Chapter 1449: Pawns All
Chapter 1449: Pawns All
The ancient wooden door of the conference room creaked open, interrupting the noisy discussions within. Death Eaters turned their heads in unison, their gazes falling on the newcomer.
"I thought you weren't coming today, Severus. Come in, take a seat. The meeting has already started."
Stepping into the room, a figure shrouded in a black cloak adjusted to the lighting before lifting his feet to walk further in. His cold gaze swept over the assembled Death Eaters, and he asked in a clear voice, "What exactly are you all up to?"
The atmosphere in the room stagnated, and surprised expressions appeared on the faces of those present.
"Severus…"
Yaxley was about to speak when Snape interrupted him with a raised hand.
"Now is not the time for that. How is your plan progressing? I suspect that if you continue like this, there won't be many wizards left in this country."
Snape was well aware of the chaos his companions had unleashed upon the British wizarding world. He understood their purpose, but after the chaos had spread, leading to Diagon Alley shops being ransacked by Dark Wizards, he realized the situation was taking a turn for the worse. If this continued, something terrible might happen.
"Most of those wizards opposed the Dark Lord, and what becomes of them is none of our concern. Besides, we didn't tell them to go on a robbing spree."
Alecto dismissed Snape's concerns. Both she and Snape were veterans among the Death Eaters, tasked with managing Hogwarts for Voldemort, so they had no fear of being removed from the Death Eaters' ranks. However, her stance aligned with the majority of the Death Eaters, leaving Snape as the odd one out.
"I don't care about that."
Snape turned to Yaxley. "Your plan has failed. Neither the Defense Association nor the Order of the Phoenix has taken the bait."
"Alright, Severus." Yaxley gestured for his old friend to sit. "We were just discussing this matter."
"When did you start taking an interest in this?" McNair asked curiously.
"The students of Hogwarts also have their families," Snape said as he took a seat. "If most of the wizards in Britain are harmed, I question the point of Hogwarts' continued existence. That's all I have to say on the matter." He had come to this meeting purely to hear how the Death Eaters planned to handle the situation.
"No one wants to be removed from the Death Eaters' list, Severus," McNair said, his tone defiant.
"But it's undeniable that Severus is right," Piers said, his voice pleading. "The state of the British wizarding world is dire, and if it spirals out of control, there might not be a Ministry of Magic left in Britain!" He directed a hopeful look at Yaxley, wishing for him to say something that would stop this catastrophe from spreading further.
Snape was right—the current state of the British wizarding world was troubling. What was more concerning was that Piers, as the current Minister of Magic, would likely face dire consequences if the wizards of the Ministry of Magic reached their breaking point.
From the beginning, Minister of Magic Piers Thicknesse had disagreed with the plan, but despite his position, his standing among the Death Eaters was mediocre. So, when they formulated this unreliable plan, he could only listen and help execute it.
Given the current chaotic state of the British wizarding world, it was undeniable that the plan had backfired—or perhaps it had been flawed from the start, and the ensuing chaos in the wizarding world was simply part of that plan.
However, the members of the Defense Association hadn't taken the bait as expected and instead allowed Dark Wizards to run rampant, ignoring the trap that had been set for them.
On the other hand, the Order of the Phoenix had taken action, with even Harry Potter himself getting involved, which had greatly encouraged the Death Eaters.
But the Order's actions were also cautious.
Just as the Death Eaters had planned to make a move against Harry, members of the Order had gotten wind of it and gone into hiding, making it impossible for the Death Eaters to break through their defenses. The Unbreakable Vow was something they truly had no way to counter.
Thus, the outcome of this meeting was foreseeable.
There would be no resolution.
The Death Eaters would not give up so easily; they had to demonstrate their value first. The chaos in the wizarding world could not be calmed until they had done so, and they were still relying on it to lure members of the Defense Association.
"I thought you would stop their madness."
After the meeting, when Snape and Yaxley met privately, Snape referred to the gathering that had just concluded. He knew that the man before him was being controlled by Anderson, so he must be aware of the situation here. This was also the main reason why Snape found the plan utterly laughable.
The two leaders of the Death Eaters were spies for others. How could they think they could win?
"It's useless," Yaxley said with a helpless shrug as he poured a glass of red wine for Snape. "They're being driven mad with desperation, and you should realize how important the title of Death Eater is to them. They won't want to lose it."
"Whose idea was this?" Snape asked.
"McNair's," Yaxley replied with a shrug.
Knock, knock, knock! The sound of knocking interrupted them.
"Come in."
As soon as he spoke, the study door opened, and McNair and Alecto entered.
Both of them were surprised to see Snape there.
"They're all very anxious," McNair said as Yaxley poured him a glass of wine.
"I don't have a better solution," Yaxley said. "You should know that Mudblood is both clever and cunning. It's not easy to gain the upper hand over him." After pouring a glass for Alecto, Yaxley clinked his glass with theirs and took a sip. "As you can see, this conspiracy didn't work on him. I'm not blaming you; I'm just stating a frustrating fact."
"Even if we don't take the lead, others will try various methods," Alecto said, raising her glass to Snape. "In that case, it's better for us to lead them so that we don't appear to be a disorganized mob."
"This chaos must stop. If it continues, all the wizards in the British wizarding world will become our mortal enemies."
At this point, Snape couldn't help but wonder if this was Albert's scheme.
Was he using this opportunity to force all the wizards who tried to remain neutral to the side opposing the Death Eaters, leaving them no choice but to resist?
It wasn't surprising that Snape would think this way, as the current situation was indeed shaping up that way.
Once the chaos spiraled out of control and caused significant damage to the British wizarding world, wizards would no longer be able to remain on the fence. They would be forced to take a stand, as Dark Wizards could target them at any time.
If the wizards of Britain wanted to end the current chaos, they would have to support Harry Potter in defeating the mysterious figure, and only then could the Ministry of Magic return to normal.
(End of Chapter)
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