Chapter 1076: Clear Understanding
Chapter 1076: Clear Understanding
Lucius Malfoy was carefully perusing an article in The Quibbler. From what he had read recently, the situation for Fudge seemed to be worsening. He recalled the prophecy from some time ago about Fudge's impending downfall, and his frown deepened.
It was clear that someone was deliberately targeting Fudge and even intended to bring about his downfall.
This was certainly not good news for Lucius Malfoy.
He did not want to see Fudge toppled from his position, nor did the Death Eaters. With Fudge in power, they could use him to hinder Dumbledore.
The creak of the wooden door being pushed open suddenly rang out, followed by a flurry of footsteps and noisy voices. Lucius Malfoy set down his magazine and looked up as a group of people entered their secret base. "Did you encounter any problems on your way here?" he asked.
"Rest assured, we were careful," one of them replied.
Bellatrix, after pulling out a chair and sitting down, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why have you gathered us here?"
"Many of you are on the wanted list, so I had to be cautious," Lucius Malfoy said, still not entirely trusting Bellatrix, for who knew what madness she might be capable of.
"I never imagined there would be such a place," another Death Eater commented.
"Consider this our temporary base," Lucius Malfoy said offhandedly.
"Why have you summoned us?" Bellatrix asked impatiently.
"We're waiting for the others. They should be here soon," Lucius Malfoy replied.
Lucius Malfoy nodded slightly to the rest of the group, acknowledging their presence.
Soon enough, the mechanical clock in the corner of the room chimed, and the final Death Eater arrived, punctual as always.
"Now, everyone, please quiet down," Lucius Malfoy said, clapping his hands to draw everyone's attention.
The noisy chatter in the hall gradually subsided.
"The Dark Lord has entrusted us with an important task," Lucius Malfoy said, looking at Augustus Rookwood. "He needs us to retrieve a prophecy orb from the Department of Mysteries. It is the prophecy concerning the Dark Lord and Potter. Due to certain reasons, the Dark Lord cannot appear at the Ministry of Magic himself."
"The prophecy orb?" Antonin Dolohov frowned. "You mean..."
"You know what it is, and that's enough. We must not speak of it openly," Lucius Malfoy interrupted, not wanting any details to be revealed. "The Dark Lord considers this matter of utmost importance. Failure is not an option."
The whispers in the hall suddenly intensified as many of the Death Eaters knew about this prophecy but were unaware of its contents.
Lucius Malfoy glanced at Avery and then nodded slightly at Augustus Rookwood before continuing, "The Hall of Prophecies is protected by intricate magic. Only those involved in a prophecy are able to retrieve the orb from the shelves. This was the main reason Bode failed in his attempt."
"Are we expecting Potter to get the prophecy orb for us?" Several Death Eaters frowned, feeling that this method was unreliable.
"Potter won't comply so easily," one of them added.
"Simple," Bellatrix said without hesitation. "We use the Imperius Curse on him."
"Potter can resist the Imperius Curse," Lucius Malfoy reminded them.
"The Dark Lord has a plan to lure Potter into a trap by making him believe that Sirius Black has been captured by us. Given Potter's character, he will surely rush to his rescue without a second thought," Lucius Malfoy explained.
"This plan is good, but it may have a flaw," one of the Death Eaters pointed out.
"A flaw?" Lucius Malfoy asked.
"If Potter has a way to contact Black, he will likely confirm Black's situation first. Our plan may not proceed as smoothly as we hope," Dolohov said.
"Not long ago, the house-elf belonging to the Black family, Kreacher, seized an opportunity to run away from home and ended up at my place. It can help us perfect our plan, so there's no need to worry about any problems arising," Lucius Malfoy explained.
"Getting Potter into the Ministry of Magic won't be easy either!" Macnair frowned. "The Ministry is heavily guarded, and it's impossible for Potter to sneak into the Department of Mysteries under the noses of the employees."
"We will need to draw away some Aurors and, if possible, control a few Ministry members to ensure that the night of our operation, the Ministry is under our control," Lucius Malfoy said, outlining his plan. This was the reason he had gathered them all here, as some things could not be accomplished by him alone.
"The Department of Mysteries is also a big problem. We will need someone to open the door for us; otherwise, no one will be able to get past that door," Augustus Rookwood said, sharing what he could without revealing too much confidential information.
"Saul Crook! If we control him, he should be able to help us open the door when the time comes," Lucius Malfoy said, looking around at the group. "Are there any other concerns?"
"What if the members of the Order of the Phoenix come to reinforce them?" another Death Eater asked. "Potter won't be able to leave Hogwarts without alerting the others. The Order will surely find out."
"That's why we must capture Potter as quickly as possible and leave the Ministry with the prophecy orb at the earliest opportunity," Lucius Malfoy reminded them. "Retrieving the prophecy orb is our top priority."
