Chapter 1321: A Horde of Harry Potters (Part 2)
Chapter 1321: A Horde of Harry Potters (Part 2)
"Why can't we come along?"
A string of complaints echoed through the training room as many of the unselected members voiced their protests and dissatisfaction. They wanted to be a part of the upcoming action against the Death Eaters.
"Alright, enough with the grumbling. If you want to be involved, put in some extra effort with your Dark Magic Defense training." Albert quieted the noisy group. "I hope you realize that this is no game. Our opponents are infamous Death Eaters and the mysterious man. Don't let your foolish arrogance and pride get you killed."
The complaints ceased.
They could only grumble verbally, and those who had been chosen were indeed the best among the Defense Association.
"Now, those who were selected, gather here."
Everyone quickly lined up, each holding a small cup given to them by Shana.
Albert held a bottle of potion that bubbled like mud and walked in front of them.
"What is this?"
Angelina frowned as she looked at the bottle and asked.
"A compound potion." Fred explained.
"Looks like we'll be disguising ourselves as someone else." Kenneth was a bit surprised but also relieved.
Albert uncorked the bottle, took out a few strands of hair from somewhere, and dropped them into the potion. He gently shook the bottle, and the potion began to bubble and smoke. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a clear golden liquid.
"Wow, whose hair is that?" Lee Jordan asked.
"Harry Potter's."
Albert began pouring the potion into the cups held by the group, reminding them, "It should last for about three hours. After drinking it, go over there and change your clothes, then come back here to assemble."
The compound potion didn't taste very pleasant; it was a bit harsh on the throat, causing many to cough violently after taking a sip.
In the blink of an eye, twelve Harry Potters appeared in the room.
Albert waved his wand, causing his clothes to automatically adjust to his current body. He took the glasses that Shana handed him, thanked her, and put them on. His vision immediately cleared.
When he turned his head, he saw the others changing clothes without a care, unabashedly displaying Harry's body since it wasn't their own.
"I bet the students of Hogwarts will be in for a shock."
George took the glasses from Shana and put them on, then casually caught the Invisibility Cloak that Fred tossed to him and draped it over his shoulders.
"They won't just be shocked; I bet they'll be stunned."
"Alright, everyone, gather around."
Albert brought out a board and began explaining the plan for their upcoming mission.
The plan was simple: Albert, along with Fred and George, would enter the train and deal with the Death Eaters inside, while another group, led by Cedric, would be responsible for handling the Death Eaters and Dementors outside.
"Once the battle outside is over, light up the sky with this." Albert handed a tube-like object similar to a firework to Lee Jordan.
"What is this? A firework?" Lee Jordan fiddled with the object in his hand and asked.
"It's the Defense Association's signal." Albert explained, "After the battle is over, quickly gather the spoils of war and retreat according to the original plan. I want the entire process to be done within ten minutes. Don't give the enemies any time to react."
After finishing his explanation, Albert turned to Cedric and asked, "You're leading the team. Is that alright?"
"I don't have a problem with it, but aren't you supposed to be leading this time?" Cedric asked, a bit puzzled.
"I'll be going inside the train to deal with the Death Eaters in there. You'll be coming with me." Albert glanced at the Weasley twins, who were busy poking each other's cheeks.
"How did you recognize us?" Fred and George were both curious.
"Only you two would do something so childish." Davis quipped.
"I think there's no need to repeat it, right?" Albert tapped his wand on the three key points highlighted on the board.
"No need, I'll keep an eye on them." Cedric gave Albert a reassuring look, having caught on to his plan.
"We're not three-year-olds."
"Alright, take your brooms and let's go." Albert pulled up the hood of his cloak, politely declined the broom offered by Cho Chang, and walked towards the exit.
"Can you already fly in the sky without a broom?" Lee Jordan asked curiously.
"We're going inside the train." Fred said.
"No need for brooms." George added.
The other members of the Defense Association came to see them off.
"Cheer up, we'll bring you back some souvenirs."
"We want the Death Eaters' underwear!" Someone shouted out.
