Hogwarts: Don't call me Wandmaker

Chapter 480 Barty Crouch Appears

At Ron's strong suggestion, after finishing their butterbeers, the group went to Devs-Bans across the street.

It was a shop that specialized in selling all kinds of magical items. As soon as they entered, they saw that the shelves at the entrance were filled with all kinds of different viewing mirrors, some of which looked like spinning tops and were spinning steadily on the shelves.

Colorful anti-curse gloves, all made of fire dragon skin, hung on the gray walls, with traces of scales still visible on the surface.

In addition, there are expensive automatic stirring crucibles, models of the planets in the solar system, and crystal balls of various sizes...

Ron spun around for a moment, his initial excitement quickly cooling down, and he became much calmer.
He suddenly realized that even though he was now rich, he still couldn't afford any of the items on the shelf.

...Oh, no, he can still buy a demon-proof spyglass, even though it would cost him all the money he had, but at least he can afford it.

Realizing this, Ron immediately became much more confident and began to look around at the expensive magical items with great interest.

“Harry, look! That thing can grind materials automatically. It’s great! With that, Snape won’t be able to bother us when we’re processing materials. It’s a pity I don’t have enough money, otherwise I would definitely buy it.”

Harry glanced at the price tag below—30 Galleons.

Something the size of a plate costs 30 Galleons? He suddenly realized that being mocked by Snape wasn't such a big deal; it had been like this for years, and he was used to it.

However, the little silver knife next to it is quite interesting; it can automatically cut steaks or pies into your preferred size... It's just a bit pricey, costing five Galleons.

Compared to this, Zokori's joke props suddenly seem much more practical... after all, those things are also magical items.

“Wait, Siron, don’t tell me you’re going to buy that useless thing!” Hermione suddenly said from the side.

Harry instinctively turned his head and saw Siren take a crystal ball off the shelf, then looked at the price tag... 50 Galleons.

How many?

Harry quickly wiped his glasses with the sleeve of his robe and put them back on, but all he saw was still 50 Galleons...

"Are the crystal balls used in divination classes really that expensive?"

“It’s different. This is Oprah Crystal, one of the best crystal balls.” Xiren placed the crystal ball and Galon together on the counter, saying, “The crystal balls at school are like glasses that’ve been used for decades, looking blurry and worn out. I’ve wanted to buy a new one for a long time, and luckily we have one here…”

Subconsciously, Harry took off his glasses again and wiped them.

Uncle Vernon bought these glasses from a discounted secondhand store. He didn't know if they were decades old, but the lenses were definitely quite blurry.

“But that’s just a scam.” Hermione frowned, seemingly thinking that Siron’s purchase of the crystal ball was a complete waste of money.

"Devis-Bans never sells counterfeit goods!" The shopkeeper, who had been silent until now, finally raised his head and gave Hermione a disapproving look. "In Merlin's name, this is the purest Opal crystal, absolutely free of any impurities."

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant," Hermione quickly said.

She didn't doubt that the crystal ball was fake, but rather that the divination course itself was fake. She had been doubting it ever since she first encountered divination in the third grade, and it was still true now.

However, by this time, Xilun had already paid for it and carefully wrapped and put the crystal ball away.

He didn't intend to argue with Hermione about whether the divination was true or not, because it would be pointless; if he could convince Hermione, she wouldn't have said those things earlier.

“Okay…if you like…” Hermione didn’t insist on her opinion anymore.

After leaving Devis-Bans, Ron wanted to visit Zonko one last time. He planned to buy some itching powder and see if he could find an opportunity to sprinkle it on Fred and George's clothes.

Siren wasn't interested in Zoko, so he prepared to return to the castle first.

The group arrived together at the entrance to Hogsmeade Village.

“Harry, you’d better hurry back too, don’t forget you haven’t done any of your homework…” Hermione said.

“I’ll be back before noon,” Harry said. “After I’ve finished showing Ron around Zonko…Sirlen, what are you looking at?”

He noticed that Siron kept staring at the woods on the left side of the road.

“I think I heard something inside,” Celen said. “Maybe some kind of animal,” Hermione said. “I remember…”

Before she could finish speaking, a disheveled man stumbled out of a thicket of bushes.

He looked just like Sirius Black in his younger days, filthy, his robes torn, his face and exposed wrists covered in wounds, stained with blood...

Ron was startled and grabbed Harry, pulling him back two steps. "Why are there homeless people in Hogsmeade? Did some Muggles accidentally wander here?"

“No, that’s not right…” Hermione stared at the man. “He’s Crouch… Barty Crouch!”

He was indeed Barty Crouch, who had disappeared for a long time, but it was unclear why he had turned out this way.

"That traitor?" Ron was alarmed and instinctively drew his wand. "I'll stop him? Hermione, go find Professor McGonagall!"

Without any hesitation, Hermione turned and ran, shouting, "Barty Crouch, at Hogsmeade..."

This is the fastest way; Hogsmeade isn't very big, and Hermione's shouts will quickly attract the professor's attention.

Xiren also took out his wand and looked around warily.

He never expected to see the long-lost Barty Crouch here. He also noticed that Barty Crouch was muttering something under his breath, talking incoherently to the air.

He moved closer.

"Watch out!" Harry grabbed his arm.

“It’s alright,” Xiren said, taking two more steps forward.

This time he finally heard what Barty Crouch was saying.

“Dumbledore…he’s back…I have to tell Dumbledore he’s back…It’s all my fault…it’s all my fault…I shouldn’t have…Oh, Weatherby, remember to remind me tomorrow, I need to check the Goblet of Fire again…I’m sorry, Jorkins, but you really shouldn’t have come to me at that time…Dumbledore…I have to tell him…”

Barty Crouch spoke haltingly, changing his tone with each pause, as if he were talking to different people.

“Mr. Crouch, you…”

Just as Xilun was about to say something, his heart suddenly pounded wildly, and almost instinctively he lunged to the side...

The next second, a blinding green light streaked across the sky above Hogsmeade.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Barty Crouch froze, like a puppet with its strings cut, and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

As Barty Crouch fell, Siron saw a wizard holding a wand standing behind him.

With his messy brown short hair, sunken eye sockets, and distorted pale face, anyone who has seen the wanted poster in the Daily Prophet will recognize him as an exact replica of Antonin Dolokhov in the photo.

Clearly, it was he who used the Killing Curse to kill Barty Crouch.

Now he pointed his wand at Siron, who hadn't yet managed to stand up from the ground.

He smiled again, revealing his yellowed teeth.

"Say goodbye to your wand, Avada!"

"boom!"

The loud explosion drowned out the sound of the incantation.

Suddenly, a black diary appeared out of thin air beside Xiren. As the pages turned, another explosive spell landed where Antonin Dolokhov had just been standing.

……

(End of this chapter)