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Chapter 914: The Divided Ministry of Magic
Chapter 914: The Divided Ministry of Magic
In the evening, after finishing his classes, Severus Snape did not choose to stay at school as usual but returned to his home on Spinner's End.
"You're finally back, Severus..." Narcissa Malfoy sobbed, sitting on a sofa, while Lucius stood by her side, his face pale.
Upon seeing Snape, they immediately got up and walked over.
Ever since Dumbledore's death spread throughout the wizarding world, the Death Eaters responsible for surveillance had disappeared, and they had once again gained the Dark Lord's trust, free to go anywhere.
Voldemort even came in person, lavishly praising Draco's bravery and wisdom.
But Lucius and Narcissa only felt a chill, knowing that being praised by the Dark Lord was not necessarily a good thing.
However, they couldn't worry about that now; they had more important matters at hand.
"Well, Severus," Lucius said tensely, "Have you heard from Draco?"
"You're back at this time, so you must have succeeded... right?" Narcissa also looked at Snape with hope.
"There was a bit of a situation..." Snape hesitated, but seeing the couple's increasingly gloomy expressions, he sighed.
"Alright, listen to me. Draco is with me."
Narcissa clutched her chest, letting out a moan of joy, and her whole body relaxed as she stumbled and sat down on the floor.
Lucius, standing beside her, didn't move to support his wife because he was in a similar state. The only difference was that he could still stand.
"Thank Merlin," Lucius Malfoy showed a rare smile, the first in months.
"Thank you... Severus, thank you."
"Don't thank me," Snape shook his head, "As I said, there was a bit of a situation."
"What do you mean?" Lucius tensed up again, "What happened to Draco?"
"He's fine, and this has nothing to do with it," Snape thought for a moment, as if weighing his next words.
"In fact, I did have the idea of saving Draco, but it was just an idea..."
"You should know that openly killing Dumbledore at school would make it impossible for him to escape, whether it's Hogwarts or the Ministry of Magic. It's almost an impossible task to save him."
"But you still did it, Severus," Narcissa said gratefully, "The best decision we made was to have you as Draco's godfather."
"That wasn't me," Snape shook his head, "Or rather, I didn't have time to do anything. Draco appeared in my office on his own."
"What?" Lucius was taken aback, "Do you mean Draco escaped by himself?"
"Lucius, has the Cruciatus Curse from the Dark Lord made you lose your mind?"
Snape walked to the table and sat down, "After Draco's wand was confiscated, he not only easily defeated Professor Flitwick, who was guarding him, but also managed to perfectly evade the ever-present portraits in the castle and made his way to my office."
"Do you think that's possible?"
"Absolutely not," Lucius said without hesitation.
Not even Draco could do that.
The entire wizarding world had few wizards capable of defeating Professor Flitwick without making a sound.
The title of Dueling Champion wasn't bought with Galleons. Even facing the Dark Lord, that fairy professor could hold his own.
Could the Dark Lord have intervened...
Impossible! Lucius quickly dismissed the thought. The idea of the Dark Lord helping Draco was even more unbelievable than Draco escaping on his own; it was simply impossible.
"Then who helped Draco?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't have wasted so many words with you," Snape glanced at Lucius.
"This..." Lucius was a bit embarrassed.
"Never mind him, Severus," Narcissa had regained some strength and stood up from the floor, "Can you tell us what happened?"
"While I was attending the funeral, I suddenly sensed that the magic I set up in my private chamber had been triggered, so I rushed over."
Snape recalled the events from a few days ago, "When I opened the chamber door, I saw Draco lying on the table, but there was no one else around, not even the magic I had set up. It was as if someone had deliberately touched it to get my attention."
Snape's face darkened, and he felt uncomfortable with these uncontrollable events.
"Does Draco know anything?" Narcissa asked, "Maybe he saw something."
"He doesn't know anything," Snape shook his head, "When he woke up, he didn't even realize he had changed locations."
"Could there be another... in Hogwarts?" Narcissa hesitated for a moment, not finishing her sentence.
She wanted to say that there might be a second Death Eater spy in Hogwarts, but after careful consideration, if it were that easy to enter that school, the Dark Lord wouldn't have valued Snape so highly.
And given their personalities, they wouldn't risk helping another Death Eater.
But aside from this explanation, she couldn't think of anyone else who would help Draco.
Ever since Draco killed Dumbledore, almost every wizard wanted him dead, and only people like them would be willing to help.
"I've been investigating this matter these past few days, but I haven't found any clues."
Snape continued without paying attention to Narcissa's changing expressions, "I came here just to let you know that Draco is alive, so don't worry too much.
"From now on, focus on your tasks. Your situation isn't much better than Draco's."
