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Chapter 978: The Death of Wormtail
Chapter 978: The Death of Wormtail
Albert may have been speaking casually, but the current situation was indeed of his own making, and he was pleased with how things were playing out.
If he hadn't known that the Death Eaters didn't have enough time to set dangerous traps targeting him, Albert wouldn't have dared to come to the International Wizard Duelling Competition so recklessly.
While he wasn't afraid of the Death Eaters, he was cautious about being outmaneuvered. He knew better than to expect them to challenge him to a duel, and with the knowledge of potential traps ahead, he wouldn't blindly rush in like a Gryffindor.
Well, perhaps Harry Potter would, but only if he had gone completely mad. Saving people was one thing, but throwing yourself into danger without a plan was foolish.
For now, Albert was safe. He kept a low profile and didn't give the Death Eaters any opportunities, so even if they wanted to kill him, they would have to take desperate measures, which usually had a low success rate and were easy to predict. Plus, with Albert's spies within their ranks, it was highly unlikely that he would fall for any of their schemes. Doing tasks and gaining experience on his own was a much better option. With his Level 4 Imperius Curse and naturally strong magical power, it was easy for him to control someone for a short period without arousing suspicion.
Unless Voldemort himself came to kill him, there was hardly anything that could threaten Albert's life.
Of course, even if Voldemort did show up, Albert was confident he could take care of himself.
But... what were the chances of that?
It was almost negligible. Would the Dark Lord really abandon his cover?
Now was obviously not the time for Voldemort to reveal himself, and Albert had counted on that before daring to participate in the International Wizard Duelling Competition.
As for the unprepared Death Eaters, they hardly posed a real threat.
Just a moment ago, Albert had easily located the Dark Wizards scattered around the stadium using the Human Presence Curse. Thanks to the anti-Muggle barriers that had been set up, the surrounding Muggles had already been evacuated by the Spanish Ministry of Magic, so there was no chance of any Muggles lingering in the area. The Ministry employees and Aurors on patrol duty also had their designated areas to monitor.
Thus, any witches or wizards still active around the stadium were most likely Death Eaters or members of the Order of the Phoenix.
To be honest, the Human Presence Curse was an incredibly useful spell that was difficult for others to detect or guard against. Even trying to block it would be a challenging task.
At that moment, the Dark Wizard named Carter was hurrying towards the group of five who were supposed to be "commanding" the operation, and at the same time, he was leading the members of the Order of the Phoenix towards them. Albert wondered what the Order had been up to all this time, as they hadn't caused any trouble for the five Death Eaters yet. Well, he thought with a smirk, it was time to give them a little push.
However, what Albert didn't know was that Sirius Black and his companions were currently confused and bewildered. They had already located Peter Pettigrew's whereabouts through Mad-Eye Moody's magical eye, but the situation they were facing was peculiar.
The Death Eaters' minions who were supposed to be causing chaos around the stadium had all been quietly taken down without a trace. No matter how they looked at it, the situation was bizarre.
"This guy is named Sancho," Moody identified the man in front of them, recognizing him from his years as an Auror. "He's often involved in shady business in Knockturn Alley. That guy must have recruited this bunch of scumbags."
"From his facial expression and the direction he fell in, I'd say he was attacked from behind," Moody deduced. "The fact that there are no signs of a struggle here proves that he didn't even have time to react before he was taken down."
"So it was done by Mr. Anderson, but isn't he participating in the International Wizard Duelling Competition?" someone asked, perplexed.
Everyone was trying to wrap their heads around who could have knocked out so many of their enemies without them noticing.
The unknown was frightening.
Especially when they knew someone was lurking in the shadows, watching them—it filled them with unease.
Even the elite Aurors of the Ministry wouldn't be able to take down so many people without making a sound and leaving no trace of a fight.
"I'm sure it was Anderson, but how he did it and why, who knows? And does it really matter?" Sirius said, expressing his confidence in Albert. He didn't care about the how or why at the moment because, in his opinion, what mattered most was killing Pettigrew and fulfilling his agreement with Albert.
