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Chapter 666: Fudge's Decision, the War Begins
Chapter 666: Fudge's Decision, the War Begins
Harry had learned Occlumency, and everyone seemed pleased about it, except for Snape and Umbridge, who ended the opening feast in a rather pleasant atmosphere.
But the next morning, this joyful atmosphere was shattered.
During breakfast, Cedric, as usual, opened his subscription to the Daily Prophet, ready to see what was on the front page.
But the next second, he suddenly stood up and let out a cry.
It wasn't just Cedric; more and more students started to cry out, as if they had seen something terrifying.
"What's happening?" Cona asked.
Cedric spread the newspaper on the table, pointing at the ten photos on the front page, unable to speak.
The photos showed nine male witches and one female witch; some were laughing out loud, while others tilted their heads arrogantly. Each photo had their names and crimes written below.
[Antonin Dolohov, brutally murdered Gideon and Fabian Prewett]
[Augustus Rookwood, leaked Ministry of Magic secrets to the Dark Lord]
[Bellatrix Lestrange... As the only female witch in the photos, this photo probably drew the most attention, and she was the most arrogant of them all.]
Her eyes were filled with disgust, and her thin lips curled in contempt and disdain, as if there were disgusting bugs in front of her.
And her crime was the cruel torture of the Longbottom family.
Kyle wouldn't be a stranger to Bellatrix; to get the key to the Lestrange family vault, he even sent a little gift to her through a Dementor.
Some candies and chocolates, all things that could make her feel happy again... Although Kyle didn't know if she still had this feeling of happiness.
Following the photos, there was a bold and eye-catching headline.
[Azkaban Mass Prison Break, Ministry of Magic announces, the Dark Lord returns!]
Several notorious Death Eaters broke out of prison, and the Dark Lord's return was announced. No wonder Cedric cried out in surprise.
In fact, the Great Hall was already in chaos, and some of the braver students were even scared to tears.
Even those who had always believed in Dumbledore, like Cedric, Mike, and Justin, were all sitting there, breathing heavily.
Believing was one thing, but when the Ministry of Magic announced these things in the most authoritative newspaper, they still felt a little surprised.
"Kyle, you did it."
In the midst of the chaotic Great Hall, only Cona whispered, "Fudge is no longer pretending that nothing happened; he acknowledged the Dark Lord's return."
"Yeah," Kyle said, looking at the newspaper and muttering.
Everything he had done before, including creating the illusion that Dumbledore wanted to compete for the Minister's position or keeping Malfoy from contacting Fudge, was to make him feel a sense of crisis.
When Fudge felt that he didn't have the upper hand but didn't want to give up the position of Minister of Magic, he had only one path to take... declaring the Wizarding World to be in a state of war.
Because at times like this, the Ministry of Magic wouldn't easily replace the Minister.
His plan was quite successful, and he was already nervous when he was called to the Ministry of Magic during the Christmas break. If the owl from Nymphadora Tonks arrived at Hogwarts in front of Umbridge, Fudge would definitely not hesitate anymore.
Of course, this was Kyle's original plan, but he never expected that Death Eaters would break out of prison during this process.
"Why does it have to be this time?"
Although his plan was considered a success, Kyle couldn't help but frown and wasn't happy at all.
If they had acted a few days later, even if it was just for show, Fudge would definitely strengthen the defenses of Azkaban.
"Forget it!" Kyle suddenly sighed.
If this prison break was personally planned by Voldemort, no matter how much the Ministry of Magic strengthened their defenses, it would be futile, and unnecessary sacrifices would be made.
After all, the only one who could resist Voldemort was Dumbledore, and it wouldn't be realistic to make him leave the school to guard Azkaban.
Kyle shook his head, not thinking about these things anymore.
At this moment in the Great Hall, fear and unease began to spread, but fortunately, the professors seemed to have anticipated this situation, and Professor Sprout stood up in the Great Hall to calm everyone down.
"Everyone, don't panic, Hogwarts is safe enough, and you won't be harmed here," she said, which somewhat calmed the buzzing discussions in the Great Hall.
Then, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Professor Snape, and finally, Professor Dumbledore arrived.
When the Headmaster appeared there, the last bit of sound in the Great Hall disappeared.
But Dumbledore didn't say anything; he just made himself a sandwich as if he were really there for breakfast.
Taking this opportunity, Kyle also started reading the rest of the newspaper.
"The Ministry of Magic announced last night that a large-scale prison break occurred at Azkaban, and Minister Cornelius Fudge confirmed that ten serious criminals escaped last night."
"This was the Ministry of Magic's negligence; although we have improved defensive measures with Sirius Black's help, we forgot about external factors."
