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Chapter 710: The Great Diagon Alley Battle
Chapter 710: The Great Diagon Alley Battle
"Hermione, do you think Kyle holds a grudge against Harry or something?" Ron asked, his voice tinged with shock as he listened to the continuous cries of pain emanating from beyond a door near the basement storeroom.
He had always been curious about how Harry had learned the Mind-Shutting Charm, and with this rare opportunity, Ron wasn't about to miss out. Right after breakfast, he and Hermione had rushed over to watch.
But what they saw left him stunned.
This wasn't special training... it was a straight-up beating!
Harry was being kicked to the left and then swatted to the right by a magical creature with six legs, making him look like a human pinball. It was a pitiful sight.
Next to him, Hermione nodded in sympathy.
She had been contemplating whether to join Harry in this special training.
Recently, there hadn't been much to do at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, and her parents had gradually settled into their new life in Diagon Alley, sometimes proving hard to find even when she wanted to visit.
With nothing much going on, she had been considering learning another spell during this month. After all, everyone said the Mind-Shutting Charm was important, and even though she didn't have to worry about Voldemort invading her mind, it couldn't hurt to learn it.
However, seeing Harry's plight, she suddenly hesitated.
Hermione couldn't imagine herself being swatted back and forth by the Cat Panther. Compared to that, she felt it was better to take things slow and steady... even if it meant a much slower progress, at least it was safer.
"Ah!"
Another cry of pain came from the room, and after enduring for two minutes, Harry's thoughts were seen through by the Cat Panther, resulting in a thick tail whipping his thigh hard.
Outside the room, Ron and Hermione simultaneously sucked in a breath of cold air. Even just watching, they could feel the pain.
Hermione's heart went out to Harry.
"Let's go," she said.
"Okay," Ron agreed decisively.
Now he understood why Sirius and the others never came around for this.
Out of sight, out of mind—that way, Harry could master the Mind-Shutting Charm faster.
Adults really were smarter.
The two quietly closed the door... yep, that was much better.
When they returned upstairs, Mrs. Weasley happened to be passing through the living room, carrying a basket of laundry.
"So, there you are..." she said, "Arthur just delivered some letters. I assume they're your O.W.L. results."
"The results are out already?" Hermione jumped up eagerly and rushed to Mrs. Weasley's side.
"Here you go," Mrs. Weasley said, pulling out three envelopes from the basket.
Hermione quickly found the one with her name on it, tore open the envelope, and unfolded the parchment inside.
Her expression soon turned disappointed.
"Didn't you do well?" Ron asked curiously, leaning over to take a look.
The string of 'O's on the parchment made him a little dizzy.
"Nine 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations'... in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ron said, half-amused and half-annoyed as he looked at her, "And you're still disappointed?"
"But Kyle got all 'Outstandings'," Hermione said.
"Why do you always have to compare yourself to him?" Ron raised his voice, not understanding Hermione's tendency to create trouble for herself. "Honestly, if I got even one 'Outstanding', I'd be over the moon."
Ron tore open his own envelope.
As expected, there were no 'Outstandings', but thankfully, there were seven 'A's.
"Not bad," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile, ruffling Ron's hair affectionately, "Passing seven O.W.L.s is much better than I expected."
To be honest, compared to Ron's previous performance, this was a significant improvement.
By now, Mrs. Weasley had given up on the idea of Ron achieving many 'O's. As long as he maintained this level of performance and graduated with seven certificates, she would be content.
"What about Harry's?" Ron asked, looking at the last envelope in his hand. "Should we take it to him?"
"Do you want to go?" Hermione countered.
Ron shook his head decisively, not out of sympathy for Harry, but mainly because he was afraid the magical creature might be addicted to beating people up, and he didn't want to risk getting thrashed himself.
"Then let's just leave it for Harry to open when he gets back tonight," he suggested.
"Okay!"
The two quickly agreed, and Ron placed Harry's results in his room.
"By the way, where's Kyle?" Hermione looked around, realizing she hadn't seen Kyle all morning.
"He went to the Ministry of Magic with Arthur this morning," Mrs. Weasley replied.
"He's already gone to the Ministry?"
"Yes, I advised him to rest for a couple more days, but he insisted it wasn't necessary," Mrs. Weasley said. "Were you looking for him for something?"
"I have some questions about Ancient Runes that I don't understand, and I wanted to ask him," Hermione explained.
"In that case, you'll have to wait until tonight. He'll be back for dinner, and he'll be staying here for the rest of the holidays," Mrs. Weasley said.
"I see," Hermione said. "Mrs. Weasley, let me help you with the laundry, then."
"No need to wash them, a simple spell will do the trick. I just wanted to hang them out to dry. This house is great, except for the lack of sunlight," Mrs. Weasley said.
