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Chapter 67: The Dark Lord's Side
Lord Pollux gestured for his guest to take a seat before he spoke again.
"I have promised that I would listen to what you have to say, Lord Voldemort, and I will do that much at least."
Voldemort smiled, which made him seem even creepier. "Thank you for your time, and your family. Lord Nott told me that you were a reasonable man."
Pollux had to make an effort to avoid showing any facial change at the mention of Lord Nott. He had been the one who initially sent a letter to him, recommending he speak with this Dark Lord.
They had known each other for many decades, and he was a man that Pollux had trusted deeply...otherwise, he would have been more hesitant to meet someone who called themselves a Dark Lord.
This trust began to change when he came to realize that the 'sickness' that almost killed him was actually a curse, one that he had contracted shortly after interacting with some ancient artifacts that his old friend had gifted him for his birthday.
He could not prove that this had been intentional, and surely, if he confronted Edward Nott about it, he would certainly say that it had been an unfortunate accident. After all, there is always a risk of curses when interacting with ancient magical artifacts.
He glanced at Abraxas Malfoy and Edwin Lestrange. It was obvious that the two families were already deep within this Dark Lord's circle.
And considering that his old friend, Lord Nott, was the one who recommended this meeting… that family was also included.
These were three of the five most powerful families in the British Isles. The Blacks and the Rosiers are the other two.
'Considering how eager Druella was for this alliance… the Rosiers have presumably been seduced to his side already. This leaves my house as the last of the Great Dark Houses of Britain.' Pollux had the nagging feeling that he had been left for last on purpose.
And he didn't like to think that they may have been waiting for him to die or be too sick to participate in this meeting. After all, if it hadn't been for James' potion, his children would have been in charge of this meeting and he could already imagine how quickly they would have agreed to join the side of this Dark Lord.
"I am sure you are aware of the current political situation in Magical Britain," Voldemort began.
"Every day that passes, our conservative faction of the Wizengamot, the ones who are trying to preserve our tradition and heritage, are becoming weaker and less influential. You must have realized this too. Every year, we have over a hundred new mudblood wizards and witches joining our society, bringing with them their Muggle values and taking important positions at the Ministry. How long before they become the ones in complete control of the magical nation? What would then happen to all these ancient families like yours?"
Pollux couldn't exactly disagree with that. Even his father had been commenting on these matters decades ago.
Tradition was dying and was being replaced by what they referred to as progress.
Was progress worth it if it meant losing what made them special in the first place? This was a question that had been brought forth many times in the Wizengamot... and once in a while, someone would propose limiting the influence of Muggleborns and half-bloods in their government. Those proposals rarely go through.
"That's right. The Lord knows the issues we have been dealing with," Walburga spoke up.
"Of course I have. We have all been affected by this… plague," Voldemort nodded in understanding.
"And what is the solution you propose, Lord Voldemort?" Pollux asked. "I have heard many proposals over the years. Some of the least extreme ones would sometimes pass the vote in the Wizengamot...like laws that would place limitations on which positions those who don't come from pure-blood families could hold. The more extreme ones are always stopped, sometimes before they even reach the voting stage."
"And isn't it a shame that everything has to be voted for?" Voldemort asked.
Pollux raised an eyebrow at the question. "The British Isles has been ruled by a council of wizards since long before the Ministry of Magic even existed. What are you suggesting, having a single ruler, like those Muggles used to do?. Because that didn't seem to go well for them."
Voldemort made a dismissive gesture. "Oh no… nothing so extreme. The council of wizards should remain, but perhaps it would be good to return to our roots. Perhaps something similar to the original one, where only the most powerful and ancient families had a seat. Of course, every house present here in this room, would have one. And we could carefully select the others. I already have a few in mind."
"We would essentially be in full control of the country," Abraxas Malfoy spoke. "Families like the Bones, Prewetts, or Longbottoms would no longer stand in our way when an important law must be enacted. They would have no say in these matters."
"In control of the country…" Pollux knew it was not going to be so easy. This would involve a bloody war, where wizards and witches on both sides would perish. This is why nothing has been considered in recent times.
Many British houses were still feeling the effects of the mess created by the last person who called themselves a Dark Lord. They may not survive another war.
"A council of wizards who will rule as equals sounds nice, but… wouldn't you be the one who would truly be in charge, Mister Voldemort?"
All the eyes in the room turned to the speaker, shocked to find that it was James Potter who had just voiced his opinion.
"How dare you speak up, boy!" Druella seemed like she wanted to jump over the table and choke him.
"Keep your mouth shut. This is not a place where you can say whatever you want," Walburga glared at him.
"It's Lord Voldemort, not 'Mister'," Abraxas Malfoy corrected him.
"You shouldn't pronounce his name in such a disrespectful manner," Edwin Lestrange warned him.
James noted the red eyes of Voldemort on him and returned the stare.
"Who are you?" Voldemort had initially glossed over his presence, but now that he had spoken up, it had attracted his attention.
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