Snape stood behind Voldemort to his right, his face expressionless and his eyes vacant.
But anyone who could see through the layers wrapped tightly around his heart would have seen the fire burning within him.
Yes, he was one of Voldemort's followers—the most fervent kind.
If not for that person, that incident, everything would have been different.
Sorrow lingered in his heart, but his gaze was fixed on Luna.
"The Dark Lord promised to help you bring your mother back to life, didn't he?" he asked, his voice low enough for only the two of them to hear.
Luna nodded but said nothing.
Snape asked no more, but his heart grew even more restless.
"Tell us how powerful it is, Vincent. You can do it."
After Voldemort had the crowd rise, he addressed young Crabbe again.
"Fiendfyre is the most powerful fire magic. It carries a curse, and it won't go out until it has burned everything flammable around it," Crabbe said proudly.
The students looked up in amazement at the serpent made of black flames above their heads. Their eyes held both envy and fear.
"Burns everything flammable..."
Voldemort murmured as he lifted his wand with two fingers. At the wand's motion, the Fiendfyre serpent roared over the students' heads.
"But it can't burn me."
Voldemort's words astonished the children. They didn't understand what he meant.
But what happened next would stay with them for the rest of their lives.
The serpent, made of powerful Fiendfyre and circling through the air, suddenly whipped up a howling wind and shot straight toward Voldemort.
It opened its mouth, revealing black fangs, and with a thunderous crash, lunged at their Dark Lord.
Then...
"Mmm~~~"
A ceaseless stream of Fiendfyre flowed into Voldemort's body through his nostrils.
The next moment, Voldemort seemed to