https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1277-Fall-of-the-Ministry-of-Magic/12528231/
Chapter 1278: Versus the Death Eaters
Chapter 1278: Versus the Death Eaters
A chilly wind suddenly blew through the hot summer air, causing the guests who were reveling in the large tent to shiver. Harry, who had already sensed something amiss, drew his wand, intending to summon his Patronus to counter the approaching Dementors. However, Albert beside him raised his hand to stop Harry from completing the spell.
"You three go and join the others first," Albert said to the trio. "Whether you plan to stay and fight alongside us or leave before the Death Eaters arrive is up to you."
"What about you?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"I need to stay. Only by staying will they be able to fight with peace of mind."
"Let's go, Hermione!"
Harry understood what Albert meant. He admired his friend and wished he could be like Dumbledore, able to soothe and give confidence to those around him.
Unfortunately, Harry's magical abilities did not permit such a foolish display.
As he watched the trio leave, Albert turned back to face the front, his gaze piercing through the darkness ahead as he saw the horde of Dementors drawing near.
While the outer protective charms were not particularly sophisticated, they were still effective in halting the Dementors' advance, preventing the abhorrent creatures from barging in all at once.
Of course, these protective spells merely served to inconvenience the Death Eaters, but even a slight delay was better than having the Death Eaters and Dementors rush in while everyone was unprepared.
Hearing the sharp alarm ringing out, Albert looked up at the black shadow swooping overhead, feeling the chill that washed over him. He raised his wand, pointing it at the Dementor rushing towards him. A pale sphere formed at the tip of his wand, sending the foolish creature flying back.
Had it targeted him specifically?
Albert flicked the sphere, causing it to stick to the Dementor's face, forcefully dissuading it from its foolish idea.
After driving away the Dementor, Albert turned his wand on himself, gently tapping his body with it. He vanished under the Disillusionment Charm and made his way towards the nearby tent, which had already descended into chaos.
Albert was well aware that the Disillusionment Charm wouldn't deceive the Dementors, but as long as it could fool the Death Eaters, that was enough for him.
This not only prevented him from being ambushed by the Death Eaters but also ensured he could launch sneak attacks against them more effectively.
All gain, no harm! As he approached the large tent, chaos had already taken hold. Panicked crowds were everywhere.
Piercing, desperate screams echoed from all directions as many guests attempted to escape using Disapparating, only to fail. They finally realized, in horror, that this was a premeditated attack! The Death Eaters had cast an Anti-Disapparition Jinx around the area, intending to trap all the guests who had come to the wedding.
Yes.
Naturally, the guests' first suspicion fell on the Death Eaters who had just attacked the wedding, and they wouldn't think to blame the Ministry of Magic. But little did they know that the Minister of Magic was also present at the wedding.
It was Scrimgeour who had quietly ordered the Aurors to seal off the area, and the reason was simple: to prevent the Death Eaters from escaping and to capture them all in one fell swoop.
As for the guests who had come to Bill's wedding, what was to become of them?
Naturally, they would have to stay and fight, resisting both the Death Eaters and the mysterious Dark wizards.
From the very beginning, Scrimgeour had no intention of letting the other guests escape before the Death Eaters arrived. Otherwise, who would be left to fight alongside them against these formidable foes? The Order of the Phoenix and the Aurors?
There were only so few of them. They would likely be facing an even larger number of Death Eaters, and without the aid of Felix Felicis, casualties were inevitable. But if the group of wizards who had come to the wedding joined the upcoming battle, it would make a significant difference.
No, even if they didn't participate in the fight, they would still need to protect themselves during the chaos and could help divert the Death Eaters and Dark wizards.
As for whether there would be casualties, Scrimgeour didn't see a problem with that. There were always sacrifices in war, and if someone were unfortunate enough to lose their life, then it was simply their bad luck.
Moreover, if even he, the Minister of Magic, was willing to sacrifice himself, what right did others have to complain?
Scrimgeour had long grown tired of those weak, cowardly people who always wanted to run away at the first sign of danger, especially after Dumbledore's death. The Ministry of Magic had started to decline, and yet they had the audacity to point fingers at him, blaming him for the turmoil in the wizarding world. Scrimgeour found it utterly laughable.
As someone with one foot in the grave, he had nothing left to lose. Failure meant death.
As Dementors swarmed above the heads of the crowd and Death Eaters, along with a large group of Dark wizards, attempted to control and capture the wedding guests, no one noticed the changes occurring above them.
At the outermost region of the area, a large defensive barrier was quietly unfolding, aiming to envelop everyone within its confines.
