Sitting on the plane to Athens, after Tver voiced his doubts about the Horcrux, Marvolio gave this explanation.
"Calling it an awakening is actually rather strange, because Horcruxes don't really have a dormant state. It's more like a person locked in a dark room. Once something like a window or a door is opened, the person inside will naturally start moving."
As a Greek genius Dark Wizard who was about to make a name for himself, Marvolio naturally had to stir up some trouble in Athens and create a plausible identity for himself.
As for Tver, all he could say was that he had no idea which would arrive first, unexpected official business or afternoon tea...
Fortunately, they were seated in first class. Aside from a pretty flight attendant who kept trying to catch their attention, no one paid them any mind.
"So, in other words, Voldemort has most likely already noticed the existence of the Horcrux, and what he did in Diagon Alley was only to confirm it?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" Marvolio rolled his eyes, looking as if he had already severed all ties with Voldemort completely.
Tver did not mind. Instead, he tried to understand Voldemort's actions from that angle.
"In a war, everything you do is either to strengthen yourself or weaken your enemy."
"Right now, the ones standing in Voldemort's way are Dumbledore, me, you, and even the professor..."
"No matter how I look at it, I don't see how he has any chance of winning," Marvolio could not help complaining.
Although his own strength was the weakest of the four because his soul was slightly incomplete, which of the other three was easy to deal with?
Even without counting the forces each of them had drawn to their side, Voldemort would not get any advantage in a one-on-one fight.
"That's exactly why Voldemort needs to find a way to make himself stronger..."
Tver thought over Voldemort's actions all this time.
He had not hesitated to make his own soul impure and chaotic, absorbing the soul of Herpo the Foul. He had even researched the ability to absorb other people's souls and flesh. All of it had been Voldemort's attempt to strengthen himself.
So, when Voldemort realized he still had another Horcrux, he definitely would not be thinking that he was still immortal.
Instead, he would do everything he could to absorb the Horcrux in Harry's mind.
Marvolio naturally thought of this as well. Of course, the first thing he thought of was himself, since his soul was far stronger than the one in Potter's mind.
If Voldemort could absorb him, the increase in strength would be far greater.
"Then that Potter boy is in danger."
His feelings toward Potter were actually rather complicated.
If not for that inexplicable protective magic back then, Voldemort would never have lost the First Wizarding War. One could even say that, at the height of his power, his chances of final victory had been far greater than his chances of defeat.
In other words, he, Marvolio, would only have been a muddle-headed Horcrux, perhaps reclaimed after Voldemort's victory, and then destroyed together with him once some Champion appeared to defeat Voldemort.
So, in a sense, Marvolio owed Harry thanks for what he had become now...
"I suppose that's also why Voldemort is paying such close attention to Hogwarts," Tver said in agreement.
That would explain why Voldemort could ignore the plight of his Death Eaters and still demand that Snape focus his attention on Hogwarts.
"Then he definitely wouldn't leave only Snape lurking inside Hogwarts. You could even say he doesn't fully trust Snape at all," Marvolio reminded him.
He knew that both Tver and Dumbledore placed great importance on Snape and cared deeply about his safety.
But at the same time, if they put all their hopes on Snape's intelligence, the suspicious and cautious Voldemort might very well notice and turn it against them.
"There's nothing we can do about that. Matters outside the school need me even more, just like now." Tver shook his head.
Voldemort was only one part of his plan. Or rather, an aid to it. But abandoning his other plans and operations for the sake of Voldemort alone would be putting the cart before the horse.
"And I think I understand why Dumbledore is being so sensitive. He has clearly strengthened Hogwarts's defenses. Maybe he noticed Voldemort's intentions long ago."
At the mention of Dumbledore, Marvolio stopped talking.
After all, Dumbledore had been putting psychological pressure on him since he was eleven. In terms of how intimidating he was to Marvolio, Dumbledore far surpassed even Tver...
"Gentlemen, the plane is about to land. Would you like me to prepare earplugs for you..."
A flight attendant came over for one last attempt, clearly unwilling to give up. Before she could hand over the slip of paper in her hand, Marvolio raised his hand and stopped her.
"No need. Since we're landing, you should pay attention to your own safety too."
Watching the flight attendant return to her seat with a disappointed look, Tver glanced at Marvolio teasingly. "So heartless?"
"Give me a break. I don't want to get tangled up in that kind of trouble," Marvolio said irritably over the hum of the descending plane.
"And if you hadn't insisted on taking this slow, lumbering plane, would I have needed to do that?"
Tver shrugged.
"I'm here at the invitation of the Greek government, not the Ministry of Magic."
Still, when he thought of the trouble this time, he could not help getting a headache.
A while ago, just as Greece had begun to show the effectiveness of the Joint Operations Office, a wizard attack suddenly took place.
The incident caused the deaths of two wizards and three Muggle employees of the office on the spot.
As for the murderer...
According to the Confederation of Wizards report Babajide had sent Tver, all of them had been dosed with highly poisonous cyanide.
And the person who administered it was one of the three dead Muggles, a professional agent directly under the Greek Prime Minister.
As for why it was the Prime Minister rather than the President, that was simply because the Greek President was more like a figurehead, while actual power lay in the hands of the Prime Minister.
In other words, this might have been a premeditated murder, perhaps even ordered by those in power, specifically targeting wizards and people friendly to wizards.
To be honest, it was not as if Tver had never considered the possibility that those in power might covet magic and use threats, coercion, or temptation.
But the wizards who could join the Joint Operations Office were not fools. Stronger than ordinary wizards, they should not have been unable to deal with common methods of intimidation.
Moreover, the Confederation of Wizards had threatened the leaders of these countries both openly and in secret. As long as they were not stupid, they would not dare establish a wizarding department during their own term that they could not properly control.
Just as Tver had handled America's demands, once they weighed the pros and cons, those clever people would understand that maintaining the current situation was the most beneficial form of cooperation for them. Naturally, they would not play any more petty tricks.
They certainly should not have gone so far as to use cyanide and stage what could practically be called a blatant murder.
So, partly at Babajide's request and partly out of Tver's own curiosity, he brought along Marvolio, who happened to be going the same way, and decided to come here in person.