A few days earlier, at Malfoy Manor.
When Yaxley hurried back, he was still agonizing over how to explain himself to the Dark Lord. His mission had failed yet again.
But Yaxley was no fool. He had already realized that an informant must have leaked word of the mission.
After all, only those involved had known about it. For the Death Eaters embedded among the Aurors to be exposed with such precision, a traitor had to be responsible.
This time, though, the traitor had made a mistake. Yaxley had confined every Death Eater involved in the operation pending investigation.
Once I find out who it is... Hmph. I'll show them what cruelty means.
Surely, after taking these steps, his Master would not blame him too harshly. He had practically narrowed down the traitor already, hadn't he?
With that thought, Yaxley entered the Hidden Chamber uneasily and gave a full account of the operation, including how he had detained everyone who took part.
He had expected his Master to fly into a rage. To his surprise, his Master showed little reaction this time.
After hearing the report, Voldemort merely gave a dismissive snort. "That old fool Dumbledore..."
Yaxley remained prostrate on the floor. Though puzzled, he was mostly relieved. He had no desire to be held accountable. Then guilt set in.
He had handled the matter so poorly, yet the Dark Lord had shown him such leniency. It only strengthened his resolve to give his life for the Dark Lord.
Voldemort knew nothing of Yaxley's thoughts. He had no attention to spare for them. For days, he had been turning over something that had happened earlier: he had seen through Harry Potter's eyes while assigning Yaxley the mission.
It had lasted only an instant, but he knew what he had felt.