Little Hangleton Village, Riddle House.

“…… Lord, master, that's all it is. ”

"That is, McLean didn't take the prophecy ball? Is it still in the Hall of Prophecy? ”

"Yes, the host ......"

"Hmph, got it...... You've done a good job this time......"

Lucius stood distraughtly at the long table, answering Voldemort's question in a trembling voice.

On the other side, Voldemort was still sitting at the end of the long table, his somber face showing that he was in a bad mood right now.

Compared to the time when Maca was still there, the number of Death Eaters in Riddle House is much smaller now, because many of them were captured at the last audio-visual meeting.

Azkaban had also stepped up its vigilance, and with the exception of a small number that had been taken under Voldemort's command, the rest of the Dementors were confined to the island where the Azkaban Wizarding Prison was located.

After the prison break that Maca started, the Ministry of Magic also put a lot of effort into it, but now it seems that it was well spent.

The forces gathered by Voldemort have actually developed not much easier than the Order of the Phoenix.

At this moment, on the long conference table, which was still as smooth as new, there were more than a dozen dark wizards sitting sparsely. They bowed their heads and remained silent, apparently under a lot of pressure here.

Some of this pressure came from an angry Voldemort, while others came from the Order's strong resistance.

"All in all, this operation has borne fruit - from now on, that McLean's strength will inevitably drop significantly, and we are one step closer to that common ideal!"

“…… Nicely said, aren't you hurt yourself? ”

In the past, whenever Voldemort spoke, no one would have dared to interrupt, let alone speak up.

But now, there is one person who always pours cold water on such a critical moment.

"......" Voldemort's eyes twitched, and the green veins on his temples twitched slightly, obviously holding back his anger, "Mr. Blois, please don't interject at will?" ”

In front of the window next to the conference table, a richly dressed middle-aged man sat with his legs crossed, his eyes always fixed on the scenery outside the window.

"Since I promised to help you once, then I naturally need to consider the gains and losses," he said with a cold face, "If possible, the easier it is, the better—the resources of the Blois family are not to be wasted." ”

"Humph!" Voldemort snorted coldly and said dissatisfiedly, "So what, a deal is a deal." ”

"If you die, won't there be no trade?" Mr. Blois said, glancing back at him and saying, "I want to see that your injuries are not simple......

“…… Compared to the power you 'borrowed', I'm more interested in the other person's wizard. ”

"Then you might as well be—"

Voldemort's angry words were mixed with anger, and he held himself back in the middle of speaking.

This wizard who suddenly appeared has now become one of his important cards, and he doesn't want to push him to his opposite side because of his own impulse.

The current situation is bad enough, if such a powerful wizard with an ancient heritage is added as an opponent, then he might as well admit defeat directly.

"All right, Mr. Blois." Voldemort took a deep breath and said, "I'll try to get the edge as much as I can, and that's what I've been doing." ”

"That's good," said Mr. Blois, nodding slightly, "By the way, it's likely that your injuries have something to do with ancient magic. ”

Voldemort subconsciously touched the back of his waist, where the cold was constantly bubbling out, and even the chair he was sitting on was covered with a layer of hoarfrost.

His current body was completely condensed by the power derived from the Bewitching Monument, but the pillar of light emitted by Maca could affect even non-physical energy.

Now, apart from restricting the "cold air" from spreading, he still can't think of any way to get rid of it.

This sneak attack, in fact, can be said to be the result of a lose-lose situation.

"At least this time, his injuries are definitely much worse than mine." A sneer appeared on Voldemort's handsome face, but then it became even more gloomy.

In that final moment, he was almost thrown into that strange arch.

Only a few inches away from the black curtain, he even faintly heard some inexplicable whispers that penetrated the curtain and reached his ears.

That thing is dangerous! Absolutely dangerous! He wouldn't want to go near that place again in his life if he didn't have to.

"Lucius ......"

"Master?"

"I remember, your son went to Hogwarts, right? Also in Slytherin House? ”

"Uh...... Yes, yes, master. ”

"Bring him next, I'm going to have dinner with him."

