#550 - Chapter 550: It's Easy to Get

The room was dimly lit. Voldemort sat at the head of a long table, his scarlet eyes gleaming like a serpent's in the darkness. The Death Eaters opposite him were lined up neatly, silent and still, awaiting his final instructions.

"Go wait for me in the courtyard," Voldemort's voice was low and cold. "Barty, Severus, you two stay behind."

The Death Eaters didn't dare hesitate at his words, quickly bowing and retreating. Soon, only three people remained in the room.

As the heavy door slowly closed, the room fell into an even deeper silence. Voldemort slowly rose and walked over to Snape.

"Severus," Voldemort looked down at him slightly, his voice gentle, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority. "You are my most loyal servant. Now, I have an extremely important task for you."

"Master," Snape bowed slightly, his expression as calm as ever, his tone steady. "Please, command me. I will surely do everything in my power to fulfill your orders."

Voldemort's lips curled into a slight smile, his pale face reflecting an eerie light in the candlelight. He didn't answer directly, but instead emitted a series of low hisses.

Snape's heart skipped a beat.

Parseltongue!

Could it be... that his mission was related to Nagini!

As he pondered, a huge snake slithered out of the shadows, its cold scales scraping against the floor, making a faint sound. It twisted its massive body, circling around Voldemort's feet, and finally coiled upwards, slowly wrapping around Voldemort's shoulders.

With the great battle imminent, Voldemort knew he couldn't bring Nagini onto the battlefield. She wasn't just his pet, but also his fallback.

If the battle turned against him, Nagini would be key to his resurgence. Therefore, he had to choose someone absolutely reliable to ensure Nagini's safety.

Looking at the Death Eaters under his command, Barty Crouch Jr. was undoubtedly the best choice in terms of both ability and loyalty.

This man was meticulous, ruthless, and utterly devoted to him. He was simply the perfect executor. If he entrusted Nagini to him, he would have nothing to worry about.

Except...

Thinking of his plans for Barty, a dark glint flashed in Voldemort's eyes.

What a pity...

Besides Barty, Bellatrix was undoubtedly loyal, willing to go through fire and water for him, even sacrifice her life.

However, Bellatrix's mental state was not stable enough. Her fanaticism and impulsiveness couldn't be ignored. If she were to protect Nagini, she might do something unpredictable in a moment of impulse or anger.

This snake was crucial to his future and had to be entrusted to someone stable and reliable, not a zealot prone to emotional outbursts.

As for the remaining people, Severus Snape was undoubtedly the most outstanding in terms of strength and talent.

Voldemort's gaze fell on Snape, who was still maintaining a respectful bow, his face devoid of any emotional fluctuations. Voldemort's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

In terms of ability alone, Snape was arguably the strongest among all the Death Eaters. His proficiency in potions and dark arts was unmatched by anyone else.

As for loyalty... it might have been questionable in the past, but now, Voldemort was certain.

Since Dumbledore's death, the last shred of Snape's connection to Hogwarts had been severed. He had no way out.

Neither the Ministry of Magic, the Order of the Phoenix, nor that Sebastian who spouted moral platitudes would accept him. Snape could only rely on him now; betrayal was impossible.

In that case, he was the best choice to take care of Nagini.

Voldemort smiled faintly and slowly said, "Severus."

Snape lowered his head, his tone steady. "Master."

"I won't be taking Nagini into this battle," Voldemort gently stroked Nagini's smooth scales. "Tonight, Nagini will be in your care. Remember, her safety is paramount!"

Snape's eyelids twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and replied softly, "As you command. With me here, I will absolutely not allow Nagini to be harmed."

Voldemort stared at him, his voice gradually lowering. "If all goes well, naturally, nothing will happen. But if you hear news of my failure, or even my death... you must immediately take Nagini and flee far away."

Before he could finish speaking, Barty exclaimed eagerly, "Master, you will surely be victorious. I believe Sebastian is no match for you."

Voldemort raised his hand to stop Barty from speaking. "Barty, don't worry. These instructions are just in case an extreme situation arises."

"No, Master, there won't be such an extreme situation. You will win! I will do everything to help you become the master of the entire magical world."

"Barty, your loyalty is always unquestionable," Voldemort said softly. "However, before we become the master of the magical world, we need to resolve our current situation first."

"Our situation is not good, or rather, we are already on the verge of collapse, with the risk of annihilation at any moment."

"Tonight's attack is just the first step to establish our reputation, but... simply destroying New Town will only provoke a more violent retaliation from Sebastian."

"Sebastian and Grindelwald are very likely to form an alliance. Once they join forces, even I am no match for them."

"To prevent this from happening, I will do everything in my power to kill Sebastian tonight, eliminate the British Ministry of Magic, and completely seize control of the British magical world."

"Only with the British magical world as our foundation can we have the capital to contend with Grindelwald and slowly realize our ambitions."

Voldemort paused, looking at the two people in front of him and said, "I am confident that I can eliminate Sebastian with all my strength, but I also need to prepare for the possibility of failure."

"Severus," a glint of dark light flashed in Voldemort's red eyes, his tone suddenly becoming cold and sinister. "Remember your mission well. Ensure Nagini's safety!"

"As long as Nagini is still alive... I can be resurrected again."

As he spoke, he waved his wand and conjured a sparkling magical protection sphere in mid-air, and put Nagini inside.

"Go, Severus, take Nagini back to your own room first. I have another task for Barty."

"Yes, Master!" Snape bowed again, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and took the magic sphere containing Nagini back to his room.

Sebastian's mission for him was to find out the whereabouts of the great snake Nagini. He didn't expect it to come so easily.

Thank Merlin!

After closing the door, he took out a special alchemical ring from the cabinet, and then, shielded by his clothes, steadily put it on his thumb. After turning the ring clockwise three times, he sat on the bed and closed his eyes to rest.

Lily... your revenge will soon be served.