"I know..." Narcissa whispered, "Severus, can you take Draco..."
"Impossible." Snape cut her off without hesitation.
"We just want to see him."
"Then I suggest you don't entertain such thoughts."
Snape spoke bluntly, "The Aurors and Hogwarts professors have never stopped searching for the Malfoys. My outing was already a huge risk, and I underwent at least three inspections."
"Moreover, Draco is safest with me under the current circumstances."
"Well... I guess so."
"Thank you, Severus."
Narcissa and Lucius exchanged a glance.
They had their doubts about the truthfulness of Snape's words. Until they saw Draco with their own eyes, everything could be a lie.
But they had no other choice. Whether out of trust or self-reassurance, they could only believe Snape.
"What should we do now?" Lucius asked.
"Of course, continue serving the Dark Lord," Snape said coldly, giving him a sidelong glance. "Do I need to teach you this?"
"Lucius, the Dark Lord has been lenient with you. If it weren't for Draco securing an opportunity for you, you would have faced more than just the Cruciatus Curse."
"Of course, we know that," Lucius said, and the hint of color that had just returned to his face vanished instantly.
He seemed to have much to say, but it all turned into a sigh.
"I understand. I'll cooperate with Rodolphus. Once we capture Hogwarts, we should be able to see Draco, right?"
"Naturally," Snape replied, lifting his head for a quick glance at Lucius. "As long as those damn Aurors withdraw from Hogwarts, I can also find a way to get Draco out."
Lucius's eyes lit up suddenly.
"What? You have a plan?" Snape looked at him with interest.
"I, of course, don't have one," Lucius said. "But if it's the Aurors, I think they'll soon lose their enthusiasm for protecting the school."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"The Dark Lord has grown impatient with Minister Bones and is preparing to replace her with a more obedient minister."
Narcissa added, "Once we take over the Ministry, the entire British magical community will essentially be under the Dark Lord's control, and we'll have ample time to deal with Hogwarts."
She seemed more relaxed, even slightly excited. "By then, Draco won't need to hide. He'll become a hero."
"Let's hope so," Snape said.
After Lucius and Narcissa left late at night, Snape was alone in the house.
Like many potion enthusiasts, Snape preferred dim lighting, and his home had only a single dim oil lamp.
Snape sat there, deep in thought, the lamp's light illuminating half of his face while the other half remained hidden in the darkness.
To avoid arousing the Aurors' suspicions, Snape returned to Hogwarts early the next morning, before breakfast, accompanied by several Cornish pixies.
After all, his reason for leaving was to procure teaching materials, so he couldn't return empty-handed. These were items he had conveniently purchased along the way.
The school remained unchanged, with a somber atmosphere. The professors continued teaching and grading assignments as usual, but the number of students was dwindling.
During breakfast, Snape discreetly hid some food to bring back to Draco Malfoy.
He hadn't lied to Lucius and Narcissa; Draco was indeed in his private chamber.
But the calm within Hogwarts didn't mean the outside world was the same.
After Dumbledore's death, Death Eaters emerged like Veela in spring, awakening from dark corners and taking to the streets.
The conflict became public, reminiscent of the celebration after the Quidditch World Cup.
In the following days, the Ministry of Magic faced two consecutive attacks. Although Amelia Bones and Scrimgeour, along with the Aurors, repelled both, it didn't mean the danger had passed.
After the second attack, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement publicly announced his support for Voldemort's control of the Ministry.
An enraged Scrimgeour wanted to kill the traitor, but surprisingly, the Department of Magical Games and Sports and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement also voiced their support.
Even more astonishing was the large number of supporters they had.
Amelia Bones's face darkened. She recalled that since Dumbledore's funeral, there had been frequent personnel changes in the Ministry.
However, she hadn't paid much attention to it. With Dumbledore's death and the fear of the Dark Lord, many had moved abroad. She couldn't expect everyone to stay and guard the Ministry, nor could she manage it all.
So, she had focused primarily on the Aurors and Hit Wizards, neglecting other positions.
Who would have thought...
"Minister, you wouldn't be thinking of removing us from our positions, would you? Oh, and Scrimgeour... Are you planning to kill us?"
Bartok, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, stood opposite Amelia, seemingly as their representative. But strangely, his expression appeared slightly dazed.
"You should think this through; the Death Eaters haven't gone far."
"Damn you, you're threatening me..." Scrimgeour said harshly.
"It's not a threat," Bartok said flatly. "It's just a difference in beliefs. After all, we didn't take advantage of the Death Eaters' attack to ambush you. We're still members of the Ministry."
"What's the difference?" Scrimgeour's face turned an ugly shade of purplish-red.
