94 Diagon Alley

    Voldemort had a cruel smug look on his face. He straightened up, lifted his head, and scanned the dark cemetery. About a minute later, his eyes fell on Harry again, and the snake face twisted into a cruel smile.

    "Harry Potter, you're standing on my father's corpse." He hissed softly, "He's a Muggle and an idiot...like your own mother But they're all useful, aren't they? When you were little, your mother died to protect you... I killed my father, and you see how useful he was when he died..."

    The air was suddenly filled with the rustling of cloaks. Between the tombs, and behind the cedar trees, in every shadowy place there were apparitions of wizards. They all wore hoods and covered their faces. They came one by one... slowly and cautiously, as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Voldemort stood there in silence, waiting. A Death Eater fell to his knees, climbed up to Voldemort, and kissed the hem of his black robe.

    "Master...Master..." he whispered.

    It was the same with the Death Eaters behind him, everyone crawling on their knees beside Voldemort, kissing his robes, then stepping aside, standing, and forming a silent circle.

    "Welcome, Death Eaters," said Voldemort calmly, "thirteen years... It's been thirteen years since our last meeting. But you still answer my call like yesterday... That is, we're still united under the Dark Mark! Are we?"

    He raised his hideous face, opened his two slit-like nostrils and sniffed.

    "I smell guilt," he said. "There's a stench of guilt in the air."

    The circle trembled again, it seemed that everyone wanted to step back, but dared not move.

    "I see you, all in good health, and magic as ever - so fast! - I ask myself...why haven't these wizards come to help their masters, to help them swear forever loyal people?"

    No one speaks, no one dares to move.

    "I answered myself," said Voldemort softly, "they must have believed I was dead, thought I was done. They slipped back into the midst of my enemies, saying they were innocent and unknowing, Witchcraft..." He said, giving Avery a contemptuous glance.

    "This disappoints me...I admit I am disappointed..."

    Voldemort whispered, "I will not forgive. I will not forget. Thirteen long years...I want you to pay off your debt for thirteen years before I forgive you. Avery has Paid some debt, didn't you, Avery?"

    He looked down at the little Death Eater. He was still there sobbing.

    "You came back to me not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friend. Avery, if Crouch hadn't found you, you would have continued to hide? Like that greedy Wormtail terrified of death. You know that, don't you?"

    "Yes, Master," Avery groaned, "Please, Master...I will always be loyal to you..."

    "But you gave me a body," Voldemort said indifferently, watching Avery sob on the ground, "even though you're a vile deserter... claiming to be under the Imperius... but you Helped me... Voldemort won't treat anyone who helped him..."

    Voldemort raised his wand again and danced in the air. The head of the wand drew a band of light like molten silver, which at first had no shape, then twisted and turned into a sparkling Glowing human hands, as bright as moonlight. It flew down on its own and settled on Avery's bleeding wrist.

    "My master," he said softly, "Master... so beautiful... thank you... thank you..." He crawled over on his knees and kissed Voldemort's robes.

    "I hope your loyalty will not waver," said Voldemort.

    "Lucius, my cunning friend," he whispered, pausing before the man, "I hear that you have not given up your past deeds, even though you pretended to be before the world A sanctimonious face. I'm sure you're still willing to take the lead in torturing Muggles? But you've never looked for me, Lucius... Your actions at the Quidditch World Cup were interesting... but if you spend your energy looking for and help your master above, wouldn't it be better?"

    "Master, I have been very attentive," Lucius Malfoy's voice came quickly from under the hood, "As long as there is any signal of yours, as long as there is any rumor of your whereabouts, I'll be right next to you, and nothing can stop me—"

    "But you fled last summer when a loyal Death Eater fired my mark into the air," said Voldemort lazily—Mr. Malfoy suddenly shut up. " Yeah, I know that, Lucius...you've disappointed me...I hope you'll serve me more faithfully in the future."

    "Of course, Master, of course...you are generous, thank you..."

    "Six less Death Eaters here...Three died for me, one didn't have the guts to come back...will pay the price. The other, I think, is gone forever...of course he will Executed...and a servant who remains my most loyal servant, who has returned to my service."

    There was a small commotion among the Death Eaters, and Harry saw the masked men secretly exchange glances.

    "He's at Hogwarts, my loyal servant, and thanks to his efforts, our little friend will be here tonight..."

    The eyes of the people all turned to Harry. "Yes," Voldemort's lipless mouth twisted into a smile.

    He walked lazily over to Harry, all eyes on the two of them. The serpent continued to wander there. The cold tip of Voldemort stretched out a long, pale finger to touch his skin, and his headache seemed to explode. Voldemort chuckled in his ear, removed his fingers, and continued to speak to the Death Eaters.

    "Friends, I admit I miscalculated. My spell was blocked by the woman's foolish sacrifice and bounced back on myself. Ahhh...the pain more than anything, friends, nothing I can't resist it. I've been stripped of my flesh, I'm worse than a ghost, I'm worse than the most humble wandering soul... But I'm still alive. What I am, I don't know until now... I, who will walk on the road of longevity Those of you who have come a long way. You know my goal - to conquer death. Now that I'm put to the test, it seems that at least one or two of my experiments worked...because I didn't die, even though the spell was lethal. However, I'm as powerless as the weakest creature, unable to help myself..."

    There was another silence, no movement, even the yew leaves were still. The Death Eaters were motionless, the glittering eyes on their masks staring at Voldemort, and then at Harry.

    "Then, less than a year ago, when I had almost given up hope, hope finally came...a servant found me. Barty Crouch Jr., from Azkaban Escaped, imprisoned by his father, hiding in the house every day, living in the prison of the lowly elf, when he wakes up, he decides to return to his master. He has long been said to be the My country of hiding here seeks me out..."

    "But his journey back to me was not smooth. One night, he had come to the edge of the forest, and he would soon find me. He was hungry and foolishly walked away Went into a hotel...that's where I met Bertha Jorkins - a witch from the Ministry of Magic."

    "Now look how much fate took care of Voldemort. This encounter could have killed Crouch and killed my last hope of resurrection. But he was so calm that he persuaded Bertha Jorkins walked with him at night. He subdued her...brought her to me. This Bertha Jorkins who could have ruined everything turned out to be a wonderful gift I could not have dreamed of...because , I persuaded a little, and she explained a lot of information."

    "She told me there was a Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts this year, and that I had a loyal Death Eater who would be willing to help me if I could get in touch with him .she told me a lot...but the method I used to break the oblivion spell on her was too good. After I took all the useful information out of her mouth, she was mentally and physically damaged beyond recovery. She It's out of use. I can't get attached to her, so I'll get rid of her."

    Voldemort smiled horribly, his red eyes hollow and indifferent.

    "Crouch is certainly not fit for possession, because everyone thought he was dead, and it would be too conspicuous to be seen. But he brought me a sturdy servant , Avery, despite being a crappy wizard, was able to carry out my instructions, giving me an initial feeble body in which I could wait for the ingredients needed to truly regenerate...with a spell or two of my own invention ...and a little help from my dear Nagini,"—Voldemort's red eyes looking at the serpent that continued to swim in circles—"a potion of unicorn blood and Nagini's venom . . . plus three medicines—the bone of the father, the flesh of the servant, and the blood of the enemy."

    "But how did you get Harry Potter? He's so well protected, I don't think he even knew it. Long ago, Dumbledore was thinking about arranging The boy's future was specially designed with a set of protection plans. He used an ancient magic to ensure that the boy would be protected as long as he was under the care of his relatives. Even I couldn't touch him...