Chapter 660: Omen
Chapter 660: Omen (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
Over the next two to three days, the newspaper's publication became fully established. As the first newspaper in Britain willing to share knowledge on a large scale, it received overwhelming praise from countless readers. By the third day of its publication, they had to hire a Muggle-born wizard who had previously sought refuge in Hogsmeade to handle the influx of reader letters.
Similarly, Liam and Hermione were warmly welcomed by their peers at Hogwarts Castle. Almost every classmate greeted them enthusiastically whenever they met in the corridors.
To their surprise, the special column for guest authors and reader letters, which they had set up for Mr. Lovegood as the editor-in-chief, unexpectedly became a hit. The column provided a much-needed outlet for people to express themselves, and it received over a hundred letters every day.
It seemed that everything was running smoothly, but in times of war, there was little respite. On the third day of the newspaper's successful launch, Professor Dumbledore suddenly appeared at the door of the Alchemy Lab, knocking.
"Professor, is there something you need?" Liam asked, somewhat puzzled, as he opened the door. The ritual to extract the piece of Voldemort's soul from Harry's soul was supposed to take place on the weekend, and he couldn't think of any other reason why Professor Dumbledore would need to see him now.
"A very concerning situation—ah, Miss Granger, I won't come in for now", Professor Dumbledore politely declined Hermione's invitation to come inside. "I have received word that Voldemort, along with the Death Eaters, is likely to attack Hogsmeade tonight."
"Is the information reliable, Professor?" Liam quickly added, realizing his initial response might have sounded suspicious. "I don't mean to doubt you; I just mean we mustn't let the Dark Lord and his followers distract us and spread our forces thin again."
"Your concern is understandable", Professor Dumbledore nodded. "However, this time the intelligence seems accurate. Your attack on the British Ministry of Magic has infuriated Voldemort. Upon his return to the Ministry, he immediately used the Cruciatus Curse to punish several people and then ordered a counterattack. Given the short time frame of just three days, they are unlikely to have planned a complex scheme like last year."
"Additionally, patrols around Hogsmeade have started noticing suspicious individuals since this afternoon", Professor Dumbledore provided another piece of intelligence. "Our reconnaissance suggests that the scale of their gathering is not a feint. Voldemort himself might even be involved, as he left Lestrange Manor around noon today and his whereabouts are currently unknown."
"That sounds very dangerous", Liam took a deep breath. "Is there anything we can do? I mean, besides providing support from the rear?"
"There is indeed something", Professor Dumbledore seemed a bit embarrassed. "I hope you can be on standby in Hogsmeade tonight. Only you can directly confront Voldemort and ensure everything remains under control. Of course, you won't be facing him alone; I promise to join you as quickly as possible once he appears."
"Alright, no problem", Liam nodded. "We'll prepare and then Apparate to the top floor of Weasley's Joke Shop to ensure our movements remain secret."
"Good luck!" Professor Dumbledore gave a slight nod and left the room. Fifteen minutes later, Liam and Hermione gathered everything they might need and Apparated to the upper lounge of Weasley's Joke Shop.
"What are you doing here?" As they stepped out of the lounge, Liam saw a large group of furry creatures gathered in the warehouse outside. On closer inspection, he recognized them as werewolves led by Lupin.
"This is a good opportunity to eliminate the Death Eaters", Lupin explained. "We need to defend a vast area, including the non-magical world, so the best defense is to eliminate their forces. Moreover, as werewolves who have long been marginalized, we must contribute to be accepted. Our combat skills, honed in the shadows of the magical world, are far superior to those of the average person."
"Have you all become familiar with the magic items we gave you earlier?" Liam nodded in acknowledgment of Lupin's thoughts. Indeed, battles might result in sacrifices, but for the werewolves, who had long been marginalized and stigmatized, only the camaraderie of allies and the shedding of blood could quickly bridge the gap between them and ordinary people.
Thus, Liam did not prevent the werewolves from participating in this operation. However, to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, he hoped that they would bring the alchemy items he had previously given them.
"Of course, we have all of them with us." Several werewolves then showed Liam the two heavy metal plates they wore on their chests and waists, which were mostly hidden by their long fur in their wolf forms. As their savior, Liam had gained a high standing among the new werewolves. Therefore, after these magic artifacts were delivered to Northern Europe, the new werewolves specifically selected elite members to train in using them.
"Good, these items will save your lives on the battlefield." After a brief exchange, Liam began to inquire about the specific situation in Hogsmeade.
"Ever since the Ministry of Magic relocated here, Professor Dumbledore, the other professors at Hogwarts, and the Ministry of Magic staff have set up a magic defense system around Hogsmeade", Lupin explained. "Especially the Ministry of Magic; when Madam Bones and others escaped, they took advantage of the chaos to retrieve the core components of the magic defense system that were stored at the Ministry of Magic. This is why we were able to quickly set up a magic defense system that covers the entire town."
"The magic defense system is a combination of multiple magic defense arrays, capable of defending against most types of attacks. In its low-energy operational state, it also serves as a surveillance system, monitoring the magic and spatial transformations within its range."
"Who is monitoring all of this?" Liam asked, curious about a particular aspect.
"The Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts", Lupin immediately understood Liam's concern. "A successful assault like the one the British Ministry of Magic managed with the help of a mole is completely impossible here, as this system is under multiple layers of surveillance. It's impossible for key personnel to rebel without others noticing the situation outside."
"What if someone leaks information about the town to the Death Eaters?" Liam asked, somewhat worried. While he and Hermione could ensure their arrival would go undetected by the Ministry of Magic, the arrival of reinforcements like Lupin could be problematic if the information were to leak and the enemy targeted them.
"That's why we Apparated to the forest on the outskirts of the town and then transformed into wolves to climb over the wall from the back. To avoid raising suspicion with any magic fluctuations, we didn't even dare to revert to our human forms. This way, we can confirm that, apart from the Weasley Twins, no one knows we are here", Lupin concluded.
Liam looked at the 12 werewolves in front of him. He had to admit that they were a formidable force. Therefore, he felt that his plan could now be adjusted. With so many skilled individuals at his disposal, they could deliver a crushing blow to those about to attack Hogsmeade.
"Since you managed to enter without alarming anyone, I have a good plan that will teach the Death Eaters a memorable lesson—" Liam gestured for the werewolves to gather around, then knelt down and quietly explained his arrangement.
(End of Chapter)
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