Voldemort's words struck Malfoy like a thunderclap.
It sounded as though he was asking for Malfoy's opinion, but in reality, it had already become an unquestionable command.
Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief, then his thoughts began racing as he tried to decipher Voldemort's intentions.
At the same time, a look of surprise appeared on his face, as though he had been stunned for a moment.
"Dark Lord, I... go back to school?" Malfoy asked tentatively, stammering slightly. He sounded somewhat incoherent, as though he didn't quite understand.
Inside, however, a storm was brewing, like a gigantic wave suddenly surging across an otherwise calm sea.
"Yes. Don't you want to go see your classmates?" Lord Voldemort said enigmatically, his blood-red eyes glancing at Malfoy.
Then he closed his eyes and rubbed his brow with his long, pale fingers.
Lord Voldemort certainly wasn't expressing his true feelings. He had no interest whatsoever in the laughable notion of "friendship" as he understood it. This was most likely nothing more than a sarcastic remark.
He opened his eyes again and rested his hand on the snake-headed armrest beside him. His index finger tapped lightly against it before he continued.
"I won't be conquering Hogwarts for now. I have some matters to deal with, along with a few annoying little troubles."
"Therefore, we still need someone to monitor that group of stubborn people and prevent them from doing anything foolish."
"I simply need you to play the role of a student properly. Hmm... Harry Potter. Hopefully, he won't become a deserter in the future." Lord Voldemort's words carried a deeper meaning.
"I imagine you're tired after running away for so long, aren't you, Draco?"
Lord Voldemort was being "thoughtful" in every possible way.
On that pale, spider-like face, a rare trace of gentleness appeared, and his deathly pale lips seemed to soften slightly.
Of course, this was merely an excuse.
When necessary, he could even order Death Eaters to sacrifice their lives. When had he ever truly cared about whether his subordinates lived or died? Not to mention that what Malfoy was being asked to do could hardly even be called a sacrifice.
Almost all of his subordinates could be used as tools to achieve his goals.
When someone died, he might show an expression of regret, but perhaps that was simply because he had lost a useful tool.
The one woman who had genuinely made him feel the slightest trace of regret—the woman who had been capable of stirring even the tiniest ripple in his otherwise emotionless world—had already died in Azkaban.
"But Draco is currently wanted, Dark Lord," Narcissa stepped forward and blurted out.
"Sissi! Show respect to the Dark Lord!" Lucius frantically grabbed his wife's arm, but it seemed to be too late. What was said was already said.
"Those are all minor matters. The current Minister for Magic, Dolores Umbridge, is under my control and obeys my every word. The Ministry of Magic is now merely a shell of its former self, aside from a few fools who cannot see the situation clearly and are still putting up stubborn resistance."
Lord Voldemort seemed to be in an unusually good mood. He didn't appear offended and even took the time to explain.
With such a useful piece as Umbridge, wouldn't it be wasteful not to make full use of the power she possessed?
The more he dealt with that ugly woman, the more satisfied he became.
Her lust for power had expanded to a terrifying degree. Now he was absolutely certain that even if he revealed his true identity to her, as long as it did not affect her power and status, she would not care which side she was actually serving.
Perhaps she would even gravitate toward them of her own accord.
He could not possibly have mistaken the evil emanating from that woman.
They were fundamentally the same kind of person. The only difference was that Umbridge was far less capable.
"I'll say hello to her. And Lucius, aren't you also good at winning people's hearts? Dumbledore is dead. This is a good opportunity for you to build up some prestige," Lord Voldemort suggested.
"Thank you for your kindness and generosity," Lucius said, finally catching his breath.
Given this, and with Lord Voldemort's guarantee, perhaps there was still some hope for his son. Perhaps Draco would not have to become involved in that brutal battle.
"Thank you for your understanding, Master." Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief.
Lord Voldemort watched all of this unfold.
"So it seems the two of you were actually somewhat dissatisfied with my decision earlier?"
Lord Voldemort leaned back on his throne, his cold gaze fixed upon Narcissa, making her feel as though she had fallen into an icy cavern.
Lucius's body immediately tensed.
The Dark Lord's earlier casual and gentle explanation had vanished in an instant.
Now that he had noticed their dissatisfaction, he was bringing up the old grievance.
"Hmm?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Under the stare of those scarlet eyes, Lucius and his wife suddenly felt a chill run down their spines, and cold sweat soaked through their robes.
"Never mind. This won't happen again."
He spoke lazily as he raised his delicate wine glass to his lips and took a sip of the amber liquid before slowly setting it down.
The couple subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Lucius's silver serpentine cane, which he carried behind his back, had almost been deformed by how tightly he had gripped it in that brief moment.
"All right. Your son will return to school, and you have some tasks to complete, Lucius."
"Severus?"
Lord Voldemort murmured softly toward the front.
A ghostly green flame suddenly erupted from the fireplace nearby. A man with a sallow complexion and dressed in black robes slowly stepped out of it.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, he walked all the way to the top of the steps and stopped before Lord Voldemort.
He maintained a slight bow, his dark eyes revealing neither joy nor anger.
Lucius stared at the man before him in shock.
He should have realised it sooner.
Severus Snape had now betrayed Hogwarts and returned to Lord Voldemort's side.
"Lucius, Severus will tell you a few things regarding potions. For now, the Werewolves will be the main force among our Death Eaters. You need to discreetly purchase as many healing herbs as possible from the market without drawing their attention."
"Severus, you know him, don't you?"
"Yes, Master," Snape replied humbly.
"You know more about this than I do."
Lord Voldemort lightly patted his palm, showing no concern about admitting his own shortcomings.
"It is simply because our master has set his sights on a longer-term goal," Snape said humbly, slowly lowering his head.
"As for me, I will be leaving temporarily in the near future," Lord Voldemort revealed, hinting at his future plans.
Lord Voldemort intended to find a way to make the Elder Wand completely submit to him.
After Dumbledore's death, Hogwarts was nothing more than prey waiting to be slaughtered at will. He could afford to let them live for a few more days.
Those professors were no match for him.
"Teacher and student... We have them now. The future is sure to be very interesting."
He swirled the liquid in his wine glass, then flicked his wrist, splashing it onto the black-spotted stone steps.
Smelling the rich aroma of the wine, Nagini curiously slithered over, her long, slippery body gliding across the floor. She extended her tongue and licked up the wine her master had spilled.