Ministry of Magic, Department of International Magical Cooperation.
The office that had been busy all day gradually became quiet, with only the light still shining through the crack in the door of the director's office.
This is not uncommon in the Ministry of Magic. Ever since those things happened, Barty Crouch has always been the last one to leave this floor. Not to mention that in such a turbulent and chaotic period now, he doesn't even need to find any reason to come.
letters are enough.
only……
Dang, Dang Dang, Dang Dang Dang——
Barty Crouch sorted out the files on the desktop and looked up at the wall clock.
Counting from midnight yesterday, almost ten hours had passed and he had to go back.
"Sorry, Mr. Crouch, you cannot leave the Ministry of Magic for the time being——"
"What do you mean when you say... you can't leave?"
Barty Crouch narrowed his eyes, held the wand calmly in his right hand, and looked at the Aurors who appeared at the door of his office.
"Literally, you are not allowed to leave the Ministry of Magic until the results of the investigation are known, sir."
At this moment, a whining, high-pitched voice sounded.
Umbridge's pale, fat face gradually emerged from the shadows.
"Investigation? Why do I sound like I'm under house arrest?"
Barty Crouch snorted coldly and glanced at the faces of Umbridge and the Aurors one by one.
"Ms. Umbridge, you are still suspended... This is not Hogwarts. I think you should be very clear about what it means to arrest and house arrest a senior official of the Ministry of Magic without permission - please, Delis, Per
Kings...don't do anything stupid, it's not worth it."
"In fact, that's exactly what I wanted to say to you, Mr. Crouch."
Umbridge grinned, like a toad discovering its prey, and her eyes shone with pride.
She opened her handbag and took out a roll of parchment, shaking it out in front of Barty Crouch.
"Mr. Barty Crouch, you are suspected of colluding to assist the 'You-Know-Who'. This is a warrant signed by Minister Fudge and Ms. Bones. If you intend to resist or escape from the Ministry of Magic before the end of the investigation, we have
I have the right to regard you as a 'Death Eater' and arrest you on the spot——"
"Me? Death Eater?! Ridiculous-"
Barty Crouch was stunned for half a second, and his eyes widened with rage.
"What investigation?! What is the evidence? Now I suspect that you are from Voldemort's side-"
"Oh, as for the evidence, of course, you will see it soon..."
Umbridge waved her hand casually, glanced at the director, and showed a sweet smile.
"Rufus Scrimgeour and others are supposed to be searching the Crouch family's mansion right now. You might as well guess what they will find there? Anyway, I heard it could be quite scary, quite...
Something surprising. Disarm his wand, Delix—"
search?
The Crouch family's... mansion?!
Barty Crouch stood there motionless, as if frozen.
His face was horribly pale, and he allowed Delis to take the wand from his hand without moving or speaking.
"Very good, it seems we don't have to waste too much energy going in circles -"
Umbridge's tone was laced with some evil pleasure as she rolled up the parchment in her hand.
"Dellux, please watch him - Perkins, let's go help Mr. Crouch tidy up his office. You won't mind, right? Mr. Director of the International Magical Cooperation Department? Or rather, the respected 'former'
Mr. Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation?”
…………
About half an hour later.
Ministry of Magic, Office of the Minister for Magic.
After a long silence, Cornelius Fudge broke it.
"...So, what is your conclusion? Mr. Scrimgeour."
"Barty Cratchit Jr. is not dead. Although we were unable to arrest him at the Crouch family residence, we found the room where he usually lived and daily utensils - we cannot determine whether Mr. Crouch has fallen into the trap.
Mysterious man, but he must have seriously violated the law."
Scrimgeour glanced at Amelia Bones who was not far away, and continued to speak in a serious voice.
"The question now is, how did he hide it from the guards of Azkaban, and... is it just -"
"Rufus, send someone to Azkaban immediately to confirm the detention situation."
Amelia Bones ordered decisively, her monocle flashed with a cold light.
"Very good, I have some guesses as to why the Death Eaters stole the documents... In this way, we have no idea how many 'ghosts' like Crouch Jr. are on the loose - another good news is that there are still
Well, there is only one demon king who has been resurrected from the dead."
"No problem, I'll make arrangements immediately, Director Bones."
Rufus Scrimgeour nodded, turned around and walked quickly to the door to explain the mission to the Aurors outside.
As the director of the Auror Office, he was very aware of the seriousness of the matter - not only because of Barty Crouch Jr., but more importantly, Dumbledore had previously issued a warning about the guards of Azkaban... Facts have proved that,
Ignoring Dumbledore's warnings is not a wise decision.
At the same time, on the other side, the dialogue between the Director of the Department of Legal Enforcement and the Minister of Magic continued.
"So, what should we do with Mr. Barty Crouch?"
Emilia Bones looked at Fudge, "My suggestion is to arrest him immediately and convene a Wizengamot public trial as soon as possible——"
"Arrest, but...the Wizengamot is temporarily taking a slow turn."
Connelly pondered for a moment, stroking the stack of newspapers on his desk thoughtfully.
"People outside are already panicking right now. If it is revealed at this time that a senior official of the Ministry of Magic is suspected of assisting a mysterious person, it will not only be a scandal for the Ministry of Magic, but may even trigger large-scale riots... People will question the capabilities of the Ministry of Magic.
If you question whether the Ministry of Magic is still trustworthy, you, me, and many others may be driven out of office by panic-stricken people before the mysterious man comes back..."
"Then what do you mean-"
"Skip the trial process, imprison him directly in Azkaban, and tell the public that he is temporarily ill and recuperating."
Cornelius Fudge took a long breath and said in a deep voice, "As for the Wizengamot, let's wait until Dumbledore comes back..."