Chapter 1093: Elevating to New Heights
Chapter 1093: Elevating to New Heights
At the Auror Office of the Ministry of Magic, Scrimgeour stood at the entrance, gazing at the empty room before expressionlessly walking to his desk. He pulled out his chair and sat down, proceeding to read the newspaper in his hands.
Scrimgeour's assessment of the front-page headline in that day's issue of the Prophet was succinct: "A desperate struggle."
Despite Fudge's attempts to clear his name through the pages of the Prophet, the weight of the evidence presented by other newspapers was simply too overwhelming.
Calls for Fudge's resignation were growing louder in the wizarding world, and Scrimgeour was well aware that some of it was orchestrated by Fudge's political opponents. However, it was undeniable that Fudge had bungled things badly over the past year, turning the Ministry into a laughingstock and causing wizards to lose faith in him.
Setting aside the Prophet, he continued perusing the other newspapers.
Most of them had their own takes on the events, with one article in particular focusing on Albert's solo confrontation with the Ministry's Aurors, even going so far as to portray him as the next Dumbledore.
"The next Dumbledore?"
Scrimgeour set down the newspaper and gazed at the empty Auror Office, falling silent for a moment.
Just then, rapid footsteps approached, and the office door was soon knocked on.
"Come in," Scrimgeour said.
"Sir, St. Mungo's just informed us that the Hogwarts professor has sent the Aurors to the hospital," the witch said, sneaking glances at Scrimgeour's expression as she lowered her voice. "The Aurors are undergoing rehabilitation treatment. They're just a bit weak and should make a full recovery in a couple of days."
"I understand," Scrimgeour replied.
Standing up, he made his way out. He intended to personally visit the unlucky bunch at St. Mungo's.
However, as soon as he arrived at St. Mungo's, Scrimgeour found himself surrounded by a crowd of reporters waiting in the lobby.
"Director Scrimgeour, everyone is highly suspicious of the Aurors right now..."
Before the reporter could finish asking her question, Scrimgeour cut her off with a raised hand.
"I know what you want to ask!" Scrimgeour interjected, having anticipated that he might be accosted by reporters. "How could Aurors trained by the Ministry lose to a student?"
"Aurors are human too," Scrimgeour explained, indicating for them to let him finish. "They're just more skilled and better trained for combat. The person they lost to is the most outstanding wizardary talent the wizarding world has seen in centuries, perhaps even millennia. As much as I hate to admit it, I believe Mr. Anderson may well be the strongest Duelling Champion in history."
"If I'm not making myself clear enough, let me spell it out," Scrimgeour continued. "Perhaps Anderson hasn't reached Dumbledore's level yet, and that's only because of his age. I hope you understand what I mean."
Since the Aurors had been defeated by Anderson, the only option was to elevate the stature of the person who had beaten them. As long as Anderson was portrayed as formidable enough, losing to him wouldn't be seen as a disgrace.
Just as Death Eaters feared Dumbledore, there was no shame in Aurors losing to a wizard as powerful as Dumbledore.
Was Scrimgeour engaging in hyperbole?
Not really.
Albert, adorned with countless accolades, could easily shoulder such praise.
No, it wasn't flattery, but the truth.
"Director, what do you think of Mr. Anderson..."
"I believe Anderson's future achievements will undoubtedly surpass those of Dumbledore," Scrimgeour interrupted again. "This is foreseeable, and I'm not at all surprised. It's just unfortunate that the Ministry happened to be the stepping stone on his path."
"People always instinctively overlook the numerous accolades Anderson has earned and only remember that he's still a student at Hogwarts, a young adult who hasn't even graduated yet," Scrimgeour said calmly. "This is a form of adult arrogance, and they've paid the price for it. Sometimes, admitting this isn't a disgraceful thing. Refusing to acknowledge it is what's truly shameful."
"Of course, it wasn't really a duel, as both sides held back," Scrimgeour added, seemingly crafting his image in case he decided to vie for the position of Minister of Magic in the future. "I can only say it's fortunate that things didn't spiral out of control."
Part of it was due to the harsh reality that had struck him.
"What are your thoughts on Fudge's situation?"
"I have no comments on that. The Aurors were merely carrying out their orders," Scrimgeour said, raising his hand to stop the reporters' questions. "Alright, please make way. I'm going to visit the hospitalized Aurors."
The reporters exchanged glances but stepped aside, as Scrimgeour's words were quite newsworthy.
Scrimgeour made his way to the Curse Damage Ward on the fifth floor. All the beds that St. Mungo's kept reserved for Aurors were already occupied.
