Chapter 279
Without warning, a black shadow appeared out of thin air.
Silently, it drifted into a narrow alley illuminated by pale moonlight.
On the left side of the alley, short thorny bushes grew wildly in tangled clusters.
On the right stood tall, carefully trimmed hedges.
The entire place looked secluded and deserted.
It was a man dressed in a black cloak.
He slowly tucked his wand back into his robes and swept his scarlet eyes across the surroundings.
Then he closed his eyes briefly, as though recalling something from memory.
Moments later, he chose a direction and began walking.
A layer of black mist seemed to surround him.
Combined with the heavy cloak, no one could clearly see his face.
"Routine inspection. Ministry of Magic."
"Please remove your cloak and cooperate."
At the end of the alley, two wizards in black robes noticed him and immediately approached in a professional manner.
A strong Muggle-Repelling Charm had been placed nearby.
Anyone wandering into this place could not possibly be an ordinary Muggle.
"Heh."
"So many patrols."
"Have Aurors become this common now?"
"Though the standards seem to have dropped considerably."
The man beneath the cloak sneered softly.
He completely ignored the two Aurors' questions.
Then—
His body instantly dissolved into a cloud of smoke, disappearing from sight as though he had never existed at all.
"Oh… Shaun, what were we doing just now?"
One of the taller Aurors scratched the back of his head in confusion.
"Who knows?"
The man named Shaun looked equally bewildered.
He glanced around but found nothing unusual.
"When will these damned days finally end…"
He muttered irritably before preparing to return to his patrol route.
Neither Auror realized—
They had just brushed past the gates of death.
Moments earlier, they had confronted the most terrifying Dark wizard of the century.
After confusing the two Aurors, Lord Voldemort quickly departed.
Now he walked calmly along a broad stone road.
The tall hedges curved around the path and stretched endlessly into the darkness.
Ahead stood two enormous wrought-iron gates.
Yet Voldemort continued forward as though the barrier did not exist.
The black iron distorted strangely the moment he passed through it.
"My servant…"
"Though perhaps not quite as loyal as before…"
"It seems he's lived rather comfortably all these years."
Voldemort muttered softly while observing the scene before him.
A white peacock gracefully walked along the top of a nearby hedge.
At the end of the straight road, a magnificent manor slowly emerged from the darkness.
Warm light glowed through the diamond-shaped windows on the first floor.
Somewhere beyond the hedges, a fountain quietly sprayed water within the night garden.
At night, Malfoy Manor appeared tranquil and elegant.
Far too peaceful.
Inside the manor—
"Narcissa, you must believe Draco will be alright."
"He even escaped from Dumbledore, didn't he?"
Lucius Malfoy sat at the end of the dining table, attempting to comfort his wife.
Narcissa Malfoy stared blankly at the untouched food before her.
She had no appetite whatsoever.
Her eyes remained distant and unfocused.
"…Honestly, I almost wish he'd been captured."
"At least then I'd feel more at ease."
"There aren't any Dementors guarding Azkaban anymore, are there?"
Narcissa spoke gloomily.
"What if something happens to Draco while he's fleeing from the Aurors?"
"Those lunatics know all sorts of dangerous magic…"
Her voice trembled.
Her heart already felt shattered.
Her child was wandering somewhere outside alone—
And she had no idea where he was.
"Don't worry—"
Lucius tried to continue comforting her.
But suddenly—
A burning pain erupted violently from his arm.
His pale face instantly filled with fear.
"Lucius."
"My servant."
"You seem rather surprised, don't you?"
A bone-chilling voice echoed from directly ahead.
A figure suddenly appeared beside the chair opposite the couple.
The man removed his cloak, revealing a bald head and a face so pale it looked almost corpse-like.
"Master!"
Lucius trembled violently and tried standing from his chair—
Only to discover an invisible force pinning him firmly in place.
At that moment, Narcissa also recognized the terrifying figure standing before them.
"Master!"
"Please save Draco!"
Narcissa cried desperately.
At this moment, she had finally found what she believed might be a lifeline.
"Your precious son…"
Voldemort spoke slowly.
"He appears to have betrayed me."
"No, he didn't!"
"Master, please listen to my explanation!"
Lucius hurriedly defended his son.
"Then tell me…"
"How did Dumbledore discover the location of my resurrection?"
"Did he simply wander there by accident?"
"Or perhaps Apparate there on a whim?"
A cruel smile appeared on Voldemort's face.
"Maybe you'd prefer telling me he merely needed a place to use the toilet?"
"My husband and son have already sacrificed everything for you!"
"Why are you still doubting them?!"
Narcissa suddenly exploded.
She practically screamed at Voldemort, momentarily forgetting just how terrifying the wizard before her truly was.
"Oh?"
"How interesting."
Voldemort narrowed his long crimson eyes slightly.
A strange smile appeared upon his snake-like face.
His glowing scarlet gaze locked onto the couple.
Immediately, Lucius and Narcissa's expressions turned dazed.
"Oh my god—Draco!"
Narcissa's shrill scream echoed through the room.
Voldemort frowned slightly.
His pale fingers subconsciously tightened.
This was the memory of the Hogwarts auditorium.
Afterward, Narcissa's memories became fragmented and blurry before suddenly shifting to a white hospital room.
"She knows nothing useful."
Voldemort sneered dismissively.
Then his terrifying gaze shifted toward Lucius's memories.
Compared to Narcissa's confused recollections, Lucius's memories were far more complete.
"Veritaserum…"
Voldemort slowly sifted through the memories while frost gradually spread across his pale face.
His supposedly perfect resurrection—
Had actually been ruined by such a trivial potion?
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
His slender fingers rhythmically struck the tabletop.
It seemed to be a habitual gesture whenever he ended a spell.
The enchantment placed upon Lucius and Narcissa vanished instantly.
Both of them shook themselves awake from their trance-like state.
Meanwhile, Voldemort fell into deep thought.
Clearly, he had now learned many things previously unknown to him.
"I promise you…"
"Once Draco returns…"
"He will receive supreme glory as a reward for his loyalty."
Voldemort stared at his pale, spider-like fingers while speaking in a cold, terrifying voice.
It was the closest thing to reassurance he was willing to offer.
"But Draco—"
Narcissa tried speaking again, only for Voldemort's sneer to interrupt her.
"If he could escape Dumbledore's grasp…"
"Would he really fear a handful of insignificant Aurors?"
The Dark Lord smiled mockingly.
"And now…"
His scarlet eyes slowly narrowed.
"I have an even more important task for the two of you."
A sinister delight gradually spread across his snake-like face.