After sensing an intruder, all the wizards except the few in charge of guarding gathered around and surrounded the intruder with dozens of wands. However, when they saw the other party's pale and strange snake face, no one dared to attack.
Voldemort moved as if he did not see the wands pointing at him.
On the contrary, the wizards surrounding him felt as if they were being strangled by the Grim Reaper, and it took all their strength just to breathe…
"M-Mystery Man?" one of the law-enforcers shrieked, trembling so hard he could barely hold his wand.
On the stage, Ivan cried out to himself, "Oh no!" Voldemort was far more intimidating than he thought.
Due to the constant use of Legilimency, Ivan could clearly sense the fear in everyone's hearts, and the situation that he had successfully controlled returned to chaos.
Compared to the law-enforcement officers who still had the courage to face Lord Voldemort, the wizards of Knockturn Alley performed even worse. As Lord Voldemort approached, they retreated repeatedly. If not for the fact that the other side had blocked the exit of the square, they would have fled in all directions…
No one was happier than the captured Death Eaters, who, despite being tied up, seemed to be in high spirits as they tried to crawl towards Lord Voldemort.
"Master! You have finally come to save us…"
The Dark Wizards who were supposed to be on trial also ran to Lord Voldemort as if he were their saviour.
Due to Voldemort's power and influence, no one dared to stop the Dark Wizards, and they all fell to their knees, begging for Voldemort's protection…
Ivan ignored them, as the Death Eaters would not pose a real threat without their wands, and might instead become a liability.
The only real enemy to deal with now is Lord Voldemort…
With Lord Voldemort closing in, the Regulators retreated to Ivan's side, all of them waiting for his orders.
"You're healing fast!" Ivan said sarcastically, looking at Voldemort for a moment.
Ivan took a few steps closer to Voldemort as he spoke, his aura growing stronger.
It was not Ivan's intention to provoke the man.
It was because he understood that his lack of action in the face of Voldemort's repeated provocations had dealt a huge blow to his accumulated prestige.
If he showed any more fear, Ivan could not imagine how these seemingly loyal enforcers would turn around and point their wands at him.
After all, other than Fran and the others, he had only known the other law-enforcement officers for a short period of time. His credibility was questionable, and he was able to do things honestly because of his strength and influence.
Now that Lord Voldemort, who was far more powerful and ruthless than Ivan, was right in front of him, Ivan was not confident that these enforcers would stand firm with him.
Most importantly, Ivan wanted to see if Voldemort had fully recovered from his injuries.
However, judging from the other party's nonchalant attitude towards the encirclement of dozens of wands, it was likely that Voldemort had returned to his peak condition. Otherwise, they would not have dared to act so arrogantly.
"Of course. A few of my loyal servants are of some use…" Voldemort explained casually, showing no signs of anger at Ivan's veiled mockery.
He then turned his head slightly and waved his wand to release the ropes binding the Death Eaters. Slowly, he grabbed one of the Death Eaters by the arm and pulled his sleeve open.
"Like now! If I hadn't felt the call of the Dark Mark, I wouldn't be able to see such a wonderful scene…"
For a moment, Ivan considered striking while Voldemort was distracted, but he resisted the urge, as Voldemort would never reveal such an obvious weakness in front of him and his large band of enforcers.
As Ivan considered this, Voldemort dropped the Death Eater's hand and turned to face him.
"Ivan Hals…" Voldemort whispered his name. "You know what? I was going to kill you! Because you've caused me so much trouble, ruining my plans over and over again…"
Voldemort's serpentine face twisted as he recalled the night four years ago and the battle that had taken place a few days earlier.
If Ivan hadn't intervened, he would have achieved his goal without a hitch…
Scenes flashed through his mind. A violent killing intent emanated from Voldemort, and the temperature of the square seemed to drop…
Ivan, however, looked even calmer than before, replying with a sneer.
"Big words…"
If it weren't for the fact that he was worried about Alicia's safety and the fact that all the wizards from Knockturn Alley were here, he could have escaped. No matter how strong Voldemort was, he wouldn't have been able to do anything to him.
Furthermore, he still had a trump card. However, it would be too wasteful to use it here, and he could not guarantee that he would be able to kill Voldemort…
Lord Voldemort paid little attention to Ivan's words. He had seen Ivan's true strength in the previous battle, and although he was no match for Lord Voldemort, he was no match for Ivan in a few moves.
"In a manner of speaking, you and I are very similar, and you should be grateful for that, Hals! That is why I have changed my mind and decided to give you a chance to live!" Voldemort withdrew his murderous intent and looked at Ivan with a half-smile, his gaze distant, as if he were deliberately avoiding meeting Ivan's eyes, but his words continued.
"When I was young, I learned that the vast majority of people in this world are mediocre, their vision and talent limiting their thinking, destined to be a speck of dust in an age…"
Voldemort's gaze swept over the spell-casters who were pointing their wands at him but were too afraid to attack. His eyes were filled with disdain, so he quickly turned his gaze back to them and spoke in a passionate, high-pitched voice that was strangely compelling.
"You, on the other hand, are a different matter, Hales! You and I are both gifted, and if we work together, there will be no one in the wizarding world who can stand against us!"
"You want me to work with you against Dumbledore?" Ivan instantly understood what Voldemort was trying to say, and he finally understood why Voldemort had chosen to engage him in a lengthy argument instead of attacking him.