Chapter 528: Chapter 528: Separated (Edited)
Tom heard a noise behind him: it was Mr. Weasley. He had also been awakened by the noise and came out of the tent.
He thought the source of the noise was the Irish procession, but upon exiting the tent, he realized he was completely wrong.
"Merlin!" Mr. Weasley gripped his hair tightly to wake up a bit more and, in passing, remind himself that this wasn't a nightmare he had created. He went back into the tent and shouted, "Get up quickly!"
As Mr. Weasley yelled, he pulled the drowsy children out of bed. "Get up! Fred, wake up, George!"
"What...?" Fred sat up abruptly, his hair disheveled, and banged his head against the upper bunk bed.
"Put on your clothes and get out!" Mr. Weasley ordered.
The pain in his forehead quickly woke Fred up. He listened carefully to the noise outside and realized something was wrong because he heard shouts and the sound of people running in panic. This didn't seem like a celebration at all! He randomly grabbed a jacket and put it on over his head, then followed his father to wake up the rest of the people in the tent. Once everyone was awake, Fred grabbed his money bag and wand and rushed out of the tent.
Outside the tent, the people in the two neighboring tents were also awakened. Percy, Bill, and Charlie were already dressed and standing outside the tent with serious expressions. Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Granger had just come out of their tent.
"Oh my God," Mrs. Granger exclaimed when she clearly saw the four floating objects.
"What...?" Mr. Granger heard his wife's cry and ran out, only to be stunned by the scene before his eyes.
He stared at the camp in chaos, the procession, and the defenseless Roberts family. Based on the knowledge gained in previous conversations, he understood everything. He knew that wizards had a peculiar view of Muggles, but he didn't expect it to be so extreme.
The scene was hopeless.
The Death Eaters destroyed in a matter of minutes the good impression Mr. Granger had of the magical world. They shamelessly displayed wizards' contempt for Muggles, without any pretense.
Mr. Granger looked at Tom and, with a trembling voice, said, "How is this any different from the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)?"
Tom remained silent, like a stone statue.
There was no difference; the Death Eaters and the KKK were synonymous with decadence and disgust, one discriminated against people of color, and the other against Muggles.
At that moment, a protester used his wand to flip Mrs. Roberts, leaving her hanging upside down, with her nightgown falling and revealing some flashy underwear. The crowd below rejoiced at Mrs. Roberts' efforts to free herself.
Vile words were carried by the wind, constant and relentless.
"It's disgusting," Ron muttered.
Perhaps gathering in a group and not moving drew too much attention because the Weasley family was noticed by the Death Eaters in the procession, who cast curses at them.
"Protego!" The present boys invoked the Shield Charm to repel the curses coming at them.
Seeing that the spells were ineffective, shouts came from the procession, which began to approach the Weasley camp.
Everyone paled.
"Let's help the Ministry maintain order," Mr. Weasley said, rolling up his sleeves and speaking loudly. "You all enter the forest together, don't separate! I'll come find you once this is resolved!"
After speaking, he took Bill and the others, running toward the approaching procession. By this time, the Ministry of Magic finally reacted, and Ministry staff hurried from all directions to the scene, attempting to rescue the Roberts family.
All the adult wizards from their small group had already left.
"So, they'll be rescued for sure?" Mr. Granger asked anxiously, approaching Tom.
Tom nodded.
"And will these thugs be punished?"
To the second question from Mr. Granger, Tom didn't respond. No one would be punished, and the Ministry of Magic wouldn't compensate the affected family.
Seeing Tom in silence, Mr. Granger understood. He sighed, helped his wife, whose legs were weak, and prepared to leave with the others. Fred took Ginny's hand and dragged her into the forest, Harry and Ron followed, while George, Hermione, and the Granger couple looked at Tom, who had been silent since the incident.
"Tom, it's time to go," Hermione said anxiously.
In response to Hermione's voice, Tom slowly shook his head.
"Hermione, take care of... our parents. I have something to take care of," Tom said calmly.
Hermione: !!!
A bad feeling surged within her, "What are you planning, Tom? Why aren't you running away?"
But before Hermione could say anything, George had already left in the direction of the forest with the Granger couple. Resigned, Hermione followed them, but just after taking two steps, she stopped and summoned her Patronus.
"Take him with you, please, come back safe!" Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes. At that moment, she wanted to stay with Tom, but reason told her that her parents needed her more.
"Yes, I promise," Tom said as he held the three-headed dog Patronus.
Hermione held a wand in one hand and clenched her fist with the other, but she eventually relaxed and let go. She bit her lip, turned around, and ran into the forest.
Tom watched as she slowly disappeared into the forest's shadow, while the three-headed dog Patronus lazily rolled in his arms.
"People, fear the strong and harass the weak," Tom whispered as he stroked the soft and docile fur of the three-headed dog. He looked toward the approaching procession. "If you don't harm them, they won't change their behavior."
Today, he couldn't run away. Running alone would only fuel the Death Eaters' arrogant behavior. Only by staying and giving them a beating would they realize.
Tom looked at the Roberts family hanging from the Death Eaters in the sky and felt a burning fire ignite in his chest.
This family would receive no compensation, they wouldn't even have a memory of this event, and the culprits of all this would go unpunished.
"Burglary, kidnapping, arson. They will be punished for all their crimes," Tom pronounced to the present Death Eaters.
If the Ministry of Magic can't handle it, then I will!
Tom turned and went back into the tent, retrieving something from his luggage.
