Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Chapter 182 Death Eaters

"Thea...you did a great job..."

Voldemort looked at Thea, who was standing unsteadily next to Barty Jr. due to blood loss.

"Thank you... Father..." Thea tried to straighten up, trying her best not to show her weakness.

"Little Barty..."

Voldemort watched Thea's actions, a hint of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

Upon hearing its master's call, Little Barty immediately bowed and responded.

“He’s shown up again,” he said softly. “They’ll all notice…”

"How many of our old friends have the courage to come back, and how many will be foolish enough not to?"

Sensing the anger in his owner's tone, Little Barty bowed even lower.

"However, I still have you... my most loyal friends... and my most wonderful daughter!"

Harry now completely understands why Voldemort stayed here after his resurrection; he was waiting for the Death Eaters!

Soon, the air was filled with the rustling of cloaks, and wizard phantoms appeared in every dark place, between the graves and behind the fir trees, all wearing hoods and covering their faces.

The Death Eaters arrived one by one... walking slowly and cautiously, as if they couldn't believe their eyes.

One Death Eater knelt down, and the Death Eaters behind him did the same. They crawled over on their knees and then kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes one by one.

"Master...Master..."

The Death Eaters who had kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes stepped aside and silently formed a circle, surrounding Tom Riddle's grave, Potter, Voldemort, Barty Jr., and Thea...

There were still some gaps in the circle, as if waiting for others to join, but Voldemort no longer expected anyone to come.

“Welcome, Death Eaters,” Voldemort said calmly. “Thirteen years have passed, and you still answer my call as always. But why do I smell the stench of guilt?”

“Oh,” Voldemort suddenly exclaimed with a sudden realization, “I remember now, for the past 13 years you have been healthy and your magic as strong as ever, able to arrive so quickly… But why have you not come to help their master? To help those who have sworn eternal loyalty to them?”

No one spoke, and no one was moved. Although there was no wind, a faint rustling sound seemed to pass through the circle, as if the circle itself had shivered.

"I am very disappointed. I am extremely, extremely disappointed in you..."

Suddenly, one of the men in the circle collapsed to the ground, prostrate at Voldemort's feet, trembling from head to toe.

"Master!" he screamed, "Master, forgive me, forgive us!"

Voldemort suddenly let out a cold laugh, and he raised his wand.

"Heart-piercing and bone-scraping!"

Hearing his screams, Harry felt increasingly desperate, but when his gaze fell on the girl standing steadily in the middle of the circle, a strong surge of anger welled up inside him again, uncontrollably.

The screams gradually subsided, and Voldemort raised his wand. "Get up, Avery, stand up! I will never forgive you, and I will never forget these long thirteen years..."

Voldemort paced slowly until his steps stopped at a certain point.

“Lucius, my cunning friend,” he stopped in front of the man and said in a low voice, “I have heard that you have not abandoned your past ways, even though you put on a sanctimonious face in front of the world.”

"I believe you'd still be willing to lead the torment of Muggles, wouldn't you? But you've never bothered to look for me, Lucius…wouldn't it be better if you spent your energy finding and helping your master?"

“Master, I have been keeping a close watch,” Lucius Malfoy’s voice came swiftly from beneath the hood, “and at any signal from you, at any rumor of your whereabouts, I will be by your side immediately, nothing can stop me—in fact, I have not accomplished nothing, I have found your heir! I have found her! I have raised her to be what she is now—”

Upon hearing Lucius's words, many people couldn't help but turn their gaze to the conspicuous girl in the center of the circle...

"Indeed... the Malfoy family has indeed found my successor..."

Lucius was overjoyed, but that joy vanished in the next second.

"Heart-piercing and bone-scraping!"

As Lucius let out a suppressed cry of pain, Voldemort said softly, "Lucius, what makes you think that my daughter's achievements are your doing?"

“…I was wrong…Master!” Lucius screamed, “Master! I was wrong!”

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking..."

The Death Eaters responded with trembling voices, not daring to breathe loudly.

After finishing with the Crucifixion on Lucius, Voldemort began circling again, pointing out the people who were missing one by one, "Bellatrix... Rodolphus... they were loyal..."

"What do you think, Nott?"

"Heart-piercing and bone-scraping!"

Voldemort didn't waste any words and immediately cast a Cruciatus Curse. He was already fed up with these idiots!

Voldemort's three Crucifixion Curses made the others shrink back even more, and an atmosphere of fear gradually spread.

Voldemort seemed to have lost interest as well; he shifted his gaze from Nott to Harry.

Harry felt an immense wave of malice wash over him, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Harry Potter has graced my Rebirth Party with his presence; we might even call him our special guest!"

Voldemort's tone suddenly rose, "Some people say this boy is my nemesis, is that true?"

Voldemort's eyes were fixed on Harry. "On the night I lost my magic and my body, I wanted to kill him. His mother's death to save him inadvertently gave him some kind of protection, which I admit was something I hadn't anticipated..."

"But they didn't expect that I would have such an outstanding successor as Thea!"

"Thea's intelligence is beyond my wildest dreams, even for me! When I was 15, I couldn't inherit the great legacy left by Slytherin..."

"But she! My daughter! My greatest creation! She did it, she found the way to resurrect me in that vast ocean of books... so I was resurrected!"

"And what about you? My most loyal friends, shouldn't you be happy for me that I have such a perfect successor?"

"Congratulations, Master, on having an heir!" Little Barty reacted quickly.

The other Death Eaters also bowed and congratulated Voldemort.

Voldemort lazily glanced at Thea, who stood out conspicuously in the crowd, and the next second...

"Extremely painful..."

A spell struck the limp Thea, and she collapsed to the ground like a piece of cotton...