https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1151-A-Terrifying-Turn-of-Events/12528045/
Chapter 1152: In Action
Chapter 1152: In Action
At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall was oppressively frightening, and several Death Eaters who had recently joined held their breath in tension.
"You don't know who did it either?"
Only after Voldemort asked the question did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Master..."
Voldemort raised his hand to stop Bella from speaking and continued, "It seems that someone is deliberately provoking me. Who do you think set the Fiendfyre?"
How would they know who did it?
It could have been one of Lucius' enemies, and shouldn't the one responsible be questioned directly? Of course, the Death Eaters dared not speak out of turn, anyway, it had nothing to do with them.
Many more were secretly delighted by this turn of events.
"It might have something to do with Scrimgeour. That guy deliberately spread rumors that the Malfoy Manor was burned down because Lucius betrayed the master, so..." Yaxley didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
"Scrimgeour is indeed a nuisance, but it's unlikely that he's behind this." Voldemort didn't think this incident had anything to do with Scrimgeour.
"Master, although this incident has nothing to do with the Order of the Phoenix, I feel that Dumbledore may know something." Snape calmly explained to the Dark Lord the information he possessed: "That night, Dumbledore wanted me to find out as soon as possible whether Lucius' wife and son were still alive. From his reaction to this matter, I suspect he might have guessed something."
"Oh, that is unexpected." Voldemort stared at Snape and asked, "Severus, who do you think it is?"
"This fire was most likely set by Albert Anderson in retaliation." Snape spoke a name that surprised the Death Eaters.
"Are you saying that damn Mudblood did it?" Bella immediately glared at Snape, seeking a more definitive answer.
"As far as I know." Snape glanced at Bella and continued, "The Malfoys are still offering a reward for that guy, and his shop seemed to have been ransacked that night."
"How could he possibly..."
"Back when Lucius interrupted his wedding..." Snape looked at Bella, who was seething with anger, and reminded her, "Given his character, he would definitely seek revenge. So, I believe this incident was most likely his doing. It wouldn't be difficult for him to figure out how to use the Dark Mark."
Once again, the hall echoed with whispers as everyone suddenly realized that the Mudblood named Albert Anderson had quietly become their formidable enemy.
"Master, please leave this matter to me." Bella suddenly raised her hand high, "I have a way to deal with that Mudblood."
"Oh?" Voldemort turned to look at Bella, "Do you have a way to kill that Mudblood?"
"Yes, Master. That Mudblood has a fatal weakness. We can target his weakness..." Bella became more and more excited as she spoke, but she seemed worried that someone would steal her credit, and in the end, she didn't reveal the so-called method.
Snape suddenly understood why Malfoy Manor had been burned down.
"That Mudblood is yours to deal with. Kill him at all costs and don't disappoint me again." Voldemort looked at Bella, who was full of anticipation, and finally agreed to assign the task of killing the Mudblood to her.
"Scrimgeour is more troublesome than I imagined." Voldemort said to Yaxley, "Find a way to get rid of him, or create an opportunity for me to take care of it personally."
"Master, it's unlikely to succeed in a short period of time." Yaxley lowered his head in shame. Seeing that Voldemort was giving him a chance to explain, he quickly said, "Because of the previous attempt on Bones' life, Scrimgeour is taking his safety very seriously. He is currently staying in a safe house protected by the Fidelius Charm, and the Secret-Keeper is said to be Dumbledore."
"Apart from staying at the Ministry of Magic, Scrimgeour is always surrounded by Aurors whenever he goes out."
Everyone could tell that this situation was not due to Yaxley's incompetence but that he was truly powerless in the current situation.
"We can try to control Scrimgeour's assistant and poison his drink?" someone suggested.
"That won't work. Scrimgeour's meals are prepared by a house-elf, so it's impossible to poison him. For now, we can only slowly infiltrate the Ministry of Magic." Yaxley was also very helpless when he learned this news, "I suggest we constantly create trouble for Scrimgeour, keep him busy and overwhelmed, and he will definitely expose his flaws."
"Very well, let everyone take action and think of ways to create trouble for the Ministry of Magic." Voldemort agreed with Yaxley's plan. In fact, he was well aware that it wouldn't be easy to bring down the Ministry of Magic.
...
Early in the morning, Cedric clocked in at the Ministry of Magic and, as usual, went to help out at the Dark Magic Defense Specialty Store in Diagon Alley.
