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Chapter 1376: That's Right, It's a Trap
Chapter 1376: That's Right, It's a Trap
In a temporary lounge on the second floor of Hogwarts Castle, deep into the night, several Aurors who were tasked with guarding the school were discussing the absurd events of the day in hushed tones.
"Kidnapping family members to threaten students? Only Death Eaters without an ounce of conscience would resort to such despicable tactics!"
However, the most absurd part was that they, a group of Aurors dedicated to capturing dark wizards, had inadvertently become accomplices to the very Death Eaters responsible for these heinous acts.
"Maybe we were wrong from the very beginning," one of the middle-aged Aurors suddenly spoke up.
"We haven't done anything wrong," Gavin interrupted impatiently. "We're just following the Ministry's orders. If there's any blame to be placed, it lies with the Ministry."
"Yes, our allegiance is to the Ministry, not You-Know-Who," Dexter agreed. This was, in fact, the main reason why many Aurors chose to remain with the Ministry.
At least, that was the excuse they gave themselves to continue serving under the Ministry, regardless of whether it was truly Death Eaters calling the shots behind the scenes.
"You should be well aware that you're just deceiving yourselves," Plaut's voice cut through the room.
"Calm down, Plaut," another Auror warned.
"Calm? Look at what we've become!" Plaut shouted at his colleagues. "When did Aurors sink to the level of being lapdogs for Death Eaters?"
The room fell silent as the other Aurors, who had been about to voice their own thoughts, suddenly held their tongues.
Plaut's words struck a chord, piercing through the defenses of everyone present.
Indeed, the Aurors had become nothing more than lapdogs to the Death Eaters, forced to obediently follow their commands—a reality that was bitterly unacceptable to those who prided themselves on being champions of justice.
"What are you suggesting?" Dexter asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm done with this damned job," Plaut spat in disgust.
"You're not thinking of joining Kingsley and the Order, are you?" Gavin fixed his eyes on his colleague, his tone turning icy cold. "Do you really think they'd welcome us with open arms?"
"I'll resign and leave Britain if I have to," Plaut declared, his desire to flee the country and escape the clutches of Voldemort evident in his voice.
"The moment you resign, I guarantee you'll find the Dark Mark burning on your rooftop that very night," Gavin stated calmly, laying out a harsh truth. "Let's not forget that we're still alive because we have some use to them. We've taken the lives of plenty of Death Eaters."
"You're just twisting things around," Plaut shot back, his eyes boring into Gavin's. "From the start, you deceived all of us. You betrayed not only us but also Scrimgeour. You... liar!"
"I'm sorry," Gavin said, his wand already pointed at his former colleague. Before Plaut could react and draw his own wand in defense, Gavin cast the Forgetfulness Charm.
"You..." The other Aurors stared at Gavin in shock, some of them raising their wands in response.
"At least he'll live," Gavin said, ignoring the wands now pointed in his direction. He left Plaut slumped over the table and muttered, "What's so bad about living? Why insist on throwing your life away?"
Though they couldn't bring themselves to agree with Gavin's actions, the others chose to remain silent.
"We don't owe Scrimgeour anything," Gavin whispered. "We just want to survive this damned war."
“They're gone.” Williamson suddenly spoke up.
"What?"
Dexter's eyes widened in confusion, not quite understanding what was happening.
"The ones watching us have left. And what a fool Plaut is, to do something so stupid," Williamson said, glancing at the relatively young Dexter. "After what happened in Hogsmeade last time, you don't really think those Death Eaters will continue to trust us, do you?"
"Are you... all just acting?"
Dexter looked at his colleagues in astonishment, suddenly feeling like a fool himself.
"Not exactly," Gavin interjected, glancing at his younger colleague. "We're just trying to protect ourselves. We've done more than enough for the British magical community. Let's stay out of this mess and leave it to Harry Potter and that Albert Anderson fellow to deal with the Death Eaters."
"Do you really think all Death Eaters are idiots? If we dare collude with the Order of the Phoenix, we'll probably be finished off soon enough." Williamson frowned slightly at the unconscious Plaut. "Come to think of it, something's not right about this guy today. I remember Plaut isn't usually like that."
"Yeah, he does seem a bit off..."
This conversation in the lounge was soon reflected in the Pensieve in the Headmaster's office, where several Death Eaters had gathered to discuss the matter.
"I told you these guys were unreliable."
A hot-tempered Death Eater seethed with murderous intent, eager to go after the despicable Aurors who had deceived them.
"We know they're unreliable, but as long as those Aurors don't side with the Order, and they're useful to us, that's enough."
Snape raised his hand to stop the Death Eaters' argument and said expressionlessly, "You can't expect too much from a dog."
"What are you going to do now?" The Death Eaters asked, cutting straight to the point.
"We just want to find out if these Aurors will betray us," Snape said calmly. "From their conversation, you should be able to tell that they are only forced to obey us under threat."
"They are not to be trusted."
"No, you're missing the point."
"What point?" The Death Eaters exchanged confused glances, unsure what Snape was getting at.
"The Auror named Plaut might be a problem."
Realizing that his colleagues weren't the brightest bunch, Snape decided to stop speaking in riddles.
"Are you saying he's with the Order?"
"No, I suspect he might be under the Imperius Curse. Albert Anderson likely used the same trick again, pitting us against the Aurors to incite another bloody conflict." Snape revealed his newfound suspicion. "I need someone to deliver this message to Yaxley and make him aware of the potential threat."
"Is that really possible?" Carol took up Snape's thread. "Forgive me for saying this, but aren't we supposed to be focusing on Dumbledore's Army?"
"They will show up," Snape asserted confidently. "Even if they know it's a trap, Dumbledore's Army will undoubtedly take action because they have no choice unless they want to crumble from within. Our biggest concern is how many will come to their rescue—will members of the Defense Association and the Order of the Phoenix show up, and if so, how many?"
(End of Chapter)
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