https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1096-The-Despicable-Order-of-the-Phoenix/12527894/
Chapter 1095: Blowing Up Voldemort's Hideout
Chapter 1095: Blowing Up Voldemort's Hideout
"Go find Robards and tell him I have a task for him." Scrimgeour said to his personal assistant.
"Yes, Director," the assistant quickly left.
"Gawain, gather all the Aurors. We have a secret mission tonight," Scrimgeour said bluntly.
"Rufus, where are we going?" Gawain Robards asked in confusion.
"We're raiding a suspected Death Eater hideout," Scrimgeour glanced at the parchment on the desk, now burnt to ashes.
"A Death Eater hideout?"
Gawain Robards' eyes widened, and he couldn't believe that Scrimgeour was planning to lead them against the Death Eaters.
Yes, it made sense for all the Aurors to be mobilized for something important.
Noticing the ashes on the table, Gawain hesitated and asked, "Are you sure? I mean..."
"I just received a tip-off about a possible Death Eater hideout. Regardless, we need to investigate and find out what's going on," Scrimgeour said calmly to his deputy, "Have everyone bring their brooms and be extra vigilant. I don't want a repeat of the last fiasco. When dealing with Dark Wizards, they won't be merciful and simply hang you up to starve for a few days."
Gawain hung his head in shame and immediately turned to gather the other Aurors.
"Is everyone here?" Scrimgeour scanned the office, his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he asked.
"A few are still missing," Gawain quickly explained, "I've sent people to notify them..."
"No need to wait," Scrimgeour interrupted, "Start checking your gear now. We leave in five minutes."
Scrimgeour's sudden decision caught all the Aurors off guard, but they obeyed. After inspecting their equipment, they followed Scrimgeour out of the Ministry of Magic and hurried towards the alleged Death Eater hideout.
"Is it nearby?"
The Aurors apparated to a deserted Muggle village in the north of Scotland, immediately raising their wands to scan their surroundings, alert for any ambush by Dark Wizards.
"The target is further north, quite a distance from here. We'll have to fly there on brooms," Scrimgeour explained, though he hadn't been there himself, the letter had provided specific directions.
"But why can't we just apparate directly..."
Scrimgeour mounted his broom, his expression stern, "How could the Death Eaters not have alarms or anti-apparation spells around their hideout? Even if we could apparate directly, are you sure it's not a trap? Are you sure we won't be ambushed? Dark Wizards show no mercy."
Scrimgeour was disappointed in his Aurors. Perhaps it was the long period of peace, but they lacked experience in dealing with Dark Wizards.
Usually, they only dealt with lesser criminals, and the chaos at the last Quidditch World Cup was a testament to that.
Scrimgeour flew at the front of the group on his broom, unsure if the so-called hideout was real or someone's prank.
But since the last Death Eater prison break had been genuine, why not give this a try?
What if it was real?
Despite his dislike for being manipulated, Scrimgeour knew this wasn't the time for rash decisions.
Capturing Death Eaters and restoring the Aurors' reputation was the top priority.
Scrimgeour was well aware that if he wanted to replace Fudge as the Minister of Magic, he needed to show results.
Under the cover of Disillusionment Charms, countless brooms swept through the night sky towards Voldemort's hideout.
Yes, it was Voldemort's lair.
Since the Death Eaters had invaded the Ministry of Magic, the Aurors should raid Voldemort's nest.
And there was no doubt that Voldemort's lair was the Death Eaters' secret hideout.
Albert would never admit that he wanted those unfortunate Aurors to take the fall for him.
Of course, there was another reason—ensuring that Voldemort was fully exposed was crucial to preventing the plot from derailing due to Fudge's incompetence.
Having Voldemort hidden away while dealing with such a hindrance was a recipe for disaster.
Thus, eliminating these two unfavorable factors was essential, and Scrimgeour and the Aurors were playing that part.
As for danger, the Aurors couldn't avoid it.
"It should be up ahead."
Scrimgeour landed his broom and took out the parchment from his pocket, studying the arrow mark on it before looking towards the area ahead, falling silent for a moment.
Before them lay nothing but a stretch of wilderness.
