https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-172-Fighting-and-Killing-Isn-t-Much-Fun/13457199/
Chapter 171: The Traitor
Chapter 171: The Traitor
The moment the room filled with clocks opened, Sherlock's heightened senses immediately kicked into action!
The Wand floating beside him, which had been poised and ready, swung into motion.
Like a conductor's baton on stage, the Wand moved in a specific rhythm and pattern, and as it did, countless red light points shimmered at the tip!
"Ah!"
The Death Eater guarding the entrance, who had just realized what was happening, raised his Wand to aim at Sherlock. But before he could even utter a single word of a spell, dozens of red beams of light had already sliced through the air, striking him with pinpoint accuracy!
In the next second, his entire body froze, unable to move a single muscle except for his eyes, which blinked wildly.
Losing his support, the Death Eater's body began to fall backward.
Just as he was about to hit the ground, Sherlock used Control Magic to support his body and gently lowered him to the floor.
Once the door was open, Sherlock could sense the room's layout.
Within an eight-meter radius, there was no one else except for the masked Death Eater.
At this point, Sophie finally reacted, shuddering and attempting to cast a spell. However, she found that the enemy had already been immobilized by Sherlock's Silent Petrification Spell.
She stared in shock at the Wands floating around him, unable to fathom what kind of Wizard could use such an unprecedented casting technique.
Ignoring her astonishment, Sherlock quietly walked into the Hall of Time and took in the full view of the room.
The room was entirely dark, but it was filled with a sparkling, diamond-like light emanating from a bell-shaped crystal glass dome at the far end of the room.
The bell-shaped crystal glass dome, standing nearly six feet (1.8 meters) tall, rested on a table, and inside, it seemed to be filled with a swirling, shimmering current of air.
Within the dome, a small, gem-like object floated up and down. This object was a tiny hummingbird, but it wasn't always a bird.
At the bottom of its circular path, the bird was in its egg form. As it rose within the glass dome, the egg would crack open, and a hummingbird would emerge, rising to the top of the dome.
However, as it descended with the current, the bird's feathers would become dirty and wet, eventually falling to the bottom of the dome and being sealed back into the egg.
This cycle repeated endlessly within the dome, like a peculiar hourglass of life.
Sherlock didn't linger on the intricate device for long, as a sharp voice was coming from a partitioned area diagonally opposite the door, hidden by a wall.
"Don't think I won't dare to curse you! I've only been holding back this long to save face for the Selwyn family! While the Dark Lord is generous to all pure-blood Wizards, his patience has limits!"
Scrimgeour glared at the Auror lying stunned in the corridor on the sixth floor, who remained unconscious even after an Awakening Charm.
"Who is in charge of the teams guarding the lower four floors?"
A young male Wizard with a pale face and cold, indifferent eyes stepped forward from behind Scrimgeour.
"It's my team, Director."
The two Auror teams stationed inside the Ministry of Magic were newly formed over the past two years. Their leaders were among the most outstanding young graduates from Hogwarts in recent years, all from long-standing pure-blood families.
These were Kingsley Shacklebolt of the Shacklebolt family and Barty Crouch Jr. of the Crouch family.
Barty Crouch Jr.'s father, Barty Crouch Sr., was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, one of the most crucial departments in the Ministry of Magic and the supervisory body of the Auror Office.
Despite his pure-blood heritage, Barty Crouch Sr. had taken a strong stance against Voldemort and taken concrete actions, earning him high respect throughout the British magical community.
Many believed that when the current Minister of Magic stepped down, Barty Crouch Sr. would be the most qualified successor.
Given his exceptional abilities, it was only natural that Barty Crouch Jr. became an Auror captain.
As for Kingsley, his outstanding abilities were well-known, and the Shacklebolt family was a deeply rooted and influential clan in the magical world.
The young male Wizard who stepped forward was Barty Crouch Jr.
"Why weren't you in constant communication with your team?"
Scrimgeour didn't show any leniency due to Barty's special status, his face dark as he demanded an explanation.
Barty Crouch Jr. explained expressionlessly.
