A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

Fudge stared at him blankly, seemingly showing signs of old age.

"Getting back to the point, I saw a news article about an expedition in the newspaper. They had heard terrifying legends about the Albanian forests, where small animals and livestock would die without warning, behaving very strangely before they died. An eight-year-old boy swore that he saw a snake reading a newspaper, and the photos in that newspaper were moving."

“We all know what this means,” Dumbledore said, looking at the crowd.

From the crowd, Tiberius Ogden said with displeasure, "Which foolish wizard just tossed the newspaper aside after reading it?"

“That doesn’t prove anything…” Fudge said stubbornly. “He could be an Animagus from another country who just happens to be a snake.”

“I’ve examined them; they’re possessed,” Dumbledore said.

"Wh-what?"

“Possessed,” Dumbledore repeated, “that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Perhaps it’s some evil spirit at work, but I also need to remind you that it could be someone who has lost their power. I continued my investigation in the forest… and found a large pit filled with animal carcasses, mostly rats and snakes, with snakes being the most numerous. I tried to unravel this mystery and at one point thought I saw a familiar figure, broken and ghostly, who flashed past me, but I never saw him again afterward.”

“You mean that thing… it’s hiding from you?” Amelia Borns asked seriously.

“I think so,” Dumbledore nodded slightly. “I persuaded a few nearby families to move away and asked the owner of the local wizarding tavern to keep an eye on the ghosts’ movements. More than a decade has passed. I have gained more information and my suspicions have become more certain.”

“But if it really is that person, why doesn’t he come out and instead has been wandering in the Albanian forest for more than a decade?” Amelia Borns asked.

"That's right! I want to know that too—"

“I’m afraid I can only offer some guesses,” Dumbledore said.

“Your guess is very insightful,” Ms. Burns said. Some wizards in the meeting room nodded in agreement, while others shook their heads.

“I think—before I make any speculations—that Voldemort has lost his power, that he is weaker than ever before, and even more limited than a ghost can be,” Dumbledore said. “One of his weaknesses is that he cannot suppress those thoughts that fiercely resist him for long, so he is more inclined to possess simple-minded animals, especially snakes. He has a particular influence on snakes.”

“Sophistry,” Ms. Burns said with a grim face.

“Yes, perhaps in the first few years after he lost his power, he still hoped that Death Eaters would find him and help him regain his power... but he was disappointed. He maintained his rule with fear and was destined to lose everything after his defeat,” Dumbledore said softly. “Of course, a few of his loyal followers were imprisoned in Azkaban.”

“Barty Crouch, the Lestranges!” Ms. Burns said.

Felix was struck by a thought; he was moved once again. The first time was when he was talking to Neville, and he thought of Azkaban and the Dementors, but he didn't realize the problem. However, he overlooked a key point: Azkaban was a prison filled with all sorts of criminals.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. Dumbledore's voice became the background noise, providing him with inspiration—

"About four years ago, Voldemort possessed a professor at Hogwarts and infiltrated the school to obtain the Philosopher's Stone hidden inside... In the end, Harry Potter and his friends stopped him... and the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed."

"More than a year ago, Peter Pettigrew, the war hero who was thought to be dead, reappeared. He and a Death Eater—later identified as Crouch Jr.—were ordered to infiltrate the school, but before they could carry out their plot, they were discovered by Harry Potter and his friends. A battle broke out on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and they were saved by Sirius Black, who was then falsely accused of being Voldemort's loyal servant, and two school professors..."

“Unfortunately, these people almost died at the hands of the out-of-control Dementors,” Dumbledore said sternly. Fudge’s eyes gleamed with fear, and Umbridge hid his head behind his documents. “Peter Pettigrew died that night, kissed by a Dementor… Before he died, he suddenly realized his mistake and admitted that he was the traitor who betrayed the Potters. He even said one thing.”

The meeting room was quiet; everyone held their breath and looked at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore repeated softly, "He said: He's coming back, the man whose name I can't even mention is coming back. I did wrong, forgive me—"

“What!” Ms. Burns gasped, staring at Fudge in disbelief. “Nobody told me about this! You put a gag order on me?”

Fudge stammered, wiping his sweat incessantly, and finally he shouted, "What do you want me to do? Declare full martial law based on a single nonsensical statement? Let all the peace we've painstakingly built over the years be destroyed in an instant?"

“Peace cannot be faked,” Felix said with a smile, having finally come to his senses.

Azkaban, the dark wizard, the Death Eaters... Voldemort, resurrection... and Dumbledore too.

All of this leads to a conjecture: if Dumbledore had inflicted fatal wounds on Voldemort multiple times, and if Voldemort had been so weak that he had to rely on others for help, then his options would have been extremely limited.

This person must be a Death Eater, fanatically loyal to Voldemort and agree with his ideology. Only in this way can they gain Voldemort's limited trust and the honor of treating the "Great Dark Lord's" injuries and even performing the resurrection ritual.

