Chapter 318: The Entire Plan
Chapter 318: The Entire Plan (Please Subscribe, Favorite, and Vote)
"Ginny, are you okay?" "Do you feel any discomfort now?" The Weasley Brothers at the school rushed to Ginny's bedside and anxiously inquired about her condition. After a while, once they were sure Ginny was fine, the three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why were you alone and unconscious in the bathroom? Where's Harry?" Ron asked, voicing his concern.
"Harry? I fainted in the bathroom right after we entered the Three Broomsticks. I only just woke up a few minutes ago. How would I know where Harry is?" Ginny replied, looking puzzled. "Wasn't he with you?"
"No, that's not right." Ron's eyes widened in fear. "You said you were going to give Harry a gift when you came out of the bathroom, so I left with Liam and Hermione. If you never left the bathroom, then who was the Ginny who told Harry she had a surprise for him?"
"Alastor, I need your help. We just counted the students returning to the school and found that Harry is missing. We need to find him now." Dumbledore's voice came from the doorway.
"I already had a suspicion, and it seems the person who took Harry was disguised as Miss Ginny", Mad-Eye Moody turned to look at Dumbledore. "What I don't understand is why the person also took Liam and Hermione."
"I suspect it was to throw us off the trail. Earlier, the Aurors rescued Madam Rosmerta's nephew from the Three Broomsticks' cellar. According to his account, he was attacked and imprisoned in a large box during the summer vacation. The kidnapper would occasionally pull some of his hair. Today, he was given a potion and hidden in an empty barrel. The only reason he survived was because the kidnapper said they didn't want any more purebloods to die."
"It seems he was also replaced. The imposter managed to infiltrate and remain undetected for over a semester right under our noses", Dumbledore said, his voice filled with anger. "Ron and the others could feel the headmaster's fury at that moment."
"Putting the piece of paper into the Goblet of Fire must have been this person's doing", Mad-Eye Moody continued. "We often order drinks from the Three Broomsticks, and they usually deliver them after the school curfew. The imposter could have easily disguised themselves as a delivery person to enter the castle. With their skill in confusing the Goblet of Fire's magic, they could use the Imperius Curse to control the house-elf inspecting the goods, then quickly go up to the hall, drop the paper, and return. Most wizards in Britain graduated from Hogwarts, so for them, it wouldn't be difficult to navigate the castle and carry out such a task quickly."
Everyone in the room agreed with Mad-Eye Moody's reasoning, but as the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly. Just as the Hospital Wing fell into a heavy silence, Cedric burst in, panicked. "Professor, it's bad. Madam Pomfrey was found unconscious outside Hogsmeade Village, and a girl is missing. Strangely, no one recognizes her."
"Damn it." Even Professor Dumbledore, who had seemed calm just a moment ago, stood up. "Notify the Ministry of Magic about the missing students immediately, and mobilize everyone to search. I want to know who is behind this."
Just a quarter of an hour before the chaos at Hogwarts, Harry was leaving the Three Broomsticks with a blissful smile on his face. Ginny had said she wanted to give him a special gift and didn't want anyone else to be around when she did.
Harry didn't suspect anything, as Ginny had always been a bit shy around him, even after they started dating. He simply assumed her current behavior was due to her shyness.
After avoiding the prying eyes of the students and tourists on the street and entering the woods behind the Three Broomsticks, Ginny pulled a beautifully wrapped gift box out of her pocket.
It's well known that lovers in the throes of romance often seek out dimly lit spots where their bashfulness can be discreetly concealed, making it easier to whisper sweet nothings. Of course, this might also be because people naturally feel that dim places offer a way to hide, making it convenient to do things that wouldn't be appropriate in public.
However, Harry was clearly out of luck today. As soon as he opened the gift box, he was kidnapped by a woman disguised as Ginny, who had just taken a dose of Polyjuice Potion. The woman had used an illegal Portkey hidden in the gift to transport him away in the dimly lit underbrush.
Once she confirmed that Harry had been successfully sent away, this "Ginny" took another sip of Polyjuice Potion and transformed into the appearance of a young witch from the countryside who had come to town to shop a month ago. She then modified her clothing with her wand to resemble that of a Hufflepuff upper-year student. After checking herself in a mirror to ensure there were no flaws, she headed toward the Three Broomsticks inn, muttering to herself.
"Those lowly creatures actually dared to make demands of the great Master. They should be groveling at Master's feet. But this is for the best. I can eliminate those Mudbloods who have tarnished the glory of Purebloods, and show all Mudbloods that they do not deserve to touch the power of magic." As she said this, her otherwise delicate face twisted into a grotesque expression.
Quickly, she composed herself and cast an Imperius Curse and another curse on herself, knowing that only this would make her performance more convincing. Everything that followed was part of her plan. After transporting Liam and Hermione, she used this method to fool Mad-Eye Moody, who had been hastily checking her. Then, in a secluded area outside town, she knocked out Madam Pomfrey and used Apparition to return to her Master's side.
When she arrived at the clearing in the woods, the distant sound of waves and the salty sea air helped her relax. She knew she had reached the predetermined island. In front of her, Harry was already tied to a tree trunk.
A few seconds later, the effects of the Polyjuice Potion wore off. A pale-skinned man with a sprinkling of freckles and a head of messy light blond hair, somewhere between middle-aged and young, stood there in a Hogwarts girl's uniform that was far too ill-fitting. If Professor Dumbledore were there, he would recognize this man as Barty Crouch Jr., who had been sent to Azkaban by his own father years ago.
"Huff, huff", Barty panted heavily. Although he had been prepared for the curse, it still had some side effects, especially for someone who had been weakened by long-term imprisonment at home. The long-distance Apparition had left him breathless.
However, a frightening smile spread across his face. He had successfully kidnapped Harry from under the watchful eyes of the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore. Moreover, he had also kidnapped two Mudbloods who had sullied the Order of Merlin with their dirty hands.
The fact that Mudbloods could be awarded the Order of Merlin was a sign of the Ministry's decline. He shook his head to clear the unpleasant thought, and his loyalty to his Master grew even stronger. Thanks to his Master's wise planning, he had accomplished what seemed like an impossible task.
As he thought this, his eyes suddenly locked onto something, and a look of excitement filled them.
Despite the darkness, Barty saw a short figure step out of the shadows, wearing a hooded cloak that concealed their face. In their arms, they carried the Master, who was currently in an infant form.
As the figure drew closer, Barty saw that his Master was looking at him with approval. This filled him with an overwhelming sense of excitement, as if a warm current was coursing through his body.
For the Master had come to greet him personally!
(End of Chapter)
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