Chapter 837: The Search
Chapter 837: The Search
"Respected Auror, if there's no issue, could you please let us through?" At the entrance of Diagon Alley, a double-decker bus was forced to stop, and the conductor, surrounded by a group of Aurors, impatiently said, "I've said it many times; the person you're looking for did not take the Knight Bus."
"But according to our information, someone did take the Knight Bus from here," the leading Auror stated expressionlessly.
"Is there a problem with that?" The conductor became more agitated, "We are here to help wizards in need, not just today; every day, we receive passengers from Diagon Alley."
"But today is different," the Auror continued. "Someone killed five wizards in Knockturn Alley, and with such cruelty, they will likely target other wizards. We must catch them quickly. You wouldn't want a ruthless Dark Wizard after you, would you?"
"Killed... five wizards..." The conductor panicked and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her ticket folder. "Oh, you mentioned Knockturn Alley; could it be one of the wizards from there?"
"Knockturn Alley has its rules; they wouldn't cause trouble, especially not for themselves."
"So, can you confirm that he left on the Knight Bus?"
"That's not for you to ask," the Auror said coldly. "All you need to do is cooperate with us."
"Fine, ask what you want," the conductor said. "But you'd better hurry; many wizards are waiting for our help."
"Don't worry, we won't take too long," the Auror assured. "However, your answers are too vague; I might have to use other methods."
"Legilimency."
Before the conductor could react, she saw a wand, and then the events of the past three hours flashed through her mind.
These fragments, as they appeared to her, were also visible to the Auror across from her.
"You dare to use Legilimency on me!" The conductor exploded as she realized what was happening. "You can't do this; I'll report you to the Minister at the Ministry of Magic!"
"It's fine; go ahead," the Auror said calmly. "The situation is urgent, and some methods are necessary. Even if I get punished, I'll take the risk to catch that Dark Wizard."
"That's easy for you to say," the conductor didn't calm down after a few words. "So, did you find any clues?"
The Auror remained silent.
In the conductor's memory, he didn't find the stranger described by the shopkeepers, the wealthy unknown wizard.
In this memory, only two people had taken the Knight Bus.
The first was a middle-aged wizard, who was quickly ruled out, not because of his appearance but because in the wizarding world, changing one's appearance is too easy, whether through Transfiguration or Polyjuice Potion."
The other person was a witch, appearing quite anxious, and while she might be the one they were looking for, it was only a possibility.
Such cruel Dark Wizards are usually cunning, skilled at evading magical investigations. Perhaps they had already slipped away without anyone noticing.
The Auror rubbed his forehead. Regardless, he needed to investigate further and keep himself busy; otherwise, he wouldn't have anything to report to the Ministry.
For now, he could only try to create a bigger scene, hoping to force the culprit to stay quiet for a while.
If another five wizards died, his career as an Auror would be over.
He waved his hand, signaling the Knight Bus to leave.
The conductor, feeling cold, boarded the bus.
"You few stay here," he said, turning to the Aurors behind him. "Bartok, come with me to Northamptonshire."
"Captain, you don't really believe that wealthy wizard took the Knight Bus, do you?" An Auror approached and asked, "He might not even know about this mode of transportation."
"I still think we should investigate Malfoy; everyone knows that Horken was working for him. Maybe he was silenced because he knew too much."
"Do you have evidence? Malfoy is a favorite of many department heads." The Auror captain spoke sternly. "As soon as we step into his estate, we'd be asked to leave."
"We can find evidence," Bartok said. "Didn't we receive a tip that Horken got a dragon egg? But that egg later disappeared without a trace."
"Malfoy was the most vocal opponent of the Dragon Protection Reserve. Perhaps Horken's death is related to this."
"Makes sense," the Auror captain said without turning back. "You don't need to come to Northamptonshire with me. Go find that dragon egg; if you can, my position is yours."
"This... I, I don't know where to start looking," Bartok said, feeling embarrassed and scratching his hair.
"It's fine; I know. That dragon egg was most likely taken by the Dark Wizard who killed Horken. As long as you find him, you'll find the egg.
Bartok became even more embarrassed... Wasn't searching for the Dark Wizard exactly what they were doing?
He closed his mouth and quietly followed behind.
"But you're right about one thing," the Auror captain thought for a moment. "This way, you go near Malfoy Manor and monitor the movements there. Be careful not to expose yourself, and I'll figure out a way to get a search warrant from the Minister."
"Is that possible?"
"Let's give it a try. Killing five wizards is a terrible act, even in Knockturn Alley. The Minister won't overlook any possibility."
...
Meanwhile, in Godric's Hollow.
Kyle had already found the Valley Pub that Bathilda Bagshot had mentioned.
Located at the lowest point of the valley, it was not far from her home, just a few minutes away, and it was also one of the most popular places among the local wizards.
Many people liked to come here for a drink during their free time and chat with a few familiar faces, making it the best way to pass the time.
When Kyle arrived, it was already lunchtime, but there were still many people in the Valley Pub, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
As Kyle entered, his unfamiliar face immediately drew everyone's attention, and they all looked over at him.
However, Kyle didn't mind. He walked straight to the counter and found the owner wiping glasses.
"I'd like a room," he said, then added, "Bathilda Bagshot asked me to come here."
Hearing Bathilda's name, the owner, who had been rather casual, suddenly looked up.