"The situation in Sheffield was problematic. The commander in York, Tris, contacted me and asked me to be ready to request the deployment of the last two teams to Sheffield. I was waiting in the communications room for his message."
His explanation was reasonable. Scrimgeour had been closely monitoring the situation in Sheffield and was well aware of how tense it was.
"How many people from your team can you still contact?" he asked, his brows furrowed tightly.
"I can't reach anyone."
Kingsley chimed in at this point.
"Rom, who was supposed to be patrolling the Fifth Floor, has also lost contact."
There were six Aurors present.
Auror Office Director Scrimgeour, Captain Barty Jr., Kingsley, and Kingsley's three subordinates.
Everyone in the room understood the severity of the situation.
The Ministry's manpower was now concentrated in Sheffield, and even if they wanted to recall them, it was impossible.
Even if the Ministry of Magic were bombed tonight, it wouldn't be as severe as the Death Eaters bombing an entire Muggle city and exposing the magical world's secrets to the public.
The Ministry of Magic could be rebuilt, but if the International Statute of Secrecy were violated, it would be an unacceptable outcome for the entire magical world!
So Scrimgeour had no choice but to rely on the remaining few people to defend the Ministry of Magic!
Sherlock gestured for Sophie to be quiet, and the wand floating beside him once again aimed at the Death Eater who had been hit by the Petrification Charm. Red light flashed again, and dozens of Stunning Spells struck him, finishing him off.
They kept their footsteps as quiet as possible and approached the door to the Time Hall's inner room.
It was just an ordinary room with no special spatial divisions, so Sherlock's Control Magic could clearly "see" what was happening inside.
The room was an office, which, unlike its appearance from the outside, was not cramped but about the size of a potions classroom at Hogwarts.
There were eight people gathered in the office. Two wizards in standard Ministry of Magic black robes were already unconscious on the floor, clearly employees of the Department of Mysteries.
There were also four Death Eaters wearing their distinctive iron masks, and a young male wizard in standard Ministry of Magic robes. This wizard must be the traitor Eddie had mentioned, who had been hiding within the Ministry of Magic!
In front of them, a middle-aged witch was bound to a chair with a Binding Curse.
The witch appeared to be in her thirties or forties, with long, wavy hair that still retained its charm, but her face was particularly cold.
"I'm saying this one last time, Algie Flint. There is no such thing as Door 7! There is no power that can reverse everything!"
The young wizard called Algie suddenly twisted the witch's ash-gray curls, his face contorted as he spoke into her ear, word by word.
"Studdery, that old fool, has already told everything! Door 7 of the Department of Mysteries! The most incredible power discovered by the Ministry of Magic since its founding! The Dark Lord is very interested in this! He wants to know what's inside, and you should know that nothing he has ever wanted has ever been denied to him!"
Algie stared into the witch's emerald eyes.
"Out of respect for how you cared for me when I was a child and as my cousin, I'll give you one last chance. Tell me where Door 7 is, and become the Dark Lord's most loyal follower. You can continue to serve as the Head of the Department of Mysteries in the new Ministry of Magic. This would be for the best for all of us!"
The witch sneered, showing no fear.
"For the best for all of us? What a joke. Algie, you and your father have always been good at hiding, but you're still young and much more impulsive. Is he planning to reveal everything now and stop pretending at the Ministry of Magic? That doesn't sound like your father, who always hedges his bets and supports whoever has the upper hand. Or is this your own decision, and he doesn't even know about it yet?"
Algie's face turned ugly, as if the witch had hit a nerve.
He gestured to the masked Death Eaters, and one of them immediately handed him a potion.
"This is your doing, ma'am. We could have resolved this peacefully, but you've forced my hand."
He growled, then pinched the witch's chin.
"I've given you enough chances, but you've decided to stand against the Dark Lord. I have no choice. For the greater good, you must be sacrificed!"
Just as Algie was about to pour the potion into the witch's mouth, the door to the room was kicked open from the outside!
In the next second, countless red beams of light, like a meteor shower in the night sky, surged in from the doorway!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
