Voldemort's Rambling

"Damn it, you still showed that awful look of pity."

As his life ebbed away, Voldemort wore a relieved smile, as though ending his own life made him happier than anything else.

"This is a good thing, Tver." His eyes filled with reminiscence. Rather than speaking to Tver, it felt more like he was leaving his final words for himself.

"Living has always been painful for me. Rather than bringing sin upon others, dying alone should be the best ending for me."

"Tell me, if there had been no Statute of Secrecy, would my father not have hated my mother?"

He tilted his head slightly, only to see Tver remaining silent.

"Ah, of course, I was overthinking it. My father didn't hate magic. He hated me..."

As if he wanted to voice every last attachment he held for this world before he faded away, Voldemort became somewhat long-winded.

But in the end, even the most words had to run out.

"M-Master..."

At some point, Bellatrix, who had seemed invisible until then, staggered over and fell to her knees beside Voldemort, looking utterly lost.

Behind her stood many Death Eaters, silently watching the Dark Lord who had once dominated the age.

Seeing the sorrow on his former subordinates' faces, Voldemort finally revealed a faint, gratified smile.

"Looking back, it seems I made many mistakes in my life. But the one thing I never regretted was taking all of you in as my followers..."

At last, the sun arrived late, casting down the first ray of morning light. And Voldemort, within that radiance, completely vanished.

Tver watched the scene with a sense of emptiness.

Though his goal was the even more difficult task of overthrowing the Statute of Secrecy, he had to admit that Voldemort, as an opponent, had caused them plenty