Their conversation had unknowingly stretched over half an hour.
William couldn't hold back his curiosity and finally asked the question that had been bothering him.
"Professor, if Tywin's intention was to save James Potter, why did he join the Death Eaters?"
"You're mistaken, William. Tywin wasn't trying to save James; he wanted to save Voldemort. And yes, he was a real Death Eater."
"But didn't he have a special bond with James? In those memories…"
"People change, William," Dumbledore replied, his gaze sharpening. "When James and Lily became a couple, Tywin changed."
"Do you recall that memory where Tywin nearly cast a curse on Lily, simply because she was dating James?"
"Yes, I remember."
"That was only the beginning. Love can drive people mad, making them behave in ways they never would otherwise," Dumbledore said knowingly.
"Come, this next memory took me quite a while to find."
Dumbledore stirred the Pensieve, and they both entered a new scene.
An eerie vision appeared before them.
William's eyes widened in shock. What was this strange sight?
In a shadowy, dim setting, a man appeared, wearing a tattered black cloak, his blond hair matted, and his face filled with fear.
A group of hooded figures surrounded him, wands pointed directly at his head.
"Please, don't kill me! I came to see the Dark Lord!" The man knelt, raising his wand in surrender.
"Oh? You came to see me? Did Dumbledore send you with a message, Tywin?"
A figure stepped forward, though its face was indistinct, as the source of this memory had lowered their gaze in terror.
"I… I have valuable information… I know where members of the Order of the Phoenix are hiding… I can lead you there…"
"Oh, you know their locations?" the deep, raspy voice sounded again.
"Several… Lily Potter, Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom…"
"Well, well, well," the figure chuckled lazily. "The Longbottoms have evaded me once, and Lily Potter has escaped twice.
"I believe they were all your classmates, weren't they? Tell me, what would you like as a reward from the merciful Lord Voldemort?"
"I… I want to become… a Death Eater!"
The scene shifted to a new memory.
They were inside a small, square room lit dimly.
The floor was black marble, creating an ominous ambience. A low wooden altar stood in the center, surrounded by three stone pillars with flickering candles casting a soft glow.
Another figure appeared. This man was tall, with familiar golden hair—it was Tywin in his twenties.
But he was no longer the timid, unremarkable Tywin. Now, he appeared confident, even handsome, with a faint smile on his face.
Soon, more people joined. Four figures emerged, observing the new recruit taking his oath.
Judging by their robes, they were Death Eaters. Cloaked in shadows, with their hoods up, William couldn't make out their faces.
"Death Eaters," a deep, raspy voice called out, and a shadowy figure appeared on the altar.
"In the name of the great Voldemort, I open this gathering for our new servant!"
With those words, the sound of a hammer pounding echoed through the room.
William's eyes were wide with astonishment.
Books had always hinted at the mysterious initiation rites of the Death Eaters, but here he was, witnessing it firsthand through a memory.
The ceremony proceeded in an eerie, ritualistic manner.
The scene was reminiscent of some dark cult, with sparking wands pressed against the initiate's bare chest—a symbol that if he ever betrayed Voldemort, he would face the fatal curse.
Tywin knelt at Voldemort's feet, vowing eternal loyalty to his master and swearing that if he ever betrayed him, he would accept punishment, have his chest split open, and his heart ripped out to be trampled underfoot.
Voldemort bent down, took Tywin's left arm, and rolled up his sleeve to the elbow, touching it lightly with his wand.
Tywin grimaced in pain, but a strange satisfaction suppressed the agony, his face flushing with excitement.
Slowly, a mark formed on his skin: a red tattoo of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth.
The Dark Mark.
The ceremony concluded, and Tywin prostrated himself at Voldemort's feet, kissing the hem of his black robes.
"Master… Master…" Tywin murmured.
All around, the Death Eaters who had borne witness did the same, crawling to Voldemort's side to kiss his robes before standing silently in a circle.
"Come, William," Dumbledore said.
They returned to the office once more.
After a moment, Dumbledore spoke.
"When the young Voldemort was at Hogwarts, he gathered a circle of loyal followers.
"I say 'followers' because I have no better term—he felt nothing for them. In the castle, they formed a dark undercurrent. Weak students sought his protection, the ambitious sought prestige, and the cruel were drawn to a leader who encouraged their brutality.
"In short, they were the proto-Death Eaters. Some of them, after leaving Hogwarts, became his first real Death Eaters."
"To set himself apart and cement his power, young Voldemort, at their suggestion, created this ritual.
"The true core Death Eaters went through this initiation to pledge themselves as Voldemort's servants."
William thought for a moment. "Professor, where did this memory come from?"
"Rodolphus Lestrange. He and his wife, Bellatrix, were Voldemort's most fanatical followers, so we can be certain the memory is authentic," Dumbledore replied.
"Then why did Tywin join the Death Eaters?"
"William, I can only speculate," Dumbledore said, crossing his hands. "People's hearts change. Tywin once felt a special affection for James, but when James married Lily, that affection turned to hatred.
"Driven by this hatred, he leaked information about Lily's location to Voldemort, hoping she would be killed."
"Was that when the Potters died?"
"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "Lily managed to escape that time—it was her third escape from Voldemort's pursuit.
"Afterward, I suspected a traitor among us and advised the Potters and Longbottoms to go into hiding."
"But by then, Voldemort had already fixated on finding the Potters for another reason."
"Tywin, as James' childhood friend, was in a position to investigate. But before he could play a role, Voldemort found James and Lily through other means."
"Sirius Black?" William ventured.
"Yes, Sirius," Dumbledore repeated the name with a tone that conveyed deep sadness and confusion.
"Tywin didn't get a chance to act. Voldemort was defeated soon after. There were few who had witnessed him becoming a Death Eater, so he managed to remain hidden until now."
"Then why does he hate Professor Snape so much?" William asked, recalling how Tywin had called Snape a vile traitor who had killed James and the Dark Lord.
"William, I can't share every detail with you, but I can tell you this: Voldemort targeted the Potters because of certain information Snape carelessly leaked.
"From Tywin's prespective, this betrayal led directly to Voldemort's downfall, so he blamed Snape for deceiving and ultimately causing the Dark Lord's death."
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