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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 235: The Mighty Lord Voldemort
Walburga felt her legs tremble as she took another hesitant step inside the dimly lit cave.
She had yet to see the Dark Lord after the transformation, but from what she had heard, he was even more terrifying than before.
The woman threw a few more mental curses at Dolohov for forcing her to venture into this cave to give the Dark Lord the news.
It's been almost a week since the ritual was completed and, while everyone had been working hard on the outside, Voldemort had remained in the cave after simply saying that he needed more time to stabilize his magic and get used to his new body.
"Urgg!" Walburga hurried to cover her nose. The stench could be felt from the entrance, but after walking for less than a minute, it had become unbearable.
It was the pungent smell of rot and death. No doubt it was caused by the corpses of Yaxley and that ritual expert they brought from Azkaban...both of whom died here and whose bodies were never removed.
She couldn't understand how the Dark Lord could remain in here for so long without at least using an air-cleansing charm.
But she did not dare use any magic in here, just in case she offended her Lord by interfering with his introspection, so she limited herself to covering her nose with a handkerchief and increased her pace.
Eventually, she found him naked, sitting on the ground of the cave with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He appeared to be meditating in the middle of the mess left behind by the giant cauldron breaking apart.
Even with the lack of illumination, Walburga could immediately see the changes produced by the ritual.
Voldemort's naked skin now had a slight green tone. His body was also much bigger and more muscular to an almost impossible degree.
If she didn't know any better, she would never guess that this person was a wizard. Right now, he looked more like one of those warriors from old legends.
He didn't move or open his eyes when she approached, making her wonder if he even noticed her presence.
"Ehm… my Lord?" Walburga called with hesitation and waited.
Over a minute passed, and the Dark Lord gave no answer.
Growing increasingly nervous, she decided to speak again, just in case he hadn't heard her the first time. "M-My Lord… I am Walburga Black, I have been sent by Dolohov to c—"
His eyes opened all of a sudden and shone like a pair of red beacons, almost blinding the woman in the process.
The Dark Lord then opened his mouth to speak. His tone was low but it carried something mystical in its sound, as if his voice were mixed with large amounts of magic. "Is my army ready?"
Walburga swallowed her saliva and corrected her posture. She was more than sure that if she offended this person right now, she would certainly die on the spot. "Y-yes… My Lord. They are waiting outside for yo—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the Dark Lord seemed to disappear from the spot where he had been sitting.
The illumination in here was almost nonexistent, but even then, Walburga had been unable to spot any movement. One second, he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, and the next… he was gone.
Feeling extremely confused, she was about to call for him again when suddenly she heard the voice of Voldemort right behind her.
"Let's go then."
Walburga felt shivers. It felt like being stared down by a wild predator who could jump on you and rip your neck at any moment. "Y… y-yes…"
When she turned her head, the figure of Voldemort could be seen walking ahead.
The woman had to hurry her pace to catch up, but still kept some distance.
Once the Dark Lord made it outside the cave, she heard the loud gasps of his followers who had been waiting for his return.
Walburga couldn't blame them… Voldemort had changed quite a bit, and she had the feeling that the physical changes were the least relevant ones.
"My Lord, welcome back." Abraxas Malfoy greeted him with a respectful bow before approaching him with a black cloak in hand that he promptly handed over.
Voldemort took it and covered himself in an absentminded manner. His focus was now on everyone present.
The grass field outside the cave was now filled with all sorts of creatures.
From his loyal human followers, all dressed up in their black cloaks and white masks, to Fenrir Greyback with his pack of werewolves standing behind him.
There were also a couple of dozen giants standing patiently at the back, holding their massive primitive weapons.
Trolls were being held by enchanted chains by some of his Death Eaters, to keep them under control and direct them into battle.
Up in the air, dementors floated across the sky, making them look like dark clouds.
Voldemort could perfectly see and hear everything with his newly enhanced senses, and was very pleased with the sight.
"My Lord." Dolohov approached while carrying his wand and held it out for him to take. "Your army awaits your command."
Voldemort took the wand and glanced at it for a long moment. He probably had little use for it now, at least when it came to combat. His fists alone could kill faster than any curse he could summon with his wand, but he supposed there were still situations where the wand would come in handy. He took it and stored it in one of his inner pockets before closing his cloak.
His red eyes scanned over the crowd again, and then he spoke.
"I have already decided who our first targets are going to be. We are now returning to Britain… so we can kill our enemies."
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