Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 471 The Missing Witch

When Ludo Bagman heard that Fred Weasley was going to take back his bet, he was suddenly stunned, as he was excitedly chatting with Mr. Weasley.

"why?"

He looked at Fred in shock and asked, puzzled, "Why did you suddenly change your mind, kid?"

“I’m sorry, Mr. Bagman, but we just discussed it and we still think my father is right. We are too young to gamble.”

Fred, of course, could not reveal Sherlock's deduction that he might be in debt.

So they simply came up with a reason that appeared perfectly plausible and flawless on the surface:

"Mom will definitely kill us when we get back!"

"This one……"

Bagman couldn't help but look embarrassed upon hearing this.

As Hermione said, no one wants to spit out meat that's already in their mouth.

However, after hearing Sherlock's words, Fred became determined to get the money back.

He clasped his hands together and looked at Bagman with a sincere expression, saying, "Please, Mr. Bagman."

How could you go back on your word?

Just then, Percy, who was standing nearby, became unhappy.

He lowered his voice and said to Fred:
"Mr. Bagman was already very kind of him to accept your fake wand, and now you want to go back on your word?"

“Shut up unless you’re willing to give our money back,” Fred said bluntly.

He was truly impressed by his third brother.

They're really siding with the outside while shooting inwards.

At this point, Mr. Weasley chimed in, "Ludo, you should just give them the money!"
George is right, even I'm afraid of Molly when she gets angry!

Seeing that Mr. Weasley said the same thing, Ludo Bagman hesitated for a moment, but still counted out thirty-six Galleons, eighteen Sickles, and nine Nuts and returned them to Fred.

"I haven't even warmed it up yet..."

Bagman said reluctantly, "Oh, and that fake wand too..."

"Sir, you should keep that wand!"

Fred noticed that Bagman was very interested in their invention, and decided to stop while he was ahead:

"Mom won't be angry even if I really lose it."

"Okay, alright... then I'll give you five Galleons."

Bagman took the note and wrote a new one, handing it to Fred.

"Here you go, George."

"Thank you, but I'm Fred."

"What? But Arthur just said..."

"Yes, we're already used to our biological parents often not being able to tell us apart."

"Sorry, Ludo, Fred is over there."

Mr. Weasley then spoke apologetically.

"...Never mind, let's talk about something else, Arthur. Can you do me a favor?"

Mr. Weasley secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Fred take the money back.

He certainly didn't know that Fred would change his mind because Sherlock had just done his analysis.

She was happy simply because her son hadn't been involved in gambling.

Hearing Bagman suddenly ask for help, I couldn't help but ask curiously:
"whats the matter?"

"Actually, I've been looking for Barty Crouch all along."

Bagman said somewhat dejectedly:

"The Bulgarian official who held the same position as me kept giving us criticism and making things difficult, but I couldn't understand a single word he was saying."

However, Barty will solve this problem—he speaks about 150 languages.

"Mr. Crouch?!"

Percy had been frozen in place, like a telephone pole, because of his dissatisfaction with Bagman.

Hearing the name Barty Crouch now, however, made him excitedly restless:

"He can speak two hundred languages! Mermaid languages, turkey languages, and troll languages..."

"Anyone can speak the language of trolls."

Fred interrupted him dismissively. He was quite displeased that Percy had prevented him from getting his principal back, and now he said without any mercy:
"Just point at it and make a purring sound."

"Pfft~"

Several junior wizards who were nearby couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Fred really has a knack for making sarcastic remarks!

Percy glared at Fred, then began to vigorously stir the campfire, making the water in the kettle boil again.

At that moment, Bagman also sat down on the grass next to them.

This made Fred, who had already returned to Sherlock's side, too embarrassed to share his joy with his friends.

The group exchanged knowing glances and watched Mr. Bagman and Mr. Weasley chat.

"Ludo, would you like a sausage?"

"Thank you, I was just a little hungry."

"So... is there still no news about Bertha Jorkins?"

“Not even a shadow.” Bagman said casually, chewing on a sausage.
"But don't worry, she will appear when the time is right."

Poor old Bertha... her memory is like a bottomless cauldron, and coupled with her notoriously poor sense of direction, she must have gotten lost again.

I imagine that one day in October, she will leisurely return to the office, as if it were still July.

