Chapter 1118 - Unforeseen Peril
Chapter 1118 - Unforeseen Peril
"How's the situation?"
Emmeline Vance stealthily entered a house near Amelia Bones's residence, temporarily requisitioned by the Order members due to its long-term vacancy by the owner.
"The spy mirror twitched twice. I initially suspected that Death Eaters were scouting the area, but when I went out to check, I found nothing." Tonks glanced at the large spy mirror on the table and yawned, rubbing her eyes. "I feel like these mirrors aren't very reliable. Maybe we should get our hands on a Dark Detector."
"Or perhaps there's an issue with the Aurors the Ministry sent to protect Ms. Bones," Tonks added, peering out the window at the surrounding area. "But that's unlikely. The Aurors assigned to protect Ms. Bones are among the best the Ministry has to offer."
"I'll suggest to Moody that we get a Dark Detector." Emmeline smiled as she handed Tonks a bag of late-night snacks. "You've done a great job. Go get some rest, and I'll take over the watch."
"Alright, I'll head back then."
Tonks took the snacks and, after completing the handover with Emmeline, disapparated.
The secret protection of Amelia Bones was still ongoing, all stemming from a warning by the "Prophecy Master" Anderson.
Amelia Bones will be murdered.
High credibility.
Emmeline Vance wasn't convinced by Anderson's prophecy, but she was well aware of the grudge the Death Eaters held against the Bones family.
The Death Eaters would never allow Amelia Bones to become the Minister of Magic and stand in their way.
Should Amelia Bones become the Minister, she would undoubtedly use the Ministry's power to avenge her deceased loved ones and deal a heavy blow to the Death Eaters.
This was also the reason the Order members were willing to protect Amelia Bones—they needed the Ministry's support in their fight against Voldemort.
Despite nothing untoward happening so far, it didn't mean that danger wasn't looming. Sirius Black had warned Amelia Bones more than once that she was underestimating her opponents, and it would eventually lead to her downfall.
Underestimating their enemies?
They had never once looked down on their foes.
Emmeline Vance cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself and began patrolling the area around Amelia Bones's residence, ensuring its safety. If she detected any signs of danger, she would immediately notify the Order and even cover Amelia Bones's escape if necessary.
After all, she could create distractions for any attackers, disrupting the Death Eaters' plans and buying time for the Aurors nearby.
This was a strategy they had devised together, knowing that facing the Death Eaters alone was unwise.
As Emmeline was patrolling, using the shadows of the street for cover, the spy mirror in her robe pocket reacted. She frowned as she pulled out the mirror.
This wasn't the first time Emmeline had encountered such a situation.
Although it was most likely a false alarm, they always responded with caution to prevent any mishaps.
Emmeline tucked the spy mirror into a prepared sock and raised her wand, alert to her surroundings and any potential enemies.
As long as she was careful, there shouldn't be any problems, as the Disillusionment Charm hid her from view, making it difficult for ordinary wizards to detect her.
Just as Emmeline was finishing her patrol and about to return to the temporary base, she suddenly heard noises coming from ahead. Several figures emerged from the shadows of the base.
"Is it done?"
"We've taken care of the Aurors in the area," another Death Eater wearing a mask whispered.
"What about the Order members?"
"None inside."
"We must find them. Before the Dark Lord arrives, we must ensure the area is clear. No accidents are to be tolerated," the Death Eater said in a low, menacing voice.
"Death Eaters!"
Emmeline placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. She had to get this information back to the Order immediately.
No, she had to warn both Dumbledore and Amelia Bones. Otherwise, Amelia was as good as dead.
Just as Emmeline was about to retreat quietly, she suddenly felt as if someone was standing behind her. She turned and saw a person pointing a wand at her, their expressionless face bearing cruel, crimson eyes.
"Where do you think you're going?" the figure asked coldly.
In Emmeline Vance's final moments, she saw a foreboding green light.
Emmeline's body fell to the ground with a thud.
