"Severus," Voldemort suddenly turned to him. "You have been unusually quiet. Your thoughts?"
All eyes turned to Marquas, who met Voldemort's gaze with careful deference but not submission. "I believe your assessment is logical, my Lord. The pattern of failures suggests more than coincidence. However, I would caution that the traitor may not be within this room."
"Explain," Voldemort commanded, appearing genuinely interested in his perspective.
"The inner circle is not the only group with access to operational details," Marquas elaborated smoothly. "Information passes through multiple layers, couriers, lower-ranked supporters, even house-elves. Perhaps the leak originates from these peripheral sources rather than your most trusted followers."
It was a calculated deflection, redirect suspicion away from the inner circle (and himself) toward the easier targets of underlings and servants. From Voldemort's thoughtful expression, the suggestion had merit in his eyes.
"An interesting theory," the Dark Lord acknowledged. "And one worth exploring. Nevertheless, I will leave no possibility uninvestigated. Severus, given your analytical skills, I am assigning you a special task."
Here we go, Marquas thought, maintaining his outward composure.
"You will investigate the suspected traitor among our ranks," Voldemort declared. "Your position at Hogwarts gives you a certain... distance from our daily operations, providing objectivity. Furthermore, your skills in Legilimency and potion-craft offer unique advantages for such an inquiry."
The irony was almost too perfect, tasking the actual saboteur with finding the saboteur. It was either a stroke of extreme bad luck or, more worryingly, a clever trap. Either way, Marquas would need to tread very carefully.
"I am honored by your trust, my Lord," he replied, inclining his head. "How would you like me to proceed?"
"You will interview each of the inner circle privately," Voldemort instructed. "Assess their recent activities, their potential motives for betrayal, their psychological weaknesses. Report directly to me with your findings, to me alone."
Bellatrix made a noise of protest. "My Lord, surely I would be better suited "
"Silence, Bella," Voldemort cut her off without even looking in her direction. "Your loyalty is unquestioned, but your objectivity is not. Severus will handle this task."
Marquas managed to keep his face perfectly neutral, though internally he was picturing Bellatrix's expression as a meme captioned: When your crush picks someone else for the group project.
The meeting continued with operational updates and reassignment of responsibilities, but Marquas was only partially listening, his mind racing to evaluate this new development and its implications. Being tasked with investigating himself created both danger and opportunity. On one hand, he could potentially direct suspicion away from his own activities; on the other, closer scrutiny from Voldemort was the last thing he needed.
After the formal meeting concluded, Voldemort summoned Marquas for a private conversation in Lucius's study, a rare honor that felt more threatening than rewarding under the circumstances.
"You seem troubled, Severus," Voldemort observed as they stood before the ornate fireplace, the flames casting eerie shadows across his snake-like features.
"Merely contemplating the complexity of the task you've assigned me, my Lord," Marquas replied carefully. "Uncovering deception among skilled Occlumens presents unique challenges."
"Indeed," Voldemort agreed. "Which is why I've selected you. Your own Occlumency shields are... impressive. Few can maintain such discipline in my presence."
There was something probing in that statement, a test, perhaps, or a veiled warning. Marquas maintained his mental defenses while keeping his expression appropriately flattered.
"You honor me with your recognition, my Lord. I have worked to develop my mental disciplines specifically to better serve your cause."
Voldemort studied him for a long moment, red eyes seemingly attempting to pierce through to his very thoughts. "There is something different about you, Severus. Something changed. You are not the same wizard who first came to me seeking power and recognition."
The observation sent a chill down Marquas's spine, though he allowed none of it to show. "We all evolve in service to greater purpose, my Lord. My time at Hogwarts has necessitated certain... adaptations in presentation and approach."
And the whole being replaced by a transmigrated software developer from another dimension" thing probably contributed too, he added mentally. Minor detail, hardly worth mentioning.
"Hmm," Voldemort murmured, clearly not entirely satisfied with this explanation but not pressing further. "Begin your investigation with Avery. His recent failures in Bristol suggest either incompetence or something more sinister. I expect your preliminary report in one week."
"It will be done, my Lord."
