Manipulation

After giving the Death Eaters a new WiFi password, Sean casually sat back down in his seat.

It would be a lie to say that he wasn't nervous acting in front of so many vicious Dark Wizard, but perhaps because he usually spent a lot of time with Grindelwald and Dumbledore, Sean's emotions didn't fluctuate much.

He leaned back in his chair, Naja, the Occamy, slowly peeked her head out from his arms, enjoying his caresses.

The Death Eaters around them, already unsettled, dared not breathe more. Regardless of their intelligence, these leading figures in the Wizarding World always possessed a broad perspective.

They had some understanding of Voldemort's plan against Sean more than a year ago. Although they didn't understand what was special about the young wizard's body, they could at least understand the current situation.

Their master not only mastered the new body, but also inherited special talents, including the Parseltongue. Otherwise, a magical creature of the Occamy level would not be so docile.

Some clever people have already started to think about the bloodline – has the master already merged with the bloodline? He has not lost the Slytherin bloodline, and at the same time, he has also merged the special bloodline of that boy into himself.

In reality, this was just a ruse by Sean to reinforce his image of being omnipotent in the eyes of the Death Eaters.

Occamy are not snakes at all; they have unique calls, and you can't communicate with them Parseltongue...

While stroking Naja, Sean casually said, "Tell me what you've been up to this past year."

The Death Eaters tensed up once more. They had been following Voldemort's orders to carry out various tasks in order to eventually rule the Wizarding World. However, with Voldemort gone for a year, this organization, not bound by conviction, had lost its vitality, and most of them were no longer as concerned with their duties.

Now that their owners are asking about these things, many people are starting to get nervous.

Barty Jr. Crouch Jr. stood up respectfully, and said with a slight air of pride, "Master, my father is currently preparing for the election of the new minister, and he is a strong contender."

Sean nodded, but he was somewhat puzzled.

The current Minister for British Ministry of Magic is Cornelius Fudge, who took office in 1990. His predecessor Millicent Barnold, did a fairly good job during her tenure, so there are high expectations for the next minister.

Barty Crouch was initially a strong contender, but for unknown reasons, he failed to secure a ministerial position in the 1990 election, losing instead to Cornelius Fudge, who was not considered a strong contender at the time.

There is no explicitly stated term for the Minister for Magic, but it is generally more than five years. There is a regular election every July. Fudge has only been in office for three years, so this election should be just a formality. However, given the current situation, Fudge may become one of the shortest-serving ministers in the history of the Ministry of Magic.

Barty Jr.. continued, "After the incident in the Department of Mysteries last year, Fudge's ability to handle problems has been questioned by many people, and some have even said privately that Dumbledore has expressed his disappointment in him—ha, Fudge has been running around to various Pure-blood families and Hogwarts lately in order to keep his position."

The Death Eaters let out a mocking, shrill laugh.

"As you instructed, Master, I have been building up support for my father. At that time, Pure-blood families such as the Malfoy Family Black Family families will also stand by him. If nothing unexpected happens, he will become the new Minister of Ministry of Magic."

Sean smiled and nodded in approval, then asked in a friendly tone, "And you, my loyal friend?"

Barty Jr. was extremely excited by Sean's praise. He lowered his head and moved a little closer to Sean, only to find that the other did not show any dissatisfaction.

Feeling that everything he had done was more valuable, Barty Jr. grinned and replied, "At that time, my father's position as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will become vacant. There are two candidates for the position: Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Director of the Auror Office, and Amelia Borns, the Director of the Office of Improper Use of Magic —I will fill one of these vacant positions."

Sean nodded, then looked thoughtful—in fact, he didn't know what to say. He didn't know the Death Eaters ' plans, and saying too much might expose them.

No one dared to interrupt his thoughts. After a moment of silence in the living room Sean smiled and said, "Barty, I've always trusted your wisdom. Tell me your thoughts on the whole matter."

