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Chapter 1258: A Deep Pit
Chapter 1258: A Deep Pit
Albert's disappearance went unnoticed, and one could say that no one had been aware of his whereabouts from the start, let alone his sudden departure from Britain. Thus, his worries and concerns were unfounded from the very beginning.
However, some unfortunate souls had inadvertently fallen into a deep pit because of him and now found themselves unable to climb out.
The unlucky one was none other than Lucius Malfoy, who had recently been tasked with finding and murdering Albert.
If Albert had been elusive from the start, no one would have batted an eye. After all, if Lucius couldn't even find him, what more could he do? The subsequent tasks would be out of the question.
But the problem now was that Lucius had just learned from Yaxley about the imminent birth of Albert's child and had also conveniently obtained the crucial leads of Mrs. Dell and Mrs. Mary. Yaxley had even helped devise a plan to teach the Mudblood a memorable lesson. All Lucius had to do now was execute the plan.
However, would things go that smoothly?
In Lucius Malfoy's eyes, this was a massive pitfall.
Setting aside his lukewarm relationship with Yaxley, how could the latter possibly be kind enough to share his hard-earned intelligence? Lucius dared not even dream of such a thing.
The fact that Yaxley had done so obviously meant that he was aware of the danger and had chosen to pass the hot potato directly to Lucius.
Now, instead of taking a bite of the hot potato, Lucius was lucky if he didn't choke on it.
What made matters worse was that the Dark Lord had officially entrusted the task of dealing with Albert to him and his son.
This made Lucius suspect that the Dark Lord might be intending to get rid of them with the help of the Mudblood.
It wasn't that Lucius lacked loyalty to the Dark Lord, but the latter had once tried to do the same—using Dumbledore to kill Draco as punishment for the Malfoy family.
If it hadn't been for Snape's help, allowing Draco to escape by the skin of his teeth, his son would likely be dead by now.
Lucius actually knew the reason: the notebook that the Dark Lord had initially entrusted to him had been completely damaged because of him, and this incident had become a thorn in the Dark Lord's side.
Even knowing the reason, Lucius was powerless.
All he wanted now was to protect his family, and nothing else mattered.
However, the current situation was not optimistic.
Ever since Mrs. Dell and Mrs. Mary had been controlled by Yaxley using the Imperius Curse, they had stopped sending messages from Albert, and they no longer went to perform physical examinations on his wife, which clearly implied something.
Perhaps that damned Mudblood, Albert Anderson, had foreseen this long ago and had completely abandoned the two of them.
As a result, Lucius was now unable to find any trace of Albert.
From initially holding what he thought was a good hand, he had ended up in this predicament, which was undoubtedly the epitome of incompetence in the eyes of the Dark Lord. And incompetent Death Eaters would eventually be mercilessly discarded.
To resolve the issue and find information about Albert, Lucius had no choice but to seek help from his old friend, Severus. He hoped to pry more useful intelligence from the two healers.
"Your hopes will probably be dashed," Severus said, showing Lucius the magical imprints on the backs of Mrs. Dell and Mrs. Mary's hands. "They have both entered into strong magical contracts with Anderson, presumably to prevent the leakage of secrets."
"I don't recommend using Veritaserum or Legilimency on them," Severus continued, shaking his head. "Doing so will most likely result in their deaths, causing them to lose their last bit of value."
"Then what should I do now?" Lucius asked, dreading to imagine the terrible consequences should he fail in his mission.
He knew he had to do something, or else he and his son would be finished before they could even find that damned Mudblood.
"I've said it before, Anderson is not easy to deal with. Don't provoke him," Severus advised, not optimistic about Lucius' task, which he believed was virtually impossible.
If they were to confront Albert head-on, they were as good as dead.
That man was never merciful, and the reason he had let them go the last time was mostly due to Dumbledore.