The Death Eaters were drawn to the green light that had just flashed, their wands raised in a defensive stance.
As the Death Eaters prepared to advance, Voldemort stepped out from the shadows.
"My Lord."
The Death Eaters bowed their heads.
"I am disappointed," Voldemort said, his voice cold as he surveyed his servants. "You almost let the person the Order sent to protect Amelia Bones escape. Fortunately, I arrived in time, or today's assassination attempt would have failed once again."
The Death Eaters hung their heads in shame.
Voldemort paid them no heed and instead strode toward the house where Amelia Bones resided.
With the Ministry Aurors and the Order's guards taken care of, he could easily deal with Amelia Bones.
The information provided by Severus had spared them a great deal of trouble.
Had the Aurors or the Order interfered, Amelia Bones might have slipped through their fingers once more.
...
At that moment, in the bedroom of the house, Amelia Bones, who had just fallen asleep, was startled awake by the warning sound coming from the spy mirror on her bedside cabinet.
Ever since Sirius Black had warned her that she was being targeted by the Death Eaters, Amelia had remained vigilant.
She had placed a large spy mirror in her bedroom and kept her wand close at hand.
Even with Scrimgeour sending Aurors to strengthen her protection, Amelia Bones did not relax her guard, especially since Fudge's early departure from office had increased the calls for her to take up the position of Minister of Magic. Those with ill intentions would not allow her to become the new Minister.
At the very least, the Death Eaters and their mysterious master would not permit it, and they would make their move before she could assume office.
Amelia Bones, startled awake by the spy mirror, immediately grabbed her wand from the bedside cabinet. She quickly muttered a Disillusionment Charm, hiding herself to ensure her safety.
Of course, it could still be a false alarm. The spy mirrors weren't as reliable as they were supposed to be, and there had been several false alarms recently.
Amelia Bones hoped that this was yet another one.
However, it quickly became evident that it was not.
Amelia could hear footsteps outside, and the intent was clear—they were up to no good, most likely Death Eaters.
Amelia Bones was not foolish enough to engage her attackers directly, especially since she had been forewarned about the potential threat to her life. The first thought that came to the mind of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was to use Disillusionment and leave the area.
It was unusual that her attackers had arrived, yet the Aurors responsible for her protection had not reacted at all, and it seemed that members of the Order of the Phoenix were also secretly guarding her.
However, it was too late to attempt an escape now, as she realized her Disillusionment Charm had failed, and the Death Eaters had been drawn by the sound of the spy mirror.
Amelia regretted leaving the mirror in the room, as it essentially announced her presence.
She slowly moved towards the corner, pretending to make her escape.
"She's gone. Amelia Bones fled after receiving prior warning."
There was a tremor in Yaxley's voice as he feared that the Dark Lord would unleash his anger upon him.
"She hasn't escaped!"
Voldemort entered the room, glancing at the spinning, glowing, and shrieking spy mirror before turning his gaze towards a particular corner, "I am right, aren't I, Amelia Bones?"
Before Amelia could react, she was struck by Voldemort's spell, forcibly dispelling the Disillusionment Charm she had cast.
"Voldemort!" Amelia grit her teeth, sending a beam of light towards Voldemort, only to have it easily deflected.
If it had only been a group of Death Eaters, they might have been deceived into thinking that Amelia had fled using Disillusionment, but Voldemort could effortlessly see through her charm and accurately locate her hiding place.
Amelia had underestimated Voldemort's determination to kill her.
"The Bones family is an ancient one, despite their decision to oppose us." Voldemort raised his arm to stop the Death Eaters from casting spells at Amelia Bones, "We should give her a respectable end to show our respect for this ancient name."
"You're a disgusting creature. If you want to kill me, then come on!"
Amelia Bones glared at Voldemort, her face contorted with hatred, knowing that she would not get the chance to avenge her loved ones.
If only she had listened...
