Chapter 1359: That's Right, It's a Conspiracy
Chapter 1359: That's Right, It's a Conspiracy
Failure! After the Death Eaters retreated from Hogsmeade, the atmosphere in the group was oppressively gloomy. Many stole furtive glances at Yaxley from the corners of their eyes. Though they said nothing, their eerie silence seemed to tacitly blame Yaxley.
Death Eaters were intolerant of failure, especially when it came to matters of great importance.
Yaxley had long sensed the strange gazes directed at him, and he knew he had to say something.
"I regret the deaths of Morag and the others, but... perhaps you've all realized that something is amiss. This was likely a plot orchestrated by Albert Anderson!" Yaxley knew he had to come up with a plausible excuse to convince them and, at the same time, shake off the potential label of incompetence that loomed over him.
"That black wizard, Bowell, who appeared earlier was very unusual. Many of you knew Morag, and you should be aware that he wasn't weak. Perhaps some of you could have defeated him, but there certainly aren't many black wizards who could have done so as effortlessly as Bowell," Yaxley continued.
"And then there are the Patronuses. I've never seen a black wizard use a Patronus before. Of course, there may be some who can, but it's definitely rare. Yet, we just encountered quite a few of them—a total of..."
"...seven Patronuses," Snape added expressionlessly, noticing Yaxley's pleading gaze.
"Yes, seven. Now, who among you is skilled at casting Patronuses?" Yaxley looked around, relieved to have temporarily persuaded the other Death Eaters. "None, right? The appearance of seven Patronuses in Hogsmeade is highly irregular. Don't forget that only black wizards would be conducting business there these days. So, I dare say that this is definitely the doing of that Mudblood, trying to prevent us from taking control of Hogsmeade. Moreover..." Yaxley paused for effect, "...don't you find that previous duel rather strange?"
"That Bowell fellow is formidable, and I doubt anyone here could match him. What do you plan to do next?" Snape interjected, steering the conversation away from an awkward silence and giving Yaxley a face-saving opportunity.
The latter shot him a grateful glance.
"Hogsmeade must be retaken!" Yaxley declared loudly to the surrounding Death Eaters, sharing his speculations. "Those black wizards who remained in Hogsmeade aren't as powerful as you might think. Ultimately, they lack our unity, which is why that damn Mudblood resorted to the so-called duel to the death, taking the stage himself to suppress us and boost the confidence of those wizards in opposing us."
"But when have we ever relied on duels to solve problems? That Mudblood is too naive," Yaxley scoffed.
"What if that Mudblood interferes again when we make our move?"
Many of the Death Eaters were apprehensive about Albert, fearing they would fall into his traps and lose their lives.
Those who had survived previous encounters with the Ministry of Magic were especially concerned.
Thus, after Yaxley shifted the blame to Anderson, the Death Eaters stopped complaining about the failure, and some even felt that the failure was inevitable.
After all, even the mysterious Lord Voldemort had once been outmaneuvered by that Mudblood, let alone Yaxley.
They should consider themselves lucky to have escaped Hogsmeade unscathed. What more could they ask for?
"Then we'll strike when that Mudblood isn't in Hogsmeade. I plan to launch a night raid on Hogsmeade. I refuse to believe he'll stay there around the clock to aid those black wizards," Yaxley asserted, his spirits revived as he began to pick up the pieces and make preparations for the next attempt. "We'll soothe those Dementors and enlist their help once more to lead the charge and intimidate our enemies. As for..."
"My informant in Hogsmeade village just sent me a message," Alecto interrupted, pulling out an inconspicuous metal card from her pocket and glancing at its contents before continuing. "Apparently, those fools are planning a celebration to mark our defeat."
"I think tonight would be a good opportunity. The group of dark wizards in Hogsmeade will never expect us to suddenly launch a sneak attack on them."
Everyone looked puzzled, curious about what Alecto's metal card was.
"I recall this is... one of Anderson's communication tools?" Snape recognized the metal card as one of the communication bookmarks.
"Yes, indeed. It's something that mudblood came up with, and it's undeniably convenient for sending messages." Alecto handed the communication bookmark to Yaxley, who understood what had transpired after glancing at its contents.
"Is there more? We need similar communication tools," Yaxley said, his eyes lighting up as he turned to Alecto, as if expecting her to pull out another communication bookmark from her pocket.
"That's the only one, taken from a student." Alecto reached out to take back the communication bookmark.
"Lend me your connection for now. I need to keep abreast of the situation in Hogsmeade," Yaxley requested. While he had his own informants in Hogsmeade, they weren't as convenient as Alecto's for providing updates and facilitating their next move.
"Alright, but remember to return it to me."
Alecto hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.
"I owe you one."
However, Yaxley had no idea who was on the other end of the communication bookmark.
As he watched Yaxley's retreating back, Snape furrowed his brows, feeling that something about this situation was amiss.
"What are you thinking about?"
Alecto turned to look at the concerned expression on Snape's face and asked curiously.
"If that Bowell fellow is indeed Albert Anderson in disguise, would he really invite everyone to get drunk in celebration?"
"Do you think this is a series of traps?"
Alecto suspected that Snape was overthinking things. Unless the dark wizards in Hogsmeade were all disguised members of the Order of the Phoenix, they couldn't possibly deceive the Death Eaters' informants in the village.
And that was clearly impossible.
If the dark wizards in Hogsmeade Village were all disguised members of the Order of the Phoenix and the Defense Association, then they should just flee Britain immediately.
"The Anderson I know is not a naive man, and I don't believe he would think that we would easily give up on Hogsmeade," Snape muttered. "This celebration seems to be telling you, 'Come and attack us.'"
"That's just your speculation," Alecto interrupted.
"Yes, it is just my speculation, so I didn't try to stop Yaxley. Not only does he need to regain the authority he just lost, but..." Snape turned and began walking back towards Hogwarts Castle, intending to find time to discuss this matter with Dumbledore.
Things were also going well for Yaxley. Soothing the Dementors was quite simple—all he had to do was provide them with ample food and fill their hungry bellies.
Thus, Yaxley kept his promise to the Dementors and prepared a grand feast for them, and an unfortunate Muggle village happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Staring at the Muggle village that had been turned into a hellish landscape by the Dementors, Yaxley ordered the Death Eaters to turn the villagers into Inferi, and finally, he planned to burn the village to the ground, leaving no trace of their deed.
"I will not fail tonight. Even that mudblood won't be able to stop me," Yaxley muttered to himself as he watched the village burn.
He was well aware of their advantage—their numbers were greater, and they were more united than their opponents.
The dark wizards in Hogsmeade were ultimately there to make a profit, and none of them would be willing to risk their lives in a large-scale war against other dark wizards for such a ridiculous reason.
That was why the mudblood had used that dueling method to drive them back, giving the remaining dark wizards the false impression that the Death Eaters were not as formidable as they seemed.
To ensure victory, Yaxley not only gathered more helpers but also planned to mobilize the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic as backup. He didn't believe that with all the advantages on his side, the mudblood could still turn the tables on them.
(End of Chapter)
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