Chapter 506: Chapter 506: The Forgotten Mansion (Edited)
That mansion has been abandoned for a long time.
This mansion, situated on the hillside, used to be the most luxurious and majestic building for several miles around. Its geographical location proves it: from this mansion, you can see the entire small village of Little Hangleton.
However, no house, no matter how luxurious, can withstand the ravages of time. Half a century ago, something strange happened in this mansion, an unsolved mystery to this day. The village elders, along with local journalists, have recounted the story over and over, which has become increasingly absurd and extravagant. But the beginning of the story has never changed: fifty years ago, on a summer morning, a maid entered the living room and discovered that the owners of the mansion, the Riddle family, were dead.
The death of the Riddle family was mysterious. The bodies of the three family members showed no signs of violence, and forensic experts could not determine the cause of their deaths. They appeared healthier than many living people.
The inhabitants of Little Hangleton believed that the Riddle family's gardener, the strange Frank Bryce, was the killer. There was no evidence, but due to suspicions, they considered him guilty.
The Riddle mansion changed hands two more times, but both families only lived there for a short time and moved away because of the feeling of horror and ominousness they felt in that place. The mansion ended up in the hands of a wealthy unknown person, who neither inhabited it nor transformed it into another type of place. He left it abandoned, supposedly for tax reasons, although no one knew what taxes he was referring to.
For Frank, this turned out to be good news, as the wealthy owner continued to employ him as a gardener. For this elderly war veteran, advanced in age, with hearing problems and a lame leg, having a job to sustain himself was luck and a blessing.
Frank had no special skills, or rather, his skills were no longer needed in this era. If he had to write a resume, Frank could only list two skills in the personal skills section: "Expert in handling the Lee-Enfield rifle" and "gardening."
Yes, in addition to being known as the "gardener suspected of murder," Frank had another identity: a veteran of World War II.
Frank, born in 1917, had the misfortune to live in a time when there were some "minor skirmishes" between the great European powers: England, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia. Frank's father was drafted and never returned, claiming to "put an end to all wars." But that didn't affect Frank.
When he was an adult, he joined the British army and participated in World War II.
He was a little luckier than his father. This time, England and France were not willing to sacrifice 60,000 people for a mile of land. The unit he was assigned to withdrew from Belgium and was eventually evacuated to Dunkirk to the island of Great Britain.
Frank was lucky because he was injured in the ears by the explosion of a German grenade and wounded in the leg. This allowed him to be discharged and away from the war. But he was also unlucky because once discharged, he never had the opportunity to regain military honor.
While his war comrades set foot on French soil four years later and marched to Berlin, he could only trim branches on the Riddle estate in Little Hangleton, carrying the mark of a "loner," without any honor or compensation. He was forgotten, like the mansion.
Frank was a reliable person. Although the owners of the Riddle estate never came to inspect their property, he diligently continued to care for the Riddle mansion's gardens, fulfilling his duties as a gardener.
When he was young, he fought against the Germans, and now in his old age, he fought against the weeds in the garden, while the allies of the weeds were the village children. These children liked to throw stones at the windows of the Riddle mansion, and they enjoyed riding their bicycles on the lawn that Frank had worked so hard on.
Those children might grow up to be elegant lawyers, life-saving doctors, or educators, but when they were young, they were just a group of mischievous little rascals. They knew that Frank valued that abandoned mansion and its garden, so they deliberately engaged in destructive actions to attract Frank, who walked limping with his cane through the garden chasing them.
Every time this happened, they had fun, laughing as they scattered.
So, when Frank woke up on an August night and sensed activity in the old mansion, he instinctively thought those children were coming to bother him again.
He changed his clothes, took the spare keys to the house, grabbed his cane leaning against the wall, and limped into the darkness...
The unexpected guests in the house were none other than Peter Pettigrew, Barty Crouch Jr., and Voldemort, along with the snake Nagini.
