I became Voldemort

"My Lord, given what's happened, I'm afraid Draco can no longer return to school."

Lucius said with a troubled shake of his head. "Otherwise, he could have brought Harry Potter to you."

"You're thoughtful, Lucius. But it's unnecessary," Voldemort replied with a smile. "Besides, we can't act rashly, can we? Forcibly kidnapping someone from Hogwarts would be far too risky. It's best we wait until just before the next task begins."

Voldemort settled back into his chair, crossing his legs. With a wave of his hand, he gestured for Lucius and Draco to leave.

Now, only Voldemort and Barty Jr. remained in the room.

After Lucius and Draco left, Voldemort's expression changed completely.

Earlier, he had appeared amicable—kind and forgiving toward the Malfoy father and son—bearing little resemblance to the irritable Dark Lord he was known to be. But now, alone with Barty Jr., Voldemort dropped this façade.

His handsome face turned cold, and magical scars, resembling jagged lightning bolts, extended outward from the corners of his eyes. These marks didn't make him look grotesque; on the contrary, they enhanced his sinister allure.

"The final task is currently scheduled for the end of July," Barty Jr. said after a moment of thought. "But it's still uncertain whether it will take place as planned."

The third task had originally been set for June, before the school year ended. However, due to the Ministry of Magic's reconstruction efforts, the International Confederation of Wizards' reassessment of the tournament, and conflicts among the four schools, many believed the Triwizard Tournament was no longer suitable to continue.

"The last incident almost shattered the entire Statute of Secrecy. Although the Ministry of Magic promptly erased the memories of the people in London, many things in the Muggle world captured footage. Not to mention, some people who avoided the rain were unaffected by the Memory Charms," Barty Jr. explained.

In the modern world, once magic is widely witnessed, the effort required to hide it again grows exponentially.

Fortunately, the Ministry for Magic has always maintained contact with the Muggle Prime Minister.

Voldemort, of course, didn't care about the Statute of Secrecy. What he wanted was domination.

"The tournament must continue!" he declared.

The Triwizard Tournament was an opportunity for him—a chance to infiltrate Hogwarts and find the perfect moment to eliminate the two most formidable enemies in his life. At the same time, it was an opportunity to announce to the entire world that Voldemort had returned!

He needed a grand entrance, something that would make those who had forgotten his terror remember it once again.

If his plan went smoothly, Cyrus would die at his hands.

It wasn't that it had to be now, necessarily.

But Voldemort didn't want to wait any longer.

Voldemort understood Cyrus's talent better than anyone. Given enough time, Cyrus might continue to grow. The longer he delayed, the stronger Cyrus would become, and the more preparations Dumbledore would be able to make.

In truth, Voldemort had initially planned to kill Cyrus during the incident at the Department of Mysteries, but he had failed. This time, he didn't want to miss his chance.

With a wave of his hand, two delicate cups of red tea appeared on the table out of thin air.

Barty Jr. glanced down. One cup was placed in front of Voldemort, while the other sat opposite him. Barty paused, realizing that the second cup wasn't meant for him.

At that moment, Voldemort spoke: "Our 'ally' has arrived. You may go greet them."

Barty nodded and left the room. Moments later, a tall, white-haired wizard walked in confidently—Grindelwald.

"I believe this is our first formal meeting, Mr. Voldemort," Grindelwald said as he casually sat in the empty chair. He picked up the still-steaming cup of tea and took a sip, showing no concern that Voldemort might have poisoned it.

"Good evening, Mr. Grindelwald. I believe we do have much to discuss," Voldemort replied, as if he had long anticipated Grindelwald's arrival. "For instance, how to kill Cyrus—"

.

.

Roughly half an hour later, Grindelwald left.

The content of their discussion was actually quite simple: Voldemort agreed not to harm Dumbledore during the tournament. In exchange, Grindelwald promised to ensure that Dumbledore would not interfere in the conflict between Voldemort and Cyrus.

Additionally, if the opportunity arose, Grindelwald was obligated to assist Voldemort in killing Cyrus. 

This was not merely a verbal agreement. In fact, they established an unbreakable vow. If either of them broke the agreement, the combined power of the spells they had cast would instantly destroy their bodies.

Grindelwald, for his part, seemed quite willing to comply.

"Now, my lord, we have greater assurance," Barty Jr. said with satisfaction.

He had been the witness to the vow, overseeing the numerous conditions Voldemort and Grindelwald had agreed upon to ensure neither could exploit any loopholes.

Yet Voldemort shook his head.

"Grindelwald is not to be trusted, Barty."

"But last time, he stopped Dumbledore for you," Barty Jr. reminded him.

"Last time was last time. If Dumbledore truly sees him as a threat, he wouldn't ignore him—unless he's confident that Cyrus has the ability to kill me on his own..." Voldemort muttered, stroking his chin in thought.

"Do you think Dumbledore might make Cyrus the master of the other Elder Wand?" Barty Jr. raised a concern.

If Dumbledore really did that, even if Voldemort reclaimed the full power of the Elder Wand, he wouldn't hold the same advantage over Cyrus as before.

"That would depend on how much Dumbledore trusts him," Voldemort replied with a cold sneer.

In truth, Voldemort wasn't afraid, even if Cyrus did acquire the Elder Wand.

The power of two Elder Wands would neutralize each other. In a contest of pure magical ability, Voldemort felt somewhat confident. With the many soul fragments he had now, he had already surpassed his original self by far. He could almost claim to be invincible.

Now, Voldemort sat with his eyes half-closed, his slit-like pupils partially visible, contracting like the fangs of a venomous snake.

He seemed to be deep in thought, and whatever he was pondering was clearly of great importance.

Barty Jr. speculated that Voldemort might be contemplating how to kill Cyrus.

He wasn't wrong.

Voldemort was indeed thinking. He replayed everything from start to finish in his mind—Draco's memories and the agreement he had just made with Grindelwald.

Grindelwald wasn't trustworthy, but were Draco and Lucius truly reliable either?

Lucius ultimately spent time on Cyrus's side, and more importantly, Draco and Cyrus have a close relationship. However, they're not crucial. On the contrary, I should appear as though I trust them. But Harry…

Ah, I should pay closer attention to Grindelwald.

Are you planning to take the Elder Wand from my hands?

Voldemort pondered that perhaps Harry truly was the master of the Elder Wand, but only as bait to lower his guard. Grindelwald, however, might be the key figure in breaking the stalemate.

A cold smile spread across Voldemort's face.

"Impossible, Grindelwald.... Everything is under the control of me! The Lord Voldemort!!!"

At that moment, Voldemort rose swiftly from his chair, moving like a gust of wind. His robes billowed noisily as he strode purposefully toward the door.

"Now, let's set off, Barty. I should make a formal appearance and go through the proper motions—officially becoming Beauxbatons' champion."

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