Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 484 Never disappoints when it comes to being disappointing.
Harry, who had come with him, could hardly bear to watch when he saw Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge take a half-step back.

Were you serious about taking that half-step back?

Just then, Dumbledore reached out and stopped Sherlock.

He glanced at Sirius with a hint of helplessness.

Judging from Sherlock's eager look, if I don't stop him, Sherlock might really punch Fudge.

That'll be a lot of fun.

Sure enough, when Sirius saw Dumbledore stop Sherlock, a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.

We can't watch anything funny anymore.

“Connelly, I still hope you can bring Barty Crouch and his son here.”

Dumbledore looked at Fudge with a kind expression, "There are some things that need to be clarified in person."

"Is that necessary?"

Fudge saw Sherlock retreat and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

But after hearing Dumbledore's words, he frowned again:
“Barty has already spoken to me. With him and the other Aurors from the Ministry of Magic keeping an eye on things, Crouch won’t be able to cause any trouble…”

“As I just said, that’s not safe, because Crouch Jr. could very well resist the Imperius Curse.”

"not only that."

Sherlock suddenly spoke, and everyone immediately turned to look at him.

“I originally thought that under those circumstances, Crouch Jr. would have been taken to the Ministry of Magic and placed under close guard, but it seems that this is not the case now.”

Fudge frowned upon hearing Sherlock speak, and was about to reprimand him for having no right to speak among his students, when Dumbledore immediately interjected:

"Sherlock, do you mean they might make a move?"

Not long ago, Sherlock had already written to Dumbledore about Harry's dream.

So he immediately understood what Sherlock meant.

Allies and servants, once again, have aligned with the prophecy!
"There is a possibility, and it's not small."

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore immediately became serious:

“Connelly, we must get Barty Crouch and his son here immediately!”

Don't worry, we just want to ask them a few questions.

If everything goes well, you can do it your way.

"All right……"

With that final reassurance, Fudge reluctantly agreed.

He looked at Arthur Weasley, who, without a word, immediately turned and left the house.

In fact, he hadn't initially intended for Mr. Weasley to handle this matter.

However, at that time, only Arthur Weasley and Ludo Bagman remained from the Ministry of Magic in the box.

Now that Bagman has gone to Barty Crouch's side on his behalf, Arthur Weasley is the only person he can use.

Moreover, Mr. Weasley has a good relationship with Sherlock, Harry, and Sirius, so from this perspective, he is indeed a suitable candidate.

“Dumbledore, you should know very well.”

While waiting for Mr. Weasley to return, Fudge spoke to Dumbledore in a warning tone:
"I don't want anything to affect it."

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Cornelly, I know better than you. Don't forget, the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes lit up when he heard the name.

Yes, Ludo Bagman had already mentioned it before the Quidditch World Cup started, but Barty Crouch stopped him at the time.

When the Weasley twins questioned their father, he also acted mysteriously.

Harry was actually a little itchy at the time, but the upcoming Quidditch World Cup overshadowed it.

I never expected that Dumbledore would just casually say that!

how to say?

It's something that, although I don't understand its meaning, sounds impressive.

The question is... is this something that can be said?

"You actually said it!"

Sure enough, as soon as Fudge heard the name, he immediately exclaimed:

"This is a secret, Dumbledore, how could you tell anyone!"

"At this stage, keeping it a secret is no longer meaningful..."

Dumbledore shook his head. "There's only a week until the official start of the semester. I'll tell the students about it at the opening ceremony."

“That’s still a whole week!” Fudge said, dissatisfied.

"Don't worry, Connelly, if you feel it's necessary, I can get Sherlock and Harry to keep it a secret."

"Can they do it?"

"They've done it more than once."

Seeing Dumbledore's resolute attitude, Fudge said nothing more.

However, he always felt that Dumbledore seemed to be different from before, ever since the incident involving Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew last year.

He seemed to have become somewhat... hardened?
Strangely enough, whenever Dumbledore expressed no interest in the position of Minister of Magic, Fudge was always worried that he would take his place.

Because he knew very well how he got this position.

But now that Dumbledore's attitude has hardened, he feels that it is unlikely that the other party will do so.

A thought even began to subtly arise in his mind: Am I being pathetic?
Do you only feel comfortable when the other party resorts to force?
What followed was a rather boring wait.

Throughout this process, Dumbledore and Harry sat properly.

Sirius and Sherlock strolled around, taking in the Minister of Magic's office with great interest.

As they talked, they also commented on the decorations:

"This location is not good; it doesn't look right here at all."

"The colors of this table are too flashy."

"This character is so ugly!"

Although Sirius was the one doing most of the talking, it still made Fudge very unhappy.

But with Dumbledore there, and the two of them talking non-stop without ever reaching out to touch each other, he eventually held back.

Oh well, once Dumbledore sees Barty Crouch pledging his loyalty, he'll realize he's not the same person he used to be.

Even a powerful figure like Barty Crouch has his weaknesses compromised!

As for the fact that this incriminating evidence was given to him entirely because of Sherlock, Fudge didn't take it to heart at all.

Just as Barty Crouch misremembered Percy's last name as Weasley instead of Wetherby, Fudge clearly didn't care at all about the person "Holmes".

So what if he discovered the truth?
As a student still attending magic school, it is his duty to cooperate with the Ministry of Magic!
Thinking this, Fudge simply picked up a cup of black tea and slowly blew on it while sipping. Just bear with it, just bear with it a little longer... and you'll feel better soon.