"Yes!" Barty Jr. was even more excited. Voldemort rarely asked his subordinates for advice, and he always believed that his far-sighted master had already thought everything through.

But the other party's current attitude clearly shows that they trust me even more!

Eager to impress his master Barty Jr. carefully considered his thoughts amidst his excitement, and then spoke slowly, "Master, what you've been asking us to do has always been to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic. Most of the wizards who hold power in the Ministry of Magic are Pure-blood, and these people will eventually become our help after you reveal your abilities."

"Therefore, I think we need to suppress those pro- Muggle forces. I will definitely handle things with my father, but the important position of Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement requires more consideration."

"According to my information, Shacklebolt has always maintained contact with Dumbledore, while Bones has always remained neutral— Dumbledore is the ultimate enemy you need to overcome. I don't think we should let his influence have too much say in the Ministry of Magic. Moreover, if Shacklebolt takes office, the next head of the Auror Office will likely be James Potter, who is also Dumbledore."

"Good point, keep it up, Barty." Sean nodded in approval.

Encouraged, Barty Jr.. worked even harder, clearing his throat as he continued, "After I become the Director of the Office of Improper Use of Magic, I can further place our members into the Ministry of Magic. And based on your goals, I think the departments that most need to be infiltrated are the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, the Memory Charm Headquarters, and the British Branch of the International Confederation of Wizards."

Selecting bloodlines, handling conflicts with the Muggle world, uniting with other forces... these are the methods Death Eaters use to grow their power and infiltrate the grassroots. Sean narrowed his eyes slightly and gave Barty Jr. a look of approval.

As expected of a wizard who passed all 12 OWLs, he is indeed the intellectual powerhouse among the Death Eaters.

"Very good," Sean praised. "Barty, you've matured a lot during this time."

"That's because of the radiant wisdom of your master," Barty Jr. said respectfully.

"You can start doing it now, but the key point right now is to get your father to become a minister. I'll give you a more detailed plan for what follows," Sean said evasively.

"As you wish, master."

After Barty Jr. Jr., the Malfoy and the Lestrange Family also revealed what they had been doing recently, mostly infiltrating the Ministry of Magic and investigating information on pro- Muggle-born wizard.

Then, Regulus stood up. "Master, the mission you gave me has ended— the France have lost contact with me quite a bit because of your previous disappearance."

Bella and Barty Jr. immediately started shouting, "Stupid and despicable France!"

Sean did not show anger or surprise. The other party's words confirmed his previous suspicions: the French Wizarding Rights Protection Association had connections with the Death Eaters.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Regulus continued, "Excuse me for speaking frankly, Master, they have become increasingly arrogant lately. The Aiken Family, who were originally responsible for contacting me, have been ambiguous in their attitude. The last time they contacted me, it was to question whether our members were the ones who kidnapped their son, and at the same time, they were also subtly inquiring about your whereabouts."

Sean gave a disdainful sneer, "Always the same... but they're a bit too slow. I clearly gave them some minor warnings..."

It was Voldemort who made his move. It seems there's been a problem with his cooperation with the other guild master... Regulus thought to himself.

Bella, however, stood up in dissatisfaction. "Master, should I go to France and teach them a real lesson? You... you're too lenient..."

"Calm down, Bella," Sean waved his hand casually. "That is important, but I have more important things to do right now..."

"Master?" The Death Eaters looked over in confusion.

Sean's lips curled into a slight smile, "You will understand my intention in the end, something very important."

"Yes, Master." The Death Eaters all lowered their heads, and no one asked any more questions.

Sean thought for a moment and then instructed, "Regulus, Lucius, I'll leave the matter in France to you two for now. Use your family's influence to gather information."

"Yes," the two nodded in agreement. Lucius then asked with a hint of trepidation, "Master, what specific information do we need to investigate? The organization's main goal is to rule the French Wizarding World and liberate Pure-blood Wizard. Could there be some unforeseen changes?"

"They are hiding more secrets... You don't need to reveal that I have returned. You can use my disappearance as a pretext to have a deeper conversation with them."

