Under the self-directed performance of Andre and the others, they had successfully created a logical closed-loop for the Silver Spears kidnapping incident, making Jason and Bob firmly believe it. Therefore, the subsequent actions naturally went smoothly. After Alan pretended to study the fireplace at the Ministry of Magic, he successfully located the exact position of the warehouse prison.
Immediately after, Andre displayed his heroic true colors in front of everyone, leading Edmund, Alan, and Jason to counterattack the prison, and engaged in an intense battle with the Silver Spears leader, played by Moody, in front of hundreds of captured wizards and Muggles. The battle was incredibly spectacular, with various flashy magic spells colliding fiercely. Regardless of their actual power, the visual effects were certainly maximized. And when Andre used his unique Wind Summoning Charm to send a group of Silver Spears flying, Moody and the others, according to the plan, feigned being unable to resist and Apparated away.
Loud cheers immediately erupted throughout the prison. Even the collaborating wizards showed expressions of wild joy, because the guards' actions during the day clearly indicated their intention to abandon everyone without any mercy.
As the warehouse prison was liberated, these long-imprisoned civilian wizards finally regained their freedom, and only then did they realize that Jason and Bob were the ones who had accomplished this great feat, subsequently hailing Jason, who had returned to the prison with them, as a hero! But after Jason saw that Jimmy, whom he had been worried about, was now safe and sound, he returned to his former honest and humble self, proactively attributing the credit for their rescue to Andre, Edmund, and Alan.
And those civilian wizards naturally did not stint on their praise at this time, constantly expressing their sincere gratitude to Andre and the other Ministry of Magic personnel. However, when Andre subsequently organized the evacuation and accommodation of the prisoners, he stated that they would be temporarily housed in the Schmidt family manor, an order that caused confusion for many.
After enduring such a great calamity, what these people most wanted to do now was to return to the embrace of their families. Everyone had suffered too much during those days; they had never experienced such inhumane treatment, and both their minds and bodies had been cruelly tormented. So, at first, when they learned they were rescued, many people's first reaction was to collapse to the ground and wail loudly, looking even worse than children.
But this is where the benefit of Jason's presence became apparent; he personally stepped forward to explain, laying bare the conspiracy of the Silver Spears collaborating with some Ministry of Magic personnel. If they did not temporarily accept accommodation at this time, there was a high possibility that they would face retaliation and be silenced by those villains, and it might even implicate their families outside.
After Jason's analysis, everyone suddenly understood. Indeed, after so many days of imprisonment, besides being severely tormented, they had also learned many secrets related to the club. Especially the club's conspiracy to use civilian groups to try and split the country; those collaborating wizards who were imprisoned together didn't even bother to hide it from them. At the same time, after Edmund guaranteed that he would take good care of everyone and would not restrict their contact with the outside world, everyone basically agreed.
Of course, those collaborating wizards in the crowd were quite displeased about this. Although the Aurors' rescue saved them from becoming mindless husks, these people also knew that they would very likely transition seamlessly from being prisoners of the club to being criminals of the Ministry of Magic. But who would listen to their opinions? In fact, the protests of these collaborating wizards only strengthened the resolve of the slightly hesitant civilian wizards to accept the order for accommodation.
*What? You want to be released on the spot so you can escape the judgment of the law? Or perhaps rejoin the club? No way! We must act together to catch these parasites one by one and bring them to justice, to satisfy our hatred! Didn't you keep mocking us when you were in the prison? This time, we'll let you taste what it's like to be universally condemned!*
And just as everyone finalized the next arrangements, a figure suddenly darted out from the crowd and shouted loudly to everyone, "I have important information about the Silver Spears to disclose! I used to be a high-ranking collaborator and know many things about the club. I am willing to become a witness for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stopped and then carefully scrutinized the person. This person, like the other prisoners, was dressed in shabby clothes and was particularly old, looking like a beggar one might see anywhere on the street.
Alan immediately chuckled when he saw the person's appearance. Isn't that Clement? Although this old fellow was the highest-ranking collaborator in the club, he always liked to keep a trick up his sleeve and was never truly loyal to the club. At this moment, he probably realized, after seeing Andre and the others, that the Peter faction was likely to fall. Coupled with the fact that the Silver Spears had completely lost trust in him, he simply decided to go all out and completely sell out the club!