Sometimes he felt that he was not an employee of the Ministry of Magic, but a staff member of the specialty store.
As he walked through the side door into the neighboring store, Cedric was surprised to see a group of people packing up, and he asked in surprise, "Are you planning to... suspend business?"
"Yes, it's going to be the off-season, so even if we open the store, we won't make much money. It's better to focus on owl mail orders." Fred nodded.
"Is it because of what happened last time?" Cedric guessed the reason.
"The benefits of keeping the store open aren't worth the risks, so we're temporarily suspending business."
"What about the Dark Magic Defense merchandise in the specialty store? What will we do if it sells out?" Cedric asked with a frown.
"We'll continue to supply goods to the specialty store," Fred replied, forcing the packed boxes into a suitcase. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and handed the suitcase to Cedric, which contained goods for both the Ministry of Magic and the specialty store.
"Don't worry, from now on, we'll send the products directly to my dad, and he'll take care of passing them to you," George said, patting Cedric's shoulder. "By the way, this is for you, from Albert."
George then handed Cedric a bottle of French champagne.
"Is Albert back?" Cedric asked curiously.
"He sent this as a gift," George shrugged.
"Who knows where that guy is now, probably traveling the world with his wife!" Fred said sourly.
"If you two have some free time, come and help me pack up the stuff on the shelves," Jordan Lee said, putting down a box and couldn't help but complain to the others.
"Are you done outside?" Fred asked with a smile.
"How could that be?"
Lee Jordan rolled his eyes and said to Cedric, "They're waiting for you to take the stuff over for inspection."
"Then I'll take my leave. Please thank Albert for me," Cedric said with a smile and walked away.
"Why did you just..." Shanna asked, puzzled.
"It's for Cedric's safety," Fred shrugged, explaining, "Sometimes, knowing too much might not be a good thing."
"I feel like you're talking about me," Shanna raised her eyebrows slightly, "Are you saying I should move over there too?"
"Yes, I suggest you move there as well. It's safer," a familiar voice suddenly sounded in the room.
"How come you're always popping up out of nowhere?" George said irritably.
"I came to make arrangements for Shanna," Albert said, giving Shanna an apologetic smile, "The situation is a bit unexpected. I didn't think it would involve you as well."
"The Malfoys are offering a bounty on me," Albert didn't intend to hide it, "One thousand galleons is enough to drive a lot of people in the gray area insane. I think they will definitely figure out the connection between me and this shop. If they can't find me, they will probably try to get to me through my friends."
"So, you burned down their house?"
"Don't make baseless accusations, or I'll sue you for defamation!" Albert turned his gaze to Shanna, "If you don't like this job, I have a lot of manuscripts that need someone to help with editing and organizing. Of course, the pay isn't as high, but it's safer."
"No thanks, I actually quite like this job," Shanna shook her head.
"Then that's settled!"
After resolving Shanna's issue, Albert turned his attention back to the Weasley brothers.
"Once you're done here, make time to contact Zachariah," Albert instructed.
"Are you sure you want us to do this? What if we mess up?"
"I trust you," Albert continued, "The Ministry of Magic seems to be planning to set up patrol teams in Hogsmeade, but it might not be safe there, so when you go, make sure your safety is the top priority."
Just then, footsteps were heard outside.
The group drew their wands in alert.
Lee Jordan quickly glanced at the live map and informed them, "It's Mr. Arthur, probably here to see you."
"Where's Albert?"
George realized that in the blink of an eye, Albert had disappeared from their sight.
"Don't know," Fred replied.
He opened the door and greeted the visitor, "What are you doing here?"
"Your mother is very worried after learning about this incident," Arthur looked at his sons, "You really don't intend to..."
"Don't worry about that, we'll temporarily move to a safe house protected by the Fidelius Charm, and from now on, we'll only be doing owl mail orders," Fred reassured him, "It's not convenient to stay at Sirius's place."
"As for the merchandise in the specialty store, we'll have Dobby deliver it to our house, and then you can pass it on to Cedric," George added.
"Alright, if that's the case..." Mr. Weasley said helplessly, knowing that he probably couldn't convince Fred and George, "Just remember to come home once in a while, so your mother won't worry too much."
...
"Albert really knows how to boss people around!"
"Come on, aren't you glad to have some time off?" Jordan Lee felt like kicking this hypocrite.
