Hogwarts: I'm Harry's older cousin

Chapter 394, Chapter 388: I. Never fear death!

Malfoy Estate

The manor was no longer as beautiful as it once was. The magic fountain in the courtyard had stopped, the pool was covered with lush green moss, and the white peacock had long been killed and eaten.

The garden, which was once meticulously manicured, is now overgrown with weeds, some at least a meter tall.

The once gleaming and grand mansion could now be described as a chaotic and filthy place.

All of this is thanks to the Death Eaters' "help," as Malfoy Manor has become their designated meeting place.

"Lucius, you useless piece of trash, you can't even handle this little thing."

Inside the hall, Bellatrix pointed her finger at Lucius without any mercy and berated him: "It's all because of your incompetence that we're stuck in this godforsaken place now."

Since the time was not yet right, Fudge had not yet officially confronted Dumbledore, and the Death Eaters could not step into the limelight for the time being. This made these troublemakers very anxious, and Malfoy Manor naturally suffered.

The former Death Eaters of Azkaban readily attributed the incident to the incompetence of Lucius and his group.

This isn't the first time they've used the same provocative tactic.

"Bellatrix!"

Faced with Bella's repeated provocations, even Lucius couldn't hold back any longer. He raised his cane and pointed it at her: "If you have a problem with that, go ask your master, or do you want to personally test whether my spellcasting skills have improved over the years?"

"You think I'm afraid of you?"

Bella smiled cruelly and pulled out her wand.

Meanwhile, the Death Eaters who had escaped from prison stood behind her.

"Would you like to give it a try?"

Lucius snorted coldly, and the Death Eaters, led by him, stood silently behind him.

The two sides are in a stalemate.

Lucius wasn't intimidated by Bella. Although he wasn't good at dueling, Bella hadn't fared much better after being imprisoned for over ten years.

Moreover, they have the advantage in terms of numbers.

He had long wanted to teach Bella a lesson she would never forget; she had gone too far lately.

Strictly speaking, the two sides are actually related; his wife Narcissa is Bellatrix's younger sister.

"What are you doing here?"

A cold voice rang in everyone's ears. Although the voice was soft, it was like a thunderclap, instantly calming down the two groups that were on the verge of conflict.

Voldemort floated down from the sky.

He glared at Bella first, then at Lucius: "Our enemies haven't been dealt with yet, and you're already thinking about fighting your own people?"

"Master. Us"

Bella tried to explain, but Voldemort waved her off, saying, "I know you're in a hurry, but hold on."

"Now is a critical moment. That old dog Fudge has finally decided to make a move against Dumbledore."

"I don't care what your reasons are or who is right or wrong, you are not allowed to cause trouble at this time."

To be fair, he would rather see Dumbledore fall victim to the curse he had placed on the ring than have Dumbledore and Fudge fight to the death.

If that were the case, he could solve this major problem once and for all.

However, the current situation is passable, even though Fudge only has a one in a thousand chance of winning.

"By the way, Lucius."

Voldemort pulled a book from his wide sleeve and tossed it to Lucius.

"Publishing this book, you should be able to handle such a small matter as your servant, right?"

"No problem, Master."

Lucius took the book respectfully and said...

"By the way, we don't need the original name anymore, we can just use a new pen name."

As Voldemort spoke, his eyes darted around as if he had remembered something, and he let out a series of unpleasant laughs.

"How about we name her Ariana?"

The book Lucius held was "The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore," co-authored by Lockhart and Skeeter.

This book, from the author's name to the title to the content, is all aimed at Dumbledore.

Three days later, Lucius used his resources to get the novel published, and it became an instant hit. Whether people believed it or not, they all bought a copy.

Everyone is filled with curiosity about the life of the legendary wizard Dumbledore.

"Ha ha ha, finally someone has seen through your true colors, Dumbledore!"

In the minister's office, Fudge held the book, looking as happy as a child weighing over 100 pounds.

"Mr. Carlo, how much longer are we going to have to stay here?"

"Ms. Burns, there's no need to worry. You can just stay here and relax. It's safe here."

Carlo sipped his black tea slowly. Perhaps influenced by Dudley, he also enjoyed some hard desserts at midday, paired with slightly bitter tea.

It has a unique flavor.

Compared to the turbulent outside, Carlo Manor remained as calm as ever. However, Amelia, who had been there for more than ten days, realized through the contents of the Daily Prophet's Daily that the external situation was very tense.

Especially that book

Very obvious

Someone is planning to ruin Dumbledore's reputation.

Wizards are human too, and rational ones are always in the minority; we must never let them succeed.

"The situation outside is in complete chaos, and I have to step in and stop them."

"Ms. Borns, I'm afraid you can't do it. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement has been taken over by Fudge, and even if you go back, there's nothing you can do."

The position of Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was nominally reserved for Amelia, but in reality, it was entirely controlled by Fudge.

Even if Amelia were to return, she would not be able to reclaim power.

"The important thing is that it's dangerous outside." Carlo put down his teacup and looked seriously at Amelia. "Last time, Senior Tom failed to kill you, so next time he will definitely try everything to get rid of you. Do you think you can stop that kind of monster?"

Amelia thought back to her previous duel with Voldemort. Well, that couldn't even be called a duel; it was a complete one-sided crushing defeat.

The more you confront Voldemort, the more you understand his terror. Amelia herself is already one of the best wizards, and this is not just her boasting but a fact; she earned Rufus Scrimgeour's respect through her strength.

However, even if she were to join ten, twenty, or even thirty Aurors, they still wouldn't be a match for Voldemort.

That's incredible, absolutely incredible.

As Carlo said, it was a monster, an invincible monster.

I really don't know how Dumbledore faced such a terrifying being back then, so his reputation is even more important not to be tarnished.

"He could kill me instantly."

Amelia said very frankly, then her eyes gradually became firm: "Even so, there are some things that must be done."

He said it in a firm and powerful tone.

"I"

"Never afraid of death!"

(End of this chapter)