Chapter 757
Loyalty
Chapter 757 Loyalty
Snape's words were like a powerful stimulant, injected into Lucius's veins, instantly causing a sickly flush to rise on his pale face and his eyes to gleam with excitement.
"I...tell me what to do!"
His voice trembled slightly as he said, "I will do everything in my power to dispel all doubts!"
Snape nodded slightly, seemingly unaffected by Lucius's emotions, yet still appearing to doubt his stance.
The Potions Professor simply ended the conversation with his characteristically cold tone: "Stay alert and wait for further instructions. You'll know when the Dark Lord needs your help."
“I understand… Thank you, Severus. I know that, put yourself in someone else’s shoes, not everyone is willing to go to great lengths for others.”
Lucius took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, stood up, straightened his robes, and prepared to leave.
His gaze swept over the two humanoid figures in the corner again. He paused, turned his head, and asked in a low voice, "What do you plan to do with these two guys?"
Snape didn't even follow it with his gaze, as if it were something repulsive, a sardonic smile playing on his lips.
"Them?" he said. "I'll pack them up and send them to Dumbledore. Let him see... how much trouble his arrangements have caused me!"
Lucius nodded knowingly, understanding that Snape was also using this opportunity to demonstrate his worth to Dumbledore in order to gain more trust and facilitate his undercover work at Hogwarts.
A calculating glint flashed in Lucius's eyes as he tentatively asked, "I remember, these two thieves... were after Wade Gray?"
“Not bad.” Snape said with a hint of impatience, “Ever since that kid became famous, I don’t know how many of these snipes I’ve taken for him. Dumbledore wouldn’t let me tell him about his plans, worried that it would frighten his alchemical genius…”
His tone was laced with malice and sarcasm that seemed almost tangible.
Lucius: "..."
He used to think that Dumbledore was a self-disciplined, rigidly nice guy, and that Lucius Malfoy, who could influence the Ministry of Magic and the Board of Governors, had many ways to cause him trouble.
But recently... that impression has long since crumbled.
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "If... I mean if... we take advantage of these two idiots' plan, is it possible... to go with the flow and offer that boy to the Dark Lord? That would be an incredibly generous gift, and I remember Wade Grey was very respectful of you..."
"Without orders, do not act on behalf of the Dark Lord, Malfoy!"
Snape said in an unfriendly tone, "Do you know what the consequences will be if you ruin the Dark Lord's plans? Don't drag me down with you if you want to die!"
"I'm at Hogwarts, monitoring Albus Dumbledore's every move for the Dark Lord. That's why I can still sit here and talk to you—we all serve the Dark Lord, but each of us has our own role to play!"
"If a plan you come up with in a moment of passion destroys the trust I've built up over a decade of infiltration, and causes the Dark Lord to lose a pair of eyes that are watching Dumbledore, do you know how serious the consequences would be?"
"not to mention……"
Snape's voice hissed as he took a step forward, his gaunt figure casting a menacing shadow.
"If the plan fails, you may be punished, but I, for disobeying orders, will face the wrath of the Dark Lord; if it succeeds..."
Those dark eyes were fixed on Malfoy, and Snape said meaningfully:
"The Dark Lord spent a whole year plotting and personally tried to capture someone, but you succeeded. Doesn't that mean... you're more capable than the Dark Lord?"
His tone was harsh, and the undisguised threat was like a bucket of ice water poured over Lucius's head, instantly extinguishing the flame that had just ignited in his eyes. Cold sweat broke out, and he involuntarily took a step back. "I'm sorry, I was too presumptuous," Lucius said somewhat flusteredly, then asked anxiously, "That letter..."
“Don’t worry, I will still hand you over to the Dark Lord.” Snape said in a cold tone, “Only he has the right to deal with you, and I will not make decisions for him on my own.”
Even the cunning Lucius couldn't help but feel a slight warmth in his heart at this moment.
In Lucius's view, although Snape, like himself, chose to clear his name and remain in the world of light after Voldemort's first disappearance, his loyalty was purer and more steadfast than his own.
Lucius couldn't help but think that if the person he met in the forest hadn't been the resentful Barty the Conqueror, but rather Snape, who was truly loyal to the Dark Lord...
Snape certainly wouldn't have cast such a vicious curse on him; instead, he would have brought him before the Dark Lord at that time, or given him a hint so he would know what to do.
Then he might become a hero who helps the Dark Lord revive, instead of being forced to stand on the edge of a dangerous cliff, caught between a rock and a hard place, as if he could die no matter which choice he makes, and can only struggle desperately in an ugly manner.
Touched, Lucius couldn't help but turn back and whisper as he was about to leave:
“Let me give you a piece of advice, Severus—Albus Dumbledore may not be as upright and tolerant as people see him. He is a skilled disguiser and a terrible person. You must be careful at Hogwarts…”
Snape said calmly, "Of course I understand the dangers lurking in Hogwarts."
"That's good... Be careful, Severus."
Lucius nodded, said nothing more, turned and strode towards the door, with Snape following behind to see him off.
Outside the dilapidated brick house, a peregrine falcon stood silently in the shadows under the eaves, taking in every word of the conversation inside.
"Squeak-"
The wooden door opened, and Lucius strode away. Snape stood silently at the door, watching his retreating figure, lost in thought.
Suddenly, without warning, he turned his head and his sharp gaze instantly fell on the location of the peregrine falcon.
However, not only did Vader transform, he also cast a disillusionment spell on himself. The two spells combined made him disappear from sight, and even his heartbeat and breathing became barely perceptible.
At this moment, he would never be foolish enough to jump down and say to the Potions Professor, "Surprised? Unexpected? I know all your secrets!"
Being a double agent is a job that involves walking a tightrope at all times. The fewer people who know the secret, the better, as this protects both sides.
So even though Snape knew that Lucius was also working for Dumbledore, they would never be completely honest with each other. They would still test each other and exchange words, as if they were both loyal to the Dark Lord.
Similarly, he would find it difficult to accept that a student knows all his secrets, as this would add unnecessary burden and pressure to him.
After a brief, suffocating silence, a heavy thud came from below as a door slammed shut.
Wade finally breathed a sigh of relief. He squatted under the eaves like a real bird and waited for a while before silently flapping his wings and flying away.
(End of this chapter)