Chapter 1415: A Solution
Chapter 1415: A Solution
The development of this incident was still somewhat unexpected.
News of Sirius Black's death spread quickly, causing quite a stir among the small groups still resisting Voldemort.
At least they had some conscience, and didn't just stand by and watch the Death Eaters make fools of themselves like the rest.
The small commotion was soon quelled by Sirius' appearance.
"I think I'm still alive."
These were the first words Sirius Black spoke upon appearing at the shelter.
"I can't understand why the Ministry of Magic would release such foolish fake news, perhaps it's part of some ridiculous plot of theirs, but by doing so, they're only shooting themselves in the foot."
Sirius' appearance directly crushed the Death Eaters' ludicrous "plot".
However, since those in the know were hiding in the shelter, the British magical community remained unaware that Sirius was still alive, let alone that it was all just a Death Eater "plot". Thankfully, people weren't paying much attention to this matter, they were more interested in seeing the Ministry of Magic and the Death Eaters suffer, happily enjoying the spectacle.
In any case, the rift between the Death Eaters and the dark wizards was undoubtedly beneficial to all in Britain.
Losing a large number of their followers, most Death Eaters dared not act alone, fearing retribution from the Order of the Phoenix or the Defense Association. Even the tragedies occurring around them lessened.
However, this incident had indeed put Yaxley in a bit of a bind, causing him to lose quite a bit of hair lately.
He was powerless in this situation. As Voldemort's right-hand man, if he couldn't even handle such a minor issue, who knew what terrible consequences would await him when Voldemort returned.
It was like having a pot fall from the sky while sitting at home.
Yaxley had never imagined that he would one day have to face such a problem.
When did those insignificant scumbags become so important? Ever since the majority of the second-generation Death Eaters perished, the remaining third-generation ones were all good-for-nothings.
The Death Eaters were growing weaker.
It was all because of that damned Mudblood's scheming! This terrifying truth made Yaxley break out in a cold sweat. He had realized this problem long ago but had been unwilling to accept it. Yet now... Yaxley could no longer ignore it.
The Death Eaters had become so feeble that they had to rely on dark wizards to even stand a chance against the Order of the Phoenix and the Defense Association.
But Yaxley was powerless to change anything.
After discussing with Snape, the two decided to first calm the dark wizards and remove the blame from themselves, lest they incur the Dark Lord's wrath.
To achieve this, they had to spend a large sum of Galleons to appease the dark wizards they had gathered with great difficulty. However, the previous incident had already caused too much damage, and most dark wizards still harbored suspicions about the Ministry of Magic and the Death Eaters.
This made the Death Eaters more vulnerable.
Especially without Voldemort's protection, they were no match for the Order of the Phoenix and the Defense Association.
After losing the dark wizards as their henchmen, most Death Eaters chose to lie low for their own safety, causing the Inferi they had created to once again become prey for the members of the Defense Association.
As a result, the Association headquarters had been particularly lively lately, like a grand festival. Nothing excited them more than going out and causing trouble after becoming stronger.
Everyone seemed tireless, eagerly seizing the opportunity to participate. They understood that such chances were rare, and once the mysterious man returned to Britain, they would have to hide again.
"Everyone is getting more accustomed to fighting!" Cedric felt great relief at this, as it meant that the entire Association was growing stronger at an astonishing rate, something he had never imagined before joining.
"It should be said that they're getting used to fighting the Inferi," Albert corrected. "Fighting wizards and fighting Inferi are different, but getting used to combat is still a good thing. It shows that they're starting to grow and improve."
"By the way..."
Seeing Cedric hesitate, Albert interlaced his fingers and calmly looked at him. "Are you wondering why I didn't stop the Death Eaters' atrocities?"
Cedric fell silent.
Those Inferi were all made from Muggle corpses mercilessly slaughtered by the Death Eaters.
"We can't stop the Death Eaters, you know that, don't you?" Albert looked into Cedric's eyes and continued, "Destroying is always easier than protecting. We can only do what we're capable of."
"If you really want to stop the Death Eaters' evil deeds, then hurry up and train your combat abilities. Try to take out as many of them as you can during the final battle, solving the problem at its source. That's easier than you fretting here about why I didn't go and save those Muggles."
Cedric opened his mouth slightly, realizing he had just made a foolish mistake.
It wasn't Albert who had killed those Muggles, nor was it Albert who had turned them into Inferi.
It was all the fault of the Death Eaters, and yet he had come to Albert with this?
To think that Albert wouldn't want to help those Muggles slaughtered by the Death Eaters was truly laughable.
"If you ever encounter a problem that's really hard to solve, there are two solutions in this world." Albert looked at Cedric with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"What solutions?" Cedric asked.
"Solve the person who raises the problem, or solve the person who creates the problem." Albert looked at Cedric inquiringly, "Which one would you choose?"
Cedric didn't answer. He knew which one Albert would choose, and he knew which one he should choose. After all, he was the one who had raised the problem.
It would be simple for him to just keep quiet, but that wasn't what Cedric wanted.
"You really are... vicious."
Shan Na placed a cup of tea in front of Albert and shook her head as she watched Cedric's retreating back. "Are you doing that on purpose?"
"I'm just telling Cedric the truth. Perhaps my words weren't very friendly, but I get angry too." Albert picked up the tea and took a sip. "In my opinion, Cedric coming to ask me this question is really stupid. It's as if by not saving those Muggles, I'm somehow at fault. It makes it seem like I'm the one burdened with sin, not the Death Eaters who are committing murder and arson. Moreover, I'm not all-powerful. Even if it were Dumbledore in my place, he wouldn't have done better. Why should I be blamed just because I can foretell the future and have the ability to save them? It's naively adorable."
"So, you plan to give them a good beating?" Shan Na was aware of Albert's plan.
"Yes! This is a good opportunity. People need to be tempered. Look at Fred, George, and Lee Jordan. Even Kenneth has more sense than him."
"Aren't you afraid of going too far?" Shan Na asked curiously.
"Of course, I'm afraid, but fear doesn't solve problems, and some things aren't within my control." As Albert said this, Shan Na rolled her eyes.
"They must feel the pressure, otherwise, many of them might die in the upcoming final battle. Underestimating the enemy will always come at a cost." Albert put down his teacup and sighed softly, "It's my fault for protecting them too well."
"It's precisely because no one has died that everyone has so much confidence in you and is willing to follow your lead."
"Maybe." Albert murmured, "We need to speed up the progress of the other shelter slightly."
(End of Chapter)
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