"Master, this ...... My son is too young for him to be of any use—"

"Huh?"

"No...... Ah, yes, yes, I see, master. ”

"It's good to understand, you can go back first! The Ministry of Magic still needs you to bother......"

"It's my pleasure, my master......"

……

Blake's Old House, in the innermost bedroom on the left side of the second floor. Tia was huddled on the table by the window, leaning against the window glass and staring blankly at the plaza outside.

Probably because she often takes advantage of the early hours of the morning to take a shower when no one is around, she looks a lot cleaner than some time ago.

Her long, smooth black hair was loosely tied up by her, and then rested casually on her shoulders.

He was wearing a pair of the same pajamas that Mrs. Weasley wore when she was younger—it looked a little short, but it was okay as long as there was no one in sight.

Under this lazy dress, her characterless face, which was already featureless, now looked more and more unremarkable, the kind of appearance that was thrown on the street and difficult to notice.

She had been in this bedroom since she was forcibly captured by the dark-skinned wizard.

At first, she was actually imprisoned here, but after staying here for so long, she didn't want to go out herself.

For Tia, it's better than anywhere she's ever stayed – no need to see people, no need to talk, no scolding, no beatings and bullying, and food to eat every day.

If it weren't for something still lingering in her head, she really wanted to live here for the rest of her life.

Thinking of this, Tia pulled a silver pendant from her collar and gently pressed it on the top of the pendant. With a soft "click", the pendant automatically popped open the flap, revealing the small photo inside.

It was an ordinary Muggle photograph of a man and a woman smiling and snuggling together, looking very happy.

Behind the man and woman is a river that is not alarmed; In the distance, next to the man's head, a row of low buildings could be faintly seen.

It is worth mentioning that there is a strange black pillar that is thick and long, and it stands out from the crowd in that row of buildings.

Tia looked at the picture in the pendant in a daze, and held out her finger to touch it gently, but finally withdrew her hand with a twist.

"Tuk-tuk."

Just as Tia was stunned, two reserved knocks suddenly sounded at the door of the bedroom.

Tia's hand holding the pendant shook slightly, and then she immediately scrambled to slip the pendant back into her collar and looked nervously at the door.

"Miss Tia, it's me, Lena."

It's easy to get along with Lena, and even Tia thinks so - Lena doesn't like to talk much, but she quickly grasps your intentions and responds short and appropriate.

And most importantly, Lena is very good at keeping her distance from people.

For Tia, who would be unsettling when she sees anyone, her presence is simply a kind of salvation.

Tia scrambled out of bed, hurried to the door in her slippers, and opened the bedroom door with a pout.

Lena walked into the room with a tray and silently placed it on the table beside her, then cleaned up the lunch utensils and walked quietly out the door.

She didn't say a word the whole time, not even a glance at Tia. But her behavior does not give people the impression of being impolite, because her every move seems so peaceful and natural.

“…… Thank you, thank you. ”

This is the first time since she moved here that Tia has taken the initiative to speak to someone.

Lena turned her head at the door, but instead of speaking, she bowed to Tia slightly, and then closed the door silently.

Tia looked at the closed door for a moment, and then walked to the table where the dinner was kept.

"Ahh

Just as she sat down and took the fork in her hand, a miserable scream came faintly from downstairs, which frightened her all over, and the fork in her hand almost fell into the soup bowl.

Surprisingly, however, she didn't curl up and shiver with fear as she usually would.

In fact, it's all because she's been living here for quite some time and is getting used to that horrible scream.

Don't ask, who woke Sirius's mother up!

The old house had always been very lively, and in that regard, Tia was actually very uncomfortable. But even so, compared to other places, life here is enough to satisfy her.

Holding her fork again, Tia carefully picked up a piece of baked potato and stuffed it into her mouth.

Only every time she eats, she shows a sweet smile. Whether the food is delicious or shabby slices of black bread, as long as it fills her stomach, it will satisfy her.

People who have not experienced a long-term life of not having enough to eat will never be able to truly appreciate this supreme sense of happiness.