https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-496-Hermione-Arrives-at-Privet-Drive/13461343/
Chapter 495: Redscar
Chapter 495: Redscar
Dusk fell as a tall figure appeared at the edge of a Muggle town. He turned down a side path and walked through the dim woods for about ten minutes until the path disappeared. However, he did not stop, continuing straight to a dilapidated old house.
"Knock, knock!"
The rhythmic knocking echoed.
With a grating creak, the door was cautiously opened from the inside.
"Who is it?"
A hoarse voice, as if it had been soaked in brine for days, asked. Immediately, a wand trembled out of the darkness.
"Redscar Seymour?" a young voice inquired.
The stranger paid no attention to the wand pointed at him, instead lowering his head to check a list. He made a series of "tsk" sounds, reading the text with interest, "Layden Seymour, born in the famous Timothy Witch Village in 1947, raised by your aunt. Despite being male, you inherited a variety of dark magic, smuggling and selling dark magic items, and invested all the proceeds into dark magic research. During the Wizard War, you chose to support Voldemort and are said to have been praised by high-ranking Death Eaters..."
"Is that you?"
The visitor looked up, revealing a young face with light blue eyes that seemed to glow, occasionally flashing with images of Runic Script in his pupils.
The wand dropped to the ground.
"You, you, you—Felix Hepworth! You finally came!" Layden Seymour, the Dark Wizard, leaned against the doorframe, the dim light outside casting a terrified expression on his face.
The man before him was a typical Dark Wizard, dressed in a black, tightly sealed robe. Emaciated, with various marks of magical experiments visible on his exposed skin, his right index finger was covered in a layer of silver powder, but closer inspection revealed it to be wrinkled skin. A patch of red, tender flesh was visible on his neck, twisting up to half of his face, bright red as if it had just healed, though the scar had been there for over twenty years.
His nickname derived from this mark.
Felix darted into the house, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he cautiously walked across the floor, avoiding moldy and dusty clutter and any potential traps. Finally, he chose a relatively clean chair to sit in.
The house's owner appeared to have regained his composure, at least on the surface. Seymour clutched his wand, his eyes fixed on Felix with a deep, penetrating gaze. Trying to distance himself from his earlier cowardice, he spoke in a low, grave voice, "You shouldn't be here, Hep. I'm not one of those lone wolves you chased away. I have friends—"
"Are you talking about Bonnair, Elynor, or Kendig?" Felix asked.
Seymour looked at him in surprise, "What have you done to them?" The Wizard looked around frantically, as if searching for an escape route.
"Well, after some persuasion, they clearly realized that staying here under the current circumstances would be unwise, so they decided to go into hiding for a while", Felix said lightly. "It took some time to convince them, but the results were satisfactory. I told them that once the news of Voldemort's death spreads, they will be safe."
"That could take a while", Seymour sneered, "How long did the last war last? Ten years?"
"Don't blame me", Felix nodded towards the file, "I'm just following orders."
Seymour's nose twitched abnormally, the vivid red of his scar spreading across half his face. He growled, "You're purging us! You didn't convict me all those years ago, and now you're trying to drive me out of Britain for no reason?"
"Only because there was no evidence."
"What—"
"The reason we didn't arrest you back then was that you were sufficiently discreet, Seymour. The Ministry of Magic didn't have concrete evidence, but don't pretend to be innocent. You can't fool me, a Memory Master, which is why this task fell to me."
Felix calmly pointed to his eyes, where silver specks shimmered around his pupils, like rings around a blue planet. Seymour averted his gaze, having never seen such terrifying eyes.
Felix waved the file again.
"There are hundreds of cases like yours. The Ministry of Magic is at a loss with what to do. If they leave you alone, you might soon be swayed to the other side. But if they take preemptive action, like locking you up, it would seem too harsh, despite—forgive me—in my eyes, your crimes are obvious."
"Don't read my mind!" Seymour growled, "Memories can never be used as evidence!" His wand glowed, black mist curling around the tip, making the room incredibly dark.
"Are you sure you want to fight?" Felix asked softly.
Seymour's gathered courage deflated like an old tire. He leaned against a table in the corner, avoiding Felix's gaze.
