Harry Potter: Demon Monarch

Chapter -44.

The massive fiery hand, once unleashed, engulfed half of the office in flames.

With Lester commanding it, the terrifying fire surged forward, crashing violently towards the group of resisting pure-blood wizards.

Boom!!!

The ground shook with a thunderous roar as the fiery hand exploded, sending sparks flying and igniting anything they came into contact with.

The wizards who had been hiding behind shelter, managing to hold on for a bit, were instantly consumed by the fearsome flames in this powerful strike, letting out heart-wrenching screams before dissolving into a cloud of black smoke.

The raging inferno devoured everything in its path like a menacing swarm of termites.

People and furniture alike were reduced to swirling ash in the terrifying blaze.

[Ding! Gained Ludovic Bagman's fear value +100] 

[Ding! Gained Ludovic Bagman's fear value +100] 

[Ding! Gained Ludovic Bagman's fear value +100]

Just as Lester reveled in his accomplishment, he noticed that his system was suddenly inundated with notifications regarding a certain Ludovic Bagman.

"Ludovic Bagman?" he wondered, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

Wasn't he the one who organized the entire Quidditch World Cup mentioned in the fourth Harry Potter book?

Lester's impression of him wasn't great; Bagman had been the only high-ranking official in the Ministry of Magic to end up in debt from gambling.

To cover his debts, he had openly launched a betting operation as the head of the Department of Magical Sports.

Ultimately, after losing a bet, he fled with the funds—a true cad who couldn't accept his losses.

"Where's that old guy hiding?" Lester lowered his invisibility cloak and started scanning the area for him among the prisoners.

If he had stood with the pure-blood wizards, he would have been consumed by the flames long ago and wouldn't have been able to accrue any fear points.

The office had transformed into a battlefield, full of craters and destruction, with not a single person or intact object left visible.

So, it really took audacity for Ludovic, the head of the Department of Magical Sports, to hide among the prisoners!

Ludovic Bagman: "."

Amidst the acrid smell of smoke, Ludovic fought to suppress the urge to vomit and attempted to maintain an excited appearance, like the other prisoners around him.

He quickly adjusted the prison uniform he had just taken from a deceased prisoner and smeared ash on his face for better camouflage.

Having just witnessed Lester's overwhelming power as he decimated all the pure-bloods from the Ministry with flames, Ludovic was nearly paralyzed with fear.

In a bid for survival, he had crawled out from under the table and switched places with the dead prisoner.

Fortunately, the massive noise from Lester's flames had distracted everyone in the room.

Thanks to this chaos, Ludovic's daring move had gone unnoticed, allowing him to blend in seamlessly with the other prisoners in his gray uniform.

Among the crowd, he mimicked the actions of his fellow prisoners, raising his wand and randomly casting the Killing Curse at the ceiling.

Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine, as if a predator was locking onto him, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.

Casually glancing around, he caught sight of a fierce-looking man staring straight at him.

"It's the guy who unleashed those terrifying flames!" Ludovic nervously swallowed, his pace of casting the Killing Curse quickening.

Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment in the underground lobby, the group of wizards who had just been robbed were readying their wands when they felt the floor tremble.

Then, a massive hole opened up in the ground, with a horrifying green light shooting up from below.

They could see Ludovic on the second underground level, frantically casting the Killing Curse at the ceiling.

The onlookers who had just been robbed: "."

Thanks to a robust anti-Disillusionment Charm at the Ministry of Magic and the fireplaces being sealed off by Lester, this group of wizards remained center stage, swaying and waiting for an Auror rescue after Lester and the others left.

They had hoped to grasp their wands for some comfort before the Aurors arrived.

But when they spotted Ludovic having broken through the floor and still casting the Killing Curse, their plans changed.

So, the wizards who had initially intended to pick up their wands for self-defense quietly crouched back down.

...

At this moment, confusion wasn't only among the onlookers above; the prisoners beside Ludovic were just as baffled.

They had merely been casting the Killing Curse at the ceiling to release the pent-up emotions from their years of imprisonment.

Yet this guy seemed to be personally attacking the ceiling, as if it were responsible for all his past grievances, even shattering the floor with his spells!

"Brother, don't hold back," said a lewd old man, stepping forward to intervene as he noticed Ludovic's fervent assaults on the ceiling.

The other prisoners sighed in relief at this.

Though they were all dark wizards, they weren't so crazed as to attack the ceiling after a major showdown feeling unsatisfied!

What had he endured in the magical world to carry such a grudge against the ceiling of the Ministry of Magic?

Ludovic: "."

Taking in the lewd old man's words, Ludovic finally paused from his explosive casting. Looking around at the stunned faces of the prisoners, he blinked in confusion before offering an awkward but polite smile.

At that moment, under the watchful gazes of his peers, including Lester, he felt mortified.

In a bid to deflect suspicion, he had unconsciously imitated the actions of those around him.

As Lester's intense gaze bore down on him, Ludovic grew increasingly anxious. Even when the other prisoners ceased their antics, he continued to hurl Killing Curses like nothing was amiss.

Only when the lewd old man urged him to stop did it finally dawn on him what had happened.

Under the scrutiny of over a hundred deadly prisoners, Ludovic felt like a foolish pup who had unwittingly wandered into a pack of wolves up north, awkward and full of missteps.

Just as panic set in and he braced for the potential wrath of the surrounding prisoners, the lewd old man spoke again.

"Brother, you don't need to be upset just because you couldn't take your revenge now. Soon enough, you'll lead the charge and finally have a chance to take down that irritating pure-blood lot yourself!"

As soon as the lewd old man finished, the other prisoners rallied around him with encouragement, assuring Ludovic that he would take the lead in the next assault, ensuring he wouldn't be stuck at the back without a chance for revenge.

Clearly, this group of prisoners had no doubts about Ludovic's identity; they all believed he was merely venting his frustrations at the ceiling because he was relegated to the back of the line.

Ludovic: "."

Looking intently at the lewd old man who had spoken, Ludovic felt overwhelming 'tears of gratitude.'

Thank you so much! But lead the charge?

Everyone understood that although the ambush had been successful this time, the Ministry of Magic would surely respond, even if slowly, and would undoubtedly fortify their defenses underground.

In this scenario, leading the charge seemed like a surefire ticket to disaster for him!

At that moment, all Ludovic wanted was to faint and let it all blow over.

Sadly, he couldn't. Faced with the goodwill of so many prisoners, how could Ludovic decline?

And so, under the collective gaze of the crowd, he firmly nodded and made his way to the front, ready to take on the challenge.

***

Tl/N : Want to read more while supporting me, you can join me on PATREON: where I have kept stockpile of 20 chapters.

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