The Dementors circled high overhead, and the air around them grew even colder. Whether Death Eaters or other prisoners, everyone huddled on the deck, shivering as they looked at Voldemort in awe.
"We should be leaving!"
Voldemort stood at the bow of the three-masted sailing ship. He twisted his wrist holding the wand and swept it in a smooth arc, as though steering the ship's wheel.
With a sharp crack, the sails of the three-masted ship suddenly unfurled, swelling into the sea wind.
Voldemort lightly traced his wand through the air, and the entire three-masted ship was propelled by an invisible force, racing across the sea.
"What's that over there?"
"Are those Patronuses?"
"So many Patronuses... How could there be so many Patronuses?"
Voldemort raised an eyebrow. Hearing the discussion behind him, he immediately turned around to look.
Golden eagles, lynxes, lions, gray wolves...
He saw all kinds of corporeal Patronuses. The most conspicuous of them was naturally the Phoenix Patronus flying at the very front.
"Dumbledore?" Voldemort raised an eyebrow. He had anticipated this might happen, but he had not expected Dumbledore to arrive so quickly.
He lightly waved his wand before his eyes and, with the aid of the Night Vision Charm, saw Dumbledore landing on the island in the distance, along with a group of Aurors from the Ministry of Magic.
"Dumbledore..." A smile appeared at the corner of Voldemort's mouth. "You actually brought so much dead weight. This is wonderful!"
He had originally been pondering a problem: if he encountered Dumbledore head-on at sea, how could he deal with Dumbledore while also properly protecting the Death Eaters and the prisoners who had submitted to him?
Now, not only did he no longer need to consider that problem, he could pose it to Dumbledore instead and see