Chapter 332: Who Knew That the Day I Surrendered, the Dark Lord Died
Chapter 332: Who Knew That the Day I Surrendered, the Dark Lord Died
Ivan was silent for a long time after hearing this. He had not expected that Dugdale had become a Death Eater for such a reason.
"The Dark Lord only gave me ten minutes to consider. In the end, I agreed, and he engraved the Dark Mark on my left wrist."
Dugdale pulled up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing the pale black skull mark clearly. His face was a mix of complex emotions.
After a pause, Dugdale continued.
"After I joined, the Dark Lord planned a major offensive for that night!
However, when night fell, the Dark Lord didn't show up and didn't participate in the battle himself. He had received urgent news about something more important. Before leaving, he ordered the Death Eaters involved in the attack to temporarily follow my commands."
"To avoid heavy casualties on both sides, I found a few close friends and explained the situation, persuading them. We then took control of the entire St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries without a fight."
"Didn't you try to explain yourself to Dean Bowman?" Ivan was a bit puzzled. If Dugdale could contact his friends, why didn't he directly persuade his father?
"You don't understand my father. He is a stubborn old man who would never surrender, no matter what!" Dugdale shook his head, then said with a mix of mockery and self-deprecation,
"You can't imagine that when we met again, his first words were to question why I was still alive?"
"Yes! At that moment, he must have wished that I had been tortured to death by the Death Eaters, preferably cut into pieces and brought back!
That way, he could point to the corpse and proudly say that his son was a respectable warrior, a fearless hero!"
At this point, Dugdale lost control of his emotions and roared, "But that didn't happen! I came back alive, and I became a Death Eater! This would make him lose face in front of others, causing the Bowman Family to lose its dignity!
He only cares about his perceived justice and honor! He thinks those are more important than anything, more important than my life, his life, and the lives of over a hundred people in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries!"
"He likes to play the saint and assumes everyone else is the same!" Dugdale said through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
Dugdale knew his father well. That man would force everyone to act according to his beliefs, regardless of whether they agreed or not!
But when he recalled the shock and disbelief on his father's face when he saw him alive, Dugdale felt a sense of satisfaction.
Throughout his life, he had been forced to do things that met his father's expectations, but this time, he made a decision completely opposite to what his father had predicted!
Dugdale wanted to prove that his choice was right!
It was he who protected so many lives; otherwise, everyone present would have died in excruciating pain!
But fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke on him. Just as he had fully taken control of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, a terrible piece of news arrived:
The most powerful Dark Wizard in the magical world, Voldemort, was dead!
Killed by a child who had just been born!
When Dugdale heard this news, he thought he might have misheard. He had seen the Dark Lord that morning, and he was so powerful, so full of life!
How could a child destroy such a formidable Dark Lord?
But soon, the Aurors burst in, arresting the panicked Death Eaters, including him!
What Dugdale found hardest to imagine was that during the trial, he thought his father would stand up to say a word for him, but nothing happened!
If it weren't for his insistence that he was under the Imperius Curse placed on him personally by the Dark Lord, and the help of some good friends, he would have been thrown into Azkaban to keep company with those Dementors long ago!
After the trial, although Dugdale escaped the Ministry of Magic's punishment, his father did not let him off the hook. Not only was he relieved of his position as Deputy Headmaster, but he was also disowned from the Bowman Family.
In a single night, he lost everything, falling from the peak to the bottom, and became a despised traitor and coward.
"Later, I came to Knockturn Alley alone and met your mother, Aisha. The rest, your mother should be familiar with. That's about it", Dugdale subconsciously touched his waist, only to realize he didn't have his flask, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Ivan and the others, listening to the story, looked at the slumped Dugdale with various expressions.
Hermione was the most moved, her eyes filled with sympathy.
When she first learned that Dugdale was a Death Eater, she thought he would be a ruthless, murder-loving thug as described in books, but she never expected that Dugdale had become a Death Eater to protect his family and friends.
Ivan looked at the middle-aged, depressed, and alcoholic man in front of him and, for some reason, thought of the photos he had seen on the walls of the manor.
Those photos showed a handsome wizard with thick, dark brown hair, always holding a trophy and smiling. That was the Dugdale of over a decade ago.
Ivan had never understood how Dugdale could have changed so much over the years,
nor could he comprehend why a man who had become Deputy Head of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries at such a young age would end up drinking himself into oblivion in Knockturn Alley.
Now, Ivan finally understood. Dugdale must have been heartbroken after a series of blows, leading him to seek refuge in Knockturn Alley, a place where no one would bother him, to escape reality and avoid being found by certain people.
However, Ivan could not pass judgment.
While Headmaster Bowman might not have been a good father and had his share of problems,
it was precisely because of such a stubborn and staunchly just man that injured Aurors and steadfast resistance fighters had a safe place to recover during those dark times, keeping the flame of the anti-Dark Lord movement alive.
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries could also endure until the day Voldemort's power was destroyed.
Similarly, Ivan could not refute Dugdale's choice, as not everyone can abandon everything they cherish and lead their loved ones to a noble death. Many people would compromise their principles to protect those they care about.
In the end, it was a difference in values.
Moreover, Dugdale's luck was truly terrible, coinciding with the prophecy killings, leaving him no choice but to give up in despair.
If Voldemort's rule had lasted a bit longer, Dugdale's choice might have saved these people's lives, and the outcome might have been much better. Instead, even his statements and defenses in the trial court seemed weak and ineffective.
(End of Chapter)
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