Chapter 305: The Crouch Family
Chapter 305: The Crouch Family
December 26th, on the outskirts of London.
It was just past midnight, and although Christmas had passed, the small suburban town was still filled with the sounds of Christmas carols.
A few young men and women, wearing Santa hats and holding unlit fireworks, walked down the snow-covered road, laughing and chatting.
The neon lights hanging on the pine trees along the road flickered in various colors, and some passersby had already noticed the old man and the young man walking into town along the road.
The old man was a limping elderly figure with a wooden leg that made his steps uneven on the snow.
Despite his appearance, no one felt any pity for him. His gray, disheveled hair hung over his shoulders, and his face bore a few faint scars. His weathered features and slightly hunched back gave him a stern and imposing presence.
Walking beside him was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. Compared to the limping old man, the young man was much more handsome and pleasant to look at. However, both of them were dressed in the same peculiar black Robes, reminiscent of the styles popular in the Middle Ages.
"If you had accepted my suggestion to change into normal clothes before we left, we wouldn't be attracting so much attention", Sherlock grumbled. He had warned Mad-Eye Moody, but the retired Auror, known for his stubbornness, had ignored him.
Mad-Eye Moody paid no heed to the stares and gruffly replied, "Muggle clothes are too inconvenient. There's no place to hide a Wand. Besides, I've been wearing this Robe all evening at the ball."
"Professor Sinistra was your dance partner tonight, right? Didn't she complain about your outfit?"
"Do you think we old-timers care about such things? But she did worry about my wooden leg stepping on her feet during the dance. Ha, she doesn't know that in my younger days, I was a sought-after dance partner at Ministry of Magic balls."
"I don't know if she cares about your outfit, but she definitely won't like you mentioning her age."
"Shut up! I only say things like that in private. Mentioning a lady's age in her presence is not gentlemanly behavior!"
They continued walking and chatting as they reached the edge of the town.
There were few houses here, and the fields were sparse, but the trees were dense.
They didn't stop even after leaving the town, continuing deeper into the forest.
"The Crouch family's estate is here?" Sherlock asked, curiosity evident in his voice.
Mad-Eye Moody shook his head. "Pure-blood families usually build their estates in remote areas to avoid Muggle disturbances. The Crouch family, being an ancient Wizard family, certainly wouldn't build their estate next to a Muggle town."
"This is just Barty Crouch's personal residence. He prepared this house for handling magic affairs in London when he was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He's lived here ever since, while the Crouch family's ancestral home remains unoccupied."
Mad-Eye Moody, who had known the former head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement well, was well-informed.
Sherlock frowned upon hearing this information.
"Where is the Crouch family ancestral home? Does anyone know?"
"No one knows. Old Barty never mentioned it, and there are no records of it in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement", Mad-Eye Moody said with a serious expression. "Because of the history of witch hunts, some pure-blood families keep the locations of their manors highly confidential, only communicating with the outside world through the fireplace. Wizards who are not trusted don't know where these ancestral homes are located."
Hearing this, Sherlock's mood darkened, and his face turned grim. He had a bad feeling about this.
With Mad-Eye Moody leading the way, they quickly crossed the forest and arrived at a clearing. In the center of the clearing stood a two-story cottage.
The snow was piled high around the cottage, much thicker than on the streets of the town.
It was clear that the snow from the previous storms before Christmas had not been cleared, leading to such a heavy accumulation.
The two-story cottage also lacked any Christmas atmosphere. The roof and window sills were covered in snow, making it look like an abandoned rural house.
As Sherlock and Mad-Eye Moody approached, they both silently drew their wands.
"Kingsley said that Crouch hasn't been to the Ministry of Magic for how long?" Sherlock asked in a grave tone.
Mad-Eye Moody's magic eye was fixed on the building, constantly spinning.
"December 23rd. He promoted the Weasley family's third son to Deputy Head and entrusted most of his duties to him. After that, he hasn't been seen. According to the Weasley boy, he has a severe cold and needs to rest."
"Three days", Sherlock murmured. "Three days without appearing, it's hard not to suspect his current state."
By now, they had reached the front of the two-story cottage. The house was not large, and Sherlock immediately used his mind control magic to scan the inside without entering.
"There's no one inside."
Mad-Eye Moody's fake eye continued to spin. Without hesitation, he waved his wand and opened the door to the Crouch family's home.
The door was not locked, nor were there any protective measures. It was easily pushed open.
The scene inside the house was now revealed to them.
The living room was in disarray, with furniture overturned and stuffing from cushions scattered everywhere. It was clear that a violent struggle had taken place here.
Mad-Eye Moody limped into the room. He didn't investigate anything else but immediately crouched down and lightly touched the dust on the floor with his fingers.
"It hasn't been used for at least three months."
Sherlock walked through the disarrayed furniture with a clear purpose, heading straight for the fireplace. He bent down and picked up a dusty ring from an inconspicuous corner.
"Do you recognize this?" He held up the ring and asked Mad-Eye Moody.
Mad-Eye Moody approached and examined the ring, which was engraved with a two-headed bird.
"This is the Crouch family crest. It's the family heirloom ring that old Barty often wore."
(End of Chapter)
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