Chapter 1130: That's Right, It's Blackmail
Chapter 1130: That's Right, It's Blackmail
"It seems the situation over there isn't going too well."
After confirming multiple times that Voldemort had left, Dumbledore turned to Albert, unfazed by the latter's previous reckless casting of the Avada Kedavra curse.
"Not good at all," Albert admitted. "The Death Eaters' reinforcements arrived first, and their numbers are greater than expected. The Ministry's backup hasn't shown up yet, and Scrimgeour's team might not hold out for much longer." He saw no point in hiding the truth, nor was he surprised that Dumbledore had guessed his reason for being here.
There was no need for pretense among intelligent people; it would only breed annoyance.
After a final glance at the devastated battlefield, Dumbledore summoned his phoenix, Fawkes, and asked it to take the three of them to the manor.
When they arrived, the wedding venue was in ruins.
Even with the use of Felix Felicis, the Aurors had suffered casualties in the fierce battle.
After all, the potion could only bring out their potential and enhance their abilities; it didn't make them invincible.
Fortunately, they were experienced and highly skilled Aurors; otherwise, the casualties would have been much higher. If it had been a group of regular Hogwarts students, they might have been wiped out before Albert returned.
At that moment, Scrimgeour was preparing to lead a retreat into the manor to hold out until Albert's reinforcements arrived, as per the plan Albert had devised for them.
This was the escape route Albert had left them, and he had promised to help clean up the mess if the situation became unmanageable. This was also one of the reasons Scrimgeour had readily agreed to the plan—Albert had practically thought of everything.
Before the Aurors could fall back into the manor, they noticed fireworks exploding in the sky above, showering sparks like rain over half the battlefield. Those caught in the rain of sparks covered their heads and shook violently as if to ward off the effects.
The Stunning Spell was taking effect, and those with weaker resistance stumbled and collapsed.
The once-boisterous battlefield fell into a hush as people looked up at the fireworks bursting in the sky, realizing something was amiss.
A vortex of gold and red suddenly appeared in the villa, and Albert, Dumbledore, and Fawkes materialized in the hall.
As they walked toward the open door, they saw Aurors fleeing in disarray while fending off attacks from crazed Dark Wizards.
"Dumbledore!"
Someone screamed, though it was unclear who.
"It's a fake! An imposter!" a Death Eater shouted, trying to rally his comrades.
Undeterred, a Death Eater fired a jet of black magic at Dumbledore, only to have it effortlessly caught and redirected back at him by Dumbledore's raised wand.
The person was blasted off their feet and knocked unconscious.
Albert waved his wand, causing a series of explosions that knocked down the enemies pursuing the Aurors, giving the latter some breathing room.
However, the explosions did little to stop the giants, who shrugged off the blasts and continued to swing their weapons menacingly. One Auror was about to be smashed into a pulp when a spell whizzed by overhead, severing the giant's arm and spraying blood everywhere. The Auror rolled on the ground and got back up, startled by the loud thuds of falling bodies. A headless giant lay nearby.
The once-clamorous battlefield fell into an eerie silence as Dark Wizards, werewolves, giants, and Death Eaters alike stared, dumbfounded, at the two figures who had emerged from the hall.
Unconcerned with what others thought, Albert looked up at the sky and waved his wand, summoning his Patronus to drive away the Dementors hovering over the manor.
"It's a fake! Don't be fooled! Surround them and kill them with the Killing Curse!" a Death Eater screamed at the crowd, but no one paid him any heed.
A fake?
No matter how one looked at it, it didn't seem fake.
Dumbledore's presence here essentially meant that the Dark Lord had been repelled, and anyone with a shred of sense would know that now was the time to flee, or they might not get another chance.
It was unclear who started it, but those who had been attacking the manor now wished they had extra legs to run faster toward the outskirts. They cursed the group that had prevented them from Disapparating.
Scrimgeour breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the enemies retreating. "Chase them!" he shouted to the Aurors. "Don't let those bastards get away! Take as many prisoners as you can."
After giving the order, Scrimgeour turned to Albert and Dumbledore. "Please help us. It would be best if we could capture them all. The wizarding world would then enjoy a long period of peace."
