The Butcher of Hogsmeade

Chapter 136 An Illegitimate Door Key, An Unusual Locket

"Is this what that taciturn old man told you? What does it mean? I didn't understand." In the safe house, Shen Hou and the Puwitt brothers, who had just finished work, sat around the dining table that had never been used before, each with a glass of wine, talking about what had happened in the Department of Mysteries during the day.

Unlike Professor Krock, Shen Hou didn't hide anything from his two friends, recounting the entire conversation that followed. However, the questions about the two directions of time travel and the residual power of time were too profound, leaving Fabian completely bewildered. Gideon wasn't much better off, just not as talkative as his brother, but he was also waiting for Shen Hou's answers.

"What Professor Kroc means is that I was originally born in the 1980s, but when I was very young, I was sent twenty years into the future and lived there until 2026. Because I was too young when I went there, I have no memory of it and always thought I was born in the 21st century. But for some reason, I was sent back recently, which is why my time travel has almost no impact on the world."

When Shen Hou said these words, even he himself sounded incredulous.

Fabian's assessment was even more direct: "This story should be published in the fiction section of the Daily Prophet, not written into a magic research report."

Gideon, equally skeptical, said, "According to him, there's a powerful wizard who possesses a special method of time travel, capable of sending a newborn child more than twenty years into the future, where the child can live peacefully for over twenty years: and then, once the child has grown up, bringing him back to the correct point in time? Such a powerful wizard certainly deserves the Ministry of Magic's attention—"

Before he could finish speaking, this usually composed Auror burst into laughter.

Just as they were laughing, the door was pushed open, and Dumbledore arrived with James and Sirius.

"We've been waiting for you, Professor," Fabian called out cheerfully.

"I apologize for being late," said Dumbledore. "What are you all talking about, gentlemen? You seem to be having a good time?"

Fabian's eyes lit up: "No, we're discussing why the Death Eaters attacked the Department of Mysteries; they stole the investigation report related to Shen, which shows they considered Shen a key target."

Dumbledore nodded approvingly: "I'm glad you've all realized this, so have you come up with any solutions?"

"I don't have any solutions." Fabian was speechless.

"Actually, I have an idea," Shen Hou suddenly interjected. "Since the Death Eaters have listed me as a key target, shouldn't I keep a low profile and try not to attract attention in public?"

"So?" Dumbledore asked with a smile; he was all too familiar with Shen Hou's expression and tone at this moment, which often appeared in some students at Hogwarts—usually when they were preparing to ask for leave or skip class.

"So should I quit my job at the Ministry of Magic?" Shen said shamelessly. "I have two thousand Galleons in Gringotts, enough to live on for several years. I can stay home and lay low for a few years."

Dumbledore neither confirmed nor denied it, only reminding him: "In the first place, we didn't send you to work at the Ministry of Magic simply to earn money."

Salary, Mr. Shen.

Shen Hou was greatly disappointed, but still refused to give up: "If I can't resign, can I take a long leave?"

"If you can convince Mr. Scrimgeour to grant you the leave certificate—"

"That's hopeless." Fabian sighed, whether out of disappointment for Shen Hou or a sharp rebuke, it was unclear. "Scrimgeour is practically splitting everyone in the office in half to make the most of them; how could they possibly approve a leave slip?"

In the end, Gideon was the kindest of them all, telling Dumbledore, "But the Death Eaters specifically took that report, proving that they are indeed targeting Shen. We must take his safety seriously."

"I understand," Dumbledore said. "That's why I made a special trip back to Hogwarts after leaving the Ministry of Magic to bring this to Shen."

The old wizard pulled a dusty gray locket from his pocket.

"You haven't found another cave where Voldemort hides things, have you?" Shen Hou asked jokingly. He naturally didn't think it was another Voldemort locket, because this thing looked terrible. The chain was charred black, the surface of the box was pitted and covered with black and white spots, as if someone had thrown it into a burning fireplace and then rescued it.

To everyone's surprise, Dumbledore nodded and said, "You guessed right, this is the locket Voldemort hid in the cave."

o

Shen Hou was horrified: "Didn't you already burn it?"

“That’s right, it burned into a pool of liquid,” Dumbledore said. “So you should know that I collected the molten metal afterwards and then reshaped it into this locket. Of course, it’s not the same as the original, and it doesn’t have Voldemort’s dark magic; it’s now a Portkey, and if you open it, you’ll find a phoenix flame sealed inside.”

Shen Hou understood: "The same one we used last time?"

"It's different. It's not registered with the Department of Magical Transport, so it can't be made public," Dumbledore said. "Another difference is that when it's activated, it doesn't summon Fawkes there, but rather it sends you to Fawkes' side, no matter where Fawkes is."

"Including the headmaster's office at Hogwarts?" Shen Houneng thought of the place where Fawkes most often lingered, which was the exquisite perch in the office.

Shen Hou took it, glanced at James and Sirius, and said, "Why do I have a feeling that there are other people who need this too?"

"Making a Portkey without the knowledge of the Department of Magical Transportation is not easy, Mr. Shen. It's not the same as Apparition," Dumbledore said. "Each Portkey you make is like reserving and fixing a temporary passage in the Floo Network, ready to be triggered at any time. The number of passages that can be hidden from detection is very limited, and the possibility of being discovered cannot be completely ruled out."

Sirius laughed heartily: "I think only you need this thing, since we can all Apparate, and..."

"You—the raging magic within you, I'm truly worried that when you teleport, you'll spin too fast and turn yourself into a pile of mincemeat."

"That's not called shaking, that's called centrifugal force," Shen Hou said with a dark face.

"Who cares what you Muggles call it!" Everyone laughed.

Shen Hou had no choice but to change the subject: "Professor, didn't you gather us here because you've figured out how to use the Loyal Heart Spell to hide the secret of that cave and the locket?"

"Ah, that's right, that's the important thing to do tonight." Dumbledore said as if he had suddenly remembered something.