Just now, in the Slytherin Common Room, Voldemort had needed to keep up appearances and maintain his composure in order to recruit those students. He had not allowed his expression to twist completely out of control.
Now, he finally no longer needed to hide it and could unleash the fury in his heart to his heart's content.
"Damn the Malfoys!" He clenched his wand so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
He practically forced the words out through gritted teeth. "Damn the Malfoy family!"
Sensing Voldemort's rage, Calchas began to move, inching backward step by step. He did not dare linger for too long, nor did he dare make the slightest sound.
Terrified of causing any disturbance, he took each of those retreating steps with extreme caution.
This was the safest distance he could think of. If he stood too close to Voldemort, the chances of becoming the target of his misplaced anger would multiply.
Yet if he retreated a few more steps, he would likewise arouse Voldemort's suspicions and invite disaster for no reason.
Even after moving only those few steps, he found that cold sweat had already soaked through his back.
"Lucius Malfoy! And that damned son of yours! Draco Malfoy!" Voldemort's voice grew louder and louder until, in the end, he was practically roaring.
The wind sweeping past him instantly turned violent, and the spreading magical fluctuations churned and surged with it.
Noticing Voldemort's emotions suddenly spiral out of control, not a single wizard in the formation below dared make the slightest sound.
Even as the oncoming magical fluctuations lashed their skin raw with pain, everyone gritted their teeth and endured it, terrified that even the faintest noise might bring Voldemort's punishment down upon them.
Some wizards' eyes had become so dry