Two wizards who had been illegally imprisoned by the Silver Wand managed to escape with their lives and we're quickly rescued by the Aurors from the law enforcement department. Following this, Andre led a raid on the secret stronghold, successfully freeing hundreds of innocent wizards.
"You see, this story doesn't quite add up, does it?" Alex said with a chuckle, giving Andre a knowing look.
Andre took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding,
"So you're saying you deliberately let these two escape, then had my Aurors rescue them, giving you a reason to take advantage of the situation and transfer over 500 wizards to the bright side?"
"Exactly," Alex nodded.
"It's the perfect excuse. But there are still many details we need to work out, like how to make their escape seem believable, and how to ensure they fall right into your trap once they're free."
Moody, who had clearly been thinking along the same lines from the start, chimed in.
"I've been watching these two closely. They said as soon as they got free, they'd ask the Ministry of Magic for help. So if we prepare ahead, meeting them won't be a problem."
"Besides," he continued,
"their will to survive is incredibly strong. It even seems like it's sparked some kind of talent in casting spells without a wand. If they keep this up, in about ten days to two weeks, they might be able to escape their cage with ease."
"The only weak point is their plan for avoiding the guards and their escape route. They're a bit naive; they actually planned to escape directly through the fireplace without considering the possibility of changing the Floo Network."
"And that's not a problem," Alex said, pulling a small box from his pocket. Opening it revealed two tiny objects no bigger than mung beans.
"You just turn a blind eye to their escape attempts. You can put a little pressure on them, but make sure they actually get away. These are trackers. Just before they escape, find a way to get them to ingest these, so even when they're on the run, we can track them easily."
"No problem," Andre replied confidently.
Moody finally gave the small box a sneer before turning to Andre beside him.
"Our next move still depends on your cooperation. Keep an eye on the messages I send you."
Andre nodded with a relaxed smile.
"Got it. The next phase is on us; we have to pull off this act perfectly."
After speaking, Alex glanced at Andre once more.
"By the way, when I launch the counterattack on the prison, how will Moody and the others, the Silver Wands, make their escape? We need a plan to get them out safely."
Moody replied, "That's pretty straightforward. I'll modify the anti-apparition circle in the underground warehouse. I'll give Moody a device, and once you trigger it twice as a signal, Moody can shut down the magic circle and apparate away."
Andre agreed, "Sounds like it'll work."
Alex nodded. "Good. The important task of rescuing the innocents is in your hands."
Turning back to Andre, he added,
"I've gone through the memories we took from Claremont. There's a lot here-evidence of inciting civil unrest, conspiracies against the Schmidt family, and also info on Virgil, the deputy at the Department of Law Enforcement."
"By the way, what's your take on him?"
Andre's expression darkened as he answered,
"I've been keeping tabs on Virgil. It wouldn't be wise to dismiss him outright. But honestly, I'm worried about him."
After working together for over ten years, Andre clearly had mixed feelings.
Alex thought for a moment before suggesting,
"This isn't the time for him to switch sides. You should isolate him from the main operations for now and assign other people to the next mission. If Virgil stays in the Auror Command on official duty, he could end up being a roadblock."
Andre sighed."I agree. I'll figure out a way to assign him to a different post soon and get him out of Berlin."
Alex gave a serious nod. "Alright, with all this evidence against the Silver Wands, it's time to move against Eisenberg. We can't let him remain Minister of Magic for another day. We need to expose the Silver Wands openly."
Andre chuckled dryly, "That should've happened a long time ago. You have no idea. Over the past couple of days with those guys, I kept swallowing my anger, barely holding it back. Honestly, I wanted to rip their mouths apart right then and there."
Then, turning to Alex, he asked again,
"Since you mentioned this before, you must have a plan. Just lay it out, and I'll follow your lead."
Alex wasn't pretending when he leaned in slightly and spoke quietly,
"If we're going to take Petra down, we need to be fully prepared. The Prison Escape Plan is only part of what we're calling Operation Blind Snake."
He paused before continuing,
"First, we have to weaken Eisenberg's influence within the Ministry of Magic."
Looking directly at Andre, Alex said,
"I'll give you the memories of Claremont and the Schmidt family. You should try to reach out to the Schmidts and see if we can turn them against Eisenberg."
Andre nodded thoughtfully.
"That sounds doable. I'm on good terms with their patriarch. After all, his beloved second son was killed back then. If he learns the truth, I doubt he'll keep supporting Eisenberg."
Alex smirked. "Exactly. They're already at odds. To make this work, you can promise the Schmidt family information about the Phoenix. If they're willing to switch sides, we can even help them get their revenge."
Andre was taken aback when he heard that Alex had information about Phoenix. How could Alex possibly know so much?
Andre had already been surprised by Alex's knowledge of the Golden Snidget and the breeding park, but now it was clear that was just the beginning. Alex seemed to have many secrets up his sleeve that Andre was unaware of.
Alex explained that the information came by chance while he was gathering intelligence on the club. Non-government groups linked to East Germany occasionally crossed paths with the Silver Wand, and Phoenix was the direct manager of that connection.
He didn't mention that he had been tracking Phoenix's movements for quite some time.
"That's fantastic," Andre said confidently.
"With these bargaining chips, I'm sure I can turn the Schmidt family's fortunes around."
Alex nodded approvingly. "Good, but this is only the first step."
He then pulled out a small box and handed it to Andre.
"These are trackers for the three directors who have completely fallen under Pete's influence. If you get the chance, try to discreetly place these on them. Don't force it; it's just to make sure they can't slip away."
Andre accepted the box, understanding the plan.
Then Alex handed over another stack of parchments.
"Besides weakening their power within the Ministry of Magic, we need to control public opinion as we'll. I know a reporter from the Daily Prophet who's agreed to help write several press releases."
"Once you rescue those civilian wizards from prison, you'll release these reports in stages. Some will highlight your efforts, and others will expose Pete's manipulation of civil organizations to sow division in Germany."
"There's also one exposing Pete's ties to the Silver Wand, but that depends on the situation."
"The charge of attempting to maliciously split the country alone should be enough to remove Pete from power."
"It's better not to reveal his club connections to the public unless absolutely necessary; after all, it could damage the international reputation of the German magical community."
"I've made notes on these press releases," Alex added, ensuring Andre understood the strategy fully.