Chapter 639: Chapter 639: Tom, long time no see
Andy crouched in the corner, hidden from view, and was watching this showdown between the Aurors and Death Eaters with relish.
Although the Aurors had an advantage in numbers and were professionally trained and able to coordinate their actions, they were still unable to gain the absolute upper hand. On the other hand, the Death Eaters' crazy resistance had somewhat hampered the Aurors' combat effectiveness.
The 'most crazy' Death Eaters, like Barty Crouch Jr., truly risked their lives in the fight. They fought without regard for their own safety, and every move they made was aimed at taking someone's life.
In contrast, the Aurors were somewhat of a mixed bunch.
Some Aurors steadfastly fought for their beliefs, and they fought with all their strength, risking their lives.
But for many Aurors, being an Auror is just a job. What they pursue is just the high salary that comes with the job...that's it!
Risking their lives?
No way!
Of course, they definitely won't just stand there and do nothing.
In a life-threatening confrontation like this, just standing there and doing nothing is no different from actively seeking death.
These Aurors have their own way of survival.
When they gain the upper hand, they attack with the others. But once they are in a disadvantageous position, these people defend themselves with just one strategy: no matter what happens, they will not die.
'No wonder Dumbledore wanted to establish the Order of Phoenix!' Andy thought to himself.
The overall strength of the Aurors was indeed very strong, but they simply sucked when it came to fighting lunatics like Death Eaters.
This is indeed the reality: in this short battle, despite the Aurors' numerical advantage and their initial success in pushing the Death Eaters into retreat, the number of casualties suffered by the Aurors was greater than that of the Death Eaters.
This is outrageous!
The battle continued, with the Death Eaters retreating further and further, gradually moving closer to the Floo Network fireplaces.
"Don't let them escape!" Scrimgeour shouted.
As soon as he finished uttering the words, a green flame ignited in one of the fireplaces, and Voldemort's figure appeared from the flames.
"..."
There was a moment of silence, and everyone involuntarily stopped.
"The You-Know-Who!!"
Someone shouted, and the Aurors took a collective step back. Lucius Malfoy retreated to the back of the crowd, not wanting to show his face at all.
As a result, the two who did not retreat, Scrimgeour and Mad-Eye Moody, stood out even more.
The deterrent power of Voldemort was still very great.
In the last battle at the Ministry of Magic, although Voldemort was unable to subdue Andy, it was obvious to all that Voldemort could defeat Andy very quickly if he had been serious from the start.
Before fighting Andy, Voldemort even suppressed dozens of Aurors head-on, single-handedly.
If Dumbledore hadn't appeared in time, the outcome of the last battle would have been hard to predict.
Of course, facts are facts, and the propaganda in the newspapers is another matter.
Voldemort walked leisurely to the front of the Death Eater troop with his wand in hand. All the Death Eaters bowed their heads and retreated to the sides, and several of them looked at Voldemort with fanatical expressions on their faces.
The Aurors, on the other hand, had grave expressions on their faces, and none of them dared to take the lead.
Voldemort's gaze swept over the crowd and finally stopped on Lucius Malfoy. "Lucius, my old friend... Are you unwilling to see me?"
Lucius's face was as pale as paper, cold sweat was dripping from his forehead, and his whole body was involuntarily shaking, making him look extremely pitiful.
"Huh? Lucius?" Voldemort raised his voice slightly when he saw Lucius Malfoy hiding behind the crowd and pretending to be nonexistent.
"Ma- Lord...the Dark Lord..." Lucius stuttered in response.
He had already betrayed him, so it was not appropriate to continue calling him 'Master'.
Calling him 'The Lord' didn't feel appropriate either.
Calling him 'Voldemort' was not an option.
After quick brainstorming, Lucius Malfoy decided to call Voldemort 'The Dark Lord'.
It showed respect but wasn't too flattering.
"Heh heh!"
Voldemort looked at Lucius Malfoy with playful eyes and said, "Lucius, I trusted you so much and entrusted you with the most important thing... but you betrayed me!"
"What punishment do you think I should bestow upon you?"
Lucius trembled with fear and did not dare to speak, while cursing in his mind: What is that bloody Dumbledore up to? Why hasn't he shown up yet? This is getting completely out of hand!
"Lucius?" Voldemort raised his voice again, and his tone also carried a hint of impatience.
It was clear that if Lucius Malfoy did not answer, then he would never have the chance to speak again.
Naturally, Lucius Malfoy understood this as well.
"The Dark, Dark Lord..."
Lucius Malfoy thought hard and finally decided to tell the truth: "I lost the thing you gave me... I know you will never forgive me."
That was the truth!
Even Voldemort himself had to admit that when he learnt that Lucius Malfoy had 'lost' his diary and 'sent' it to Dumbledore, he really was tempted to kill Lucius Malfoy.
Once Lucius Malfoy had stopped being 'useful', he would certainly be killed.
When you think about it, Lucius Malfoy's betrayal is hardly surprising.
In contrast, Severus Snape, the other suspected spy, is naturally not suspicious.
When Snape learnt that 'Voldemort is still alive,' he immediately found Voldemort and later did his best to contribute to Voldemort's resurrection.
However, Snape also had to take care, 'undercover at Hogwarts' task, so he usually had difficulty moving around freely.
For this reason, Snape specifically sought out Lucius Malfoy and Peter Pettigrew to help him.
These actions are enough proof of his loyalty.
In theory, Voldemort should not have suspected Snape.
But there was a certain prerequisite.
Fourteen years ago, when Snape learnt that the so-called saviour was Lily's son, Harry Potter, he took the initiative to find Voldemort and begged him not to kill Lily.
Voldemort agreed quite readily.
As for the result... it ended with the usual Avada Kedavra!
Lily's death was a knot between the two of them, and Voldemort had also taken the initiative to question Snape, who said he didn't care at all—compared to eternal life and the greatness of dark magic, how could a mere Lily matter?
Now it seems that Snape is still very loyal.
And he is very capable!
Voldemort is naturally very satisfied with this... Of course, in Voldemort's heart, the only one who deserves to live forever is himself and only he himself.
So next...
Voldemort looked at Lucius Malfoy with cold, menacing eyes.
Killing him outright would be too easy; the traitor must suffer more than death!
Voldemort wanted to torture him in the most cruel way in front of everyone.
For as long as he could hold on!
A clash is inevitable!
Crack!
At that moment, green flames once again burst into life in a fireplace, and Dumbledore emerged from the flames with a serious expression.
"Tom, long time no see!"
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