"You've done well this time, very well, Severus!" Voldemort exclaimed as he paced the drawing room with The Tales of Beedle the Bard in his hand.
The Elder Wand… the Cloak of Invisibility… the Resurrection Stone… a set of three Hallows created by Death himself. They are said to contain the power to make one master of Death!
And conquering death was exactly what he had always dreamed of!
"Do you think this story is true? That this wand is the legendary Elder Wand, made by Death himself?" Voldemort asked, examining the Elder Wand in his hand.
"Master, I can't say for sure… but the legend of the three brothers has been around for a long time in the British wizarding world. The Tales of Beedle the Bard only included it, and I think it might be true!" Snape replied cautiously.
"Yes, there is always something to be said for legends!" Voldemort murmured, fully convinced.
After all, he had just experienced the power of the Elder Wand, which was definitely beyond the realm of normal magical objects.
More importantly, Voldemort desperately wanted this legend to be true, because he saw in it the possibility of defeating Ivan-Hals!
The crushing defeat at Knockturn Alley had always haunted him!
Voldemort still remembers how high-spirited he was when he was first revived, with the entire wizarding world at his fingertips, but in one night, it was as if he had fallen from heaven to hell, and Ivan Hals had shattered all his ambitions with power he could not imagine…
This was different from the last time, fifteen years ago. This time, it was not the lucky boy Harry Potter, but someone who had beaten him head-on.
There were times when Voldemort was pessimistic that he would never have the chance to redeem himself, but the legend of the Three Hallows gave him new hope!
However, despite his excitement, Voldemort did not lose his mind. The Elder Wand gave him an unexpected increase in strength, but it was far from enough to allow him to easily defeat Ivan Hals.
In addition, he was keenly aware that the wand seemed to be resisting his power when he cast the spell.
Voldemort's brow furrowed. The original owner of the Elder Wand, Dumbledore, was supposedly dead, and he should have been able to move as he pleased.
"Perhaps it has something to do with Dumbledore's death at the hands of Ivan Hals…" Snape cautioned. "Master, according to the legends I know, there is only one way to change the owner of an Elder Wand, by duelling…"
"Only the winner and the strongest deserve to own the strongest wand!" Voldemort instantly understood what Snape meant and his face darkened.
As much as he approved of the Elder Wand's choice of owner, didn't this mean that the Elder Wand's current owner was Ivan Hals?!
Voldemort's expression was as ugly as if he had just swallowed a cockroach. He had hoped that with this wand, he would no longer have to fear the brat, but now it seemed that he would have to think twice.
He would never do such a stupid thing as to challenge its owner to a duel with a wand that had already acknowledged its master…
However, Voldemort was somewhat glad that Ivan-Hulth did not know the legend of the Three Sanctuaries and had scoffed at the Elder Wand, or he would have had to face an opponent he could never hope to defeat.
"What about the other two Deathly Hallows, Severus? Do you know where they are?" Voldemort turned to Snape and asked urgently.
If the Elder Wand was so powerful, what of the other two Deathly Hallows?
Voldemort suddenly felt as if he had found a new purpose in life: to gather the three Deathly Hallows and become the Master of Death, thus defeating Ivan Hals and dominating the wizarding world!
However, to his disappointment, Snape shook his head hesitantly, indicating that he had no information about the other Hallows.
The fire in Voldemort's heart cooled a little, but he was not too discouraged. Dumbledore's recent eagerness to find the Deathly Hallows meant that he must have known something.
The old wand in his hand was also an important clue.
Ollivander, a wand-maker who had been around for a long time, might know something about this.
Understanding this, a new plan formed in Voldemort's mind…
"Severus, you will return to Ivan Hals, keep an eye on him, and find a way into the Headmaster's office and Dumbledore's bedroom to search for clues to the Deathly Hallows…" Voldemort instructed.
"I understand, Master."
Snape nodded, but was not impressed. After discussing the so-called grand plan with Voldemort, he left the Riddle House alone.
As he opened the door and stepped out of the room, Snape's nerves began to relax, and his palms and back of his robe were soaked with sweat.
Ever since Malfoy and the others defected to Ivan Hals, the Dark Lord's suspicions had grown to the point of morbidity.
Even though he had performed every task assigned to him by Voldemort with near-perfect accuracy, Snape could sense that Voldemort was still suspicious of him.
Every time he entered or left Riddle House, it was as if he were hovering between life and death…
Snape vaguely regretted promising Dumbledore to carry out the plan.
However, he understood that the outcome would not change even if he were to do it again, as he would never have the right to choose…
Snape's eyes clouded as he recalled the story of the three brothers in The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
"The Deathly Hallows… the Resurrection Stone…" Snape whispered to himself.
Dumbledore once told him that the so-called Deathly Hallows were just a few powerful magical objects, and that the Resurrection Stone could only be used as a decoy to lead people to their deaths.
Snape did not believe Dumbledore's story, and remained hopeful that Dumbledore was just fooling him, not wanting him to become obsessed with the power of reversing life and death…
Snape could not contain his excitement at the thought, and his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh.
No matter what, I want to see you again… Lily…
Even if it's just a face-to-face apology…