When The Devil Falls | Draco Malfoy x Tom Riddle

Chapter 3 | A teen's guide on how to impress the Dark Lord (Part Ⅰ)

Previously on When The Devil Falls -
Draco, not fully grasping the potential consequences of his action, spoke up with an earnest desire to contribute, "My Lord, it would be foolish to do that. The Ministry is yours now, and the Order has members within its ranks. Soon, the Order members will discover the Ministry's allegiance. They won't risk using any form of transport that the Ministry can supervise. Apparating or taking a portkey would compromise the secrecy of their entire mission. They won't be that foolish. They'll make arrangements accordingly, and it will be impossible to reach Potter once he steps inside the safe house. They will have erected wards around the whole place. We should ambush them when they are on the move.

Draco spoke with a certain conviction, oblivious to the fact that he was contradicting the Dark Lord himself. The room fell into a momentary hush as the Death Eaters processed Draco's unintended defiance.

Severus inwardly cursed as the meeting took an unexpected turn. This was not how things were supposed to unfold. The Death Eaters were expected to comply with the Dark Lord's plan, a plan that would inadvertently save the young wizard's life. Draco's unforeseen intervention introduced a dose of reason that could lead to Harry Potter's demise. Severus hoped that luck would favour Potter in the chaos that was unfolding.

Bellatrix, on the other hand, was seething with rage. How dare someone, let alone her nephew, contradict her and challenge the Dark Lord's word?

"How dare you?" she hissed, venom dripping from her words as she shot Draco a withering glare. "How dare you have the audacity to contradict me, to speak against the Dark Lord's word! His word is law. I am his right hand. How dare you?"

"I only pointed out the obvious," Draco whispered, his initial excitement of contributing to the task deflating with every passing second.

"Lucius, control your son!" screeched Bellatrix, her voice taking on an otherworldly quality reminiscent of a banshee. Draco instinctively leaned back into his chair, hoping it would swallow him whole, the weight of his realization settling heavily upon him.

Lucius, growing increasingly fed up with his son's behaviour, took a drastic measure. He dug the sharp fangs of the snake head of his cane into Draco's thigh, deliberately drawing blood in an attempt to quell him. The pain elicited a pained hiss from Draco, who now wished the chair could truly engulf him to escape the repercussions of his unintentional defiance.

The Dark Lord's chilling command cut through the tension in the room. "Bellatrix, enough. Draco is right," he declared, his voice a low, commanding hiss. Bellatrix fell into an indignant silence, her fury barely concealed.

The Dark Lord's crimson eyes swept over the assembly of Death Eaters, disappointment etched on his features. "I am very disappointed in all of you. Draco has pointed out an obvious flaw that none of you noticed. This was a test of your loyalty to the cause, and every one of you has failed except Draco," he declared, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.

The room seemed to shudder as his eyes flashed dangerously red, a silent warning to all present. "Be alert or you will find yourself facing consequences you could never imagine of." he admonished, his words a veiled threat that lingered in the air.

Turning his attention back to Draco, the Dark Lord's demeanour shifted. His voice, though still commanding, held a certain curiosity. "Now, Draco, since you seem to have the answers, how do you suppose the Order will transport Potter to their safe house?" The Dark Lord's gaze bore into Draco, expecting not only an answer but a display of the cunning that had set the young Malfoy apart in this critical moment.