Chapter 108 - 108 A Death Eater meeting at Malfoy Manor.

Chapter 108: Chapter 108 A Death Eater meeting at Malfoy Manor.

While Harry and Ron were still complaining about their tough first week of school, their arch-nemesis Voldemort was quietly scheming—

In an elegantly designed mansion surrounded by a meticulously arranged garden.

The garden was a lush green, filling the entire estate with its color. Dense rows of beautiful trees lined the stone paths, and a magical fountain spouted in the center of the garden. White peacocks wandered freely, adding a touch of opulence and nobility.

Yet the master of this grand residence stood in the purple wallpapered living room, bowing and scraping before a man with a bald head, twisted features, and a sinister expression.

"Lucius, how did you fare with the task I assigned?" the twisted man asked in a rasping voice from the chair at the front of the room.

"It's all taken care of, Master," Lucius said, bending deeply, almost to the floor, in a deeply respectful manner. "I've used a significant amount of money and the connections left by the Malfoy family to pave the way for Alecto to advance."

"According to reliable sources, he'll soon become the third in command at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Lucius's head was bowed so low that his face, full of bitterness and resentment, was hidden from view.

With the considerable wealth of the Malfoy family and Lucius's own talent for flattery and manipulation, he had become a prominent Death Eater during the First Wizarding War. However, he had fallen out of favor with Voldemort after losing an unknown dark artifact.

Now, Lucius had lost his former status within the Death Eater ranks. He felt that his position in Voldemort's eyes had become that of a disposable pawn, to be discarded once he had outlived his usefulness and drained the Malfoy family's remaining wealth.

Thus, Lucius felt deep resentment and even contemplated betrayal.

Thinking about the list of dark artifacts he had sold to Dracula a few days ago, Lucius felt a twinge of panic, but his anger and resentment quickly suppressed it.

"You've done well, Lucius," Voldemort's raspy voice came from the front of the room.

Even though his tone was encouraging, his eyes were red and cold, like a snake with a cold, bloodthirsty nature. "You've devoted your estate and countless resources to paving the way for Alecto at the Ministry of Magic. You've certainly worked hard."

"I am always fair in my rewards and punishments. So tell me, is there any reward you desire?"

"Serving you is the greatest reward I could wish for, Master!" Lucius said with obsequiousness.

Yet, despite his words, his face remained twisted with resentment, showing no trace of genuine flattery.

"Do you think I don't know you, Lucius?" Voldemort's long, spider-like fingers interlocked, and his red eyes fixed on Lucius's lowered gaze. "If I didn't give you the reward you deserve, you'd probably start thinking about how to betray me, wouldn't you?"

Hearing Voldemort's ominous words, Lucius's heart raced. He feared Voldemort had learned of his plea for help from Dracula.

"Master, I..." Lucius nearly blurted out his dealings with Dracula in his panic.

Fortunately, he was interrupted before he could speak.

"Let me think, what would be a fitting reward..." Voldemort's sinister smile made Lucius's heart pound with anxiety.

"I've suddenly thought of a rather interesting idea," Voldemort's mouth split into a terrifyingly wicked grin. "Lucius, you have a son, don't you? I see he's not in your estate, so he must be at Hogwarts now, right?"

Lucius's face turned ashen.

He had waited until the start of term at Hogwarts to offer Malfoy Manor to Voldemort, specifically to keep his son Draco away from the Death Eaters' mess.

But Lucius had not anticipated that Voldemort would suddenly mention Draco.

"What do you think will happen if Azkaban is breached during their tenure as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Head of the Auror Office?"

Voldemort's lips curled into a cold, thin line as his crimson eyes scanned the Death Eaters present, causing them to hold their breath in fear.

Among the Death Eaters present, only Snape seemed unaffected by Voldemort's presence.

He calmly asked, "Master, do we need to rescue our comrades who are imprisoned in Azkaban?"

"Yes, unlike you cowardly, retreating fools who only think about exonerating yourselves after my departure and couldn't even be bothered to look for them symbolically..." Voldemort looked at the gathered Death Eaters with a sneer. "Those imprisoned in Azkaban are my most loyal and trustworthy allies!"

"Our attack on Azkaban will not only rescue our most reliable allies but also create a significant blemish on Bones and Scrimgeour's careers, thus advancing Aksley's position. It's a win-win!"

The Death Eaters enthusiastically applauded, praising Voldemort's brilliant plan in various ways.

Amidst the praise, Voldemort showed a self-satisfied smile, then suddenly turned to Snape. "Severus, are you feeling scared?"

The compliments fell silent as everyone's eyes turned to Snape in confusion.

"I don't understand your meaning, Master," Snape said, feigning a slightly bewildered expression.

"No, you understand my meaning very well." Voldemort chuckled. "What I mean is, after I rescue our most loyal allies, will you be afraid that your current position might be threatened?"

Snape's pupils contracted slightly.

He understood that Voldemort had not yet fully trusted him and that this question was just another subtle test.

Snape remained vigilant internally but showed no sign of it on his face.

He replied, "The comrades in Azkaban are also my friends."

"Excellent!"

Voldemort laughed, his voice both raspy and sinister, as if a demon from hell was laughing.

"Excellent, Severus!" he said, patting Snape's shoulder. "I didn't misjudge you!"

Snape feigned a surprised expression, but his mind remained on high alert, not relaxing for a moment.

As a fellow undercover agent, Lucius did not need to be as tense as Snape.

He was already a fence-sitter, with some alignment with Voldemort's ideology.

Therefore, even though Lucius's mental occlusion was not as refined as Snape's and only covered details of his meeting with Dracula and a list of dark artifacts, Voldemort had not detected anything amiss.

This was because Voldemort had anticipated, or rather, understood the nature of the Malfoy family as fence-sitters, so he was not surprised by Lucius's occasional thoughts of escape.

Just as Voldemort was about to continue explaining the timing and plan for the attack on Azkaban, a handsome young man with black hair suddenly appeared like a shadow in the living room of Malfoy Manor.

"Are you planning to invade Azkaban now?"

The black-haired youth asked softly, holding a diary in his hand.