Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 30: Prophecy
Voldemort POV
After the Dark Lord's return, Severus was sent by Dumbledore to become a spy. Upon arriving, he was greeted with several Cruciatus curses from Voldemort. His mind was invaded by Legilimency, however, being the most skilled spy and an expert in Occlumency, he managed to deceive the Dark Lord.
Like many other Death Eaters who betrayed Voldemort after his downfall, he was eventually forgiven. But then, Voldemort became furious upon learning that his most loyal follower had been killed by Cornelius Fudge.
"What? Barty has been killed!" Voldemort shouted.
"Yes, my Lord," replied Snape, visibly shaken after enduring the Cruciatus curse.
"Did Dumbledore do it? No, Dumbledore is not the type to kill his enemies," Voldemort muttered, knowing Dumbledore well.
"It was Cornelius Fudge," Snape answered.
"Cornelius Fudge," murmured Voldemort in an angry tone. "Malfoy, do you know anything about Cornelius Fudge?"
"I do, my Lord. He is one of those people who are fond of receiving bribes," replied Malfoy, who had escaped the Cruciatus because he had arrived earlier at the graveyard along with other pureblood wizards.
"Bribes? Describe his personality to me," Voldemort demanded. "If he's useless, we need to kill him. He has also killed my most loyal servant."
"Cornelius Fudge is the one who rejected Harry Potter's plea regarding Sirius Black's innocence," Malfoy explained everything to Voldemort, taking about five minutes.
"Long story short, this man isn't a good person and we can use him by giving a bribe. When will My Lord lead our army to attack the Muggles like before?" Malfoy asked.
"Crucio..." Voldemort cast the curse on Malfoy, who did not attempt to evade or fight back.
"Master... why..." Malfoy gasped after being tortured by the dark magic.
Voldemort was furious with Malfoy and was barely able to contain his anger toward Severus Snape after learning that Barty Crouch had been kissed by a Dementor, rendering him in a state similar to death.
Then Lucius Malfoy had the audacity to suggest a plan that could lead to Voldemort's downfall. Voldemort had just returned, and his forces were still limited.
"Do you know how many followers we have? Fewer than ten wizards, and others are in Azkaban," Voldemort explained. "And with these few people, you dare to suggest we spread terror?"
Upon realizing his mistake, Malfoy froze in shock.
"I'm sorry, my Lord. It was my small mind that failed to think ahead."
Prophecy Hall
"Severus, do you remember the prophecy you told me about before?" asked the Dark Lord.
"Yes, my Lord," replied Severus Snape.
"I need the full contents of that prophecy," demanded Voldemort.
"I'm sorry, my Lord, but it is Dumbledore who possesses the full prophecy," Snape said nervously.
Voldemort grew angry and nearly cast the Cruciatus Curse on him, but Snape quickly added, "But I believe we can retrieve the prophecy from elsewhere."
"You mean, you have a way to obtain it?" Voldemort asked.
"Dumbledore may have kept a record somewhere. I'll try to find out from him," Snape replied.
'Prophecy?' thought Malfoy, remembering how Voldemort once tried to kill Harry Potter because of a prophecy.
"My Lord," Lucius Malfoy interjected, "I may know where we can find a record."
Voldemort's interest piqued, and a wide smile spread across his face. "Tell me, how can we obtain it?"
"In the Ministry of Magic, there's the Department of Mysteries. They keep records of prophecies in a section managed by the Unspeakables," revealed Malfoy, smiling, hoping to gain favor with the Dark Lord.
Voldemort was momentarily stunned, then laughed.
"Hahahahahaha, good... good..." He stared at Malfoy. "I order you to retrieve the prophecy about me and Harry Potter."
Lucius, feeling relieved, nodded and left, while Snape was shocked. He wanted to return to Dumbledore before it was too late, but Voldemort held him back, waiting for Lucius to return with the prophecy.
After an hour, Lucius returned with a pale face.
"Where is the prophecy, Lucius?" asked Voldemort.
Department of Mysteries, flashback an hour ago...
Lucius Malfoy sneaked into the Ministry, hoping that this mission would earn him the Dark Lord's full forgiveness. He was well aware that many Death Eaters, including himself, had betrayed Voldemort after his downfall. This betrayal had made the Dark Lord furious with them. Though Voldemort had accepted their return, they could still feel the lingering wrath and anger from their master.
Lucius entered the Department of Mysteries and made his way to the Hall of Prophecies. There were thousands of orbs, and he had no idea how to find the prophecy concerning the Dark Lord.
After searching for nearly 50 minutes, someone suddenly entered the hall.
"Who are you?" asked a figure in a hood. It was an Unspeakable who worked in the Department of Mysteries.
"How dare you raise your wand at me?" warned Lucius Malfoy. "I am from the most prestigious pureblood family—the House of Malfoy."
The Unspeakable, being a half-blood, didn't care about Malfoy's pureblood status. Lucius, known in his youth for saying, "My father will hear about this," had luckily outgrown that phrase after his marriage. Otherwise, he might as well have been humiliated for not standing on his own merit. As an adult, Lucius no longer used his father's name to get his way.
"I don't care who you are or what you're doing here. If you don't have official business, leave now," warned the Unspeakable. Because of the Unspeakable's attire, which concealed their face and identity, Lucius couldn't tell who it was or from which family they came.
"I'm here searching for my prophecy," Malfoy lied.
"I've seen you wandering around for more than 50 minutes. It's impossible you haven't found it yet," replied the Unspeakable.
"There are too many orbs here," Malfoy tried to explain.
"This hall is enchanted. If someone mentioned in a prophecy comes searching for it, the orb will guide them. There's also magic in place that prevents anyone else from retrieving a prophecy. If they try, the orb will explode," the Unspeakable explained.
Malfoy was shocked by this revelation. He hadn't known about these protections and suddenly feared the Dark Lord's wrath if he failed his mission.
Author Notes - Is 1000 Chapter too small? This chapter is more than 1000.
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