In the wind and snow.

A man and a woman in black robes stood facing each other.

"Severus, are you here alone?" Bellatrix stood on tiptoe, trying to see through Snape's back. "No one else?"

Snape sneered: "Others? There should be someone else?"

Bellatrix tilted her head and looked at him. "Like Harry Potter, or Dumbledore?"

Snape raised his wand and pointed it at her: "Bella, I seriously doubt that you have become even more stupid in Azkaban."

"A guy who has nothing but honey on his mind."

"A fellow named Potter."

"I brought them here? Why, to have a party for all the Snape haters?"

Bellatrix frowned and her tone became serious: "Snape, watch your tone, don't forget who you are talking to."

"With a stray dog ​​that just escaped from Azkaban?" Snape said, "Bella, you are not who you were more than ten years ago, and I am not who I was more than ten years ago."

"Snape." Bella raised her wand as well.

Snape waved his hand lightly, and the snow broke apart. Several vines sprang out and trapped Bella. Before she could react, she was tied up.

"I remember you were a smart woman." Snape walked over, lifted her chin with his wand, and said frivolously, "But why have you become even more stupid after more than ten years?"

"Bella, dear Bella."

"Has your brain ever been shoved hard by a Dementor?"

"I said, you are not who you were more than ten years ago, and I am not who I was more than ten years ago."

“Recognize the form.”

Bellatrix looked at him in astonishment. The speed and strength of the spell were completely different from the Severus Snape she knew before.

"Take me to see the master now." Snape flicked his wand, the snow rope collapsed, and Bella fell heavily. "Potter and Dumbledore told me a lot of things. Now the master needs me very much."

Bella bit her lip but raised her wand without nodding.

"Now, Severus, promise me that you are not bringing anyone here."

Snape didn't hesitate, his wand collided with hers: "Of course, I promise you."

The magical powers intertwined to form a beam of light that surged upwards.

"Severus, promise me your loyalty to your master."

Snape sneered: "Bella, how come you forgot what I just said? Even a troll can remember what happened a minute ago, but you can't?"

"My loyalty will be judged by my master."

"Bella, can you make the decision for the Master?"

Bella took a deep breath and said nothing. She met Snape's eyes. As they stared at each other, his icy, ebony eyes, which matched the cold winter, eroded her and made her subconsciously afraid and evasive.

In my mind, the impression of Snape is gradually changing.

The gloomy, cynical little brother who just graduated from Hogwarts no longer exists. He has become mature and terrifying.

The youngest Potions Master...

He is worthy of being praised by the master as the most talented among the Death Eaters.

"Severus, you have changed." Bellatrix took a deep breath.

"What nonsense." Snape spat. "After more than ten years, even a troll would change, let alone me."

He moved his wand away.

The intertwined magic slowly dissipated.

"Now is not the time to waste. Take me to see the master."

Snape looked down at her with the same indifference he gave to the slugs and worms displayed on his workbench.

Bella took a deep breath and got up from the snow.

He walked to the side, stretched out his wand, and tapped lightly on the barrier that Snape couldn't see. The magic flowed through, and the barrier opened, revealing the dilapidated manor covered with layers of snow.

"Come in." Bella waved.

Snape followed him in.

Walk through the courtyard, into the hall, up to the second floor, and stop in front of a luxurious door.

"The master is inside, come in." Bella knocked on the door a few times and whispered to the person following behind her.

Snape pushed the door open and walked in.

He had been to the Malfoy mansion many times, but this was the first time he had entered the master bedroom.

The room did not look like a bedroom. There was no bed, only a white porcelain pool filled with black potion. Voldemort was lying inside, with only his handsome head sticking out.

Hearing the noise, he opened his eyes.

"Severus." Voldemort said with a little surprise, "You are here so soon. What good news."

Snape walked over to him, knelt down beside the pool, and kissed the edge: "My dear master, the servant heard your call and naturally came as soon as possible."

"You seem loyal." Voldemort closed his eyes again. "My dear godson, Barty Crouch Jr., the child who planned my resurrection, said that you can't be trusted. What do you think?"

Snape nodded. "He obviously has some brains."

“When it comes to the most important thing, everything that may be destabilizing must be eliminated.”

