Chapter 315: Dark Wizard Gagson
Chapter 315: Dark Wizard Gagson
Seeing the scene before him, Sherlock didn't need to think hard to understand what had happened.
The most likely scenario was that the Death Eaters' Imperius Curse had not truly controlled Crouch. He had been using his willpower to try to break free from the curse the entire time.
The ones who cast the Imperius Curse on him had clearly noticed this situation. However, for some reason—possibly because they still needed Crouch to complete certain tasks—they didn't choose to eliminate him. Instead, they continued to try to control him.
A couple of days ago, Crouch managed to break free from the Imperius Curse once again, escaping from the Death Eaters' custody. He encountered Taylor near this town, which led to Dumbledore asking Sherlock to come over.
From the current scene, it was clear that these Death Eaters had found Crouch again and were now taking him back.
Sherlock didn't act rashly. The first one to spot these individuals was Fawkes, who had been patrolling the sky. After receiving the information from Fawkes, Sherlock immediately cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and stealthily made his way toward the location of the Death Eaters.
Soon, after walking about a kilometer, he saw the group.
Since they were out in the open, they weren't wearing the characteristic iron masks that Death Eaters usually used to conceal their identities. Sherlock recognized all of them; each had a history of joining Voldemort's ranks and was a pureblood wizard.
There weren't many of them—only three in total. The leader was the one Sherlock remembered most vividly.
His name was Gagson, a blond wizard.
Before Voldemort rose to power, Gagson had been arrested three times by the Ministry of Magic for privately researching Dark Magic. However, each time he was imprisoned for only a short period. The Ministry's official explanation was that his Dark Magic research did not involve human experimentation, but anyone with a clear eye could see the real reason.
When Voldemort emerged, Gagson openly declared his allegiance to the Death Eaters. However, he never did anything particularly noteworthy and never participated in any major Auror ambushes. He remained in the background, conducting research on ancient Dark Magic for Voldemort.
After Voldemort's downfall, Gagson resorted to his old tricks, bribing officials and tearfully claiming that he had been forced to act under the Imperius Curse. Many others used the same tactic to escape punishment, the most famous being Lucius, who remained highly active in politics despite holding no official position.
However, Gagson wasn't as lucky as Lucius. His reputation had been tarnished long before Voldemort's rise, and the Ministry, to avoid appearing too lenient, sentenced him to six months in Azkaban. In reality, he was released after less than two months.
Gagson was never a obedient wizard. After his release, he continued his Dark Magic research on a small island in Northern Europe, gradually fading from the British Wizarding World's radar.
Now, he has returned, ready to serve Voldemort once again.
Sherlock stared at these people. Just seeing Gagson was enough to tell him that Voldemort had already gathered a significant portion of his former followers.
Most of these people, like Lucius and Gagson, were not entirely loyal, but as long as Voldemort believed he could control the situation, these fence-sitters could still be useful.
Just like Snape at Hogwarts and the somewhat suspicious Karkaroff, the Dark Mark on their arms occasionally pulsed with Voldemort's summons.
Fawkes and Fidelius perched on separate branches of two different trees. These two birds seemed to dislike each other, so they even avoided sharing the same branch.
There were many birds in this forest, so they didn't stand out. Sherlock, meanwhile, had quietly moved closer to the Death Eaters. His control field spread out, enveloping everyone, allowing him to observe their every move clearly.
He also identified the person being carried on the shoulder of a burly Death Eater as Crouch. This time, it wasn't a trap set by the Death Eaters.
Sherlock could hear their conversation clearly.
"Master has given us an ultimatum. If we don't deal with this old man within three days, he'll make us food for Nagini!"
"Deal with him? We almost lost him! How can we possibly manage in three days?"
"You should ask Gagson. He was the one who promised Master that he could reassert control over this old man by March."
Gagson, with his blond hair and glasses, looking sinister and cold, turned and gave his two companions a cold look.
"If I hadn't made that promise, would any of you still be alive? You would have been in Nagini's belly after Christmas! At least now we have a chance to turn things around."
"Do you have a way to successfully cast the Imperius Curse on this old man?" The Death Eater carrying Crouch sounded desperate. "We've tried for three months and failed. What makes you think you can do it in three days?"
Gagson's face remained calm, but his voice was particularly chilling.
"Master wants a useful Barty Crouch Sr., not just a normal person. If all else fails, we can drive him mad. Once his mind is completely shattered, the Imperius Curse will meet far less resistance."
"I can't guarantee other methods, but when it comes to turning a normal person into a madman, I have a few effective spells at my disposal."
His words sent shivers down the spines of the two Death Eaters.
Madmen's followers often included other madmen, many of whom had gone insane alongside the initially charismatic Voldemort.
Sherlock, hidden by the Disillusionment Charm, didn't focus entirely on their conversation. He was quietly calculating the distance between himself and the Death Eater carrying Crouch, while also preparing the two birds perched on the branches.
Sherlock didn't intend to rely on brute force. His goal was simple: to bring Crouch back to Hogwarts unharmed.
(End of Chapter)
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