Snape didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before a powerful presence loomed over him.
"I killed Dumbledore?!" Voldemort hissed, his face contorted with anger and fear. "Good… good!"
"Once again, he fools the Dark Lord! Once again!" Voldemort waved his wand in fury, and the table and chairs nearby exploded.
Splinters of wood began to fall, and Snape shivered, feeling a pang of regret. Had he been too excited?
Fortunately, despite his anger, Voldemort did not take it out on him. After destroying a pile of furniture, he paced around the living room.
"McNeice, Goyle, Crabbe, Lucius… and Ivan Hals. It will not be long before I make them all pay!" Voldemort counted the names of the traitors, then directed his hatred at Ivan.
If he could, he would have charged into Knockturn Alley and torn them to pieces. However, he knew that he was no match for Ivan Hals. If he fought him, he would likely suffer the same defeat.
"Master… Master?!" Snape called out softly when he saw Voldemort deep in thought.
"Is there anything else, Severus?" Lord Voldemort asked, regaining his composure. He was worried that he would hear bad news from Snape.
"This is about Dumbledore. Didn't you ask me to track his recent movements?" Snape asked.
Voldemort nodded. Snape had reported to him some time ago that Dumbledore had been on the move since the beginning of the school year, and that Dumbledore had refused to attend the Council where the Ministry was impeaching him.
However, now that Dumbledore was dead, he could not understand why Snape would suddenly bring up the subject again.
"Master…I'm afraid I've found the secret to Dumbledore's power…I'm just not so sure I'm right," Snape said hesitantly.
"The secret of Dumbledore's power?" Voldemort murmured, then looked at Snape and said, "You may speak freely in my presence, Severus, and I will not punish you for it, right or wrong…"
With Voldemort's assurance, Snape slowly took out a thick book from the pocket of his robes, placed it in front of Voldemort and explained.
"He returned to Hogwarts several times during the six months of Dumbledore's disappearance, and whenever he summoned me, I was in the Headmaster's office reading this book…"
Voldemort looked down at it and frowned. It looked like an ordinary storybook, probably because it had been flipped around so much. The pages were yellowed, but the title was still clearly visible on the cover: The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
"A bedtime story?" Voldemort's expression was impatient. "Are you sure Dumbledore is not planning on reading a few stories to calm the Hogwarts children?"
If it had not been for Snape, his Avada would have been ready!
"Master, please believe me when I say that I found this book in Dumbledore's robes before he was buried, and that Dumbledore always kept it with him," Snape explained quickly.
This piqued Voldemort's interest, as Dumbledore had been so careful to keep something that could not be an ordinary book.
"I also stole Dumbledore's wand during his funeral, which I believe may have something to do with a legend in the Tales…" Snape said as he took an Elder Wand from his sleeve and showed it to Voldemort.
Voldemort's eyes narrowed at the sight of the wand, as he knew it from his many dealings with Dumbledore.
"I didn't think you'd get one of these…" he said appreciatively, reaching out to take the wand. The moment he touched it, Voldemort felt as if his magic was resonating with it, and more importantly, he could feel the unimaginable power contained within.
Lord Voldemort couldn't help but experiment with his wand, and an arm-thick beam of light flashed through the air.
The next moment, the right wall exploded and the entire mansion shook slightly.
Lord Voldemort's expression was one of utter astonishment at the sight of the crumbling wall. He had not expected the wand to be so destructive in the face of an ordinary Smashing Charm.
Voldemort cast another spell, and again, as if time had been rewound, the debris and debris flew back together, and the wall, which had just been blown up, was restored to its original state in just a second.
"Not bad, not bad at all! That's what I've been looking for, a wand of the greatest power!" Lord Voldemort's face lit up with excitement as he ran his fingers over the ends of the wand.
Ever since he lost control of his phoenix wand on the night of his resurrection, he had the idea of replacing it.
As such, he did not sit around doing nothing. Instead, he searched for many English historical texts and legends, and was able to glean a few clues from the few that he could find.
However, it seemed that the wand in front of him was very similar to the legendary description…
Perhaps he should have known better. Without such a powerful wand, how could the dying Dumbledore hope to best him?
Voldemort's suspicions were confirmed, but he did not forget Snape's words and turned his attention to The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
The book's importance to Dumbledore was likely due to its legend of the most powerful wand, and even its use.
Voldemort's eyes lit up at the thought, and he chose not to question Snape, instead eagerly picking up the book and flicking through it.
Wizard and Hopping Pot, Fountain of Fortune, Wizard's Hairy Heart…
Voldemort's eyes moved quickly from one page to the next, stopping at one, his pale, long fingers tracing the description.
"The Elder Wand…the Wand of Fate…the Deathly Hallows!" Voldemort muttered to himself, almost in a frenzy. "I see. No wonder the wand is so powerful."