Chapter 289: Probing
Chapter 289: Probing
Barty Crouch Sr. was a man accustomed to luxury and comfort.
Due to his age, his face was lined with wrinkles and age spots, but his skin remained relatively fair and tender. However, today his complexion was particularly pale.
Upon closer inspection, Mad-Eye Moody, who had the most dealings with him, noticed something was amiss.
Thanks to Moody's alert, Sherlock also became aware of this, and Crouch was one of the two most suspicious individuals.
At this critical moment, this observation only added more suspicion to Crouch's already questionable behavior.
Mad-Eye Moody and Sherlock did not react strangely. Instead, they huddled together and whispered, ensuring only they could hear each other.
"What do we do next?" Mad-Eye Moody asked.
Sherlock did not stare directly at Crouch's face but instead pretended to admire the furniture in the meeting room, using his peripheral vision to observe him.
"We need to confirm if he has any injuries. Can't your magic eye see through things? Can it do something like X-ray vision?"
At this question, Mad-Eye Moody's expression turned strange.
"Of course not! My eye can see through some magical clothing, but a normal robe? No way it can do X-ray vision!"
"I see."
Sherlock clicked his tongue, feigning disappointment.
"Then, I'll create an opportunity for you to observe him. Focus on his back; that's where Sectumsempra would cause the most damage."
While Sherlock and Mad-Eye Moody had this brief conversation, Dumbledore addressed the other judges who had been summoned to the meeting.
"...As I mentioned earlier, if we want to proceed with the first task at the originally scheduled time, the Romanian dragon handlers cannot provide us with new fire dragons. However, if we stick to the original plan, we can use Sherlock's assistance. With the help of his unique friend, these dead fire dragons can be brought back to life, functioning just as well as live ones."
Dumbledore spoke softly, looking at the other four judges.
He did not elaborate on the specific cause of the fire dragons' deaths, only mentioning that there had been an incident in the Forbidden Forest.
Only Dumbledore, Madame Maxime, and the mysterious figure among the judges knew the true reason behind the incident.
Upon hearing this news, the four judges in the meeting room displayed varying reactions.
Madame Maxime, who knew the most, remained tight-lipped throughout, showing no intention of sharing her thoughts.
However, her eyes occasionally flicked towards Sherlock, still struggling to understand how this young man managed to subdue four rampaging fire dragons at once.
Barty Bagman, on the other hand, expressed genuine surprise. He pondered for a moment before speaking.
"The reboot of the Triwizard Tournament has indeed brought us many surprises. The unexpected selection of Potter, and now the dilemma of whether to delay the first task or opt for a feasible alternative. Personally, I lean towards Dumbledore's alternative. The wizarding world is watching this tournament closely. If the first task is delayed, it might give the impression that we cannot manage the events smoothly throughout the semester."
After he finished speaking, Crouch's words remained brief.
"I agree with Ludo and Dumbledore's method."
"I have no objections either", Madame Maxime added.
With the three of them expressing their opinions, only Karkaroff was left. Normally, he would be the most likely to refuse.
However, this time, he seemed to realize that even if he objected, his stance wouldn't matter in a 4 to 1 situation. He didn't say anything more, just nodded calmly.
"Since you all agree, my opinion doesn't matter. As long as the first task remains fair, I have no objections."
"Thank you for your understanding", Dumbledore said with a smile.
The meeting was clearly coming to an end. As all the judges stood up from their seats, Crouch's robe, which was positioned at the edge, suddenly lifted as if it had a mind of its own!
Not only did his outer robe rise, but his sweater and shirt underneath also lifted, exposing Crouch's upper body in an instant.
The incident happened so quickly that not only did Crouch himself not react, but the others didn't either.
Mad-Eye Moody, who had been watching Crouch's back closely after being alerted by Sherlock, saw no signs of any scars on the exposed skin.
"What's going on?" Crouch, looking flustered, pulled his robe and sweater back down.
"Sorry, Mr. Crouch, it's my fault."
Sherlock, who had been pretending to arrange some documents on a bookshelf, looked apologetic.
"I was trying to organize things here, but my spellwork was a bit off. I intended to use magic to bring over the book next to you, but I accidentally affected your clothes. I'm very sorry, sir."
Crouch's face was grim. He coldly replied to Sherlock, "As a professor at this school, you should indeed work on your poor magic skills, Mr. Forrest."
With that, he turned and left the meeting room, and the others, seeing nothing amiss, followed suit, assuming it was indeed Sherlock's mistake.
In the end, only Mad-Eye Moody, Sherlock, and Dumbledore remained in the room.
Once everyone had left and the door was closed again, Mad-Eye Moody frowned.
"I didn't see any obvious scars on old Barty's back."
Sherlock stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"The Sectumsempra spell is powerful, but we can't rule out the possibility that someone could have found a way to heal the wounds I caused overnight, even without a counter-curse."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
