Chapter 1126: Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 1126: Calm Before the Storm
While Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were busy preparing for Albert's wedding, the Death Eaters were also plotting their next move.
If they wanted to avoid interference from the Ministry of Magic in their planned murder on the 12th, it would be best to create some trouble for the Ministry now and keep them occupied with something other than the Muggle-born's wedding.
Many of the Death Eaters had realized that the Dark Lord intended to kill the Muggle-born, Albert Anderson, and it was clear just how much He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named feared this particular individual.
Prophecy Master?
Super genius?
Duelling Champion?
No, these were not the key points.
The focus was on the fact that this Muggle-born had only been in the magical world for seven years.
In just seven short years, he had achieved accomplishments that left the entire wizarding world stunned. Who knew what he would become in another ten, five, or even two years? Just two years could see him grow to unimaginable heights.
Perhaps he would become another Dumbledore.
But without a doubt, this Muggle-born was more dangerous than Dumbledore.
Forget He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named; even the Death Eaters themselves had realized this, even if they were unwilling to admit it.
So, after Fudge had refused to join him, the Dark Lord had not immediately ordered his Death Eaters to slaughter Muggles but had patiently waited until now to make his move.
By having the Death Eaters lead the giants in an attack on Somerset, they could not only take revenge on the Ministry but also achieve their own goals.
When there were massive Muggle casualties in Somerset, the Ministry would have to deploy a large number of people to help cover up the truth, thus tying up most of their resources.
When Lucius Malfoy led the Death Eaters to attack Albert's wedding, the Ministry's response would be much slower, and by the time they arrived as reinforcements, everything would already be over.
There was no other way. After being taught a harsh lesson by Harry Potter's traps, everyone was now extremely cautious, especially when it came to Albert Anderson, who was even more difficult to deal with. To kill him thoroughly, they needed to be fully prepared.
It was said that Lucius Malfoy had already made up his mind to step into a trap if necessary.
Macnair was very clear about his task. Causing destruction in Somerset and creating trouble for the Ministry was not a difficult task. The most challenging part, however, was dealing with the giants.
After receiving the Dark Lord's order, Macnair led a group of Death Eaters deep into the Cotswolds Mountains to meet with Gogo, the leader of the giants.
Before coming to Britain, the two parties had made an agreement, but Macnair doubted if the giants' feeble minds could still remember it. Moreover, convincing those brainless big guys was no easy task.
"I bring the promises of the Dark Lord."
Macnair strode through the stinking giant camp and stood before Gogo, declaring loudly, "We plan to attack Somerset and teach the Ministry of Magic a lesson they'll never forget. You are allowed to join this action and wreak havoc in the Muggle world as you please."
The noisy giant camp suddenly fell silent.
"The Dark Lord permits you to join the upcoming revelry," Macnair repeated.
The next second, the giants let out excited roars that reverberated throughout the camp. They had been waiting far too long.
Macnair waited for the giants' howls to die down before turning to Gogo and saying, "But now, there is an issue."
"Silence!" Gogo bellowed at the giants, then turned his gaze to Macnair. "Speak, I'm listening."
"We will not directly confront the Ministry of Magic for the time being," Macnair said to Gogo, even though he found it quite comical to be discussing casualties with giants. "I believe you wouldn't want to see too many casualties among your tribesmen either!"
After all, giants often engaged in fights that resulted in the deaths of their own kind.
"I hope you will obey my orders, especially when I ask you to retreat," Macnair continued. "I want you to be able to withdraw in a timely manner to avoid unnecessary conflict with the wizards of the Ministry. Once they discover your location, they will deploy a large number of wizards to surround and suppress you. Now is not the time for an all-out war with the Ministry." Despite his low expectations, Macnair clearly understood his job. If the giants were all wiped out, his standing with the Dark Lord would plummet.
"No problem!" Gogo agreed. "When you want to retreat, I, Gogo, am willing to obey your command. We can leave at any time."
"We will depart once your tribe is ready," Macnair said, greatly relieved that the situation wasn't too bad.
"Did you hear that?" Gogo roared at the giants. "Get ready to leave!"
That night, Macnair led the giants, Dark Wizards, and Dementors in an attack on a small town near the Cotswolds Mountains in Somerset.
