Voldemort sat upright before the desk, his expression calm as he leafed through an ancient book with a brown cover.
With his movements, the hot black tea at his side trembled faintly as well, ripples spreading across its surface.
Durmstrang's Headmaster's Office was very quiet. Even the faint rustle of turning pages had become clearly audible.
The silence was soon broken by a knock at the door. With Voldemort's permission, Barty Crouch Jr. entered the Headmaster's Office.
Barty Crouch Jr. stepped forward and said with the utmost respect, "Master, I have returned!"
"Mm..." Voldemort's hand stopped turning the page, and his gaze lifted to fall on Barty Crouch Jr.
There was a hint of scrutiny in his eyes, and his brows furrowed slightly. "Barty, did you have a conflict with Severus?"
Barty Crouch Jr.'s heart jolted sharply. After killing that fox to vent his anger, he had straightened out his clothes and even treated the wounds on his body. He had not expected Voldemort to notice something was wrong anyway.
"Master, I underestimated Snape's Magical Ability." He immediately admitted his mistake, dropping to his knees with practiced ease, a trace of fear in his voice.
Voldemort rose, closed the ancient book, and slowly walked over to Barty Crouch Jr. "Barty, what mistake have you made?"
He helped Barty Crouch Jr. up. "The one at fault should be me. I should not have sent you to inform Severus without considering your feelings."
Hearing Voldemort say this, Barty Crouch Jr.'s eyes instantly filled with tears, and he cried out excitedly, "Master! Great Master!"
He choked up, shaking his head again and again. "I thought he had been living too comfortably for too long, so I wanted to test him. I didn't expect..."
"It seems you handled an extra errand for me..." Voldemort