Upon hearing Voldemort's words, Lucius Malfoy knew that his son could no longer escape his fate. At that moment, all Lucius could do was pray that the task assigned to Draco was not something as suicidal as assassinating Albus Dumbledore.
Seeing that there was no way to avoid the matter, Lucius steeled himself and asked cautiously,
"Great Master, may I ask… what task do you intend to give Draco?"
Voldemort replied,
"Rest assured, Lucius. I won't assign Draco a task he cannot complete. This one is simple, but it will require your cooperation."
Lucius let out a long breath, a little of the tension in his chest easing. Voldemort continued,
"If I'm not mistaken, the Hogwarts holidays are fast approaching. Lucius, I want you to write Draco a letter. Instruct him to invite his friends to visit Malfoy Manor during the break."
Lucius blinked in confusion, and repeated, almost disbelieving,
"Invite guests? You want Draco to invite his friends to visit Malfoy Manor?"
He could hardly believe that such a trivial task was what the Dark Lord had planned for Draco. Although Lucius was certain Voldemort had some sinister purpose behind it, he didn't care what happened to others. As long as Draco wasn't placed in direct danger, that was all that mattered.
Relieved, Lucius immediately nodded and said,
"Of course, my Lord! I'll write the letter at once. I guarantee Draco will carry out your instructions."
But no sooner had Lucius finished speaking than Voldemort raised a hand.
"Not so fast, Lucius. I haven't finished."
Lucius's heart clenched again as Voldemort spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Among the friends Draco invites, there must be one in particular—Harry Potter. No matter what, Harry Potter must be brought here. Do you understand me, Lucius Malfoy?"
Only then did Lucius truly understand, Voldemort's target was Harry Potter all along.
Still, to Lucius, Harry Potter's life was no more valuable than that of any other Hogwarts student. As long as Draco wasn't endangered, he couldn't care less what befell the others.
So he smiled and assured Voldemort,
"Of course, my Lord! Draco and that half-blood brat Harry Potter are on very good terms. I'm confident Draco will succeed."
Voldemort seemed quite pleased with his answer and said meaningfully,
"Indeed, Lucius. I know this, I know far more than you think I do."
Lucius glanced toward the rat-like figure of Peter Pettigrew standing nearby and realized it must have been him who informed Voldemort about Draco's friendships.
A flash of murderous intent crossed Lucius's eyes as he looked at Pettigrew, followed by a deep look of contempt. Pettigrew, however, seemed utterly unfazed. Not only did he meet Lucius's gaze, but even glared back at him defiantly, as though issuing a silent challenge.
Soon after, Pettigrew gave Lucius a final reminder to act quickly, then turned and left Malfoy Manor.
It was only long after Pettigrew's departure that Lucius dared to believe Voldemort had truly gone. Supported by Narcissa, he slowly rose to his feet, only for her to abruptly shove him back down.
Lucius froze, stunned. Then, his anger flared. He leapt to his feet and barked,
"What are you... why are you even helping me stand up? I can do it myself!"
But before he could truly vent his frustration, Narcissa shot him a withering glare, effectively silencing him.
Resigned, Lucius said nothing further. He simply walked over to a nearby chair and sank into it, alone and crestfallen.
Seeing her husband's dejected expression, Narcissa's heart ached. Yet she still approached him and said coldly,
"Lucius, didn't we agree? We chose the Alliance! So why did you just agree to his demands?"
"Do you realize what will happen if the Alliance finds out? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble this will bring to Draco?!"
Lucius waved a hand impatiently.
"If we obey Voldemort, the Alliance might kill us. But if we defy him, we could be dead tonight! What do you want me to do?!"
Narcissa knew he spoke the truth, but she still said icily,
"Even if both of us die, at least Draco could live on, couldn't he? Perhaps the Alliance would value him even more."
"If I had a choice, I'd rather trade our lives for Draco's bright future, rather than have him spend the rest of his life scurrying like a rat, hiding from the world! I'm not an Animagus, I can't turn into a rat!"
Lucius looked hurt and said defensively,
"Narcissa, my love for Draco is no less than yours! Do you think I'd let our own son take on something like this if I had any choice?"
Narcissa cut in quickly,
"Then let's go to Dumbledore, have him protect Draco. We can go to the Alliance and tell them everything!"
But this time, Lucius did not agree. Instead, he slammed his hand on the table, his expression darkening.
"Narcissa, can't you see?! Voldemort is prepared. He's even managed to tame those soulless Dementors, what can't he do now? His return this time… it cannot be stopped!"
"As for the Alliance… they're probably still scouring the globe for Wentworth. Do you remember what the Alliance was like before he emerged? For decades, no one remembered them!"
"If Wentworth were still leading the Alliance, even if he were just at Hogwarts, I would've made the same choice as you. I'd have given my life to prove Draco's loyalty. Don't think I wouldn't."
"But now… I see no hope for the Alliance. Because the one who gave them that hope… is gone."
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This fanfic has been fully translated!