In fact, all the spare beds on the fifth floor were taken by the Aurors, much to the displeasure of the healers in the Curse Damage Ward, as it could hinder their ability to handle emergencies.
"How are they doing?" Scrimgeour asked.
"Their condition isn't too bad," Madam McDougal replied, holding a medical record. "They were just starved for two days and are a bit weak. They'll be discharged by tomorrow at the latest and can recuperate at home.
You may go in if you wish, but don't stay too long. They need rest."
"To be honest, Madam McDougal's emotions were quite mixed when she heard that Albert had knocked out the Aurors and left them hanging on the wall for two days, and seeing this bunch of unlucky fellows only intensified that feeling.
Upon entering, Scrimgeour found the Aurors in low spirits, and they hung their heads in shame when they saw him.
'I am well aware that this incident was not entirely your fault,' Scrimgeour said calmly, offering them comfort. 'No one expected Umbridge to be so foolish, so you need not feel ashamed. I also shoulder a portion of the blame.' By taking responsibility, Scrimgeour was able to gain their trust, and if he wanted to vie for the position of Minister of Magic, he knew he had to do something to win them over.
These Aurors were his foundation.
'But there is one thing,' he continued. 'You made a grave mistake by underestimating your opponent. I know you looked down on Anderson because of his youth, but you failed to realize you were up against a wizard second only to Dumbledore himself. I hope this will never happen again.' In truth, Scrimgeour hadn't given much thought to Dumbledore either, believing that no matter how powerful an individual was, they couldn't possibly stand against a group. But Albert had shown him, in the cruelest way, that even the Ministry's elite Aurors were fallible.
...
Late at night, Avery walked expressionlessly through a long-abandoned Muggle village, eventually coming to a halt in front of a half-collapsed house. He looked around to ensure privacy before stepping inside and crouching to enter a dark and dilapidated fireplace, which concealed a secret passage. At the end of the passage was an old wooden door.
Avery knocked lightly on the door, and a pair of eyes peered out from the darkness, seemingly scrutinizing the visitor. The door creaked open, revealing Lucius Malfoy, who frowned at the latecomer.
'You're late!' Lucius scowled.
'Sorry, I've been dealing with some troubles lately, and it's eaten up quite a bit of my time,' Avery mumbled, looking weary as if he'd indeed run into some serious problems.
'Come in. The meeting has already started.' Lucius Malfoy stepped back to let Avery in, then peered out once more before closing the door.
Beyond the door was a spacious hall, where a circle of witches and wizards sat around a table, whispering among themselves.
'What are we discussing now?' Avery asked as he took a vacant seat.
'We're talking about how to kill that Mudblood!' 'Mudblood?' Avery's eyes widened, perplexed that the Death Eaters had gathered here just to deal with a Mudblood.
'Have you been following the newspapers lately?' Lucius Malfoy asked, raising an eyebrow.
'Newspapers? No, I've been busy and haven't had time to read them. Besides, what major news could there be?' Avery was even more confused.
Lucius placed several newspapers in front of Avery, who, after scanning the headlines, stared at Malfoy in disbelief. 'Are you telling me this is true? Surely you're aware of how exaggerated these reports can be.' 'There may be some exaggeration, but most of it is true. That Mudblood did indeed defeat dozens of Aurors,' Lucius Malfoy replied, his face darkening as he recalled his own attempt to murder the Mudblood named Anderson. 'Of course, the Aurors were only trying to capture him, so they didn't use any dangerous spells.'
'It's ridiculous that you believe it!' In Bella's opinion, Scrimgeour was merely trying to save face for those useless Aurors. There was no way that Mudblood could be on par with Dumbledore.
Perhaps the Mudblood had some skill, but he would be no match for Dark Magic. A simple Avada Kedavra would be enough to end him.
'It's difficult to get rid of him directly. Apparently, he casts spells quickly and exclusively uses nonverbal spells, which took all the Aurors by surprise,' Lucius Malfoy shared the intelligence provided by his son, his face grim as he addressed the group. 'His spells are also peculiar; two Slytherin students were hit by Impediment Jinxes and ended up with fractures all over their bodies. They're currently at St. Mungo's, and it seems nearly impossible to defeat him using conventional means.' There were some things Lucius Malfoy dared not say. He suspected that even if the Dark Lord himself took action, it might not be easy to kill Anderson.
Albert's rise posed a threat that all the pure-blood wizards in the room could sense.
'Are there any other methods we can employ?' Antonin Dolohov suggested. 'What about targeting his friends, like we did with Potter?' 'The chances of success are slim,' Avery interjected. 'Apparently, that Mudblood can foresee the future, and he might detect what we're planning. If we can't be discreet enough, the plan is likely to fail.'
