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Chapter 1539: The Hypocrite's Harsh Truths
Chapter 1539: The Hypocrite's Harsh Truths
"Why don't you just take care of them yourself? Wouldn't that be faster?"
Sirius Black couldn't wrap his head around Albert's approach. He was certain that if that guy wanted to, he could easily take out the group of Death Eaters they had just encountered, instead of hiding and providing support.
"Some things shouldn't be taken too far," Albert's voice came from the empty space beside them. "Besides, I'm just one person."
"Come on, drop the act now. And it's really weird talking to you like this while you're under the Disillusionment Charm," the group chided.
While using the Disillusionment Charm to hide and ambush others was effective, it could be a hindrance in a large-scale skirmish.
"If I were to openly use Dark Magic to massacre Death Eaters, Voldemort wouldn't let it slide. He'd retaliate in kind against you all, so this mutual restraint is a form of understanding between us," Albert explained.
"That guy did the same during the last Wizarding War."
"That's because Dumbledore had his boundaries, but that didn't make Voldemort feel threatened," Albert said with a hint of self-mockery. "Even bad guys have their uses."
The group was taken aback, not expecting Albert to describe himself in such a way.
Well, while some of Albert's actions indeed pushed the boundaries, in their eyes, he was still a good person, just like Dumbledore.
"Of course, you can't expect everyone to abide by this unspoken rule. What I'm doing now is something Voldemort would also do, just not as covertly as me," Albert said, knowing what the group was thinking. This Wizarding War didn't belong to any one person, and it certainly wasn't his job to handle everything single-handedly.
He wasn't their babysitter, and they weren't helpless infants.
"This tacit understanding forces both sides to exercise restraint and not go too far."
"If Voldemort gets angry and decides to slaughter our people, I'll retaliate in kind. Then this war will devolve into a meaningless bloodbath, which I'm sure none of you want," Albert added.
The group exchanged glances, suspecting that Albert was making up excuses on the spot. Perhaps it was one of the reasons he was reluctant to take direct action, but it certainly wasn't the only one.
"Don't forget, our goal is to kill Voldemort. Dealing with these Death Eaters is just a side task, a means to clear obstacles for our upcoming plans," Albert said, not lying. As they had guessed, he was just holding back a bit.
Remus Lupin, who had been keeping an eye on the map, suddenly stopped and warned the group, "Five people around the corner to the right."
Soon after everyone heightened their alertness, several figures rushed out from the corner. However, before they could even brandish their wands to attack, three Death Eaters tripped and fell to the ground, and the remaining two were confused by their companions' clumsy actions, leaving them dazed and vulnerable to the incoming spells that took them down.
"That's quite a gap in skill," Sirius remarked.
"Sometimes the gap between people is even bigger than the gap between humans and dogs," Kenneth Towler quipped as he waved his wand skillfully to collect the spoils of their victory.
"It's like adults bullying children," someone added.
With Albert's assistance, their subsequent actions went smoothly, and they even managed to rendezvous with other squads, pushing forward with an unstoppable momentum.
"Our luck is holding. There aren't many Death Eaters on the fourth and fifth floors—probably around a hundred in total. We shouldn't take too long here!" Albert said, putting away the communication signet and briefing the group at the staircase landing.
"Aren't you coming with us?" Kenneth suddenly asked.
"No, I'll head to the fourth floor alone. We'll cover more ground if we split up," Albert replied. After bidding the group farewell, he left.
"So, he's dropping the act now, huh? I knew he was just making excuses earlier," Sirius grumbled.
"Let's go," Lupin said, patting Sirius on the shoulder.
Without Albert's support, the group could feel the battles against the Death Eaters becoming more arduous. Even with the advantage of the Felix Felicis potion, they couldn't steamroll through as effortlessly as before.
On the contrary, after separating from the group, Albert was like a fish returning to water, shedding his human restraints.
He used the Imperius Curse to control several Death Eaters, forming a standard squad and masquerading as "friendly" Death Eaters, bringing them a nasty surprise.
No one would have imagined that Albert would cross his own lines and adopt the Death Eaters' tactics against them.
While he didn't intend to kill anyone directly, countless Death Eaters still perished because of him.
As for the pretty words he had spoken earlier in front of the others, they were deliberately chosen to maintain his image.
For the sake of victory in this final battle, Albert had made countless adjustments since his first year at Hogwarts.
From initially planning to be a mere beneficiary of the war, he had actively interfered with the Wizarding War to gain more tasks and experience from the mission panel, ultimately entangling himself so deeply in the war that extricating himself became difficult.
Now, Albert stood here for reasons beyond just completing the panel mission.
After marrying Isabelle and choosing to fully integrate into this world, Albert knew he had to consider his family.
Especially after earning the deep enmity of Voldemort's Death Eaters, he had to be extra cautious. No one could guarantee that the surviving Death Eaters wouldn't seek revenge on him or his family once the Wizarding War ended.
Albert didn't want to take that risk.
And if he wanted to avoid trouble, the best course of action was to eradicate them all, ensuring they perished in this war.
It wasn't that Albert was overly cruel; there were precedents among the Death Eaters for such actions.
Moreover, despite his extraordinary power and an almost unbeatable wand, Albert never considered himself invincible.
"So, off you go to your deaths!"
Albert pointed his wand at one of the defeated Death Eaters and whispered, "Leave your body."
The Death Eater stood up, rubbing his head as if dazed. He looked around at the surrounding corpses, then, upon hearing his colleagues calling out to him, he hurried to catch up with them.
That despicable group was hiding and ambushing them. If they didn't want to be picked off one by one, they needed to regroup with the other Death Eaters quickly. Then, according to Yaxley's backup plan, they would use their superior numbers to overwhelm their enemies.
(End of Chapter)
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