Their goal was to ensure that everyone who had come would stay, and this was the most challenging part. Merely prohibiting Disapparition was not enough.
"That's impressively quick, but it makes sense. They're going all out."
Albert surveyed their surroundings, and after confirming there were no immediate dangers, he raised his wand towards the night sky, casting a defensive spell to help expedite the formation of a large defensive barrier.
Even though a few people had noticed the large barrier above, it was too late to do anything but watch as the milky-white light arched over their heads, forming a semi-circular dome that trapped them all inside.
Now, they were like fish in a barrel.
Albert had mentioned that the mysterious figure wouldn't show up, but that was merely a prophecy, and even though Scrimgeour had prepared a sweet, poisonous bait for him, there was no guarantee he wouldn't see through it.
No, he would definitely see through it.
Unless Voldemort struck him directly, it was only a matter of time before he realized something was amiss, and it wouldn't take long for him to Apparate from the Ministry of Magic to this place.
They had to defeat the Death Eaters here as quickly as possible, then rush back to the Ministry, re-establish control, and expel the controlled wizards before the mysterious figure arrived.
Scrimgeour was confident that a severely weakened Voldemort wouldn't dare to continue his assault on the Ministry.
And the source of Scrimgeour's confidence was Albert.
Even though the number of Death Eaters was indeed large, nearly a hundred dark wizards, not a single Auror was intimidated. They had been informed beforehand that they wouldn't be fighting alone.
With Albert by their side, they had a pillar of strength, not only because of his extraordinary combat prowess but also because of the victories he had brought to the Ministry time and again.
The once unstoppable Dementors were now being crushed and scattered by the summoned Patronuses.
With the Aurors joining the fray, the advantage the Death Eaters had enjoyed was quickly reversed.
The large wedding tent was ablaze, and aside from a few elderly wizards who looked shaken, most people bravely stood their ground and protected themselves.
As Albert glanced around, he noticed members of the Defense Association working together seamlessly to take down several troublesome Death Eaters.
"Good job," Albert nodded in satisfaction, and with a slight wave of his wand, he manipulated a table, knocking down a Death Eater who had attempted to sneak attack them.
"How's the situation?"
"Should be fine. The Aurors and Order members are handling the Death Eaters, and the other guests are putting up a fight as well," Cedric handed a stray wand to Zachariah as he spoke to Albert, "Your special training was quite effective. These dark wizards aren't as formidable as I expected."
"That's to be expected. The average dark wizard isn't that skilled. They just know a bit more about the Dark Arts, but that's about it," Albert explained as he casually waved his wand, binding the fallen dark wizard with ropes. A simple Stunning Spell wasn't reliable enough.
"I'm sure Scrimgeour will be very pleased with tonight's harvest," Albert added.
It was clear that they were winning tonight.
These troublemakers who had dared to disrupt the wedding would pay a heavy price for their actions.
No one would sympathize with the Death Eaters who would soon face their execution.
"Let's head over there to help the others. I've noticed that the Aurors' skills are rather mediocre," Albert suggested.
Fred cast a spell to disarm a Death Eater who was confronting an Auror, and George followed up with a Stunning Spell, taking down their opponent and securing the kill.
Zachariah then used the Summoning Charm to snatch the wand out of the air, and their coordinated combat formation left onlookers stunned.
Was this even fair?
"What are you guys up to?" Ron grumbled as he watched his potential target get snatched away. He had been preparing to take down a dark wizard by himself, but his opportunity was stolen right before his eyes.
"Where's Albert?" Harry asked as he, Hermione, and Ron joined the group. They had no intention of fleeing, and at this point, there was no way to escape anyway.
Fortunately for them, Voldemort hadn't shown up, and they were only dealing with Death Eaters. These intruders weren't as well-prepared as the Aurors and Order members, so aside from the initial chaos, the situation was under control.
"I'm right here," Albert replied.
"Then what are you doing?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"This is a training opportunity for you, and I'm here to provide backup, aren't I?" Albert explained.
"You sure have a unique way of putting it when you're being lazy," Harry commented.
"Lazy? Of course not," Albert said as he raised his wand, deflecting an incoming dark spell.
"If I hadn't aimed that spell correctly earlier, something else would have blocked it. Don't try to use Protego to resist; it's only moderately effective against dark magic," Albert reminded them.
Then, he took down another Death Eater who was attempting a sneak attack, "And don't get distracted. Be careful not to get ambushed. Your enemies won't be gentlemanly enough to duel you one-on-one."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
