Chapter 1470: Voldemort Must Die
Chapter 1470: Voldemort Must Die
The course of events often takes unexpected turns.
On the very night that the Auror reinforcements from Britain suffered heavy losses, the International Wizarding Confederation's high bounty on Voldemort, with the cooperation of various countries, quickly spread throughout the world. The hefty bounty, in particular, stunned countless individuals.
However, this news ended up silencing both the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters.
"The International Wizarding Confederation probably doesn't want to continue meddling in Britain's affairs, so they're using the high bounty on Voldemort to make their stance clear," Kingsley remarked, his political astuteness far surpassing that of most members of the Order. Upon hearing this news, he immediately guessed the Confederation's true intentions.
"Looks like they've been scared off!" Sirius scoffed, "Forget it, we never expected much from them anyway."
"Not necessarily," comforted Fleur. "There are still many powerful witches and wizards in this world. With such a hefty reward, someone might just help us get rid of the mysterious wizard."
"Not likely," Bill disagreed, mirroring Ron's lack of faith in the bounty and the Confederation. "Look at the high bounties on Harry and Anderson. Those are more symbolic than anything. I doubt anyone will take this seriously."
"No wonder Anderson used them as cannon fodder," Ron muttered.
"Be careful with your choice of words, Ron. We don't want to spread discord," Hermione chided.
"Initially, some might be tempted, but it would be a suicide mission. Once a batch of powerful witches and wizards meet their end, no one will dare to go after the mysterious wizard again," Moody, well-informed about the bounty, predicted.
There was never a shortage of people willing to risk their lives for money, and this bounty might very well attract some Dark witches and wizards too.
The International Wizarding Confederation had specifically included "anyone" in their bounty notice, implying that even Dark witches and wizards were welcome to try. Whether or not someone succeeded in causing trouble for Voldemort, they wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
"He's not that easy to kill," Arthur remarked, unconvinced.
"It's up to Albert now," someone added.
Hermione, privy to the inside information, knew that Voldemort wasn't someone who could be easily eliminated. Even the most powerful witches and wizards, without understanding the full situation, would likely fail to kill him. Otherwise, Albert would have done so already instead of letting him continue to wreak havoc on the British wizarding community.
As for whether Albert had the power to do so, Hermione believed he did. Otherwise, Dumbledore wouldn't have entrusted him with the task of cleaning up the mess.
Hermione's thoughts turned to Harry as she considered this, her expression complex. Albert was waiting for them to destroy all the Horcruxes before dealing with Voldemort, but once that was done, it would also mean the end of Harry's life.
"I wonder if we'll get that bounty if we kill the mysterious wizard," Harry mused, not out of greed, but because he felt that Albert should share half the reward with them after he dealt with Voldemort. Harry had to think about Ginny and their unborn child.
The group turned to Harry, surprised by his comment.
Ignoring their bewildered gazes, Harry added softly, "It would be nice to have some extra money."
"Don't talk nonsense, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said anxiously.
"We will, definitely. After all, they care about their reputation, and there are quite a few members in the International Wizarding Confederation. If each of them contributes a portion, it should add up," Kingsley replied, not fully understanding why Harry brought this up.
To be frank, he didn't think the bounty would amount to much.
"As far as I know, the British Ministry of Magic doesn't have a good track record with bounties. They often drag their feet and don't pay up even when the conditions are met," Harry pointed out bluntly, making no attempt to hide his dislike for these politicians.
"The Ministry should pay up for the bounties they've offered. At least, that's been my experience," said Tonks, looking at Kingsley.
"Well..."
"Albert never received the bounty for Wormtail," Harry clarified.
"Wormtail wasn't under any bounty," Moody reminded them.
"But I was," Sirius interjected, remembering that incident vividly.
"The Ministry didn't pay up afterward, but it seems Fudge and Albert reached some sort of agreement privately," Kingsley explained, not privy to the full details of the transaction between the Minister and Albert.
"Let's drop this, Harry. It's not the main issue here," Lupin tried to steer the conversation in another direction.
"I think it's quite important," Harry insisted.
He, Ron, and himself were in need of money.
Across the divide, Voldemort and his Death Eaters were equally taken aback by the International Wizarding Confederation's move.
However, to understand the specifics, Voldemort took control of a Confederation member and extracted the information he sought.
As Kingsley had surmised, they were scared.
The devastating losses suffered by the Aurors had made them eager to extricate themselves from the quagmire that was Britain, but as the International Wizarding Confederation, they also needed to demonstrate their stance on the matter. Hence, they issued this bounty, whether or not someone could eliminate the mysterious wizard. They wanted to show that they were doing their best to address the issue, and this would be enough to silence their critics.
Upon learning of this, Voldemort, too, was momentarily stunned, but he chose not to take the bait and cause trouble for the Confederation.
In the end, Voldemort justified his inaction by telling himself that he wanted to avoid falling into the cunning mudblood's trap.
Voldemort's suspicions were not entirely unfounded. Had he acted impulsively, he would have indeed walked right into Albert's scheme.
But would he truly avoid Albert's machinations by doing nothing? After all, Voldemort himself was known for his cunning and deceit.
Albert, of course, would show him no mercy. Regardless of Voldemort's actions, Albert intended to make his move.
For instance, he could use the Imperius Curse to control several Confederation members and make it seem like they were under the mysterious wizard's control.
This strategy proved incredibly effective, akin to poking a hornet's nest. The entire Confederation was in an uproar.
Yes, the members were furious about Voldemort's actions.
To them, the loss of Aurors aiding Britain was infuriating, but it was something they could begrudgingly accept.
After all, the dead were not their own.
However, when their own lives were at stake, the situation changed. The members refused to become the next sacrificial lambs, and so—Voldemort must die.
The members convened for several consecutive days, discussing matters that remained unknown to the public. But everyone understood that Voldemort was undoubtedly the topic of these discussions.
(End of Chapter)
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