Fudge said last night, "Last night, we found a surviving guard, and from his mouth, we learned that someone forcibly broke through Azkaban's defenses and rescued those Death Eaters in the midst of Dementors."
"The Hit Squad saw that person's appearance, and when the Aurors received the news and rushed over, they also saw the Dark Mark in the sky... Yes, I have to regretfully inform everyone that the Dark Lord has returned."
"I believe I need to apologize on behalf of the Ministry to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who was the first to discover his arch-nemesis's return, but the Ministry failed to take it seriously."
"Soon, I will personally visit Hogwarts to convey my apologies to Headmaster Dumbledore, and together we'll discuss how we should deal with the terrifying Dark Lord."
"The Ministry will do its utmost to ensure everyone's safety, but we also urge the public to stay vigilant and always carry their wands. The war, has begun!"
...
"Fudge is quite clever," Cedric said, snapping out of his thoughts. "How can he say such words after the Ministry's negligence? Didn't he spend six months calling Dumbledore a senile old man?"
"That's true," Cona agreed, still flipping through the newspaper. "But you know, he'll never admit it."
"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore is aware of this," she said, looking up at Dumbledore on the staff table.
Dumbledore happened to look over at that moment, his blue eyes flashing behind his glasses.
After breakfast, Professor McGonagall approached the Hufflepuff table,
"Please wait," she called out to Kyle. "The Headmaster has granted you leave. You don't need to attend the first Transfiguration class. Just go straight to the Headmaster's Office, and use the same password as before."
"Okay," Kyle agreed.
Once Professor McGonagall had left, Cona couldn't help but ask, "Did the Headmaster call you for something?"
"I think it's related to today's Daily Prophet," Kyle replied.
"Then what should we do next?" Cona asked, looking a bit lost. "With the sudden announcement of war in the Wizarding World, can we still stay at Hogwarts?"
"Rest assured, Hogwarts will not close, especially at a time like this."
Kyle smiled, "And you don't need to worry too much. Voldemort won't suddenly appear just because of a news report. Just focus on your classes."
"But the things we'll learn from now on might not be as simple as before."
"It's fine as long as Hogwarts doesn't close," Cona waved her hand with a smile and ran off she ran to the Transfiguration classroom.
Kyle also headed straight for the eighth floor.
When he reached the Headmaster's Office via the spiral staircase, he found Fox already perched on the branch he had been on before, though Kyle didn't know when he had left the box.
Dumbledore was also already there, waiting.
"I'm curious," he said, looking at Kyle with intrigue, "What exactly did you do to make Fudge acknowledge Tom's return without seeing it for himself?"
"It's just as we discussed before," Kyle replied. "We put pressure on him, forcing him to do this to protect his position."
"I understand," Dumbledore said, "But I'm curious about what you did." I know Fudge well; he never does anything unnecessary, and only believes what he sees.
"I approached Fudge many times, presenting almost all the evidence, but he refused to believe... anything that threatened his position. No matter how unlikely, he wouldn't act on it."
Dumbledore glanced at the Daily Prophet spread out on the table, especially the last line on the front page.
"The war has begun..." he whispered. "To Fudge, this decision is like drinking unicorn blood to extend his life. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't do it. What did you do?"
"Just sent a few letters," Kyle shrugged, summarizing what he had done over the past few days.
When Kyle mentioned Fox's unconcealed mission to St. Mungo's Hospital, Dumbledore's mouth twitched.
But when Kyle mentioned what he had asked Malfoy to do, as well as his self-delivery, the others were stunned.
He had only been gone for a few days, yet Kyle had done so much... no wonder Fudge had acted so uncharacteristically.
Actually, it's not Fudge's fault. If such a thing happened at Hogwarts... every day there were owls from the school board flying into Professor McGonagall's office. He'd probably suspect that Professor McGonagall wanted to be the Headmaster.
"But I think what ultimately made Fudge decide was the breakout," Kyle said. "Ten people breaking out of Azkaban, this isn't something you can brush off with an excuse."
"No, you underestimate Fudge," Dumbledore said. "If your actions hadn't pressured him, he might have just found an excuse... Barty Crouch Jr. is a perfect excuse to run away."
"But there's one more thing I'm curious about." Dumbledore asked with interest. "Are you sure Fudge will protect his position this way?"
"I can't guarantee success a hundred percent," Kyle said. "I really sent letters to Nymphadora Tonks, Newt, Mr. Filch, Maxime, and Headmistress Sacsia.
"And three of them have already replied, agreeing that if Fudge hasn't announced the Dark Lord's return by the 20th, they'll cooperate with my other plan..."
Kyle glanced at Dumbledore, choosing not to elaborate further. After all, the rest of his plan wasn't something Dumbledore would want to hear.
