Boom!
Crack!
Even though Xenophilius had spoken as if he were about to sacrifice himself the very next second, the barrier he mentioned had, in reality, still managed to keep the Death Eaters outside at bay.
The sound of cracking did not bode well, but it did not seem like something that could be broken through in a short time either.
At least, that was the conclusion Draco reached from what he saw with his own eyes after stepping outside...
The moment he crossed the threshold, as far as his eye could see there was almost nothing but sickly green magical light.
You could almost call it a signature of the Death Eaters, because aside from that ominous dark magic, they did not seem particularly skilled in anything else.
But still, even if it was not the most suitable spell for the situation, the sight of more than a dozen wizards casting the Killing Curse together was undeniably striking.
Crack.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Boom!
Crack!
Along with the firelight and the scattered points of light drifting in the air, there came the grating sound of the barrier splintering.
And in fact, the translucent barrier before Draco's eyes really was covered in cracks, as though one more hit would make it vanish into thin air.
It was during that brief pause between attacks that Draco spotted the figure standing at the very front. Even from here, he could clearly see the madness on the man's face...
"Barty Crouch Jr., Lockhart was not lying."
Draco's voice was not loud, but the moment he stepped out of the house, he was still noticed.
Perhaps because he had not expected anyone to show themselves before the barrier was broken, Barty Crouch Jr. first showed a flash of surprise. Then, once he saw who it was, his expression turned mocking.
"Oh? Let me see who we have here!"
With a mere lift of his hand, he made the Death Eaters who had been attacking the barrier in a frenzy stop at once. The sight reminded Draco of the last time Barty Crouch Jr. had appeared before him with his companions.
Back then, too, he had stood before Draco exactly like this.
"Not even a trace of surprise?" The twisted smile on Barty Crouch Jr.'s face faded slightly.
Anyone who thought he was nothing more than a rabid hound obeying the Dark Lord's orders would be underestimating the man Voldemort trusted so completely.
Without real ability and real strength, how could he possibly have remained hidden all this time after Voldemort's "death," and then risen above so many Death Eaters?
His sick devotion to Voldemort was part of it, certainly, but there had to be something exceptional about him too.
At the very least, a clever mind and sharp instincts were essential, and the unusual way Draco was behaving had naturally not escaped Barty Crouch Jr.'s notice...
"So there really is a traitor."
"Crouch?"
"No. Continue. Tell your men not to stop."
Antonin had no idea why Barty Crouch Jr. had paused so oddly, nor had he heard what he had just muttered, but as someone who had never been particularly curious, he simply resumed directing the other Death Eaters.
As for Draco's appearance, not knowing the details, he did not think much of it.
Barty Crouch Jr., meanwhile, took several more steps forward until he stood only a fist's breadth away from the barrier, then looked at Draco standing in the doorway.
Looking at the wizard who shared the same hair color and surname as a certain traitor, Barty Crouch Jr. found it harder and harder to suppress the excitement rising inside him.
Even though he kept reminding himself that there was still a mission to complete, he simply could not control his emotions.
Because... no one could betray the Master.
...
No one could know how much longer the barrier in front of them would last.
Looking at the cruel faces beyond it, Draco absently ran his fingers over the serpent head of his cane, while his mind returned to his earlier conversation with Xenophilius.
'According to Xenophilius, the barrier Dumbledore left behind should last until they arrive. But even Dumbledore himself never expected...'
That he would be injured at such a critical moment.
Yes.
Combining that with the information Lockhart had given him, Draco could be certain that the injured and weakened Dumbledore might not be able to arrive here with reinforcements as planned.
And for whatever reason, the Ministry of Magic was in no position to send help to the wizards here either. Perhaps that was why Lockhart had mocked those Ministry wizards.
Simply put.
"So now I can only rely on myself..."
Just as Draco was observing his surroundings, Barty Crouch Jr., who had not made a move since Draco appeared, finally broke his silence.
"Young Malfoy, the merciful Master is willing to give you and your father a chance!"
"A chance?"
"That is right! Rejoin us, and perhaps the great Master will grant your family a chance!"
Even though Draco might have missed a line or two somewhere, and could not see how the word merciful had any connection to Voldemort, nor fail to notice the undisguised malice in the other man's tone, he still found himself somewhat curious about what exactly this so called chance meant.
Little did he know that his response had made Ginny, hiding behind the door and watching everything, widen her eyes in tension.
The red haired witch had probably assumed Draco was wavering.
"You should know this. Only under the Master's rule can the wizarding world become the true path for pure blood wizards!"
The fervor on his face.
The absolute sincerity in his cry.
Truly worthy of being Voldemort's hound.
At this point, Barty Crouch Jr. was not really trying to persuade Draco to join them so much as simply declaring his own belief.
A world that belonged only to Voldemort.
And in response, under Ginny's anxious stare, Draco let out a cold laugh that no one expected.
"You said... pure blood?"
"...."
"If I remember correctly... the Voldemort you are talking about is only a half blood himself."
"...."
"...."
Draco's words brought every wizard present to a halt.
Their expressions could not all be seen clearly, but if one looked carefully, it was still possible to notice the hands holding their wands trembling slightly.
That was definitely not excitement.
It was fear.
Only a sudden surge of intense terror could have produced that kind of reaction.
And it was not only because Draco had spoken that man's name.
It was also because he had spoken aloud a truth that even Voldemort himself denied.