Chapter 232: A Sudden Attack
Professor McGonagall was furious. All the young wizards were sentenced to detention, and each had to write a reflection essay on their mistakes. The Quidditch Dueling Competition was banned until Percy's return.
But she seemed to have selectively forgotten about the dangerous cave right in front of them. She made no decisions regarding the students' secret base. She just took a passing, interested look and led the students away.
As for the records of the interrogation of Peter Pettigrew, she didn't confiscate them directly. Instead, she made a copy with a Duplicating Charm and took the original, which every student had signed as a witness.
Still, the young wizards cried out in agony. Detention was not a pleasant thing, especially when they were so happily enjoying magical dueling, feeling their every step of growth. Being unable to do anything at all was worse than killing them.
Professor McGonagall's deadly stare was too terrifying, and no one dared to object.
On the way back, the students discussed the person they had captured, Peter Pettigrew, analyzing what punishment he would receive. Harry and Ron's discussion was particularly intense. With Peter out of their control, they felt a sense of loss and worry, afraid that he wouldn't receive the punishment he deserved in the 'adult world.'
Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed the two aside, walking to the front to ask Professor McGonagall about the next steps.
"He'll be sent to the Ministry of Magic to face trial before the Wizengamot. Professor McGonagall said we might be needed to testify in court," Hermione said with excitement. "I told her about us, so it'll probably be just the three of us going!"
She had always been fascinated by the Ministry of Magic, longing to see what the wizarding world's most authoritative institution was like.
Draco scoffed from the side. "The Malfoy family has never bothered with the Ministry, but we always have influence there. Granger, your vision is so limited!"
Hermione turned and looked at him, then suddenly smiled. "In my opinion, there are only two kinds of authority in this world. One is the authority of the collective, and the Ministry of Magic is undoubtedly the most legitimate of those. The other is the authority of the individual, which is the magical power they possess themselves."
"Times have changed, Malfoy. You'll never know how strange everything will feel when a powerful wizard becomes the Minister of Magic."
Draco's expression instantly became serious. He remembered what his father had told him about the changes these suddenly powerful Hogwarts students would bring to the British Ministry of Magic.
"Who knows what the future holds?" he sneered.
Looking around, the other members of the Dueling Club, besides the Muggle-born Hermione, were almost all descendants of pure-blood families, whether they were pro-Muggle or pure-blood supremacists. Times had indeed changed, but the glory of the pure-blood families didn't necessarily have to be crushed by the wheels of progress. It could also be used to ride the sails of the new era and begin a new journey!
The so-called opposition between 'pro-Muggle' and 'pure-blood supremacy' might no longer be the dominant topic of the new era. Strength would always come first. Magic was the ultimate answer.
Walking behind the students, Grindelwald listened to their conversation with a smile. He turned to Snape. "Let's say you're on the 'pure-blood supremacy' side. How would you deal with these 'pro-Muggle' people?"
Snape shook his head. "I no longer care about such issues."
Grindelwald shrugged, a slight grin on his lips. "Did you ever think about it before?"
Snape was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Magic is power. Strength is the only way to silence opposition."
Grindelwald let out a sarcastic snort. "No wonder Voldemort was defeated. They're all a bunch of fools."
Snape's usually grim face, which had been sullen ever since, finally showed a hint of life. Attracted by the topic, he asked curiously, "So, what should be done?"
"Simple. Their foundation is the first target. Fighting and killing is always the last resort," Grindelwald chuckled. "The so-called pro-Muggle wizards' stance comes from their arrogance. If you observe closely, you'll find that they're not on the Muggles' side because they like them. They condescendingly say that they are willing to accept Muggles, believing that tolerance is righteous."
"So, it's simple. Find ambitious Muggles, people whose memories have been carelessly modified by Aurors and who hate wizards as a result, jealous people who resent wizards for not having magic themselves, or protectors who fear wizards as a threat to Muggles."
Grindelwald sneered. "Give them an opportunity, and they will show all wizards that being 'pro-Muggle' is a joke. Then the pro-Muggle faction will fall apart from within, they will lose the support of righteousness, and the Muggles who truly seek their own interests will be exposed, becoming rivals to many wizards over social resources."
Snape gasped, looking at Grindelwald in disbelief.
"Of course, pure-blood supremacy is also a joke!" Grindelwald shrugged. "A pointless struggle."
Snape ignored his comment, feeling a deep, chilling sense of dread. "That Muggle attack Gilderoy encountered at the Muggle hotel before?"
Grindelwald held out his hands. "I don't know. Maybe it was just an accident. Or maybe Gilderoy's appearance put pressure on Voldemort, who started seeking other avenues, no longer just relying on his own strength."
Voldemort was an extremely arrogant person. Such a person was only willing to trust his own power. It was a fact that Dumbledore was getting older, which naturally gave him the feeling that once he killed Dumbledore, no one could stand in his way.
But now, a Lockhart had appeared. Once that arrogance was awakened, given Voldemort's influence and ability, things could become truly complicated.
"Fate is like that sometimes..."
Grindelwald looked up at the sky and sighed. "The harder you fight against it, the more it messes with you. On the other hand, if you do nothing, you have fewer problems." In Lockhart's words, that's called, 'The world is at peace, but fools bother themselves.' This young man also agreed that the more you do, the more you get wrong, but he didn't seem upset at all. Instead, he looked forward to a chaotic and interesting future with joy. He would even whisper expectantly, 'Come on, old Voldy, get it together!' or 'Show me your limits, Tom!'—the words of a madman.
Night soon came.
