Hello, Professor!

"Bring him up," Voldemort said, patting Snape on the shoulder before strolling behind the others.

"!" Snape's eyes flew open in shock. He looked into the crowd and saw Bella dragging in a middle-aged man with graying hair.

"Augustus Rookwood?"

The crowd broke into an uproar.

"Weren't you dead?" Rodolphus Lestrange stood up, looking stunned. "I remember you were killed by Anthony Weasley in Azkaban Prison!"

"Obviously not!" Bella flicked her wand, and Rookwood rose into the air. She gave him a gentle push, sending him drifting to the middle of the long table.

"He didn't die. He betrayed the Dark Lord and joined the Weasleys!"

Feeling the many different gazes around him, Rookwood sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

Smack!

Voldemort had somehow appeared behind Lucius. He placed a hand lightly on Lucius's shoulder, making the man turn deathly pale.

"Lucius..." the Dark Lord murmured.

"Y-yes, Master." Lucius trembled all over. His wife, Narcissa, sat beside him and clasped his hand tightly, but she couldn't offer him any warmth. Both their hands were ice-cold.

"Tell me..."

Voldemort leaned down and spoke softly into Lucius's ear. "What sort of punishment should a traitor receive?"

"I..." Lucius wanted to answer. His wife's grip was painful, and he knew he needed to say something.

He'd been found out!

It had to be!

The Dark Lord knew he'd handed half his fortune to Rookwood to run the newspaper!

Since he hadn't blamed Snape, he surely wouldn't blame him!

Otherwise, he'd be the one floating above the table right now.

Right?

That had to be it, didn't it?

Even he couldn't be sure. It was only a guess.

Lucius was panicking. The Dark Lord seemed to have regained his composure, but he was still the Dark Lord—a brutal, unpredictable man.

He could kill Lucius