Chapter 529: Chapter 529: Is Dawlish That Decent? (Edited)
The magic wand is a tool used by wizards to amplify their magic. It is typically made with a core of some magical creature's tissue and a wooden body. Can magical metal work as a wand body? Many wand makers have explored this possibility.
Mr. Ollivander was no exception.
Unfortunately, Mr. Ollivander, like other wand makers, failed in this aspect. He only left behind a giant wand made of magical silver, perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a staff.
Mr. Ollivander's magical silver wand was thick as two fingers and measured two meters in length. Just lifting it already required a lot of effort, not to mention performing the complicated movements to cast spells.
Tom didn't have the knowledge or skill in wand making like Mr. Ollivander; he couldn't turn that silver staff into a functional wand. But he could modify it to become a large-scale magic amplifier. Through the magical inscriptions on its surface, he could cast some specific spells without the need for complicated motions.
During the summer holidays, Tom had been modifying this staff, and it was already 80% complete.
Today, Tom felt that it was time to test it at this stage. The full form of this staff was meant to be used against Voldemort, so its current state, as a work in progress, would also serve as a lesson to Voldemort's followers.
Tom put on a wizard's robe and took the staff from his luggage. The staff's body, which was originally long and smooth, was now covered in numerous intertwined magical inscriptions. The inscriptions converged into a groove in the middle and slightly upward on the staff, right where Tom's wand would fit.
After fitting his own wand, the staff began to tremble slightly. Tom raised the staff and with a strong thrust, he drove it into the ground. From the tip of the staff, golden sparks scattered like fireworks, causing Tom's fingers to warm slightly.
"Very well." Tom was satisfied with the effect; he knew that his wand had successfully established a connection with the staff. He picked up the staff and walked with Hermione's three-headed dog Patronus to the heart of the camp: a large four-story tent, perfect for casting his own spells.
At this moment, Ministry employees had already arrived near the procession and were desperately trying to approach the hooded and masked wizards, but they were blocked by an invisible barrier and couldn't get close.
"Actors," Tom murmured quietly. He realized that many of the Ministry employees weren't putting in any real effort; they were just pretending to work hard for the rescue, but in reality, they weren't doing anything effective.
The wizards in the procession continued to advance in an organized manner, setting fire to the tents in their path. Meanwhile, Ministry wizards could only watch helplessly. They were caught between the desire to retreat without orders and the fear of attacking the crowd with magic. The weakness and rigidity of the Ministry of Magic were on full display.
If this continues, the Ministry of Magic will be made a mockery of, and the Death Eaters will gain more strength.
Tom quickened his pace and quickly arrived at the center of the camp. The tent, as tall as a castle, displayed several scorch marks. It was evident that the Death Eaters had focused on this emblematic building and had cast several fire spells, but the tent seemed to be fireproof, as the spells hadn't set it ablaze.
At that moment, the door of the "castle" opened, and Tom effortlessly entered the luxurious tent, climbing the stairs to reach the top.
There was a mess of objects everywhere, as if the shop owner had held a barbecue here before the commotion. But when the chaos began, the shop owner had fled.
"What are you doing? Come down immediately!" Just as Tom reached the top, he heard an anxious and familiar voice from below. Tom looked down and chuckled; it was his old acquaintance, Dawlish.
"Mr. Dawlish, what are you doing here?" he shouted back to Dawlish.
"I'm going to stop those lunatics, and besides, I should be the one asking: what are you doing?"
"The same as you, stopping them."
Dawlish was dumbfounded to hear this.
As an on-duty Auror, he had been patrolling the Ireland camp, trying to physically persuade the restless Irish. When he heard that something had gone wrong here, he rushed over and found someone climbing a large tent with a long pole.
He asked the individual what their objective was, and the person told him they had come to calm the chaos. Dawlish was confused; there was no one of that sort at the Ministry, and besides, what was that staff they were carrying? He took a closer look and saw the strange silver figure, and suddenly recognized the person on the roof—it was Tom Yodel!
Was he planning to use his Patronus to charge at the crowd? It seemed like a plausible idea, but he was just a child! Dawlish believed that Yodel genuinely wanted to solve the problem, but he had serious doubts about whether he had the capability to do so.
Dawlish climbed up to the tent and addressed Tom seriously, "This is very dangerous; you should take shelter with your family. Let us, the professionals, handle this."
Tom looked at Dawlish oddly. He didn't expect this individual to say something so positive. In his mind, Dawlish had always been a mess...
"Don't look at me like that! I'm an Auror!" Dawlish's pride was trampled by Tom's gaze, and he protested angrily.
"That's perfect, then stay here and protect me. The pre-launch of my spell takes a little longer." Tom averted his gaze from Dawlish and focused on the advancing crowd. When Mr. Weasley and the others arrived, the situation stabilized. Under his command, Ministry wizards and the Death Eater followers engaged in a duel of spells. More and more wizards joined the Ministry's side, and perhaps, if this continued, after a few hours, the Death Eaters would grow tired and leave using Apparition.
Tom couldn't accept that approach.
He thrust the staff in front of him, gripping the part where his own wand was embedded with both hands, and took a deep breath.
"Atmospheric-ventus!"
The wind... rose!
From the staff, a gentle breeze was generated. The breeze circled around the staff in widening circles.
Soon, the faint breeze became stronger, lifting the oven and alcohol bottles on top of the tent. Tom started to sweat; this spell required more magical power than he had imagined!
Huff! Tom breathed deeply again, raised the staff, and struck it hard on top of the tent, causing the ground to tremble. The whirlwind expanded several times and floated toward the marching crowd.
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