Amidst the laughter, Albert used the Disillusionment Charm to lead the group away.
As their vision cleared, they were greeted by pouring rain. Some members who hadn't pulled up their hoods in time were instantly soaked.
"I hate the rain, and I hate wearing glasses even more."
Kenneth pulled up his hood to shield himself from the rain as much as possible.
The next moment, they seemed to hear a strange sound, and suddenly, several mushroom-like ice umbrellas appeared out of thin air, sheltering the group from the downpour.
"Did you know about this beforehand?"
Angelina was trying to steam-dry her clothes.
"Just taking some precautionary measures."
Albert took out a map to pinpoint the exact location of the Hogwarts Express so that they could seize the opportunity to act once the train was stopped by the Death Eaters.
"You should have about five to ten minutes."
Albert closed the pocket watch he was holding and handed the map to Cedric. "Fred, George, and I will go ahead and board the train. You shouldn't have any problems here."
"No problem, leave it to me." Cedric knew that Albert was giving him a chance to prove himself.
"See you later."
Fred bid Angelina farewell, then placed his hand on Albert's shoulder. The three of them disappeared from view.
When they reappeared, they were standing by the train tracks. In the distance, the Hogwarts Express was approaching.
"I thought you'd take us directly onto the train using Disillusionment." Fred was curious about the method Albert would use.
"That would be too noticeable. I have a simpler way."
"What way is that?"
"You'll see in a moment."
Intruding onto the train was even smoother than Fred and George had expected. Albert didn't even use any impressive magic.
The window of the last carriage had been opened beforehand, and Albert led them directly through it. Strangely, there were luggage racks inside the carriage, but no passengers.
"This is Luna's carriage."
Albert noticed the confused looks from Fred and George and calmly explained.
The two brothers exchanged glances, thinking that Albert would use some clever method to infiltrate the train. They couldn't believe that this was it.
"Alright, let's have a drink first and wait for the Death Eaters to come to us before we take action." Albert waved his wand and conjured hot drinks for the group.
"Adventures with you always seem to lack some excitement." Fred said a little glumly.
"Don't complain. The others are still out there getting drenched."
Even with Albert's temporary rain shelter, the rest of the group wasn't very comfortable in the pouring rain.
Kenneth kept wiping his glasses with a cloth to prevent the raindrops from obscuring his vision.
He hated wearing glasses.
"You can cast the Water-Repelling Charm on your glasses to keep them from getting wet and affecting your vision."
Cedric reminded them kindly and helped cast a spell on the glasses of the others.
"Stop complaining. It's not easy to get a chance to be led by Albert himself." Lee Jordan was examining the map in his hand.
"Actually, I've always been curious. Why do we have to disguise ourselves as Harry Potter?" Angelina blurted out, finding the feeling novel but strange.
"Do I need to spell it out? It's obviously to protect you. If the mysterious man and Death Eaters find out you're involved, who knows how they might take revenge on your families." Kenneth felt that the members of the Defense Association weren't very bright. They couldn't even figure out something like this, making things difficult for Albert, who was single-handedly acting as the brain of the entire association.
Of course, Cedric had probably figured it out as well, as he was being groomed as the vice-president of the association.
With Albert's personality, he was the perfect tool.
However, even as a tool, Cedric was lucky.
"What are you thinking about?"
"What's the point of Albert doing this?" Cedric hadn't quite figured it out himself, but there didn't seem to be much time left for them to ponder. The Hogwarts Express was approaching, and as the leader, Cedric felt a bit of pressure. He needed to complete the task Albert had assigned and bring everyone back safely.
"What do you think?"
Lee Jordan had already mounted his broomstick and was ready to take action.
"To show the rest of the British wizarding world that there are still people resisting the mysterious man." Cedric climbed onto his own broom, unfazed by the downpour, a former Hufflepuff Quidditch captain in his own right.
"Someone always needs to carry the torch and lead the way forward." Truman spoke softly, and while he didn't quite understand why Albert wasn't taking the lead himself, he trusted that he had his reasons.
"And you?"
Lee Jordan rode his broom into the air and turned to Kenneth beside him.
