After finishing his sinister threat, Voldemort's mood visibly improved.
He looked smugly at Marius Cloud, expecting to see the brat finally pale with fear, or better yet—panic. In Voldemort's long and ruthless career, he'd found that even the boldest heroes usually crumbled when their friends or loved ones were threatened. It was a tried and true method—rarely failed.
But what greeted him was—
"Pfft…"
Marius stifled a snort, unable to stop the grin crawling up his face.
Quirrell, watching this unfold, went ghost-pale. He knew exactly what was coming. He could already imagine the volcanic eruption building inside his master.
"Y-You...! What the hell are you laughing at!?"
Sure enough, Voldemort completely lost it. The furious growl that escaped his mouth was laced with a rare and uncontrolled rage—even vulgarity.
"I'm sorry, it's just…" Marius waved his hand, still chuckling. "Hearing something that brain-dead… I just couldn't hold it in."
Then, still smirking, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "So tell me—was that supposed to be a threat?"
"Of course it was, you little brat!" Voldemort thundered. "Do not treat the threats of the Dark Lord like idle jokes! Or you will regret it for the rest of your life!"
Marius's response was pure laughter.
Voldemort was shaking now, his fury boiling to new heights.
"WHAT—EXACTLY—IS—SO—FUNNY!?" he growled through gritted teeth.
"Your entire speech," Marius said, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye. "I mean, seriously. Are you telling me the Dark Lord has no sense of humor?"
He leaned in slightly, voice dripping with mockery. "Or is your brain actually being dragged down by Quirrell's intelligence level?"
"Because otherwise… how stupid would someone have to be to openly threaten me now, of all times?"
His smile vanished, replaced by a frigid glare.
"Your pathetic intimidation does nothing but force me to run straight to Dumbledore and expose you! Great job, genius. Idiot."
That last word wasn't even veiled. It was a straight-up insult that hit Voldemort like a slap to the face. For a brief, terrifying moment, the air turned pitch-black with coiling magic.
The sheer killing intent flooding from Voldemort made Marius tense, even as a warning blared in his mind:
"WARNING! WARNING!
Host has successfully enraged this world's ultimate boss: Voldemort. Current threat level: EXTREME.
Survival Mission Activated: Due to Voldemort's weakened state, strategic engagement is viable through mental and magical maneuvering—"
The system's message was cut off by a shrill scream:
"Master! Master, please—calm yourself! Don't do it!"
Quirrell's panicked wailing echoed through the carriage. He knew what Voldemort was about to do, and he knew exactly what it would mean for his own poor body.
"SILENCE, YOU WORTHLESS HOST!" Voldemort bellowed. "I don't care anymore! I'm going to kill this insolent brat right here and now!"
Marius's heart clenched. He immediately summoned all his mental strength, preparing for a Psychic Pulse at a moment's notice. One wrong move and he'd unleash a mental tsunami straight into Quirrell's brain.
Across from him, Quirrell was drenched in sweat.
"Please, Master!" he cried desperately. "We've already made it this far! We're inside Hogwarts—right under Dumbledore's nose! If we blow everything now, all our efforts will be wasted!"
The mention of the Philosopher's Stone finally gave Voldemort pause.
Marius saw it—the subtle shift, the slight hesitation. Voldemort didn't know that Marius had no idea what his ultimate goal was. And that worked to Marius's advantage.
Voldemort held himself back. Barely.
After all, he'd once possessed rats to survive. What was one more humiliation if it meant future revival?
But in his mind, he'd already marked Marius Cloud as the first name on his kill list.
Across from him, Marius let out a slow, careful breath. He'd been on the verge of snapping himself when Voldemort threatened the people close to him. That was why he'd lost control and hurled verbal daggers without restraint.
Still, Marius could tell Voldemort wasn't ready to burn everything just yet.
"Don't be so emotional, boy."
Voldemort's voice was quieter now, but that only made it more dangerous.
"I can see your talent. Your ambition. You're the most gifted wizard I've ever seen—far beyond even myself at your age."
Then he added, with a tinge of bitterness, "Of course, you were raised in the privileged luxury of a pure-blood family. I didn't have that advantage."
Marius almost laughed again. The Dark Lord, apparently, still cared about saving face, even when recruiting.
"So?" he asked blandly.
Voldemort's eyes gleamed.
"There's no 'so'. I'm simply warning you… no matter how brilliant you are now, in the eyes of seasoned veterans—you're still a child."
Marius tilted his head. "Interesting. But I see one of those 'seasoned veterans' standing in front of me right now… half-dead and parasitically latched to the back of someone else's head."
Having been roasted repeatedly tonight, Voldemort took a deep breath to calm his raging ego.
"No, young master Cloud. What you don't yet understand is this:
True power doesn't come from magic—it comes from knowledge."
He leaned forward slightly, voice low and seductive.
"With your talent, why waste time learning beside the dimwits of Hogwarts? You're meant to soar like an eagle, not rot in some caged coop. And I—I hold knowledge that can unlock your true potential."
This was Voldemort's most well-practiced weapon: temptation.
No matter who it was, few could resist the allure of power.
"So join me." His voice echoed like a spell. "Only I can guide you. Only I can help you rise to become what you're truly meant to be."
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: p@treon.com/PokePals