Chapter 360: The Working Man Riddle
Chapter 360: The Working Man Riddle
In fact, Dumbledore returned to Number 12, Grimmauld Place not even by noon, but around ten in the morning.
His expression gave no indication of whether his morning meeting with Scrimgeour had gone well, but as soon as he saw Sherlock, he immediately found a private room to talk with him.
"I gave Rufus enough warning, but it seems he believes the advice of Fudge, who is now his advisor", Dumbledore said calmly, his tone tinged with a hint of regret but not despair.
Sherlock also spoke matter-of-factly.
"From the moment Fudge wasn't expelled from the Ministry of Magic after his resignation, it was clear what Scrimgeour was thinking. At first, I thought he might have kept Fudge around just to stabilize the situation and complete the power transition within the department. Now, it seems he actually finds the fool's words reasonable."
"What did Scrimgeour say about Azkaban?"
Dumbledore shook his head.
"He verbally agreed to thoroughly investigate the Dementors, but then subtly reminded me not to interfere too much with the Ministry of Magic. He even suggested that I bring Harry to the Ministry so they can investigate the Dementor attack from last night."
"He still hasn't given up on Harry?"
"Scrimgeour wants to take control of the fight against Voldemort and keep everything in his hands", Dumbledore said, looking at Sherlock. "If he truly has the capability, then consolidating all the forces would indeed be a good thing, and I wouldn't mind following his orders. However, from his actions as the Head of the Auror Office, it's clear that his ability in this area is even less than Barty's."
"Strong desire for control, but lacking the ability." Sherlock clicked his tongue, and though he didn't say more, his meaning was clear.
Dumbledore took off his glasses, tapped them with his wand to clean them, and then continued.
"Let's set Scrimgeour aside for now. Even if he doesn't value my warnings, Kingsley and the others have already increased their vigilance at Azkaban. We have more pressing matters to attend to."
His expression grew serious.
"When you detected Voldemort's Horcrux in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, I also searched for it, but I haven't found anything yet. However, this Horcrux won't run away, so we can investigate it at our leisure. During this time, I've also reviewed his past. If that diary was indeed his first Horcrux, then our next search won't be as much like looking for a needle in a haystack."
With that, he stood up from his chair.
"If you have no other plans this afternoon, you can join me in investigating places where Voldemort might have hidden important items."
Sherlock nodded. Finding Voldemort's Horcruxes was not only about preparing to kill him once and for all but also about strengthening Sherlock's position.
Mrs. Weasley prepared a lavish lunch.
In front of Harry and the others, Dumbledore didn't show any signs of worry. He cheerfully recounted stories of Mr. Weasley's mischievous days at Hogwarts to cheer up Ginny, who was in a bad mood.
In terms of personal charisma, Dumbledore far outshines Voldemort, even surpassing his former rival, Grindelwald, by a slight margin.
After lunch, Sherlock and Dumbledore walked out of the hallway of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, standing at the front door.
"Have you been there before?" Dumbledore asked, blinking his eyes.
Sherlock smiled.
"Not only have I been there, but you might not believe it, I even have a house there."
"Ah, that makes things much easier for us."
With that, they both waved their wands and disappeared on the spot.
At the same time, in a dirty and disreputable alley, a sound like a whip cracking through the air echoed, and Sherlock and Dumbledore reappeared.
Knockturn Alley.
Though it is a street in the British magical community, it is not as well-known as Diagon Alley.
However, for many wizards, it is an indispensable shopping destination.
After all, if you want to buy something like a love potion, which is listed as a prohibited item by the Ministry of Magic, you won't find it in the regular potion shops in Diagon Alley.
But in Knockturn Alley, you might not even have to express your need before a toothless old witch approaches you to sell her love potion masterpiece.
"Riddle once worked on this street for a while after graduating from Hogwarts", Dumbledore said as he and Sherlock did not immediately leave the deserted alley. Dumbledore raised his uniquely shaped old wand and performed a transformation spell on both himself and Sherlock, changing their appearances, and continued.
"In his first year after graduation, he applied to the then-headmaster of Hogwarts, Armando Dippet, to stay and teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. However, Dippet refused him, citing his youth, but welcomed him to apply again after a few years when he had more experience."
"After failing to stay at Hogwarts, he disappeared for a while. I haven't yet determined where he went, but it's highly likely that he created a Horcrux during this period. Not long after, he returned to Britain."
"At that time, he was incredibly talented, and the Ministry of Magic offered him many positions, which he could have taken if he wanted. However, to everyone's surprise, he chose to come to Knockturn Alley and applied for a job at Borgin and Burkes, then located at 13B. The owner at the time, Caractacus Burke, accepted him."
"During his time here, he was very well-behaved and had no negative reputation. But one day, he suddenly quit his job and chose to travel again, wandering for several years until he was around thirty, when he returned to Hogwarts to apply for a job."
By this time, Dumbledore and Sherlock, now disguised as middle-aged wizards, were less than twenty steps away from Borgin and Burkes.
"So, you suspect he might have hidden a Horcrux in this store?"
"It's a possibility. If that's the case, you should be able to feel it once we enter. Even if he didn't choose this place to hide it, he definitely experienced some extraordinary events during his time working here."
(End of Chapter)
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