Chapter 628: The Pink Demon
Chapter 628: The Pink Demon
After realizing they couldn't breach Azkaban by force, the leader among the Death Eaters took out a small silver ball and threw it at the magic barrier. As soon as the ball made contact, a burst of intense light shot out from the point of impact, followed by a powerful surge of energy that spread in all directions.
When the light dimmed, Liam noticed that the magic barrier had been pierced by the ball. The entire magic shield, centered around the point of contact, dissolved and collapsed like butter touched by a red-hot knife.
"Praise the great Dark Lord", the leading Death Eater shouted, holding up the object Voldemort had given him. After the rallying cry, a dozen Death Eaters mounted their brooms and flew toward the main structure of Azkaban Castle. Halfway there, they split into two groups: one part descended rapidly to attack the front gate, the weakest point in the magical defenses, while the other group flew higher toward Liam, who was standing on the rooftop.
"This time, I'll face them head-on and see where I stand." In previous battles, Liam had mostly relied on ambushes, surprise attacks, or pre-set defenses. Now, with a better grasp of alchemy, he intended to engage these Dark Wizards directly to gauge his combat skills.
Activating Rose Madonna, Liam's back once again sprouted translucent pink wings, crystal-like in appearance. However, as he soared into the sky to meet the Death Eaters, he saw them panic and scatter, fleeing in the opposite direction while shouting, "Run, the Pink Demon is here."
"Pink Demon? They could have at least called me Peppa Pig", Liam thought, initially confused. But he quickly remembered the day he had helped Harry leave his aunt's house, waving his pink wings. That attack must have left a deep impression on the Death Eaters, though Liam never imagined they would be so terrified that they would flee at the sight of pink wings.
In reality, Liam's presence wasn't that intimidating. The Death Eaters who had come were mostly a ragtag bunch. According to the plan, they were supposed to take over Azkaban prison after the Ministry of Magic was breached, releasing the high-security prisoners and Death Eaters to create chaos. They assumed that once they broke through Azkaban's defenses with Voldemort's device, the inmates would scatter, allowing them to complete their mission effortlessly.
However, Liam's sudden appearance dealt a severe blow to these opportunistic new Death Eaters, who had no intention of engaging in a bloody battle. Their morale crumbled on the spot.
At this moment, Voldemort had taken his true elite forces to attack the Ministry of Magic. The ones here were all opportunists or second-rate fighters. It was reasonable for their morale to plummet in the face of such a drastic change in circumstances.
Seeing the once-threatening group now fleeing in all directions, Liam flapped his wings and gave chase. The Death Eaters he targeted scattered in a panic, making it impossible for Liam to focus on more than one.
After pursuing for a few hundred meters, Liam saw his target Apparate in a hurry, leaving behind an empty broom and a severed right leg.
Apparition wasn't always safe, especially in a state of panic. The Death Eater had Splinched, and if the missing part wasn't retrieved, the wound would be permanent, much like damage inflicted by Dark Magic, impossible to heal with magic.
"You got lucky." Liam gave a cold snort as he watched the broom and leg fall like they were descending into the sea, then he turned and flew back toward Azkaban Castle. After all, his task was to defend the castle. By this time, all the attackers had fled beyond the range of Azkaban's influence, using their Illusionary Translocation to escape. Several guards were emerging from the castle to inspect the areas damaged by the Death Eaters.
"Is the battle over?" Hermione emerged from the rooftop door after landing. "How could it be over so quickly? It felt like there was no battle at all. I didn't even hear the sound of magic attacks hitting anything."
"Indeed, there was no battle." Liam folded his wings. "The attackers didn't expect anyone to resist so firmly. So, once they realized we were putting up a fight, they retreated."
"I see." Hermione opened the door and started walking downstairs, with Liam following behind. "Using twelve people to attack a castle with eleven guards is indeed foolish. However, we should still prepare to prevent them from coming back with more people."
Liam didn't think there would be a second wave of attackers. Voldemort's main objective today was to take over the Ministry of Magic and stabilize the situation. To achieve this, his main forces were concentrated in London. Due to a lack of manpower, Voldemort even hired Dark Wizards from Europe to attack the Hogwarts Express to ensure Dumbledore couldn't interfere with his plans.
Therefore, it was impossible for him to attempt to capture Azkaban while taking over the Ministry. The reason he sent people to Azkaban was likely to further divide Dumbledore's forces and take advantage of the chaos to free the criminals and bolster his own ranks.
As for Azkaban Castle itself, with Dumbledore still alive, Voldemort wouldn't be foolish enough to spread his limited forces across multiple fronts, especially not at a place like Azkaban, which had relatively little strategic value.
However, out of caution, Liam and the others maintained their vigilance within the castle, ready to face any potential threats. Fortunately, the silver orb that had disrupted the magic barrier only overloaded it with powerful magic. After about half an hour, Liam managed to repair the barrier at Azkaban Castle.
"It looks like we'll have to wait until nightfall, when the students enter Hogwarts Castle, before we can expect any reinforcements." Hermione said during lunch. The magic radio on the table was emitting static, and the usual noon news broadcast was absent.
The other guards also looked worried, as many of their friends were trapped in the Ministry of Magic and couldn't get out. The only good news for them was that many of their families were in the Muggle world, which the Wizards' coup hadn't yet reached.
"I need to get my parents out of the country. The current situation makes me fear they might become targets." Susan said. "Once the relief team arrives, I'll leave here as soon as possible to get my parents to Australia or New Zealand."
Apart from Susan, the others also expressed plans to have their families leave, with a few even considering going with them.
"At least our parents are safe for now, so we don't have to worry about them." Liam said to Hermione after listening to everyone's concerns. "As for reinforcements, it doesn't matter if they take a bit longer. We have nothing to do here anyway, and the place is quite livable now that the Dementors are gone. A few more days won't hurt."
"True, but we'll probably miss the Opening Feast today." Hermione poked at the green peas on her plate. "I wonder what song the Sorting Hat will sing this year. Even though its songs are usually terrible, it's a shame to miss it, especially since this is our last Opening Feast."
(End of Chapter)
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