Chapter 1128: When the Aurors Use Dark Magic
Chapter 1128: When the Aurors Use Dark Magic
Undoubtedly, the Mudblood had foreseen this attack and prepared accordingly.
This was within Lucius Malfoy's expectations. After all, being skilled in prophecy, it would be strange if his target was unprepared.
According to Malfoy's original plan, he would offer a hefty bounty to lure the greedy Dark Wizards into helping him kill the Mudblood.
Even if the Mudblood was the so-called Dueling Champion, he wouldn't stand a chance against a group of vicious Dark Wizards.
No matter how powerful an individual is, they are still human. They can't escape despicable ambushes or resist Dark Magic, let alone the Killing Curse.
Whether or not he did it himself was irrelevant. What mattered was that the Mudblood would die at his wedding, and he believed the Dark Lord would be very pleased with this outcome.
The large number of werewolves and giants at the rear were mainly prepared to deal with any possible reinforcements.
Even if the plan was hindered again, it wouldn't end as badly as the last time.
However, the current situation seemed a little different from what Lucius Malfoy had expected.
The guests invited to the wedding were all exceptionally experienced in combat, reminding Malfoy of the members of the Order of the Phoenix he had encountered at the Ministry of Magic.
That Mudblood was indeed associated with the Order of the Phoenix... Wait, something's wrong! Lucius Malfoy was taken aback as he realized that all the guests present were fighting against them, as if they were not guests at all but Aurors lying in wait. There seemed to be more of them than there were members of the Order of the Phoenix.
There had to be at least forty of them to hold off nearly a hundred Dark Wizards.
Forty...
Malfoy's scalp tingled as a possibility occurred to him.
"Could it be... but... their relationship..."
In Malfoy's impression, the Mudblood had a terrible relationship with the Ministry of Magic, let alone the Aurors.
Those Aurors were the ones he had wanted to hang on the wall, so it would be strange if their relationship was good.
But it was indeed Scrimgeour who had led the Aurors to the Dark Lord's lair, and Malfoy felt that the situation was not looking good.
"Kill that Mudblood first!"
Lucius Malfoy shouted to the crowd. He just wanted to kill that Mudblood and then leave this place.
As Malfoy pondered his next move, he caught a glimpse of a flash of green light out of the corner of his eye, and it scared him out of his wits.
After dodging the Killing Curse in a panic, he angrily looked in the direction from which the green light had come, intending to teach that idiot who had cast the Avada Kedavra a lesson he would never forget.
However, Malfoy saw that not far away, a middle-aged man was mercilessly casting the Cruciatus Curse on a Death Eater wearing a mask.
Malfoy recognized who the Death Eater was who was writhing and screaming in pain on the ground.
Alecto! In that instant, Malfoy felt as if the world had become strange and unfamiliar.
Were these people really Aurors? Or were they Dark Wizards that the Mudblood had found?
The absurd thought even crossed his mind that he didn't know who the real Death Eaters were.
In the past, even because of Barty Crouch, the Aurors were indeed radical when dealing with Dark Wizards, and they would use Dark Magic and even kill captured Death Eaters. But they had never been as ruthless as they were now, using Unforgivable Curses from the outset.
He quickly cast a Dark spell at the middle-aged man, trying to save his colleague from the other's wand.
Malfoy had a pretty good relationship with Alecto.
However, the middle-aged wizard displayed agility that didn't match his appearance, dodging the incoming Dark spell with the agility of a monkey.
He simply rolled on the ground and hid behind an overturned round table, not forgetting to poke his wand out and strike Alecto, who had just struggled to get up, back to the ground.
This scene left Malfoy dumbfounded.
Damn it! Malfoy dared not think about what terrible things would happen if the Death Eaters suffered heavy casualties.
Even if he eventually killed the Mudblood, the Dark Lord would not let him off easily.
"Don't get entangled with them. Kill that Mudblood," Malfoy said, using the Sonorus spell to make his voice carry throughout the manor.
However, no one really paid attention to Malfoy's words anymore. Everyone was busy dealing with their opponents and didn't have the spare capacity to care about anything else, unless they wanted to make their lives even harder.