—Believe it or not, I believe it.

"What's the story with Bertha Jorkins?"

After hearing their conversation, Sherlock turned to Ron and asked.

Ron shook his head and looked at his two older brothers.

"She is a witch in the Ministry of Magic, belonging to the Department of Sport where Mr. Bagman works."

Bill lowered his voice and explained to Sherlock:

"She went to Albania for vacation this summer and never came back. It's been more than a month now."

Sherlock raised an eyebrow. "His attitude is like this after someone from his department has been missing for a whole month?"

"Uh... her situation is a bit special. Everyone in the Ministry of Magic knows that Jorgins has a notoriously bad memory."

Over the years, she was transferred from one department to another, and wherever she went, she was treated as a burden, so she finally stayed in the Department of Sports.

Seeing that Sherlock was still frowning, Charlie added:

"It's not that Mr. Bagman doesn't take it seriously. In fact, similar things have happened before, and she always comes back after a week or two."

Sherlock listened to Bill and Charlie's explanations, but he also took to heart everything Mr. Weasley and Bagman said.

Mr. Weasley tentatively suggested to Bagman, "Don't you want to send someone to look for her?"

At that moment, Percy tactfully handed Bagman a cup of tea.

"Ha, thank you, Percy—actually, Barty Crouch has been saying that, but in the current situation, we really don't have the manpower."

Ha—just as he was saying that, here he came! Buddy!

No sooner had they finished speaking than a distinctive crackling sound was heard, and then a wizard suddenly appeared in phantom form beside their campfire.

According to Ludo Bagman, he is Barty Crouch, the Director of the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation, and also Percy's direct superior.

Sherlock glanced at Mr. Crouch and immediately understood why Percy had that expression when he heard his name.

Because Percy Weasley was a man who always advocated strict discipline.

But Barty Crouch excelled at this.

This contrasts sharply with Ludo Bagman, who was lounging on the grass in his old Hornets jersey.

As a man in his fifties, Crouch stood up straight, moved stiffly, and wore a spotless, crisp suit and tie.

His short black hair was neatly styled, with the part in the middle so straight it looked almost unnatural, and his narrow mustache, as narrow as a toothbrush, looked as if it had been trimmed with a ruler.

In addition, his shoes were polished to a shine.

It's no exaggeration to say that, just by looking at Barty Crouch's appearance, no one would think he's a wizard.

“He’s just like a bank manager,” Harry whispered to Sherlock.

Sherlock nodded.

Indeed, compared to the other wizards he had met at the Ministry of Magic, Barty Crouch was different and quite unconventional.

but……

In just one glance, Sherlock noticed that Crouch was unsettled.

Another secret?

It's one thing for everyone at Hogwarts to have secrets, but why are even members of the Ministry of Magic like that?
Just then, Bagman, seeing Mr. Crouch arrive, happily patted the grass beside him and said:

"Sit down and rest for a while, Batty."

“No, thank you, Ludo,” Crouch said, though there was a hint of impatience in his voice. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere—the Bulgarians insisted that we add twelve more seats to the top-floor box.”

"Oh, so that's what they wanted!"

Bagman said, "I thought the guy was going to borrow a pair of tweezers from me—their accents were so strong."

The pronunciations of "twelve seats" and "tweezers" are indeed somewhat similar, so it's not surprising if one of the syllables sounds similar.

"Mr. Crouch!"

Just then, Percy, who was seeing his direct superior, was so excited that he could hardly breathe.

He leaned forward and made a bowing gesture.

His exaggerated movements made him look like a hunchback: "Would you like a cup of tea?"

Mr. Crouch only noticed Percy at this point. He looked him over with some surprise and nodded.

“Okay—thank you, Weatherby.”

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the others almost burst out laughing, but thankfully they managed to hold it in.

Bill and Charlie had better self-control, but they still kept their faces tightly shut.

Fred and George were less polite, bursting into laughter and nearly spitting their tea into their cups.

As Bagman just mentioned, Crouch even got Percy's last name wrong.

The scene became somewhat awkward, but Sherlock and Sirius remained unmoved.

Sherlock thought this was nothing to be surprised about.

As for Sirius Black, he also has quite a history with Barty Crouch.

From the moment he Apparated, Sirius Black crossed his arms and stared at him with a knowing look.

(End of this chapter)