Chapter 1448: Harry's Escape
Chapter 1448: Harry's Escape
"Go back? Do we have to leave now?"
Inside the tent protected by layers of protective magic, Harry looked up from the map in his hands, confusion written all over his face as he turned to Sirius, who was slightly out of breath. He couldn't understand why Sirius was insisting that they return to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters immediately.
"Has something happened?" Hermione, with her keen intellect and sharp instincts, immediately sensed that something was amiss when Sirius suggested they return.
However, the news that Sirius brought was a blow to the trio, who had been enjoying their time out in the field.
They never expected things to end so abruptly, and the anticipated strike against the Dark wizards they had been waiting for seemed to have vanished without a trace.
"Harry, our true enemy is not those Dark wizards."
"But..." Harry started to speak, but then trailed off.
"There are no buts," Sirius interrupted.
After they had packed up their tent, Sirius immediately took them back to the Order of the Phoenix via Disapparition. Once he was sure that they were safe, he explained why he had brought them back.
"We suspect that those Dark wizards were bait set by Voldemort to lure us out."
"Bait?" The three of them exchanged glances, their faces filled with disbelief.
"We can't help every wizard in need," Sirius said as he turned to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What people need most right now is not a savior, but courage. They have to find the strength to save themselves, and all we can do is deter those Dark wizards and make them think twice. We buy time and help awaken the bravery within people to stand up and resist."
"That sounds like something Albert would say," Harry mumbled.
Sirius paused for a moment at the mention of Albert, but then shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "This isn't a warning from Albert, but rather critical information relayed to us by our informant within the Ministry."
It wasn't that they were callous and indifferent to the plight of those wizards in need, but they had recently received shocking news from the Ministry.
It was said that the new Minister of Magic was secretly trying to pinpoint Harry's location, and this information had been leaked to the Order by a disgruntled employee within the Ministry who was unhappy with the Death Eaters' indifference towards the Dark wizards' rampage.
Upon receiving this news, Kingsley immediately smelled a rat and instructed Sirius to bring Harry back to the Order's headquarters.
Regardless of Voldemort's schemes, they had to tread carefully to avoid any mishaps.
Ever since Voldemort had given the Death Eaters permission to kill Harry Potter directly, Harry's situation had become dire. Now, the Death Eaters' inaction towards the Dark wizards was simply a ploy to draw their prey out.
Whether it was a member of the Defense Association or the Order of the Phoenix, anyone who wanted to remain in Voldemort's good graces and avoid being cast out of the Death Eaters had to take action. The easiest way to prove their worth was to capture or kill a member of the Defense Association or the Order.
Of course, if they could kill Harry Potter, that would be even better. Not only would they gain the Dark Lord's favor, but they would also receive a substantial bounty.
However, things rarely went as planned.
As Harry Potter and his friends stealthily returned to the Order's headquarters, the Death Eaters who were plotting against Harry were destined to be disappointed.
They flew into a rage as they cautiously surrounded the now-empty campsite.
Harry Potter didn't possess the power of that mudblood, and while he might have some skill, with careful planning, they were confident they could get their hands on that hefty pile of Galleons.
But now, the cooked duck, as they saw it, had flown the coop, and the Death Eaters who had their sights set on Harry were furious.
The aura of deterrence that Harry had built up was slowly fading away, thanks to the Death Eaters' meddling.
The Dark wizards knew that the Death Eaters themselves had taken the field.
The Dark wizards who had been defeated and scattered before were now regrouping and continuing to plunder the wealth of the land.
It was a desperate situation.
There were just too many poor people in this world, and the extreme wealth gap was especially prominent in the wizarding world. The impoverished wizards living in squalor in Knockturn Alley now saw an opportunity to turn their lives around, and they weren't about to let this chance slip away easily.
Perhaps this time they would truly rise from the ashes. Even if they couldn't, they could still use this opportunity to make a quick fortune and improve their lives. As for the bad things they did, well, they could always blame it on Voldemort, couldn't they?
They wreaked havoc under the guise of Voldemort, committing atrocious acts with impunity and without fear of repercussions from the Ministry. Once the floodgates of malice had been opened, there was no stopping it.
This led to an influx of Dark wizards from other European countries, all coming to Britain to cause trouble under the banner of Voldemort.
The poor wizards may have feared Voldemort's retribution, but their fear of poverty was even greater.
Fearing that the Defense Association might interfere and ruin their opportunity, the Dark wizards worked swiftly, each trying to secure their own gains. The situation spiraled into madness.
Many people thought they had gone insane.
In the absence of any deterrence, a more terrifying chaos spread like a plague throughout the British wizarding community.
With the breakdown of order, the shops in Diagon Alley were the first to suffer. Initially, the shop owners bravely banded together to defend their wealth, but they soon realized that the number of looting Dark wizards was overwhelming. This led to many wizards in Diagon Alley being forced to shut down their businesses.
But it didn't end there, as the crazed looters broke into the shops and stripped them bare.
The thrill of getting something for nothing fueled the madness, and within just a few days, the historic street was brought to its knees, resembling the desolate state of Hogsmeade after it had been partially destroyed.
Of course, not all shops in Diagon Alley closed down. There was one notable exception—Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Due to the presence of Ministry employees guarding the premises, no Dark wizard dared to target Gringotts. Any who dared to try met their demise.
As the Dark wizards ransacked the shops, they turned their attention back to ordinary wizarding families.
After all, the gains from Diagon Alley were meager compared to their growing greed, and with a taste of easy money, they wanted more.
As a result, there was a surge in robberies and break-ins across the wizarding community.
Everyone wanted a piece of the pie, and so they competed with each other, often violently.
There were even reports of wizards fighting over loot, resulting in several deaths.
However, the most surprising development was the emergence of a Diagon Alley black market in the aftermath of the chaos.
Just like the black market in Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley sprang back to life, albeit with a different clientele—Dark wizards from all over Europe.
(End of Chapter)
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