"Have I been deceived?"
No, that was impossible.
Scrimgeour quickly dismissed that thought and concluded that it was more likely that there was a strong protective enchantment ahead, similar to Hogwarts, which was completely hidden, making it impossible to locate or see the hideout.
"Everyone, be on high alert. Our target is approximately four thousand feet ahead," Scrimgeour interrupted the Aurors' whispers, "Land now and proceed on foot. Leave the brooms here."
"You stay here and guard them," he instructed his personal assistant.
The assistant's lips quivered, but he nodded and replied, "Yes," feeling relieved that he wasn't an Auror.
The Aurors were perplexed by their director's orders, wondering where he had gotten such detailed information, but for now, they had no choice but to trust him.
They walked for several thousand feet until they were close to their target.
Staring at the wilderness before them, Scrimgeour's lips twitched as he gave an order that shocked all the Aurors.
"Use magic to bombard the area four hundred feet ahead and blow the Death Eaters' hideout out of hiding."
Noticing their confused glances, Scrimgeour casually explained, "We don't have time to wait for the Unspeakables to arrive. If we do, those Death Eaters will likely escape by the time the enchantments are lifted."
As he spoke, Scrimgeour raised his wand and fired an explosion curse towards the area ahead.
Most protective enchantments could be forcibly broken through violent means.
Although it sounded absurd, with Scrimgeour taking the lead, the Aurors followed suit, raining spells towards the area in a massive bombardment.
At that moment, Voldemort became aware that someone was approaching his hideout.
In fact, he would receive an alert whenever anyone other than a Death Eater came within a few hundred feet of the area.
Voldemort frowned, his alertness rising as this was unusual. It was rare for other wizards or Muggles to appear in this remote location.
However, before Voldemort could react, he felt the ground beneath him shake violently.
Under attack?
Voldemort was taken aback. In his life, he had never imagined that Aurors could find this place. Even during the previous Wizarding War, no one had discovered his hideout.
These people intended to break through the outer protective enchantments by force.
Voldemort wanted to flee, but many of his research results were stored here. If he abandoned them and escaped...
A silent rage rose within Voldemort, as only the Death Eaters knew the exact location of this place.
If he ever found out who betrayed him, he would make them regret ever being born into this world!
Before Voldemort could think any further, another round of more intense explosions rang out, and the ground trembled once more. In the room, the single candle flickered in the tremors, casting a pair of scarlet eyes into the darkness.
Undoubtedly, Voldemort was furious, murderous even.
After enduring two rounds of bombardment, the Aurors realized they had indeed found the right place.
Through the explosions, a vague shadow appeared in the distance, evidently a result of the blasts. The original protective enchantments were faltering, and the hidden lair was being exposed.
"Looks like we've come to the right place. Surround the area and don't let anyone escape." Scrimgeour waved his hand, signaling the Aurors to follow his lead.
Although the Aurors were thrilled, they remained vigilant.
After all, the incident that had occurred earlier had left them feeling depressed for quite some time. Now, they finally had the chance to catch the Death Eaters off guard. Even if they didn't encounter Death Eaters, it could be some other dark wizard. With all the Aurors present, there was no way the enemy could escape.
However, they had no idea how serious the situation truly was. They had just blown up Voldemort's lair, not a Death Eater hideout.
After tearing through the outer protective enchantments with brute force, the Aurors beheld a collapsed, burning old house.
They didn't see any dark wizard, perhaps the unlucky Death Eater was buried under the rubble.
"Rufus, it looks like... there's no one here."
Gawain Robards warily scanned the surroundings but spotted no suspicious figures.
"Maybe they escaped during the explosion."
"Stay alert and don't lower your guard. I doubt those evil fellows will perish so easily, and it's impossible for them to slip away right under our noses. There's no way to Disapparate here." Scrimgeour, of course, had thought of this possibility, but he didn't believe there was nothing here. He had also immediately checked to ensure that Disapparition was impossible in this area.
"Proceed according to the original squad plan. If you see anything suspicious, attack immediately and show no mercy."
There was definitely something here, and it was dangerous; otherwise, they wouldn't have been instructed to bring all the Aurors.
