Chapter 1375: Dismantling the Fortress from Within
Chapter 1375: Dismantling the Fortress from Within
If Albert had been present to hear their conversation, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold back his anger and would have given Snape a good beating to teach him a lesson about powers beyond magic.
How could he, a wizard who advocated for freedom and peace, suddenly be labeled as the White Demon King? This was the biggest slander in history! Ultimately, the blame for this fell on their own heads.
If the members of the Phoenix Society and the British magical community weren't so incompetent, how could it be that even the task of eliminating Voldemort had to be done by his own hand?
Why not let Harry Potter handle it himself? Not only was it exhausting, but he also had to play the villain. Who would willingly endure such grievances?
Fortunately, Albert was unaware of their conversation, otherwise, he would have certainly given these hypocrites a piece of his mind.
...
After his brief exchange with Dumbledore that night, Snape had also tried to minimize the Death Eaters' influence on Hogwarts, but he ultimately failed to change their plan to dismantle the Defense Association. The presence of Dumbledore's Army within Hogwarts was the first step in that plan.
In the following days, the students of Hogwarts were horrified to discover that a large number of rude Death Eaters had appeared in the ancient castle, with the absurd mission of capturing the leader of Dumbledore's Army, Albert Anderson.
Yes, the leader of Dumbledore's Army was Albert Anderson, not the famous savior, Harry Potter.
When this news first spread, it left many Hogwarts students confused. Once they regained their senses, they became even more convinced that the Death Eaters were up to no good.
The reason was simple. Everyone knew that Dumbledore's Army was formed by Harry Potter, yet the Death Eaters had gotten this basic fact wrong. How dare they claim to be here to capture Albert? Were they treating the students like fools?
Somehow, Harry seemed to have lost the prestige he once had as the savior. Many Death Eaters no longer saw him as a threat, and some even hoped to encounter him by chance so they could claim the hefty reward offered by the Ministry of Magic.
Ever since Voldemort allowed anyone to kill Harry Potter, the unfortunate boy who had been mistakenly labeled as the savior had become the prey that countless Death Eaters dreamed of capturing.
Now, the Dark Lord's greatest enemy was none other than Albert Anderson, a Muggle-born. The fact that Voldemort had even set aside his original arch-nemesis for this new target spoke volumes about how much of a threat Albert posed.
Most Death Eaters regarded Albert as a jinx and kept their distance, fearing that they would suffer the same fate as the unfortunate Lucius and Yaxley.
With all this in mind, which Death Eater would dare to be so bold as to come to Hogwarts to capture the leader of Dumbledore's Army, Albert Anderson? Did they tire of living too comfortably?
Facing the hostile glares of the students and professors, the Death Eaters in charge of the investigation wanted to explain the situation, but this was Snape's territory, and they had to abide by his instructions. Following the friendly intelligence provided by the special operations team, they used Veritaserum to interrogate select students in order to root out Dumbledore's Army.
Snape's method was indeed effective. To the surprise of all the Death Eaters, the current leader of Dumbledore's Army turned out to be Neville Longbottom, not Harry Potter or the Muggle-born they had mentioned.
If one had to draw a connection between the two parties, it was that Dumbledore's Army used the "Self-Defense Guide" written by that Muggle-born as their textbook for learning Dark Magic Defense.
However, what frustrated the Death Eaters the most was that the Neville Longbottom they were looking for had disappeared from the school not long ago, and the other remaining members of Dumbledore's Army had also vanished around the same time.
"Based on our recent investigations, we believe that the last remnants of Dumbledore's Army are hiding in the Room of Requirement, which is still occupied. Our people can't get in..."
As he listened to Amycus Carrow's report, Snape's expression remained unchanged, as if he had already known what was going to be said.
"This development is not unexpected. We will continue with the plan. Also, inform Macnair to send a few clever Aurors to assist us," Snape said as he handed the list of missing students from the previous period to his deputy.
