The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 616: Stormy Building
Since they had guessed that Voldemort was going to take terrorist actions against Hogwarts, there was no reason for Ada and the Ministry of Magic not to get involved. On the one hand, they could strike at the Death Eaters and weaken Voldemort's power, and on the other hand, they could re-establish the authority of the Ministry of Magic.

"Your Ministry of Magic is still powerful," Ada said with a bitter taste. She couldn't say this before completely destroying Voldemort.

After discussing with Thicknesse and Mr. Weasley, a small team of elite Aurors secretly entered Hogsmeade.

They are different from the Aurors who patrol Hogsmeade on a daily basis. The only thing these elite officers need to do is to keep a close eye on Hogwarts and report immediately if there is any sign of trouble.

The reason why there was no large-scale station at Hogwarts to provide more thorough protection for the school was mainly to avoid alerting the enemy, and also to guard against Voldemort's feint to the east and attack in the west.

What if Voldemort thinks in reverse and threatens Hogwarts with war but actually wants to capture the Ministry of Magic? If the Ministry of Magic comes out in full force, wouldn't that be exactly what he wants?

Once the Ministry of Magic falls, it will be almost like the capital being captured by the enemy, which will be very damaging to morale.

Voldemort and the Death Eaters will wipe out their previous decline, the wizarding world will fall into greater turmoil and unrest, and the people's hearts and courage that have been hard to accumulate will also dissipate.

That is why only a small team of elite Aurors were sent to Hogsmeade. As long as they keep a close eye on the school, the Ministry can rush to support Hogwarts at any time and wipe out the invading Death Eaters.

The Ministry of Magic is prepared to deal with any unexpected situation at Hogwarts, and I believe the Order of the Phoenix is ​​also prepared. However, one of the main actors, the Death Eaters, does not seem to be prepared, and they have been slow to act.

As the days passed and the temperature gradually rose, there was nothing unusual in the school, and even Borgin and Burke's place had no trace of Death Eaters. It was as if the Death Eaters really took a break from the high temperature. They didn't come out to cause trouble, but made people more anxious and worried about their true intentions.

In a blink of an eye, it was already the end of June. The Ministry of Magic was very lively on that day. The magnificent hall was packed with people. Various media from the wizarding world gathered together, and there were also members who stopped to watch and forgot about their work.

A temporary platform was built in front of the Magic Brothers Fountain, and Thicknesse, wearing a gilded robe, was standing on it with a smile on his face.

The Minister had just finished his speech, once again shouting the slogan "The Ministry of Magic is still strong."

In order to calm the people and prevent them from panicking, there has been a news conference like this every month since Thicknesse took office. The Minister will present the results of recent work and tell the public that the Ministry of Magic is invincible and that they should have confidence in the Ministry.

But it wasn't always so crowded and lively. The last time there were so many people was when the International Confederation of Wizards announced its review of Aida.

At that time, because Ada was declared innocent, the Ministry of Magic would no longer issue a wanted warrant for Ada. Thicknesse was sweating profusely when asked questions by reporters. Thinking about it now, the Minister feels scared.

So many people were gathered this time because a new important organization was established in the ministry - the rapid response team.

As the name implies, the Rapid Response Team is a combat unit that intervenes in a very short time. The members of the team are composed of the elite of the Ministry, drawn from various departments, in order to respond to all emergencies in the magic world.

Of course, the current main task is to fight against the Death Eaters and guard against their frequent harassment.

"...Yes, the road ahead is difficult and tortuous, and our enemies are powerful." Thicknesse said proudly, "That is why we have established a rapid response team to protect people's lives and property. I believe that the rapid response team will become a powerful weapon to dispel the darkness, and we will definitely win the final victory..."

As Thicknesse spoke, the crowd burst into warm applause, the media pressed the shutter buttons one after another, dazzling flash lights flashed, and puffs of purple smoke floated out.

It was always like this in the past. Sometimes Thickness would cooperate with the media to take photos because his photo would appear on the front page. But today was different. There was a murderous intention hidden in the thick smoke. Suddenly someone came out from the crowd. It was a short man with a bad temper. He was a reporter for the Daily Prophet. It was not his first time to attend a press conference of the Ministry.

Only this time, he was holding a magic wand instead of a camera.

"Avada Kedavra!" the short man shouted sharply, and the green light rushed straight to Thicknesse on the stage.

At the same time, the short man's accomplices also jumped out. Some of them were media reporters present today, and some were department staff who were watching here.

These people had clear division of labor. Some were responsible for killing the Aurors and strikers on the scene; others were responsible for indiscriminate attacks to create greater chaos. It was obvious that they had planned this attack on the Ministry of Magic for a long time.

Fortunately, the Aurors had protective gear made by Weasley. Except for those who were directly hit by the Killing Curse, everyone else withstood the first wave of sneak attacks and launched a counterattack immediately.

As a fierce battle broke out in the hall, the frightened people finally reacted, they screamed and fled in all directions, and there was chaos. From time to time, someone was hit by a spell and screamed, while others couldn't even scream.

If you fall down at this moment, whether you are hit by the spell or you fall down by yourself, it is almost impossible to stand up again.

The panicked crowd ran around like headless flies. Some ran towards the fireplace, trying to leave via Floo powder; some ran towards the hall where the elevator was, probably trying to seek shelter.

The people who just ran to the fireplace found to their horror that before they could sprinkle the Floo powder, the flames in the gilded fireplace had turned green!

With a soft "puff", Death Eaters wearing black robes and masks appeared in front of people, working together from inside and outside! Someone secretly connected to the Floo Network, allowing these Death Eaters to be present during the attack.

As soon as the Death Eaters arrived, they joined the battle with a grin and reaped lives.

The people in front of the fireplace were like sheep being driven towards the hall where the elevator was, without any thought of resistance. The lambs were afraid of the wolf because the wolf would eat them!
With the influx of these lambs, the much smaller hall became packed like a can of sardines. The Aurors in front of the elevator wanted to go out for support, but they could not move a single step.

Those who wanted to get in couldn't get in, and those who wanted to get out couldn't get out, so the Aurors could only worry. The lambs were not afraid of the sheepdogs, because the sheepdogs would not eat them.

At this moment, there was another ding-dong and clacking sound, and an elevator descended into the small hall. The golden fence door slid open gently, revealing Ada's figure inside.

This face is so easy to recognize; it’s a reputation earned through fighting one battle after another!
Aida didn't even need to say anything. The people who had been pushing and shoving each other in front of the elevator now took the initiative to make way for them. The Aurors who were blocked in the small hall were then able to rush to the hall for reinforcement.

Perhaps it was the Aurors and strikers who went against the flow that gave people courage, or perhaps it was Ada's appearance that gave them confidence. Many people drew their wands and followed him out of the hall, joining the camp that resisted the atrocities of darkness.

The hall that was so magnificent a few minutes ago is now in ruins, with corpses lying all over the floor.

And the brutal battle has just begun, and more people will fall today.

(End of this chapter)