Chapter 1481: Caught in the Crossfire
Chapter 1481: Caught in the Crossfire
"So, you just let them slip away right under your nose?"
In the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, Yaxley glared expressionlessly at Snape, seemingly displeased that his old friend had wasted such a golden opportunity.
"Maybe you shouldn't have bothered with that useless trap and just handed them over to me to deal with."
"They did their best," Snape replied calmly, as if the whole affair had nothing to do with him. "Even if the Ministry of Magic had handled it, the outcome might have been the same, or even worse."
"You…" McNair twitched with anger, but he knew there was no point in pressing the issue further. It would only serve to make their relationship more strained without achieving anything productive. They should be united in their efforts.
"It's not a complete loss," said Alecto, pulling out a notebook from her pocket and slapping it on the table. "We used Veritaserum to pry information from those little brats, and we got quite a bit of useful intel, including how to enter the Room of Requirement."
"Then why aren't you going after the rest of those pests right now?" McNair couldn't understand why they were still lingering here, chatting idly.
Snape glanced at the others, his meaning clear. He had originally intended to do just that, but the arrival of Yaxley and McNair had not only delayed his plans but also thrown a wrench in them.
The two intruders felt a bit embarrassed as it seemed that was indeed the case. When they had arrived, Snape had appeared to be on the verge of taking action.
"The Dementors and the others are probably still here. I'll go and call them back," McNair said, turning to leave.
"Once we flush out those pesky rats, no one in Hogwarts will dare to defy us again," he added as he walked out.
Alecto seemed to be in a good mood. Using those annoying students as an example would undoubtedly intimidate the rest of the students at Hogwarts and prevent them from causing trouble all the time.
"By the way, when do you plan to make a move on the professors here?" she asked suddenly.
"I don't intend to act against them until the time is right," Snape replied ambiguously. "Some things need to be done gradually. If we suddenly lose several professors, it will be difficult for Hogwarts to continue functioning, and the Dark Lord certainly doesn't want to see that happen."
"Our plan has failed," Snape said, turning to Alecto. "I thought that by torturing those students, someone would step forward, but it seems I underestimated them."
Of course, this was all a charade, but Snape had to say this to give the other Death Eaters some sort of explanation. Failure demanded a price, especially among the Death Eaters.
"By the way, according to our sources, the group of students has been getting their food from the owner of the Hog's Head Inn, and that traitor is an accomplice of the Mudblood as well," Alecto offered, providing a second piece of crucial information. "There should be an entrance to Hogwarts from that inn."
"It seems we've gained quite a lot this time!"
Yaxley snatched the notebook from Alecto's hand and quickly scanned the useful intelligence they had extracted from the students through torture. He immediately dispatched a group of Death Eaters to Hogsmeade to capture Aberforth and extract more information from the old man.
This put Yaxley in an even more awkward position, and he quickly left after taking charge of the matter.
"I wonder what they're really here for," Alecto said coldly, watching Yaxley's retreating back.
"Glory-hunters," Snape said dismissively. He didn't care about such things, and neither did Yaxley, but there were those under his command who craved recognition.
When they had gathered their forces and stormed the Room of Requirement, expecting to capture the occupants within, they found it empty, much to the disappointment of the Death Eaters who had anticipated an easy victory.
This was a matter of merit, of gaining Galleons! And yet, their targets had slipped through their fingers.
It was especially crucial now that Voldemort had begun selecting his elite Death Eaters. Only by proving their capabilities could they hope to be inducted into his inner circle.
Macnair, who had been the first to charge into the room, wore a dark expression.
On the other hand, Snape remained remarkably calm in the face of the empty Room of Requirement, as if he had expected this outcome from the very beginning.
"Go to the Hog's Head Inn and tell Yaxley that after he captures Aberforth, he should remember to interrogate him about the secret passage. We might still be able to catch the fugitives," Snape instructed.
However, Yaxley failed to capture Aberforth. The old man, warned by Albert, had fled without hesitation, leaving the Death Eaters with no leads.
In his anger, Yaxley set fire to the ancient building, reducing it to ashes.
Compared to the gloomy mood of the Death Eaters, the members of Dumbledore's Army, who had just left Hogwarts Castle and reunited with their companions in the safe house, felt a sense of relief and joy.
As for the unfortunate few who had endured torture, they were still unconscious, lying in their beds.
Although Kingsley had administered emergency treatment, the situation was still not optimistic. The Dark Magic used by Alecto and her cohorts had inflicted severe damage.
For the time being, they couldn't send the injured to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and could only wait until nightfall to return to Hogwarts and seek help from Madam Pomfrey.
The Order of the Phoenix had considered recruiting healers, but the response had not been encouraging. Everyone feared retaliation from the Death Eaters.
While many witches and wizards privately supported the Order's resistance against Voldemort, openly declaring their support for the Order was another matter entirely, as it would put their families at risk.
No one wanted to take that chance.
"I'm worried about Professor McGonagall and the others. Michael and the captured students must have revealed a lot of information under interrogation," Neville said to Kingsley, his initial joy at reuniting with his friends giving way to concern.
"And Aberforth, he's been providing us with food. I'm afraid his cover has been blown," Neville added, not wanting the kind bartender to suffer because of their association with him.
"Don't worry, Aberforth probably got the message and ran. He's close with Albert, so I doubt he'll be caught easily," Kingsley reassured Neville, downplaying his concerns about the bartender's safety.
As it turned out, Kingsley was right. Not long after, they were greeted by the grumbling Aberforth, furious about losing his pub due to his association with them.
However, the unfortunate students who should have received his ire were still unconscious in their beds.
(End of Chapter)
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