"How about we cover this area with Stunning Spells?" Albert suggested, knowing that Dumbledore would most likely refrain from killing. "It's a more reliable method given the circumstances."
There was no choice—their enemies were simply too numerous to apprehend.
Knocking them all out might be a good solution! Dumbledore nodded in agreement, much to Scrimgeour's relief. He had been worried that Dumbledore wouldn't lend a hand, letting slip a golden opportunity to cripple the Death Eaters and, by extension, the mysterious man they served. Moreover, capturing more of the mysterious man's followers would strengthen Scrimgeour's position as the next Minister of Magic.
Albert and Dumbledore raised their wands and began firing Stunning Spells into the sky. The red spells burst like fireworks, and the sparks they emitted covered the entire manor, causing the fleeing figures to drop one by one.
"If possible, leave the giants," Scrimgeour said through gritted teeth. "If not for them, the Ministry's casualties wouldn't have been so severe."
Albert paid no attention to Scrimgeour's words and continued casting spells.
Within minutes, those who could resist the Stunning Spells had fled the manor and disappeared, leaving only the unconscious bodies of those who couldn't.
Without a doubt, the battle was over, and the Ministry had emerged victorious.
Albert lowered his wand and, looking at the manor shrouded in red sparks, turned to Scrimgeour. "I have to go now. I still need to prepare for tomorrow's wedding. I trust the Ministry can handle the rest."
"Professor, don't forget about tomorrow's wedding."
Albert winked at Dumbledore, bent down to pick up a piece of debris, transfigured it into a door key, and then vanished.
"What do you plan to do with them?"
Dumbledore looked in the direction Albert had left and turned to Scrimgeour.
"As for the Death Eaters who escaped from Azkaban and committed heinous crimes, I intend to execute them on the spot according to Ministry law to prevent further complications," Scrimgeour replied, his voice as cold as ice. He couldn't help but feel enraged at the loss of several Aurors. "The rest will be tried by the Ministry and sent to Azkaban.
For those suspected of being under the Imperius Curse, we will use Veritaserum. Once we confirm that they were coerced, they will be housed in a special ward at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries to receive treatment."
Dumbledore remained silent, as Albert's proposal to Scrimgeour fell within the acceptable range for Dumbledore.
In truth, Scrimgeour wanted to get rid of this bunch of bastards in front of him for good, instead of merely tossing them into Azkaban.
However, the process of a legal trial was necessary to re-establish the authority of the Ministry of Magic. At least, when Scrimgeour was elected as the Minister of Magic, he could gain greater authority within a short period.
As for the excuse to kill them, Albert had already prepared it for Scrimgeour—the security of Azkaban was no longer guaranteed, and the mysterious man could raid the prison at any time. It would be better to just get rid of these vicious wizards once and for all, instead of letting Voldemort release them again.
As long as the members of the Wizengamot had a shred of rationality, they wouldn't naively think that these scumbags deserved another chance.
The Aurors, who had just endured a grueling battle, also sprang into action. They first needed to confirm the casualties among their colleagues, and some Aurors required immediate treatment for their injuries.
"I'll go to St. Mungo's for you," Dumbledore offered, not entirely agreeing with Scrimgeour's approach but knowing that he couldn't dissuade him. It was better to just leave.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Tonks also followed Dumbledore, as she needed to go to the Ministry to mobilize more people to help deal with the aftermath.
As for the others, they began to clean up the battlefield, casting Stunning Spells on the unconscious captives to ensure they wouldn't wake up anytime soon.
"We have eleven Death Eaters left here," Gawain reported glumly to Scrimgeour. "Five are dead, four are severely injured, and two have minor injuries."
Scrimgeour glanced at the Death Eater whose mask had already been removed and quietly spoke his name, "Augustus Rookwood."
The next second, Scrimgeour suddenly raised his wand and directed the Killing Curse at Augustus Rookwood's corpse.
The deadly green light suddenly illuminated the surrounding area, startling the Aurors.
"Augustus Rookwood is already dead," Kingsley reminded him.