The situation on the field became increasingly dire. The Dark Wizards, who had originally held the advantage in numbers, had lost more than half of their forces, and a large number of them had been killed on the spot by the Aurors.
Especially those Death Eaters wearing distinctive masks and cloaks, they always received special treatment. Whether it was Dark Magic or Unforgivable Curses, they were always the targets.
"It's all that guy's fault. It's all his fault."
At this moment, Malfoy was extremely angry. He beckoned to a few acquaintances and headed towards where the Mudblood was located, wanting to end the battle as soon as possible.
The Mudblood and his wife were fighting against four Dark Wizards, and some of the other Dark Wizards were trying to take advantage of the chaos to launch sneak attacks, but they were always dodged in time.
If they joined in, they would definitely create an opportunity for others to strike.
However, Malfoy and his group were stopped by someone.
Scrimgeour, along with three helpers, encountered Malfoy and his group. With a wave of his hand, he cast the Killing Curse.
After all, the opponent was a Death Eater. When encountering a Death Eater, it was always right to take them out directly.
After a flash of green light, a Death Eater standing behind Lucius Malfoy fell to the ground in front of him.
Malfoy and the few people next to him almost instinctively raised their wands and cast Dark spells at the opponent, but their casting speed couldn't keep up with the Aurors who had taken Felix Felicis, so they were unlucky from the start of the confrontation.
There was another pig-like scream from nearby, and an unnamed Dark Wizard flew into the air, slamming viciously into the ground not far from them. He rolled on the ground, clutching his face, and was then hit by another spell, after which his screams ceased completely.
He was dead.
Lucius Malfoy felt his scalp tingling. Even during the last Wizarding War, he hadn't felt such fear.
This was a real war, and one wrong step could lead to death.
For the wealthy Malfoy, dying here would undoubtedly be a huge loss, and he didn't want to die.
He regretted not letting the werewolves and giants, who had the largest numbers, charge at the front. Perhaps the situation wouldn't have become so dire.
In fact, even if Malfoy had wanted to do that, it wouldn't have been possible, because the werewolves and giants who couldn't use magic simply couldn't keep up with the speed of the Dark Wizards. By the time they arrived, the Mudblood would probably have already escaped.
Just then, Malfoy suddenly sensed a deadly threat. Disregarding his usual composure, he threw himself to the ground and rolled, narrowly dodging a fatal blow.
As Malfoy clumsily scrambled to his feet, he noticed that the red-haired Weasley brat seemed to have taken an interest in him.
"No, they're probably fakes too," he thought to himself.
These two were exceptionally ruthless in their attacks, unlike any newly graduated students he had encountered.
Malfoy had no choice but to focus on defending himself, as they had opened with the Cruciatus Curse.
He managed to evade the first attempt, but a second Cruciatus Curse quickly followed, and this time, he wasn't so lucky.
Although it wasn't as terrifying as the one used by Voldemort, it still left Malfoy temporarily incapacitated, and one of his attackers raised their wand, ready to deliver the Killing Curse.
"Ava–"
At that moment, Lucius Malfoy felt death approaching.
These two were incredibly coordinated, clearly intending to incapacitate him with the Cruciatus Curse before finishing him off with another spell.
Facing imminent death, Malfoy cried out in panic, "I surrender! Don't kill me!"
To his surprise, his surrender had an effect.
The two Aurors froze, clearly not expecting a Death Eater to yield. Under Sterilg's orders, they were supposed to kill as many Death Eaters as possible.
"Drop your wand!" they demanded, ultimately deciding against taking Malfoy's life.
Even though many Aurors held grudges against Death Eaters and harbored intense hatred, they were not ruthless by nature. Using Unforgivable Curses was often a means of self-preservation against dark witches and wizards.
"As Sterilg would put it, your enemies are all vicious dark wizards. Using dark magic or even Unforgivable Curses is sometimes necessary to protect yourself from their threats," Malfoy thought to himself, relieved to have escaped death, even if it meant losing his wand.
Just as the two Aurors were about to stun Malfoy, loud roars and howls filled the air, signaling the arrival of the giants and werewolves rushing to join the fray.
Having nearly lost his life, Malfoy's courage to continue fighting had waned.
