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Chapter 294: Crouch's Continued Observations
Chapter 294: Crouch's Continued Observations
"The Crouch family is an ancient pure-blood lineage. Though their numbers have dwindled by Barty's generation, their connections in the Wizarding World remain extensive!"
Mad-Eye Moody's voice was stern.
"Unlike other pure-blood families, during Barty Crouch Sr.'s tenure, he never joined the Dark Lord's forces and openly expressed his disdain for the Death Eaters. This earned him a high reputation in the Wizarding World, and even after the scandal involving his son, the family's name was largely salvaged by his subsequent actions of justice."
"At the Ministry of Magic, he is currently being heavily suppressed by Fudge. Officially, he was transferred from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, but the actual responsibilities and authority of these departments differ significantly. However, this is merely Fudge's suppression; within the department, he still enjoys a high level of respect."
"This is evident from the fact that even after Amelia Bones took over his position, she has yet to fully control the Department. People like Scrimgeour still only trust Crouch's word."
Mad-Eye Moody's persuasive speech did not change Sherlock's mind, but it did make him reconsider.
What Moody said was indeed correct. Crouch's power, in and of itself, was not particularly strong. Not all wizards become more powerful with age; the years spent dealing with bureaucratic matters had left Crouch, a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Magic, less powerful than a random professor at Hogwarts.
However, Crouch's network of connections, both for the Crouch family and himself, could not be underestimated. Sherlock could not be certain that interrogating the old man would not leave any lingering issues.
If it turned out that Crouch was innocent and the actions taken against him were made public, Sherlock would likely become a pariah in the Wizarding World, and even Dumbledore might not be able to protect his reputation.
Mad-Eye Moody's words were genuinely meant to help him.
Sherlock sighed, somewhat helplessly. "So, even though we suspect him, we just let him leave Hogwarts?"
Mad-Eye Moody, with his wealth of experience, quickly thought of a solution.
"We can't watch him 24/7, even if he stays at Hogwarts. But he is mostly alone, and he spends most of his day at the Ministry of Magic. During that time, we can have Kingsley and Tonks keep an eye on him. They have lighter duties recently and plenty of free time."
This was the best plan they could come up with. Kingsley was experienced, and Tonks, with her Metamorphmagus abilities, would be more effective than Mad-Eye Moody watching Crouch alone in the castle.
After discussing the matter further, Mad-Eye Moody left to contact Kingsley and Tonks at the Ministry of Magic.
On the other side, Harry returned to the Gryffindor Common Room and was greeted with the most enthusiastic welcome from all the Gryffindor students.
George and Fred brought a pile of food from the kitchen and organized a small party in the common room.
The banquet was much more enjoyable for Harry than the night he was chosen as a Hogwarts champion.
They made Harry open the Golden Egg in front of everyone, and all of Gryffindor would help him solve the riddle for the second task.
However, when the Golden Egg was opened, it only emitted a terrifying scream. George and the others made a bunch of wild guesses that were completely unhelpful to Harry.
While Harry and the others were fussing, Hermione was more interested in the food the Weasley twins had brought from the kitchen. She specifically asked George where the kitchen was.
"It's quite convenient, just down the corridor from the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room. There's a painting of fruit on the wall, and if you tickle the pear, a doorknob will appear, letting you in."
At this point, George suddenly became wary and sized Hermione up.
"Why are you asking this? Hermione, are you planning to lead the house-elves on a strike again? Are you going to give up on those flyers and rally them to revolt?"
There was a burst of laughter from the crowd.
Hermione replied calmly.
"I'm not that naive anymore. I've read a lot of theories in books, and I want to understand their lives and thoughts in practice. Don't worry, if I were to organize a house-elf strike, they'd probably want to get rid of me first."
Fred, who had been listening, looked pleased.
"You've matured a lot, Hermione."
Hermione didn't take his compliment to heart. After learning the location of the kitchen, she stepped back and didn't say much more.
During the party, George and Fred also showed everyone their new prank items. Poor Neville was made the guinea pig and accidentally ate a biscuit that turned him into a canary.
The celebration was brief, and the next day, they returned to their regular classes.
Hagrid was still teaching them how to cultivate those disgusting Horklumps.
Sybill Trelawney continued to predict Harry's misfortune and death, while Professor Vector taught Hermione and the others Tarot Divination.
The fourth-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class wasn't easy either, as they would be taking the Wizarding Level Exam the following year. Professor Sherlock assigned them much heavier study tasks than in their third year.
But Hermione still managed to find some time to seek out Professor Sherlock.
A cup of black tea and a full plate of cookies were the standard for when Professor Sherlock received students.
"I've been reading a lot of books, Professor", Hermione said, looking perplexed. "Many are about social structures, human relationships, and class. They explore how certain social relationships can truly achieve equality. There are various ideologies, like Anarchism and Socialism, but the more I read, the less I feel I understand."
"Is there such a thing as true equality in this world? If it exists, why do some books say that wherever there are people, there will be classes, and the existence of classes means inequality?"
"If people themselves can't achieve true equality, how can other species? Is the ultimate goal of pursuing equality to eliminate classes? How can we eliminate classes among wizards? How can we address the contradictions in the Wizarding World?"
Hermione's long list of questions made Sherlock look at her with a peculiar expression.
Compared to a typical fifteen-year-old girl, the things Hermione was thinking about were far more advanced than those of her peers.
(End of Chapter)
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