Chapter 1262: Running Out of Time
Chapter 1262: Running Out of Time
"Are you sure?"
Scrimgeour followed Albert's gaze out the window, where the view was obscured by a blanket of white fog.
Before long, two men dressed as Muggles pushed open the door and entered the cafe. With just a glance, they spotted Scrimgeour, and a fleeting look of astonishment flashed across their otherwise expressionless faces.
After all, Scrimgeour hadn't bothered with any disguise.
The Aurors guarding them reacted swiftly, not giving the duo a chance as they drew their wands and took them down.
As expected, they were Death Eater spies. They had heard that Scrimgeour might be meeting someone privately here, so they had sneaked over to gather information.
And the source of this information was, of course, Scrimgeour himself.
Otherwise, why would he go through all this trouble?
Being mere lackeys, even the use of Veritaserum wouldn't yield much useful intelligence.
"I think this is just a coincidence."
"I don't think so," Albert said indifferently as he glanced at Scrimgeour. "The group of Death Eaters you're waiting for is probably still out there waiting for news."
"Well, I wish they would just charge in. That would save me a lot of trouble," Scrimgeour admitted, no longer bothering with pretenses now that his intentions were clear to Albert.
"What do you think about using the Imperius Curse to control them and send out false information?" Albert asked.
In truth, Scrimgeour knew he probably couldn't hide anything from Albert, and he breathed a sigh of relief that the younger man didn't seem angry.
With Albert here, Scrimgeour wasn't worried about Voldemort suddenly showing up to kill him.
"That's a good idea," Albert said, giving Scrimgeour a curious look, somewhat surprised by his suggestion.
However, he didn't mind Scrimgeour using him to boost the Aurors' confidence and strike a blow against the sinister Death Eaters.
"You agree?" Scrimgeour asked, a little surprised.
"As if I could stop you," Albert said with a twist of his lips.
"This is a rare opportunity. The situation is dire, and we need to restore everyone's confidence."
It didn't take long for Scrimgeour to place the two scouts under the Imperius Curse. He instructed them to spread the word among the Death Eaters that he was indeed here.
"I suddenly understand why the Death Eaters like using the Imperius Curse," Scrimgeour said with a self-deprecating laugh, addressing Albert.
"I can imagine," Albert replied softly as he watched the two men disappear into the white mist. "If the Ministry of Magic were to resort to such underhanded methods, they would undoubtedly be more dangerous than the Death Eaters. But I still believe that dark magic should be used sparingly. It tends to radicalize people's thoughts if used too frequently."
"It doesn't matter. According to your prophecy, I don't have many days left anyway, so why bother with all this," Scrimgeour said nonchalantly. All he wanted now was to strike back at Voldemort and the Death Eaters with all his might.
"As long as you're happy," Albert said.
He could tell that Scrimgeour was being driven to the brink of insanity by the cruel reality of their situation. The current Scrimgeour was ruthless in his actions, even going so far as to use himself as bait.
Of course, Albert's presence here was also a factor.
Not long after the two of them left, a group of people arrived—over a dozen individuals, each exuding a murderous aura, as they made their way toward the cafe. The leading Death Eaters directly blew up the cafe, seemingly intent on resolving the issue before anyone could react.
"Oh, Macnair, what a surprise," Scrimgeour recognized the lead Death Eater.
"Indeed, Minister, quite a surprise," Macnair said, licking his lips. "Please come with us. The Dark Lord wishes to see you."
"I'm afraid that's not possible," Scrimgeour said calmly as he drew his wand.
"That's not for you to decide," Macnair said, signaling to the others.
As the sinister group of Dark Wizards closed in on Scrimgeour, intending to subdue him, the Aurors, who had been lying in wait, appeared out of thin air and launched a surprise attack on the Death Eaters.
Indeed, no one expected the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic to resort to such underhanded tactics.
More than half of the Death Eaters were immediately taken down, and as the rest realized the gravity of the situation and attempted to flee, they found their escape routes blocked by more Aurors who had moved in to surround them.
"It seems your plan was a success," Albert said, glancing down at what he was holding in his arms. "But are you sure it's okay to let those two go?"
"Someone has to spread the word," Scrimgeour said with a hint of pleasure. "I believe that from now on, they'll have to think twice before trying to come after me again."
Indeed, this was Scrimgeour's true intention.
He wanted to make it clear to those Death Eaters that he, Rufus Scrimgeour, the current Minister of Magic, was not someone to be trifled with.
"I don't think the mysterious person would care about this," Albert said, offering a friendly reminder. "Aside from Dumbledore, the mysterious person fears no one."
"What about you?" Scrimgeour asked.