There were no ifs! Voldemort raised his wand, and the surrounding Death Eaters stepped back, afraid of being caught in the impending duel.
The battle was about to commence.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The room was filled with an ominous green light, and after a while, it finally dissipated, leaving Amelia Bones' body stiff and motionless on the floor.
She was dead! Killed in a duel with Voldemort.
The Death Eaters were all shaken. They never expected the renowned Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to cast the Killing Curse without hesitation during the duel.
This showed just how much she hated them.
Fortunately, the Dark Lord himself had come; otherwise, even if they had managed to kill Amelia Bones, they might have lost a few of their own in the process.
Yaxley raised his wand and released the Dark Mark into the sky outside the window. He glanced at Amelia Bones' lifeless body and a malicious smile curved his lips. Along with the other Death Eaters, he then disapparated from the scene.
...
Cornelius Scrimgeour had just closed his eyes to rest after a long day's work when he was abruptly roused by a disturbance.
"What's going on?" Scrimgeour asked irritably.
"Another Dark Mark has appeared."
Gardner Robbins' face was grim. Ever since Voldemort's resurrection, the Dark Marks had been appearing one after another in the wizarding world.
"Who was attacked this time?"
Scrimgeour took the cup of strong tea that his wife handed him and took a sip before asking, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Amelia Bones." Gardner Robbins stole a glance at Scrimgeour, as if trying to gauge his reaction.
"What about the Aurors on duty?" Scrimgeour frowned. "I thought we had strengthened the protection for Amelia Bones."
"The Aurors on duty have been knocked out, and we found Emmeline Vance's body nearby." Gardner Robbins hesitated for a moment before continuing, "She seems to have been killed by the Killing Curse."
"Emmeline Vance?" Scrimgeour repeated the name, his eyes narrowing as he realized something. "She's one of Dumbledore's people."
"It seems so."
Scrimgeour fell silent, deep in thought. Someone had murdered Amelia Bones right under the noses of the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix.
"It was that mysterious man!" Scrimgeour said through gritted teeth.
"It's likely that the mysterious man himself took action." Gardner Robbins analyzed, "If it were just the Death Eaters, it would be difficult to kill Amelia Bones right under our noses, but the Aurors were no match for the mysterious man. The only question is why they didn't kill those Aurors on guard."
Scrimgeour had an idea why. The Aurors protecting Amelia Bones were all pure-bloods, and Voldemort preferred to control pure-blood wizards rather than kill them, so they were spared.
Amelia Bones was dead, but Scrimgeour felt no joy in it.
Albert had prophesied Amelia Bones' death, and despite the Ministry and the Order's round-the-clock protection, she had still been killed.
This also meant that Scrimgeour himself was likely to meet his end during his term as Minister of Magic, which was definitely not good news.
What made it worse was that Amelia Bones hadn't even become the Minister of Magic yet and hadn't had the chance to deal with the mess left by Fudge.
Now, the Ministry was in complete disarray, and Scrimgeour had no idea how to handle the situation. Even if he did become the Minister, he didn't see an easy way out of this chaos.
He had to talk to Dumbledore.
"What do we do now?"
"Let the Crisis Management Team handle this matter. Notify Amelia Bones' family, and also inform Minister Fudge and Nymphadora Tonks, as she's a member of the Order. Let them know about Emmeline Vance's death." Scrimgeour covered his face with his hand and continued, "As for the reporters... let Minister Fudge handle them. He's better at dealing with the press."
"I'll go to the scene and check the details. If any of the stunned Aurors wake up, make sure to notify me immediately. We must find out exactly what happened."
"Yes."
Gardner Robbins hesitated before speaking in a lowered voice, "Amelia Bones was the most promising candidate for Minister..."
"I know what you're implying, Gardner, but the position of Minister isn't as appealing as you think. Amelia Bones is dead, and no one is left to clean up Fudge's mess." Scrimgeour signaled for Gardner to drop the topic for now and hurried off to the crime scene.
(End of Chapter)
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