Chapter 1212: Double Agent
Chapter 1212: Double Agent
"That damn thing is beyond repair."
At this moment, in the Slytherin Common Room, Draco Malfoy stood before Severus Snape with a gloomy expression. Ever since he accepted Snape's suggestion to repair the damaged Vanishing Cabinet using Borgin's method, a significant amount of time had passed, yet he had made no progress whatsoever.
That damn Vanishing Cabinet remained as good as broken, and he suspected that it was beyond his ability to fix it.
"If it were that easy to fix, the task wouldn't have fallen to you. To earn the recognition of the Dark Lord, you must make sacrifices. Only then will he agree to the prison break to rescue Lucius," Snape replied with unusual calm, paying no heed to Malfoy's complaints.
"What if I can't fix it? I mean, what if I can't get that damn cabinet working by the end of the term?" Malfoy felt inexplicably irritable. "It's not easy to get access to the Room of Requirement for repairs these days. Maybe you should move that damn cabinet to your office instead of keeping it in the Room of Requirement, where people are always coming and going. I have to drag myself out of bed in the middle of the night to fix that damn thing."
Draco wasn't trying to complain to Snape; he genuinely felt that repairing the Vanishing Cabinet was a massive challenge.
If Snape truly wanted to help, he should assist in finding a way to fix the broken cabinet. But instead, Snape had dumped the problem on him, leading Malfoy to suspect that Snape didn't know how to fix it either.
Malfoy's suspicions were correct—Snape had no idea how to repair the Vanishing Cabinet. However, he wasn't the least bit concerned about it remaining broken because the entire plan had originated from Dumbledore. When the time came to execute the plan, Dumbledore would naturally help repair the damaged cabinet.
The fact that it was currently unfixed meant they didn't want Malfoy to succeed, as it might disrupt their original plan.
Draco Malfoy was, of course, unaware of these hidden details. For now, he could only continue to trust Snape and follow his instructions to assist with the cabinet's repairs.
There was no other option.
Malfoy hated this feeling of powerlessness, but he couldn't think of any other way, as the ideas he'd come up with to murder Dumbledore were all unreliable.
His initial plan of poisoning had been vetoed by Snape because the chances of success were slim, and it was highly likely to expose them.
On the other hand, Snape's plan was more feasible, and he himself was the key to its success.
After a brief and less-than-friendly exchange, Malfoy ultimately failed to persuade Snape to offer more help, and he stormed out of Snape's office in a huff.
Snape didn't mind at all. He hadn't expected Malfoy to be able to fix the Vanishing Cabinet, and even if he could, now wasn't the right time. They had to wait until the end of the term, when Dumbledore had made all the necessary arrangements and was prepared to face his sacrificial death, for the plan to be set in motion.
And Draco Malfoy was just a part of that plan. Although he didn't know what Dumbledore was up to, he understood that he just needed to follow Dumbledore's original plan.
He believed that Dumbledore had his arrangements and would inform him when the time was right.
After Malfoy left, Snape glanced at the wall clock and then got up to leave the office.
Next, he needed to head to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, to attend an emergency meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.
To be honest, Snape disliked that place because it was Sirius Black's home, and Black had been his arch-enemy during their school days.
Even though they were now both members of the Order of the Phoenix, their relationship remained extremely hostile, limiting their conflicts to verbal sparring, which was already a concession to Dumbledore.
Under the watchful eyes of the Order members, Snape walked into the living room, deliberately ignoring Sirius' provocation, and calmly took a seat.
"Now that everyone's here," Kingsley said, handing a document to Snape before nodding slightly at Mad-Eye Moody, signaling him to begin the meeting.
"According to our latest intelligence, Voldemort is currently plotting a murder targeting Scrimgeour," Moody said, glancing at Snape as he cut straight to the point.
"Based on Albert Anderson's prophecy, Minister of Magic Scrimgeour will perish in this assassination attempt, and the Ministry of Magic will fall under Death Eater control," Moody continued.
"Do we have any evidence?" asked Dedalus Diggle, waving the parchment in his hand. "I mean, aside from the prophecy."
"Shut up, Diggle," Hestia Jones interrupted. "I never believed Moody would joke about something like this."
"If the Death Eaters control the Ministry, I shudder to think how terrible the situation will become," Bode added, unwilling to accept this outcome.
"We should stop this conspiracy," said Tonks, frowning. "I think it's crucial to keep Scrimgeour alive. We can't afford to have the Ministry of Magic fall into the hands of the Death Eaters." Despite her personal dislike for Scrimgeour, she had to admit that he had done a good job, dealing a severe blow to Voldemort and his followers.
