Voldemort fell silent for several seconds, his expression becoming even darker.
Because Lucien was right.
After Voldemort's disappearance, nearly all of the truly loyal Death Eaters had been purged or imprisoned.
The ones still roaming freely were mostly opportunists.
Did people like Barty Crouch Jr., Bellatrix Lestrange, or the Carrows lack connections and influence?
Of course not.
If they had wanted to escape punishment, they could have done exactly what Lucius Malfoy and Igor Karkaroff did—deny everything and use wealth or political influence to protect themselves.
But they hadn't.
They had willingly accepted imprisonment for the sake of Voldemort's cause.
Compared to fanatics like them, Snape's loyalty was indeed questionable.
"After last night's failure," Lucien continued calmly, "Dumbledore will definitely be more cautious. Whatever you wanted may already have been moved elsewhere."
"If you continue forcing the issue, it'll only backfire."
Those words completely ignited Voldemort's already unstable temper.
"You dare disobey my orders?"
A violent magical aura instantly exploded through the room.
Voldemort raised his wand without hesitation.
A sickly green light burst forward.
The Killing Curse shot directly toward Lucien's chest.
Lucien wasn't some brainless Death Eater willing to stand still and accept punishment.
The instant Voldemort attacked, Lucien's wand snapped upward.
"Expelliarmus!"
A blazing red beam erupted forward.
The two spells collided violently in midair.
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the office as magical energy detonated outward. The stone floor cracked apart instantly, leaving behind a massive crater.
Voldemort slowly stood from his chair.
A dangerous smile appeared on his pale face.
"It seems my dear student has become quite confident."
"You actually dare raise your wand against your teacher?"
Lucien merely smiled faintly while watching the unstable magical energy flickering around Voldemort's wand.
"Teacher," he said calmly, "with your current condition, wasting magic recklessly doesn't seem wise."
Voldemort laughed coldly.
"Are you threatening me?"
"I wouldn't dare," Lucien replied politely. "I'm merely offering a small suggestion."
The room fell silent.
Voldemort stared at Lucien for a very long time before finally sitting back down slowly.
Some time ago, Voldemort had already realized something deeply troubling.
He could no longer accurately judge Lucien's true strength.
In the beginning, Voldemort could estimate Lucien's progress through the questions he asked during lessons and the theories he discussed.
But now?
Lucien's understanding of magic had advanced so quickly that even Voldemort occasionally found himself impressed by the boy's ideas.
Some theories Lucien proposed were things Voldemort himself had never considered before.
More importantly, Voldemort had no idea how much Lucien was deliberately hiding.
He might be arrogant and cruel.
But he was not stupid.
Voldemort understood his own condition better than anyone.
Even without knowing Lucien's exact level of power, Voldemort knew one thing for certain:
With Lucien's terrifying talent, his growth had likely already exceeded imagination.
And in Voldemort's current weakened state, recklessly turning against him carried enormous risk.
After reaching that conclusion, Voldemort slowly suppressed the murderous intent in his eyes.
His cold gaze swept toward Lucien.
"We will forget what happened last night."
"Tonight, you will accompany me into the Forbidden Forest."
"Yes, respected teacher."
…
That afternoon, the Quidditch pitch was overflowing with excitement.
Although the troll incident from last night still lingered in people's minds, it did nothing to dampen Hogwarts students' enthusiasm for Quidditch.
Compared to Hufflepuff's laid-back attitude or Ravenclaw students hiding in libraries all day, matches between Slytherin and Gryffindor were always especially fierce.
The rivalry alone guaranteed excitement.
By the time Lucien arrived, the stands were already packed with cheering students waving banners and enchanted flags.
The Slytherin prefects occupied the front rows together, watching the players warm up in the air.
Then suddenly—
A tall man with platinum blond hair slowly approached the Slytherin section.
His luxurious dark robes flowed elegantly behind him, while a silver serpent-headed cane rested casually in one hand.
The moment students noticed him, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Mr. Malfoy!"
"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy!"
"Amiri Caro sends his regards, Mr. Malfoy!"
A series of eager greetings immediately erupted around him.
Not only the Slytherin prefects, but even ordinary students hurried forward to introduce themselves.
Even among the Sacred Twenty-Eight, the Malfoy family stood near the very top.
As head of the Malfoy family, Lucius Malfoy held influence powerful enough that even their parents treated him carefully.
Compared to adults like Lucius, they were merely children.
Lucius acknowledged the greetings with nothing more than a few indifferent nods.
Most people didn't even receive a glance.
Then his eyes landed on Lucien.
And instantly, his entire expression transformed.
"Mr. Grindelwald."
Lucius inclined his head respectfully.
"It has been far too long."
Lucien smiled politely.
"Likewise, Mr. Malfoy."
"I never expected you to attend Draco's match personally. I'm honoured."
"Draco is your friend," Lucius replied smoothly. "That alone makes this match worth attending."
Then he added without hesitation:
"It is the Malfoy family's honour to be considered your ally."
The surrounding Slytherin students nearly stopped breathing.
Before coming to Hogwarts, most of them had only read about Lucien in newspapers. Although impressive, he had still remained just another student in their eyes.
But now?
The same Lucius Malfoy their parents constantly warned them to respect was practically treating Lucien like an equal.
The contrast felt surreal.
"The Malfoy family business seems to be flourishing lately," Lucien said casually. "Aunt Vita mentioned you provided several excellent new trade channels recently."
"Nothing worth mentioning," Lucius replied humbly.
"Compared to your accomplishments, these are merely small investments."
Lucius perfectly demonstrated the Malfoy family survival philosophy:
Never oppose someone capable of becoming more valuable than you.
Their conversation only paused once magical fireworks exploded above the Quidditch pitch, signalling the start of the match.
Lucius adjusted his gloves elegantly.
"I'm planning to greet an old friend before the match begins," he said smoothly. "Would you care to join me, Mr. Grindelwald?"
Lucien immediately understood who he meant.
Snape.
The two had attended Hogwarts together and both once served Voldemort.
Back in his previous life, Lucien had frequently heard rumours claiming Snape was Draco's godfather. After arriving in Slytherin, he had even asked Draco about it directly once.
The only response he received had been Draco's utterly confused expression.
Thinking about it now, the rumours probably weren't true at all.
In the original timeline, Snape treated Draco more like the son of an old acquaintance than an actual godson.
"No need," Lucien replied politely. "I'll stay here with my classmates."
"As you wish."
Lucius nodded before walking away gracefully through the stands.
Meanwhile, the Quidditch match officially began.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle sharply.
The Quaffle shot upward like a cannonball while the Bludgers immediately exploded into motion across the field.
High above the pitch, Draco gripped his broom tightly while dodging an incoming Bludger.
His eyes constantly scanned the air for the Golden Snitch.
Then, while circling overhead, Draco spotted Lucius and Lucien watching from the stands below.
His entire expression brightened instantly.
For the first time all day, genuine confidence appeared in his eyes.
Just as Draco began wondering how to perform spectacularly enough to steal everyone's attention—
Something unexpected happened.
....
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