https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1458-Killing-the-Innocent-for-Glory/12528440/
Chapter 1459: Borrowing a Knife
Chapter 1459: Borrowing a Knife
Piers, having been pushed to the forefront by the Death Eaters, had long been nothing more than a rubber stamp.
Although this was not Piers' wish, he had unconsciously become accustomed to his current identity over the past six months.
Even after Piers successfully broke free from Yaxley's Imperius Curse, he still pretended to be under its control and continued his work.
Piers was well aware of his situation. So what if he broke free? When dealing with the mysterious Lord Voldemort, having a flexible moral compass was crucial to ensuring his and his family's safety.
Moreover, Piers had his own advantages.
Even with the Dark Mark branded on his arm, it had been done while he was under the influence of the Imperius Curse, and so it could not be used as evidence that he was a Death Eater.
Everyone knew he was just an unfortunate victim of the curse.
Even if the mysterious Lord Voldemort were defeated one day, Piers would not be held accountable.
After all, he had not willingly become the Minister of Magic, and actions performed under the influence of the Imperius Curse could not be used to convict him.
This was undoubtedly a convenient excuse.
Whether it was Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters, or the pure-blood wizards of Britain, they all tacitly exploited this loophole for their own gain.
After the last wizarding war, countless wizards claimed to have been under the influence of the Imperius Curse and thus escaped imprisonment.
In truth, wizards who truly understood the curse knew that while it was a practical Unforgivable Curse, it was extremely difficult to use it to control someone for an extended period.
Typically, a wizard would only be able to control someone for about half a day using the Imperius Curse, and only powerful dark wizards could prolong its effects.
However, the curse's power would gradually weaken over time, and most wizards would eventually break free from its control.
Even if the curse was cast multiple times on an individual before its effects wore off, the targeted person would develop a certain level of resistance, eventually breaking free from its hold.
(The exception to this seemed to be a certain 'hanging B'.) For this reason, many of the wizards in the Ministry of Magic who claimed to have been under the Imperius Curse were actually using it as a cover to work for the Death Eaters and further their own interests.
Everyone involved was smart enough to know that when push came to shove, they would have to compromise for their own safety.
The Death Eaters were aware of this, but they turned a blind eye to it in order to gain the support of more pure-blood wizards.
After all, given enough time, those wizards would naturally side with them.
… "That's enough, Dolores," Piers said, setting down the proposal in his hands. He looked up at Umbridge, who was attempting to enact new laws, and said, "I still need to discuss this matter with Yaxley. If he has no objections…"
Piers trailed off as he frowned at his new assistant, who had burst into the office in a hurry. "What is it?" he asked, his voice displeased.
"Minister, we've received a diplomatic note from the French Ministry of Magic," the assistant said, breathless. "They claim that Death Eaters ambushed their Auror squad in France and are demanding that we release them, or they will take this to the International Confederation of Wizards…"
"Wait, are you saying that the French have a missing Auror squad and suspect that our people captured them?"
Piers paused, wondering if he had heard correctly.
"No, the French suspect that Death Eaters attacked their Aurors," the assistant explained quietly.
"I've never heard of anything so absurd," Piers said, feeling an urge to laugh.
"Perhaps it's just a misunderstanding?" Umbridge suggested with a fake smile, her voice soft. "We should strengthen communication with the French and get to the bottom of this."
"It seems the French have evidence that Death Eaters attacked their Aurors in their country," Piers' assistant reminded him quietly.
An eerie silence fell upon the office.
Even Piers was unsure how to handle this situation.
While he felt they should simply ignore the French demands, which were ridiculous and rude, his intuition told him that involving the International Confederation of Wizards could spell big trouble for him.
After all, the current state of Britain was dire, and who knew what chaos those meddlers could cause if they interfered.
"Call a meeting!"
Piers, ever the rubber stamp, knew that such decisions were not his to make. So, he decided to pass the problem on to someone else.
As for the consequences?
Well, he was just a minister under the Imperius Curse—what consequences could there be for him?
"When did our people go to France to capture Aurors?"
Yaxley was equally astonished when he first heard the news, but he quickly had his people search through time to find the relevant intelligence.
After all, the diplomatic note included the specific time of the French Auror squad's ambush.
And at that particular time, only one significant event had taken place.
A squad of dark wizards had successfully ambushed and killed three members of the Defense Association, sacrificing several of their own in the process.
"So, the three people mentioned here are actually Aurors from the French Ministry of Magic?"
Yaxley's mouth twitched as he felt the situation was absurd.
"When did they go to France to capture these people?"
"According to the records, the three were disrespectful and used the Dark Lord's name without permission, and they refused to cooperate with the investigation, so…"
"I don't think discussing this is useful right now," Piers cut in, getting to the point. "If France or the International Confederation of Wizards intends to interfere in Britain's affairs, what should we do?"
"It's unlikely," Umbridge said. "If the International Confederation of Wizards wanted to interfere, they would have done so before Scrimgeour's death." She didn't think they would want to get involved in the wizarding war, as it would be a thankless task.
"While I also think it's unlikely, we have a sneaky and despicable opponent in Albert Anderson," Yaxley said.
It wasn't that he wanted to think this way, but they had been outmaneuvered by Albert too many times.
Believing that this could be another one of Albert's schemes, Yaxley felt they should guard against the possibility of him dragging the International Confederation of Wizards into the mix.
All signs pointed to Albert being skilled at orchestrating such events.
The thought of him intentionally using the Confederation as a tool sent shivers down Yaxley's spine.
After all, the last time Albert had used the Ministry of Magic, he had indirectly caused the deaths of numerous Death Eaters.
No one wanted a repeat of that incident.
But how could they prevent it from happening again?
The meeting room fell silent once more, only to be filled with hushed whispers soon after.
They all knew that regardless of how low the probability was, they had to take precautions. Yaxley couldn't afford to suffer such losses again.
(End of Chapter)
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