If Moody hadn't mentioned that there were other wizards with Pettigrew, Sirius would have gone after him alone. He was getting impatient with all the delays.
"Alright, stop second-guessing. Let's go find Peter," Sirius said, popping the last Felix Felicis into his mouth and starting to walk outside.
"What if it's a Death Eater plot?" Lupin frowned, although he too thought the possibility was low.
"The Death Eaters just arrived, and they're even later than we are. When would they have had time for all these schemes?" Sirius said impatiently. "Anyway, Peter must die today."
"Don't be reckless, Sirius," Lupin warned.
"I trust my instincts, and I'm not going to let this opportunity slip away. If you want to avenge James, then follow me. Otherwise, don't hold me back," Sirius said, leaving no room for argument as he strode out. He'd had enough of their dithering.
Schemes? What schemes?
If there was some grand plot, Albert would have left already. Why would he still be here?
"Why is Mr. Anderson helping Sirius Black kill Peter Pettigrew?" Emmeline Vance asked curiously. "Do they have a grudge against each other?"
"Probably because Peter Pettigrew also wants to kill him," Lupin speculated, recalling the information Snape had brought them. "As for the reason, I suspect it's because Pettigrew was caught by Albert."
"I think Peter Pettigrew must have gone to his house!" Arthur interjected, thinking he had figured it out. After all, if someone wanted to harm his family, he would definitely want to get rid of that person.
"We have company. Hurry, follow me," Moody interrupted their hushed conversation, urging them to move.
At that moment, not only were the members of the Order of Phoenix confused, but the group of five "commanders" were also bewildered, staring at their pocket watches and then glancing outside, only to look back at their timepieces again.
Impossible! How could no one be executing the plan? Were they all slackers?
Their task wasn't to attack the stadium but to create some chaos outside and then escape. There was no life-threatening danger involved.
So, what was going on?
Where was the smoke? The noise? The explosions?
There was nothing, just an eerie silence.
Anyone with a brain could tell that something was wrong. It wasn't possible for all of them to slack off at the same time. Clearly, something had happened.
Could the members of the Order of the Phoenix be causing trouble?
But even if they wanted to take on the Death Eaters scattered around the stadium, it wouldn't be easy, and they refused to believe that it could be done without making any noise.
After much hesitation, the five "commanders" decided to venture out together to assess the situation outside. They had to figure out what was going on.
If they were scared off just like that, who knew what punishments awaited them when they returned?
However, before they could leave, a hurried knocking sound came from outside.
The five Death Eaters exchanged glances, all raising their wands and pointing them at the entrance.
"Who's there?"
"It's me, Carter. The plan is over. Mr. Malfoy asked me to inform you to leave as soon as possible." Came the cold voice of Carter from outside the door.
"Was the plan successful?" Pettigrew asked cautiously.
"I don't know. I successfully cast the Avada Kedavra curse, but whether that Mudblood actually died or not, I'm not sure. I was knocked out by an Auror and only escaped by luck with a Portkey. It's best if you all leave for Britain as soon as possible according to the original plan. Don't let the Spanish Aurors block your escape. That bunch seems to be furious. Anyway, I've notified you, so I'll be going now."
"Wait!"
"What is it?"
The door was opened from the inside, and Selwyn frowned as he asked, "Have you seen anyone else on your way here?"
"Anyone else? No, I was just wondering why it's so quiet here. I thought you guys would be causing chaos as planned to help me out." Carter couldn't help but complain, "If you had distracted those Aurors, I wouldn't have been knocked out."
"That's not our fault. The others didn't cause any chaos as planned." Avery cautiously scanned the surroundings but seeing no one, he turned to Carter and said, "You come with us to check the situation. I remember there were a few guys quite close to our location."
When the group hurried over, they found that the wizard responsible for releasing the smoke was lying on the ground, unconscious.
A chill ran down their spines, a feeling they had never experienced even when facing Dementors.