Time flew, and soon it was evening. Mrs. Weasley had prepared a large pot of beef stew, which she served just as people were returning from work at the Ministry.
Hermione also brought out a thick book of Ancient Runes, intending to ask Kyle a few questions after dinner.
"Oh, they must be working overtime," Mrs. Weasley said, glancing at the time for the seventh time. She forced a smile and said, "Let's eat without them."
She waved her wand, and the pot of beef stew that had gone cold was soon steaming hot again.
Mrs. Weasley then served the stew into each person's bowl.
However, it was clear that Mrs. Weasley's mind was elsewhere, as she spilled the stew several times.
"I'm sure they're fine," Hermione said softly. "They're probably just busy with work. The Death Eaters... they wouldn't dare attack the Ministry, right?"
"You're right," Mrs. Weasley smiled faintly. "Go ahead and eat, then get some rest."
"Mom..." Ron wanted to say something more, but Hermione shook her head slightly at him.
No one spoke after that, and they quickly finished the dinner.
The children went upstairs, while Mrs. Weasley sat in the living room, glancing at the front door from time to time.
"It's odd that they're not back yet," Ginny and Ron whispered, peeking out from the staircase landing.
"I don't know," Hermione said worriedly. "Maybe there's some operation going on at the Ministry... Don't worry, Mr. Weasley and the others will be fine. Even if the Death Eaters..."
Hermione's voice trailed off, and she said vaguely, "If there's any major news, someone will bring word. Don't forget, this is the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
"Anyway, let's head back to our rooms for now."
"I'm not going," Ginny said stubbornly, squatting on the spot. "I'm going to wait here."
"Me too," Ron added.
Even though Hermione made sense, with most of the Weasley family out, how could they just go back to their rooms and sleep?
So, the two hid at the staircase landing, and Harry, despite being exhausted from the Cat Panther's training, stayed as well, waiting for Sirius.
Hermione didn't argue further and quietly kept them company.
Time passed slowly, and soon it was late into the night.
...
Meanwhile, in Diagon Alley.
The once bustling street was now deserted, with all the shops closed and deafening explosions and roars echoing through the area.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A Killing Curse flew and shattered the sign of Eeylops Owl Emporium.
A middle-aged wizard, escorted by two Aurors, had just turned into a small alley from the main street. Behind them were a group of Death Eaters in black cloaks and masks.
"Hand him over!" the leading Death Eater rasped.
"You can forget about it!" Tonks waved her wand, sending a red light into the sky.
"There he is!" someone shouted from a distance.
"Kill her!" the Death Eater roared.
But before they could lift their wands, more Aurors appeared, riding brooms and swooping in from all directions.
"Disarm them!"
"Stun them!"
To avoid the spells flying from all sides, the Death Eaters had to give up on Tonks and turned their wands toward the Aurors in the sky, creating chaos in the entire street.
The middle-aged wizard who had just dashed into the alley was not truly safe either. In the shadows, several pairs of eyes were fixed on him, drawing closer.
The man anxiously raised his wand, about to leave, when a voice came from behind him.
"I suggest you don't go any further, Mr. Foreskin. The deeper parts of Knockturn Alley aren't necessarily safer than out here."
"Who's there!"
The man spun around, wand at the ready.
"Relax, Mr. Foreskin. It's me," Kyle said calmly.
"Prove it!" Foreskin demanded, still on guard. "Prove you're not Polyjuiced!"
"Voldemort is a noseless fool," Kyle said.
Hearing Voldemort's name, Foreskin shuddered involuntarily, but he finally lowered his wand.
Now he could be sure it was really Kyle and not an imposter, as the Death Eaters wouldn't dare speak of Voldemort like that.
"Sorry."
"It's fine. I understand," Kyle said as he stepped closer.
Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George positioned themselves around them, driving away those with ill intentions.
"Go home and get some sleep," Fred said, eyeing those hiding in the shadows. "Or else, starting tomorrow, I'll come to Knockturn Alley every hour to check. I guarantee you won't be selling anything then."
There were rustling noises and low curses, but Fred and George paid no heed.
Gradually, the noises stopped, and the alley returned to silence.
"I didn't expect it to be this easy," George said with a laugh.
"They're not afraid of you," Bill glanced at him. "They're afraid of the Aurors and Death Eaters outside."
"I know," George shrugged. "But right now, there are no Aurors here. Just us."
"Kyle," Charlie approached him. "How did you know the Death Eaters would attack Diagon Alley?"
As it turned out, the rooms in the Leaky Cauldron had notoriously poor soundproofing, something well-known to all witches and wizards. Thus, to avoid disturbances, most guests would cast soundproofing charms on their rooms upon checking in. However, Mr. Granger was an exception to this.
A group of Death Eaters had been discussing their plan of action in the corridor, and Mr. Granger, being a sharp-eared individual, had overheard snippets of their conversation.