"What do I need to do?" he asked in a low voice, his wand hanging loosely.
"Just as I said, leave here, find a place to take a break, travel, and pass the time. Once Voldemort falls, you can return and continue your promising illegal activities. By then, it won't be my concern."
Seymour muttered under his breath.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that", Felix said.
"When did you start working for the Ministry of Magic? Aren't you a professor?" Seymour couldn't figure out why he had run into him.
This time it was Felix's turn to sigh.
"Well, they offered me a deal I couldn't refuse—though I could have refused it, my conscience wouldn't let me owe anyone a favor. Besides, to be honest, I don't mind the temporary job. It gives me a chance to hone my magical skills."
He touched the ring on his left hand, which held the hourglass he had received from the Ministry of Magic, half of which was still filled with time energy.
After the Wizengamot meeting, Madam Bones had asked him to eliminate some unstable elements. "Each of them has a criminal record, but for various reasons, they escaped punishment. Even though they might just be minor supporters, they are still worth watching. They are part of the Dark Lord's network."
She also hinted at the recent breach at the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries.
"Whoever it was, I hope they aren't on the Dark Lord's side", she said, rubbing her temples. "The Obliviators have assured us there's no need to worry, but I think... well, maybe it's a good thing. At least the Dark Lord won't have the chance to do something similar again."
Madam Bones' attitude reflected that of the Ministry of Magic itself—hesitant. They wanted to retrieve the hourglass but were also concerned that it might fall into Voldemort's hands before they could.
The latter would clearly cause much greater harm.
...
Seymour stared at the black rectangular table, where a few newspapers and two booklets lay. One was the Ministry of Magic's War Survival Handbook, and the other was the Guide to Ancient Runes that Felix had co-published a few months ago. The cover was brightly colored, making it look like a children's book.
"Ancient Runes? I'm so jealous..." he said with a tinge of envy.
"You bought it too?" Felix asked, surprised, following Seymour's gaze to the booklet. He asked with interest, "How is it?"
"Not great", Seymour shook his head. He stretched out his hand, his face turning red as he struggled to form an Ancient Rune. But the next second, the Runic Symbols shattered. "I'm getting old and not very adaptable to new fields..."
"Could it be because of your dark magic research? Others have given good feedback", Felix calmly discussed with him.
"Maybe, let me try again..."
Felix spent some time guiding him. Then Seymour began to pack his belongings. Although the Ministry of Magic prohibited the misuse of the Undetectable Extension Charm, this rule clearly didn't apply to Dark Wizards. Besides, Seymour himself was a half-alchemist and could create similar storage items.
He abandoned all the furniture and picked out bottles and jars from various corners of the room. Some of them were clearly enchanted to hold much more than their size suggested. Finally, after some effort, Seymour managed to squeeze them all into a box, breathing heavily.
"Are you going to watch me Apparate?" Seymour picked up the box, casting a lingering glance around the room. "My magic is limited; I can only guarantee I'll leave tonight."
"Oh, no, I can provide some untraceable Portkeys", Felix waved his hand, and a row of worn items appeared before them: boots, a tin can, a Butterbeer bottle, and a piece of rotten wood.
Seymour hesitated, "Any recommendations? I don't want to end up in front of an Auror when I arrive."
Felix shook his head slightly, "No need to worry about that. What you need to consider is whether you want to continue doing things in the shadows or start anew in a new place, under the constraints of the local Ministry of Magic."
Seymour sneered and pulled at his shirt, revealing large magical scars.
"Someone like me?"
He didn't say anything more, picking a Portkey at random. The destination didn't matter much to him. "So, see you in ten years, Mr. Hep?"
"It won't take that long. Remember to read the newspapers."
Felix waved at him.
"You're really letting me go? No magical contract? What if I sneak back..."
"Seymour", Felix said calmly, "do you think that would benefit anyone? Don't be foolish. If the ones at your door today were Death Eaters, you'd have no choice. And as for me—when I see you among the Death Eaters, I won't show any mercy."
As the Wizard in front of him disappeared, Felix checked a box on the file.
"Everything went smoothly."
There was one more page.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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