"He's just unconscious, probably knocked out by a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Be careful of your surroundings." Selwyn bent down to examine the man and found that he had been hit by a Stunning Spell. Before he could do anything, the man had already alerted the others.
However, it was too late.
A bunch of spells flew towards them, and the two Death Eaters guarding outside were directly hit, falling unconscious.
"Damn it!"
Pettigrew regretted not leaving immediately, especially now that he saw Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, his two old friends, among the group.
Just as Pettigrew was about to abandon the others and flee, an explosion suddenly occurred, throwing their bodies back.
As Pettigrew struggled to get up and shook his head to clear his dizziness, Sirius, Lupin, Mad-Eye, and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix were already rushing towards them.
The timing and strength of their attack were remarkable, with Sirius successfully delaying Pettigrew and the other Death Eaters' escape.
"Long time no see, old friend."
Sirius raised his hand and smiled, waving at Pettigrew as if greeting an old comrade he hadn't seen in a while.
However, Pettigrew found the smile on Sirius' face bone-chilling.
No one would hold a grudge against the dead, and the way Sirius looked at Pettigrew now was as if he were already dead. The smile on his face was clearly not because he had seen an old friend, but because he knew his old friend would soon be apologizing to James and Lily.
"Sirius!"
Pettigrew screamed, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at the group before him. Without hesitation, he pressed the Dark Mark on his arm, attempting to summon the Dark Lord to their rescue.
"Well, I won't waste time catching up. James and Lily are waiting for you, don't keep them waiting too long!" Sirius smiled, raising his wand and casting the Avada Kedavra curse at Pettigrew.
The green light of death grazed Pettigrew's head, but he had already transformed into a rat, trying to escape in his Animagus form.
However, Sirius would not let his enemy escape so easily.
He waved his wand, pulling Pettigrew back and preventing his escape.
At this moment, the battle inside the room had already begun, or it could hardly be called a battle as the outnumbered Death Eaters were quickly subdued.
"I originally wanted to let you die with some dignity, so James and Lily would recognize you." Sirius' smile grew brighter, "But since you choose to die as a beast, so be it!"
"Don't kill me, don't kill me, it's not my fault, I was forced to do it." Pettigrew pleaded as he discontinued his Animagus transformation, returning to his original form.
Unfortunately, his pleas fell on deaf ears.
There was only Lupin's cold expression and Sirius' eerie smile.
This day had been a long time coming.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Sirius raised his wand and cast the killing curse at Pettigrew.
Hit by the green light of death, the fear on Pettigrew's face froze, and his eyes lost their shine. His body fell back, hitting the ground heavily.
He was dead! Killed by the Avada Kedavra curse.
Even in death, Pettigrew continued to beg for mercy.
Having avenged his friends, Sirius burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears almost formed in the corners of his eyes. He had finally taken revenge for James, Lily, and Harry with his own hands.
"Are you alright?" Lupin asked with concern.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"What should we do with these guys?" Dedalus Diggle glanced at the stunned Death Eaters and suggested, "Why don't we finish them off and save the world some trouble?"
"Leave them be. Perhaps prison is where they belong." Mad-Eye moved his magical eye, noticing that the Aurors had already sensed something amiss and were quickly approaching their location.
"We should leave now. Oh right, there's one more thing..."
Sirius walked to the window and released a Dark Mark into the sky above the stadium, "I wonder how the Prophet will report this incident."
A few minutes later, the Spanish Ministry of Magic's Aurors rushed to the scene, carrying on their fine tradition of capturing the culprits. They successfully apprehended the group of dark wizards who had been knocked out.
Of course, for the sake of their own achievements, the Aurors did not reveal the truth.
Soon after, Albert received official news from the Spanish Ministry of Magic. They had found the dark wizard who attempted to murder him, and they had also rescued the unfortunate kidnap victim.
So, the one who tried to assassinate Albert was an imposter.
To absolve themselves of any responsibility, the incident was defined as an attempt by Death Eaters to assassinate Albert Anderson because they did not want to see a Muggle-born wizard become the Dueling Champion.
(End of Chapter)
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