Chapter 653: Retreat
Chapter 653: Retreat (Please subscribe, favorite, and vote)
Ryan and the others, along with twenty others, squeezed into two lifts. The doors closed, and the lifts began to ascend.
"How much longer?" Liam asked. Hermione raised her hand and glanced at her watch. "Two minutes and fifteen seconds, the Wildfire placed in the Muggle-Born Registration Committee office will explode. In three and a half minutes, the Weasley Fireworks hidden with the bodies will ignite."
"The woman in the interrogation chamber should have gone out to report by now, which should create some chaos. We just hope she doesn't report too early and cause the upper floors to completely seal off the exits", Liam analyzed. "If everything goes smoothly, we only need to hold out for five or six minutes once we get up there. Twenty people can quickly make their way through."
"Level eight", said a cold voice from a witch in the lift just as Liam finished speaking. Everyone with a wand tensed, gripping their wands tightly. "Main Hall."
"Move quickly, head straight for the fireplace. Don't look back no matter what happens", Liam instructed. Seeing the large crowd in the hall, he knew it would be impossible to sneak out with so many people. Fortunately, the killings in the Trial Chamber had likely frightened the survivor, and the chamber's secluded location meant it had gone unnoticed. As a result, they managed to run into the hall without any immediate issues.
Several people found it strange to see such a large group running into the hall, but under Voldemort's rule, peculiar events were common. To survive, one had to mind their own business, so no one questioned their actions.
The hall was dimmer than the last time Liam had been there. The golden fountain that once stood in the center, casting light spots on the polished wood floor and walls, had been replaced by a massive black stone statue. At the top of the statue, a witch and a male wizard sat on intricately carved thrones, overlooking the entire hall. At the base of the statue, several large words, each a foot tall, were inscribed: Magic is Power.
"Voldemort is a straightforward man, daring to carve such a blunt truth on a stone", Liam thought. "But this also shows that Voldemort isn't a competent Dark Lord. A true Dark Lord should be like Grindelwald, who, despite his evil deeds, used lofty slogans like overturning the Unjust Secrecy Act to rally support."
While pondering these thoughts, Liam didn't idle. At his and Hermione's urging, the Muggle-born wizards orderly entered the fireplace, vanishing in pairs. The Ministry wizards hesitated, some looking confused and others terrified, but seeing the organized group led by Ryan and the others, they merely watched.
Just as two-thirds of the group had successfully left through the fireplace, the hall finally erupted into chaos. Several Hit Wizards, dressed in gray uniforms, touched the metal buttons on their collars, their faces changing. They rushed towards the fireplace, wands at the ready, shouting, "Stop them! They are Muggle-born wizards who escaped from the courtroom and murdered Muggle-Born Registration Committee Head Abbott."
"Whoa—" Contrary to the Hit Wizards' expectations, the surrounding wizards did not rush to capture the Muggle-borns. Instead, they screamed and scattered in all directions, even those who had been loudly insulting Muggle-borns just moments before.
"A bunch of idiots", Liam thought. If the Hit Wizards had only claimed that Muggle-born wizards were escaping, many might have stepped in to hinder Ryan and the others. Even though these ordinary wizards weren't very powerful, they could still cause significant trouble.
However, the news that these Muggle-borns had killed the Muggle-Born Registration Committee Head in the courtroom was too shocking for the Ministry workers. For them, dealing with the Muggle-borns they usually looked down upon was one thing, but facing powerful and ruthless wizards capable of such an act was another matter entirely.
Seeing that the staff ahead didn't stop the group of Muggle-born Wizards as they had imagined, the Hit Wizards had no choice but to quicken their pace. However, they soon came to a halt as both their own Shadows and the wooden floor worked to impede their progress.
"Keep running, don't stop", Liam shouted to the Muggle-born Wizards, who were momentarily stunned. He then waved his wand, causing wooden spikes to rise from the smooth floor and attack the Hit Wizards. Hermione, meanwhile, manipulated their Shadows to transform into claws or ropes, hindering their advance.
Several Hit Wizards began casting various spells at Ryan and the others. After dodging a Killing Curse, Liam retaliated with one of his own, striking down the Hit Wizard who had been in his way.
Seeing their comrade fall, the other Hit Wizards involuntarily slowed down, and their spells became less frequent. This allowed the remaining Muggle-born Wizards to regain their composure, crouching and sprinting in a planned retreat. Fifteen seconds later, all eight Muggle-born Wizards had successfully retreated through the fireplace.
Just as the last Muggle-born Wizard left, Hans, a wizard dressed in a luxurious, flowing robe embroidered with gold thread, ran over from the direction of the lift. Unfortunately, his grim, slightly brutal face did not match his splendid attire.
"Capture those two brats, don't let them escape", the grim-faced wizard shouted in a sharp voice. "Otherwise, none of you will escape the Dark Lord's punishment today. Of course, if you can capture or kill them, the Dark Lord will reward you generously."
"Assuming they're still alive by then", Liam retorted in a loud voice. "Besides, even Voldemort can't kill them all, and neither can I. But I can certainly take out whoever charges first."
With that, Liam cast another Avada Kedavra. The Hit Wizard at the front was struck by the green light, falling backward. A wooden spike emerged from the floor behind him, piercing his skull and protruding from his left eye socket.
Seeing this, the morale of the pursuing Hit Wizards, which had been briefly bolstered by the promise of rewards and threats, immediately plummeted. Despite the grim-faced wizard's attempts to rally and intimidate them, even using the Cruciatus Curse on one of them, the others remained hesitant and refused to advance.
"Looks like even after taking over the Ministry of Magic, you still can't shake off that rat-in-the-sewer stench", Liam shouted sarcastically. He then raised his wand and fired a pink spell at the large statue in the hall.
The statue, hit by the spell, crumbled like sand, collapsing in a cloud of dust. In the midst of the debris, Liam, Hermione, and Rose Crystal stepped into the fireplace. After a few seconds of spinning, they were ejected from a toilet.
"Wizards must really have a thing for bathrooms", Liam complained. During the reconstruction of Hogwarts, the Gaunt family had hidden the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets in a bathroom, and the Ministry of Magic had done the same.
"It's because bathrooms are discreet, and no one pays attention to what's happening in the next stall", Hermione shrugged, then tensed as she listened for any signs of pursuit.
According to the plan, they intended to set up an ambush here. Their goal was to eliminate as many of the enemy as possible and create enough chaos to help the Muggle-born Wizards get farther away.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
