Chapter 1385: Peace for Now
Chapter 1385: Peace for Now
After the incident at Hogwarts, the British magical community surprisingly entered a rare period of brief peace. Even the Death Eaters seemed to realize that continuing their antics would not only fail to give them the upper hand against Albert but might also mysteriously lead to their own demise. Thus, they settled down and behaved.
Of course, another reason was that Voldemort remained abroad, searching for wandmaker Gregorovitch, and without his presence, the Death Eaters dared not stir up further trouble after suffering repeated losses.
No one wishes for a shorter life.
As for why Voldemort hadn't returned to Britain, the main reason was that Gregorovitch was no longer in hiding, and some brave dark wizards who had consumed the complex potion were still active in various European countries.
Even though Voldemort had likely realized that he was being played, he still didn't give up on searching for Gregorovitch and the legendary Death Stick.
As a result, the situation in European countries wasn't ideal, with deaths occurring every few days. Although there was no evidence that Voldemort was responsible, everyone was happy to pin the blame on him because he wouldn't come forward to refute the claims.
Voldemort, the ultimate scapegoat, known to all! After all the good deeds Voldemort had done, he finally gained some notoriety in various European countries.
Everyone was curious about what Voldemort was searching for as he wandered from country to country. The figure of the wandmaker, Gregorovitch, came into the public eye.
The newspapers even publicly reported on this, and everyone wondered what Voldemort was after in his pursuit of Gregorovitch.
Unfortunately, no one knew where Gregorovitch was hiding, or the wizards of various countries (Ministry of Magic) would have been more than happy to capture him and send that plague god out of their borders.
Something hilarious happened because of Voldemort's rampant actions. Many European wizards were suffering, so the Ministries of Magic of various countries joined forces to form an Auror squad specifically to counter Voldemort. However, strangely, this squad turned out to be a shell, and its members were still in the process of being recruited urgently.
When this was exposed, it even became hot news in many countries, with people angry at their Ministry of Magic's inaction. The explanation they received was that no Auror was willing to join the organization to fight against this mysterious person.
Lee Jordan also used this incident as a joke on his Wizarding Watch radio show, and it became a topic of casual conversation among idle wizards.
Many wizards found it extremely satisfying.
Because when Voldemort was wreaking havoc in Britain, wizards in other countries not only took pleasure in their misfortune but also took the opportunity to mock them, as if Voldemort were just an ordinary dark wizard.
Now, those wizards could finally experience the terror of the Dark Lord themselves.
Afterwards, some wizards even secretly prayed that Voldemort would stay abroad forever and not return to Britain to continue plaguing them. But those who thought this way were obviously still lying in bed, not yet awake.
Everyone was paying attention to Voldemort's activities, and no one realized what the Defense Association's knowledge of foreign news implied.
After announcing the day's death toll and holding a moment of silence, Lee Jordan began his broadcast, also mentioning an important piece of news he had just received.
"...but we suspect that the Death Eaters are mass-producing Inferi," Lee Jordan picked up the manuscript beside him and took a deep breath, "As we all know, the mysterious man used a large number of Inferi during the First Wizarding War."
"We have received reliable information that in recent times, hundreds of people have gone missing in Britain, most of them homeless... I know that many people don't really care about Muggle deaths, but what I want to tell you is that when we face the Inferi, we will realize where they come from and just how numerous they are."
After finishing his explanation, Lee Jordan proceeded to educate listeners on how to properly deal with Inferi. At the end of the broadcast, he reminded all wizarding families to protect themselves and their loved ones and not to easily believe the words of the Death Eaters. He went on and on about this for quite some time.
“Is Albert not coming in today either?”
After ending his broadcast, Lee Jordan found Shan'na in the office, intending to chat with her about the Inferi. He suspected that the Death Eaters were brewing some grand scheme and wondered if they should take action to stop them.
"No, he probably thinks there won't be any major incidents that require his presence anytime soon." Shan'na shook her head. "Is there something you wanted to discuss with him?"
"Regarding the Death Eaters' production of Inferi, shouldn't we do something to stop them from continuing their massacre of Muggles?" Lee Jordan voiced his concerns.
"It's not a matter of whether we should stop them or not, but that we are unable to," Shan'na replied with a shake of her head.
"Why can't we stop them?" Lee Jordan asked, choosing his words carefully. "I think the Defense Association can do something about it. For example, we can locate where the Death Eaters are hiding the Inferi and burn those dark creatures to ashes."
"Even if we destroy them, it won't make much of a difference," Shan'na countered. "The Death Eaters will continue to use Muggles to create more Inferi. They are likely afraid and preparing for battle." She then quoted Albert, "Some things we cannot stop. Even if we try to interfere, it will only make the Death Eaters more ruthless, and they might even slaughter entire villages, turning all the villagers into Inferi."
Lee Jordan was left dumbfounded, not having expected such a response.
"Of course, Albert isn't stopping you from trying," Shan'na continued. "But finding and destroying the Inferi won't be easy, especially under the watchful eyes of the Death Eaters." She was well-informed about most matters and understood the challenges they faced. "To truly eradicate the Inferi, we need powerful fire magic, and even then, we might be facing an army of them."
While most wizards could cast fire spells, only a select few excelled at it, and even fewer would consider using those spells against Inferi.
After a prolonged silence, Lee Jordan listened as Shan'na added, "I think Albert will come by in a while to teach everyone how to deal with Inferi. In the meantime, perhaps we can all spend some time thinking about this. If the Inferi are being used as cannon fodder by the Death Eaters, we might have to face a large number of them in the final battle."
After Lee Jordan left, Shan'na turned to the air beside her and asked curiously, "Is that enough? Why don't you tell them these things yourself?"
"When people are forced to do something, they rarely put their heart into it," Albert replied, never one to shy away from making excuses for his laziness. "Curiosity is a powerful motivator, and I'll lend a hand at the crucial moments."
Of course, he meant what he said. Forcing others to learn was never a good idea, and sparking their curiosity would help foster a more positive attitude toward learning.
"But the Inferi..." Shan'na trailed off, her concern evident.
"Yes, all signs indicate that the Death Eaters are gearing up for war," Albert murmured, his eyes fixed on the falling snow outside. "It seems they've finally wised up. You can share this information with the Order of the Phoenix. I think they'll be happy to..."
"The Order of the Phoenix can't stop the Death Eaters' atrocities, and you know better than anyone what kind of organization they are," Shan'na interjected.
"Yes, but what else can we do?" Albert sighed. "I could easily put a stop to them, but if the Death Eaters persist, similar incidents will continue to occur, and they might escalate their actions. I can't push them too far unless the final battle is upon us."
(End of Chapter)
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