"Aurors? Are you sure we can trust those guys?" Amycus had no good feelings towards those Aurors who had surrendered. He hadn't forgotten how they had slacked off that night, but he still reached out to take the list that Snape offered.
There was a reason why Snape could remain securely in Voldemort's favor even after Lucius and Yaxley's mishaps.
"I know, but you only need to understand that even a piece of toilet paper can have its use. We just need their help to persuade the members of Dumbledore's Army to surrender, thereby dismantling the group from within," Snape said, looking at Amycus, who was reading the list. "Achieving the goal is the most important thing. The process doesn't matter."
"No wonder you always seize opportunities at the most critical moments." Amycus stuffed the parchment into his pocket, preparing to have McGonagall write letters to the parents.
"I don't want any accidents during this process. Do you understand?" Snape continued to instruct. "Invite them to Hogwarts, saying that their children have gone missing."
"What if they refuse?"
"Then bring your helpers. I will personally convince them to cooperate with us," Snape said, his eyes gleaming.
"They will definitely agree."
...
The reactions of the families who received letters from the Hogwarts' vice-principal were unusually strange.
Some were worried and fearful, and they recently went to Hogwarts.
Some didn't pay attention and burned the letter directly, continuing their business as usual. As a result, they were visited by Death Eaters, inviting them to the school.
Some families even went missing the day they received the letter.
In any case, the students of Hogwarts soon discovered with horror that the Death Eaters had brought the missing students' parents to the school.
Although no one knew what Snape had said to them, after some negotiation, the families eventually came to the school under the pretext of looking for their missing children, to persuade their children to surrender to the Death Eaters.
"That's right, we don't want to harm you. Our target has always been the ringleader..."
Under the piercing pain of the Cruciatus Curse and Snape's careful persuasion, even the most stubborn would yield.
Thus, a letter to the members of Dumbledore's Army appeared in a dignified manner throughout Hogwarts Castle, and the earnest words left countless students stunned.
Some of the smarter ones had already guessed what the Death Eaters were trying to do, and they were more concerned about the enemy's attempt to dismantle the unity within Dumbledore's Army using such despicable means.
Indeed, as Snape had feared, the Death Eaters' actions did cause some members of the D.A. in the Room of Requirement to waver in their convictions.
After all, anyone would have their beliefs shaken if they were faced with a situation where their leader was willing to surrender before even putting up a fight. Not to mention, it was also a pretty good strategy.
The betrayal by their family members truly left many students feeling angry and lost.
Despite their fury at the Death Eaters' despicable tactics, this strategy did cause many members of the D.A. who were concerned about their loved ones to contemplate surrendering.
"Kidnapping children and holding them hostage is a tactic that has always worked, and we had guessed early on that they would eventually turn it against us," Navari explained to the group, his tone calm as if he were discussing what he had for breakfast that morning.
"But what can we do? We can't just..."
"They are adults, and as such, they have a more mature understanding of the situation and their own ways of dealing with it," Hannah interjected, her gaze sweeping across the room to the naive individuals considering surrender. "Do you really think you know better than they do and can solve every problem?"
"But my family isn't in any immediate danger," someone scoffed.
"Yes, they are already dead," Hannah replied, her eyes cold and steady.
"You want our families to die too, so we can join you in your rebellion against the Dark Lord?" The person glared at Hannah, anger flashing in their eyes.
"Alright, that's enough," Navari said, causing his wand to emit a sharp sound that brought the noisy room back to silence.
"I think it's clear that this is a plot by the Death Eaters to try and break our unity," Navari continued, his tone still calm as he surveyed the room. "I understand your concerns, and if any of you want to surrender to the Death Eaters, I won't stop you. But first, let's see how many of us are considering this option."
The room fell silent.
"I hate to be a buzzkill, but will surrendering to the Death Eaters really solve anything?" Navari asked, his tone challenging. "Of course, if you truly believe what the Death Eaters are saying, then ignore what I just said. Personally, I don't trust them, and the previous group of foreign dark wizards already proved that with their lives."
