Plop. The first Death Eater apparted. And without turning around, he knew which of his followers had just arrived. Avery. And what he heard and felt Voldemort didn't like at all. Avery was out of breath. And even though he was bursting with curiosity and worry, he knew it wouldn't help if he questioned him now. He would have to give him a few seconds to recover.

Slowly, Avery began to tell. "We reached the house a few minutes after we left. They had set up an apparatus boundary so we had to walk a short distance. We were able to do our job the way you told us to, my Lord," Avery reported. As he spoke, Voldemort noted that more and more of his followers were entering the room.

"However, we were then stopped by aurors from the Ministry of Magic. We did not notice their arrival. They lurked for us just behind the border. And there was a fight. We could kill some of them."

"What does it look like on our side? He hardly dared to ask the question. "Two. Pettigrew and Crabbe were slightly injured with some cuts. Macnair was killed in the raid."

"Why didn't you prevent that," Voldemort interrupted the report. Avery bowed and bowed his head. "We had no chance, my Lord. Macnair once again made fun of Snape, who warned us of the danger lurking across the border. He did not find it necessary to follow Snape's instructions and was directly struck by a curse. We had to deal with three times the number of opponents. We tried not to get involved in a fight and apparated directly behind the border. So I can't say exactly who is still following us and who didn't make it."

Voldemort looked around the room. His followers stood in the usual circle, and so he could see who was missing, even though he now saw their faces in a shadowy way. His gaze wandered counter clockwise through the room. On his left was Peter Pettigrew, who was a cowardly, slimy man, barely taller than a 13-year-old boy. Through his devotion to the Dark Lord he could be used for any service, as he would not have been a great loss to his followers and the plans Lord Voldemort had. Next to him stood Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange, Narzissa Malfoy. The place next to her was free. Normally her husband Lucius Malfoy stood there, but he stayed in Azkaban. Crabbe, Goyle, Travers, Augustus Rookwood, Alecto, Fenrir Greyback followed. Mulciber was missing. His gaze wandered further along the row of his followers. Next to Rowle stood Yaxley, Antonin Dolohow and Avery. And between him and Avery there was another place free. This realization shocked him more than the losses of Macnair and Mulciber. The place to his right belonged to the only person he trusted who had so many similarities with him.

After thanking them for the careful execution of the mission and announcing the next meeting for probably next evening, he ended today's meeting and dismissed the Death Eaters from his services.

"Avery. I want to have another word with you." Voldemort wanted to make sure that the others had left the house. "What about Maciber?"

"I'm afraid I don't know, my Lord. He was always behind me," Avery replied. "He called Snape to hurry as the Aurors were getting closer. That was the last I heard from him. I must honestly add that I could not keep an eye on each one of us because we were attacked from three sides, my Lord."

Avery waited anxiously for what was to follow. His master seemed worried. You could see his tension despite the wide cloak he was wearing.

"What about Severus Snape," Voldemort asked quietly. His voice trembled slightly as he asked the question. But Avery didn't seem to notice anything as he tried to remember the people he had seen. "He was a good way behind me when we were surprised by the Aurors. He has, judging by the flashes of curses, caught some of them. Maciber obstructed me the view up when I reached the apparatus border. I don't know what finally happened to him, but he must have been stopped somehow because he wasn't here. Should I search for him?"

"No, we will wait a little longer. Thank you for the information. We will probably see each other tomorrow," Voldemort replied. He watched Avery to make sure he had left Riddle Manor. Then he put on his cloak and left the property as well.