A small hand, pale and as withered as a chicken's claw, reached out of the blanket and seized the dry twig.
Voldemort brought the twig before his eyes.
He uttered no incantation, merely gazing at it with those scarlet eyes.
Countless fine black lines, like blood vessels, began to appear on the twig's surface.
Then a wisp of black smoke rose from the twig. Rather than dispersing, it gathered into a ball and plunged straight into Voldemort's brow.
Barty Crouch Jr.'s voice sounded directly in his mind.
It was not words, but a complete mental report combining images, logic, and emotions.
Voldemort saw the announcement declaring the establishment of the Student Safety Independent Observation Group.
He heard how Douglas had used an open stratagem to corner Barty Crouch Jr. at that public briefing.
He also felt Barty Crouch Jr.'s humiliation and anger at that moment, as well as... the wild joy of discovering a new opportunity amid despair.
When the mental report reached how Barty Crouch Jr. had used his position as "chief adviser" to separate Harry Potter from his friends step by step, then bring him completely under control with an Auror-style training regimen...
Voldemort's breathing abruptly grew heavy.
"Useless fool..."
A hoarse voice, filled with contempt, came from beneath the blanket.
Wormtail, kneeling on the floor, shuddered, thinking those words were meant for him.
"You can't do anything right... I gave you the simplest task. All you had to do was convey my wrath and urge him to act immediately..."
Voldemort's voice brimmed with suppressed anger on the verge of erupting.
"And the result? What you brought back was... a new plan Barty obtained by trading on my anger?"
Wormtail raised his head in terror. Only then did he realize that Voldemort's wrath was directed at him.
"Master,