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Chapter 1171: The Madwoman
Chapter 1171: The Madwoman
In the stillness of the wilderness, two figures appeared out of thin air, one of them stumbling and falling to the ground as soon as she materialized.
"Are you alright, Bella?"
The voice of Alecto Carrow rang out in the darkness as she reached out to help her disheveled companion, who looked like a beggar. But as she pulled the other woman to her feet, a wand was suddenly pressed against her throat.
"What's the meaning of this?" Alecto frowned slightly at Bella, who seemed to be on the verge of losing her sanity.
"You traitor," Bella hissed, her eyes burning with hatred as if she wanted to slaughter the person in front of her. It wasn't that she doubted Alecto, but the other woman's behavior had been highly suspicious.
"Traitor?" Alecto muttered, seemingly pondering the meaning of the accusation.
"I know you're grieving over the Lestrange matter, but that doesn't give you the right to make baseless accusations. Narcissa warned you before the operation that it could be a trap, but you didn't take it to heart. I believed you and made thorough preparations." As she looked into Bella's furious eyes, Alecto gently pushed away the wand that was pressed against her neck and said impatiently, "If I were you, I would go and tend to your injuries first instead of taking your anger out on me. Remember, I saved you, Bellatrix Lestrange."
Alecto's words gave Bella a moment's pause, and in the next instant, Bella suddenly collapsed to the ground, passing out. The female Death Eater stood there stiffly, as if turned to stone.
No one knew what had just transpired. The change was abrupt, as if someone had pressed a pause button.
"So perceptive. Or is it that when Dark Wizards suspect someone, they need no evidence at all?"
In the darkness, devoid of any presence, a faint voice could be heard, as if someone were muttering to themselves.
For a brief moment, something seemed to have happened, or perhaps nothing at all. Time, which had seemed to pause, began to flow again, and Alecto shook her head as she looked at the unconscious Bella lying on the ground. "What a madwoman."
With that, Alecto grabbed Bella's arm, and once again, they vanished using the Disillusionment Charm.
As soon as the two women disappeared, Albert, clad in his Invisibility Cloak, watched their retreating figures and then glanced down at the new task on his panel. A slight smile curved his lips as he grew increasingly intrigued by the unfolding events.
In the next moment, a crackling sound echoed through the darkness, and the wilderness returned to its tranquil state.
Upon returning home, Albert found the lights on in the living room. Isabell was waiting for him, sitting in the room.
"Dear, why are you still awake?"
Albert's heart skipped a beat when he saw Isabell, but he quickly took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Waiting for you," Isabell replied, eyeing him up and down to ensure he was unharmed before letting out a sigh of relief. There was a hint of reproach in her tone as she asked, "What were you doing out so late?"
"Something came up. Let's talk about it when we get back to the bedroom." Albert walked over to Isabell, bent down, and kissed her forehead gently before sweeping her into his arms in a princess carry.
After spending so much time together, Albert knew exactly how to assuage Isabell's grievances and discontent.
"Don't think you can just sweep this under the rug," Isabell said as she poured a glass of red wine for Albert, her posture conveying that she expected a full explanation.
"Where should I begin?" Albert took the wine from Isabell and took a small sip before continuing, "You're aware that the mysterious person has their eyes on me."
"Knowing the danger, you still like to wander around," Isabell commented as she took the wine glass back and took a sip herself.
"Last time, Lucius Malfoy showed up with a group of people intending to cause trouble at our wedding," Albert added.
"And then you teamed up with the Ministry of Magic to capture them, but not before extorting a large sum of galleons from Lucius Malfoy to spare him a trip to Azkaban?" Isabell arched an eyebrow. Albert had previously shared this incident with her, including how they had squeezed a hefty amount of gold from Lucius.
"The mysterious person isn't giving up," Albert explained. "This time, it's that madwoman, Bellatrix Lestrange."
"So, you used the same trick and set up Bellatrix Lestrange with the help of the Ministry of Magic?" Isabell guessed, having a fair idea of what had transpired.
"This time, it was mostly the Ministry's doing. I just lent a small hand," Albert said as he put down his wine glass and wrapped his arms around Isabell, lying back on the bed for a casual chat.
