The Dementors who had rushed over to reinforce them found nothing. After Albert had Apparated away without hesitation, only one person whose emotions were violently fluctuating remained here. By scent and feeling, that person was Voldemort.
The Dark wizard who had reached a new agreement with the Dementors.
Before the Dementors could figure out what had happened, Voldemort had Apparated away as well, leaving behind a vast stretch of post-battle ruins and a group of Dementors with nothing to do.
Voldemort first went to check Marvolo Gaunt's Ring. The abandoned Gaunt Old House was the least secure hiding place, and he had to make sure the ring was still safe and reinforce the Horcrux's protective measures with magic.
However, when Voldemort Apparated directly to the outskirts of Great Hangleton and stepped into the area that had once been protected by his magic, an inexplicable unease flashed through his heart.
Someone had clearly tampered with this forest.
The Protective Magic he had left behind to guard the Horcrux had all been broken one by one by that damned intruding thief, leaving Voldemort to place his hopes on the final line of defense.
But he was destined to be disappointed.
Voldemort did not see the thief's corpse. All he saw was the collapsed Gaunt Old House.
That damned thief had broken through all the Protective Magic here and successfully taken the Horcrux he had hidden away, rather than being killed by the Dark Magic on it.
Albus Dumbledore! A chilling killing intent radiated from Voldemort, but fear quickly replaced the anger in his heart.
How was this possible!
If Dumbledore had destroyed one of his Horcruxes.
He—the most powerful wizard in the world—would definitely have known. Just as before, he would have sensed it, sensed that his most important and precious possession