After finding Voldemort in the Albanian forest, Peter and Barty Crouch Jr. used Nagini's venom and unicorn blood-infused earth to recreate a small, frail body for Voldemort. Then the three, along with the snake, began their journey.
"The fire is lit, master, and there are still potions in the bottle. If you're hungry, have a bit more," Peter said after lighting the fire, addressing Voldemort, who was on the couch.
"We'll talk about the potions later. Move me closer to the fire, Wormtail."
After getting closer to the fire, Voldemort felt a little more comfortable, but he also started to feel a slight discomfort. He couldn't believe that the great Lord Voldemort was afraid of the cold. He was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with his new body.
"Squeeze a bit of venom from Nagini before I go to sleep. I need to replenish my strength overnight. This journey has exhausted me."
Wormtail nodded, and then silence filled the room. Voldemort, with his back to his two servants, watched the fire in the fireplace. His two followers, with strange expressions, looked at each other, as if communicating through their gazes.
"Master, the information is accurate," Barty Crouch Jr. broke the silence. "The Quidditch World Cup is about to begin... Potter will definitely be there."
"Yes, Potter loves Quidditch. He won't miss this big event," added Wormtail beside him.
Voldemort fell silent.
"In my opinion... it would be imprudent to act during the Quidditch World Cup. All those meddling Ministry of Magic people will be on the move," Voldemort said impatiently in his voice.
After a brief moment of silence, Peter gathered courage and said, "Master, it can be done without Potter..."
His voice trembled slightly.
This time, the silence was much longer than before.
Voldemort's voice became sharp, as if he had touched a sensitive spot, and he hissed with anger.
After venting his anger, Voldemort spoke coldly, "I won't use another person. I have my reasons for choosing that boy..."
The remaining words no longer mattered to Peter and Barty Crouch Jr.. They were extremely satisfied with that answer.
Chapter 507: Chapter 507: The Dice of Fate Have Been Cast (Edited)
Although they were extremely happy, they didn't show the slightest hint of it. After long hours of practice, both had learned to control their emotions.
Voldemort, with his back to his subordinates, had no idea of the state of the two behind him. He was now extremely weak; any adult man could kill him without him realizing it.
"My lord, there will be a hundred thousand wizards participating in this World Cup, the management is sure to be chaotic. You could take the opportunity to infiltrate the camp, patiently waiting for the right moment to obtain Potter's blood," Barty Crouch Jr. quickly said from behind, with a devoted expression on his face.
Facing Barty Crouch, Voldemort's tone softened: "Barty, you are my smartest subordinate, and your loyalty to me has never wavered. You are my most important card, and I cannot risk losing you. If anything were to happen to you, it would have a considerable negative impact on my plans."
For Voldemort, this was the friendliest way he could speak. When in a vulnerable position, he could control his temper and become charming. Love potion offspring had no emotions, a "bad seed" by nature, doing everything for himself.
Voldemort fell into a long silence, Barty and Peter closed their mouths and patiently waited for his next instructions. They didn't dare to intervene at this moment, fearing they would mess things up and make them even more complicated.
Voldemort's slender, small fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the chair. After some thought, he came to the conclusion that the World Cup final was the best opportunity. If he missed this chance, it would be nearly impossible to obtain Harry Potter's blood.
Dumbledore and Harry's mother had established an infallible protective barrier, and Voldemort's magic, no matter how powerful, couldn't overcome it. He could only wait for the barrier to fade on its own or for Harry to exit it.
In that case, sending Barty to the location of the World Cup final was necessary. If he could infiltrate and succeed, he would win. As for losses, what did the sacrifice of a Barty Crouch Jr. mean compared to the rebirth of the great Voldemort? To achieve victory, any chess piece could be sacrificed, only some were pawns and others were rooks, having different values. Sacrificing a rook for the king was unwise, but if it was for the sake of the king, then the rook could be sacrificed.
