Snape stared at the mansion, which had appeared out of thin air, and something occurred to him.
Could the rumour be true?
Other than that, he could not think of a reason why Voldemort would need to hide with the Fidelius Charm…
Snape reached for the newspaper in his pocket, but stopped himself, his face calm once more as he strode towards the front door of Riddle House.
The appearance of Riddle House was very different from the last time he was there. It no longer had the feeling of decay and decay.
The entrance doors and windows had been polished, the roof tiles had been refurbished, and the ground in front of the door had been covered with a thick carpet.
As he approached the door, Snape's sharp eyes caught sight of a Dark Mark carved into the doorknob, and when he put his hand on it, a sharp pain shot up his left arm.
The door opened automatically.
Snape stepped over the threshold and entered. The front hall was full of people, all of the Death Eaters outside having arrived, and he seemed to be the latest to arrive.
Noting this, Snape picked up his pace and moved to the first on the right.
After his treatment two weeks ago, Lord Voldemort's trust in him had risen to new heights, and it could be said that he was second only to Lord Voldemort before the Azkaban lunatics were released.
"You must have heard the news?"
Snape had barely gotten to his feet when he heard a whisper and turned his head slightly. It was Lucius Malfoy.
Lucius, in his usual aristocratic black robes, was frowning, his pale, pointed face looking uncomfortable.
"What? You believe that rumour? Lucius?" Snape's eyes narrowed.
"No, of course I do not doubt the Master's power… I was just curious about the source of the news." Lucius's right hand gently caressed the Serpent Staff in his hand, his gaze shifting slightly to the left as he casually replied.
It was then that Snape noticed that his student Draco Malfoy was standing next to Lucius with a look of terror on his face, his eyes darting anxiously from side to side, occasionally glancing in his direction.
Snape was surprised to find Draco there, but he didn't try to start a conversation. This was the Dark Lord's mansion, and it was possible that he was under surveillance.
They were joined by the other Death Eaters, who were whispering to each other. Snape could not hear what they were saying, but he assumed it had something to do with the rumour.
The front door opened again and a tall, thin figure entered the room.
The front room suddenly became very quiet, and everyone shut up, bowing their heads slightly in the most subservient and humble manner…
The candle flickered gently, and the light in the room seemed to dim a little. The fire burning in the corner of the room was suppressed by an inexplicable force, leaving only a few flames.
"You are welcome to this gathering," Voldemort said in a hoarse voice as he reached the very end of the front hall.
Lord Voldemort's gaze lingered on each of them for a moment before he continued fiercely, "But it seems that some of you are not so happy to see me…"
The Death Eaters were terrified, Snape kept his head down to avoid meeting Voldemort's eyes, and Draco hid behind Lucius in fear.
Lord Voldemort spoke as he paced the anteroom, sensing the fear that rose in the crowd.
"Yes, I'm sure you've all heard some nasty rumours lately. The most powerful wizard in the wizarding world, the Undefeated Dark Lord, suffered a major setback in Knockturn Alley, where he was defeated by a brat who had just turned fifteen… right?"
Voldemort's deep voice, tinged with irritation, echoed around the room and no one dared to answer, and the silence stretched on until one of the Death Eaters shouted out in outrage.
"It must be a rumour! The Master is the most powerful wizard who has ever lived and cannot be defeated!"
The frozen atmosphere on the field was instantly shattered, as the Death Eaters reacted by lambasting the false rumours and praising the Dark Lord's power.
"That's very good of you, Macnair…" Voldemort nodded in satisfaction, then turned his attention to the Death Eaters, who appeared determined but were actually dubious.
"But I did have a bit of trouble in Knockturn Alley the other day. Nothing to hide!"
The Death Eaters' eyes went wide with disbelief at what they were hearing.
When they first heard the news, they scoffed at it. An underage brat defeated a powerful Dark Lord?
Who are you kidding? This is even more ridiculous than Dumbledore's plan to join the Death Eaters!
However, in the week following the news, Voldemort seemed to have vanished without a trace, and the pictures that went viral helped them to believe him.
Now that Voldemort himself had confirmed the truth of the matter, Macnair felt a faint sense of his faith crumbling.
Ignoring their stares, Voldemort continued, "As you can see, I underestimated my enemy and ventured too far. I ventured too deep into the enemy's camp in the mistaken belief in Ivan Harls's abilities and was set upon…"
There were too many witnesses to the battle at Knockturn Alley that night, and it was impossible to keep it a secret. Instead of letting these people make wild guesses, it would be better for him to just say it and set the tone.
"That brat must have ordered all the wizards of Knockturn Alley to gang up on you…" Lucius Malfoy defended.
"You could put it that way… but it was still a shameful defeat!" Voldemort said, glancing at Lucius with a cool expression.
Voldemort's words caused the Death Eaters to breathe a sigh of relief, as their master had been attacked by a large number of wizards in Knockturn Alley, only to be defeated and forced to retreat.
"Master, did you summon us to attack Knockturn Alley and kill the brat?" Macnair asked.
Lord Voldemort's flat, snake-like face twitched slightly, and he shook his head slowly. "There is no hurry. Ivan Harls has recruited a large number of men from Knockturn Alley, and you alone will find it difficult to stand against the sheer number of Regulators…"
(PS: The second chapter will be released later.)