Chapter 183: Dignity Trampled
Chapter 183: Dignity Trampled
Imperius Curse.
One of the three Unforgivable Curses.
Once the spell takes effect, it completely controls the actions and behavior of the victim, making them act and speak as they normally would. Even a professionally trained Auror might not be able to detect the issue.
Additionally, because the victim will obey the caster's commands without question, the Imperius Curse can be used to extract information in the absence of Veritaserum or skilled Legilimency.
After Rabastan's spell took effect, Algernon's entire demeanor became vacant, until Rodolphus spoke.
"In March, what did you overhear Bella and I talking about?"
Algernon's will seemed to struggle, but he could not break free from the Imperius Curse. His body, like a machine receiving orders, spoke the answer on its own.
"I heard that Bella told you the Dark Lord had given her an important task. It was a cup, a very significant one that the Dark Lord values highly. She asked you to give her the key to the family vault so she could place the cup in Gringotts."
Rodolphus and Rabastan's faces darkened instantly.
"Indeed, it's you! You have some nerve, Taft!"
"So, what did you plan to do after you learned this?"
Algernon's will had completely given up resistance. He knew he would not survive this day.
"The Dark Lord, though terrifying and powerful, might not succeed in ruling the wizarding world. Dumbledore has yet to act, and the final outcome is uncertain. The Dark Lord values that object greatly. If he fails, I might use this information to save my life."
The expressions on the Lestrange brothers' faces became even more menacing.
"You're quite clever, Taft! You've planned everything out, ensuring you have a place no matter who wins, haven't you? Did you tell anyone else about this?"
"No, I never told anyone. Only I knew."
Rabastan could no longer contain himself and raised his wand.
"Thankfully, we took the initiative to request this task from the Dark Lord. Otherwise, if this information had spread, our entire family would have faced the Dark Lord's wrath!"
They were about to deliver the killing blow to Algernon.
At that moment, Eddie, hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, instinctively tried to rush out to stop them but was abruptly held back by Sherlock.
Sherlock and Eddie locked eyes. Sherlock shook his head silently and mouthed the words, "Not yet."
In the brief moment of hesitation, Rabastan had already cast the spell.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A sickly green light flashed through the holding cell, and Algernon's eyes remained wide open, but he was no longer alive.
Eddie's eyes blinked rapidly. He had been so focused on listening that he had almost forgotten his true purpose: to kill Algernon. Now, he didn't even need to act, as Algernon had been killed by his own people.
Sherlock removed the Karkaroff disguise from his face and gestured for Eddie to follow him. He then pointed to Rodolphus and Rabastan, then to himself, and finally to the two stunned Aurors on the ground and to Eddie.
The task was clear: Sherlock would attack, and Eddie would use the Awakening Charm to revive the two stunned Aurors.
Eddie nodded lightly in response to Sherlock's arrangement.
After the Lestrange brothers completed the task Voldemort had assigned them, killing Algernon, they had no intention of lingering in the Ministry of Magic. They turned to leave.
And this was exactly what Sherlock had been waiting for.
Dozens of wands flew out from his side, emerging from under the Invisibility Cloak and floating in mid-air, aimed at the two Death Eaters.
Eddie also pointed his wand at the Auror lying on the ground.
In the next moment, Sherlock abruptly pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, and both of them cast their spells almost simultaneously.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Eddie's spell immediately took effect on the Auror lying closest to him!
The stunned Auror opened his eyes in confusion, and the next second, a sound like shattering glass filled the air!
The Lestrange brothers were always on high alert, and while in the Ministry of Magic, they were protected by an Armor Charm at all times!
Sherlock's use of Control Magic reduced the effectiveness of his spells, and this was especially evident with the Armor Charm.
Several petrification spells hit their targets, and only then did the brothers' Armor Charm shatter!
Although the Petrification Charm didn't have the desired effect, the impact of the spells knocked them off balance, almost causing them to fall.
Sherlock's ambush was completely unexpected!
Who could have thought that someone else was hiding in this holding cell the entire time!
Upon realizing this, Rodolphus trembled with fear.