Voldemort's silence didn't mean he was reluctant to get rid of Barty Crouch Jr., but rather he was weighing the pros and cons of his success. It was Barty's phrase "There will be a hundred thousand wizards participating in this World Cup" that moved him and made him believe that even if Barty acted, he could probably escape unscathed.
His anger was just a test to see if Barty Crouch Jr. was willing to risk his life for him. He needed Barty Crouch Jr. to volunteer for the task.
In the end, Voldemort separated the benefits of success from the losses of failure. It was Barty's phrase "There will be a hundred thousand wizards participating in this World Cup" that moved him and made him believe that even if Barty Crouch Jr. acted, he could probably escape unscathed.
So why hesitate any longer?
"Barty, you are my most valuable subordinate, in whom I trust the most and in whom I place my faith," Voldemort broke the silence, saying softly, "Are you willing to risk yourself for me?"
Barty knelt without hesitation and with a passionate and sincere tone said, "Of course, my lord! I am willing to serve you and prove my loyalty. This is my dream, my greatest desire."
Peter, next to him, listening to his companion's cheesy words, shuddered inwardly, thankful he didn't have to say those words. He really couldn't say something like that... Fortunately, Peter didn't have to say those words.
"Don't expose yourself too much. That's why Lord Voldemort is willing to make a concession. You only need to bring the boy's blood," Voldemort made an unusual concession.
His perfect plan was to bring Harry in front of him, make him witness his revival, and then use Harry Potter's life as the ultimate gift for his resurgence. But now, Voldemort also had to surrender to reality: taking Harry Potter away from the playing field was too difficult, and Barty Crouch Jr. didn't have the power to do it. However, attacking Harry, drawing his blood, and escaping wasn't as difficult and wouldn't attract the attention of the Aurors.
"Remember, the blood must be 'forcibly' given," he reminded Barty before closing his eyes and saying no more.
Voldemort was now too weak; even traveling would consume much of his energy, leaving him exhausted and longing for sleep and rest with only a few words spoken.
Voldemort knew the die was cast, and now the outcome depended on fate. It was an uncomfortable feeling not to have control over his own destiny... But he, Lord Voldemort, had always been favored by fate, hadn't he? "I will go find Nagini, and later, I will need her venom. Take this opportunity to take good care of the master," Barty ordered Peter authoritatively before leaving.
Voldemort's faithful servant naturally held authority over the less loyal ones. This was something Voldemort allowed, not only in the present but also when he was at the height of his power or when seeking resurgence. Voldemort's team was structured like a pyramid, with Voldemort at the top and everyone else at his mercy. Just below were his loyal Death Eaters, most of whom needed to earn his trust through a visit to Azkaban, but still had absolute power in this group.
Further down were those in the Death Eater group who were not as trustworthy, like Wormtail and the Malfoy family... Although they were under Voldemort's command, they had been marginalized. These people had lost Voldemort's trust for various reasons and had paid a high price to rejoin.
Wormtail had secured his place based on the merit of rescuing Voldemort from the Albanian forest, while Lucius Malfoy had returned by using his keen sense and cunning, finding the opportune moment to return without leaving much evidence of betrayal.
Lucius had managed to clear his reputation through unorthodox methods, but other Death Eaters had done so as well. In the Death Eater group, there was impunity, even though Voldemort was cruel and ruthless, he couldn't punish all his subordinates as soon as he had been resurrected. Therefore, Lucius had successfully returned, even without suffering the Cruciatus Curse.
A negative example was Karkaroff. His way of absolving himself of his crimes was too radical, and after Voldemort's resurrection, he didn't dare to return. Even if he appeared at the meeting that day, it could be taken as an example to intimidate others. In the end, Voldemort pursued him thousands of kilometers and killed him on the plains of Siberia.
Further down the hierarchy were the followers and the common crowd. In Voldemort's social structure, they had no voice or position.
After Barty finished speaking, he turned around and left the room. He had other things to do.
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