Chapter 1362: A Door-jammed Brain
Chapter 1362: A Door-jammed Brain
" ... It has been confirmed that a fierce battle took place in Hogsmeade Village last night, and according to eyewitnesses, many houses have been severely damaged.
The Hogwarts Poltergeist also revealed to us that a large number of Ministry of Magic Aurors showed up at Hogwarts yesterday, led by the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Macnair, who is known for his love of beheading people...
To be honest, the Death Eaters were more prepared than we expected. Let's hope that the group of charming foreign dark wizards occupying Hogsmeade Village are safe."
"We don't have any further information yet... Oh, here it comes. What a lucky break for us."
Lee Jordan excitedly shared the latest news with his listeners by the radio, after receiving a parchment from his house-elf, Dobby.
"According to the latest reports, the Death Eaters who launched a surprise attack on Hogsmeade last night eventually suffered a heavy price as they attempted to retake the wizarding village from the group of foreign dark wizards. An anonymous source has also provided some interesting additional information..."
Lee Jordan nodded to Kingsley, who had just entered the studio, indicating for him to wait by the side for a moment.
"Led by Yaxley, the Death Eaters and a large number of dark wizards went to Hogsmeade, intending to retake their black market base from the group of foreigners. However, as the number of foreign dark wizards far exceeded Yaxley's group, both sides eventually resorted to a hasty duel to determine the ultimate ownership of Hogsmeade Village."
"That's right, and I think you can all guess the outcome. The Death Eaters lost. The foreign dark wizards sent a powerful wizard named Boswill, who effortlessly killed three Death Eaters participating in the duel right in front of Yaxley, forcing them to temporarily retreat from Hogsmeade Village."
As Lee Jordan spoke, he couldn't help but wonder if this Boswill was Albert in disguise.
However, he also knew that Albert wasn't fond of killing and usually refrained from taking lives himself.
He quickly dismissed the thought because...
"However, these foreigners obviously didn't realize how unreliable the Death Eaters are. Yaxley gathered even more accomplices and launched a surprise attack on Hogsmeade in the middle of the night. The small number of foreign dark wizards left in Hogsmeade were no match for them, and Boswill was besieged by a large group of Death Eaters yesterday, ultimately meeting his end in Hogsmeade..."
In the studio, Lee Jordan, armed with the latest information, enthusiastically filled in the details of the previous night's battle, disparaging the Death Eaters while also sharing news that would undoubtedly boost the morale of those resisting Voldemort.
"Oh, almost forgot. We also have a special guest today who will analyze for us whether our dear Mr. Yaxley's brain has been jammed by a door."
Kingsley was a frequent guest on Wizarding Wireless Network and was familiar to the listeners.
"Thank you, I'm Kingsley."
Kingsley took the microphone from Lee Jordan.
"I'd like to share some good news with everyone first. According to the latest reports, after last night's battle, both the Death Eaters and the foreign dark wizards have indeed suffered heavy losses, with at least..."
"...I think the Death Eaters must have their brains jammed by doors!"
Ron finally came to this conclusion after hearing Fred's description.
The Death Eaters and the foreign dark wizards had engaged in mutual slaughter, resulting in heavy losses on both sides?
People were hoping for more of such incidents.
It would be even better if the Death Eaters and the foreign dark wizards could destroy each other completely.
Harry and Hermione remained silent, not voicing their opinions on the matter. They both felt that something about this situation was amiss.
"Aberforth believes that the conflict between the two groups most likely stems from a clash of interests," Sirius said as he poured pumpkin juice for everyone from a large cup.
"Why do you say that?"
"Many dark wizards are willing to join the Mysterious Man's forces mainly to make some money. Ever since Hogsmeade became Britain's black market, many have naturally tried to profit from it. That group of foreigners who have been making a fortune in the black market have naturally become their targets. But those who can operate in the black market are no pushovers, so conflicts broke out, and even several Death Eaters were killed."
"But, Yaxley deliberately turned Hogsmeade into a black market, surely not just for this reason, right?" Hermione instinctively felt that something about this didn't add up.
"Probably to make money and, at the same time, help recruit some foreign dark wizards for Vol... the Mysterious Man," Sirius said with a hint of schadenfreude as he spoke of this matter. "In fact, Britain's most vicious and ruthless batch of dark wizards were mostly killed by Scrimgeour and his Aurors during his time in office. The remaining ones are mostly second-rate."
"Yaxley's actions may not seem too unsavory, but he forgot that just as he wants to make money, so do his subordinates. So, Hogsmeade ended up like this."