"It's not that I want to provoke him now," Lucius said bitterly, wishing he could stay far away from that damned Mudblood if he had a choice.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
Due to his experience and the high expectations placed on him by the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord, he had no room for refusal, and Lucius lacked the courage to do so anyway.
No Death Eater dared to refuse the Dark Lord.
"Perhaps..." Severus hesitated for a moment before offering his suggestion. "You could try to be useful in other ways."
"Be useful in other ways?" Lucius pondered his old friend's words, soon understanding his meaning.
After all, killing Scrimgeour was currently the most important task, and he could be of use in that regard, even though it wasn't his mission. Yaxley would undoubtedly need his help.
Lucius knew the Ministry of Magic better than most Death Eaters and was more aware of how to help the Dark Lord gain control of it. Moreover, among the prisoners who had been rescued with him, there were several who could be of use.
"Indeed, useful Death Eaters won't be discarded easily," Severus agreed, well aware of his old friend's self-preservation skills and not worried about Lucius' safety, at least not in the short term.
"As for Draco, if Hogwarts reopens, let him return to school and continue his studies," Severus added after a brief pause. "I should become the headmaster of Hogwarts by then."
"Thank you, Severus," Lucius said, expressing his gratitude to his old friend. He knew that Severus' suggestion was for Draco's well-being.
In fact, if given a choice, Lucius wouldn't want his son to become a Death Eater so soon either, as Draco was simply not ready for it.
Severus did not linger and soon bid farewell.
He was actually quite clear about the Malfoy family's situation, but there was little more he could do to help.
After Severus left, Draco spoke up, his eyes wide with disbelief, "Father, does the Dark Lord intend to abandon us completely?"
"The situation is not as dire as you think," Lucius reassured him. "We are purebloods, and the connections between pureblood families are deeper than you imagine. At most, we'll lose some things, but as long as we're willing to back down and give up, there will always be other Death Eaters willing to lend us a hand instead of letting us die." Lucius tried to maintain his composure. "You heard Severus' suggestion. Go back to school if Hogwarts reopens."
"But..." Draco protested, his eyes widening further as he struggled to believe what his father was saying.
"Draco, you should understand our family's situation," Lucius said, looking at his son earnestly. "Even if you become a Death Eater now, it won't make any difference, and you won't be of any use."
At Hogwarts, you still have at least a year's buffer, and you can also seek protection from Severus. Before that year is up, you must adapt to your new identity and become a true man."
Once upon a time, Lucius had fantasized about the Dark Lord's resurgence, leading the Death Eaters to reclaim their past glory.
However, the reality was far crueler than their fantasies. The Dark Lord had indeed resurfaced, but their dreams of the past had turned to ashes.
Lucius no longer indulged in such fantasies. All he wanted now was to protect his family and survive the brutal wizarding war.
At the very least, the Malfoy family name must continue.
Ever since Narcissa went missing and his multiple attempts to find her proved futile, Lucius had a terrible premonition. Perhaps he would never see his wife again.
...
After receiving the tip from Snape, Lucius hurried to visit his "old friend."
"What brings you here, my old pal?"
Yaxley greeted Lucius with a cheerful smile.
"I've encountered some troubles recently," Lucius said, despite his urge to punch the hypocritical smile off Yaxley's face. He knew he had to endure.
"I'd say it's more than just some trouble!"
Yaxley's eyes curved with a pleasant smile as he looked at the dejected Lucius.
Lucius ignored the smile and stated his purpose: "The two healers you controlled earlier are very likely to have been abandoned by that Mudblood. I've completely lost track of him."
"Are you sure? I spent a lot of effort to find that clue, and no one should have noticed."
Yaxley's eyebrows arched slightly, surprised by Lucius' statement. He had been cautious when dealing with this matter, especially since his opponent was the cunning Albert Anderson.
"Of course, I want to believe you, but the problem is that the Mudblood is a master diviner. He might have foreseen all of this, so he simply abandoned them." Lucius said helplessly.
