Chapter 1464: Passing on the Pressure
Chapter 1464: Passing on the Pressure
The masses can be clever.
But sometimes they can also be foolish, easily swayed by rumors, especially in a place like France, where revolutionary sentiments are always simmering beneath the surface.
After all, this is a land where upheaval is never in short supply.
Not long ago, an article in Le Roi Soleil ignited the emotions of the wizarding community living in France, reminding them of a significant incident that had occurred not too long ago.
In the face of provocation from Dark Wizards, the Ministry of Magic remained indifferent.
The heinous crimes committed by these Dark Wizards were enough to warrant a life sentence in Azkaban by the French Aurors.
And yet, the French Ministry turned a blind eye? This raised suspicions that the Minister himself might have bowed to the Dark Wizards' demands.
Such inaction was intolerable, especially when compared to the situation in their neighboring country, Britain. The French wizards felt insecure, believing that their Ministry needed to step up their defenses to avoid the same fate as their neighbors.
They were all too eager to mock their neighbors' plight, but they certainly didn't want to end up in the same miserable state.
It was truly tragic.
So much so that the French wizards felt embarrassed to continue their schadenfreude, and some even sympathized with their neighbors' plight.
When the wizarding community learned of the role played by the International Confederation of Wizards in this matter, they became concerned about their own situation.
If the ICW failed to uphold its duties, what would happen if a similar incident occurred in France one day? After all, Britain was just across the Channel, and that narrow body of water was no obstacle to the Dark Wizard known as Voldemort and his followers.
Even before the attack, three Aurors had already fallen victim to the Dark forces.
Should they allow the Dark Wizards to continue wreaking havoc in France?
Thus, pressured by the passionate protests of their citizens, the French Ministry of Magic found themselves in a tight spot.
Although the news in Le Roi Soleil was largely based on interviews with the victims' families, the French Minister of Magic could guess who was behind this manipulation after reading the article.
While infuriating, the fire had already been lit, and it was now their job to put it out and soothe the anger and anxiety of the people, rather than continue to brush it off.
The masses were discerning, and they were not easily fooled.
The French Ministry came up with a clever plan.
Since France had already been dragged into this mess, they might as well share the burden with their neighbors.
And so, they passed the buck to their neighboring country, Germany.
Voldemort's rampage in the German wizarding world was well-known, and the wizards living there had long been furious with their Ministry's inaction. Now, the French added fuel to the fire.
They wanted the German Ministry to step up and take a hardline stance against Voldemort, ensuring the safety of the wizards living in Germany.
They didn't want to end up like those unfortunate British wizards.
With a "why should we be the only ones suffering?" mentality, they dragged the German Ministry, along with several other European Ministries that had been plagued by Voldemort, into the fray.
Then, they continued discussions within the ICW about sending Aurors to Britain, and things proceeded much more smoothly from there.
After all, with their numbers and experience, they would have the upper hand against the Dark Wizards.
As long as this force of Aurors, backed by popular demand, carried the banner of opposing the Dark Wizards to Britain, that was enough.
Whether or not they could rescue Britain from its plight was none of their concern.
However, the British wizards, deep in the throes of their own crisis, were unaware of these developments. They could only learn of the ICW Aurors' arrival in Britain through the Wizarding Watch, and they were exhilarated by the news, fantasizing about these elite Aurors defeating the Dark Wizards and Death Eaters that plagued their land, and perhaps even driving away Voldemort.
Kingsley Shacklebolt, the orchestrator of this plan, had no such illusions. He contacted Albert through the night, discussing how to utilize this force to strike against the Dark Wizards.
"You don't need to do anything extra," Albert advised. "Just provide them with the intelligence they lack."
He didn't have high hopes for this team of elite Aurors from various countries, as they had ultimately been forced to come to Britain against their will. They wouldn't risk their lives for the British wizards, and any small assistance would be a bonus. There was no need for flattery.
As Albert predicted, when Kingsley approached them, he found them to be a bunch of arrogant individuals. Fortunately, they weren't complete fools, and they didn't directly provoke the Death Eaters. Instead, they used the intelligence provided by Kingsley to gradually eradicate the army of Inferi that the Death Eaters had created using Muggles, thus preventing the wizarding world from being fully exposed to the Muggle community.
During this process, the Aurors experienced the welcoming ceremony specially prepared for them by the Death Eaters, resulting in some casualties. They finally got a taste of the true horrors of this land.
"Shouldn't we go and help them?"
Members of the Defense Association were eager to join forces with the Aurors and eradicate the Dark Wizards in Britain.
"Don't be foolish," Albert said, quashing the idea. "Anyone who becomes an Auror isn't a fool. If we expose the strength of the Defense Association, they'll realize what's going on, and do you think they'll stay to help us?"
"Won't they?"
"Of course not," Albert said. "They'll feel like they've been made fools of, and they'll leave Britain with their Aurors, using this as an excuse to no longer interfere in Britain's affairs." Albert saw things more clearly than anyone. If they exposed their strength, how could Kingsley continue to convince the Aurors to save Britain? "Even if those Aurors don't want to go all out, we can use them to attract the attention of the Dark Wizards and share the burden with other British wizards." Albert spoke meaningfully. "Remember, our goal is not to defeat those Dark Wizards but to weaken their strength and wait for the right moment for the final battle."
As the vanguard of the resistance against the mysterious wizard, the Order of the Phoenix also sent a small number of members to assist this Auror squad.
Even they had to admit that the members of the Order who continued to resist under such high pressure were extraordinary.
Especially with the help of the Order members, their actions in Britain became much smoother, and they no longer treated them with the same condescension as before.
Thus, the pressure fell squarely on the Death Eaters, until—Voldemort suddenly returned to Britain.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
