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Chapter 625: Sudden Change
Chapter 625: Sudden Change
Seeing a large, disorderly group of students blocking the corridor, Liam and Hermione immediately retreated to their compartment and pushed open the window. They then used a Grapple Hook to pull themselves up by the window frame and leaped onto the roof of the train.
By the time they reached the roof, the train had already stopped. It was undeniable that the Magic braking system was indeed more effective than a regular one. Liam and Hermione half-crouched, scanning their surroundings with caution. Sure enough, magical light and the sounds of battle were coming from the front of the train. It seemed that the attackers had either attacked the train's engine or destroyed the railway tracks. Of course, attacking a train would naturally involve such a straightforward plan.
However, it was clear that the number of attackers was much greater than just the few people at the front of the train. In the few seconds it took Liam to reach the roof, black shadows began to emerge from the forests at both ends of the railway, and various spells were fired at the rear carriages. Fortunately, the Aurors and upper-year students in the carriages managed to react in time and blocked the attacks.
"Let's clear out the forests on both sides first", Liam said, using a soul link to communicate with Rose Crystal. The box on the luggage rack in their compartment soon opened, and a purple light flew out, heading into the forest on one side. Before they set out, Liam had been somewhat worried about the journey, and Rose Crystal, knowing his concerns, had volunteered to hide in the box as a backup plan, which was clearly proving useful now.
Liam and Hermione then used a short-range Apparition to move to the other forest, where a wizard was laughing maniacally and casting the Killing Curse at the carriages. Liam stunned him with a Hidden Blade, piercing his throat in one swift motion.
"One", Hermione said in a cold voice. "I counted the spells coming in. If I'm not mistaken, there are about sixty attackers hiding in the forest. We have a lot to do today."
For Liam and Hermione, the forest was their hunting ground. After using the trees for cover to attack a couple of attackers, they discovered that most of the Death Eaters attacking the train were Dark Wizards and scoundrels Voldemort had recently recruited from across Europe. While some of them were skilled, their coordination was abysmal. As a result, Liam and Hermione easily eliminated many of them in just a few minutes.
The Death Eaters in the forest also noticed their comrades disappearing one by one. Being a disorganized mob, they lacked the resolve to fight to the death. By the time Liam and Hermione had taken out the eighth Death Eater, the remaining ones had already Apparated away.
The same was happening on the other side of the forest, where the death rate was even higher. For Rose Crystal and Gill, this complex environment with numerous scattered enemies was their forte, especially given their expertise as assassins. By the time the Death Eaters on that side realized something was wrong and fled, they had lost nearly a third of their numbers.
"Eighteen", Liam and Hermione tallied through their soul link, indicating that they had left nearly a third of the enemy behind. The Aurors inside the carriages also noticed the attacks had ceased but did not come out to check, instead staying at their posts. After all, protecting the students was their top priority.
At the front of the train, the sounds of battle had also died down. When Liam and Hermione arrived, they were surprised to find about seven Dark Wizards bound by spells sitting on the ground. Professor Dumbledore, with his long white beard, stood there in a blue robe, flanked by a few Aurors led by Mad-Eye Moody. The red front of the train had several large holes, from which white steam was continuously billowing out.
"Professor, these are—?" Liam asked, looking at the scene before him.
"These are the attackers. Unfortunately, we didn't get any information out of them", Dumbledore said. "It's not that they were stubborn; Voldemort only gave them the order to attack the Hogwarts Express and nothing else. Fortunately, I suspected the Hogwarts Express might be attacked at the start of the term, so I was on alert. As soon as I received the notification from Mad-Eye Moody and the others, I came over."
Dumbledore frowned. "The only thing I don't understand is why Voldemort sent this rabble here. Given their level, even if I hadn't come, the Hogwarts Express wouldn't have suffered much damage."
It seems that Dumbledore is also not fully aware of many things. Fortunately, there were contingency plans in place, which is why the Headmaster was able to appear and stop the attack on the Hogwarts Express just a few minutes after it began.
At this moment, Liam suddenly had a thought. Just as he was about to say something to Dumbledore, the old man stopped and looked up at the ceiling behind Liam. Liam followed his gaze and saw a white orb of light hurtling toward them like a meteor. Seeing this, a sense of foreboding filled his heart.
Sure enough, the silver light gently landed on the ground and transformed into a sleek, elegant lynx. It then opened its mouth and spoke in the loud, deep, and slow voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"The Ministry of Magic has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. The Ministry of Magic is now under emergency lockdown, and they have control over all of London."
Everyone's faces turned grim. Fortunately, only Headmaster Dumbledore, Liam, Hermione, and a handful of Elite Aurors led by Mad-Eye Moody were present, so the situation was still under control for the moment.
"—Albus, what do we do next?" After a few seconds, Mad-Eye Moody asked Dumbledore.
"We need to repair the train and return to Hogwarts Castle. It would be far too dangerous to leave the children out in the open, unprotected", Dumbledore decided immediately.
Voldemort had chosen the perfect time to act. Since Dumbledore had to personally accompany the Hogwarts Express to protect the students, it gave Voldemort and his Death Eaters a perfect window of opportunity. Even if the Headmaster knew about the Ministry's fall, he couldn't rush to reclaim it, giving Voldemort's side ample time to secure control over the Ministry.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, since the Ministry of Magic has fallen, Azkaban cannot be allowed to fall as well. Please allow us to go there to ensure it doesn't end up in the Dark Lord's hands", Liam thought for a moment and then suggested to Dumbledore, who was preparing to repair the steam engine.
"You're talking nonsense. Azkaban requires a Ministry of Magic pass—", Mad-Eye Moody immediately countered, but Dumbledore interrupted him before he could finish.
"Alastor, if he says he has a way, I believe him." Dumbledore calmed Mad-Eye Moody and then turned to Liam and the others. He had known since the attack at the end of last term that Liam and Hermione possessed a special dimension magic that could bypass existing magical defenses.
However, he had not shared this information with anyone else and had even visited the Black Family Manor to ensure that Malfoy and Narcissa would not reveal this secret.
So, when Liam volunteered, Dumbledore did not outright reject his request. Instead, he asked, "Are you sure you can manage? Voldemort will certainly send his forces to attack Azkaban and free his allies."
"We are sure, Headmaster", Liam said firmly. "I can quickly modify part of Azkaban's magical defenses. With the existing magic there, I believe we can hold out for a few days. In this situation, I don't think the Dark Lord will come himself."
"Very well, may you succeed. If you can't hold it, retreat immediately", Dumbledore knew this was not a time for hesitation and agreed to their plan without delay.
"We'll be off, then." Liam bowed to Dumbledore with Hermione, and with a pop, they disappeared.
(End of Chapter)
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