If it were up to him, he would have liked to go and talk to Zachariah himself, but with only the house-elf and Shanna here, it wouldn't be enough. They needed to sort out the items in the safe house as soon as possible to prepare for the owl mail orders for the students.
"Why did Albert invite Zachariah to join?" Shanna asked, puzzled.
"Someone has to be at the forefront!" George said meaningfully.
After changing into formal attire, Fred and George left the safe house and apparated directly to Hogsmeade.
The light summer rain had just passed, and the sweltering heat of Hogsmeade had quietly dissipated, bringing a refreshing coolness to the air.
Fred and George made their way towards the familiar Zonko's Joke Shop.
At this moment, the owner of Zonko's sat listlessly behind the counter. Ever since the Weasley twins' "Weasley Wizard Wheezes" had opened and taken away all his business, he had realized that his joke shop might not survive.
"Welcome..."
Seeing customers enter the shop, Zonko's eyes lit up momentarily, but his expression quickly turned sour as he recognized the culprits responsible for his shop's impending demise.
"What brings you two here?" he asked, his voice dripping with disdain.
There was no helping his attitude; in Zonko's eyes, these two delinquents had come to rub salt in his wounds, and he certainly wasn't going to be hospitable towards them.
Fred and George exchanged a glance, unfazed by the other's tone, and got straight to the point. "We're here to invite you."
"Invite?" Zonko looked at them quizzically.
"We plan to open a branch store in Hogsmeade," George stated.
"So, you want to turn my shop into your branch store?" Zonko paused, finally understanding their scheme, and his face twisted with rage as he shouted, "Get out! You're not welcome here! Scram!"
"Are you sure about that?"
George eyed the disgruntled Zonko calmly and cautioned, "Your shop has lost its core competitiveness. Closing down is inevitable..."
Before George could finish his sentence, a hex flew towards him, forcing him to dodge hastily.
Enraged, Zonko glared at his unwelcome guests, his wand raised, ready to cast another hex to drive them out.
However, he soon found himself unable to move.
"Don't be angry."
"He's definitely going to be angry!"
"Let us finish talking, and we'll be on our way."
George shook his head in exasperation as he looked at his old acquaintance, bound by a Full Body-Bind Curse. "I have to remind you that the closure of your shop is due to fair competition. At least we didn't resort to underhanded tactics like you did. Don't assume we're unaware of your schemes."
"Think it over carefully," George continued calmly, laying out the harsh reality for Zonko. "We are willing to share the cake with you, and that's the best offer you'll get. Of course, we don't mind waiting for your shop to go under, then buying your premises to open a new branch or finding another location. Either way, you'll be left with nothing."
George wasn't particularly keen on sharing profits with others, but he suspected Albert had a specific reason for suggesting this approach.
"Give it some thought. Don't be difficult," Fred said with a smile as he patted Zonko's shoulder and took his wand from his hand, placing it on the counter. He didn't want Zonko casting curses at them again once the spell wore off.
As soon as the Full Body-Bind Curse was lifted, Zonko rushed to the counter, snatched his wand, and pointed it at the retreating backs of the Weasley twins, who had already reached the shop's entrance. However, he didn't rush out to attack them. From their words, Zonko realized that they were aware of the underhanded tactics he had employed, and their offer of collaboration was surprisingly sincere.
But, as Zonko saw it, their actions were hypocritical in the extreme. Nevertheless... His throat twitched, and he rushed out of the shop, calling after them, "Wait, you..."
"We're not sure about the specifics yet," George paused and turned to Zonko, "We just came by to give you a heads-up. Albert will discuss the details with you personally later."
"Cooperation brings mutual benefits."
With that, Fred and George strolled towards the nearby Owl Post, intending to negotiate owl rentals with the owner of the owlery.
"You scoundrels!" Zonko shouted, his fist clenched as he glared at the departing backs of the twins. He knew his joke shop was doomed; without its product advantage, it had lost its core competitiveness, and its demise was inevitable. Otherwise, they wouldn't have tried to suppress his shop through other means.
His plan had failed.
Zonko was a clever man. He didn't want to slink away and lose all the Galleons he had earned over the years.
Indeed, there was no point in holding a grudge against Galleons.
At least he could have a dignified ending.
Suddenly, Zonko felt a curious desire to meet this young man, Albert Anderson.
Just as Zonko turned back into his shop, he felt something behind him.
When he spun around, his entire body felt light, and his worries about the joke shop's closure vanished, leaving only a vague, indescribable joy.
(End of Chapter)
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