Lord Dark Lord, Times Have Changed

Dolphin Rowle seemed to flinch as if burned by that savage gaze, and stammered, "Master, I..."

"Drag seven Muggles over here and drain their blood." Voldemort had neither the interest nor the patience to listen to his explanation. "If our 'coin' fails to satisfy the devil in a moment, you will make up the difference..."

"Yes, Master." Hearing that, Dolphin did not dare say another word of pleading. He walked among the Muggles, who were already so frightened they stood frozen, and with a trembling wand hand chose seven male Muggles who still looked fairly sturdy, shooting out blades that danced through the air and slit their wrists.

The seven Muggles wanted to scream, but no sound came out. They wanted to clutch their wrists, but could not move at all. Compared with the pain in their wrists, what terrified them most was that they seemed able to feel every drop of blood constantly draining from their bodies. That blood surged with their thoughts, pulsing out stronger and weaker with every beat of their hearts, dripping onto the ground...

The gurgling blood seemed almost alive as it slowly gathered toward the altar at the center of the room. The crimson blood flowing against the current seemed shrouded in a faint silver glow, forming a Hexagram array in the room similar to the pentagram-shaped Imprisonment formation Allen had in the Tower. At each point of the Hexagram, six skulls were piled like a Pyramid. These white skulls were covered in runes drawn in the Infernal Language, their hollow eyes, noses, and mouths all facing the very center of the star array.

"Too slow, Dolphin." Voldemort's long, thin fingers toyed casually with his wand, but Dolphin did not dare be careless. He waved his wand again and again, hastening the loss of