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Chapter 188: The Thing That Changes Everything
Chapter 188: The Thing That Changes Everything
"However, the possibility of that happening is very low. Most likely, I'll still be able to help you take care of Amy until she's old enough to go to school."
Sherlock said with a relaxed expression.
Eddie, however, didn't take it as lightly as Sherlock suggested, his brow still furrowed.
"Where are you going?"
Sherlock looked out the window at the gradually thinning crowd on the street and spoke softly.
"A place where no one can find me."
"Where no one can find you? Then why go at all?"
Sherlock waved his hand dismissively.
"I've already said it, it's a possibility, and a very small one at that. No need to ask so many questions."
Eddie didn't press further. Instead, Amy, who was sitting beside him, suddenly tilted her head and looked at Sherlock with serious eyes.
"Will John leave Amy one day?"
Sherlock didn't patronize the child. He lifted his head, thought carefully, and finally answered honestly.
"I don't know if that day will come, but if it does, it will only be temporary. Just like how every meeting eventually leads to a parting, every parting will also lead to a reunion."
For some reason, Amy's mood seemed to sour suddenly, and she frowned.
"Amy doesn't think that day will come!"
Sherlock, in a playful tone, repeated something he had said during a game.
"Is it a genuine feeling, or are you just trying to convince yourself?"
"This time, it's absolutely genuine!"
She seemed to be giving herself a pep talk, speaking with unwavering determination.
"Amy's feelings have always been accurate. If you feel it's true, then it definitely is."
Sherlock reached out, lifted the corners of her mouth, and helped her form a smile.
But Amy's frown remained, not easing at all.
After dinner that day, Sherlock made a special trip back to the Leaky Cauldron.
Snape still hadn't given the Magic Notes Sherlock had given him to anyone; he hadn't found a good way to do so yet.
"You'd better move faster. We won't be staying in Britain much longer."
Snape looked at him.
"Are you planning to leave the Ministry of Magic?"
Sherlock nodded.
"There's nothing left to investigate in the Department of Mysteries. I need to try somewhere else. I'll probably resign by the end of the month."
"Why do I have to go with you? I want to stay in London."
Sherlock looked him in the eye seriously.
"I've been fulfilling our agreement, even considering ways to save Lily before the time is up. I hope you will also honor the agreement. If I find a way back, and the situation is urgent, I might not be able to come back for you. You have to come with me."
Snape pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Give me two more days. I'll send the book then."
"Now that Hogwarts has started, be careful when you send it", Sherlock reminded him.
"I know."
There were only three days left until the end of the month, when Sherlock planned to submit his resignation.
He hadn't been idle during this time. Although he had only worked in the Hall of Time for two months, he had left some research findings. Sherlock compiled these and prepared to hand them over to Madame Selwyn before he left.
Since that night, Amy's mood had been consistently gloomy. She lost interest in playing games and seemed to have reverted to the way she was before meeting Sherlock.
Every day, she would sit at the table, staring quietly at the pinwheel in her hand.
Children's moods are as unpredictable as the British weather, and Sherlock didn't pay much attention to it.
The Ministry of Magic had a lot going on recently.
Two days had passed, and the hinkypunks in Oxford still hadn't been fully captured. There had even been an incident where a Muggle was injured.
Fortunately, the Aurors arrived in time, preventing the Muggle's death, and erased their memory afterward, preventing the situation from escalating.
Despite this, the Ministry of Magic was still very concerned and sent additional personnel to capture the hinkypunks and prevent further casualties.
On the day Sherlock had everything prepared and planned to submit his resignation, the Death Eaters, who had been quiet for a long time, finally struck again.
This time, they attacked the Muggle-Wizard Leo Family in Scotland, tying them to the back of a broomstick and parading them through the sky.
The Aurors had to send personnel to capture these Death Eaters.
Due to the hinkypunk situation, there were only a few Auror teams left in the Ministry.
Despite this, Scrimgeour still left two teams to guard the Ministry of Magic, while the others were sent to Scotland.
The two teams left behind were led by Barty Crouch Jr. and Eddie.
Given the special circumstances, Sherlock didn't bother to submit his resignation letter. He and the Ministry of Magic had parted ways amicably, and he would wait for the current situation to resolve before leaving.