"I'm afraid it won't be easy," replied Moody. "Minister Scrimgeour is aware of this situation, but he doesn't seem inclined to go into hiding.
"Kingsley shook his head and smiled bitterly. 'In fact, as the current Minister of Magic, it's not appropriate for him to go into hiding. Unless Scrimgeour is willing to give up his position, but I think the probability of that happening is slim.'
'If we knew the specifics of the plan, we might be able to stop Voldemort from harming Scrimgeour,' Sirius said, turning to look directly at Snape. 'Luckily, we have an insider among them.' 'This matter is being handled by Yaxley,' Snape said expressionlessly. 'I'm not privy to the entire plan, but I suspect the Dark Lord will take care of Scrimgeour personally, just as he killed Amelia Bones with his own hands.'
'So, this is the grand conspiracy that the mysterious person is quietly brewing,' Arthur frowned, feeling that something was amiss.
Bill looked at his father, confused. 'What's wrong?' 'I don't know, but I can't shake the feeling that...'
'I heard that Voldemort is plotting to murder Dumbledore,' Sirius narrowed his eyes at Snape.
'The Dark Lord has never given up on eliminating his arch-nemesis,' Snape said softly. 'He believes that without Dumbledore, no one in the British wizarding world would dare to defy him.' 'Albert believes you will kill Dumbledore,' Sirius suddenly dropped a bombshell, his wand now pointed at Snape. 'To be honest, I don't think he has any reason to lie or frame you. Do you have anything you'd like to explain?'
'Sirius!' Lupin was startled by Sirius' action and quickly tried to stop him, fearing an unpleasant conflict.
'Oh, how surprising. Don't you ever bother to use that impoverished brain of yours?' Snape's expression remained unchanged, as if Sirius had accused someone else.
'If I really wanted to murder Dumbledore, I would have done it by now,' he said impatiently.
'What do you mean?' 'When Dumbledore came to me to treat his cursed hand injury, he was extremely weak. He was so frail that even a Muggle could have strangled him to death,' Snape said, a cold smile playing on his lips. 'If I were a Death Eater, I would have taken the opportunity then. Yet, Dumbledore is still alive. If you have any doubts, you can ask him yourself. That would be more effective than me explaining it here.'
'His prophecies have never been wrong,' Sirius said flatly. He didn't think Albert would lie.
'I suggest you remind Dumbledore to be cautious of me,' Snape said contemptuously. 'And are you all hoping for Dumbledore's death?' 'Who's plotting to murder Dumbledore?' Moody suddenly asked.
'Bellatrix Lestrange,' Snape said expressionlessly. 'Only a madwoman like her would take on a mission with such a low chance of success. As for the specifics, I don't know much.' Kingsley looked at Snape, his brow furrowed slightly. Sirius' words bothered him because Albert's prophecies had never been wrong. If he truly believed Snape would kill Dumbledore...
But Snape's words didn't sound like lies. They could be investigated, and Dumbledore obviously wouldn't cover for Snape in this matter.
The whole thing felt odd.
'I heard that Voldemort is trying to kill Albert,' Mrs. Weasley said.
'Yes, the Dark Lord is wary of Albert Anderson and considers him a formidable enemy, second only to Dumbledore,' Snape nodded.
'Why does the mysterious person want to kill Albert?' Mrs. Weasley couldn't understand Voldemort's thinking.
'Because Voldemort senses a threat. Anderson is not only a prophecy master but also possesses extraordinary power,' Kingsley sighed. 'In his place, I would probably do the same.' 'As far as I know, the Dark Lord has tried to kill Anderson multiple times, but all attempts have failed,' Snape continued. 'Whether it was Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, or the Dark Lord himself, none have been able to eliminate him. This has only increased the Dark Lord's wariness.'
'I heard that Anderson has formed an organization called the 'Defense Association,' and the Dark Lord is searching for its members, intending to wipe them out once and for all,' Snape didn't hide this information. Albert was already on Voldemort's must-kill list, with a higher priority than Dumbledore.
'I don't think the Dark Lord will succeed. Last time, Albert made a fool of him,' Sirius naturally knew of Voldemort's power, but that didn't stop him from despising the Dark Lord.
'He can't always avoid falling into a trap,' Snape said expressionlessly. He was actually aware that Albert was colluding with Dumbledore to deal with Voldemort.
Voldemort knew it too, which was why he was so wary of Albert.
After all, one Dumbledore was troublesome enough. Adding Albert, who could predict the future and possessed extraordinary power, would be a terrifying disaster. The current dire situation of Voldemort and the Death Eaters was a testament to that.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