"So, are you blaming me for this?" Yaxley's eyebrows arched higher.
"No, I may need your help, or rather, the help of the Ministry of Magic, after you gain control of it." Lucius played his trump card, "Scrimgeour is not easy to kill. That man is always on his guard, but I can offer you some assistance to complete the Dark Lord's task quickly, and then you can help me in return."
Yaxley narrowed his eyes, his gaze at Lucius turning suspicious.
He was indeed troubled about how to kill Scrimgeour. As the former head of the Auror Office, Scrimgeour was extremely cautious, as if he knew someone was after him. Creating an opportunity for the Dark Lord was not going to be easy.
"Don't look at me like that. This is just a cooperation." Lucius reminded him, "If I fail, this task will eventually fall on you, and I don't think you'd want to waste time on that Mudblood either."
"Oh? Tell me more..."
Lucius briefly explained the internal issues within the Ministry of Magic to Yaxley. Having served as an advisor to Fudge for a period, Lucius understood the Ministry's situation better than most Death Eaters and knew exactly how to quietly influence and control it. He was the most suitable person for this task.
"By the way, there's one more thing. I hope you can help me find out about Narcissa's whereabouts when the time comes. I'm willing to offer a generous reward." Lucius lowered his stance even further.
"Oh, of course, it's just a small matter, but I can't guarantee that we'll find her." Yaxley was satisfied with Lucius' cooperation.
After obtaining Yaxley's promise, Lucius breathed a sigh of relief. Only with the help of the Dark Lord's right-hand man would his situation not be too dire.
As for the Malfoy family's lost glory, there was nothing he could do about it.
For the clever and cunning Lucius Malfoy, the choice of what to do next was not difficult.
As long as he stayed alive, with his wealth and connections, the Malfoy family would soon regain its former splendor.
The biggest problem now was that Draco had become a Death Eater and was dragged into this mess.
To be honest, even with Dumbledore's death, Lucius didn't have much confidence in the Dark Lord.
Because Albert Anderson was still alive, and that man had become Lucius' nightmare. He knew all too well how dangerous Anderson was.
Lucius even suspected that the Dark Lord might not be a match for him.
If the Dark Lord failed...
Given what he was about to do, his situation might become dire.
And Draco... While Lucius believed that Draco would probably be fine, he...
Lucius felt he had to do something. He decided to have a talk with Draco, and he hoped that Draco had a girlfriend.
Albert Anderson had gotten married right after graduation, and his child was about to be born. Draco could do the same.
At the very least, they should ensure the continuation of the Malfoy family bloodline before anything else.
It wasn't that Lucius Malfoy was being overly pessimistic, but ever since Narcissa went missing, he had a nagging feeling that something terrible had happened to her.
Draco was left stunned by Lucius' suggestion.
"I recall you had a good relationship with Pansy Parkinson's daughter." Lucius suddenly said.
"We broke up." Draco said, his voice dry. He didn't even know if they had truly broken up, perhaps he had messed things up, or perhaps he had hurt Pansy too deeply.
"Our family situation is not ideal at the moment." Lucius looked at his son calmly, "Perhaps we can get through this difficult time, but it won't be easy... I think you need to do something for the family."
"So, you think I should get married as soon as possible? Don't you think that sounds ridiculous? Mom is still missing." Draco raised his voice, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"This is your responsibility, as a Malfoy." Lucius looked at his son earnestly, "You've been together for six years, and that bond is precious. At least you won't regret it later, and we also need the Parkinson family to provide a stable environment for your child if things get worse."
Draco opened his mouth, at a loss for words.
"Is the situation really that bad?"
"I don't know, but I'm not willing to take that risk. Many Death Eaters have suffered retaliation from Albert Anderson." Lucius sighed in relief, knowing that he had successfully convinced Draco, "And our grudge with him runs deep. I don't think he'll let us off the hook easily."
(End of Chapter)
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