A team of Aurors from the Ministry of Magic arrived at Hogwarts and took Peter Pettigrew away. Accompanying them were the trio and Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall. The Aurors, learning from their last mistake, did not use a carriage for transport this time. Instead, they used the Floo network at Hogwarts to travel directly to the Ministry, hoping to avoid any more accidents. They even used a staggered approach, sending a small team through the Floo network first. Only after the other side confirmed that everything was fine did one person return to give the signal for the others to enter.
Everything went smoothly. Until they arrived at the tenth floor underground and were walking down a corridor with several iron doors toward the Tenth Courtroom, when one of the iron doors in the middle of the corridor suddenly emitted an extremely faint magical fluctuation.
"Something's wrong with that door!" Professor McGonagall suddenly cried out, drawing her wand and stepping in front of the students.
In an instant, the door's frame sprouted thin, black, tentacle-like legs that moved quickly, causing the entire doorway to scurry along the corridor toward them. It moved so fast that the Aurors, who had relaxed upon reaching the Ministry, had no time to react. Nearly half of them were swallowed by it.
After passing through the doorway, the forms of those men flickered for a moment, then they continued to maintain the Floating Charm, controlling Peter Pettigrew as they moved forward, ignoring their colleagues' cries as if they couldn't hear them.
"Evanesco!"
An Auror tried casting a spell on one of the figures, and it burst like a bubble, disappearing completely. The center of the iron door had become a twisted vortex, filled with billowing mist.
"It's a Portkey!" another Auror realized. "Damn it, someone's disguised a Portkey as a door and placed it here!"
Just then, a terrifying whoosh accompanied by a heatwave of fire came from the mist. A strange, military-green iron object flew toward them.
"What is that?" someone shouted, trying to lunge forward.
"It's a projectile! A Muggle projectile!" Hermione shrieked from behind Professor McGonagall. She had seen one on television; it was a device launched from the shoulder with immense destructive power.
Ron and Harry reacted quickly, casting spells at the projectile. "Full Power Repelling Charm!"
The projectile trembled, and a faint, bizarre golden light appeared on its military-green casing, neutralizing their spell. A Shield Charm! Someone had actually cast a Shield Charm on a Muggle projectile!
The attacks from both the students and the Aurors were instantly repelled by the Shield Charm. Even though everyone knew they should be casting the counter-spell, the projectile was moving so fast that it didn't give anyone a chance to react. In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of them.
But at that very moment, the entire corridor began to expand rapidly. From where Professor McGonagall stood, it stretched out in all directions, as if the space was expanding beyond any visible boundary. The trio felt themselves getting farther and farther away from Professor McGonagall.
Amidst everyone's shouts of alarm, Professor McGonagall raised her wand and lightly pointed it forward.
"Morphic Transmutation!"
The fast-approaching projectile instantly collapsed and shrank, then expanded again, sprouting a pair of gray-brown feathered wings. It had instantly turned into an owl, which circled once in mid-air before flying down and landing on Professor McGonagall's shoulder.
At the same time, the corridor, which had been enormously stretched by the Undetectable Extension Charm, quickly shrank back to its original size. The rapid change in space caused everyone to cry out, and several people fell into a heap.
Professor McGonagall frowned as she turned back to look at the trio, then at their surroundings. She hesitated for a moment before commanding, "You three, stay behind me!"
"Okay!" the students nodded in unison.
With a flick of her wand, the owl on Professor McGonagall's shoulder took flight again, heading into the misty vortex of the iron door. She beckoned to them, and they followed closely behind.
Harry felt as if a hook had caught him behind his navel and pulled him forward with an irresistible force. His feet lifted off the ground, and he flew forward like the wind, unable to see anything. When his feet finally found solid ground again, he heard the sounds of a magical battle all around. The air was filled with the sound of explosions, and terrifying shrapnel flew everywhere. From time to time, someone would scream and fall to the ground, crying out pitifully while clutching the part of their body that had been hit.
This was a foggy area, likely a flat mountaintop. Terrible projectiles and bullets flew through the mist, accompanied by various spells. One Auror after another was struck, and it seemed as if they would all be wiped out in no time.
Peter Pettigrew, who had been escorted by the Aurors, fell to the ground. He quickly Transfigured, turning into a rat with charred hind legs, and scurried on his front paws toward a crevice ahead.
But just then, one of the Aurors who had come in with Professor McGonagall suddenly leaped forward, turning into a huge black dog. He lunged at the rat and viciously clamped it in his mouth.
"Full Power Repelling Charm!"
"Finite Incantatem!"
"Vaporize!"
Professor McGonagall strode forward, casting spells as she moved. With a series of incantations, the shrapnel, projectiles, and smoke were all swept away, instantly clearing the visibility and causing a group of people on the other side to cry out in pain.
In front of them were three Muggle bunkers. Guns and wands extended from the small loopholes, aimed directly at them. The fog was controlled by Professor McGonagall and poured into the bunkers, causing the people inside to scream in terror. An explosion sounded from within, followed by a confused cacophony of shouts.
Crack!
The sound of Disapparition ripped through the air. A wizard and the others from the bunkers teleported to the open ground behind the bunkers. Both sides broke out in fierce fighting again.
"Who are you?!" an Auror shouted. "You dare to attack Ministry of Magic Aurors! I demand you surrender immediately, or else—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a twisted iron door with many long, moving legs suddenly appeared and swiftly Disapparated with the group, disappearing from view. All that was left were a few Muggles with guns and ammunition, looking terrified.
But before the Aurors could even question them, the bombs on the Muggles' bodies suddenly went off, along with some of the explosives in the bunkers. It seemed the entire area was filled with so many explosives that it was as if they intended to blow the entire mountaintop apart.
Boom!
The huge roar echoed through the heavens and the earth.
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