As night fell, Barty Jr., who had volunteered to oversee the security of the bottom five levels of the Ministry of Magic, was not at his post.
He returned to his office alone, locked the door, and then took a small box from his drawer. He sprinkled the powder from the box into the fireplace, which had been extinguished for the entire summer.
The dark green flames leaped up in the fireplace, quickly forming into a woman's face.
"Has the Floo Network been connected?"
"You can come over now, but try to keep the Aurors in Scotland occupied. My master said I can't be exposed tonight and must also follow the Aurors' actions."
The sickly green flames cast a pallid light on Barty Jr.'s gaunt face, the shadows from his thin features making him look like a skeleton.
The woman in the flames sneered.
"Don't worry, those stupid Aurors have no idea where we are now. I'll have Rodolphus and two others stay behind; the three of them will be enough!"
"If you think it's fine, bring them over. I need to continue patrolling."
Barty Jr. finished speaking and left the office without a backward glance at the still-burning fireplace.
The flames in the fireplace gradually died down, plunging the room into darkness.
The silence lasted only a few minutes before the fireplace flared up with dark green flames again. A witch with wild curly hair, dressed in leather, and with a crazed look in her eyes, stepped out of the flames.
One after another, more Death Eaters wearing Iron Masks and black robes emerged from the flames.
Soon, the small office was filled with dozens of Death Eaters!
Bella's deliberately subdued voice echoed through the room.
"You all know what our target is and where the door to that room is. Let's go and bring the master what he wants!"
Sherlock hadn't gone to bed yet.
He was sitting in his office, drinking tea with Eddie.
"Didn't you submit your resignation today?"
"This isn't the right time", Sherlock shook his head. "Though I don't have much loyalty to the Ministry of Magic, I've still gained something from being here. So, I can't bring myself to do something that would stab them in the back."
"Why are you here if you're supposed to be patrolling the top five floors?" he asked.
Eddie had been distracted since he arrived at Sherlock's office.
"I have a bad feeling about tonight."
He whispered.
"It's like someone is deliberately drawing all the Aurors away. The Hinkypunk incident and the appearance of Death Eaters in Scotland are too coincidental."
Sherlock narrowed his eyes.
"Do you suspect that, like last time, the Death Eaters are doing this on purpose?"
"My instincts tell me it's likely", Eddie said uneasily. "They want to take something from the Department of Mysteries. They didn't succeed last time, and given their nature, they're unlikely to give up so easily."
"Did you tell anyone else about this feeling?"
"I spoke to Scrimgeour", Eddie's face grew serious. "He shares my concerns, but even so, he has to send people out. The Aurors are always understaffed, and they need to maintain the safety of the entire Wizarding World. So, he's only leaving two teams here."
"Choosing you and Barty Jr. to stay behind is because you two are trusted. I was falsely accused once but didn't turn to the Death Eaters, and Barty Jr.'s father is Crouch, so he can't be a Death Eater. Scrimgeour arranged it this way to prevent anyone from bringing Death Eaters into the Ministry of Magic again."
Sherlock also felt uneasy. Usually, the more certain someone is that everything is foolproof, the more likely something will go wrong.
"So you came to me because you're worried that if the Death Eaters break into the Ministry of Magic again, they'll target the Department of Mysteries?"
"Their goal is clear. The attack in Wales and the infiltration when they were hunting me were all aimed at this place."
Sherlock frowned.
"What could they want from that room? If they're willing to go to such lengths, wouldn't it be more advantageous for them to storm the Ministry of Magic and eliminate the high-ranking officials opposing the Dark Lord?"
Eddie shook his head.
"I don't know the specifics, but I overheard the former Head of the Department of Mysteries, Madam Sturdy, say before she died that the room contains something that could change everything. This thing cannot fall into the Dark Lord's hands."
Sherlock stroked his chin, deep in thought, but he couldn't recall if he had heard of such an item in the Ministry of Magic before coming to this time.
"Amy is still in the Department of Mysteries!" Sherlock suddenly said. "We can't leave her here tonight. I'll take her to the Leaky Cauldron first."
He stood up and opened the door with Eddie, preparing to go to Amy's room.
Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the Hall of Time!
(End of Chapter)
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