What could it be?
A large group of Death Eaters?
If so, that would be perfect—they could wipe them all out in one go.
"Dex, take your squad to clear the rubble here. The rest of you, maintain your vigilance. There must be other hidden areas. I suspect there's an underground chamber, find it!" Scrimgeour ordered loudly.
"Yes, sir."
Although Dex was a bit frustrated, he continued to carry out his task.
Scrimgeour's orders were efficiently executed. After all, a house hidden by magic was highly suspicious and seemed like the lair of a dark wizard.
Just as Dex was about to start clearing the rubble, it suddenly exploded, and a dark figure emerged from the debris, glaring at the unwelcome guests with a pair of scarlet eyes.
However, before Voldemort could speak, the impolite Aurors took the initiative and launched their attack first, sending a barrage of dangerous dark magic his way.
"You shall all die!"
Voldemort waved his wand, summoning the debris from the ground to form a shield in front of him, blocking the Aurors' initial onslaught.
This wasn't a Stunning Spell; the Aurors were pulling out all the stops, bombarding Voldemort with their most powerful spells.
"This guy is..."
Scrimgeour's eyes widened as he realized whose lair they had stumbled upon, but he had no time for hesitation. He immediately gave the Aurors their orders. "Take turns suppressing him with your magic, don't hold back, kill him!"
This was a lesson Scrimgeour had learned from Albert. By taking turns attacking, they could maintain a constant barrage without giving the enemy a chance to retaliate. With their numerical advantage and no restraint, even the most powerful wizard would be forced to retreat.
However, the wizard they were facing was the most malevolent dark wizard in the magical world—Voldemort.
Voldemort was caught off guard by the Aurors' assault, but he managed to hold his ground.
He waved his wand, and a jet of black flame erupted, forming a hideous monster that charged towards the Aurors.
The appearance of the Fiendfyre startled the Aurors, but they quickly dispatched a squad to dissipate the fiery creature.
The other wizards continued their relentless attack on Voldemort.
If they could kill him, then...
However, the Aurors weren't the only ones capable of killing; Voldemort was an expert in that regard.
Amidst the eerie green light, an unfortunate colleague fell.
He had been killed.
Many Aurors were filled with fear as they realized they were facing Voldemort.
"You're still alive," Scrimgeour said through gritted teeth.
"Of course, I won't die so easily," Voldemort replied.
He waved his wand, and the debris from the building turned into sharp projectiles, flying towards the Aurors.
As the Aurors erected barriers to block the incoming attack, Voldemort turned his wand towards Scrimgeour.
A jet of green light shot towards Scrimgeour, and just as it was about to take his life, a large chunk of rubble formed a shield, blocking the deadly spell.
"Who's there?"
Voldemort's eyes narrowed as he peered towards the side, trying to make out the figure hidden under the Disillusionment Charm.
"Dumbledore is on his way."
Albert casually waved his wand, causing the debris that had been attacking the Aurors to stop in mid-air and coalesce into a stone ball that hurtled towards Voldemort.
"You..."
Voldemort destroyed the stone ball, but he seemed to sense a threat. He summoned a silver shield to block the incoming spell.
A chilling, eerie sound, like a gong, reverberated through the wilderness.
Voldemort peeked out from behind his shield, and the shattered remnants of the stone ball once again enveloped Albert, followed by a Killing Curse.
Voldemort's attempt was futile, as the Killing Curse only destroyed the stone shield in front of Albert without harming him at all. As for the aftermath of the explosion and the debris, Albert waved his wand, sending them rolling back towards Voldemort.
The intense clash left the Aurors stunned.
"Help me!"
Scrimgeour shouted.
However, Voldemort had no intention of continuing the stalemate, especially after sensing that the hidden figure was also a formidable opponent. He decided to leave.
He abruptly spread his arms wide, and the rubble and dust that had been about to trap him suddenly exploded outward in all directions, injuring most of the Aurors.
"I will remember you."
With that, Voldemort disappeared.
"He escaped so quickly!"
Albert glanced at the ruined house and, without another word, disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind a group of injured, unfortunate souls.
(End of Chapter)
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