Chapter 1516: You Don't Have a Choice
Chapter 1516: You Don't Have a Choice
At this moment, in a secret safe house somewhere in Britain, the Aurors who had been listening to the Wizarding Watch broadcast hurried over, setting aside their tasks.
This was unavoidable.
After all, Li Jordan had left them no room for choice. He directly revealed former Minister Scrimgeour's last words on the Wizarding Watch broadcast, touting them to their supporters and posing as if Voldemort was already defeated. He also reminded everyone, "Voldemort has many followers, but you may not know that the Aurors have been on our side from the very beginning. They only pretended to defect to Voldemort, biding their time for this day to land a fatal blow on him."
Indeed! No wonder the Aurors were restless. They were given no leeway at all.
If the Aurors chose to join the fight against the mysterious man, they could wash away the stain of "defecting" and blame it on their silent endurance while waiting for the right moment to strike.
It was hard to say how many Aurors would be willing to participate, as most elite members were self-serving and wouldn't willingly risk their lives.
Yet, they came.
The temporary base provided by Scrimgeour to the Aurors was relatively safe, and they wanted to see if this group truly had a grasp on defeating Voldemort and ending the damned Wizarding War.
However, after waiting for a while, they still didn't see the person who had contacted them.
After some time, the door of the safe house was finally pushed open from the outside again. Kingslake, cloaked in black, walked in alone, causing the whispering Aurors to fall silent.
"Kingslake, what are you up to?"
Several Aurors surrounded him, their faces gloomy. They were justifiably angry, as no one wanted to be left hanging in such a precarious situation.
Now that Scrimgeour's alleged "last words" had been broadcast, how could the Death Eaters easily let them off the hook?
"It seems unlikely that any other Aurors will be coming." Kingslake scanned the room full of Aurors and got straight to the point. "Alright, everyone quiet down. Tonight..."
"What do you mean?" someone interrupted rudely.
"Everything on the broadcast was true," Kingslake said, looking at him. "But I think that's not the main point. You should let me finish speaking."
The Aurors wanted to beat up the man in front of them. Although Kingslake was right and the content of the broadcast was true, they...
Alright! Those who wanted to take action were stopped by their companions. They still wanted to hear what Kingslake had to say and whether he had indeed found a way to defeat Voldemort.
"We are about to engage in a final, decisive battle against Voldemort and his followers, which will bring an end to the Wizarding War once and for all." Kingslake glanced at the group of particularly angry Aurors and took a deep breath before stating his purpose for gathering them here. "You should know that this great battle was predicted a long time ago. I am here now, following the late Minister Scrimgeour's instructions to summon you. This is your last chance."
"Our last chance? Our last chance to die, you mean!" an Auror sneered sharply.
His words resonated with many of the Aurors present.
"Your situation was actually anticipated from the beginning."
Kingslake didn't even glance at the man as he spoke calmly but with a cutting edge to his words, "I was there at the scene. If you don't seize this opportunity, then after we defeat Voldemort, you will never have another chance."
The meaning was clear. Since Scrimgeour's death, most Aurors had become traitors. Now that the crucial moment had arrived, they still refused to lend their aid. Once the Wizarding War ended, their reputation as "traitors who defected to Voldemort" would be solidified, especially since Scrimgeour had died trying to protect the Aurors and challenging Voldemort.
An eerie silence fell.
The Aurors fell silent, realizing that their situation would indeed become very precarious if that happened.
Traitors never fared well.
No, it would be more accurate to say that they never had a choice to begin with. Following Scrimgeour's final testament and joining this Wizarding War was their only option, as the Death Eaters had never truly trusted them. Now, with the events of tonight's broadcast, there was certainly no room for trust.
"Even if we join forces, we can't kill the mysterious man. As long as he remains alive, we have no chance of winning."
The Aurors couldn't help but bitterly smile, as they didn't understand where Kingslake's confidence came from.
"Why do you think we can't win? I know you don't have the courage to face Voldemort..." Kingslake scoffed at those who were visibly anxious at the mention of Voldemort's name. "We never expected you to face him. Our task is to create a fair opportunity for Harry to duel Voldemort. As for dealing with Voldemort, we are not qualified to do so."
"Harry Potter is no match for the mysterious man. You should be clear about that. There was never a so-called savior from the start; that was just..."
"There is," Kingslake interrupted impatiently. "Anderson also acknowledged Harry as the savior. Our primary task is to ensure Harry has a fair chance to duel Voldemort."
However, many in the room still didn't believe that Harry could defeat Voldemort. That damned prophecy was a hoax; how could Harry possibly beat Voldemort?
Voldemort was almost impossible to kill; they knew that, or else he wouldn't have returned.
This was the main reason why the Aurors were reluctant to join. They suspected that Kingslake merely wanted to use them as cannon fodder. Even if they survived, they would have to endure Voldemort's wrath and retribution.
As elite wizards, how could the Aurors present tolerate such an outcome?
"Can we win?"
An Auror suddenly asked.
"Of course," Kingslake replied. "Dumbledore found a way to kill Voldemort permanently a long time ago, but it's not easy. So, we've been patiently waiting for the best opportunity to strike, and now it's finally here. We will put an end to Voldemort at Hogwarts."
"But Dumbledore is dead."
"Harry is his heir. Harry knows how to kill the mysterious man, and he has been carrying out the tasks left by Dumbledore. Don't you think Harry has been doing nothing all this time?" Kingslake revealed some confidential information to the surrounding Aurors. "Right now, we're just helping Harry divert the Death Eaters' attention. Once he completes that important task, he will come, and your questions will be answered."
As long as no one left before then, Kingslake believed that Harry could convince them.
After all, this was Albert's intention. Now that they knew Voldemort's secret, did they really think they had any other choice?
(End of Chapter)
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