Chapter 1290: Wanted
Chapter 1290: Wanted
The morning sun rose as usual, and those who woke from their slumber remained unaware of the series of momentous events that had transpired the night before. As they went about their morning routines, enjoying their breakfast and perusing the Daily Prophet delivered by owl post, they were utterly unprepared for the bombshell that was about to hit them.
"Scrimgeour Resigns as Minister of Magic."
This jaw-dropping news dominated the front page of the Daily Prophet.
No one knew why Scrimgeour had chosen to step down, but it was certainly out of the ordinary.
Before the wizarding world could recover from their bewilderment, the news of Pius Thicknesse succeeding him as the new minister spread like wildfire.
People gradually pieced together what had transpired, but no one dared to take a stand.
This coup had been executed so quietly that it caused not even a ripple.
Perhaps it was because Voldemort had not openly declared himself as the new ruler, instead choosing to manipulate the Ministry of Magic from behind the scenes.
This was a shrewd move.
Even though Voldemort wasn't physically occupying the Minister's office, he was acknowledged as the de facto Minister of Magic, while Thicknesse was merely a puppet installed to handle the mundane affairs.
This arrangement had an added benefit of avoiding open rebellion from the British wizarding community and potential international complications.
Of course, Voldemort's ambitions didn't stop with merely controlling the Ministry. He also extended his influence to Hogwarts, and Severus Snape's appointment as the new Headmaster was a mere formality away.
As for Dumbledore's murder, the blame naturally fell on none other than the infamous Harry Potter, the number one undesirable. A bounty of ten thousand Galleons was placed on his head.
However, Harry was not alone in this predicament. Albert, too, found himself on the wanted list, and the bounty on his head far surpassed that of the famous savior—a staggering twenty thousand Galleons.
The deaths of those unfortunate souls in his humble abode were pinned on Albert, and even descriptions like "notorious" and "cold-blooded killer" failed to capture the extent of his supposed cruelty.
Yet, the guests who had attended Bill's wedding knew the truth, but not a single one dared to speak up for Albert.
When it came to matters of life and death, they chose to retreat.
Ironically, the person in question didn't seem bothered by this turn of events. Instead, he examined the wanted poster tucked between the pages of the newspaper with a curious gaze.
"So, he's bestowed upon me the title of a murderer, and the bounty is a measly twenty thousand? That's a bit stingy, don't you think?" Albert commented as he sipped his afternoon tea, holding the wanted poster in his hand.
"I recall the highest bounty in the past was around ten thousand. You've probably set a new record with your twenty thousand," Jordan Lee teased, "Are you planning to turn yourself in at the Ministry and claim the bounty on your own head?"
"That's not a bad idea," Albert replied with a twist of his lips. "If they're willing to pay, I don't mind dying once."
"Dying once?"
Cho Chang, seated next to Cedric, looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Using Polyjuice Potion," Shannon replied without hesitation. "We disguise someone else to look like Albert, and they go to claim the bounty in his stead."
"But won't that be exposed once the Polyjuice Potion wears off?"
"The bigger problem is that the British Ministry of Magic won't pay that bounty," Albert shrugged. "Otherwise, he could abandon all pretense and claim the bounty on his own head. After all, twenty thousand Galleons is a substantial sum."
"You're not lacking in money."
The group shot Albert a collective glare, knowing that he had something up his sleeve even though they didn't understand his plan.
"Who says I'm not lacking in money?" Albert placed his teacup on top of his wanted poster. "Running this place requires Galleons too. Do you honestly think the things you use materialize out of thin air?"
An awkward silence fell upon the group.
In this matter, they were of little help.
After all, they were all fresh graduates and as poor as church mice.
"Looks like we'll have to add another task to our to-do list," Jordan suddenly said.
"What task?"
"Robbing Dark Wizards, of course," Jordan said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "From now on, if we encounter any, we'll not only take their wands but also clean out their pockets."
The group actually discussed this proposition seriously.
Unable to help, are they? Well, if they don't have any money, their enemies certainly will.
The once solemn atmosphere suddenly turned bizarre.
"But they're being awfully bold and obvious now. Everyone must know by now that the mysterious figure has taken control of the Ministry," Angelina said doubtfully. "I don't think many people are fools, especially after seeing the changes in the Ministry from The Prophet. Even Harry Potter has been wanted, and there were so many Aurors present when Scrimgeour died."
"Many people will choose to self-hypnotize and refuse to believe these so-called truths," Truman said, having more credibility than most people here due to his previous employment at the Ministry. "As long as their lives and property are not threatened, most Ministry employees don't really care who they work for. After all, everyone is just working for the Ministry, and it doesn't really matter who the Minister is."
"As for the Aurors, it's obviously impossible to expect them to risk their lives to speak out the truth. You can't expect everyone to be like Kingsley and dare to stand up against the Death Eaters," he added.
"It's unbelievable. Didn't many of them experience the last Wizarding War? How could they possibly think that the Death Eaters..." Autumn Zhang was at a loss for words.
"It's precisely because many of them experienced the war that they choose to play it safe and protect themselves and their families," Kenneth said cynically. "Besides, isn't there Harry Potter, the savior?"
As someone who had once mingled in the gray area, Kenneth Tolle understood these things better than most.
In fact, if it weren't for Albert's extraordinary power and the fact that he treated his friends exceptionally well, making him a worthwhile investment, Kenneth wouldn't even be sitting here; he would instead be plotting ways to make money for himself.
"So, what do we do now?" Shana asked, tilting her head.
"We do nothing and wait patiently. The Ministry will soon issue some unfriendly decrees," Albert suddenly asked Jordan Lee, "By the way, how are Mr. and Mrs. Weasley doing?"
"Not good. They're suffering from the Cruciatus Curse, and their bodies are very weak. They can't even go to St. Mungo's for treatment. In the end, it was Professor McGonagall who asked Madam Pomfrey to help," Jordan replied tentatively, "Why don't you go and take a look? I remember you're quite knowledgeable in the field of healing as well."
"Never mind, I'm only average when it comes to healing." Albert shook his head.
"The potion you gave me last time to alleviate the effects of the Cruciatus Curse was very effective," Cedric reminded him, thinking that the Weasley couple might need that potion as well.
"I remember there should be a bottle left in the medicine cabinet. Fred and George must have taken it when they left."
"I think they might have forgotten about it in a hurry," Jordan suddenly said.
"Then let Dobby take it to them. I recall that the potion's effect was only mediocre," Albert said, looking at Cedric, who had more credibility having used the potion himself.
"It was quite effective," Cedric confirmed.
After instructing Dobby to send the potion to the Weasley twins, Albert brought up another purpose for his visit today.
"This weekend, I plan to hold a gathering of the Defense Association to discuss the recent events," Albert said, turning to Jordan. "Also, we need our radio station to report on what has happened."
"Everything?"
"Everything. People have the right to know the truth, to know the unforgivable crimes committed by the Death Eaters and their master, and to know that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and others have been rescued," Albert thought for a moment and continued, "We also need to remind Muggle-born wizards to be vigilant about the changing situation. I believe that the Ministry will start persecuting Muggle-borns soon, and we must warn them in advance so they won't be caught off guard."
"And finally, we need to set up a new branch to accommodate other underage wizards temporarily."
"Why can't they stay here?" Cedric asked, not understanding Albert's reasoning.
"This place won't do. Underage wizards have traces on them, and I don't want this place to be exposed," Albert tapped the table lightly with his fingers, "We need to modify a suitable safe house for them to reside in. This will not only divert the Death Eaters' attention and make them think that's our headquarters, but it will also require everyone's help."
(End of Chapter)
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