Chapter 1284: Wedding? Funeral!
Chapter 1284: Wedding? Funeral!
Months ago, when Dumbledore was inexplicably killed by Snape, Kingsley had been perplexed and sought to understand how things had come to this.
He remembered that before the attack that fateful night, everyone had caught a glimpse of the future through Albert's prophecy, foretelling Dumbledore's impending departure from them.
Most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix had urged Dumbledore to be cautious, with Sirius even bluntly expressing his concerns about Snape. Yet, Dumbledore was still taken by surprise, perishing at the hands of Snape on the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts. The whole incident was shrouded in mystery, almost as if it were a twisted joke.
Yes, it was baffling.
At least, that's how it seemed to Kingsley.
Dumbledore had a very close relationship with Albert, and as the most powerful prophet in centuries, it was odd that Albert wouldn't warn him after foreseeing such an event.
Even if he didn't believe it, one would think he'd at least consider the possibility.
In that situation, how could Snape have succeeded?
From that day on, the entire British wizarding world underwent earth-shattering changes.
As Dumbledore's successor, Harry was clearly unfit for the heavy burden, while Albert Anderson, who could shoulder this responsibility, kept everything to himself and played the role of a mystic, claiming that the "time was not yet right."
Damn the timing.
Now, Scrimgeour was dead, and the Ministry of Magic had been toppled by Voldemort, reduced to nothing more than a tool in his grasp.
What should he do next? Gather those willing to resist the Death Eaters and continue the fight?
To be honest, Kingsley was lost, not because he lacked strength of heart, but because the events of the past two months had left him exhausted.
Kingsley looked up at the sky above the Weasley residence, where the sinister Dark Mark in its emerald green hue floated. He stood there with his mouth slightly agape as a foreboding feeling rose within him. Wherever the Dark Mark appeared, it invariably meant that someone had perished.
He pulled out his detection pocket watch and, after confirming that there were no Death Eaters or dark creatures nearby, he cautiously approached the residence with his wand at the ready to assess the situation.
The scene that greeted him was one of chaos and destruction—a wedding venue in disarray, with the bodies of wizards strewn across the ground. Some were Dark wizards slain by the Aurors in the previous battle, while others were victims of Voldemort or his Death Eaters, including wedding guests. Those who remained, mostly from France, were there to gawk at the spectacle.
It was a helpless situation.
Perhaps Voldemort's name had appeared in French newspapers, but those who had not personally experienced his wrath tended to lack a sense of fear towards him. And so, they met their untimely end here, victims of Voldemort's anger.
After all, Scrimgeour had annihilated the Death Eaters he had sent.
Voldemort needed an outlet for his fury, and these disrespectful individuals became his target.
Just then, the sound of Apparition startled Kingsley, and he quickly raised his wand, alert to the direction of the noise.
Under the cover of night, a group of strangers appeared out of thin air.
"It's me," Albert spoke up.
"How did you get here?" Kingsley asked, surprised.
"When we realized that you were the only one left at the residence, we decided to come and check on the situation," Albert explained, raising his wand to dispel the Dark Mark floating above their heads.
He turned to Kingsley and asked, "Any findings?"
"Not good," Kingsley replied, his eyes scanning the bodies on the ground. "I just spoke with the Aurors, and they confirmed that Scrimgeour is dead." He lowered his voice as he continued, "Many lack the courage to stand against the Death Eaters. They need..."
"That's not important," Albert interrupted, waving his hand. "I never expected much from them. Now, you're probably our best bet to find out what happened to the Weasley couple quickly. I need your help in finding out where the others were taken. It's crucial for us to determine if we can get them out."
"What are you planning to do now?" Kingsley asked, taking the Invisibility Cloak that Albert handed over and looking at him quizzically. "Why are you giving this to me?"
"The Potter family's Invisibility Cloak. It's for your protection. If you lose it, you'll have to explain it to them yourself." Albert continued, "If... "
"No!"
A heart-wrenching scream interrupted their conversation, and they turned to see Bill clutching a body and sobbing uncontrollably.
Charlie was dead.
The second son of the Weasley family had perished.
It wasn't just Charlie; Fleur was also weeping bitterly. Draco and his wife, who had stayed to help evacuate their relatives, had perished not long ago due to their connection to the family.
If it weren't for Louise, Gabrielle's cousin, who had taken her away in time, her sister might have met the same fate.
These young couples, no, these two families had ultimately paid the price for their stubbornness.
Of course, it was also true that they had been dragged down by Scrimgeour's actions.
"If they were indeed taken to Azkaban, intercepting them along the way would be the best course of action. So, we need you to find out their whereabouts." Albert waved his wand, knocking Fleur and Bill unconscious.
"Take them back, and if you want to cry, do it back at headquarters." Albert glanced at the detection pocket watch in his hand and added, "This land is being watched by Dementors, and it's not safe."
Dementors! Everyone was taken aback by this revelation.
"Never underestimate your enemies," Albert warned, giving his pocket watch a slight shake as a reminder. "If you don't want to deal with those creatures, we should leave now."
"But our detection watches aren't showing anything," Jones said, confused, as he looked at his own watch.
"That's normal; your watches are mass-produced and have a smaller detection range." Albert was currently using items he had remade with his old wand, and their effectiveness far surpassed that of the previously manufactured items.
"Albert's right; you should leave this place as well and stay in touch at all times!" Kingsley draped the Invisibility Cloak over himself and disappeared without a trace.
Staring at the spot where Kingsley had vanished, Albert was still puzzled. He couldn't see through the cloak the way he could with a Disillusionment Charm.
"What should we do with the bodies?"
"Let the Ministry of Magic handle it!"
Albert summoned Dobby, the house-elf, and prepared to leave with a Disapparating Charm.
"That's not necessary; we can handle it ourselves..."
"You forget, there's an Anti-Disapparition Jinx cast here. It will take some time before it completely wears off." Albert gestured for everyone to Disapparate and return to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters.
After they brought back the news, a heavy atmosphere descended upon the entire headquarters.
Albert didn't have time to comfort Fred; instead, he was reminding him not to tell George about Charlie's death.
"Why?" Fred asked, his emotions barely held in check after downing two calming potions.
"George is the Secret-Keeper for the headquarters, and it's best for him to stay within the protection of the Fidelius Charm. Only then can this place be considered safe." Albert cautioned, "If he comes here, it means there's a breach in the otherwise impenetrable Fidelius Charm, and it could spell disaster for everyone."
"I believe the Death Eaters will use some extreme methods to interrogate your parents, and they should be able to locate this place soon after."
After giving Fred a stern warning, Albert went to discuss the location of the port with Moody. No matter what, he needed to find out the precise location of Azkaban Prison.
"If the interception fails, do you plan to directly attack Azkaban and stage a prison break?"
Moody was startled by Albert's bold suggestion.
"No, I don't want things to escalate to that level," Albert said, though he was secretly quite intrigued by the idea of breaking into Azkaban, believing it would trigger a highly valuable mission reward.
"Are we leaving now?" Moody inquired.
"Yes, but we need to make some preparations first." Albert nodded, "Make sure to bring Black along; he might come in handy."
(End of Chapter)
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