Regardless, Kyle couldn't let the Ministry become an obstacle in their fight against Voldemort. If necessary, Dumbledore would have to take on the role of Minister of Magic as well.
Chapter:
Indeed, one of the people who replied to him was Nymphadora Tonks, who seemed rather interested in Dumbledore becoming the Minister. She even volunteered to come to Hogwarts.
With Nymphadora's help, this plan was already more than half successful.
As for the Hogwarts Headmaster... If Dumbledore wasn't willing, Kyle thought Professor McGonagall would be a suitable choice.
Of course, this was just the initial plan, which is now irrelevant.
Dumbledore, sitting beside them, felt a chill down his spine. He suspected he had guessed Kyle's intentions, but he wished he hadn't.
"Kyle," he said, choosing his words carefully, "I think it would be better if you sought my consent before making any decisions next time. Don't you think so?"
"It's all for the sake of defeating Voldemort, Professor," Kyle replied with a smile. "Sometimes, we need to use special methods. Besides, I remember you saying at the Hog's Head that you'd give up everything to defeat him."
"Did I say that?" Dumbledore feigned deep thought.
"I'm quite sure, Professor," Kyle said. "Many people heard it, including the owner of the Hog's Head. We can ask him if you don't believe me."
Dumbledore sighed. "Alright, I did say that." But when he made that statement, it was to express his determination, and he never imagined the scope of those "anything" would be so broad.
"I have to admit, Kyle," Dumbledore couldn't help but say, "you always come up with plans I could never think of."
"It's nothing," Kyle said Kyle, shaking his head modestly. "You don't need to give me 200 points or a special contribution award or anything like that."
Dumbledore paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, I won't give you the points."
This time, it was Kyle's turn to remain silent. He politely agreed, and Dumbledore decided not to award the points.
"Professor, is that why you called me here?" Kyle asked, shifting the topic.
"Yes, and also because you helped Harry learn Occlumency. Professor Snape told me it was you who taught Harry," Dumbledore explained.
"It's nothing," Kyle downplayed the matter, glancing at the table. "Professor, could the Dementors have switched allegiance to Voldemort?"
"I'm glad we're thinking the same thing," Dumbledore said, smiling briefly before turning serious. "But this is also something I'd like to know."
"After receiving the news last night, I visited Azkaban where the Dementors are held. The number of Dementors there has significantly decreased."
"How many?" Kyle asked.
"About half," Dumbledore replied. "We need to find out if these missing Dementors have been killed or if they've joined Tom."
"Wait..." Kyle said, "Professor, isn't the Patronus Charm the only way to kill Dementors? Neither Death Eaters nor Voldemort should be able to cast this spell, right?"
The Patronus Charm is a unique spell that only allows wizards with a strong sense of justice to transform their inner happiness into a Patronus. If a dark wizard with evil intentions attempts to cast it, instead of summoning a Patronus, their wand will backfire, summoning a creature to swallow them.
"Most Death Eaters won't be able to use it, but Tom... his idea of happiness is a bit different from ours," Dumbledore said, lightly tapping his fingers on the table.
"And there are other ways to defeat Dementors besides the Patronus Charm. This spell is more about driving them away. The Killing Curse also works on Dementors."
"Alright," Kyle said, "What do you want me to do, Professor?"
"Fudge will be coming to Hogwarts later, and he'll bring two Dementors who were guards last night," Dumbledore explained.
"I need to know if the missing Dementors have joined Voldemort, as this will determine if we need to adjust our current defense plans," Kyle said.
"No problem," Kyle assured.
"There's one more thing..." Dumbledore's expression softened, "Fudge has agreed to join the fight against the Death Eaters. Why don't you write another letter to Doge and the others, updating them on the situation... so they don't act without knowing the full context."
"That's not necessary," Kyle thought. "They'll probably read the Daily Prophet, which has all the information."
"It's better to be cautious," Dumbledore insisted, his blue eyes fixed on Kyle.
"Alright, I'll write the letter now," Kyle agreed.
"No need," Dumbledore waved his hand, and immediately, several pieces of parchment and quills appeared on the table.
"After you're done, I'll have Fox help deliver the letter, since cats can't deliver letters to Nymphadora, right?" Dumbledore glanced at Fox, who was sleeping on the table. He silently decided that no matter what Kyle said, he wouldn't let him use Phoenix again.
Kyle actually had other ways to contact Nymphadora and didn't need to rely on Fox, but after considering, he chose not to speak up...
Just in case it could be useful in the future, it's better to keep it a secret.
So, Kyle quietly sat at the table and began writing the letter in front of Dumbledore.
...
(End of Chapter)
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