Chapter 1428: Counterattack
Chapter 1428: Counterattack
Ever since Voldemort's Death Eaters gained complete control over the British Ministry of Magic, numerous unsavory incidents had occurred, prompting private grumblings among the ministry employees. If it weren't for the need to provide for themselves and their families, many witches and wizards would have chosen to leave their jobs.
No one enjoyed living in constant fear.
When Umbridge arrived at the ministry's main hall in the middle of the night, the few wizards on duty were startled, quickly shutting their mouths to avoid voicing their complaints about the ministry in front of her. They were afraid that she might cause them trouble if she overheard their criticisms.
"Deputy Head, you're still here at this late hour?" the wizards asked as they jumped up from their seats and hurried to greet Umbridge.
"I'll be leaving soon," Umbridge replied, her brow furrowed, clearly dissatisfied with the lax attitude of the duty staff.
Her expression made the middle-aged wizards, whose combined ages totaled several hundred years, nervous, as if they were kindergarten students facing a strict teacher.
"It's been very quiet. I doubt anyone would dare to invade the ministry," another wizard quickly added.
"That Mudblood has broken in more than once. We believe he might come to the ministry to rescue the prisoners," Umbridge said, her eyes scanning the group. "So, don't let your guard down!"
"Yes!"
The middle-aged wizards immediately straightened their bodies like soldiers, appearing fearful of Umbridge. However, in their hearts, they were secretly disparaging her: if anyone was suspicious, it was Umbridge herself, appearing here at this odd hour.
Of course, they wouldn't voice such foolish thoughts; they just wanted Umbridge to leave as soon as possible.
As they watched Umbridge, who seemed to have something else to say, their faces twitched, and then they suddenly looked as if their strength had been sapped, their reaction lacking any significant commotion.
Without sparing them another glance, Umbridge strode towards the elevator. Their target was the Death Eater left by the Death Eaters to keep watch over the ministry.
Only by taking him down could they rescue those unfortunates imprisoned in the ministry's underground jail without raising the alarm among the Death Eaters.
If it weren't for Umbridge leading the way, Albert wouldn't have known about the presence of such an individual hiding within the ministry.
When Umbridge knocked and entered the room, the Death Eater was idly flipping through some magazines, with drinks and snacks on the desk in front of him, apparently prepared for a late-night snack.
Taking advantage of the Death Eater's momentary distraction at Umbridge's arrival, Albert swiftly cast the Imperius Curse to control him.
"A two-way mirror?" Albert quickly scanned the office and soon found the means of communication between the Death Eaters.
"Looks like these guys are getting smarter," Kingsley whispered.
"It's only natural for them to learn after getting outsmarted so many times," Albert said, glancing at the empty picture frames on the wall as he headed for the door.
"Any discoveries?" Kingsley asked.
Albert casually pointed to the empty picture frames, "The defenses here are stricter than we expected. I suspect the Death Eaters might have some backup plans that we're unaware of. We need to get the prisoners out as soon as possible. Every extra minute we spend here increases the risk we're taking."
Although he had anticipated this, the change in the Death Eaters' tactics still made Albert feel a little uncomfortable.
The old group of foolish Death Eaters had completely disappeared, replaced now by a group that had been hardened by their failures.
"That's true. Anyone who's been tricked multiple times should be more vigilant, especially since the Death Eaters are playing a dangerous game. They won't give up easily without catching some people," Kingsley agreed.
To be honest, Albert strongly suspected that there was another similar spy within the ministry.
If he were in their shoes, knowing that their enemies would come to the ministry to rescue the prisoners, he would definitely make arrangements in advance and never give the enemies any chance to exploit.
After taking control of the young Death Eater, the three of them headed straight for the courtroom. Kingsley was also inclined to trust Albert's judgment.
Starting a big fight within the ministry would be the most foolish thing to do, even if they were well-prepared. Who would want to invite unexpected trouble?
They weren't those impulsive young people who were always looking for trouble.
The late night in the ministry was cold, and the corridor on the tenth floor underground was even colder. As they stepped towards the lower levels, they felt a strange chill.
Dementors! Several Dementors approached to investigate their presence, only to be driven back by the Patronus Charms cast by Albert. However, the Dementors also noticed Umbridge, Albert, and Kingsley.
"Keep up," Albert reminded them, letting Umbridge take the lead to clear the way. The middle-aged woman displayed astonishing agility, deflecting any incoming spells.
Fortunately, their journey was smooth, and they didn't encounter any other Death Eaters apart from the Dementors guarding the prison.
However, the sudden sound of footsteps startled the prisoners, who rushed to the iron railings to see what was happening outside.
Before the prisoners leaning against the railings could react, the doors to their cells were silently opened.
Then, a flash of red light knocked them unconscious.
"Hurry, let them out," Albert urged.
"What's going on?" Kingsley asked as he opened the briefcase and called out to the people inside to help.
"I think they've realized that we're here to rescue the prisoners," Albert said, making quick arrangements.
"How is that possible? We..." Kingsley was stunned, truly unable to understand what was happening.
Fortunately, Albert had made prior arrangements. Sirius and the others, upon exiting the briefcase, immediately split up according to the original plan to rescue the prisoners, paying no heed to how they had been discovered.
After all, every second counted, and the most important thing was to get the prisoners out of this hellish place as soon as possible.
Other questions could wait until later.
Actually, it wasn't Yaxley's fault.
After being outsmarted so many times, even a fool would learn to be more cautious. Moreover, the one setting up this trap was Yaxley, the only "smart" one left among the Death Eaters.
If he let the enemies slip away right under his nose, he would surely face the cruelest punishment from the mysterious person.
Therefore, when setting up this trap, Yaxley had made multiple layers of arrangements to ensure that even if their own people or ministry employees leaked the secret, they could still capture those arrogant individuals and teach them that challenging the Death Eaters in their stronghold was a foolish move.
(End of Chapter)
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