Just as Fudge frowned, wondering why it was taking so long to deliver a message,

The office door was suddenly pushed open.

Mr. Weasley practically burst in, accompanied by his son, Percy Weasley.

The latter's nose was still bleeding.

Sherlock's gaze swept over the father and son, and he immediately realized that Percy's actions were intentional.

As for Mr. Weasley, he no longer cared about such details.

From their behavior, Sherlock had already deduced what had just happened.

A cold smile appeared on his lips.

The Ministry of Magic has never disappointed when it comes to giving people hope!
Seeing the Weasleys' appearance, Fudge's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition rose in his mind.

"Arthur, what happened?"

Please, please, please don't let it be bad news!
Even bad news shouldn't be too bad!

Fudge prayed silently, but Mr. Weasley's words shattered his illusion:

"Suspected Death Eaters attacked Muggles in the camp."

The Black Magic Mark appeared in the sky above the camp.

Little Crouch has been kidnapped!

"boom!"

Fudge's teacup fell to the ground, and at that moment, his face was even paler than Percy's, who was bleeding from the nose.

However, he was oblivious to his surroundings, staring intently at Mr. Weasley as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"What did you say? Say it again!"

Weasley took a deep breath and then blurted out everything he knew.

Sherlock discovers Barty Crouch Jr., who should have died but has not.

This matter was so important that some Ministry of Magic staff, including Fudge and Arthur, returned early.

Shortly after they left, a group of strangely dressed wizards appeared at the camp that the Ministry of Magic had prepared specifically for wizards.

They did something very bad.

These wizards wore hoods and masks, and used magic to levitate several Muggles in the air, twisting them into all sorts of bizarre shapes.

Not only that, they also set fire to several tents, causing considerable chaos.

Their attire and demeanor naturally led the Ministry of Magic to identify them as former supporters of Voldemort—Death Eaters.

They take pleasure in tormenting Muggles, building their happiness on the suffering of others.

Morally depraved, lacking any moral compass, and of an extremely heinous nature!

Because the incident was sudden, the Ministry of Magic's contingency plans were inadequate, and the Ministry's long period of peace and stability over the past decade left it somewhat powerless to deal with such an emergency.

Even family members of the Ministry of Magic, such as Bill, Charlie, and Percy, joined the ranks of those maintaining order.

Even so, it was still beyond our capabilities.

However, just when everyone was at their wits' end, the matter ended in a way that no one expected.

Someone fired a Black Mark over the camp.

As the name suggests, the Black Mark is the mark of the Dark Lord and his supporters.

Its appearance is very unique.

A colossal skull, composed of countless emerald green star-like objects, with a large python emerging from its mouth like a tongue.

Under the watchful eyes of countless wizards, the skeleton rose higher and higher, emitting a dazzling light in a cloud of green smoke, resembling a new constellation against the backdrop of the dark night sky.

Regardless of its terrifying image, the appearance of the Black Mark instantly changed the entire situation.

The suspected Death Eaters, who were tormenting Muggles, immediately Apparated upon seeing the Dark Mark appear, leaving their original positions.

The chaos they had started has come to an end.

Greater chaos ensued.

But the Ministry of Magic preferred to deal with the wizards who were suspected of being Death Eaters.

If that's the case, the Ministry of Magic could announce that only a portion of the Death Eaters have not yet been apprehended.

This is normal.

After all, Voldemort ruled the wizarding world for over a decade during that dark period, so it's understandable that some escaped his clutches.

However, once the Black Magic Mark appears, its nature changes completely.

Compared to Professor Trelawney's unreliable death predictions, the Black Mark is the real death omen.

During the Wizarding Wars, whenever Voldemort or his followers killed someone, the Dark Mark would appear in the air.

During that time, the fear brought by this mark was unparalleled.

Where there is the mark of the Dark Lord, there is death.

But this mark has never appeared since Voldemort disappeared.

Thirteen years!
The reappearance of the Black Mark brought unimaginable shock.

The fact that the Death Eaters fled at the sight of it shows just how terrifying it is.

More importantly, shortly after the Dark Mark appeared, the Ministry of Magic personnel who were escorting Barty Crouch Jr. back were ambushed.

The Auror escorting Crouch was knocked unconscious on the spot, and Barty Crouch Jr. was also kidnapped.

When Mr. Weasley learned of this, he was completely stunned and immediately took Percy back to the Ministry of Magic.

At this moment, Fudge felt no longer any hope.

He staggered and fell into his ornate high-backed chair as if his spine had been removed, his face as pale as bone powder in a crucible.

Every word Mr. Weasley spoke suffocated him:
Barty Crouch Jr. has been kidnapped! And this happened right after the chaos of the Dark Mark being raised high and Death Eaters openly rampaging through the camp!
The office fell into a deathly silence, broken only by Fudge's heavy, rapid breathing.

Dumbledore stood there calmly, his deep blue eyes revealing no emotion.

Sirius frowned, while Sherlock and Harry exchanged a knowing look.

Mr. Weasley's face was filled with heartache, while only Percy stood tall and proud, as if showing off something.

A moment later, Fudge suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and the shame and anger of being slapped hard by reality.

He waved his trembling fingers and asked, "Who is it? Who is escorting little Crouch?"

Mr. Weasley sighed: "It's John Dexter."

"What an idiot!" Fudge exclaimed. "Why did he have to escort Crouch Jr. all by himself?"

“Minister, we were short-handed everywhere back then,” Percy interjected, with a boastful tone, “and my nose was broken in the fighting by those Death Eaters…”

(End of this chapter)