure for his daughter. As a father, he could not bear to see her in such a hopeless case.
Tiberius' body moved on autopilot, the chair scraping back against the floor as he lunged to his feet. He didn't care about etiquette, about maintaining any semblance of composure.
All that mattered was Astoria. Her life, her future.
With a heavy thud, Tiberius kneeled before Voldemort, his head bowed. Tears streamed down his cheeks, blurring the image of the Dark Lord before him.
"My Lord, I beg of you, please... Please spare my daughter. I am willing to do anything, anything at all, in exchange for the Elixirs of Life."
Cressida, mirroring her husband's actions, sank to her knees beside him. "Anything, my Lord," she repeated just like her husband. "We will do anything you ask. Just… please, grant us the Elixir of life."
Voldemort knew this was it. He has won. They were now a pawn for him to use.
"Rise," he commanded. Tiberius and Cressida obeyed, scrambling to their feet. Tiberius realized that the dark Lord had not granted their request, but at least Voldemort had not rejected them.
"This," Voldemort declared, gesturing towards the Elixirs of Life, "is a gift. There is no need for a deal."
Voldemort knew of two types of submission. One due to fear and the other from one's own will, submitting due to gratitude. Voldemort found that a mix of both resulted in the ultimate obedience.
Tiberius and Cressida exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with hope. They couldn't believe their luck, couldn't fathom that their prayers had been answered in such a miraculous fashion.
"Thank you, my Lord," Tiberius murmured, still in disbelief. "We are eternally grateful."
Then, as if a switch had been flipped, Tiberius's expression shifted. His eyes, once filled with tears of gratitude, now burned with a newfound determination.
"My Lord," Tiberius began, "I wish to offer my services to you. I want... to become a Death Eater."
Tiberius understood that even though Lord Voldemort said it was a gift, the latter expected his loyalty in return. And also, when Astoria would use all five flasks, Tiberius would need to get more from Lord Voldemort. That's why he came to this decision. It did not matter now whether being a Death Eater was bad or not; what mattered was the life of his daughter.
Voldemort did not expect this for Tiberius to offer to become a Death Eater. The dark lord was not going to let such a marvelous chance go to waste.
Then, in front of everyone, Voldemort performed the ritual and added the dark mark on Tiberius's inner left forearm. Just like previously, Cressida followed her husband in kneeling; she also requested to be branded with the dark mark and thus became a Death Eater.
"This is such a joyous occasion. The Greengrass family, one of the remaining pureblood families, has finally joined us to create the perfect wizarding world."
His gaze then shifted to Astoria.
"Young Astoria," he said, "Look upon your parents. See the love that burns so brightly in their eyes, a love willing to defy fate itself to secure your future. Never forget this moment. Never forget the lengths they have gone to for you. Embrace the extra life this potion grants you, and use it to further the cause of purebloods. Let it fuel your dedication, your unwavering commitment to the ideals we hold dear."
And for the first time since this gathering, Voldemort addressed the elder Greengrass daughter.
"And you, Daphne, do you share your parents' devotion? Are you, too, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of your sister?"
Daphne's heart raced as she felt the weight of Voldemort's gaze upon her.
She knew this moment would come, that she would be questioned, just like her parents and sister. But now, with the Elixir of Life, she was just like her parents.
"Yes," she replied, "I am willing to do whatever is necessary for the sake of my sister."
A twisted smile spread across Voldemort's lips. "Well said, Daphne Greengrass," and then addressed back to the parents. "Both your daughters are well educated."
Then, changing to a more serious tone, Voldemort began unveiling his plan for Tiberius.
"Now it's time to give you your first mission, Tiberius. I know you are not very good at fighting, so most of your work will involve business and negotiation with people. I want you to focus your business mostly in Europe, more specifically, the neighbouring countries of the British. And give your special attention to France. For the Pureblood ideology to become a reality, you will need to favor those business partners that are Pureblood and reject those that are otherwise. This is your first task as a Death Eater, Tiberius. Can I believe that you will complete such an easy task as soon as possible?"