'We'll deal with that after we're done here!' Malfoy interrupted the conversation. Their gathering was not solely about discussing how to deal with the Mudblood.
"Now, with the Ministry in turmoil, the Dark Lord believes the time is ripe, and the specific date for our action is this Friday."
Lucius Malfoy brought the topic back on track; after all, they had gathered here to aid the Dark Lord in obtaining the Prophecy Orb and capturing the infamous Harry Potter, and every witch and wizard present would be participating in this conspiracy.
"Actually, I've had a lingering doubt," Avery suddenly said.
"What doubt?"
All eyes turned to Avery.
"The main objective of this mission is the Prophecy Orb, right?" Avery asked.
"Yes," Malfoy replied.
"Then why doesn't the Dark Lord retrieve it himself?"
"Are you insane?" Bellatrix laughed hysterically, glaring at Avery. "You idiot, people have completely ignored the Dark Lord's return. Why would he reveal himself by entering the Ministry now and exposing himself to the Aurors?"
Ignoring Bellatrix's outburst, Avery turned to Lucius and continued, "The Dark Lord has been planning this for so long because he wants to obtain the Prophecy Orb and confirm its contents, right? This is more important than any other task."
"What are you trying to say?" Lucius asked, furrowing his brow.
"Why doesn't the Dark Lord retrieve the Prophecy Orb himself from the Department of Mysteries and then leave immediately?" Avery suggested. "It wouldn't even take a few minutes. No one would know that the Dark Lord took the Orb, and even if we were concerned about the disappearance being noticed, we could destroy some of the nearby prophecies as a cover-up. Then, no one would know a Prophecy Orb is missing."
"Luring Harry Potter to steal the Orb and then taking it back from him is indeed unnecessary," Avery continued, ignoring the glares of the others. "Adding more steps to the plan means that a mistake at any point could lead to the entire plan's failure."
"You're afraid," one of the witches scoffed.
"I just don't want the plan to fail again," Avery muttered. "I've had enough of the Cruciatus Curse."
"The plan cannot fail," Lucius Malfoy snapped, glaring at Avery.
"I don't think it's a good idea for Harry Potter to rush to the Ministry," Avery argued. "The members of the Order of the Phoenix will surely rush to reinforce him at the first opportunity. Then, we'll have to fight them within the Ministry. To be honest, that's not exactly a pleasant prospect, as we may also have to face reinforcements from Dumbledore and the Ministry Aurors."
Undoubtedly, Avery had pointed out the biggest problem with the entire operation—its instability.
Harry Potter himself was an unpredictable variable, let alone putting the Prophecy Orb in Potter's hands—who knew what could happen then?
"You're right, Avery," Lucius Malfoy acknowledged after a moment of silence.
"But there's one thing you haven't considered," Lucius continued, "as Bellatrix mentioned earlier, the Dark Lord doesn't want to expose himself prematurely, which would unite the entire wizarding world against him. We need to keep ourselves hidden for now, especially since we can use Fudge to strike at Dumbledore. I think you haven't forgotten our previous experience; we're not as strong as we were then, so lying low is necessary."
"By luring Harry Potter into this, we can not only obtain the Orb but also capture him and bring him before the Dark Lord," Lucius explained. "Even if we don't capture Potter, it will still be him breaking into the Ministry to steal the Orb. I'm sure Fudge will be happy to make trouble for him. Compared to other methods, using the Ministry to deal with him is preferable."
Lucius knew that some of his arguments were weak, and there were things he dared not say—like how this whole operation was also the Dark Lord's punishment for his failure with the diary, and that success would mean barely escaping punishment, while failure would result in severe repercussions.
The Dark Lord had him backed into a corner, leaving no room for failure.
Most importantly, the probability of success for this plan was actually quite high; as long as they got the Prophecy Orb and left the Ministry, there shouldn't be any other issues.
Avery looked deeply into Lucius's eyes but remained silent.
Of course, there was something else Lucius wasn't saying—ever since Harry Potter's unexpected escape from the Dark Lord last year, many had begun to suspect the prophecy, believing that Potter was indeed the one destined to defeat him.
This was also why the Dark Lord was determined to hear the entirety of the prophecy, convinced that it held the key to defeating Harry Potter.
After the meeting commenced, Lucius Malfoy began to elaborate on the entire plan, accepting inquiries from the others to refine the strategy and devise more contingency measures to prevent any mishaps, just as Avery had warned about the potential pitfalls of a complex plan.
As for convincing the Dark Lord, Lucius never thought he could, nor would he dare to try. Besides, if the Dark Lord had to handle everything himself, what was the point of having followers like them?
(End of Chapter)
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