Chapter 65: CH65 - Let Them Try
Having grown used to apparition by now, Edmund was not disoriented in the slightest when he popped into existence next. With the skill of the man performing the side along apparition added into the equation, it was of no surprise that this was the case.
"This is quite the upgrade from the dingy place I remember from last year," Edmund whistled appreciatively.
"Well, Marvolo Slytherin has a bit of a reputation to uphold," Voldemort chuckled as he settled into a cozy-looking chaise by a large fireplace.
Edmund found himself standing in the center of a library that would be any bookworm's dream. The room was massive, two stories tall and the length of a small hallway. Bookshelves lined both of the walls, spanning from the bottom to the very top. A small winding golden metallic staircase led to the second floor, where a balcony wrapped around the edges of the entire room, overlooking the main area. The wall facing the double doors leading out of the library was curved, a semicircle covered with dark red velvet curtains. From the looks of it, the entire section was composed of glass panes, providing what Edmund knew would be a fantastic view. Sofas, armchairs, and other forms of seating were tastefully placed about, each with their own dedicated reading light hovering above them in addition to the enormous crystal chandelier suspended from the ceiling. Dark oak wood was the unifying theme, present in the hardwood, the shelves, the furniture, and even the mantle. Contemporary yet traditional, aesthetically pleasing yet practical; the room was a perfect mix.
Realizing that he had been staring for several minutes, Edmund turned his attention back to Voldemort, who seemed amused rather than offended by his reaction.
"It's impressive, isn't it?" he asked knowingly.
"Incredibly," Edmund readily admitted. "Even more so since I know it was made in less than a year. Unless this is borrowed from one of your more well-off followers?"
Voldemort's face turned stony at that, his eyes narrowing in disgust.
"Followers?" he spat mockingly. "They are hardly deserving of such a title. Malfoy, Crabbe, Nott, Avery, Macnair, and so many of the others. They are nothing other than snivelling cowards. Too weak to run away, and too cowardly to oppose me. They lie hidden in the grass like a snake, waiting until they have the perfect moment to strike. Regardless of the situation, the only thing that matters to them is the fullness of their own belly. They will either scavenge the bodies of my enemies, or feast on my corpse if I fall in the process. It matters little to them which of the two scenarios occurs."
Breathing heavily, it took the dark lord a while to calm down again.
"No, my true followers lie elsewhere. They are still trapped, still locked away like animals," he said regretfully before his voice became a tinge victorious. "But they can take solace in the knowledge of my return. The mark has returned to its former strength. It will be a constant reminder for them, telling them that Lord Voldemort is coming."
"When?" Edmund asked curiously. "Soon?"
"No," Marvolo immediately dismissed. "That would be the height of foolishness. For now, everyone only suspects the truth. Although they know better than to trust me, they cannot be sure that my intentions are malicious. An Azkaban breakout in this unstable atmosphere would serve as nothing but a death knell for my legitimacy.
He stood up then, pacing back and forth several feet as his hands gesticulated sharply.
"I need to plan. I need to do something subtle. Sirius Black will not be enough of a scapegoat for something of this magnitude. I need someone to shift the blame to; some way to make this work with my agenda rather than against it," he explained. "Till I can figure that out, there is much for me to do. Many allies that need to be contacted, and many preparations that need to be made in case of unforeseen events."
Voldemort sank back into his chair, resting his head against his palm tiredly.
Edmund hesitated for a while, before finally speaking up. "You seem different. More...," he commented.
"More sane?" the dark lord smiled wickedly, before his expression morphed into a more serious and introspective one.
"I have... changed...," he confessed, perhaps for the first time to himself as well. "Salazar's teachings, and the method that allowed me to devise a new body... They have opened my eyes in many ways."
Edmund waited for Marvolo to elaborate, but received nothing other than continued silence. Acknowledging the cold shoulder as a dead end, he forged onwards. If he didn't want to talk about it, then Edmund saw no reason to push.
"The knowledge you've explored so far must be pretty expansive then, huh?" he smiled interestedly.
"More than you could ever imagine," Marvolo replied solemnly. A sharp stab of his wand revealed a section of the library that Edmund realized he had been subconsciously glancing over. Getting a proper look at it now, he could tell that the entire area was warded to the max, programmed to destroy potential invaders with extreme prejudice.
The books upon it were vaguely familiar to him, though their order was switched around for convienience's sake. Even now, the languages they were inscribed with were foreign to him, telling him that Marvolo had stuck with learning the languages naturally so that he could understand what was being said more clearly, in the way the author intended it to be read. It was a strange quirk of the dark lord's but Edmund believed it was likely a normality in those with such a love for magic.
"If you want to move without detection this time, it's going to be a lot more difficult than before, when you could act without worrying about the perception of it," Edmund warned. "Staying in the open like this is different than operating from the shadows. You open yourself up to attack, to being struck back by those who disagree with you."
The dark lord scoffed, sneering disdainfully at the very idea that Edmund had proposed. "Let them try."
A flourish of his wand yanked all the curtains to the sides, letting Edmund see out for the very first time. The full moon overhead illuminated thick droplets of water raining from the sky in a downpour, impacting a stormy and roiling sea. The waves of the turbulent ocean crashed against a sheer cliff far below their location, almost fifty feet high. The water's forward momentum caused it to rise up almost ten feet before it came falling down once more, battering the rocks continuously with its pressure.
With wide eyes, Edmund brought his hands up to the glass. All around, there was nothing to see for miles in each direction save for endless blue depths. "It's an island," he murmured with recognition.
"Yes," Voldemort said smugly. "Welcome to the new seat of House Slytherin."
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