"Probably to unite the students of Hogwarts and, through them, bring their parents on board as well." Kenneth shrugged. "Our numbers are insufficient to counter the mysterious man, even if every member of the association had the skills of an elite Auror. If we truly want to stand against him, we need to unite more people, and Albert's move is ingenious. If many people lack the courage to face him, he's giving them a reason they can't refuse."
"Don't paint Albert with the same brush as you. He's just trying to unite all the forces he can." Truman glanced at Kenneth, correcting him.
Although he felt that Kenneth's words might be true, such things shouldn't be said casually, as they could disrupt the unity within the Defense Association. Moreover, they did need more helpers.
Lee Jordan thought there was another reason—to keep this group of overconfident people in check. It wouldn't be easy to stop them from causing trouble, so it was better for Albert to lead them on a major mission himself. At least, that way, there would be fewer problems, and the intimidation of the mysterious man would keep them in line for a while.
"Let's go!"
The nine of them rode their brooms, using the cover of the rain, and flew in a spear formation toward the Hogwarts train in the distance.
It was a brief charge, and soon they could sense the ominous presence of Dementors.
However, this didn't pose much of a challenge. Those chosen for this mission were the cream of the crop from the Defense Association.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Cedric raised his wand and summoned his Patronus. The others followed suit, sending their Patronuses flying at the forefront of their formation.
"Attack!"
The black-robed wizards who had been guarding the train in the rain were immediately drawn to the dazzling display of Patronuses.
However, they were powerless to stop them.
The Patronuses weren't targeting the wizards but were instead rushing toward the Dementors that surrounded the train, feeding on the students' happiness.
A swarm of Patronuses charged forward, causing the Dementors to flee in terror.
The battle commenced.
Several spells flew toward the black-robed wizards riding brooms in the air, and in an instant, several unfortunate souls tumbled from their brooms.
The Defense Association's training paid off, as their aim was impeccable even against moving targets in the sky.
This display left the leading Death Eater stunned. He couldn't comprehend how his companions could be so fragile.
In just one exchange, nearly half of their side had fallen, and to add insult to injury, their opponents seemed to be using only the Stunning Spell.
"It's Harry! I see Harry Potter!"
Someone screamed, though it was unnecessary, as the black-robed wizards had already spotted Harry Potter.
As the spear formation turned around, Lee Jordan pulled out the fireworks Albert had given him and shot one into the dark sky, marking their success.
This was Cedric's idea, to draw the Death Eaters' attention and give them a chance for a second charge.
He was confident that after two rounds of attacks, the Death Eaters wouldn't pose much of a threat.
Cedric's plan worked beautifully. The Death Eaters, caught off guard, were further distracted by the Defense Association's distinctive marking that lit up the dark sky.
There was no time for the Death Eaters to react as Cedric led the second charge. The stunned and helpless Death Eaters could only watch as justice bore down on them, and the last thing they saw was Harry Potter's face.
"We won, and it was easy."
The group cheered in victory.
Cedric glanced at the golden-red emblem of the Defense Association and turned his broom toward the train, leading the "Harry Potters" with him so that everyone would know who was responsible for this triumph.
As expected, when the students on the train saw a group of Harry Potters flying by their windows, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, some even enthusiastically waving at them.
"I'm sure this will give them something to talk about for the next few months." Lee Jordan gazed at the golden-red emblem, a smile tugging at his lips. He intended to use the wizarding watchtower to further spread the news of today's events.
Harry and the Defense Association would surely leave a lasting impression.
"Okay, two to a group, go and collect the spoils of war. Be quick about it."
Soon, the Harry Potters on brooms disappeared, leaving only the emblem—a golden-red shield with a griffin background and crossed wands—hanging prominently in the dark sky.
News of what had happened spread quickly through the Hogwarts Express, and everyone now knew that the emblem, resembling the Hogwarts coat of arms, with a griffin, and crossed wands, belonged to the Defense Association. The legendary savior, the one and only Harry Potter, was still fighting against the mysterious man with his companions.
(End of Chapter)
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