"So they want us to be spies..." Regulus and Lucius hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

"Alright, that's enough for today," Sean said, dismissing them as he worried that talking too much might expose their secrets. "Go back, my friends. The arrival of a new era requires more of your contributions, and when that time comes, you will become the masters of this world."

"We're all looking forward to it."

The Death Eaters placed a hand on their chests in respect, then disappeared one by one into the darkness of the night, leaving only the Malfoy family, Bella and Barty Jr.. behind.

"Do you know why I kept you here?" Sean asked casually.

Barty Jr.'s gaze turned cold, and his tone became ruthless. "Master, among those people, there are despicable traitors!"

"As sharp as ever, Barty," Sean shifted his posture and said in a nonchalant tone, "I can't guarantee that everyone will be loyal to me, but only you are people I'm willing to trust without reservation."

He looked at Barty Jr. and Bella, deliberately ignoring the pale-faced Malfoy couple beside them.

The two took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement on their faces. "I will always be your most loyal servants."

Upon seeing this, the Malfoy couple immediately knelt down on one knee to express their loyalty.

Sean smiled noncommittally, then helped Barty Jr. and Bella to their feet, leaving the Malfoy couple kneeling.

Lucius's face was pale, his lips trembled slightly, and he felt bitter, knowing that the terrifying wizard before him already knew his thoughts.

The Dark Lord probably noticed our unwillingness to contribute, and he's probably going to give us a warning...

But he still felt a sliver of relief. The fact that he and Narcissa had been left behind meant that they still held value in the Dark Lord's eyes. If he remained loyal, then the previous events could probably be wiped clean.

But if he were to harbor any inappropriate thoughts again, he would likely face the same fate as Dolohov...

Thinking of this, he knelt down even more devoutly.

Sean paid no attention to the couple's behavior; his current priority was to win over the most fanatical followers so that they could expose the traitors among the Death Eaters.

Or rather, he wasn't even sure if there were any traitors among the Death Eaters, but this behavior effectively ensured that there weren't too many small groups with differing intentions within the organization.

What if these people secretly discuss it and discover my flaws? Wouldn't that be disastrous?

Moreover, if there were any traitors among the Death Eaters, he could identify them beforehand. If it was someone from another faction, such as the French Wizarding Rights Protection Association, he could eliminate them beforehand. If it was someone from Grindelwald or Dumbledore, then he could save the traitor's life.

Thinking this, Sean casually said, "I imagine you're wondering why the great Dark Lord doesn't personally find those traitors?"

Bella and Barty Jr. exchanged a glance and finally nodded.

Sean shrugged. "As you can see, I have a new body. This body is too weak... but its potential is much greater. Ha—a lot of things have to be started all over again."

The two understood the meaning behind Sean's words: he had lost some of his original abilities, such as Legilimency, because of the body change. But their master's words contained a deeper meaning.

When he unleashes the full potential of this body, the Dark Lord will become even more powerful!

The thought of it made the two of them tremble with excitement.

Sean patted the two on the shoulders with satisfaction. "The task of finding the traitor is entrusted to you, Bella and Barty. Will you let me down?"

Their eyes were shining with almost fanaticism as they raised their heads. "Master, we have decided to give you a satisfactory answer."

"Very good, very good," Sean nodded, then pretended to have just seen the Malfoy couple. "Wow, look, aren't these my friends, the famous Malfoy Family?"

"Master, you must be joking. The Malfoy Family's reputation is nothing compared to yours." Lucius managed a weak smile.

"Oh, Lucius, you're as good at flattery as ever," Sean said coldly.

"Master, Master..." Sweat was already beading on Lucius's forehead.

Sean patted his face and said gently, "I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself, Lucius."

"Thank you for your kindness! Please give your orders!"

"You have a nice son, right?"

The Malfoy couple froze on the spot, then began to move forward, their knees trembling.

"Master, Master, Draco is just a child!" Lucius pleaded.