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Chapter 1564: A War Without Victors (XIV)
Chapter 1564: A War Without Victors (XIV)
In a dim room of the Parkinson mansion, Draco Malfoy, who had been placed on the Aurors' wanted list, sat listlessly in an armchair, his eyes vacant as he stared at the latest issue of the Prophet spread out before him.
Defeat. It had happened so fast that he couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. Draco Malfoy couldn't understand what had happened to the world, how it had changed so rapidly, leaving him feeling alien and helpless.
The great battle had barely begun. The Dark Lord had just led countless Death Eaters in a sweeping assault on Hogwarts Castle.
But in just a blink of an eye, they had somehow lost.
Numerous Death Eaters under the Dark Lord's command had perished within the gloomy castle, and even Malfoy had nearly lost his life.
If it hadn't been for Snape's mysterious disappearance, which had unnerved him and made him hesitate to follow the other Death Eaters into the castle, he might have ended up as a cold corpse like the rest.
What Malfoy found most unacceptable was that the Dark Lord had personally killed the savior, Harry Potter, and had tried to turn the tide of the battle on his own. But in full view of everyone, he had been slain by Albert Anderson.
There hadn't even been a proper showdown, and Voldemort had been caught off guard and killed, along with the hopes and futures of all the Death Eaters and dark wizards.
Their defeat was absolute and sudden.
If Draco hadn't fled in time, if he hadn't run fast enough, he might have shared the same fate as his comrades. This thought filled him with dread, and he had resorted to taking calming potions to maintain a semblance of composure.
"It's time for your medicine, dear."
Pansy approached Draco with a cup of potion, its surface bubbling like muddy water. She offered the complex potion, procured from the black market with great difficulty, to her husband.
As a remnant of Voldemort's forces and a former Death Eater, Draco Malfoy's life was far from comfortable. He had disguised himself as a distant female cousin of the Parkinson family, caring for Pansy during her pregnancy, so that he could remain by his wife's side.
Although this had once been a source of great irritation, Draco Malfoy now felt nothing about dressing as a woman. He had just been helped into his disguise when Mr. Parkinson entered the hall and turned on the radio to listen to an interview with the interim Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"You'll have to endure this disguise for a while," Mr. Parkinson said to Draco. "As for Eileen, don't worry. She has quietly left the country to travel the world. Even if the Ministry has their suspicions, it will be difficult for them to find any evidence."
"Father, is the situation really that bad?" Pansy asked anxiously.
"I don't know," Mr. Parkinson replied, lowering the volume on the radio. "Things are changing too quickly. We thought it would take months for Kingsley to solidify his position, but who would have thought that he would gain everyone's recognition in just two days, completely ruining our original plan."
According to the original plan, the pure-bloods had intended to negotiate with Kingsley, hoping to get him to compromise on certain matters. But now, that was out of the question.
"What about Draco?" Pansy asked, her face filled with worry.
"The best option is to find an opportunity to surrender to the Ministry," Mr. Parkinson said, glancing at Draco as he shared the idea that had come to him while listening to the radio.
"Surrender?" The room fell silent at this unexpected suggestion.
"Being a Death Eater is a serious crime, but if you haven't killed anyone and your other offenses are minor, you can get a reduced sentence by cooperating with the Ministry," Mr. Parkinson explained. "With a large donation of galleons, you might be out of prison and cleared of all charges within two to three years."
"As for the use of Veritaserum during interrogations, there's really nothing to worry about as long as you have money and the antidote," he continued. "It can be rendered useless, and it could even help Draco get out of this situation and clear his name."
"That's wonderful!" Pansy exhaled in relief at her father's analysis. Turning to her husband, she gently reassured him, "Don't worry, everything will be fine. I and the baby will be waiting for you to come home."
"Will they really let me off the hook, being a remnant of Voldemort's forces?" Malfoy asked, his expression bitter.
"As long as you strike a good bargain with Kingsley, he won't mind letting you go," Mr. Parkinson said confidently. "After all, there are quite a few Ministry employees who were forced to follow Voldemort and commit crimes. The Ministry can't possibly execute everyone. They need to set examples and appease the emotions of the other wizards." He was well aware of how the Ministry operated.
The biggest challenge now was to keep Malfoy hidden until the right opportunity arose for him to resurface.
Just as he was thinking this, Mrs. Parkinson rushed into the hall, her face filled with anxiety as she clutched a letter delivered by owl.
"What's wrong?" Mr. Parkinson noticed his wife's distress.
"A letter from the Ministry," Mrs. Parkinson said, her voice trembling. "They seem to suspect that Draco is hiding here, and they plan to search the estate..."
"What do we do now?" Pansy was beside herself with worry.
