"Very good..." A smile appeared on Voldemort's face, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction. "Severus, you are indeed exceptional."
"I thought that after teaching at Hogwarts for so long, the talent I admired in you would have been worn away by that decaying castle."
"Now, it seems my concern was unnecessary. Your magical ability has not stagnated; it has even improved."
"Tell me, then!" His voice became subtly different. "Was I mistaken about you back then, or is there... another explanation?"
"Master!" Snape immediately dropped to his knees. "I never dared to slacken in the slightest, because I always believed... you would certainly rise again!"
Herpo maintained his lazy posture, his gaze settling on Snape.
Compared to Barty Crouch Jr., he knew far less about Severus Snape.
For some reason, he sensed from Severus Snape a dissonance similar to Voldemort's—a sense of something that did not belong to this world.
It was as though Severus Snape, too, had been smeared with "glue that did not exist in this world."
He had considered one possibility: perhaps anyone who became Voldemort's servant developed this strange trait.
Yet oddly enough, he had not sensed even a trace of that dissonance from Barty Crouch Jr.
Still, in his view, the Death Eaters around Voldemort either carried that strange sense of dissonance, or their fanatical worship of Voldemort was itself exceptionally abnormal.
In short, none of them were quite normal.
"Your loyalty... is truly pleasing, Severus." Voldemort nodded. "I believe I can feel it."
"However, there is something else I am curious about. You seem to have adapted quite well to the identity of a 'professor.' You even seem to... enjoy it. Take pleasure in it?"
"Master!" Snape's voice was resolute, without the slightest hesitation. "I will do everything in my power to complete