Moreover, without his wand, he was powerless. Not wanting to perish there, Malfoy began to run towards the outskirts, hoping to distance himself from the madness.
A surge of intense pain shot through his body, and Malfoy was sent flying by an unseen force, landing heavily on the ground. His consciousness began to fade.
"I can't believe this scum managed to become a Death Eater," Lucius Malfoy thought bitterly, realizing with shock that he had been betrayed by his own.
...
"Where's our backup?" Kingsley shouted over the chaos, grateful for the respite that Albert's assistance had provided.
The overturned tables, made of solid steel, now served as excellent cover for the Aurors. They had Anderson to thank for such thoughtful preparations.
"I took out three," came Tonks' voice, disguised as Isabelle, as she happily shared the news with Kingsley.
With the aid of the Felix Felicis potion, everyone's wandless magic was remarkably fluid, and even the power of their spells seemed enhanced.
"Impressive. But I've taken out two, no, three more than you!" Kingsley boasted as he suddenly poked his wand out from behind the table, sending another unfortunate opponent flying. He was confident they wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.
The Aurors had gained a significant advantage, sending their opponents scrambling and howling in pain. They had already slain numerous dark witches and wizards, and thanks to the Felix Felicis, there were very few seriously injured Aurors, if any at all.
However, when the large number of werewolves and giants joined the battle, the Aurors' advantage quickly evaporated.
The sheer difference in numbers was overwhelming.
Even with their extensive combat experience, the Aurors could not maintain their advantage against such a vast enemy force.
Especially those giants, with their thick hides, were largely unaffected by regular spells. Only the most powerful dark magic could harm them, and even then, it might not be enough to kill one. Some of the weaker wizards among the Aurors found that even the Killing Curse, the Avada Kedavra, did not always ensure the death of a giant.
Despite some werewolves being unable to use magic, they still posed a significant problem for the Aurors. The numerical disadvantage began to take its toll, and casualties started to mount among the Aurors, even with the aid of the Felix Felicis.
Kingsley, unfortunately, was bearing the brunt of this assault.
It was no secret that there was a hefty reward, a ten-thousand-Galleon bounty, for Albert's capture, and the werewolves were relentless in their pursuit of him. Even without transforming, they presented a formidable challenge.
However, there was a small blessing in that the mysterious figure had not yet made an appearance. Had they done so, even the Aurors might have crumbled entirely, rather than being able to mount a counterattack as they were now.
Surveying the chaotic battlefield from a distance, Albert muttered, "The situation is worse than expected."
The Aurors were clearly outnumbered, and while Sterilg had prepared a backup plan, it seemed the reinforcements would not arrive in time.
"What an unreliable fellow," Albert grumbled.
If the battle continued unabated, even if Sterilg ultimately emerged victorious, the Aurors would likely suffer heavy losses, and victory was by no means guaranteed.
Albert had no intention of letting the Aurors be decimated, as it could jeopardize his cooperation with Sterilg.
As long as both parties benefited from their collaboration, the partnership could continue, and Sterilg would remain enthusiastic and cooperative.
However, Albert did not plan to intervene directly. Even he couldn't change the course of events unfolding before him, but Dumbledore could. By joining forces with Dumbledore to drive away Voldemort, the rest would fall into place more easily.
This was his backup plan.
It was just a bit of a shame.
Albert would have preferred to see the Death Eaters suffer heavier losses.
Hence, he had initially chosen to remain an observer.
Should he enter the duel with Voldemort, the Dark Lord would undoubtedly flee, and the other battle would soon end as well.
By having Dumbledore hold off Voldemort, they could buy time for the Ministry to inflict maximum damage on the Death Eaters. This would create an irreconcilable rift between the Aurors and the Death Eaters, making it difficult for either side to compromise, even if Voldemort managed to seize control of the Ministry.
Unfortunately, the rapidly changing situation had forced Albert to resort to his backup plan to save the Ministry's Aurors.
"Don't call me despicable," Albert muttered as he drew his wand, "You're no better yourself."
With that, he disapparated, heading directly to the battlefield where Voldemort and Dumbledore were dueling, intending to bring an early end to the conflict.
(End of Chapter)
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