If such a person could remain at large after the war, it's impossible that he would have done nothing for over a decade, so he must have been imprisoned in Azkaban.

Could he know more, such as—Horde weapons?

Of course, Voldemort is extremely selfish and would never tolerate the secret of the Horcruxes being known, not even to his most loyal servants who would give their lives for him. He may have used some kind of spell to keep the secret; an Oblivion Charm or a Confusion Charm would have been sufficient...

Fudge stared at Felix, his expression still stubborn.

“The signs have become even clearer this year,” Dumbledore said. “There have been several disappearances. Bertha Jorkins vanished without a trace in Voldemort’s last hideout, and then a Muggle disappeared. His name was Frank Bryce, and he lived in the village where Voldemort’s father was born. I read it in the newspaper, remember? I read Muggle newspapers… and Crouch, who might have disappeared if he hadn’t been rescued.”

"Dumbledore, what you've said is just speculation; it might just be a coincidence!"

“I have a witness,” Dumbledore said in a deep voice.

Fudge glanced at him so quickly he almost twisted his neck, and the others also looked at Dumbledore. Fudge muttered, "You don't mean to say it's Barty Crouch, do you? His testimony isn't reliable—"

"And what about his house-elves?" Dumbledore asked politely, waving his wand as Twinkle and Dobby suddenly appeared in the office.

Shining's expression was still somewhat bewildered, but Dobby was much more comfortable with this kind of scene. He tugged at Shining's hand, and the two bowed deeply, saying in a high-pitched voice, "Greetings, esteemed wizards."

Everyone stared at them—not because of Dumbledore's magic, but because they were both dressed in exquisite little clothes. They knew all too well what this meant:

These are two free little elves.

Chapter 466 Shining's Testimony

Amelia Borns looked surprised, her monocle almost slipping off her face. She took it off and wiped the lens.

“Dumbledore, if I’m not mistaken, neither of them has an owner…”

Sparkle stood there blankly for a moment, then suddenly screamed, "No—Sparkle belongs to House Crouch! Sparkle has a master! His name is Barty Crouch—"

“No, that’s not true!” Dobby retorted. “Wizards, Mr. Barty Crouch gave Sparkle his freedom! Dobby saw it with his own eyes!” Sparkle closed his eyes and shouted at the top of his lungs, “No! No! No!” Dobby shouted even louder, “Now Sparkle is a free elf just like Dobby!” He proudly puffed out his chest, leaving the surrounding wizards stunned.

They had never seen such an unusual sprite before. No, some people had seen them before—at the 'Future World' company, they turned their heads toward Felix.

Felix said calmly, “Dobby used to work for a large family. Later, he gained his freedom, and I gave him a job,” he emphasized, “just a job.”

“I’ve heard that the ‘Future World’ company has a group of strange house-elves,” a wizard muttered.

Sparkle was still screaming when Fudge rudely interrupted her, "You little imp! Your name is Sparkle? You were Barty Crouch's house-elf?"

"No—no—no—" Flash was still shouting. She had started rolling on the ground, tears and snot streaming down her face. Dobby tried to pull her up, but he failed without a doubt. He stood in front of Flash, waving his slender arm helplessly. "Yes! Her name is Flash, and my name is Dobby."

"Dumbledore, you want them to testify? House-elves are not to be trusted—"

“I don’t think so,” Dumbledore said with a smile. “You can tell from their clothes that their will is entirely their own, and there’s no need to worry that they are bound by magical contracts that cannot be broken.”

Fudge stared wide-eyed at Sparkle, who was rolling on the ground. "Are you sure? Apart from having an extra piece of clothing, she's no different from any other house-elves."

“Dobby, you can tell me what happened that night first,” Felix said, “only what you saw at Crouch’s old house.”

“Oh, of course! Dobby would love to!” Dobby quickly recounted what had happened that night, mentioning only the chilling voice and Crouch’s unusual behavior. Most of the people present believed him, at least they were almost certain that Crouch had indeed been controlled, and that the person was not Crouch Jr.—he was still at Hogwarts at the time.

While Dobby was speaking, Sparkle gradually quieted down and began to sob softly.

“He didn’t mention that person.” Amelia Borns glanced quickly at the record and looked up to ask.

“Dobby is an outsider; he had absolutely nothing to do with this if it weren’t for inviting his friends over for Christmas,” Felix said. “As for more information—” He looked at the little elf sitting on the ground and said gently, “Sparkling, your testimony is very useful; at least it proves that Mr. Barty Crouch is not an evil madman.”

“Master isn’t crazy!” Flashy shouted hoarsely. “He’s under a terrible spell!”

“So—Sparkle? Is that your name? Can you elaborate?” Amelia Borns asked. “If there’s more to the story, I can consider reopening Barty Crouch’s interrogation.”

