His words and demeanor shocked the villains around him.

The older, more experienced Dark wizards exchanged uneasy glances. They had assumed the young man would, at most, teach the Ministry Department Head a lesson or humiliate him… after all, this was his own father, the man who had rescued him from prison.

But clearly, they were all mistaken.

They had underestimated the madness and ruthlessness of this devoted follower of the Dark Lord!

"Crucio!"

The Unforgivable Curse, which targeted the very soul, was cast effortlessly from the young man's wand!

Barty Crouch Sr. writhed in agony on the ground, his bones feeling as though they were being scorched by fire!

"Do you remember how many times you used the Imperius Curse on me these past five years, Dad?"

The young man laughed, a wild, unrestrained laugh.

"I remember! Every single time you cast it, I engraved it in my mind! I've been waiting for this day! I've waited so long! I'll return it all to you! Every last bit!"

"Crucio!"

"Arrrggghh!!!"

The unbearable pain even shattered the previous spells restraining Barty Sr.. He screamed, thrashing violently on the floor as if plunged into a vat of boiling oil.

"Do you know how much I've looked forward to this, ever since the day you swapped me out with Mom?"

"Do you know how much your ignorance and stubbornness have tormented me?"

"You were the one who taught me to uphold the Crouch Family's honor, to take pride in our bloodline!"

"I did everything you said! I followed my Master! I fought for pure-blood supremacy! I despised those half-breeds and Mudbloods! And then you told me I was wrong!"

"Do you know how hopeless I felt when I begged you during the trial, only to see that you never truly saw me as your son?"

"You understand nothing! You cared neither for Mom nor for me! You only cared about yourself!!"

"Crucio!!!"

Barty Sr. had stopped struggling. His body convulsed, drool spilling from his mouth as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

Aside from the faint rise and fall of his chest, he might as well have been dead, unable to make a single sound.

After yet another Cruciatus Curse was cast, the room fell deathly silent.

Even the usual troupe of hardened criminals stood frozen.

It's not like they haven't seen such scenes before, as the Cruciatus Curse was no rare spell among Dark wizards. What unsettled them was the sheer horror of seeing it used so mercilessly on one's own flesh and blood!

"It's time to end this." The young man panted, grinning wildly.

He raised his wand once more, preparing to utter the spell that had no counter-curse… the one that could so easily snuff out a life!

"Avada Kedavra!"

Green light sparked at the tip of his wand. But just before the Killing Curse could strike-

Barty Sr.'s body suddenly levitated, as if pulled by an unseen force, and swiftly slid across the floor, evading the curse!

The jet of green light struck the ground instead, leaving behind a charred, blackened hole.

"Who is it?!!!"

The young man whirled around toward the staircase. Behind him, the other villains hastily drew their wands!

A tall figure slowly ascended the stairs.

With each step he took, the extinguished lights around the room flickered back to life.

As the bright light illuminated his face, everyone present recognized him at once!

"Long time no see, Barty Crouch. I thought you'd died in prison by now."

The man greeted Barty Crouch Jr. with a tone of feigned pleasantry, one that only a certain ghost would recognize as utterly disdainful.

"Severus Snape!"

The one who exclaimed this was Greyback. He had just clashed with Severus at noon and had been forced to flee under the onslaught of Sectumsempra.

Now, to his shock, he saw this traitor again at the Crouch Family's residence in the evening, leaving him deeply unsettled.

Barty Jr. eyes also locked eyes with Severus. The manic grin on his face faded, replaced by a sly, venomous glint in his gaze.

"Ah, Senior Snape… It's been a while... I heard you've made quite a name for yourself in the Wizarding World lately."

Severus noticed the malice in his expression. But he simply stepped onto the final stair, leaning back against the banister, and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure it pales in comparison to you, Junior. Making history as the first to escape Azkaban, a filial son plotting to murder his own father. If word gets out, the entire Wizarding World will be buzzing with your name."

As he said this, he tilted his head toward Greyback, who was glaring at him with wolfish eyes.

"But why associate with such trash? He's not even worthy of the Dark Mark… just a scavenging beast. Do you really need to invoke the Dark Lord's name to get this rabble to do your bidding?"

Greyback let out a low, furious growl, his body tensed as if ready to lunge and tear Severus apart.

Barty Jr. waved a hand dismissively behind him, calming the bristling werewolf.

He studied Severus intently, treating him with a respect he never showed the lesser Death Eaters and worthless stragglers around him.

Clearly, Severus was someone he regarded as an equal.

"The Dark Lord might forgive your... temporary alliance with Dumbledore as a strategic move. But he will never forgive true betrayal."

Barty Jr.'s voice was cold. He, too, harbored deep suspicions about Severus's testimony during the trial and didn't fully trust Greyback's report.

He wanted to hear it from Severus himself… where exactly did this man stand now?

As Barty Jr. spoke, Ghost Snape inside Severus's body also perked up with interest.

Even he was curious about how Severus would handle his identity among the Death Eaters.

Both Dumbledore and Ghost Snape believed Voldemort wasn't truly dead… that he would return one day. Even Ghost Snape had heard Severus predicted it himself.

So why was he stirring up such a storm in the Wizarding World now? Publicly declaring his repentance in front of everyone… what would he do when the Dark Lord did return?

Wasn't he afraid of the consequences?

Under the scrutiny of Barty Jr. and the ghost within him, Severus merely smirked and said coolly, "When have I ever betrayed the Dark Lord?