Chapter 1391: Misdirection
Chapter 1391: Misdirection
"Damn it all!"
A series of angry roars echoed through the office of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as Yaxley furiously overturned his desk.
He had just received news that yet another secret base containing a large number of Inferi had been destroyed by members of the Defense Association, and all the Inferi stored there had perished.
Those Inferi were the result of several days' work by many Dark Wizards, only to be ruined by those Defense Association meddlers. Not only had the Inferi been eradicated, but the intruders had also set the place ablaze, a blatant act of provocation.
If he could, Yaxley would love to wipe every last one of them off the face of the earth.
Unfortunately, Yaxley knew he was powerless to do so, much less make it happen.
In Voldemort's absence from Britain, even the Death Eaters had to keep a low profile, for no one could stand against that Mudblood.
No matter how meticulously they planned an ambush, Yaxley didn't believe they could kill that Mudblood. After all, their target was a master of prophecies, and countless cases had proven that it was incredibly difficult to catch him off guard.
If Yaxley attempted such a thing, he might very well bring about his own downfall.
In the past, any Death Eater who had tried to kill that Mudblood had met with an especially gruesome end. The Malfoys and the Lestranges were prime examples, and Snape might well be the next unlucky one.
Yaxley had no desire to tempt fate.
He was all too aware that this was a dangerous existence that even the Dark Lord couldn't kill, a monster of a genius who was said to surpass Dumbledore.
More importantly, he was still very young and capable of rapid growth. In a few years, who knew how much further that Mudblood would have progressed?
Perhaps not even the Dark Lord would be a match for him.
When that time came, it would spell disaster for all the Death Eaters.
Most of the Death Eaters were already aware of this, and they believed that the Dark Lord knew it too. That was why he was searching all over Europe for the legendary Deathstick, hoping to use that legendary wand to snuff out the terrifying monster before he became fully mature.
Otherwise...
Just as Voldemort had easily killed those wizards who opposed him, so too would that Mudblood deal with them. Even if he didn't take action himself, he would undoubtedly find a way to get rid of them, as evidenced by his penchant for manipulating others to do his dirty work.
That Mudblood was nothing like Dumbledore! He would kill without hesitation.
However, the Death Eaters were powerless to do anything about it.
They could only pin their hopes on the Dark Lord, just as they had from the beginning.
"Notify the others, we're having an emergency meeting."
Yaxley didn't want to sit idly and wait for their demise. He knew he had to take action, and their previous plan needed adjustments.
Otherwise, they would surely face grave consequences.
Perhaps Yaxley didn't have the concept of 'grinding for levels', but he understood that if they continued like this, the Inferi they painstakingly created would eventually become mere training targets for Defense Association members. Once those people gained sufficient training and transformed into seasoned warriors, the Death Eaters would find themselves in an increasingly difficult situation.
Actual combat experience made all the difference! At this moment, Yaxley not only doubted Snape, who had suggested this approach, but also the loyalty of their inner circle.
The Death Eaters had long suspected that someone among them was under the Mudblood's control, acting as his spy, but they had never been able to identify the traitor.
However, upon further reflection, Yaxley realized that it wasn't Snape who had proposed the creation of the Inferi; it was his own idea that he had championed.
Could I be the traitor?
The thought struck him as utterly absurd.
"We can't go on like this."
Yaxley walked to the fireplace, grabbed a handful of Floo powder, and threw it into the fireplace. He then stepped into the emerald-green flames that rose to engulf him, vanishing from the ransacked office of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Ever since Voldemort left Britain in search of the Deathstick, the frequency of the Death Eaters' meetings had increased dramatically.
They had grown accustomed to convening every few days to discuss their problems, although many Death Eaters complained about Yaxley bringing the bad habits of the Ministry into their midst. Nonetheless, most preferred Yaxley's style of leadership.
At least it made them feel like they were part of the Death Eaters, instead of being treated like common street scum like other Dark Wizards.
After relaying the latest news, Yaxley, amidst the indignant table-thumping of the Death Eaters, turned his gaze to Severus Snape, the "Dark Lord's right-hand man".
Although Snape's escape from Hogwarts last time had been rather embarrassing, there was no denying that he was cunning and intelligent. Seeking his opinion on the matter was undoubtedly necessary.
As Snape felt the weight of the other Death Eaters' gazes upon him, he couldn't help but twitch involuntarily. He wanted to ask them why they were all staring at him, but instead, he forced himself to maintain a straight face and said, "Actually, even if we want to stop the Defense Association, it won't be easy."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Well," Snape fixed his stare on the Death Eater who had spoken, waiting for him to fall silent before continuing, "the members of the Defense Association... they are constantly succeeding, and their confidence is soaring. Even without the Inferi to practice on, I believe they will find other targets, such as the Dark Wizards that are now so common. I recall that they once targeted the Hit Wizards."
Snape didn't need to elaborate further, as his meaning was clear.
If the Defense Association were to target the Hit Wizards for training, it would be a catastrophe, for those people had a trick up their sleeves:
Summoning the Hit Wizards.
They would directly invoke Voldemort's name, luring the Hit Wizards to their location.
In such a situation, even sending a group of Death Eaters would be unreliable, as the other side might very well outnumber them.
Nowadays, anyone who dared to utter the Dark Lord's name was left untouched, for fear of stepping into a trap set by the enemy.
It was quite ironic how their roles had completely reversed.
The tactic they had once used against British wizards who resisted the Dark Lord was now being used against them, and to make matters worse, the Defense Association always traveled in groups. Trying to pick them off one by one was virtually impossible.
As for using tricks to entrap them all at once? With Albert's proficiency in prophecies, ordinary schemes were useless.
Even if they wanted to capture someone and interrogate them about the approximate location of the Defense Association's headquarters, it was next to impossible.
"Severus, do you have any bright ideas?"
Snape shook his head, indicating that he truly had no good solutions.
This was a common occurrence during Death Eater meetings when it came to dealing with Albert Anderson; they always ended up scratching their heads.
However, Snape suspected that Yaxley hadn't convened this meeting solely to discuss the issue at hand. He noticed the looks Yaxley had been giving him, indicating that there was something more important to discuss in private after the meeting.
What was that man up to?
(End of Chapter)
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