Andre also recognized the person's identity, as he had been present when Clement was tricked into confessing earlier. So, he roughly guessed the person's intentions and said magnanimously, "No problem. As long as the information you provide is valuable enough, it may offset the crimes you have committed."
Upon hearing Andre's promise, the first to react was not Clement himself, but the other collaborating wizards. When they learned there was a possibility of atoning for their crimes, they were more than eager to sell out their former employer. After all, after Moody's earlier performance, they had no loyalty left for the club, so they eagerly shouted at Andre and the other Aurors, vying to become witnesses.
Andre and the others found it somewhat amusing and also a bit puzzled. What exactly had Moody done to them to make them switch sides so readily? However, the Silver Spears was now on the verge of collapse, and Andre and Alan didn't mind adding fuel to the fire. So, after a brief exchange of glances, they immediately granted everyone's request.
But the most important thing now was to transfer them out of the prison and settle them. One couldn't help but wonder if Moody had become addicted to playing the villain; he was truly ruthless with these people!
Wizards, due to the nourishment of magic, actually have physical conditions far superior to normal people. Yet, the people before them now looked emaciated, and due to extremely poor hygiene, many of them suffered from various illnesses. In addition, Alan and the others also discovered the ten collaborating wizards who had been brainwashed into imbeciles.
To be honest, even Alan hadn't expected Moody's methods to be so ruthless. His original intention was to just pick two or three people and pretend to brainwash them. However, Moody not only multiplied the number but also publicly executed them, with methods even more cruel than those of real villains. This sight made Alan feel a chill down his spine. Had Moody developed some strange fetish?
Therefore, when accommodating these people, Andre and Edmund put in extra effort. First, they had to transfer everyone to the Schmidt family manor in batches. Ordinary civilian wizards and Muggles were directly transferred via the Floo Network in the fireplace, while the collaborating wizards were taken away in batches by Aurors using Apparition, to prevent them from fleeing due to guilt.
Thus, the transportation process alone took them nearly two hours, and upon reaching the Schmidt family manor, the formal accommodation work had just begun.
First, everyone needed to be cleaned and given clean clothes, and their health checked. Those who were ill also had to be arranged separately in a designated medical area for recuperation. The rest, whose health was slightly better, were arranged in multi-person rooms to rest in batches. At the same time, abundant and varied food had to be prepared. These people had been confined in prison for so long, eating only one type of food, and their nutritional imbalance was very severe. Furthermore, those collaborating wizards had to be accommodated separately. These individuals were still suspects, so guards had to be assigned to watch over them to prevent any trouble.
Fortunately, Alan and the others had prepared for this, and various supplies such as food, daily necessities, and medicine were plentiful, preventing any rushed situation of resource shortage.
In addition, Edmund also showed absolute sincerity this time. Not only did he cooperate with their performance earlier, but he also contributed the family's largest manor at this moment. Although these hundreds of people immediately filled the manor, at least they all had a place to stay, not to mention that compared to the previous dirty prison, the Schmidt family manor was simply like paradise.
As for personnel, caring for and guarding so many people, relying solely on the dozens of Aurors from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would certainly not be enough. Therefore, Edmund gathered a large number of people from the Schmidt family for this purpose, including several House-elves serving the family, members of allied families, and direct descendants, all of whom participated.
At the same time, Edmund had also contacted several other wizard families with seats in the Wizengamot. These families usually acted in concert with the Schmidt family and were considered a highly trusted political alliance. Edmund's purpose was twofold: first, to gauge their sentiments and ascertain their stance in this incident, and second, to borrow some personnel from them to help. So, although there was a slight disorganization during the process of settling these personnel, in the end, everyone was successfully accommodated.
At this moment, Andre and Alan also arrived at the first-floor hall, which had been set up as a dining hall. They scanned the wizards, who looked like refugees, devouring the abundant food, and found their target among them: Clement. At this moment, Clement showed no trace of the decrepit old man he had been in prison. Not only did he look energetic, but he was also snatching food even more fiercely than a young person.