"I still can't shake the feeling that something might go wrong," Avery said, his brow furrowed.
"What do you mean?" the Death Eaters asked, turning to look at Avery.
"Are you scared?" someone mocked under their breath. Avery's recent failures had not gone unnoticed, and the Dark Lord's faith in him had waned.
"That Mudblood, Albert Anderson, is suspicious! He seems to be able to predict future events," Avery said, ignoring the derisive glances from the others.
"Albert Anderson?" Bellatrix repeated softly, a name she had heard more than once. "That Mudblood is truly uncanny and powerful. He even managed to escape the Dark Lord's grasp during the Triwizard Tournament..."
Efferi fell silent under Malfoy's stern gaze.
"I think the probability is low," Lucius Malfoy said to the group, sharing his thoughts. "According to Severus' intelligence, Albert Anderson, though invited by Dumbledore, declined to join the Order of the Phoenix as he deemed them unreliable. He doesn't seem to be closely associated with their members."
"I still think we should be wary of that guy," Efferi mumbled.
"If we do encounter trouble..." Lucius Malfoy frowned, "we can summon the Dark Lord, and I will discuss with him how to deal with the worst-case scenario."
"Just kill him!" Bellatrix truly couldn't understand what this group of people was fretting about.
"It's just a Mudblood. Killing him should be easy."
"We couldn't find him during the holidays, and even if we know he's hiding in Hogwarts now, it won't be easy to break in and kill him." Malfoy glanced at Bellatrix, reminding her, "And that Mudblood is powerful; he's this year's Duelling Champion. Without enough manpower, I doubt we stand a chance against him."
"Are you sure you're not joking?" Bellatrix found it laughable that Malfoy was actually worried about a Mudblood. "That Mudblood only managed to slip away from the Dark Lord's grasp because of Dumbledore's protection."
The Death Eaters who knew about Albert all furrowed their brows. While they despised him, they at least had a basic understanding of his capabilities.
The strength he had displayed was undeniable.
"Have Draco inform me of the next Hogsmeade trip, and I'll definitely be able to ambush him along the way." Bellatrix was all but guaranteeing their success.
Lucius Malfoy looked at Bellatrix for a long time, as if trying to ascertain whether her time in Azkaban had damaged her brain.
After a moment of silence, Lucius Malfoy slowly said, "Barty Crouch Jr. once had a similar idea to yours. It is said that he controlled a group of people to ambush that guy, but he ended up being the only one who was dealt with. That Mudblood emerged from the maze unscathed and became the champion of the Triwizard Tournament."
Efferi also looked at Bellatrix with the same disdain. He was wary of Albert, especially after his recent failures. He realized that even the Dark Lord might not be able to get rid of him easily, as that guy could foresee the future and avoid dangers.
"If the opportunity arises, we should deal with that Mudblood," Lucius Malfoy said to the others present. "But we must not act rashly; it will only bring us unnecessary trouble."
"According to my latest information, that Mudblood is apparently getting married." Efferi suddenly spoke up.
"Married? Are you sure?" Lucius Malfoy was taken aback.
"I'm not sure, but apparently, someone received an invitation. It's supposed to happen this summer, but the exact date is unclear. With his character, he definitely won't let others know the specific time and place easily," Efferi reminded them. "If we're going to kill him, this may be our best chance. During the wedding, I think he probably won't be too vigilant, as he'll be busy with a lot of things and easily distracted."
"That's a good idea." Bellatrix licked her lips, looking excited. "Who is that Mudblood planning to marry?"
"Not sure," Efferi shook his head. "That guy is very cautious."
"If we're planning to take action against him, we can investigate thoroughly and resolve the problem once and for all, leaving no loose ends." Lucius Malfoy shook his head as he saw the interest in the eyes of the others. That Mudblood was not to be trifled with, and if they didn't succeed in eliminating him the first time, it could very well lead to retaliation. Being targeted by someone like him was definitely not a good thing.
"By the way, there's one more thing." Efferi suddenly spoke up again.
"What is it?"
"To be honest, I don't want to be a killjoy, but we should probably prepare an escape plan in case we fail." Efferi looked around at the group. "I remember that apparating is not possible within the Ministry of Magic. In the worst-case scenario, we should be prepared so we don't get trapped there."
"I'm sure you've thought of a way out, right?" The group waited for Efferi to continue.
"We can use a Portkey."
"We can turn a sock into a Portkey. It's said that Potter used this method to escape from right under the Dark Lord's nose." Malfoy suddenly realized, "We can set a time, and even if we're trapped in the Ministry, we can still escape smoothly."
The group looked at each other, whispering and discussing the matter.
While most of the Death Eaters thought it was unnecessary, it would undoubtedly serve as insurance and effectively prevent the embarrassing situation of being trapped in the Ministry.
(End of Chapter)
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