In the evening, while Murphy was at the Magic Research Institute tuning the supercomputer "Athena" and preparing for Lucas's Horcrux transfer, he received an urgent message from an Auror.
"The fairy factory at the Sari Mine has been attacked. More than ten Aurors are unconscious, and three hundred fairies are missing."
Before he could fully grasp the situation, another piece of news arrived: "The Kent fairy factory has been attacked, requesting backup. The enemy is Dumbledore! I repeat, the enemy is Dumbledore!"
Dumbledore attacking fairy factories?
Alright, a wizard like Dumbledore, if he stooped to guerrilla warfare, could indeed cause him heavy losses. Ordinary Aurors couldn't possibly match Dumbledore, and if Murphy didn't step in, the fairies would be freed by Dumbledore.
Although the production of magical metal had been completed, Murphy was still uncertain if he could achieve the goal of mass-producing magical metal through the magic radar project. Even if possible, it would take some time, and during this period, the productivity of the fairies was still highly valued by Murphy.
However, with Dumbledore's capabilities, if he truly intended to rescue the fairies, he could have been more discreet—simply taking them away quietly in the dead of night, instead of choosing such a conspicuous time, almost as if he wanted Murphy to know.
This was likely a bait to lure Murphy into a trap.
But with Dumbledore as the opponent, the only one on his side who could contend was himself.
Now that Murphy had accumulated quite a few trump cards, he wasn't too worried about the opponent's traps. On the contrary, if the Holy Mother attempted another decoy, it would be even more troublesome.
But defensive play was pointless. The Queen was safe in Arkaim, and besides that, his primary concerns were the antenna and the Magic Research Institute.
For the antenna, he had sufficient defense plans. As for the institute, all its achievements to date were stored in his brain. Even if it were destroyed, he had the national laboratory in Sulia and other research institutions to continue his plans, at most delaying progress.
At this point, he could afford to lose, but the other side might not.
Let's see what cards you're playing.
---
In Kent, when Murphy appeared on the outskirts of the fairy factory, unsurprisingly, he saw Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Hundreds of fairies were escaping through a portal prepared by Dumbledore.
Murphy did not chase after them.
"Does your 'greater good' now include fairies as well, Mr. Grindelwald?" Murphy teased. "I thought you weren't particularly fond of them."
"It depends on who the enemy is," Grindelwald replied. "Sometimes we have to make compromises."
"Are you not using a Space Anchor?" Murphy looked at Dumbledore, then glanced at the escaping fairies and suddenly understood, "You're afraid they won't escape?"
"You've caught me, Murphy. I'm always too indecisive," Dumbledore sighed. "Gellert has already scolded me several times for it."
"That's unlikely," Murphy said. "Sometimes I do admire your kindness. Presumably, rescuing them means more to you than completing the plan, even though you know it's temporary unless you defeat me."
"You knew we were waiting for you?" Grindelwald asked.
Murphy shrugged. "It was quite obvious."
"And yet you came?"
"I can't just watch as you release all the fairies."
Grindelwald looked suspicious, sensing Murphy was hiding his true intentions, but stalling for time was part of their plan. Seeing that most fairies had already escaped, he drew his wand.
But Murphy waved his hand, "I'm not here to fight. It's doubtful either of you could kill me. Why don't we sit down and talk?"
"At this point, there's nothing left to discuss," Grindelwald said.
"That's not necessarily true. Surely we both have questions we'd like answered?"
Murphy said this and waved his hand, bringing forth a table. He took out a packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and spilled them out.
"Let's play a game. I'll choose a bean. If you can guess its flavor, I'll answer one of your questions. If not, you answer one of mine. Of course, after a question, you can also pick a bean for me to guess. We have... five beans, so five questions to ask each other. How about it?"
The two elders looked at each other. Dumbledore relaxed somewhat for the first time in a while and took a seat, "I happen to be an expert on Every Flavour Beans. May I choose the first bean?"
Murphy smiled, "Be my guest."
---
In the Lake District.
A wizard appeared out of a spatial distortion in the forest.
"Alastor!" came a low exclamation of surprise. "You're here too."
Alastor Moody didn't turn his head, but his magical eye allowed him to see the person beside him, "If I don't come, are you newbies planning to fight?"
Kingsley Shacklebolt smiled helplessly and then embraced Moody, "I thought you had retired."
"I thought you had fled to America."
Then his magical eye scanned the surroundings, "Arthur, Minerva, Hagrid... Emmeline, and Dedalus, that crackpot, is here too... Ha, the old, weak, sick, and disabled, is that all we have left?"
"Some couldn't come, and some of the new members aren't ready for this kind of action..." Kingsley sighed. The Order of the Phoenix was indeed experiencing a generation gap.
"Where are Lupin and Sirius?" Moody asked.
As part of the original trio with James, Lupin and Sirius were among the most capable fighters of the Order's younger generation. How could they miss such an occasion?
"Lupin... he's roaming with the werewolf pack, might have gone far, and might not receive the message. Sirius... he has Harry to look after..."
"Ha." Moody snorted.
"It's not their fault," Kingsley said. "Murphy has been very harsh on the Order. If Sirius were found helping the Order, he might be immediately wanted again, forcing him to separate from Harry..."
"Hmph, aren't we all?" Moody glared but then sighed, "Alright, what's the mission?"
"That mountain," Kingsley pointed to a distant peak, "Murphy is using metal made by fairies to construct a building. I don't fully understand what it is, but Dumbledore said it poses a great threat. Our mission is to destroy it. Ideally, destroy the fairy metal as well."
"Sounds easy."
"Don't be careless, Alastor. There are about a dozen Aurors guarding it, and more Aurors and Watchers could arrive as backup at any time. We must act quickly. Fortunately, Dumbledore has kept Murphy busy, so we only need to deal with his minions."
Kingsley looked at the sky, "It's about time. Get ready."
"This battle is crucial for the future of the wizarding world. We must win."
---
On the other side of the mountain, under the watch of several Aurors, a dozen Watchers skilled in Levitation and Transfiguration Charms were assembling the magical metal under the direction
of a Muggle engineer.
Suddenly, the captain of the Aurors received a message through the mind network.
"Everyone, be alert! Murphy's raven spies just reported a few 'rats' nearby."
"Prepare for battle."
___________________
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