"Obviously, I was a very unstable factor."

Voldemort nodded. "Really?"

"But I am angry." Snape said calmly, "He is questioning my loyalty to my master."

Voldemort said nothing.

Snape then said, "Of course, my loyalty is known only to my master."

Voldemort smiled and said, "Your hand was cut off by Potter, why didn't you reattach it?"

Snape answered without hesitation: "I am waiting for your gift, Master. The glory you bestowed on my left hand is engraved. My left hand was completely destroyed by Potter. If I connect it rashly, I will lose the honor you bestowed on me."

"After all these years with Dumbledore, you have remained loyal to me?" Voldemort took his good hand out of the pool and placed it on the edge. "You are very loyal, Severus..."

Snape's expression remained unchanged: "Isn't it natural for servants to be loyal to their masters?"

"I have always remembered the Master all these years."

"I am willing to dedicate everything to my master."

Voldemort narrowed his eyes and said sternly: "Then help me kill Potter!"

"Master, I'm already doing that," Snape said softly.

Voldemort was startled and turned to look at him.

"Dumbledore and Potter trust me somewhat." Snape explained, "They allowed me to tutor Potter after school. Under my guidance, Potter no longer takes ordinary potions. Instead, he takes a potion with a larger dose and stronger effect, but also with greater side effects and harm."

"From now on, if he doesn't take even one more bottle, he won't live past the age of twenty-five."

"If he drinks any more, it will hasten his death."

Voldemort raised an eyebrow: "Special potion?"

Snape nodded and took out a bottle of potion from under his robes - it was the improved version of the Thunder Potion. He unscrewed the cap, and the smell and violent magic power surged out, causing Voldemort's face to change slightly.

He could tell how terrible this potion was and how much damage it would cause to an ordinary person's body.

Just taking a sip will cause huge changes in your internal organs.

"Will Potter really drink this poison?" Voldemort asked.

Snape immediately shook his head: "Of course, my dear master, it is not a poison, but a more powerful potion. Last year, Potter relied on it to easily kill a dragon."

"Then Dumbledore..." Voldemort said a name.

Snape responded: "Dumbledore is far cleverer than Potter, he would not drink that potion."

"He won't suspect you?" asked Voldemort.

Snape took the potion back: "Of course not, this is Potter's request. He longs for a stronger and more effective potion. He longs for power."

"Master, you know that Gryffindors are all a group of trolls with empty brains. Potter, as the son of James Potter, inherited everything from his father, including looks, eyes, and brains. He has some talent, but he is a stupid and arrogant Gryffindor."

Speaking of this.

Snape paused for a moment and slowed down his speech: "That's all I can do. After the last duel, Dumbledore has been on guard against whether I would attack Potter again."

"And Potter, he does have some skills..."

Voldemort's tone also slowed down: "No, this is enough. You are better than too many people. At least you are not enjoying life during my death, but you are still thinking about me. My dear Severus, I have to apologize to you for my godson. He should not doubt your loyalty."

Snape lowered his head: "Master, not everyone can be as wise as you all the time."

Voldemort stood up from the pool, naked in front of Snape: "Well, now look at my injuries, Severus, I believe in your ability as a potion master."

Snape glanced away.

Some injuries are real, some are fake.

He took out the potion and put it aside, then waved his wand and cast a spell to remove the obviously fake scars, but he didn't say a word, as if Voldemort had not tested him again.

Wait until night.

The poison in Voldemort's body was cleared and his face became rosy again. He led Snape to the hall and summoned the remaining Death Eaters.

There weren't many people, only a dozen or so.

But without Barty Crouch Jr., this...is not all Death Eaters are.

"What are you looking at, Severus." Bellatrix narrowed her eyes and shouted sharply, "Are you counting heads?"

"I'm just looking for Crouch, the man who slandered my loyalty to my master." Snape answered bluntly.

Voldemort waved his hand: "My dear godson has other things to do. He is helping me prepare a huge surprise, a huge gift."

Speaking of this.

He looked at Snape meaningfully and said softly, "After Christmas and the new semester, I will make some small moves on Hogwarts. Severus, you are the headmaster of Slytherin College, so you must cooperate with me at that time."

"Of course, your will is my life." Snape bowed and responded seriously.