Chapter 1515: Bloodshed in Hogsmeade
Chapter 1515: Bloodshed in Hogsmeade
This was not surprising! From the outset, their plan was to inflict as much damage on the enemy as possible and reduce their numbers before a full-scale battle ensued. With a significant number of Death Eaters currently holed up in Hogsmeade, there was no reason to hold back.
Of course, everyone was also itching for a fight.
Having been restrained by Albert previously and deprived of opportunities for action, they were eager to test out the skills they had learned from him now that a chance had finally presented itself.
The strategy was straightforward and devoid of intricate plots—they intended to exploit their first-mover advantage and catch the enemy off-guard.
They deliberately triggered the Caterwauling Charm to lure the Death Eaters hiding in Hogsmeade, and with a swift and coordinated attack, the three squads easily dispatched their adversaries.
The ensuing commotion then served to attract any other nearby Death Eaters.
Again, they launched a stealth attack without regard for martial ethics, and after taking down the second batch of Death Eaters, they used Flash Bombs to ambush the third group.
After all, no one would expect to be hit with such an underhanded tactic as having Flash Bombs thrown at them. Taking advantage of their enemies' temporary blindness, they swiftly overwhelmed and defeated a large number of them.
In just a few minutes, they had inflicted casualties of over twenty, causing the initially numerically superior group of Death Eaters to fall into a state of panic.
The most tragic part was that the Dementors they had desperately called for aid directly clashed with this group, most of whom could use Patronuses. The Dementors were brutally beaten and fled in disarray.
The remaining Death Eaters, though rattled, put up a stubborn resistance, taking cover in the houses. They had considered fleeing, but after sending out the message that Hogsmeade was under attack, they knew that Death Eaters would soon arrive with reinforcements.
By continuing to hold out, they could wait for the Death Eaters to arrive and then ambush them together, claiming credit for the joint effort. Moreover, with the cover of the buildings, they believed they could buy themselves some time.
Unfortunately for them, the surviving Death Eaters misjudged the situation.
The members of the Defense Association participating in this cleanup operation were all seasoned veterans. This group of fighters had no qualms about disregarding martial ethics—some directly cast spells to bring down the houses, while others tore through walls to launch surprise attacks from the sides. They fought in ways that defied conventional wisdom, leaving the Death Eaters who had intended to hide and stall for time completely dazed and confused.
This was not unexpected, as within just a few minutes, they had been beaten into a desperate retreat, and not knowing the true number of their enemies, they naturally couldn't make the right decisions. All they could do was fall back on their experience and hold their ground.
This led to Fred's offhand comment after removing his night-vision glasses: "I thought they would fall apart, but they're surprisingly resilient."
"They probably didn't expect us to be so well-prepared," Bill said, noticing that Fred and George's gazes had taken on a slightly different quality.
When did his two unreliable younger brothers become so dependable?
They had expected that taking Hogsmeade would require a fierce battle.
But who would have thought it would be this easy?
Although they had employed stealth attacks and righteous mob tactics, the enemies seemed to crumble like clay at the slightest touch.
"Don't be surprised, catching the enemy off-guard is a standard tactic," Fred said with an exaggerated expression of astonishment as he explained to the members of the Order of the Phoenix, "If you had encountered them, you wouldn't have fared any better."
"What about you guys?" Bill asked curiously.
"We've had professional training. If we had more time, even the Aurors from the Ministry wouldn't be our match in combat," Fred replied, feeling rather pleased with himself as he had claimed quite a few lives tonight.
"What are they doing?"
As they watched George direct his team to clean up the battlefield and deliver finishing blows to the defeated Death Eaters, several members of the Order of the Phoenix wore disturbed expressions. While they didn't oppose harsh measures, delivering finishing blows one after another was indeed...testing the limits of their tolerance, even if the dead were despicable Death Eaters who deserved their fate.
Of course, the members of the Defense Association weren't bloodthirsty either, but they could understand and had mentally prepared themselves for this.
If they didn't kill the enemy, their own people might die.
For this reason, they had found a suitable person to carry out this task of executing the defeated foes.
Nelson Tobin.
This individual, whose mind was filled with thoughts of revenge, had volunteered for the task and was now pointing his wand at each fallen enemy in turn.
"Whether they're dead or not, just make sure they're all finished off," George said nonchalantly, "That way, we're guaranteed to lose fewer of our own people."
"Finish them all off?" Bill's face twitched.
Watching Nelson Tobin go down the line and deliver the coup de grace, even Diggory felt his scalp tingle. After all, there were at least fifty or sixty people who had been knocked down earlier.
And now, they were all dead.
It was truly a slaughter.
"If we don't take care of them now, are we supposed to let them join Voldemort's army when they wake up?" Aberforth sneered at the expressions on their faces.
He himself had personally ended the lives of several Death Eaters.
"What's the deal with that kid?"
Nelson Tobin's actions still sent chills down the spines of many.
"Nelson Tobin, from Slytherin House," Fred explained, having obtained Tobin's consent beforehand, "When we went to his place, his family had already been killed by Death Eaters. Albert tried to counsel him a few times, but it didn't work. We had no reason to stop him from seeking revenge, so we let him take it out on the Death Eaters. Hopefully, after this Wizarding War is over, he'll be able to let go of his grudge."
The others looked at Tobin with complicated expressions.
Seeing the bodies strewn across the ground, they felt that this wasn't necessarily a good thing, but they couldn't quite articulate why, nor did they have a reason to stop him from seeking revenge, especially since someone had to do it.
At this moment, Aberforth raised his wand and released a mark of the Order of the Phoenix into the sky, signaling that they had taken control of Hogsmeade Village.
As for the corpses, after a quick search, they were buried in a hastily dug mass grave outside the village.
Having dealt with the bodies of the Inferi before, they had become quite adept at digging pits.
"I've already sent a message to Lee Jordan. The wizards who are willing to join our noble cause will soon gather at Hogwarts," George said, putting away his communication quill and addressing those around him, "Although I don't think any Death Eaters will show up in a short time, we still need to be vigilant. Who knows if the Death Eaters will get reinforcements?"
"We'll take care of receiving them, and you guys can ambush as planned," Aberforth volunteered for the task.
"How's the situation at Hogwarts?" Bill suddenly asked.
"The students in the castle have all been sent away," George glanced at his communication quill and replied without hesitation, "They're setting up defenses. Hagrid and Firenze have gone into the forest, and the centaurs from the Forbidden Forest will likely join our side as well."
"So, it's just Kingsley's side left?"
"Do you think he'll be able to convince those Aurors?" Bill wasn't very hopeful about that group of Aurors.
"That bunch is still hesitating, but it should be soon."
"Hopefully, those idiots aren't spineless idiots."
"Don't worry, someone will persuade them to join us," Fred and George clasped each other's hands, their expressions meaningful, "And they have no other choice."
Did they really think they could stay out of this?
(End of Chapter)
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