https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-300-The-Journalist-What-s-in-the-Truck-/12946080/
Chapter 301: Vold - Flame Burst
Chapter 301: Vold - Flame Burst
"They think it's the person they kidnapped," Vold said.
"But in reality?" Rita pressed.
Vold smiled, "If the door opens, remember to stay away."
His smile remained gentle, but for some reason, Rita's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a shiver down her spine.
She rubbed her arms, turned her gaze away, and asked in a challenging tone, "How come I didn't notice anything special about these guys? They look like ordinary people... Are you trying to fool me?"
"If I'm fooling you, then you can make up rumors about me in the newspaper," Vold said with a laugh.
"And you can even report me to the Ministry of Magic, saying I'm an unregistered Animagus."
On their way here, Vold had transformed Rita into an insect and himself into a peregrine falcon, allowing them to return to the ship before it set sail.
Rita scoffed, "I'm an unregistered Animagus too. Won't I be sent to Azkaban as well?"
"So, we have each other's secrets, isn't this the best alliance?" Vold said, "You won't betray me, so I won't play tricks on you either."
"Alright then." Rita took a deep breath and revealed a mischievous smile.
"If I really get the big scoop, the expressions on those Ministry guys will be hilarious, and it'll be worth writing another article! But..."
She twirled the gem ring on her finger, glanced at Vold, and said, "If there's real danger, I'll be the first to run for my life."
"Of course, your safety is the most important thing."
Vold reached into his pocket, took out a piece of parchment, and said, "This is a Friend's Account linked to me, and it has a location function. You can use it to contact me anytime."
"Okay." Rita took it and then asked, "If there's danger on my side, can you bring Dumbledore with you?"
"It depends on the situation."
Vold then pulled out a paper bag, opened it, and revealed a silver-glowing object.
Rita gasped, "An Invisibility Cloak!"
"Take it." Vold handed it over, "Keep it safe, I think you might need it."
Although the insect form was quite concealed, Rita still needed to eat, drink, use the Friend's Account, and if necessary, regain her human form to hide or use magic. The Invisibility Cloak would significantly increase her safety.
This Invisibility Cloak wasn't the Deathly Hallow that Harry's father had left him, but one that Vold had bought from a second-hand thrift store during last year's vacation.
When he purchased it, the Invisibility Cloak had lost its invisibility magic, but most of the materials were still intact. Vold, in the course of his alchemy studies, had spent some time repairing the Invisibility Cloak, and it was now ready for use.
Rita was amazed and took it with a sense of awe, asking, "You're really giving it to me? This thing is extremely rare and valuable."
"You're thinking too much. I'm just lending it to you for now." Vold said, "But if you can help me find their lair, this Invisibility Cloak can be your reward."
"You have my word!"
Rita's eyes lit up with determination, and her thick, chubby fingers tightly gripped the Invisibility Cloak, clearly not wanting to return it.
Vold watched as Rita put away the Invisibility Cloak and the Friend's Account, then transformed into a tiny beetle and flew to the top of the truck.
He cast an Invisibility Charm on himself and stood aside to observe.
The beetle stayed on the truck's roof for a while, and seeing that the two people inside were sound asleep, it couldn't restrain its curiosity and crawled towards the rear compartment.
Voldemort had previously torn a hole in the carriage, but now it was repaired, although not completely sealed. A beetle crawled around, finally finding a narrow gap.
For humans, it was just a gap too small for even a finger to fit through, but for the tiny beetle, it was more than enough.
It squeezed half its body through, took a quick glance, and then, startled, shot out, bumping into the protrusion behind the truck's cab with a soft "thud."
The dozing Hairy Chin in the cab was awakened by this slight sound. He opened his eyes groggily, still dazed, and suddenly sniffed.
"What the hell...damn it! Did you just pee your pants in the truck?!"
He was shocked and kicked the sleeping Speckle Driver awake.
A loud "bang" echoed from the door.
The Speckle Driver, without even opening his eyes, instinctively punched the other man.
Hairy Chin didn't back down; he bared his teeth and roared as he pounced forward!
The two fought, punching and kicking, in the cramped space, causing the entire cab to rattle and shake.
During the ship's voyage, other secured vehicles also experienced slight shaking, and the truck, placed among them, wasn't particularly noticeable.
Voldemort listened for a while, and neither of them questioned their drowsiness or the missing memories. The argument started with the peeing incident and quickly escalated into a simple brawl.
Rita Skitt, crouching in the corner by the window, watched with great interest. If she had a pen, she would have started writing fervently.
Voldemort quietly left.
...
By the time they returned to London, the sky was already brightening.
A thin, bluish fog enveloped the buildings, tall and short, as a flock of pigeons gathered and flew over St. Paul's Cathedral.
Voldemort found the small museum, but the glass door was now locked, and the shy-looking girl was no longer at the counter.
Voldemort gripped the door handle and silently chanted, "Alohomora!"
The lock clicked open, and he pushed the door, seeing that the elevator display was still dark.
The elevator was locked and required a corresponding key or password to reopen. Voldemort, of course, didn't have either. He drew his backup wand and waved it like a whip!
The iron door creaked and twisted open, revealing a massive gap.
He descended along the elevator shaft and saw that the elevator cable had been brutally severed. The entire elevator had fallen below, becoming a barrier to trap the wizards.
Although most alchemists were less skilled in practical operations, given enough time, they would naturally find a way to break through this blockade and escape.
However, at that time, everyone was covered in golden dust, their minds foggy, and their reactions had slowed significantly. They wanted to leave but stubbornly struggled with the iron door.
In reality, this building wasn't constructed as a prison, nor was it hidden deep underground like the Millennium Chamber at Hogwarts.
Naturally, there were stairs connecting the bottom floor to the other levels. However, during the chaos, these stairs were also concealed.
Voldemort spent some time finding the stairs hidden by the Confundus Charm and descended to the bottom floor, where he saw another locked iron door.
After opening the door, Voldemort didn't enter but pointed his wand inside and softly said, "Flame Burst!"
(End of Chapter)
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