As Marquas departed Malfoy Manor, his mind was already racing with strategies. This assignment was both a crisis and an opportunity. If handled correctly, he could potentially frame someone else for his own sabotage activities, perhaps Avery, who Voldemort already suspected. It was morally questionable, certainly, but in this war, sometimes the only choices were bad and worse.
The key would be in the implementation. He would need to conduct legitimate investigations, identifying actual security weaknesses that could have led to operational failures. Then subtly guide the evidence toward his chosen scapegoat while ensuring his own activities remained undetected.
"Sometimes," he muttered to himself as he apparated back to Hogsmeade, "chaos is the best cover."
••••
"He wants you to do what?" Regulus exclaimed when they met at their Cokeworth headquarters later that evening. "Find the traitor who's been sabotaging Death Eater operations, which is actually you?"
"With a side order of reporting directly to him on everyone's potential disloyalty," Marquas confirmed, pouring himself a generous serving of firewhisky. "It's either cosmic irony or the universe has developed a particularly twisted sense of humor."
Regulus looked both amused and concerned. "This could be an elaborate trap. Voldemort might already suspect you and is watching how you handle this assignment."
"That possibility has occurred to me," Marquas acknowledged grimly. "Though if he truly suspected me specifically, I think my interrogation would involve considerably more screaming and significantly less delegation."
"Fair point," Regulus conceded. "So what's your plan? Besides drinking yourself into a state where this all seems less terrifying?"
Marquas set down his glass with a wry smile. "Counterintuitive though it may seem, I'm going to conduct a legitimate investigation, identify actual security weaknesses, document real vulnerabilities in their operational procedures, and present authentic findings."
"With the minor omission that you're the one exploiting those weaknesses," Regulus finished, catching on quickly.
"Precisely. Then, with regret, I'll present convincing evidence that Avery has been compromised, possibly under Imperius or blackmail, leading to the Bristol operation's failure."
"Why Avery specifically?" Regulus asked, though his tone suggested he already understood the strategy.
"Voldemort has already marked him for suspicion. He's politically weaker than most inner circle members, with fewer powerful connections. And most importantly, he was genuinely sloppy in his handling of the Bristol operation, not because of treachery but simple incompetence."
"Sacrificing one Death Eater to protect your cover," Regulus mused. "Ruthless but effective."
Marquas frowned, disliking the characterization though he couldn't deny its accuracy. "I'm not particularly proud of the strategy, but the alternatives are worse. If my cover is blown, we lose our most valuable intelligence source and any chance of systematically undermining Voldemort's operations."
"Not to mention you'd lose your shot at 'Employee of the Month' at both Hogwarts and Death Eater headquarters. Those commemorative mugs are quite the collector's items."
Regulus chuckled slightly then held up his hands. "I'm not judging. In this war, clean hands are a luxury none of us can afford. Besides, Avery joined the Death Eaters willingly and has participated in multiple attacks on innocent families. If anyone deserves to face Voldemort's wrath, it's him."
The pragmatic assessment didn't fully ease Marquas's moral discomfort, but it did reinforce the necessity of their approach. This wasn't the clean, simplified heroism of children's stories. It was war, messy, morally compromised, and requiring difficult choices for the greater good.
"We'll need to accelerate our other projects," he said, changing the subject slightly. "If Voldemort is becoming suspicious of internal sabotage, our window for certain operations may be closing."
"The Horcrux hunt in particular," Regulus agreed. "Kreacher returned this morning with samples from the locket destruction site. The residual magic is... distinctive. I think we can use it to create a detection spell specific to Horcruxes."
"That's excellent progress," Marquas nodded, genuinely impressed. "How soon can we test it?"
"A few days for the initial version, perhaps a week for something reliable enough for field use," Regulus estimated. "The question then becomes where to look first."
"Based on my conversation with Dumbledore, he's focusing on the Gaunt shack in Little Hangleton," Marquas informed him. "We should prioritize locations he's not yet investigating, specifically Hogwarts itself."
Regulus looked surprised. "You think Voldemort hid a Horcrux at Hogwarts? Right under Dumbledore's nose?"