Chapter 1357: Assisting from the Sidelines
Chapter 1357: Assisting from the Sidelines
"Ahem."
A dry cough interrupted the conversation in the office. Snape turned to his left, and a figure appeared in the previously empty portrait frame.
Phineas, who had hurried back to his portrait, relayed a message to Snape, "Headmaster, Alecto asked me to inform you that he will be paying you a visit after 10 p.m. tonight."
"Regarding Hogsmeade?"
"Yes, it's about Hogsmeade." Phineas confirmed, "Alecto seems to have received some bad news and looks very angry."
"I see." Snape glanced at the clock on the wall. Seeing that it was almost half an hour before the agreed time, he continued his conversation with Dumbledore about the recent events.
When he mentioned his suspicion that Professor McGonagall and the others had ulterior motives for staying at Hogwarts, the portrait of Dumbledore also fell silent for a moment.
"You're worried that Minerva might stir up trouble, aren't you?" Dumbledore guessed Snape's concern.
"As you know, I never wanted this job as headmaster." Snape's words were filled with resentment.
Ever since he became the headmaster of Hogwarts, troubles seemed to find him incessantly.
Especially after Hogwarts was asked to expel Muggle-born students, he hadn't had a moment's peace.
Moreover, to uphold his promise to Dumbledore, he had almost become a professional 'babysitter' for those troublesome students who enjoyed causing him grief.
Dumbledore was well aware of Snape's predicament and quickly offered reassurance, "They don't have any grand plans, if that's what you're worried about."
Seeing Snape's skepticism, he continued, "Mr. Anderson had a prophecy long ago that foretold Hogwarts as the final battleground of this wizarding war, which is why Minerva and the others have stayed at the school, waiting for that day to come while also protecting the students from Death Eaters."
"Pansy Parkinson's disappearance has nothing to do with them."
"Aside from the Defense Association and the Order of the Phoenix, I can't think of anyone else who would do such a thing." Snape glanced at the clock again and then back at Dumbledore, "And lately, there have been so many strange occurrences."
"Oh? What strange things?" Dumbledore asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The Dark Lord has been searching for the wandmaker, Gregorovitch, abroad for several months now, and he doesn't seem to be giving up."
"I recall us discussing this matter previously." Dumbledore said.
Snape felt that Dumbledore wasn't being entirely truthful; anyone who wasn't a fool would realize that there was something amiss about this situation.
What was Voldemort truly seeking?
"Pansy Parkinson's disappearance without a trace is peculiar. And the situation in Hogsmeade has become inscrutable as well. Alecto even intends to wage war against the foreign dark wizards occupying the village."
"I'd wager you have an idea about the reason behind all this?"
"I don't know any more than you, Severus." Dumbledore smiled gently, "I am dead, and the dead rarely receive new information. Without sufficient intelligence to work with, how can one make accurate judgments?"
Snape remained silent, but it was clear that he was unconvinced.
If things hadn't taken such an enigmatic turn, he wouldn't have sought potentially useful intelligence from Dumbledore.
"Sometimes, a change in perspective can make seemingly strange events appear quite simple." Dumbledore guided.
"A change in perspective?"
"Why is the Dark Lord searching for the old wandmaker?"
"Because he feels threatened by Anderson's rise." Snape murmured.
"Indeed, the Dark Lord even abandoned his plan to kill Harry personally." Dumbledore nodded, "I remember you telling me this yourself."
"If Minerva's odd behavior is connected to Anderson, then... it stands to reason that he's also behind Pansy Parkinson's disappearance. But why would he do such a thing? What benefit does he gain from making her disappear?" Snape voiced his confusion.
"I don't know, but it's likely connected to him somehow."
Naturally, Dumbledore couldn't possibly know everything.
"If Anderson is planning to take back control of Hogwarts by manipulating the Death Eaters, I suggest you speak with him first."
"I think you greatly underestimate the Dark Lord.
"Phineas interjected.
Ignoring Phineas, Dumbledore continued, "Regarding Hogsmeade, if you think about it carefully, doesn't it seem rather familiar?"
"Familiar?" Snape asked.
"Back then, Scrimgeour's Ministry of Magic inflicted heavy casualties on the Death Eaters, even dealing a severe blow to their forces," Dumbledore reminded him.
"Do you think Anderson is manipulating this dispute from behind the scenes?" Snape couldn't believe his ears.
"He intends to make the dark wizards and Death Eaters destroy each other?"
"Indeed, that sounds very much like something Mr. Anderson would do," Dumbledore mused softly. "In this world, there are no such things as coincidences."
"How did he manage to do that?"
"That, I'm afraid, is something you'll have to ask him yourself."
Evidence?
Sometimes, one didn't need so-called evidence; mere suspicion was enough.
Their conversation was interrupted by the emerald-green flames that erupted in the fireplace.
When Yaxley stepped out of the fireplace, Snape was sitting behind the headmaster's desk, attending to the school's affairs.
"Good evening, I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Yaxley brushed off the soot from his clothes, pulled out his wand, and conjured a comfortable armchair for himself, sitting down opposite Snape.
"What do you need my cooperation for?" Snape asked directly.
"According to the latest intelligence I've received, the group in Hogsmeade village is planning to unite and resist us," Yaxley said, his face grim. "I intend to teach them a lesson they'll never forget."
"Tell me your plan," Snape said expressionlessly.
Yaxley shared his intentions to march on Hogsmeade with their forces, including the Dementors... but Snape frowned deeply upon hearing his plan.
Yaxley's approach was essentially to use force to coerce the other side into submission, but would that really work? Snape could see where Yaxley was coming from, but he didn't want to engage in a direct clash with the dark wizards occupying Hogsmeade, lest they suffer more casualties and have to answer to the Dark Lord.
However, they couldn't just leave Hogsmeade unattended, or the Dark Lord might deem him a failure who couldn't even handle minor issues.
"I understand your concerns, but do you really think that's possible?"
Snape felt that Yaxley had been in the Ministry for too long, as his approach had become overly politicized.
"What do you mean?" Yaxley asked.
"If it were the Dark Lord, then making those dark wizards fall in line wouldn't be a problem. But for us, it's a different story, especially when it comes to their interests. They won't easily back down," Snape said meaningfully. "Remember, they are dark wizards from all over Europe, not British residents. If you want them to back down, you'll likely need to rely on that. Moreover, don't forget that several Death Eaters have already perished."
"So, you think that our only option is..."
"No, I'm just reminding you to give up unrealistic fantasies and not to pin your hopes on luck," Snape interrupted.
Yaxley finally realized how ridiculous his initial plan was.
Their Death Eaters were not politicians who excelled at playing political games.
"If the dark wizards in Hogsmeade all oppose us..." Yaxley's face grew even grimmer. Even if he added up all the Death Eaters who had died, they still might not outnumber the dark wizards in the village. Many of the newly recruited Death Eaters were not exceptional fighters, as evidenced by the recent losses.
"If we don't have enough numbers, we can only use force to coerce them into submission," Snape said, his lips twisting.
"We could also wait for the Dark Lord to return and let him handle it. He might even be pleased to have a new batch of followers," Yaxley suggested.
"No, that's absolutely unacceptable," Yaxley said, refusing to be branded as incompetent.
"I admit that their collective strength is not weak, but... it's difficult for them to unite. With just a little external pressure, they're likely to fall apart. No one will be willing to risk their lives to oppose us," Snape argued.
Having finally tasted power, Yaxley was not about to let it go easily. He decided to go all in, betting that the dark wizards in Hogsmeade would crumble under pressure.
(End of Chapter)
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