Chapter 1280: Lucius' Death
Chapter 1280: Lucius' Death
I knew it would come to this! Watching Albert's departing figure, Scrimgeour heaved a silent sigh, the fleeting joy of thwarting the Death Eaters' plot already dissipating.
He had hoped to rally everyone for a direct confrontation with Voldemort, confident that the recent victory, coupled with the presence of seasoned fighters, would deal a significant blow to the Dark Lord.
If they could wound Voldemort and his Death Eaters today, Britain's magical community would surely enjoy a brief respite, allowing them time to recover and regroup. After all, with heavy losses among the Death Eaters, it was unlikely that any pure-blood wizard would dare to join their ranks.
As for the number of casualties, Scrimgeour wasn't particularly concerned about the figures. War inevitably led to deaths, especially when their enemy was the infamous Dark Lord. As long as the Ministry handled the aftermath properly, everything would be fine.
Unfortunately, after setting the stage, Albert refused to play along or, rather, refused to take the bait.
Even with the use of Felix Felicis, Scrimgeour had failed to convince Albert.
From the start, the plan had seemed so smooth and seamless.
He had promised to ensure Harry's safety during the Weasley wedding, and while helping the Weasley family, he had also dragged them into the fray.
Scrimgeour had hoped to gain Albert's assistance this way, but the plan had failed, and Albert had bluntly refused, seemingly unconcerned about the potential fallout for the Weasley family.
Scrimgeour was perplexed. Wasn't Albert supposed to have a close relationship with the Weasleys?
Had Albert seen through his plan from the beginning, or was he afraid of facing Voldemort directly? Scrimgeour preferred to believe the latter, but the intuition brought on by Felix Felicis suggested that Albert had likely already seen through his scheme.
Or perhaps, as Albert had said earlier, now was not the time to confront Voldemort directly, which was why he had helped deal with the Death Eaters and then turned to leave.
Ah! Despite his premonition, Scrimgeour still felt a sense of loneliness. After all, given a choice, no one wanted to die.
Ultimately, Felix Felicis wasn't all-powerful, and he had already sensed that he was reaching his limit.
Having lost the ace that could have turned the tide, Scrimgeour's options were now limited.
His only chance of survival lay in heeding Albert's advice.
As his thoughts were interrupted by Derichs, Scrimgeour quickly adjusted his mindset, glancing at the Death Eater that the Aurors had brought in. He raised his wand and tapped the ropes binding his old acquaintance, rousing Lucius from his unconscious state.
"Long time no see, Lucius!" Scrimgeour greeted with a smile.
Seeing the sinister smile on Scrimgeour's face, Lucius shuddered, his face contorting in pain. "One hundred thousand galleons... I'll give you one hundred thousand galleons, please don't kill me."
"I gave you a chance to stay put in Azkaban, and you ruined it," Scrimgeour said, raising his wand and casting a curse at the Death Eater beside Lucius.
The bright green light of death suddenly illuminated the room, startling everyone.
"Have you gone mad?" Lucius asked, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked at the lifeless body of Rowle beside him. He couldn't believe Scrimgeour would be so ruthless.
"Do you intend to kill us all?"
"I don't want to, really," Scrimgeour replied, dispatching several Death Eaters in quick succession as the guests looked on in shock.
The Minister has gone mad! That was the first thought that came to the minds of the wizards witnessing the scene.
"Unfortunately, if Voldemort wants me dead and you want me dead, I can't just stand here and accept my fate," Scrimgeour said, a chilling smile spreading across his face, sending shivers down Lucius' spine.
At that moment, Lucius regretted his actions to his core.
But in this world, there were no do-overs or second chances.
"No one deserves to die, and no one should be killed," Scrimgeour continued, pausing to catch his breath as he had just taken out another Death Eater with the Avada Kedavra curse. "I believe, as Death Eaters, you've taken plenty of lives yourselves—wizards and Muggles alike. So don't be afraid of death, and don't let me think less of you."
“You maniac, you absolute maniac!” Lucius screamed in terror.
"See that? Even Death Eaters know fear!" Scrimgeour suddenly turned to address everyone, "As it turns out, they're nothing but a bunch of bullies who only prey on the weak!"
Scrimgeour's statement left everyone stunned, but it had to be said that it was effective. At the very least, they no longer seemed as fearful of the Death Eaters as they had been before.
Scrimgeour didn't want to do this, but he knew he had to boost morale.
"When we're threatened by Death Eaters, the best solution is to use your wands to break their dog legs."
As he spoke, Scrimgeour casually took out two more Death Eaters, his nonchalant killing sending chills down everyone's spines.
"Fear and apprehension are meaningless, as your enemies will not spare you because of them." Scrimgeour silenced Lucius with his wand, "When I took over as Minister of Magic, someone told me that there was a high probability that I would die at the hands of the Dark Lord."
"So, the moment I became Minister of Magic, I accepted that I might be killed by the Dark Lord or his Death Eaters."
"So, don't be afraid, Lucius. Death is just the brief closing of your eyes, and Avada Kedavra will ensure you feel no pain."
Scrimgeour lifted the spell silencing Lucius, "As former friends, do you have any last words?"
"No, wait, I can offer a large sum of galleons, definitely enough to satisfy the Ministry!" Lucius pleaded.
"Unfortunately, that opportunity has passed."
"No, I..."
"It's better that I take care of you here rather than let you continue to bring harm to others. At least no more witches, wizards, or Muggles will die because of you!" Scrimgeour raised his wand and lowered his voice, "Don't be afraid, Lucius. It will all be over soon."
"Avada Kedavra!"
After speaking, Scrimgeour directed the Killing Curse at Lucius.
A flash of green light later, and Lucius's face froze in an expression of sheer terror.
He was dead.
His eyes held a longing for life.
If even he had died, what would become of his son, Draco?
After executing the famous Lucius Malfoy, Scrimgeour turned to face the guests, who were stunned into silence. He asked with feigned confusion, "What are you all still doing here?"
Now that Albert was gone, this bunch would only get in the way if they stayed.
"Didn't you tell them about the current situation?" He asked Kingsley, perplexed.
Kingsley's face wore a bitter smile.
"The Dark Lord could appear at any moment, and you intend to stay here and test your luck?" Scrimgeour retorted.
"Never mind, forget about them. If they want to stay, let them." Scrimgeour checked his pocket watch and instructed, "Round up the remaining Dark Wizards. I'm going to set a fire in a moment and finish them all off."
The tone in which he spoke sent shivers down the spines of even the Aurors; it was chillingly matter-of-fact.
Scrimgeour had just casually killed so many Death Eaters with the Avada Kedavra curse, and now he intended to burn the rest to death.
He was a madman! A bone-chilling madman.
Perhaps only a madman like this could stand against another madman like the Dark Lord! Everyone fell silent.
No one mentioned what to do about those unfortunate souls controlled by the Imperius Curse, as there simply wasn't time to carefully sort through them in the current situation.
"Hurry up! If we don't finish off this lot now, do you expect to let them go and continue to bring harm to others?" Scrimgeour was displeased with the Aurors' sluggishness. He had assumed that while he was speaking, the Aurors would have finished off the enemies.
In the end, he had to be the executioner himself.
Scrimgeour didn't mind, but he disliked others' sluggishness at critical moments.
It could be deadly.
However, it was all too late! Just then, Voldemort had arrived with a group of Death Eaters, cornering them.
By the way, that game is quite nice. It's quite friendly to fans, and I've been playing it a lot lately.
(End of Chapter)
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