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Chapter 617: Four Suspects
Chapter 617: Four Suspects
"You shouldn't be asking me, Hals! As a Champion, Harry needs to solve this problem on his own... don't expect me to help you cheat!" Mad-Eye Moody grinned, his tone playful.
Ivan glanced at Mad-Eye Moody, pondered for a moment, and then continued, "So, have you identified any suspects in your investigation into who put Harry's name into the Triwizard Cup?"
"There are four very suspicious individuals!" Mad-Eye Moody smacked his lips, walking towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts office as he answered Ivan's question.
"The first one is Karkaroff, whom you just met. You might not know, but he was once a Death Eater and committed many atrocities. I was the one who personally sent him to Azkaban!"
"Originally, he should have spent the rest of his life in Azkaban with the Dementors. However, he struck a deal with Crouch, who was then the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and provided names of other Death Eaters in exchange for his freedom."
"Then why did this former Death Eater become the headmaster of Durmstrang?" Ivan was puzzled by this.
"Because he is notorious in the British Wizarding World and nobody wants anything to do with him. So, he fled to the Nordic region. As for how he became the headmaster, I don't know. Perhaps not many people there were aware of his past!" Mad-Eye Moody shook his head, explaining.
Ivan pondered for a moment, organizing the information Mad-Eye Moody had given him.
He didn't think Karkaroff was a likely suspect.
After all, the man was a notorious traitor, and Voldemort, being in a weakened state, might not trust him.
Additionally, Karkaroff's behavior during this time was no different from what Ivan remembered from the original timeline. In fact, he was trying to lower their scores to ensure they lost the tournament.
"Who are the other three suspects?" Ivan mentally ruled out Karkaroff and looked at Mad-Eye Moody, continuing his questioning.
"The second suspect is Snape!" Mad-Eye Moody narrowed his eyes, the sound of his wooden leg thudding down the corridor. His words were interspersed with the thuds.
"Like Karkaroff, he was once a Death Eater, but Dumbledore vouched for him back then.
Moreover, I've gathered some intelligence around the school. Many people have told me that Snape has been targeting Harry for several years now. If anyone truly wants to kill Harry, he is the most suspicious candidate."
No, he is the least suspicious candidate!
Ivan rolled his eyes, disagreeing with Mad-Eye Moody's assessment, but he understood why Snape would be considered the prime suspect by others.
"As for the third suspect—" Mad-Eye Moody dragged out his words, sounding hesitant.
The two had reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors' office. Mad-Eye Moody took out the key, unlocked the door, and strode inside.
"You haven't told me yet, who is it?" Ivan tightened his grip on his wand and followed, trying to sound casual.
However, as he stepped into the office, Ivan's brow furrowed. The room was filled with a faint, unpleasant odor.
Upon closer inspection, Ivan realized the Defense Against the Dark Arts office was in disarray. Papers, newspapers, and various odd trinkets were scattered on the desk, and a few unwashed clothes hung around.
"Oh, it's time for a bit of tidying. I've been so busy with classes and investigations that I haven't had much time to organize these things..." Mad-Eye Moody seemed a bit embarrassed as he quickly walked over to the window and opened it, then pointed his wand at the room.
"Scourgify!"
As Mad-Eye Moody uttered the spell, a gust of magical wind swept through the office, lifting up the scattered papers and newspapers. Under an unseen force, they were all shoved into a drawer.
Strange little creatures crawled out from the cracks in the furniture, only to be whisked away by the magical wind and thrown out the window, along with the peculiar smell...
Taking advantage of the moment, Ivan began to look around the office.
The most eye-catching feature was a large mirror hanging on the wall opposite the door, which, curiously, did not reflect the room's interior.
Instead, various figures were moving about in the mirror, one of which was standing very close, as if it could step out at any moment.
On a small table nearby, a golden object, resembling an antenna, was buzzing incessantly.
Ivan quickly spotted several security devices with just a few glances, grateful that he hadn't impulsively burst in to investigate Mad-Eye Moody. Otherwise, he would have been caught for sure.
Next, Ivan's gaze shifted to the several boxes placed around the office...
"The third suspect is Barty Crouch!"
Just as Ivan was trying to think of a reason to open the boxes and check their contents, Mad-Eye Moody's voice rang out.
"What?" Ivan was taken aback, turning his head sharply to look at Mad-Eye Moody with a mixture of surprise and suspicion.
After a moment, Ivan asked calmly, "Why? Isn't Mr. Crouch a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Magic? He was the former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. You just told me he presided over the trials of many Death Eaters and sent them to Azkaban. What reason could he have to harm Harry?"
"I don't know, but from the intelligence I've gathered, Crouch's recent behavior has been very strange!" Mad-Eye Moody leaned on his wand and walked quickly to stand in front of Ivan.
"Ludo Bagman told me that Crouch hasn't been at Hogwarts Castle for the past few days. At first, I thought he had gone back to the Ministry to handle some business, but when I checked with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, they hadn't seen him!"
"That's very interesting! As one of the organizers of the Triwizard Tournament, Crouch's sudden disappearance and unknown whereabouts are quite suspicious..." Mad-Eye Moody's expression was grave.
Ivan nodded, realizing that Barty Crouch was indeed a strong suspect.
He hadn't forgotten that the father and son shared the same name. If Barty Jr. had disguised himself as his father, he could have easily fooled the Marauder's Map, as the names would be identical.
Of course, it was also possible that Crouch's prolonged absence meant he had already been eliminated!
"And the last suspect?" Ivan steadied himself and asked.
"He's right here, isn't he?" Mad-Eye Moody's tone became somewhat evasive, his magical eye fixed intently on Ivan.
"You suspect me?" Ivan looked at Mad-Eye Moody with dissatisfaction.
"Don't blame me for being cautious, Hals. In fact, your suspicion isn't any less than the others. You successfully crossed the Age Line that night, didn't you? You had plenty of time to tamper with the Triwizard Cup..." Mad-Eye Moody questioned mercilessly.
(End of Chapter)
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