"I don't have that qualification," Albert replied.
"Of course, you do," Scrimgeour said firmly.
Albert smiled but didn't dwell on the matter.
"Before, you always said it was Dumbledore protecting us. Back then, I was a little unconvinced, but now..." Scrimgeour's tone carried a bitter undertone. It was only after Dumbledore's death that he truly realized the dire situation they were in.
"That's meaningless now." Albert waved his wand, refilling his coffee cup, and picked up a spoon to stir slowly, speaking with a hint of self-mockery. "The only lesson humanity learns from history is that humanity learns nothing from history."
"I'm not resigned to this."
"Complaining to me is useless; you should blame Dumbledore. But, the Ministry of Magic isn't qualified either." Albert took a sip, speaking indifferently, "It's normal that he's unwilling to believe you."
"Can Harry Potter really defeat the mysterious person and end the Second Wizarding War?" Scrimgeour suddenly asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
"You already have the answer yourself, don't you?" Albert retorted.
"I want to know the result of your prophecy." Scrimgeour said seriously.
He trusted Albert's words more than Dumbledore's.
"Harry is just an unfortunate soul, a vengeful avenger pushed to this point by the prophecy." Albert didn't answer directly but instead spoke in a cryptic manner.
"Of course, Harry is undoubtedly lucky. He always manages to escape unscathed like the protagonist in a story, and everyone is willing to believe that he will defeat the Dark Lord like a legendary savior."
"You should know that's not what I want to ask." Scrimgeour stared at Albert intently, "You must know, and you must have a way."
"You're better at playing riddles than I am, a seer."
"I understand you. A person like you would hardly pin your hopes on others." Scrimgeour stated his reason for being so certain, "Moreover, you're too calm, as if everything is under your control."
"You have more confidence in me than I do." Albert understood.
Scrimgeour still wanted him to help.
"Unfortunately, time is running out." He said softly.
"Time...is running out?" Scrimgeour paused, repeating the words softly.
For some reason, he suddenly felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
He understood what Albert meant; Voldemort would not allow him to continue causing trouble.
"You mean..."
"I'm afraid so." Albert interrupted.
Sneaking into Gringotts and destroying the Hufflepuff Cup in the Lestrange family's vault was easy, but he had no way of dealing with the Horcrux embedded in Harry's forehead.
He couldn't just cast Avada Kedavra on Harry and destroy the savior along with the Horcrux, could he?
Albert wasn't insane, nor would he do something so foolish.
Even if he secretly told Harry the truth and asked him to go die, Albert felt that things might still go awry.
Even insects struggle for survival, let alone humans.
Convincing Harry to die wouldn't be easy, and while killing him by force wasn't difficult, the aftermath could be severe.
Only by letting Harry willingly face death and be killed in the duel with Voldemort would he have a chance to survive.
So, the current optimal solution was to prepare, wait for the final battle, and destroy Voldemort once and for all.
"I'd like to see how Voldemort plans to make me die in the line of duty." Scrimgeour muttered.
He understood.
It wasn't that Albert didn't want to help him, but that they couldn't rush to completely eliminate the mysterious person, and the problem was that he was running out of time.
"You still have a chance, and this may be your last chance." Albert took out a bottle of compound potion from his pocket and placed it in front of Scrimgeour, "It's up to you to decide what to do in the end, but the identity of Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic, must die."
"I won't be a coward. But, we can catch them off guard." Scrimgeour picked up the compound potion and looked up at Albert, "It would be better if you're willing to help."
"I'll help you." Albert pointed to the compound potion.
"If I ultimately fail, Gawain will lead a group of Aurors to assist you." Scrimgeour nodded.
"Why don't you have them join the Order of the Phoenix?" Albert asked, "I remember Kingsley is also an excellent Auror!"
"Because you're more reliable, and you're more likely to lead us to victory." Scrimgeour had great confidence in Albert.
"Then have them get in touch with Percy, and by the way, don't let Percy expose himself." After saying this, Albert got up and left.
"He's still unwilling to help?"
Gawain watched Albert's departing figure, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
He was one of the few people who felt particularly stressed. If Scrimgeour failed, his situation wouldn't be any better.
"It's not that he's unwilling, but that I'm running out of time." Scrimgeour said self-deprecatingly, "That guy really sees things more clearly than anyone else!"
"Time?" Gawain didn't understand.
"If anyone in the wizarding world can completely solve the problem of the mysterious person, I dare say it will be that guy." Scrimgeour patted his old friend's shoulder, "If things really take a turn for the worst, join him. I believe not everyone will bow down to the mysterious person."
(End of Chapter)
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