"Will Master be released?" Sparkle asked excitedly; she had finally stopped going crazy.

“Impossible!” Fudge exclaimed. “Impossible.” He repeated it, and Ms. Burns gave him a reproachful look before turning to Shining and saying, “An acquittal… is unlikely, but we will reconsider his sentence, which was originally for life imprisonment.”

A glimmer of hope shone in her sparkling eyes. "Sparkling...Sparkling is willing to be a witness."

“A year ago… while my master was at work, someone suddenly broke in, subdued me, and released Master Barty—”

"Who is that person?" Ms. Burns asked sternly.

“It’s a man named Peter. He can turn into a mouse. I’ve seen him before!” Sparkle exclaimed. The wizards present exchanged glances, and someone whispered, “Peter Pettigrew.” Sparkle continued to describe his appearance, “Short, fat, a bit bald… and small eyes…” She glanced at Fudge and whispered, “He looks a bit like this wizard.”

Fudge's chest heaved violently, like an old bellows, and seemed about to explode.

“Short stature, fat…and a bit bald…” Ms. Burns repeated, unable to suppress a laugh, as her wand drew a figure in the air. “Is it him?” The image in mid-air was indeed Peter Pettigrew.

“It’s him!” Flash confirmed, adding an important detail, “He’s holding an ugly baby and calling the baby ‘master’!”

A loud gasp filled the conference room.

"Are you sure it's a baby?" Ms. Burns asked seriously.

"Yes, yes!" Sparkle stammered, not daring to look at her, "a very, very... very ugly baby!"

“When Master returned home that night, Master Barty, who hadn’t had a wand for a long time, hid under the Invisibility Cloak and ambushed Master when he lifted his clothes—” Sparkle gasped, “Oh, that bad boy Barty, he brought home a terrible friend!”

"We understand now, so what's next?"

"Then, then... Master was controlled, but went to work as usual, and Shan Shan actually felt there was no problem, oh my god!" Shan Shan let out a mournful cry, tears falling like beans, "Shan Shan even took care of them, cooked for them..."

“It might be a Confusion Charm,” Felix said.

"Later, they casually mentioned that they were planning to ambush someone and take his place at the school to complete a dangerous mission—"

What kind of mission is it?

Sparkle's eyes widened. "Sparkle doesn't know! While they were discussing things, Sparkle was ordered to return to her place. Sparkle is an obedient sprite, Sparkle is a very well-behaved sprite!"

"Very well, we can roughly guess who it is. Alastor is really unlucky. Go on, what else do you know?"

“That man named Peter disappeared; he’s supposedly been arrested. Then Master Barty left too, only returning once every ten days or so. Sparkle was in charge of taking care of the baby, Sparkle…” She suddenly looked horrified, “Sometimes Sparkle sees the baby tormenting its master! Sparkle just watches! Oh my god!”

She covered her face, tears streaming through her fingers.

“That’s enough for now,” Felix said, gesturing to Dobby, who nodded and then pulled Shining away with a “plop.”

The office was enveloped in an extremely oppressive silence.

“You should let her finish what she has to say,” Amelia Borns said, looking at Felix with displeasure.

"I've said all I need to say. If you're hoping to hear a name or the whole plan, unfortunately, you've heard it too—she knows only so much. In fact, you did have one opportunity once, with Peter Pettigrew… unfortunately, his soul was taken by the Dementors."

Fudge stared at him and said, word by word, "That little elf—she was cursed too."

“I can’t pretend it didn’t happen,” Felix said. “It must have been a Confusion Charm. Voldemort seems to have underestimated the house-elf, thinking that a Confusion Charm would suffice, or perhaps she was going to be disposed of eventually and wasn’t worth the time. But in any case, Gilgamesh’s memories haven’t been altered. If there’s any doubt about that, we can arrange for a healer from St. Mungo’s to examine her.”

Fudge stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly snapped, "More dubious evidence! All of it! I don't know what the point of our discussion today is!"

“Cornell,” Dumbledore said wearily, “I’m not raising this issue to deny or subvert anything, but to remind you of something. We’ve discussed this privately, but you—for some reason—refused to believe the existing evidence. You should know how much we lost in the last war. Do you want to experience another unexpected war?”

“I—you—are not—” Fudge was speechless.

“A key question is, do you know what you’re doing, Minister Fudge?” Felix said softly.

"What do you mean?" Fudge's face turned a deep shade of liver.

“Let’s make an assumption,” Felix said, tilting his head with interest towards Amelia Borns in a probing manner. “And we would like to ask Ms. Borns and everyone present to bear witness—”

Ms. Burns adjusted her monocle to get a better look at Felix.

"We've heard two diametrically opposed viewpoints today, neither willing to yield, but time will tell who's right. But...we need to ask ourselves a question: if war were to break out, would someone need to be held accountable?"