Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
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Chapter 66: Lord Voldemort
"Invite them in and escort them here, Kreacher." Pollux turned to his family then. "We will no longer argue about this. You will all let me lead the talking, or I will remind you why I am the Patriarch of this house."
"Y-yes, father..." Walburga lowered her head with reluctance.
The others looked at the Patriarch in silence. They had all already begun to see him as an old man at the end of his life, who was weak and decrepit.
But the image that Lord Pollux was displaying now was of the powerful wizard who had commanded the House of Black for decades.
He did not look like someone who was sick and only had a few months left.
This had made some of them believe that perhaps their Patriarch had played some trick on them, maybe a test of sorts to see how they would react if he were on his deathbed.
But their attention was soon diverted as the doors to the main hall opened and three individuals walked inside.
On one side was a tall man with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore expensive robes and walked in an elegant and delicate manner.
They were all very familiar with Abraxas Malfoy at this point. He was the richest wizard in all of Magical Britain. His fortune even surpassed that of the House of Black.
This was one of the reasons Druella had been so excited when he offered to marry his son Lucius to her youngest daughter. She could not have hoped for a better union, or one that would benefit her more.
On the other side was another familiar person, he was a robust man with short black hair and a pair of cold black eyes. Edwin Lestrange wore his usual angry scowl. This was a man who appeared to be in a constant state of anger, and there were rumors that he had never smiled in his entire life...not even on the day of his wedding or when his children were born.
Between them stood the guest of honor, the so-called Dark Lord.
He wore a simple black robe that covered most of his body, except for his impossibly pale hands. His face was mostly hidden by the hood of his cloak, revealing only his jaw, which was as pale as his hands.
The group stopped a few steps away from the table.
Abraxas handled the introductions and greetings, starting with himself and Edwin. Of course, they were all familiar with each other, so this was merely a formality.
The current Lord Malfoy was a man fond of traditions and formalities.
He then turned to the Dark Lord.
"I present to you, Lord Voldemort, the most powerful Dark Lord this land has ever seen. And tonight, he has come here to honor you with his presence, Lord Black."
Abraxas's eyes flickered for a moment to James before returning to Pollux, clearly wondering about the presence of the Potter heir, but chose not to comment on it.
Lord Pollux stood from his chair, and the rest of the family followed suit.
"Lord Voldemort... are you from outside the island?"
Abraxas's eyes widened for a second. He had not expected the Patriarch to begin the conversation by questioning the Dark Lord's origins.
"No. I was born and raised in Britain, Lord Black." Voldemort's voice was soft, yet they could all hear it clearly, as if he were speaking right next to their ears. This was no doubt the effect of some spell woven into it.
Pollux did not skip a beat. "Then you should know that it is impolite to hide your face during an important meeting such as this."
Edwin Lestrange's frown deepened. "Lord Pollux! That's no—"
Voldemort quickly raised his hand to stop him. "It's fine, Edwin. Lord Black is correct."
His pale hands pulled back the hood, finally revealing his face to the rest of the occupants.
Several contained gasps followed. Even Lord Pollux looked visibly shocked at the sight before him.
The only one who maintained his composure was James Potter, as he was already familiar with this inhuman visage.
Though he looked different from how he had after his resurrection in June of 1995, James could still tell this was the same monster.
His features were more human, he even still had a nose...but his eyes were an impossible shade of red, as if they had been injected with blood.
His skin was paler than should have been possible for a human, and it appeared to have an almost oily quality.
Voldemort, at this point, should have been in his late forties, but the 'person' in front of them looked much older than that.
James was certain this was partly the effect of all the Horcruxes he had created. But now, looking at the man with the eyes of a veteran wizard rather than the novice he had been back then, he could tell there was much more to it.
There were many forbidden rituals in this world. Some promised great power, but they always came at a great cost. Most wizards and witches were smart enough to stay away from them.
Occasionally, a madman would appear and perform them without regard for the consequences.
James wondered how many of those rituals Voldemort had subjected himself to. Just how great was his ambition for power and control that he would sink to such depths?
Voldemort seemed to find their reactions amusing. His smile only made him look more terrifying.
"I'm afraid this is why I usually keep my face hidden. I hope you forgive my unusual appearance, Lord Black. I have suffered some... magical mishaps in the past that left me looking ."
"I see..." Lord Pollux was not foolish enough to believe that, and neither was his family.
The House of Black had a long history with forbidden magic and rituals. They could only imagine the things this Dark Lord had done to end up in such a state.
However, this also demonstrated just how determined he was in his quest for power and conquest.
Voldemort had known this from the beginning. His red eyes grew more vibrant, almost seeming to glow.
"Now... would you hear my offer?"
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