Though the information was limited, phrases like 'wait until evening' and 'want them alive' had caught his attention and raised his suspicions.
Kyle, who was on his way to Gringotts that day, happened to run into Mr. Granger at the Owl Post Office as he was writing a letter to Hermione. During their conversation, Mr. Granger casually mentioned what he had overheard.
However, to protect Mr. Granger's safety, Kyle kept this information to himself and did not reveal his source, instead claiming that he had received an anonymous tip.
"Regardless, we have you to thank for the warning." Charlie said with a sense of relief as he listened to the distant explosions. "Who would've thought the Death Eaters would attack Diagon Alley? What could they possibly be after?"
"That's a question for Mr. Fortescue." Kyle turned to look at the middle-aged wizard.
"I don't know," Fortescue Florean shook his head. "They barged into my shop and shattered my door without saying a word. If it weren't for the Aurors arriving in time, they might have taken me away."
"That is odd." Fred furrowed his brow. "Unless He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named suddenly developed a sweet tooth and craved some ice cream."
Aside from this explanation, he couldn't fathom why the Death Eaters would target the owner of an ice cream parlor.
But the idea of the mysterious Dark Wizard indulging in ice cream? That was a hilarious mental image.
"I suspect they might also be after Ollivander." Florean offered, "Just before the Auror helped me escape, I caught a glimpse of several Death Eaters heading towards the wand shop."
"Ollivander isn't at his shop." Fred remarked with a frown. "In fact, his store has been closed for quite some time now."
"That's normal." Florean added. "Mr. Ollivander needs to search for wand-making materials, which is a time-consuming task. He usually returns only a couple of weeks before the start of the school year."
"But it's fortunate that he left, otherwise, he might have been captured."
"It's hard to say." Kyle shook his head.
Perhaps it would have been better for Ollivander to be in Diagon Alley today, as with the advanced warning, the Aurors would have had a good chance of rescuing him.
But if he had been found by the Death Eaters while he was out, they might not have been able to help him.
"Boom!" Another explosion echoed through the alley.
A Death Eater, her mask slipping, revealed a crazed and vicious face as she charged into the Leaky Cauldron.
Antonin Dolohov, the Death Eater who had been captured at the Ministry of Magic, had somehow escaped once again.
Most likely, when Voldemort's Inferi rebelled, he had taken the opportunity to free this follower.
"It's you again! Die, Cruciatus Curse!"
Encounters with enemies often brought out the worst in people, and upon seeing Kyle, Dolohov immediately cast the cruel curse without hesitation.
However, his intentions were all too obvious, and Kyle easily dodged the attack.
"No need to be so worked up." Kyle hid behind a wooden barrel, taunting his opponent. "Don't you want to know why your plan failed today?"
"Why!" Antonin Dolohov hissed. "Tell me, and perhaps I'll show you mercy and make your death quick and painless."
"Of course, someone betrayed you." Kyle said, a hint of pride in his tone. "Otherwise, how would the Aurors have known about your plan?"
"You're lying!" Dolohov narrowed his eyes, his sharp mind recognizing the underlying scheming in Kyle's words.
"I'm just being kind." Kyle's voice carried a hint of satisfaction. "Since you won't be getting away today anyway, I thought I'd be generous and let you die with some understanding... But if you don't want to know, then forget I mentioned it."
"Tell me the name." Dolohov demanded. "Who dares to betray the great Dark Lord?"
"You're so clever, why don't you guess?" Kyle smiled. "Perhaps this betrayer is closer than you think. You might have even been neighbors for over a decade."
"Tell me the name!"
"He's over there..." Just then, several Aurors rushed into Diagon Alley, raising their wands and aiming them at Dolohov.
"Stunned and Bound!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
"Turn to Stone!"
...
"Damn Aurors!"
Dolohov waved his wand, deflecting the incoming spells.
Though he desperately wanted to capture Kyle and force him to reveal the traitor's name, he realized it was already too late.
Facing so many Aurors, Dolohov knew that if he stayed, he would undoubtedly be captured.
"You wait, I'll catch you one day!"
Leaving behind a threatening message, he turned and sprinted deeper into the Leaky Cauldron, with several Aurors in hot pursuit.
"Are you alright, Kyle?" Lupin rushed over, his concern evident despite the fact that one of his arms appeared to be injured and was hanging limply by his side.
"We're fine." Kyle shook his head. "What's the situation outside?"
"Most of the Death Eaters have been subdued, and it's only a matter of time before we capture the rest." Lupin reported. "What about Dolohov?"
"He got away." Kyle glanced at Lupin's injured arm. "But a few Aurors are already on his trail. In your current state, you wouldn't be of much help even if you went after him."
"I suppose you're right." Lupin hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding to remain where he was instead of joining the pursuit.
...
(End of Chapter)
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