The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 422 People Who Should Not Exist
During the World Cup, Mr. Weasley somehow got the best tickets and more than ten tickets at once, allowing everyone to sit in the same box with the dignitaries of the Ministry of Magic.

When the group entered the box, there were not many people in it, except for a house-elf named Winky sitting in the last row of seats. Harry even made a misunderstanding at the time, mistaking Winky for Dobby.

It was also from meeting Winky that Hermione realized how low the status of house-elves was, and that was when she came up with the idea of ​​the House-Elf Rights Promotion Association.

After that, more people came to the box, and the annoying old peacock Lucius Malfoy also appeared. Because they didn't agree with each other, everyone quarreled with the Malfoy family and no longer paid attention to the house-elf Winky.

"Remember, there was an empty seat next to the house-elf," said Sirius. "She was sitting in the second to last seat in the last row, and the seat next to her was empty."

The twins thought for a moment, and Fred said, "That's right, she said she was saving a seat for her master, Barty Crouch."

"I remember that the house-elf seemed to be afraid of heights." George also said, "She covered her eyes the whole time and didn't dare to look outside."

For a better viewing experience, the World Cup box is naturally the best in the stadium. But for people with severe acrophobia, the height of the box is better than killing them.

Did Barty Crouch really not know that his house-elf was afraid of heights?

If you want to understand a person's character, you should pay attention to how he treats his subordinates, not just how he treats people of equal status. The way he treats Winky gives us a glimpse into Barty Crouch's character.

Although Winky was severely afraid of heights, she covered her eyes throughout the whole process and her voice trembled when she spoke to Harry, but she sat there and did not move, holding a seat for her master.

"But Barty Crouch didn't show up, did he?" Sirius let out a loud sneer. "If he didn't plan to watch the game, why did he leave his servant there? He is not the kind of person who would do such a useless thing."

After more than half a year of hard work and overtime, the Triwizard Tournament was finally resumed, but Barty Crouch did not show up at the game. It was not in Crouch's character to help others.

Sirius continued, "Another thing, you remember the night Harry lost his wand?"

"I still remember it clearly." Ada gritted her teeth and said, "I have never seen a wizard who doesn't care so much about his wand!"

Every time I think about it, Ida wants to beat Harry up. How could she know such a person? Isn't this the same as a student not bringing a 2B pencil to the examination room or a soldier not bringing a gun to the battlefield?

If it weren't for Lily Potter's magical protection and Dumbledore, Harry's ashes would have been scattered long ago.

Sirius was embarrassed again. It was really embarrassing to lose his wand.

But Sirius quickly adjusted his mood. He said, "Harry's wand is the wand that fired the Dark Mark. I asked Harry about this and asked him when he found out that his wand was missing."

"What he said." Ada adjusted her sitting posture to make herself sit more steadily so as not to fall off the sofa after hearing the answer.

"He said he didn't know, and he suspected he had accidentally dropped it in the chaotic darkness," said Sirius. "I've already taught him a lesson, he was too careless."

Sirius must have thought of the connection between Barty Crouch's empty seat in the box and Harry's wand turning into the Dark Mark.

After thinking for a while, Ada said, "You mean, Harry's wand might have been lost in the box at the stadium? No, it should have been stolen, but Harry was so focused on the game that he didn't even notice when his wand disappeared."

"I think so. It is very likely that Harry's wand disappeared while he was watching the match," said Sirius. "But Harry didn't notice it was missing until he entered the woods."

The situation in the box was indeed quite chaotic. First, there was a quarrel with the Malfoys, then many people entered the box, and then the mascots of both sides appeared. The Bulgarian Veela was stunning, the Irish leprechaun threw a lot of magic gold coins, and the exciting finals might have made Harry not notice his own situation.

This means that the person who cast the Dark Mark is most likely hiding in the box!
The first person to be suspected must be Lucius Malfoy, who was a Death Eater, although he escaped punishment. But he was not the only one in the box who was worthy of suspicion. You know, Winky was found at the scene of the crime, and she was holding Harry's wand in her hand.

Is it really a coincidence that the house elf appeared at the scene of the crime with the tools in his hand? Or was it intentional?
Winky's seat was in the last row, in the corner. There was an empty seat behind hers, which was Barty Crouch's seat.

However, the two seats occupied by Shanshan were the ones with the worst views in the box. Even if she did nothing, no one would actively choose those two seats.

What's more, Barty Crouch did not appear in the stadium box from beginning to end, so there was no need for him to take up a seat.

Arriving first, but taking the worst, least noticeable seat, is Barty Crouch so selfless? Could it be that the empty seat was actually occupied, but no one realized that someone was sitting there?
Ada also began to search her memory, recalling the details in the box that night, especially the details related to the empty seat.

No, nothing came to mind.

From the moment she entered the box to the moment she left, Ada didn't notice that there was another person in the box. The stadium was noisy, and there were quite a few people in the box, so it was easy to hide someone.

Sirius looked terribly gloomy, just as he had been when Ada had first seen him.

Sirius hit his leg and said unwillingly, "It's dark under the lamp! It's dark under the lamp! We may have really been deceived by Barty Crouch, this old liar!"

He sentenced his own son with his own hands and refused to collect his son's body, just because his son was a Death Eater. Who would doubt such a person? Who would doubt such a person to rescue his son who committed a serious crime from Azkaban?
No one would be suspicious of the empty seat in the box because that was Barty Crouch's seat; even if Barty Crouch didn't come to watch the game, the seat would be wasted, but no one would be suspicious because everyone assumed that he was busy with work and had no time to watch the game.

The people in the box wouldn't pay too much attention to the empty seat. Was it because the Veela wasn't good-looking, or because the finals weren't exciting? No one would have thought that a person who was supposed to be dead might be sitting in that seat.

Only someone like Ada, whose thinking is different from that of ordinary people, would suspect Barty Crouch.

It is difficult to see what is happening around you.

Human vision is also deceptive. Everyone in the box thought that seat was empty. Even if the eyes saw something abnormal later, the brain's feedback and processing results would be normal.

If Batistuta is not really dead and he really went to watch the World Cup, then he and his father really teamed up to make fun of everyone!
"There is a question," Fred said suddenly, "All our current assumptions are based on the assumption that little Barty is not dead. What if he is really dead?"

A basin of cold water was poured over their heads, and Ada and Sirius both calmed down.

It is still just a hypothesis stage, their suspicions are not necessarily true, and they need to find a basis for their assumptions.

Without a warrant, even Dumbledore cannot accuse Barty Crouch without reason. This is the rule, the law, and morality.

The most important thing now is to find evidence, to find Barty Crouch, who is sick but not at home. He is the center of the whole thing.

Only when the center of the circle is found can the circle be divided, and the truth can be gradually restored and revealed.

(End of this chapter)