The sleepy town's residents were jolted awake by terrifying roars. They soon discovered that horrible humanoid monsters had invaded their homes, uprooting trees to use as weapons and wreaking havoc.
Screams and cries of terror filled the town as people frantically called the police.
However, when the police cars rushed to the scene, they were smashed to scrap metal.
The Death Eaters and Dark Wizards laughed wildly as they threw Exploding Curses at the surrounding houses and slaughtered any Muggles they could find.
The Dementors, floating in the night sky, were equally excited. They indulged themselves in the revelry, sucking the souls of the dying Muggles in the small town.
After the giants swept through like a hurricane, the town was left in ruins, with only the anguished wails of the Muggles remaining.
"It's time to leave. We can't stay here for too long."
Macnair closed his pocket watch and instructed the Death Eaters nearby to notify the other Dark Wizards to retreat. He himself went to find Gogo and inform the giants that it was time to move on to the next town.
They had to spread chaos as quickly as possible and withdraw to the Cotswolds Mountains before the Ministry of Magic realized what was happening.
At that moment, Gogo, who had just been swinging the curved signpost and smashing a car, was displeased with Macnair's command. But in the end, he chose to obey, roaring at the overexcited giants.
Then, they began to run towards their next target, like a terrible gust of wind ravaging the villages and towns around the Cotswolds Mountains, leaving countless Muggle deaths in their wake.
This dire news shocked the entire British wizarding world.
The atrocities committed by the Death Eaters in Somerset were truly infuriating. However, the most ridiculous part was not that they had slaughtered a large number of Muggles but that their crimes had almost exposed the wizarding world to the Muggles, causing significant trouble for the Ministry of Magic.
To hide the atrocities committed by the Death Eaters, a large number of Obliviators were dispatched to Somerset. They had to work overtime to modify the memories of all the Muggles who had witnessed the events.
Many staff members from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures were also sent to Somerset to try and find the culprits behind this disaster. However, they never found the giants, whether because they deliberately avoided finding them or simply couldn't.
The terrible catastrophe in Somerset was eventually disguised as a hurricane, and the Ministry was left powerless to take revenge on the mysterious perpetrators.
This incident thoroughly stirred up the deep-seated panic within people.
Angry wizards once again called for Fudge to step down and demanded Scrimgeour to take over as the new Minister.
Fudge was under immense pressure and looked haggard. He approached Scrimgeour once more to discuss the matter of succession.
"Now is not the time."
Scrimgeour directly refused Fudge's proposal.
"No, now is the perfect time." Fudge was anxious to relinquish his position, fearing that something else might happen that would require him to take the fall.
As for clinging to the position of Minister of Magic, Fudge didn't dare to even think about it, lest he be sent to stand trial by an angry mob someday.
"Gavin Robbins needs time to get a grip on the Auror Office," Scrimgeour said, looking at Fudge's anxious face and explaining expressionlessly, "The Aurors are our last line of defense. If we lose this force, we're truly done for."
"But..."
"The situation in Somerset needs to be addressed as well," Scrimgeour added.
"A large number of staff from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures have already been dispatched to Somerset," Fudge frowned and said, "They're searching everywhere but still haven't been able to find any trace of the giants."
"How do you know no one is lying or shirking their duties?" Scrimgeour reminded him, "The Death Eaters might have infiltrated the Ministry with their own people. If they lie to us, of course, we won't be able to find the giants."
"But...I..." Fudge was left speechless. If it were before, he would have argued, but now it was indeed possible.
"I will lead the Aurors there," Scrimgeour said calmly. "It won't be easy for those guys to stay hidden. If possible, it would be best to wipe out the giants now while we have the chance."
Fudge shuddered involuntarily. He noticed that Scrimgeour's killing intent was growing stronger, especially after the recent announcement of the laws targeting Dark Wizards.
"When dealing with Dark Wizards, Aurors are authorized to prioritize their own safety. They are allowed to use Dark Magic and are permitted to kill non-surrendering resisters on sight."
"Everyone wants you to become the Minister, and I think we can't delay this matter any longer." Fudge took a deep breath and suggested, "After you agree to let me step down, I can remain as an advisor. I believe it's best for me to leave this position as soon as possible."
