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Chapter 991: Before the Palace of Versailles
Chapter 991: Before the Palace of Versailles
The next morning, the early sunlight filtered through the window. Ivan, who had received a message from Magic, sat up in bed and turned to look at Hermione, who was still fast asleep.
The young witch was curled up under the blanket, her fair face still flushed with a charming blush. Ivan didn't want to wake her, so he leaned in and gently kissed her forehead before quickly getting dressed in his Battle Robe, washing up, and using Apparition to return to the International Confederation of Wizards.
By the time Ivan entered the headquarters, Colin Morton and the other Aurors had already gathered in the hall, awaiting his orders.
After days of training and coordination, the six hundred Aurors no longer looked disorganized. They were all dressed in neat uniforms, standing solemnly in their respective squads on either side of the hall.
Seeing this, Ivan nodded in approval and turned to Fenrir. "How is the task I assigned you three days ago coming along?"
Fenrir didn't dare to delay and replied immediately. "We have results, President Hals. Last night, we secretly captured a high-ranking official from the French Ministry of Magic and obtained a lot of information from him."
"Everything is as Miss Delacour reported. The entire Ministry of Magic is under Grindelwald's control, but he hasn't shown himself in the past month. The official doesn't know Grindelwald's whereabouts", Fenrir added.
"What about Alison? Did you find the witch I asked you to look for?" Ivan pondered for a moment before asking again.
"According to the official's confession, this witch named Alison is also in the French Ministry of Magic, currently serving as the Minister's Secretary", Fenrir replied.
"Excellent! You've done a great job", Ivan nodded in satisfaction. Given the urgency of the situation, he had only given Fenrir three days, and he had expected to get some leads. He hadn't anticipated that Fenrir would actually uncover Alison's movements.
Since she was there, they could seize the Horcrux during their assault on the French Ministry of Magic.
With this in mind, Ivan turned to the assembled Aurors and began to assign the mission.
The six hundred wizards were quickly divided into three groups.
The first group, the largest, consisted of four hundred Aurors led by Fenrir. Their task was the most challenging: to storm the French Ministry of Magic and capture the Acolytes.
The second group was assigned to Colin Morton. After observing him for the past few days, Ivan was very satisfied with the experienced Auror's performance.
After some consideration, Ivan decided to let Colin Morton lead the second group of one hundred and forty wizards to the Élysée Palace to ensure the safety of the French President and, if necessary, take control of everyone in the presidential residence.
However, since Colin Morton was a Nordic wizard and Ivan had only known him for a little over a month, he couldn't fully trust an outsider. Therefore, he also assigned Delius to this group to serve as Deputy Captain and assist Colin Morton.
The remaining sixty Aurors were kept as a reserve force, ready to provide support or aid their retreat if the situation got out of control.
"You must ensure that your actions remain secret, understood?" Ivan looked at Colin Morton and the others, emphasizing the importance of discretion. Controlling the French President was no small matter; if the operation failed, they would have to face the French military.
"President Hals, we will be careful", Colin Morton responded solemnly, clearly aware of the gravity of the situation.
"Then, let's begin the operation!" Ivan's gaze swept over the assembled group, his words deliberate and resolute. To avoid raising Grindelwald's suspicions due to the disappearance of a high-ranking official, he decided to act today.
...
At nine in the morning, Ivan and Fenrir arrived at the vast square in front of the Palace of Versailles, concealed by the Disillusionment Charm. The majestic and magnificent palace loomed before them.
However, they were not here for a tour—this was one of the entrances to the French Ministry of Magic's headquarters.
As a famous tourist attraction, the Palace of Versailles was teeming with visitors. The sheer number of people made Ivan frown, wondering why the French Ministry of Magic had chosen such a crowded location for their headquarters. Didn't they worry about officials accidentally exposing themselves to Muggles while on their way to work?
But then, he thought, the North American Capitol was even more audacious, openly situated within the bustling Woolworth Building. Perhaps this was what they meant by small-scale stealth in the mountains, medium-scale stealth in the city, and large-scale stealth in the capital.
As Ivan pondered this, the four hundred Aurors were already in position, divided into several teams. They quietly cast spells, with some entering the palace and others dispersing to clear the Muggles from the square.
Under the influence of the Confundus Charm, the Muggles, who had come to enjoy their day, suddenly remembered urgent matters at home. Their expressions changed, and they hurriedly left the Palace of Versailles. However, the number of tourists was so great that more Muggles continued to arrive from further away.
"This is too slow!" Ivan frowned, concerned that the French Aurors might notice the unusual behavior of so many Muggles leaving at once.
If the battle started prematurely and the two sides clashed on the square, it could result in many casualties among the tourists, which would be a disaster.
Fenrir clearly shared this concern but couldn't think of a better solution at the moment.
"What if we make it rain? They'll run on their own... and we can gather them inside the palace for protection", Ivan suggested, a thought suddenly occurring to him.
Rain? Fenrir was taken aback, glancing up at the clear sky. There was no sign of rain.
Turning to Ivan, Fenrir was about to ask what he meant when he saw Ivan snap his fingers. In the next moment, the sky darkened, white clouds turning black, and a loud thunderclap echoed. Heavy raindrops began to fall.
"What's going on? It's raining?" A pair of Muggle tourists, who had checked the weather forecast and expected a sunny day, exclaimed in surprise. The rain intensified, and the couple rushed into the Palace of Versailles to avoid getting drenched.
The crowd on the square, like a swarm of ants returning to their nest, surged into the palace. Unseen by the Muggles, an invisible barrier rose from all sides, enveloping the entire palace complex.
(End of Chapter)
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