Lupin's expression was rather peculiar. Having once dwelled in the lower levels of the wizarding world, he understood the mindset of the dark wizards there. Perhaps the attack on Hogsmeade, the slaughter, and the looting of the foreign dark wizards were exactly what the Death Eaters had hoped for—an opportunity to line their pockets amidst the chaos.
As for sustainability, what does that have to do with them?"
"I think that's a great topic too, and perhaps we should have Kingsley discuss it specifically and let everyone know what kind of people the Mysterious Man and his cronies are."
Fred took out a small notebook from his pocket and recorded this idea.
"When did you start taking notes?" Ron asked, looking at George in surprise.
"Who do you think has as much free time as you? We're very busy, with a ton of things to do every day. Writing things down helps me avoid forgetting," Fred said, glancing at Ron's puzzled face. He added with a slight smirk, "Also, don't you think it adds a touch of class?"
"Class?" Ron asked, his face full of confusion.
How did taking notes become a classy thing?
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you," Fred said, turning to Lupin. "Lupin, when you go in later, please discuss this with Kingsley. I bet a lot of people would love to see the ugly truth about the Death Eaters and those dark wizards."
"Sure," Lupin replied.
"There's one more thing I hope you can emphasize," Fred continued.
"What's that?"
"Not everyone can be rich. For those dark wizards who join the ranks of the Mysterious Man's followers, the fastest way to improve their lot is to plunder from other wizards."
"Do you intend to create conflict between the two groups?"
Hearing Fred's suggestion, everyone frowned.
"No, that's just the reality," Fred shrugged. "This is actually Albert's original idea, but many people haven't realized it yet. Whether it's you, the Death Eaters, or those idiots trying to stay neutral in this war, they all fail to recognize that not everyone in this world can live a comfortable life. Moreover, they don't seem to grasp that most of the wealth is hoarded in the vaults of ancient wizarding families, and half of those families are Death Eater supporters."
"You're right, they are incredibly foolish," Sirius chimed in.
Lupin understood Fred's implication and the angle he wanted him to take when discussing this matter.
As Lupin and Sirius headed toward the studio, Harry suddenly said, "Do you think this has something to do with Albert?"
Fang Yue, who had just brought drinks to the studio, couldn't help but ask, "Why do you say that?"
"This situation is obviously unusual, and highly unusual events are likely to be caused by Albert," Hermione explained to the group. "The fierce battle between the Death Eaters and the foreign dark wizards, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides—it all seems rather peculiar."
"Is that possible?"
Ron was the first to express his skepticism. He didn't think the Death Eaters and the foreign dark wizards were fools. If they were, they wouldn't be causing so much trouble.
"I think it's quite possible," Fred ignored Ron and explained to the curious onlookers, "Recently, Albert has been up to something, and we all believed that he was about to make a big move."
"So, you think he's behind this?"
"That guy's moves are beyond the understanding of ordinary people," Fred said with a smile. "Just like we all know that Scrimgeour's success in taking down so many Death Eaters had something to do with Albert, even though he never admitted it himself."
"This isn't as difficult as you think," Harry said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "As Lupin mentioned earlier, as long as you stir up conflict between the two sides, the clash of interests between the Death Eaters and the foreign dark wizards was bound to explode eventually." He added contemplatively, "If we have a few more incidents like this, the Horcrux in the form of Voldemort's snake might end up all alone."
Of course, such thoughts could only be entertained in the privacy of their minds.
But there was one thing Harry had to admit—Albert was truly remarkable.
In just two years, he had significantly weakened Voldemort's forces.
Now, it was up to him to finish the job.
Destroying all the Horcruxes was crucial, and currently, only two remained to be eliminated.
Harry had already devised a plan to deal with Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, hidden in the Room of Requirement, but the Hufflepuff Cup in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts remained a tricky problem.
Harry had considered using the Imperius Curse to control the goblin, Bogrod, as Bill had suggested, but ever since the goblins had been troubled by the Death Eaters, they had retreated deeper underground.
He had missed a good opportunity.
Now, he had no choice but to break into Gringotts and figure something out. Although the trio had prepared several backup plans, Harry still felt uneasy about it. He couldn't afford to fail in his mission to destroy the Horcruxes.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked perceptively.
"Nothing," Harry replied.
He took another sip of pumpkin juice to hide his expression.
"You don't look like nothing's wrong," Ron said.
"I'm just a bit worried about our progress," Harry said, half-truthfully.
"Don't worry, Harry. You still have plenty of time to complete Dumbledore's task," Hermione reassured him. "Besides, mastering the Blasting Curse is not something that can be rushed."
"I know," Harry sighed. "But we can't count on the snake Horcrux getting its head stuck in a door, can we?"
(End of Chapter)
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