Chapter 1468: The Outcome
Chapter 1468: The Outcome
"How's the situation?"
As soon as Kingsley returned to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, he was bombarded with questions.
Everyone was concerned about the foreign Aurors, and even Fred and George, who had just received the news, rushed over to try and get first-hand information.
"It's bad," Kingsley replied with a bitter smile. "They had planned to retreat at daybreak, but they were attacked by Voldemort just before dawn. Only about a quarter of the Aurors who managed to take refuge in the safe house survived." After this incident, he understood why Albert always urged them to make the most of their time.
Sometimes, a few minutes truly made all the difference.
If they had left directly, they definitely wouldn't have been blocked by Voldemort.
"It's still a decent outcome, at least they weren't all wiped out. Even if we had been there, I doubt the situation would've been much better," George said, admiring the foreign Aurors who managed to escape under such dire circumstances.
"Those Aurors are indeed powerful, it's just a pity. I thought they would help us take out a bunch of Death Eaters, but I never expected them to be taken out by Voldemort first," Fred said, a little disappointed.
"Let's hope they learn from this lesson," Hermione added.
They all understood the despair of being caught off guard by the enemy, especially when that enemy was Voldemort.
Albert was a prime example of how preparation could turn the tide in their favor, as he always led them to victory over the Death Eaters.
Were the Death Eaters really that weak?
Not necessarily.
Even if there was a gap in strength, it wasn't as significant as they imagined.
The Weasley twins were well aware of this.
"I guess that's the end of their involvement," George commented.
"Who would've thought Voldemort would react so quickly! Those guys are learning from us," Moody said, frowning.
In the past, Voldemort wouldn't have taken immediate action upon returning to Britain, and the timing of the attack just before dawn was likely influenced by Albert's tactics.
However, there was no use dwelling on it now.
"Is the food ready? I think they need something to eat and rest. After all, they suffered this disaster because they were helping us," Kingsley said, looking around as if searching for something.
"Molly is preparing it in the kitchen. I estimate it will take another hour," Arthur replied, glancing in that direction.
"If we're in a hurry, we could get some food from the Muggles?" Hermione suggested.
"That won't be necessary, we don't have many pounds left either," Kingsley refused, shaking his head. "Let them catch their breath first."
"Do you think the International Confederation of Wizards will go against Voldemort because of this?" Harry suddenly asked. "After all, they just lost a batch of elite Aurors out of nowhere."
"Hard to say," Kingsley replied, not very optimistic. "The people in the International Confederation of Wizards are usually reluctant to interfere in Britain's affairs. This loss will likely make them more cautious, and with Voldemort's strength, they might retreat." He hoped the Confederation would stand against Voldemort, but he doubted it, and felt that cutting their losses was the more likely outcome.
Kingsley's suspicions were confirmed when he brought food to comfort these unlucky Aurors. He found that those who had not yet recovered from the shock were still in a state of fear, and some had even started grumbling and cursing the International Confederation of Wizards and their own Minister of Magic, and even directed their hostility towards Kingsley, who had brought them food.
It was understandable.
The painful experience they had just gone through made them feel like they had been sent to their deaths.
They needed an outlet to vent their fears.
"Don't be offended, they're just scared out of their wits." Conrad munched on the fried cheese sticks that Kingsley had brought over, his gloomy mood seeming to lift slightly as he said self-deprecatingly, "What a sorry state we're in, huh?"
"The mysterious man is indeed terrifying. No one in Britain dares to utter his name." Kingsley had indeed never expected these people to be so fragile. How dare they mock the British Aurors as a bunch of good-for-nothings when they themselves were just as useless! "By the way, do you have informants planted among the Death Eaters?"
Conrad asked about another matter that had been on his mind. He felt that the Order of the Phoenix wasn't as simple as it seemed. If they had heeded Kingsley's suggestion to retreat earlier, they would have surely been able to evacuate Britain before the enemy arrived. But they hadn't listened to Kingsley's advice and had ended up suffering a big loss.
"No," Kingsley shook his head in explanation. "We were able to make such accurate predictions thanks to Mr. Anderson."
"Anderson?"
"I think I've heard that name somewhere before." A French Auror murmured.
"He is one of the greatest wizards in recent years, having won numerous championship titles. He is also an extremely skilled divination master. It was he who informed us of the mysterious man's return to Britain," Kingsley explained, bringing up Albert's name in hopes that his reputation would carry some weight.
"Anderson? A divination master? Never heard of him."
After all, they wouldn't specifically pay attention to matters that didn't concern them, so it was normal that they weren't familiar with him.
"So, this Anderson predicted our failure?"
Conrad's expression turned ugly as he considered the possibility that the so-called divination master might have foreseen their defeat rather than simply predicting the timing of the mysterious man's return to Britain.
"I'm not sure, but it's very likely."
Kingsley noticed the other man's displeased expression and lowered his voice as he said, "But you can't blame him for that. Sometimes, even if he tells you something, you might not necessarily believe it. That's just how prophecies are. It's said that he predicted the resurrection of the mysterious man a few years ago, but no one wanted to believe it. So, Anderson now only gives us subtle hints and reminders, and whether or not we listen to him is no longer his concern."
Conrad opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing further.
If that were the case, he probably wouldn't have believed such prophecies himself, especially if they came from a stranger.
"I'm curious, how have you managed to continuously resist those people?" Conrad asked, his curiosity piqued. If they had suffered such a miserable defeat, he couldn't imagine how the Order of the Phoenix, a private organization, could have held out against the mysterious man for so long and even appeared so confident and relaxed. If it had been them, Conrad doubted they would have lasted this long.
"We received a reminder from Mr. Anderson," Kingsley explained.
"Not long after Dumbledore's death, we began to prepare in advance, which is why we were able to escape the threat of the mysterious man."
"How did he convince you?"
Conrad was even more curious now. He knew that convincing others was never an easy task.
"Because he predicted Dumbledore's death."
When it came to this matter, Kingsley's expression became especially complex. "If Dumbledore had been willing to believe his prophecy, perhaps he wouldn't have died."
He murmured, "Sometimes, when you're given too many impressive lessons, you have no choice but to believe."
"Hearing you say that, I'm quite interested in meeting this Mr. Anderson now."
"I'm afraid that's difficult. Mr. Anderson has gone into hiding." Kingsley glanced at Conrad and shook his head in explanation. "The mysterious man has been trying to get rid of him, and currently, I doubt anyone can find him."
(End of Chapter)
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