Chapter 891 - Still Ⅲ (2/2)

A Bend in Time EsliEsma 33340K 2022-07-25

”I do not see why the matter cannot be accomplished, Lestrange,” Voldemort chillingly replied. ”I will only be merciful this once, I do not have a habit of being questioned.”

”My mistake, Milord,” Rodolphus sincerely admitted and bowed his head lower.

”Enough, Lestrange, I have no need for such flattery,” Voldemort frowned, before pointedly dismissing Lestrange with a wave of his spider-like hand.

Rodolphus keep his head low and bows moving towards the door. ”And Lestrange,” Rodolphus froze at Voldemort's voice, ”leave the door open, Nagini has finished eating and is returning to my side.”

”Yes, Dark Lord,” Rodolphus muttered hiding his revulsion but nevertheless left the door open behind him for the sated serpent to enter.

The sound of something heavy slithering can be heard beyond the darkness of the door. Voldemort expressionlessly sits down on the marble throne to wait for his horcrux. From the depths of the shadows of the large serpent, Nagini swayed slowly towards him. Two large lumps can be seen within the serpent being digested and dragged towards him.

Satiated, Voldemort's Horcrux lays before his throne outstretched to slumber. Voldemort studies his Horcrux now only in name called Nagini. An empty feeling fills his ċhėst and one that he has no name for. With the creation of Nagini as his Horcrux, Nagini was no longer the serpent that he once knew, the one that killed his kin. The current Nagini remembered him, but the snake was no longer Nagini, but rather a mere vessel to house his soul. This Nagini was a vicious, bloodthirsty, murderous, beast, that is the carrier for his internal madness.

Yes, Voldemort had knowingly split his soul to house the growing madness. A trace was still left behind in his current soul, but the creation of the living Horcrux housed the majority of the corruption found within his soul. A trace of melancholy and nostalgia for a moment is visible in his crimson eyes as he studies the slumbering serpent laid out before him. His Nagini was gone and only his Horcrux remained.

It was tedious to learn that his origins to an extent had been discovered. Yet this was an opportunity in itself, Voldemort could use the Daily Prophet to increase his exposure to the public and gather more like-minded followers. With clarity returned to him, he slowly began to ponder on how to further exploit the opportunity before him.

Unknowingly Voldemort's crimson eyes return to the scene outside of the fogged windows. A dim shadow can be seen moving down the snow-covered path of Gibbons manor and beyond the gates, Lestrange. Yes, Lestrange was a most loyal follower and one that Voldemort relied on, but after the betrayal of Devante Nott, it was better to depend on oneself. No, he could only truly trust himself for he could not afford to be too dependent on any of his followers. And know that he was aware of the existence of his enemy, he began to recall true memory fragments.

Unlike Dumbledore, Voldemort's retreat at the Ministry of Magic had filled him with coincidence. Voldemort had found Dumbledore weaker and full of weakness to exploit. Should they face on the battlefield once again, he would no longer fear his former Professor. Rather he was even confident of being able to take the old man's head.

Voldemort's crimson eyes flash as he returns to the thought of his nameless foe. His true enemy did not just carry one face but rather many faces. To destroy his enemy, he would have to find the means to hunt down an existence like him. He was only in the preliminary stages having finally learned to create a living vessel, but his enemy was a master in the art. However, his nameless foe was arrogant and confident in being unable to be discovered.

Yet unlike his foe, Voldemort had access to some of Herpo, the Foul's private records in parseltongue. During his time abroad, he had by some unknown instinct retrieved the precious journals are written in parseltongue having belonged to the ancient Greek parseltongue, Herpo, the Foul. And though the records were incomplete, they were more than sufficient in pointing Voldemort in the proper direction.

For Voldemort was terrible, yes, but great. A psychopath, but brilliant; and not even his enemies could deny the awful power that Voldemort possessed. And as the ancient wizard clans of the East once said, ”One mountain cannot house two Occamy..” There could only be one.