"Don't worry, we anticipated that this might happen, didn't we?" Mr. Parkinson said, his voice steady.
Upon reading the letter's contents, Mr. Parkinson maintained a calm facade, but his back was drenched in cold sweat. Had he not reacted quickly enough, it would have been truly disastrous; merely sheltering a wanted criminal was a grave offense. Fortunately, Gawain Robards, the new Head of the Auror Office, was polite enough to send a letter beforehand, notifying him of the impending search of the estate.
However, what Mr. Parkinson didn't know was that the seemingly amicable Auror, Gawain Robards, had already surrounded the Parkinson family estate with a group of Aurors the moment he received the intelligence. Not even an owl could slip through unnoticed. Sending a letter prior to the search was merely a courtesy, as Kingsley put it, to avoid causing unnecessary tension.
Thus, when the Aurors raided the Parkinson family estate for the routine search, they remained exceptionally polite. The Parkinson family members were politely ushered into the grand hall, where Gawain Robards himself communicated with them, inquiring about any information pertaining to Draco Malfoy. Meanwhile, the Aurors scoured the estate with a peculiar probing device, seeking any hidden fugitives.
Of course, everything proceeded as Mr. Parkinson had anticipated. Although they harbored suspicions about Draco's disguise as Ms. Eileen, after a quick emergency communication with Eileen's supposed family, the matter was lightly brushed aside.
"Apologies for the disturbance."
As Gawain Robards prepared to take his leave, his assistant handed him a report on the search procedure, requiring his signature.
"Not at all, I understand," Mr. Parkinson replied with pleasantries, trying to lay the groundwork for future negotiations. "If we were to encounter Draco, we would certainly persuade him to turn himself in to the Ministry. That child has merely been influenced by his family." However, before he could finish, he noticed the Aurors, who had been ready to depart, suddenly halt in their tracks.
"Is there something else?"
Gawain Robards suddenly asked for a basin of water to be brought over, his face filled with apology. "There's just one last procedure, which you are all aware of. This is merely a routine capture, but we would like to trouble you to wash your faces with the water in the basin."
The Parkinson family exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what the Ministry was up to, but their instincts told them that something was amiss. Under the watchful eyes of over a dozen Aurors, they reluctantly complied and washed their faces. Thankfully, nothing happened, and they breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Ms. Eileen, that just leaves you."
Gawain Robards was well aware that this individual was, in fact, Draco Malfoy. According to the intelligence, Draco was hiding in this very estate, and if they couldn't find him, it was highly likely that he was disguised as someone else. The young woman before him was indeed suspicious.
As expected, when the young lady named Eileen timidly picked up the water to wash her face, parts of her skin seemed to melt away, and her original features reverted to those of Draco Malfoy.
Even before the Parkinson family could react, the professional Aurors had already drawn their wands, aiming at Draco. Prior to this, Gawain had discreetly asked the Parkinson family to place their wands on a table a safe distance away.
Thus, the capture operation was undoubtedly a success, and they had also managed to implicate the Parkinson family in the process.
"Mr. Parkinson," Gawain narrowed his eyes at the estate owner, "I'm unsure if you were aware of this matter, but there's no doubt that you're now in a spot of trouble."
As he spoke, Gawain signaled for one of the Aurors to bring over a metal handcuff for the estate owner to wear. He kindly advised, "For the sake of the Parkinson family's reputation, I hope that in the following days, you will refrain from leaving Britain without authorization and fully cooperate with the Ministry's investigation to clear any suspicions."
"I will," Mr. Parkinson replied stiffly, his face frozen. He couldn't believe how the situation had spiraled so drastically. Hadn't they successfully deceived the Aurors from the Ministry before? How had Draco been captured?
"Let's go, Mr. Malfoy," Gawain said, his tone friendly but firm. "I hope you won't put up any meaningless resistance. No matter how skilled you are, you stand no chance against our entire group."
Gawain appraised the young Death Eater dressed in women's clothing and kindly reminded him, "Mr. Kingsley has authorized us to use Dark Magic during the capture of heinous criminals, and if necessary, we are even permitted to use the Avada Kedavra curse to eliminate any escaping enemies."
However, Gawain remained vigilant. On the way back to the Ministry, he made sure to incapacitate Draco Malfoy first. He never underestimated any Death Eater.
"Go investigate Ms. Eileen's situation and inform Minister Kingsley to hold a press conference." Gawain efficiently made the necessary arrangements, and perhaps due to a touch of mischief, the Aurors did not change Draco's clothing. Instead, they paraded him in his women's attire, creating a media frenzy.
This incident undoubtedly ignited the curiosity of journalists and became a highly talked-about event. As countless people discussed it, Kingsley's reputation soared, and everyone's confidence in their new Minister grew.
(End of Chapter)
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