"Severus Snape!" Bellatrix glared at him, her eyes burning with jealousy and hatred.
A filthy half-blood—someone whose wizarding blood had been tainted by Muggles. In the noble Black and Lestrange families, such people were stricken from the family tree, treated as shameful stains.And yet now, he stood as the Dark Lord's right hand? All because he'd offered up a few so-called Pokémon?
Utterly ridiculous. Laughable.
That should have been my place!
Jealousy flared inside Bellatrix until she nearly went mad, though she dared not lose control before Voldemort himself.
"Silence—" Charles, borrowing Voldemort's body, spoke in a voice as hoarse and serpentine as a snake's hiss. At the same time, the two massive serpents coiled beside him—an Arbok and a Seviper—lifted their heads, eyes glowing crimson.
Naturally, those Pokémon were the ones Charles had instructed Snape to bring.
After all, how could the leader of a soon-to-be rebel organization appear without Pokémon of his own?They weren't the signature Pokémon of Giovanni, like Rhyhorn or Beedrill, but serpents suited Voldemort's image perfectly.
"We cannot underestimate the power those Aurors of the Ministry now possess," Charles said. "Don't forget—many of our friends have already fallen and been executed."
"My Lord—if I may speak bluntly—those fools cannot be compared to us!" Bellatrix cried fervently. She yearned to prove herself before Voldemort, to demonstrate her worth. "Those people lacked both loyalty and strength. But we are different—"
The other Death Eaters who had escaped from Azkaban gazed at him with the same feverish fanaticism.
"Very well! I believe you will not repeat the weakness of those cowards. In that case, why not meet their foolish challenge head-on? Let us remind the wizarding world that their fears have truly returned to the living!" Charles laughed.
"My Lord, is that wise…?" Snape asked, feigning a look of concern.
"Do not worry. A mere Charles Gold—" Charles smiled faintly, speaking of himself in Voldemort's tone. "I admit, he has talent—enough to make even me hesitate—but unfortunately, he was already my defeated foe."
Snape listened to Charles belittle himself and had to suppress a chuckle.
"You will remain at Hogwarts. I require more Pokémon. As for you, Bellatrix—if I recall correctly, I once entrusted you with a golden cup?"
"Yes, my Lord!" The Lestrange Death Eaters knelt instantly. Bellatrix's voice trembled. "The cup is still in Gringotts."
"Retrieve it." With that, Charles rose and left the hall. Lucius Malfoy immediately followed. Not long after, he returned alone and placed a Poké Ball in Snape's hand.
"The Master says to stay ready for battle. By the end of this month, we shall seize the entire British wizarding world."——"Here. Take it."
That night, after returning to Hogwarts, Snape tossed the Poké Ball Lucius had given him to Charles.
"Care to see what's inside?" Charles asked, smiling as he caught it.
"I'm not particularly interested… though I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look," Snape replied, though his feet betrayed him by stopping anyway.
Seeing that, Charles closed his office door and led Snape into the Breeding House. Inside, Snape immediately noticed far more machinery than before—and the space itself seemed larger.
In truth, he was seeing only part of it. Deep within the reserve, Charles had established a hidden laboratory to conduct experiments on both Pokémon and wizards—though never cruel ones.
After passing through the Breeding House, they entered the Nature Reserve.
At first glance, it looked unchanged. But on closer inspection, the space stretched wider, the plains seeming endless. When Snape had first stepped into the Reserve, one could still glimpse distant mountains or neighboring areas—but now the horizon stretched forever. As he stared, several unfamiliar Pokémon darted past, ones he'd never seen before.
That sight reminded him of the recent incident with the Gliscor, souring his mood again.
Charles, however, ignored his reaction. The second edition of Pokémon Encyclopedia was already in progress, now covering all Pokémon from the first four generations. He'd also categorized them into study tiers—assigning special traits, moves, and items to be studied by more advanced students.
Ordinary young wizards only needed to learn the basics.
"Come out, Voldemort!"
Charles tossed the Poké Ball into the air. A dark figure leapt out—the very same Voldemort who had, moments ago, ruled over the Malfoy Manor with arrogance.
"What are you doing?" Snape asked flatly.
"Running an experiment," Charles replied nonchalantly.
Voldemort's body, after all, was a perfect experimental subject.
For one thing, his soul was still intact elsewhere, while this vessel—kept alive by the Parasect's control—retained its physical vitality. Moreover, without a soul, it felt no pain; morally, using it for testing wasn't so questionable.
"I've always wondered," Charles mused, "if we replaced the ingredients in the Animagus transformation potion with materials from Pokémon—could we achieve a Pokémon-like Animagus transformation? Of course, if it succeeded, we'd have to call it… a Pokémagus."
As he spoke, Charles pried open Voldemort's mouth. Inside lay a single green leaf.
"Since I acquired his body, exactly one month has passed—and tonight happens to be a full moon. That Mandrake leaf has been nurtured by a Bellsprout, absorbing moonlight. It should carry unique properties."
"Excuse me—but since when is tonight a full moon?" Snape frowned. "I must remind you—it's July 14th."
"Oh, I forgot to mention—inside the Reserve, it is a full moon." Charles smiled slightly. The Reserve existed in a different time zone; its date was several hours ahead of Britain. Snape then noticed that within the Reserve, it was indeed close to midnight.
"You don't expect me to sit here all day waiting, do you?" Snape said dryly—then suddenly smirked, realization dawning. "Besides, I think you've forgotten something important. To complete the Animagus potion, you must add a single strand of the subject's hair to the mixture of Mandrake leaf, dew, and moonlit essence. But… Voldemort doesn't have any hair!"
Charles froze."...???"
(End of Chapter)