"So, you simply abandoned Hogwarts and fled back on your own?"
Voldemort stared at Snape, who had lowered his head. A dangerous gleam flickered in his scarlet eyes, but fortunately, he was not foolish enough to seize the opportunity to fly into a rage and kill Snape on the spot.
"Master, the Order of the Phoenix and the Defense Association's assault on Hogwarts had been premeditated. Caught off guard by the attack, our people had no way to resist them. I was forced into a corner and only narrowly escaped by smashing through a window and jumping out." Snape lowered his head even further, showing Voldemort sufficient humility and respect so that Voldemort would not kill him outright over the wand.
There was no denying that Snape's words were partly an attempt to shift the blame, but they still left the Death Eaters waiting at headquarters with a sense of foreboding. It was not because Hogwarts had fallen into the hands of the Order of the Phoenix, but because they all knew perfectly well what it meant for the Order and the Defense Association to suddenly launch such a large-scale operation.
After a round of hushed whispers, the meeting room fell into an eerie silence.
Snape secretly raised his head. Seeing that Voldemort said nothing, he waited a moment before voicing some of his own guesses. "I believe today is likely what they mentioned in their broadcast some time ago..."
"Enough!" Voldemort cut him off impatiently.
He truly wanted to find an excuse to kill Snape now. Something significant was clearly going to happen tonight, and he needed the Deathstick's power. But Voldemort also knew that it would be best not to do so in front of the other Death Eaters, or matters would only become worse.
At that moment,