Chapter 218 "No Result"

While Wentworth and Professor Dumbledore engaged in conversation, Professor Lupin extended greetings to Professor McGonagall before approaching Professor Snape.

"Severus, long time no see," Professor Lupin greeted.

Professor Snape, however, turned his head away, dismissing Professor Lupin's presence. Undeterred, Professor Lupin smiled and remarked, "Thank you for the Wolfsbane Potion. It helped a lot."

Upon hearing this, Professor Snape casually turned his head and replied, "No thanks necessary. Your good student has already paid a hefty sum in Galleons."

Professor Lupin glanced back at Wentworth, offering a nod and a smile as he continued, "When we were at school, we..."

Before Professor Lupin could conclude his sentence, Professor Snape, casting a cold glance, interrupted, stating, "I don't want to talk about the past. I believe we have other things to discuss rather than the past."

Resigned, Professor Lupin smiled and nodded.

"Everyone, we need to proceed carefully. Considering we don't have any clues on who we are currently facing right now." After noticing the exchange, Professor Dumbledore redirected everyone's attention and signaled for them to depart.

Professor Lupin strode into an alley in the village of Hogsmeade and vanished after a short while.

Professor Dumbledore led Wentworth towards Hogwarts, with Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape following closely.

There was an unmistakable air of protection surrounding Wentworth as they moved through the village.

Several of them were seasoned wizards, and their collective vigilance stemmed from the concern that the adversary might launch a sudden attack on Wentworth during a momentary lapse in their defenses.

Wentworth's gaze lingered on the bustling establishment as the group traversed past the Hog's Head Bar.

The bar was still teeming with people, and the Gringotts goblins, having indulged a bit too much, lay sprawled across tables, fast asleep.

Wentworth then focused on a veiled wizard within the bar, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

Following Professor Dumbledore's lead, Wentworth exited Hogsmeade village. Soon after, wizards began emerging from various corners of the village, seemingly appearing out of thin air. They gradually assembled at the entrance of the Hog's Head Bar as if summoned by an unseen force.

Subsequently, a group of wizards stepped out from the Hog's Head Bar, and a veiled figure began unveiling. To Wentworth's recognition, it was his grandma, Rosier herself.

Confronted by the sudden appearance of a group of wizards, Rosier addressed them with a commanding tone, saying, "Everyone, block off Hogsmeade immediately. Allow no one to pass! Investigate the background of every wizard in the village. I would rather apprehend the wrong person than let any potential threat slip through!"

Instantaneously, the wizards gathered in front of the Hog's Head Bar dispersed, carrying out Rosier's orders.

Meanwhile, Professor Dumbledore, who had been walking towards Hogwarts with Wentworth, suddenly halted and turned to look behind him.

Observing Professor Dumbledore's reaction, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were puzzled and followed his gaze, only to be met with astonishment.

Hogsmeade village, within moments, became enveloped in a translucent film.

Witnessing this transformation, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape instinctively shifted their gaze towards Wentworth, who, with a surprised expression, was opening his mouth at that very moment.

Breaking the silence, Professor Dumbledore remarked, "Wentworth, isn't this a bit conspicuous?"

Upon hearing Professor Dumbledore's remark, Wentworth swiftly wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, abandoning his surprised expression. He explained, "Professor, this is to prevent someone from jumping over the wall. If someone panics and escapes into Hogwarts, harming my dear classmates, I would be devastated."

Professor Dumbledore, offering a noncommittal nod, listened to Wentworth's reasoning.

Wearing a concerned expression, Professor McGonagall interjected, "Will this draw the attention of Aurors from the Ministry of Magic?"

Without waiting for Wentworth to respond, Professor Dumbledore took the lead in addressing the concern. "In recent years, there have been instances of wizards making errors in their judgment and choosing to hide in Hogsmeade Village. Utilizing this opportunity to clean up is beneficial. It is also for the safety of the students."

Upon hearing Professor Dumbledore's rationale, Professor McGonagall closed her mouth and ceased speaking.

Meanwhile, the village of Hogsmeade had descended into a state of panic.

Casting the Sonorus Charm, Abernathy reassured the villagers that the Alliance's objective was merely to apprehend hostile wizards, not to declare war on Hogsmeade.

The majority of wizards in Hogsmeade Village opted to forego resistance, recognizing their inability to fight back and understanding that the Alliance's motives didn't target them individually.

Many chose to adopt a wait-and-see approach.

Throughout the search, the Alliance deliberately exercised restraint, refraining from damaging Hogsmeade village buildings or engaging in wanton slaughter.

However, not all wizards were inclined to cooperate, and pockets of resistance persisted.

Carrow and her compatriots, alongside Alliance members, patrolled the village of Hogsmeade. They responded swiftly in the face of confrontation, showing no inclination for diplomacy.

During their search, Alliance wizards identified suspicious individuals. Those who cooperated were escorted by them to Abernathy and compelled to ingest a few drops of Veritaserum to be interrogated.

For non-cooperative wizards, the process was more straightforward. They faced bone-piercing methods followed by Legilimency. Some more cautious witches and wizards even found themselves subjected to the Imperius Curse.

Despite the numerous wizards scattered throughout Hogsmeade, they proved to be no match for the well-organized Alliance. Swiftly, the entire village fell under the control of the Alliance.

However, as the night progressed, Rosier and the others discovered little beyond a handful of dark wizards wanted by the Ministry of Magic.

Meanwhile, outside the village of Hogwarts, the initial group of Aurors from the Ministry of Magic, led by Rufus Scrimgeour, had arrived.

Their entrance, however, was impeded by the Alliance's preemptive casting of a large-scale defensive magic around Hogsmeade Village.

As a result, the Aurors found themselves temporarily barred from entry.

"Keep working on it! There is no way this barrier could hold us forever with this amount of wizards surrounding it!" Scrimgeour shouted.

Nevertheless, with an increasing number of Aurors converging on the scene, it was only a matter of time before they managed to dismantle the defensive magic erected by the Alliance.

Observing this inevitability, Rosier and Abernathy exchanged glances and reluctantly conceded.

As the Alliance departed in groups, the unattended defensive magic was eventually dismantled by the Ministry of Magic's Aurors.

However, by the time Scrimgeour led his team into the village of Hogsmeade, the Alliance wizards had vacated the premises.

Subsequently, it came to light that Minister Fudge, now safe in Hogsmeade Village, issued a directive upon his arrival.

"Rufus, you must not, under any circumstances let anyone outside know of what happened today. If a single word reached outside about what transpired in Hogsmeade today, our heads would be rolling on the floor!" Minister Fudge emphasized.

Scrimgeour was tasked with warning the wizards of Hogsmeade Village that all events of the night must be kept under wraps.

Anyone divulging the happenings, especially to the newspapers, would face imprisonment in Azkaban for deliberately spreading rumors.