"Of course, there is." Bartok said, "The difference is who will strike first against their own colleagues."
"I don't care," Scrimgeour said, "Do Death Eaters still care about reputation?"
"After all, we will be taking over the Ministry of Magic in the future, and a bad reputation won't do us any good." Bartok forced a stiff smile.
He had thought about this before.
In fact, when Scrimgeour was fighting with the Aurors and Death Eaters, he had already prepared to turn against them.
But before he could act, he was discovered.
As they were discussing when to make their move, Chris, the Director of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, suddenly appeared and stumbled upon their plan.
Moreover, the other party ran very fast, not giving him any time to silence them.
Because of this, Bartok, or the Death Eater controlling Bartok, had to resort to a backup plan and stepped forward.
"Don't even think about it!" Amelia Bones stepped forward, her gaze sweeping across everyone on the other side, "As long as I'm here, you'll never succeed."
After a long period of recruitment, the Ministry's combat power had expanded to a considerable size.
Amelia Bones glanced at the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement across from her, secretly relieved that she had transferred the command of the Hit Wizards from the Enforcement Department to the Minister's office some time ago to better counter the Death Eaters.
At that time, the new Director probably wasn't under the control of the Death Eaters, but he didn't insist much, and the transfer was completed smoothly.
Now, thinking back, if the command of the Hit Wizards had fallen into the hands of the Death Eaters, they might have been completely wiped out by now without any explanation.
"Bones, I advise you to surrender to the Dark Lord," Bartok continued his persuasion, "You can still be the Minister of Magic afterward, with no impact at all. Isn't that good?"
"You're like a squashed leech right now, disgusting." Bones glared at him without any courtesy, "Do you dare to come out of the gutter and say that to my face!"
"It's a pity, Bones." Bartok stopped talking and just stood there, staring intently at Bones.
In an instant, the vast Ministry was divided into two camps.
The Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the Department of Magical Games and Sports were on the Death Eater's side (most likely under the control of the Imperius Curse).
In contrast, the International Magical Cooperation Department, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and the Department of Magical Transportation were on the other side.
It was a perfect fifty-fifty split.
It's worth mentioning that Bartemius Crouch, the person Fudge pushed out after the Sirius Black incident, was still there.
Or perhaps he had always been there.
Since he was transferred to the Department of Magical Transportation, there had been no news of him for a long time. He didn't resent Fudge's actions, nor did he have any intention of making a comeback. He kept a low profile, and everyone almost forgot about him.
This time, he stood against the Death Eaters once again.
On the surface, with the additional presence of the Minister and the Director of the Auror Office, the Ministry's side seemed to have the advantage.
But ever since the Ministry began to split, it meant they had already lost.
Scrimgeour was burning with anger, constantly rubbing his wand in his hand. He wanted to get rid of these people, but the Minister stopped him.
Bones didn't dare to take the risk; she didn't know if the Death Eaters would take the opportunity to make a comeback if a fight really broke out.
Killing them wasn't difficult, but if Voldemort became enraged and appeared in person because of this...
At least now, the Aurors and Hit Wizards were still under her command, and this situation favored them more. This way, they might also be able to buy some breathing room.
Two consecutive attacks were also a significant drain on the Hit Wizards and Aurors.
Of course, these people had to be eliminated, but not now.
In terms of tactics alone, Bones didn't think she would lose to a few Death Eaters; the Ministry would eventually get back on track.
...
Both sides stared at each other in the entrance hall, neither backing down, with Chris standing among them, his expression grave.
He was grateful that he had taken some precautions against potential traitors beforehand, which allowed him to discover Bartok and the others at this critical moment.
He also thought about the group of Death Eaters who had appeared in St. Catchpole Village two days ago. If it weren't for his quick reaction and the help of some friends, he might have been controlled by the Imperius Curse and been standing on the other side.
No, if he had been controlled, and there was no one else in the Ministry who could have discovered Bartok's plot in time, perhaps this negotiation wouldn't have been necessary.
He rubbed his forehead irritably.
Besides him, Arthur, Molly, Kingsley, Charlie, and other members of the Order of the Phoenix had also been attacked. They had all moved back to Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
Arthur had found that the protective spells around the house were still in place, and Dumbledore seemed to have changed the Secret Keeper's identity in advance.
After they moved in, they also discussed who the new Secret Keeper might be.
Charlie thought it was Kyle.
The reason was that Kyle was close to Dumbledore and was the first to rush over after the incident. If Dumbledore had acted quickly enough, he could have transferred the Secret Keeper's identity.
However, Molly and Arthur believed it was Minerva McGonagall, as they thought the Headmaster had a stable personality and was more reliable.
...
(End of Chapter)
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