"Alright, but we should still hold a voting election, even if we simplify the process. We can't skip this step."
Scrimgeour agreed and planned to have Fudge help him organize a voting election, with the agreement that he would take over as Minister on the 13th.
Why hold a voting election? It was to show that he, Scrimgeour, was democratically elected by the people. And the 13th was chosen to help divert Voldemort and the Death Eaters' attention to Albert's wedding.
This was the agreement between them.
Scrimgeour did know about Albert's wedding date, but he didn't know the exact location.
Led by Scrimgeour, squads of Aurors patrolled the skies above Somerset on broomsticks, attempting to locate the giants with the detection devices they had purchased from Fred and George.
However, the Aurors failed to find any trace of the giants. It was as if those hulking creatures had vanished into thin air. Perhaps the Death Eaters had used some means to relocate them, which left everyone disappointed. They had hoped to kill a few giants to salvage their reputation, but all they managed to do was clean up some Inferi.
"This search operation is over."
In a temporary outpost in eastern Somerset, Scrimgeour gathered all the Aurors. "We have a more important mission ahead of us."
Amidst the Aurors' puzzled gazes, Scrimgeour continued, "I've recently received intelligence that the Death Eaters are planning a major operation."
As he spoke, Scrimgeour scanned the crowd. "And we will..."
"Stop them?" an Auror asked tentatively.
"Stop them? No, no, this is an opportunity for us." Scrimgeour sneered. "Those damned rats always like to hide, and fortunately, we now have a chance to get rid of this big problem once and for all."
"Are we going to capture the Death Eaters?"
"To be precise, we'll be ambushing them."
Scrimgeour gave a nod to Gawain, who immediately stepped forward, opening a wooden box in his hands. Inside were vials of potion bubbling with mud-like froth—a Polyjuice Potion, as the Aurors recognized it.
"I've discussed this with Albert Anderson, and he's agreed to let us use his wedding venue. Our task now is to disguise ourselves as guests, attend the wedding, wait for the Death Eaters to cause trouble, and then..." Scrimgeour picked up a vial of Polyjuice Potion and flashed a cruel smile at the crowd, "...I think you all know what to do."
Everyone stared at Scrimgeour in shock, wondering where he had gotten this information. But if this was true, the Death Eaters were in for a world of hurt.
"Don't worry about your safety. I've prepared something for you."
Scrimgeour opened another box, revealing golden pills that resembled fish liver oil.
"I think you all know what these are."
"Felix Felicis," Tonks murmured.
She and Kingsley exchanged glances, both guessing the reason behind this.
The Death Eaters had targeted the Anderson wedding, and in response, Albert had invited the entire Ministry of Magic's Auror force to attend as guests, planning to give the disruptive Death Eaters an unexpected surprise.
"Use these during the battle, and they will bring you half an hour of good luck. This is all the Felix Felicis I could procure." Scrimgeour closed the box and said calmly, "The Luck Potion will maximize your chances of survival, and as for the Death Eaters, don't worry, Dumbledore will help us."
"After this, the Death Eaters will become fugitives, and we will hunt them down relentlessly. Show no mercy. I authorize you to use Dark Magic and even Unforgivable Curses to kill them on the spot, especially those Death Eaters who escaped from Azkaban. If they refuse to surrender, kill them immediately." Scrimgeour clenched his fist and continued, "Every Death Eater you kill may save the lives of one or more wizarding families in the future."
"Think about this terrible catastrophe. We will not compromise with them, for that will only embolden them. Unless you want to live in a nightmare like the last Wizarding War, no, this time it will be even more brutal. The actions of the Death Eaters and the mysterious figure indicate that they aim to control the Ministry of Magic, and the death of Amelia Bones is proof of that. If I were to die or perish in the line of duty someday, it would mean the fall of the Ministry and the rise of the mysterious figure's control. I'm sure none of you want to live in that kind of despair. So, kill as many Death Eaters as you can. Only by striking fear into them will we have a better future."
Everyone swallowed nervously, overwhelmed by Scrimgeour's determination and resolve.
(End of Chapter)
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