"If you surrender to the Death Eaters, you will be abandoned," Hannah added, a cold smile playing at her lips.
One played the bad cop while the other played the good cop, and together, they managed to awe the room into silence. But the words they spoke were indeed true.
"What do you mean?"
"Traitors will be abandoned. Do you really expect others to wait for you to betray them?" Hannah found the person's naivety amusing. "How did you even join the D.A. in the first place?"
The others, however, were not smiling.
Hannah's words made them realize the consequences of betrayal.
They hadn't forgotten about the fate of the 28 individuals who had been abandoned before.
In the end, those individuals had been tortured to death by Death Eaters while everyone in the shelter had watched, doing nothing because those people had been given up on.
"Don't think that surrendering to the Death Eaters will guarantee your safety," Hannah said, her smile turning icy as she addressed the room. "They are enticing others to surrender in an attempt to dismantle our group from within, and they are hoping to gain more information from you. Whether they believe what you say or choose to extract information through other means is up to them. I'm not threatening you; I'm just stating a fact, and I believe you all have the capacity to make your own judgments."
"But..."
The thought of surrendering faded from their minds.
No one brought up the topic again, as the Death Eaters had a terrible reputation when it came to keeping their word. Countless cases had shown that even if one surrendered, their safety wasn't guaranteed.
More importantly, once they were truly abandoned by the D.A., the others would simply stand by and watch them die.
The 28 individuals who had been abandoned were a testament to that. There had been members of the D.A. in the shelter at the time, and even though they were short on manpower, the D.A. could have easily organized a rescue mission.
Instead, they had watched as those people were tortured to death by the Death Eaters because, after failed attempts at persuasion, the D.A. had given up on them.
Those who sought death should be allowed to meet their fate; it was a matter of respecting their choice.
So, they let them die.
"What does Albert think about all this?" Ernie finally asked, seeing that the atmosphere had reached the right tone.
"The Dark Lord won't easily kill pure-bloods, as they are the foundation of his rule over the British wizarding community," Navari replied. "The Death Eaters are only so bold now because they were provoked by the previous incident. They will calm down eventually."
Navari was glad that they were finally getting to the main point.
"Mr. Anderson believes that the reason the situation has escalated to this point is because you all lack the courage to stand up and fight," Navari continued, his gaze sweeping across the room, landing on the students with ashen faces. "The Death Eaters are nothing but a bunch of cowards themselves. If you had bravely stood up to them, things would have turned out differently.
Do you really think the Death Eaters would dare to act so recklessly?
No, they are afraid of death too, especially now that most of their new recruits are incompetent.
We could easily manipulate them, but the biggest problem lies with your family members. If they lack the courage to fight..."
Here, Navari's lips curved into a slight smile as he continued, "Mr. Anderson believes that arranging for them to leave the country and hide from this wizarding war is the best course of action."
"Will you rescue them?"
"Not us, but all of you," Navari clarified. "As I said, the Death Eaters are a bunch of cowards. Defeating and killing them, as well as rescuing those who are being held captive, has never been a difficult task."
The students exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
After all, the deaths of those 28 individuals had been incredibly foolish, and the fact that they had almost made the same mistake made many of them feel a sense of relief that they hadn't done something stupid. The D.A. truly would have abandoned them.
"I will convince my parents," Michael said calmly. "If they don't have the courage to fight... I will modify their memories and send them abroad to hide from this damned wizarding war."
"That's actually the best solution, but many people are unwilling to leave Britain," Hannah said. "They foolishly believe..."
"Alright, Hannah, that's enough," Navari cut in, stopping her from continuing to provoke the others.
Michael's decision seemed to give everyone else a viable option.
In fact, the D.A. had always taken good care of their own, and they even provided solutions to problems like these. Whether or not the other party would happily accept it was not their concern.
(End of Chapter)
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