Their conversation had been overheard, and the situation had not only not ended but had spread to the Aurors' ears!
The first thing Rodolphus and Rabastan thought of was to strike back, silencing the witnesses once more!
"Avada Kedavra!" ×2
Two beams of sickly green light flashed in the room again, but Sherlock had been prepared.
Without even raising his wand, he used Control Magic to make the long table, laden with various foods, float up and shield himself and Eddie before their spells could be cast!
The Killing Curse, the most direct and lethal spell in the entire Wizarding World, with no counter-curse or defensive spell to block it, was not invincible.
Magic might not stop it, but a solid object could.
Wood splinters flew everywhere from the table, but it held firm, and Sherlock seized the opportunity to retaliate.
"Thunder Blast!"
"What the fk!"
Sherlock's spell caught the Lestrange brothers off guard. Eddie, who had just awakened the other Auror and was about to help, was the first to react with a curse.
He knew about Sherlock's ability to control multiple wands and cast spells, and the density of an Explosive Charm could be catastrophic. If it went off here, it wouldn't matter if the enemies died; they wouldn't escape either!
But Sherlock wasn't that foolish.
He understood that using multiple wands to cast a large-scale Explosive Charm would result in mutual destruction.
In reality, he only used five wands to cast the spell, and while the effect was significant, it wasn't as devastating.
Boom!
An explosion loud enough to be heard throughout the Ministry of Magic reverberated through the building!
The ground shook, and the wall near the door of Cell Three began to crumble, sending sand and dirt flying everywhere. In the midst of the smoke, Rodolphus's furious curses could be heard.
They couldn't afford to tangle with Sherlock for much longer. The commotion was sure to attract every Auror on duty in the Ministry of Magic!
If they lingered any longer, none of them would be able to escape!
The Lestrange brothers sprinted down the corridor in the direction they had entered. They lacked the internal Apparition permissions for the Ministry, so they had to use the designated exits.
Sherlock didn't pursue them. After the first wave of Petrification Charms failed, he had no intention of further entanglement with these Death Eaters.
He and Eddie hadn't come here to fight Death Eaters, and the Lestranges' behavior had been suspicious from the start.
The Auror who had been stunned and then awakened by the Awakening Charm was still in shock after witnessing the brief confrontation between Sherlock, Eddie, and the Lestrange brothers.
"Butler, that wasn't you just now!"
Eddie had initially tried to chase after Rodolphus, but Sherlock held him back, insisting that explaining the situation was more important.
He had already been framed once; another false accusation would be a serious problem. This was why Sherlock had insisted on waking the two Aurors.
Eddie explained, "It was Rodolphus and Rabastan. They infiltrated the Ministry of Magic, used my appearance to knock you out and kill Algernon, and planned to frame me for the crime!"
As they spoke, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from a distance.
Since the incident in the Department of Mysteries, the Auror Office had increased the number of personnel on duty at night. There were now three Auror teams patrolling the Ministry every night, yet no one had discovered how the Lestrange brothers had managed to infiltrate.
Seven Aurors were the first to arrive at the scene. Two remained to gather information, while the others continued to pursue Rodolphus and his companions.
The Ministry of Magic had been breached by Death Eaters again, and this was a big deal. None of the Aurors present could handle such a situation, so they had to report it to the higher-ups, waking them from their sleep in the middle of the night.
Soon, all the Auror team leaders, the Head of the Auror Office, Scrimgeour, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Barty Crouch, and the Minister for Magic, Milkan, rushed back to the Ministry.
Milkan's face was livid.
"Less than two weeks! Twice! They've breached the Ministry of Magic twice! What kind of incompetent fools are you to let this happen! Tomorrow's Daily Prophet will have its front page set! Once this news gets out, the Ministry of Magic will lose all its credibility!"
Scrimgeour's expression was equally grim. As the direct supervisor, this incident could cost him his job.
He stared at the four people directly involved in the incident—Sherlock, Eddie, and the two Aurors who had been guarding Algernon and were subsequently stunned.
"First, explain everything that happened, right in front of the Minister!"
(End of Chapter)
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