"Who knows? I just want to make sure he won't get up and come after us again," Scrimgeour said nonchalantly. "Now, take off their masks, and let's see who else we have here."
The surrounding Aurors exchanged uncertain glances but didn't dare to disagree with Scrimgeour. One of them bent down and removed the mask from another Death Eater.
"Antonin Dolohov!" someone exclaimed.
"This guy still has some breath left in him. Lucky him, but his luck ends here," Scrimgeour said, gesturing for the Auror to step aside before delivering the Killing Curse to the dying Antonin Dolohov.
Antonin Dolohov was now truly dead.
"Next."
Gawain glanced at Scrimgeour and then bent down to remove the mask from another Death Eater, quietly speaking his name, "Gibbon."
Scrimgeour raised his wand and said, "Another old acquaintance."
"He's already dead," Kingsley confirmed after checking.
"Who knows?" Scrimgeour replied.
"I'll do it."
Gawain raised his wand and cast the Killing Curse on Gibbon's corpse.
"Traverse!" Kingsley exclaimed as he removed the mask from another Death Eater. "This bastard killed the McKinnon family in the last war!"
"If you want revenge, go ahead. He's going to die anyway," Scrimgeour said, gesturing for Kingsley to take his turn.
Kingsley hesitated for a moment before raising his wand and killing the severely injured Traverse with the Killing Curse.
"Don't show mercy, or the next moment, you might be the ones dying," Scrimgeour admonished the surrounding Aurors. "Don't expect your enemies to show you any mercy."
As he spoke, he also bent down and removed the mask from another Death Eater, quietly calling out his name, "Lucius Malfoy. Well, well, another familiar face."
"Wait, Scrimgeour," Gawain suddenly stopped him from casting the Killing Curse on Lucius Malfoy.
"What is it?" Scrimgeour asked, puzzled.
"Many of our colleagues have been seriously injured or even sacrificed their lives. Their families will need a substantial amount of compensation," Gawain hinted.
The so-called "consolation money" from the Ministry of Magic was insignificant compared to the high salaries of the Aurors, whose dangerous jobs far outweighed the earnings of most other employees in the Ministry.
Scrimgeour fell silent, as nine of the Death Eaters had fallen, with seven already dead and the other two unconscious from severe injuries. Several other Aurors had also sustained injuries.
"If the Malfoy family is willing to pay a hefty fine, we might as well sentence him to life imprisonment in Azkaban instead of killing him directly," Gawain suggested.
This was a solution they had discussed repeatedly. The Auror Office didn't have much funding, and if they wanted the Aurors to risk their lives, they needed to offer some financial incentives.
Anyone with a brain would know that being sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban was far better than being directly killed by the Aurors.
After all, there was still a chance to get out of prison, and Voldemort had already broken into Azkaban before.
If they were killed, there would be no chance at all.
"Alright, if he's willing, I don't mind," Scrimgeour agreed after a moment's hesitation. "But before that, we need to interrogate these scumbags using Veritaserum. Those who have committed heinous crimes must die."
Their conversation didn't exclude the surrounding Aurors, as they wanted to gauge their reactions as well.
Undoubtedly, the proposal received everyone's approval.
This was a form of blackmail.
Even if they captured Death Eaters in the past, they wouldn't directly kill them.
The decision to kill Death Eaters was actually Scrimgeour's order, and Gawain was just trying to get some benefits for the Aurors. The families of the fallen Aurors would receive compensation, those hospitalized with severe injuries would get subsidies, and their families would at least be able to live comfortably from then on.
Of course, there was another reason as well.
Scrimgeour intended to bribe the employees of the Ministry of Magic by providing them with Dark Magic defense items. This would require a significant amount of Galleons, and while the Ministry could contribute a portion, most of it would have to come from somewhere else. The captured Death Eaters, being incredibly wealthy, served as convenient money bags. By allowing them to spend money to save their lives, it was a special treatment that no one else would get.
Additionally, this would solidify Gawain's position as the Director of the Auror Office, as a leader who cared for his subordinates would always be well-regarded.
"Take off their masks, and let's see which lucky ones will get away with their lives," Scrimgeour said.
Fish... how innocent they were.
(End of Chapter)
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