Homecoming from Hogwarts

Malfoy Manor, located in the suburbs, seems to have become a secret place isolated from the world.

The brilliant sunshine poured down on the earth, covering the boundless wilderness in a golden ocean.

However, Malfoy Manor was always shrouded in a lingering light grey mist.

This ominous mist was filled with a faint smell of death. Under the erosion of this smell, the branches and leaves of the plants that had been carefully cared for in the manor in the past grew disgusting black spots.

"Is the master up yet?"

At the foot of the stairs leading to the rooftop terrace, the pale-faced Lucius Malfoy asked his wife who had just come down from upstairs with a tray of food.

Narcissa nodded and held her husband's slightly cold hand.
"But he. The master seems to be in a bad mood, but I don't know what happened. He hasn't been out these days, right?"

Malfoy understood that this was his wife reminding him to be careful, and after giving her a reassuring look, he took a deep breath and stepped onto the stairs.

As he gradually approached the door flooded with light, Lucius' breathing became increasingly disordered, and as if sensing his chaotic thoughts, the strange golden snake that was wandering around his body and currently resting at his heart released a hint of coolness.

Lucius's heartbeat, sensing the coldness, gradually slowed down.

To be honest, Lucius had not expected that he would be able to hide his identity from the Dark Lord, a master of Legilimency, for so long after becoming a spy for Amos Tower Braine.

He had prepared himself for the worst before he decided to do this.

Lucius hoped that Brian and Dumbledore, who was on the same front with Brian, could protect Draco and Narcissa. At the very least, they should do their best to protect Draco.

As for himself, he can only leave it to fate and live one more day.

But unexpectedly, the magic that Amos Tower Braine cast on him actually made it impossible for the Dark Lord to accurately sense the rebellious thoughts in his heart.

This also gave Lucius great confidence, because this fact seemed to indicate that Amos Tower Blaine's magic power was greater than that of the Dark Lord?
Lucius Malfoy could only think so superficially.

But in fact, this is not the case.

In terms of magic power alone, the Dark Lord's magic power is deeper than Amostas's, but his broken soul is far inferior to Amostas's intact soul.

Since he has decided to accept Lucius Malfoy as his accomplice, Amos Tower will not sit idly by and watch Lucius Malfoy die simply.

The magic he left on Lucius Malfoy was a concealing magic designed by forcibly using the power of his soul, which was enough to protect Malfoy's most perverse thoughts deep in his heart from being seen.

"You still won't respond to my orders!"

Just as Lucius was about to step through the door leading to the terrace, a hoarse shout filled with coldness and murderous intent made Lucius tremble all over and his legs go weak.

Before Lucius could get rid of the fear, the world filled with light in front of him suddenly turned dark, as if it was daytime in the last second and night fell in the next second!

call!
Outside the door, the ferocious darkness blew up a bloody wind with the howling of ghosts and wolves. In the surging darkness, two flickering spots of blood and the inaudible roar of the Dark Lord almost scared Lucius to the point of mental collapse.

However, the darkness that came came and went quickly.

There was a loud 'bang' and the darkness that covered the sky and the sun suddenly dissipated. In the world that was bright again, there was a gray mist floating in the air that looked like a gathering of particles, but also like pure clouds and smoke. It was just like the mist that shrouded the manor, and it was sickening.

"what's up?"

A voice colder than the north wind fell into his ears, startling Lucius out of his trance. His eyes met the scarlet pupils of the Dark Lord, and Lucius, sweating profusely, knelt down on the threshold.
"I have news for you, my Lord."

"Oh?"

Voldemort's voice had a slanted tail, but the murderous intent in it was still fierce.
"What do you want to tell me, Lucius? The negotiations between Brian and the school board have broken down, right? Could it be that Dumbledore gave in so quickly?"

"Oh, no, my Lord—"

Lucius's knees scraped against the floor, and he knelt before Voldemort, his forehead touching the floor.
"Hogwarts did not give in because we stopped providing funding. On the contrary, Brian officially announced that Hogwarts no longer needed a board of directors."

“No need for a school board?”

Even Voldemort forgot his anger after hearing the news, and slightly widened his narrow red eyes.

"That is not what you told me at first, my friend. You told me that if the Board of Governors stopped funding Hogwarts, then Dumbledore would have to close the school."

"This is not a lie, my Lord!" Lucius was ready to be tortured. His breathing became rapid again, and the big drops of cold sweat on his forehead wet the wooden floor.
"You must be aware that Hogwarts needs a lot of money to maintain its operation every day. Without gold, they cannot survive."

"Can't survive without gold?"

Voldemort sneered, obviously not agreeing with Malfoy's statement.
"So now, Lucius, Hogwarts has lost the support of gold, but it has not surrendered. Brian has kicked the board of directors aside. Oh, this behavior is quite interesting. Dumbledore actually allowed him to do this. It seems that he can no longer control Brian."

Voldemort smiled sarcastically, very satisfied with his analysis.

"Suppose you are right, Lucius,"

The recliner on the side floated up silently and landed behind Voldemort. He slowly leaned down.
"Then why did Brian have the courage to get rid of you?"

"Maybe. Well, my guess is--"

Lucius's shoulders shrank.

"Brian found other support for Hogwarts. The learning machine workshop. Brian went to the United States to promote it. I think he got some gold back from it."

"So, Brian luckily survived the crisis you and the Ministry of Magic created for him?"

Voldemort said lazily, glancing at the trembling Lucius.

"That's all you have to tell me?"

"Oh, I brought you a copy of the Daily Prophet, my lord—"

Lucius timidly pulled a folded newspaper from his robe pocket, but before he could offer it, the newspaper had left his palm and floated in front of the Dark Lord.

"Oh!"

Voldemort was surprised when he glanced at a few lines of text.

"Amosta Blaine publicly declared that the Ministry of Magic's forcible appointment of a commissioner to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was actively directing the flames of political struggle to the school and to the children. Interesting. How dare he say that?"

Voldemort sat up in his recliner, his large robes rustling in the morning breeze.

"What a stupid move. It will only make the Ministry of Magic turn its attention to him."

Voldemort said happily,
"But it's good news for us. It will attract the attention of the Ministry of Magic and facilitate our actions."

"It is as you say, my Lord."

Lucius agreed humbly.

He cast his gaze upon Lucius's head again. The Dark Lord's expression became slightly lighter, and a faint light flickered in his eyes.

"Oh, thank you for bringing me this good news, Lucius. This can make me happy for some time. By the way, before you came in, you didn't see anything?"

Lucius' body trembled twice.

"I see a black fog. Master, but I don't understand."

"Is it?"

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the trembling Lucius Malfoy. After a moment, he withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, waved his hand, and leaned back into the recliner.

"Go down, Lucius. I don't have anything for you to do for now."

Lucius Malfoy exhaled heavily, and knelt down to leave the terrace as if he had been pardoned. His legs were still weak even when he walked down the stairs.

Looking at the portraits hanging in the corridor that cast worried glances at him, Lucius felt only bitterness and luck in his heart. Of course, there was also a little doubt.

It seemed like the Dark Lord was fighting with someone just now and was defeated?
But.what would that be?

(End of this chapter)