The sudden appearance of the Black Python greatly surprised the Aurors, but after a brief period of surprise, the dozens of wizards banded together and unleashed a torrent of spells upon the serpent's hard scales.
The black python immediately let out a series of roars. Its skin was riddled with holes from the magic, and half of its head was shattered by the Exploding Spell.
However, to their surprise, the python did not disappear after suffering an almost fatal injury. Instead, plumes of black smoke quickly rose from the overturned flesh and quickly filled up the destroyed body.
These were summoned creatures made purely of magic, and the Black Serpent was virtually immortal until its magic ran out.
While the Black Python was wreaking havoc in the crowd, Ivan was not idle.
After putting down several Aurors who were trying to join forces to fight him, Ivan waved his wand with all his might, and a group of golden statues in the middle of the hall exploded. Countless head-sized pieces of metal seemed to have been guided by the flames, and they exploded in the hall like cannonballs.
Several of the pillars supporting the bunkers collapsed under the force of the gunfire, and the massive, high-altitude noticeboard soon toppled to the ground. The protective rings, which countless Aurors and Beaters regarded as life-saving treasures, were not able to protect them this time and were easily blown apart by the fiery debris…
After a round of attacks, nearly half of the resistance in the Hall of Magic fell unconscious or were simply buried under rubble.
The remaining Aurors were also injured, and the defensive line that had barely held back the Death Eaters was instantly broken!
In an atmosphere of near despair, more and more people chose to put down their wands and beg for their lives.
The Death Eaters, on the other hand, were highly motivated, and one Dark Spell after another drove the Aurors back, and Ivan led them into the heart of the Ministry in three minutes.
… .
At the same time, in the conference hall on the second floor, Fudge, who had broken off the meeting at the last minute, grabbed the Auror who had come to announce the meeting and scolded him angrily.
"What did you just say? You-Know-Who came in with Death Eaters? Bullshit! That's impossible! You're lying!"
"All Death Eaters are held in Azkaban, guarded by two hundred Dementors, and You-Know-Who has been dead for more than ten years, and he will not return, ever!!!" Fudge roared through gritted teeth, his eyes red.
"But that's the truth, Mr. Minister! Apparently, the Dementors of Azkaban have betrayed us by releasing all the Death Eaters!" Kingsley Shacklebolt broke free of Fudge's restraint stiffly, then coldly spoke again.
"In addition, I must remind you, Minister Fudge, that according to reports, You-Know-Who has broken through the line of defence in the atrium and is heading this way…"
"Which means they'll be here any minute!"
Kingsley Shacklebolt's sarcastic remark irritated Fudge, who was still attempting to deny the truth.
He had warned the Fudge Dementors that they were unreliable, but they were stubborn and ignored the Dementors' strange behaviour, leading to Lord Voldemort bringing Azkaban's prisoners against him, who were unaware of it.
Fudge froze at the news of You-Know-Who's immediate arrival, and the high-ranking Ministry officials began to panic, shouting in anger and alarm.
"Are you kidding?! There are over a hundred Aurors in the Ministry. Where did they go and why didn't they stop the Death Eaters?"
"What about the protective formations? Why haven't they been activated?"
"Right, Dumbledore… where's Dumbledore? Maybe there's still time. Get someone to call him!" the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation shouted.
The entire meeting hall descended into chaos as everyone discussed their options. In the end, they decided to retreat for now and preserve as much of their forces as possible.
As long as they are alive, there is hope for the wizarding world!
"But there is no way out, gentlemen. All the fireplaces are sealed, and the Anti-Phantom Apparition Array covers the entire Ministry of Magic. I'm afraid we won't be able to get out, and we won't be able to wait for any reinforcements!" Kingsley Shacklebolt ruthlessly shattered Fudge's hopes of escape.
Now everyone is trapped inside the Ministry, and as far as Kingsley Shacklebolt is concerned, the only way to survive is to fight to the death, storm the Department of Mysteries, get rid of the traitors there, activate the protective circle, and rally all those who are still resisting the wizards.
"Damn it, Edgecombe must have betrayed us. No wonder she didn't come to the meeting today!" Rufus Scrimgeour exclaimed angrily.
"And Piers, I haven't seen him today either!" Fudge added hotly.
"Well, now is not the time to discuss it. We must get started!" Arthur Weasley interrupted, looking worried.
He had a bad feeling about Voldemort's sudden attack on the Ministry.
The Order of the Phoenix was known to have undercover agents working for You-Know-Who, and yet Snape had not given them any notice of such a large-scale operation.
Had Snape's cover been blown?
Or perhaps Snape had betrayed them by not informing them of Voldemort's grand operation.
The more Arthur Weasley thought about it, the more alarmed he became.
They had not been able to contact Dumbledore for several months, and if Snape was a traitor, then Sirius's suspicions might be true. Dumbledore had been killed by Snape, and they would have no hope of fighting back.
Fudge recovered some of his composure and said, "No, you don't have to go to the Department of Mysteries. You can go straight to my minister's office, where the fireplace is individually connected to the outside world and cannot be sealed off. We can go to London from there… and regroup for a counterattack!"
Retrieving the Department of Mysteries would remove the anti-Phantom Displacement Array that had been placed over the Ministry of Magic, but it was nine floors underground, too far away.
They would most likely run into Death Eaters or even You-Know-Who, so it was safer to go to the Minister's office, which was only one floor away.
The senior Ministry officials were relieved to have an escape route.
Kingsley Shacklebolt was furious. He had not expected Minister for Magic Fudge to be so quick to think of a way out of such a dangerous situation.
What were the Aurors going to do if they ran?
There were over three hundred wizards and witches in the Ministry of Magic. Should they all just give up?