Harry Potter: I started checking in from Diagon Alley

When the time comes, he will definitely give Eric a very kind Cruciatus Curse.

Just like he did to the Longbottoms.

However, before he could activate his magic, a hidden red light suddenly shot out from Eric's wand and hit Barty directly.

Eric's curse had been prepared long ago!

Compared to the commotion from Batistuta's side, Eric's counterattack appeared more subtle.

At least Barty Jr. wouldn't notice.

Barty the Youngster leaped into the air, only to be knocked back by the red light, and his wand flew directly into Eric's hand.

At the same time, a semi-transparent circular shield appeared on Eric's body, blocking the attack from behind.

“Finally out. I thought you were going to hide forever.” Eric used a disarming charm to take Barty’s wand and laughed. “I’m curious, you knew I was stalling for time, waiting for your accomplices to rescue you, so why did you still try to use such a clumsy trick against me?”

“Because,” Little Barty lay on the ground, a smile still on his face, “I’m also stalling for time.”

The next moment, the wand that Eric had taken from Barty the little boy began to twist out of thin air, forming a small vortex that pulled Eric into it.

Harry and his two friends, who had been secretly watching, finally realized what was happening.

They stared in shock at the vortex that had appeared.

That's a door key! It can teleport people to another place.

With a whoosh, Eric touched the vortex and vanished from the spot, disappearing without a trace.

Chapter 174 Grindelwald!

Using a door key feels different from apparating yourself; the door key is more uncontrollable and more unpleasant.

Eric's stomach felt like it was being hooked and pulled backward, causing him to feel weightless.

In the blink of an eye, he was pulled into a long tunnel, surrounded by information streams composed of beams of light.

Eric's first impression was that he was traversing space at breakneck speed.

The door key's destination was set, and Eric had no idea where he would be sent.

The next moment, Eric's feet were on the ground again.

The moment he landed, several protective spells lit up on Eric's body.

In the blink of an eye, armor spells, obstacle spells, slowing spells, and transmutation spells that slowed changes in the surrounding terrain enveloped Eric.

The amplification brought to Eric by the ultimate magic was far greater than he had imagined.

With his current level of magic, it would be impossible to break through this defense unless Dumbledore or Voldemort personally intervened.

Even if the two of them arrive in person, Eric will have enough time to launch a counterattack before these pre-prepared spells are destroyed.

Following the restoration of his sense of touch, Eric's vision also returned to normal.

The first thing Eric saw was a row of tombstones.

The moonlight and sparse candlelight barely illuminated the surroundings, providing dim lighting.

Tombstones and withered trees appeared interspersed before Eric.

It was obvious that this was a desolate cemetery.

Along with the cemetery, there appeared a circle of wizards, all dressed in black robes and wearing masks.

They held wands and surrounded Eric.

These people were dressed very similarly to the mole and others that Eric had seen in the Forbidden Forest.

From their appearance, it's impossible to tell who they are.

The most conspicuous place is in the middle of this group of people, slightly to the north, where a protrusion suddenly appears in the crowd, revealing a high platform-shaped mound of earth.

Two people stood on a mound of earth, looking down at each other. One stood with his hands behind his back, while the other seemed to be holding something in his arms.

Behind those two people, a wooden stake could be vaguely seen standing on the mound of earth.

A figure was tied to a wooden stake and hung up.

This is what it means...

A real trap!

Unexpectedly, the wand that Harry originally took from Barty Jr. turned out to be a Portkey.

This key transported Eric from the original forest to this place.

The visitor is not good.

In this situation, there wasn't much Eric could do.

He only had time to activate his mental field the instant he touched the key.

Now, through the lens of his spiritual perspective, Eric is able to clearly observe the situation around him.

And everything that happened on that high mound of earth.

Eric was surprised not only by the appearance of the door key.

He also did not expect that so many people would be waiting for him after the door key was transmitted.

Wooden stakes, a high platform, torches...

And there are so many wizards waiting quietly.

Upon seeing this scene, Eric almost instinctively felt that it was an execution ground.

They clearly regarded Eric as the person who was about to be tried.

The spiritual energy expanded outwards in an instant, spreading out throughout the entire cemetery.

With his powerful mental strength, Eric could even see the expression on the face of the person who was hanging up.

He was hunched over, his eyes were tightly closed, his hair was gray, and his face was covered with age spots and wrinkles, with almost no smooth skin to be found.

It seemed that she had sensed Eric's gaze.

The old man, who had been tied to the wooden stake with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and glanced at Eric from a hidden angle.

Eric's pupils contracted slightly; he had already guessed the identity of the old man who was hanging there.

But he never imagined that he would meet this old man in such a situation.

There is only one person who can be here and fits the age profile.

Gellert Grindelwald!

This is also the target that Eric and his team have been searching for.

Eric was truly surprised that Grindelwald appeared in this manner.

The current Grindelwald seems to lack any of the aura and majesty expected of the Dark Lord.

The only thing one could sense was his powerlessness as an old man in his twilight years.

Eric noticed that there was a large amount of dark red blood seeping through Grindelwald's clothes on his chest.

He was not treated violently.

These are all effects of his own illness.

The two standing in front of Grindelwald were clearly the leaders of the dark wizards.

One of them was short and appeared to be female; logically, that would be Hila Rozier herself.

She looked very thin and was shorter than the others, making it easy to see that she was the center of this group of wizards.

Rozier's appearance also illustrates one thing.

That is, the truth of the whole matter is completely different from what the Order of the Phoenix judged.

The person who has always led the dark wizards and should be held responsible for all their actions is Hilary Rozier, not Grindelwald!

Grindelwald is just a signboard that has been erected.

Chapter 175 A mistake

The conclusion that Grindelwald was coerced, as analyzed by Eric and Dumbledore, now seems, even if incorrect, to be very close to the truth.

If that's the case, then all the contradictions we imagined before can be explained.

This includes the inaction of Grindelwald's side and the contradiction between their previous and subsequent actions.

Eric's analysis in the auditorium in front of everyone was correct.

The impact of Grindelwald's sudden disappearance was greater than imagined.

However, Grindelwald himself had no motive to escape from prison.

His entry into Nurmengard prison was a gentleman's agreement between himself and Dumbledore.

After his defeat, Grindelwald voluntarily became a prisoner.

For so many years, all has been peaceful, and there has never been any news of Grindelwald possibly making a comeback.

This has already proven that Grindelwald has lost his ambition to dominate.

After he disappeared from Nurmengard, the black wizard organization that appeared in his name acted in a bizarre and unbelievable manner.

The few terrorist attacks that occurred did not result in many casualties.

If it weren't for Grindelwald's name being so famous, the Ministry of Magic probably wouldn't be so nervous.

The reason for this is that Hilario Rozier was the one who kidnapped Grindelwald and used his position to bully others.

Prior to this, Hilar Rozier did not possess the leadership abilities that Grindelwald should have had.

She could only command the dark wizards who were originally loyal to her.

Grindelwald probably wouldn't be willing to cooperate with her either.

Hilario Rozier's grandmother was Grindelwald's loyal second-in-command.

Why Hilario Rozier is treating Grindelwald this way is unknown.