"A small hand?" Isabell clearly didn't buy it. If it had truly been a minor involvement, Albert wouldn't have gone out so late at night.
"I just provided a single hair," Albert said, giving his wand a casual flick to extinguish the lights in the room.
"A single hair? For a Polyjuice Potion? Since when did the Ministry become so devious?" Isabell asked, her curiosity piqued.
After hearing Albert's explanation, Isabell was convinced that he hadn't lied to her—at least not about what had just happened.
"It's not exactly devious," Albert defended the Ministry's actions. "After all, the mysterious person and the Death Eaters are equally cunning and treacherous. Using conventional methods won't effectively deal with such dangerous individuals." While a large part of the Ministry's recent changes could be attributed to him, the most significant factor was probably Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic, who gave the orders.
"So, you went out to watch the show tonight?" Isabell asked, stifling a yawn.
"Not exactly. The Ministry was about to make their move, and I had to be there to make sure no one slipped through the net," Albert said, kissing Isabell's forehead gently. "Go to sleep now. Losing sleep isn't good for your health."
"It's all your fault that I can't sleep!" Isabell complained.
"Sorry, it's my fault," Albert apologized without hesitation, holding his wife close as they prepared to sleep.
"Did you catch any big fish this time? Is Bellatrix dead?" Isabell asked, her eyes closed.
"No, but her husband and several Death Eaters are dead. You'll probably read about it in the newspaper tomorrow," Albert replied.
"Was that intentional?" Isabell propped herself up on one elbow to look at Albert.
"What do you mean?" Albert asked.
"That Bellatrix Lestrange's husband is dead," Isabell clarified.
"Yes, it was intentional," Albert admitted without hesitation. "She wanted you to experience the pain of losing your husband, so I thought she should taste that bitterness herself. By the way, that woman's face is also ruined. What a pity!"
"You're such a scoundrel," Isabell said, her expression conveying that she had expected no less.
"Yes, I'm petty," Albert agreed, his tone serious. "Of course, I would seek revenge. However, her disfigurement was an accident."
"An accident? I don't believe in accidents," Isabell said, her skepticism evident.
"I think the death of the Lestrange brothers might actually be a good thing for Bellatrix," Albert mused.
Albert recalled a certain fanfiction novel.
"Good things?" Isabell felt that her husband was about to blurt out something astonishing.
"Yeah, Bellatrix has a sort of admiring infatuation with the mysterious person. Now that the Lestrange brothers are dead, there's no one left in the Lestrange family to keep an eye on Bellatrix, especially since she's disfigured now, and so is the mysterious person. Don't you think..."
"That's enough, stop right there!" Isabell quickly interrupted, as the news was truly shocking.
"Alright, let's get some sleep then."
"Is this for real?"
The woman was indeed more interested in gossip, especially when it involved the mysterious person and a Death Eater.
"It's common knowledge that Bellatrix has a crush on the mysterious person. If he's willing, I think Bellatrix would definitely agree." Albert suddenly flashed an unkind smile.
"You were smiling so evilly just now." Isabell reached out to pinch Albert's cheeks.
"The chances of that happening are actually quite slim." Albert explained, "Bellatrix caused the deaths of multiple Death Eaters at the hands of the Ministry of Magic. I think she'll probably lose the trust of the mysterious person, and for that crazy woman, this might be even more painful than hearing about her husband's death."
"Doesn't she love her husband?" Isabell asked in confusion.
"I don't know, but I don't think there's much affection there." Albert speculated.
"Then why did they get married? Was it a pure-blood family alliance?" Isabell immediately guessed the reason.
"Probably, but I don't think it's something we should concern ourselves with." Albert said softly, "I just hope that after these two incidents, fewer foolish people will try to cause trouble for me."
Compared to the tranquility in the bedroom, the world of British magic before dawn was anything but peaceful. Journalists who had been awakened rushed to the Ministry of Magic to interview Scrimgeour.
Nothing was more exhilarating than receiving news of Death Eater deaths, especially when Scrimgeour displayed the corpses of the deceased Death Eaters for the journalists to photograph. The atmosphere at the scene reached its climax.
