Chapter 1492: The Escape of the Dark Lord
Chapter 1492: The Escape of the Dark Lord
Facing the hundreds of Aurors surrounding them from three sides, these black wizards, who had just escaped from the fire and experienced a round of deadly bombing, finally broke down. After failing to escape using Disillusionment Charms, several panic-stricken Death Eaters ran wildly into the direction without Aurors, vanishing into the enveloping darkness. The rest of the Death Eaters, their faces ashen, gathered around Lord Voldemort, pinning their last hopes on the Dark Lord instead of fleeing with the others, as that was exactly what the Aurors wanted to see.
Voldemort was undaunted by the Aurors' encirclement, but his expression was exceptionally ugly, as he knew he had been outmaneuvered by that damned Mudblood once again.
From start to finish, Nurmengard Prison had been a meticulously crafted trap set by that pesky Mudblood, who knew he was seeking the Elder Wand and guessed he would come for Grindelwald.
So, he had approached Grindelwald beforehand and convinced the old man to play along with his scheme.
If this was indeed the case, Voldemort could almost certainly conclude that the Elder Wand he had just obtained was a fake or, at best, an ordinary wand.
Although Voldemort had a foreboding feeling when he acquired the wand, it was still difficult to accept the cruel truth.
He had sacrificed too many of his followers for this, and he couldn't bear the thought of being played for a fool.
Unfortunately, the Aurors didn't care about Voldemort's complex emotions at the moment. They selectively borrowed Kingsley's motto—no mercy.
As Aurors, who wouldn't have a few enemies? If they didn't take this opportunity to eliminate their foes, they might find themselves on the receiving end of revenge later. This was the primary reason these brave individuals were willing to stand up against Voldemort. Given the Dark Lord's notorious reputation, who knew what atrocious acts he would commit after recruiting these audacious dark wizards? They would undoubtedly be the first to suffer.
Once the decision to kill was made, the Aurors were more terrifying than the dark wizards.
The requirements to become an Auror were far more stringent than those for a dark wizard, not to mention the rigorous training Aurors underwent.
As the Aurors drew closer to the dark wizards, Kingsley's thunderous voice rang out in the darkness, demanding that the Death Eaters surrender and drop their wands.
The Aurors never expected the dark wizards to surrender directly, and as soon as Kingsley's voice echoed, it signaled the start of the battle.
Under the cover of the loud pleas for surrender, one Avada Kedavra curse after another spewed from the mouths of the Aurors.
The sinister green light illuminated the sky above Nurmengard Prison, followed by successive explosions that engulfed the encircled Death Eaters.
When the deadly green light faded, not a single person was left standing amidst the ruins of Nurmengard. The dozen or so Death Eaters who had been surrounded lay on the ground, their eyes wide open, refusing to close even in death.
Until their last breath, they couldn't fathom how these shameless Aurors dared to use the Killing Curse directly on them, nor did they expect to be used as human shields by Voldemort.
Victory?
The Aurors themselves were astonished at how effortlessly they had dealt with the escaped prisoners and killed the infamous Lord Voldemort.
Was Voldemort truly dead?
As the Aurors helped collect the bodies, they couldn't find Voldemort's corpse. How had he escaped their tight encirclement?
No one knew exactly how Voldemort had slipped away right under their noses, but nonetheless, the operation was deemed a resounding success.
Whether Voldemort would seek revenge was no longer the Aurors' concern.
After all, the Aurors present at the operation came from various European countries, and with such a large number, even if Voldemort truly wanted retribution, it wouldn't be these individuals who would suffer first.
Thus, the respective countries held press conferences overnight, announcing the triumphant outcome of the operation.
To ensure Kingsley's cooperation in diverting Voldemort's hatred, the Ministries of Magic were generous with their praise, giving ample face to the renowned Voldemort expert.
The Order of the Phoenix even received a substantial financial donation to support the British resistance and those oppressed by Voldemort, essentially a bribe for Kingsley's compliance.
"Many people believe that the Aurors' use of the Killing Curse violates the laws set by the International Confederation of Wizards," Kingsley addressed the probing questions from the reporters, his tone resolute. "But we are facing a ruthless murderer in Voldemort... Oh, rest assured, he won't dare come after me right after his escape. I'm saying that if we want to put Voldemort back in his grave, we must be prepared for tough decisions."
In the face of the journalists' challenging inquiries, Kingsley stood his ground. "If you disagree with my views, I suggest you take a trip to Britain. If you manage to come back alive, I'm sure your perspective on my actions will change significantly."
"Looks like they gave Kingsley a nice sum to take the fall," Albert remarked with a smile to Fred.
"Probably about two thousand Galleons," Fred replied, having heard Kingsley mention the matter. The money had already been converted into various resources to improve the conditions for the Order of the Phoenix and the shelter.
"It's a fair deal for them. The International Confederation of Wizards gets to boost its reputation, and they can sweep the fact that Voldemort had them under his control under the rug. It's just a bit stingy of them to offer such a small amount."
Albert could guess their motives with his knees.
"Kingsley's not losing out either. Everyone's burning their bridges with this, but at least he got something out of it. We'll just have to be more cautious from now on." The group wasn't too concerned about the money; instead, they regretted that Voldemort had slipped away from the Aurors' grasp.
It would have been ideal if they could have taken the opportunity to finish off Voldemort.
Fred's tone turned serious as he said, "Kingsley asked me to inquire... Do you have any idea how the Dark Lord managed to escape right from under their noses?"
Even if they couldn't completely eradicate Voldemort, buying a few more years of peace would be beneficial.
With the constant threat of Voldemort's resurrection looming, the countries would surely be eager to eliminate his followers.
Without his army of dark wizards, Voldemort's menace would be significantly diminished.
"If it were me," Albert replied, folding the newspaper, "I'd probably use a Portkey. Of course, the Dark Lord may have other means at his disposal. For a powerful wizard, breaking through an Anti-Disapparition Jinx isn't particularly challenging as long as they have their wand."
"However, using a Portkey or having a house-elf assist would be the fastest methods, as other means would require time, which the Dark Lord didn't have at that moment."
If it were Albert, he would have summoned a house-elf and had Dobby teleport him to safety.
In fact, Albert's guess was correct.
Voldemort did indeed escape with the help of a house-elf.
In that heavily surrounded situation, there weren't many options available. Fortunately, Albert's method of entering and exiting Hogwarts had provided them with inspiration, and Voldemort himself kept a house-elf under his control for emergencies.
As the green light enveloped them, Voldemort pulled the architectural remnants of Nurmengard Prison and the other Death Eaters toward him, using them as shields against the curses. Then, he summoned the house-elf under his control, who was bound by the Imperius Curse, and calmly escaped the encirclement of hundreds of Aurors.
In that situation, it appeared as though he had simply vanished.
That unfortunate house-elf, after completing the task of saving Voldemort, became the Dark Lord's punching bag.
Yes, Voldemort killed his savior, even though he didn't consider house-elves to be people.
(End of Chapter)
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