"Minister, don't you think..." The journalist's words were interrupted by Scrimgeour.
"I know what you're about to say, but I must say, when dealing with these cruel Dark Wizards, there's no such thing as being despicable and shameless. Because when they commit heinous crimes, they are no longer human." Scrimgeour said coldly, "Put away your ridiculous sympathy. Your compassion should be reserved for those who have been persecuted by the mysterious person and the Death Eaters."
"To be honest, those who pitied Barty Crouch Jr. back then, do they now realize that it was that man who caused the return of the mysterious person and the current chaotic situation in the wizarding world?" Scrimgeour scanned the hall with a stern gaze, "If you feel sympathy for these cruel Dark Wizards and Death Eaters, I can arrange for you to interview the families of their victims, and hear their different perspectives on this matter. It's a rare opportunity, who wants to sign up? Percy, take note of the numbers."
After the press conference, Scrimgeour asked his assistant, "How many journalists signed up just now?"
"Only one." Percy glanced at the notebook.
"Very well, make the arrangements." Scrimgeour said coldly, "Oh, and remember not to let them get killed. Also, reserve a bed for him at St. Mungo's."
"Won't that be... a bit too much?" Percy was startled by Scrimgeour's approach.
"No, it's fine. We lost several brave young men tonight. I don't care if he truly sympathizes with the Death Eaters or if he just wants to seize the opportunity for an interview. I think the families of the victims will help him clear his mind." Scrimgeour patted Percy's shoulder, reminding him once again, "Don't let them get killed."
Percy nodded vigorously to show that he understood.
At that moment, in the temporary Death Eater headquarters, Bella, who had just received treatment from Narcissa, slowly woke up.
"Are you alright, Bella?" Narcissa asked worriedly, "Alecto brought you back, and it really scared me."
"What happened to me?"
Bella reached up to touch her forehead, only to find herself wrapped in bandages all over, looking particularly pitiful.
"Is she awake?" Alecto stood outside the door, holding a copy of today's newspaper, her mood especially heavy.
"How is it?"
"Not good." Alecto handed the newspaper to Narcissa, "From start to finish, there's no mention of Albert Anderson, and Kenneth Towle was also fake. It was all a plot by the Ministry."
Narcissa took the newspaper and stared at it with wide eyes. The front-page photo of the newspaper was of several dead Death Eaters, including Bella's husband, Rodolphus Lestrange.
"We'd better let Bella rest." Alecto motioned to Narcissa to step outside.
"What happened!" Narcissa followed Alecto into the living room and asked anxiously.
"The situation is terrible." Alecto glanced at the room where Bella was resting, lowering her voice, "The Dark Lord is furious about this failure, as you know. Bella took on this task voluntarily... Not only did she fall for the Ministry's plot again, but she also sacrificed so many people and gained nothing. Narcissa, the Dark Lord is very angry about this."
"It's my fault he's disappointed."
Bella didn't know when she had gotten out of bed, bending over with difficulty to pick up the newspaper, limping out of the room.
Narcissa and Alecto exchanged glances, falling into a brief silence. They thought Bella would be sad about Rodolphus' death, but they didn't expect her to be more upset about disappointing the Dark Lord.
"It's all the fault of that damn Mudblood, and that Kenneth Towle! I'll make him regret being born into this world." Bella said bitterly.
"Kenneth Towle has disappeared! Our informant within the Ministry sent word that Scrimgeour seems to intend to continue using Kenneth Towle as bait." Alecto paused for a moment, reminding her, "I think you should consider how to explain this to the Dark Lord. He's truly enraged."
"If the Dark Lord..." Bella panicked.
"Calm down, Bella. The situation isn't as bad as you think. We can still turn this around!" Narcissa comforted her softly.
"What should I do, Narcissa?" Bella sought help from Narcissa.
"Draco sent a message that Dumbledore was seriously injured." Narcissa didn't want Bella to forget about Draco's mission in her desire for revenge, "As long as we can kill Dumbledore, I think the Dark Lord will definitely forgive your failure, as well as Lucius'."
(End of Chapter)
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