"Bathilda... Are you her grandnephew too?" The owner examined Kyle up and down, finally fixing his gaze on his black hair.
"No..." Kyle shook his head. "I just arrived in Godric's Hollow today. I'm a student who loves the history of magic."
"Oh!" The owner nodded in understanding. "No wonder, it's rare to find a wizard with the same interest as her."
He handed Kyle a key, "Your room is on the second floor, on the left after you go upstairs. You can stay as long as you need."
"Let's say a month for now," Kyle said after some thought.
"You can pay for a month in advance. It'll be ninety Sickles."
"Ninety Sickles?" Kyle thought he had misheard.
It wasn't that it was too expensive, but rather too cheap.
It was equivalent to three Sickles per day, and even a hundred years ago, this price was so low that Kyle thought he had checked into a shady place.
Was Bathilda's name that influential?
Despite his doubts, Kyle took out six Galleons and handed them to the owner.
"The rest, please bring me a lunch if you have it here."
"More than enough." The owner replied.
"Then add tomorrow's lunch as well."
This time, the owner didn't say anything.
Kyle took the key and went upstairs, opening the door on the left.
The room was even better than he had imagined, although a bit small. Everything was in place, and many items looked brand new. If this room were in the Cauldron Pub in Diagon Alley, it would cost at least two Galleons per day.
But that was the Cauldron Pub of his time.
Kyle took out his wand and tapped it lightly, sending out a bubble-like circular ripple that quickly spread in all directions, hitting the walls and then expanding to the ceiling.
The Search Charm, a minor spell learned in the fourth year, could detect Dark Magic-related items or creatures within a certain range.
After confirming that the room was safe, Kyle finally sat down in the chair, relieved.
At that moment, lunch was also delivered.
In a place like this, a grand meal was out of the question. Instead, he received a very standard meal.
(See Chapter 6, Section 9, of the book for the original text)
Fried fish, fried potato chips, roasted whole potatoes with skin, mashed potatoes, a piece of buttered bread, and a bottle of pumpkin juice.
The taste was average. The chips were too thick, still raw inside, and the mashed potatoes lived up to their name, with both potatoes and muddled together.
However, Kyle didn't find this strange. It was 1899, and these standards were normal, even a hundred years later.
Only in places with a higher concentration of wizards, like the Cauldron Pub or the Three Broomsticks, would you find slightly better food.
Kyle took a few bites to fill his stomach and then left the room, returning to Godric's Hollow.
He needed to find the granary that Grindelwald had told him about in advance. According to Nico, Dumbledore would appear at a specific point in time, in the place he deemed most suitable.
Kyle's task was to take him away immediately. After more than two months, no one knew how many times Dumbledore had repeated the same actions here. Even as the greatest White Wizard, his mental strength might be reaching its limits.
This was assuming he hadn't done anything to try and change what had already happened. If he had, the mental strain would be even greater.
Kyle returned to his previous location, this time deliberately bypassing Bathilda's house, ensuring he wasn't seen.
He walked a bit further and finally found the legendary granary on a secluded hillside.
It had indeed been abandoned for a long time. As soon as he entered, he could smell the rotten straw and see aphids and weasels everywhere... This place had almost become a playground for these pests.
Unfortunately, Kyle did not find Professor Dumbledore or any traces of his existence here.
"I suppose not," Kyle shook his head.
He arrived earlier than Dumbledore, so there wouldn't be any traces of him at this time.
Kyle walked to the center of the granary and looked up at the only window above.
The window was small, and the view was limited, but it happened to align perfectly with a loft in someone's house, matching all the features.
Grindelwald had mentioned that the loft belonged to the Dumbledores, and Ariana had been living there for years, which was why they had no choice but to keep her there.
As a Silentean, Ariana would likely unleash the Silencio if she were stimulated by external factors, and it would attack everything around her indiscriminately until there were no living creatures or intact buildings left, only then would it return to Ariana's body.
Afterwards, she would remember nothing.
But if Ariana was still conscious, she would probably resist the Silencio and try her best to suppress it.
Usually, Ariana could suppress the Silencio with emotional fluctuations, but it would make her weaker, a weakness that couldn't be dispelled until she could no longer contain the Silencio.
There was another situation where Ariana's emotions were too intense, and if she desperately tried to suppress it, the Silencio would explode within her, and the violent dark matter would directly kill her.
The Dumbledores should have been aware of this situation, which was why they kept Ariana in a place where no one could reach her, not allowing her to attend school or go out.
Only in this way could they ensure that Ariana wouldn't be stimulated.
But this method also meant that Ariana could only stay in the small loft, and her world consisted solely of Dumbledore and Aberforth, along with that small window.
Kyle sighed; this imprisonment-like protection seemed a bit too cruel for a child.
Especially since Ariana was already in her teens, an age when she would be curious about everything.
Kyle wasn't sure if his gaze was too eager, but he suddenly saw a small head appear in the loft, a little girl who was also looking at the abandoned granary.
Kyle quickly took two steps forward, moving himself out of the window's view.
He wasn't sure if Ariana had seen him, probably yes, but in any case, he didn't want to interact with this girl at this moment.
Kyle shook his head; since he already knew the location, it was time to leave and wait for Dumbledore to arrive.
Before leaving, Kyle placed an Extendable Ear in the corner of the granary, carefully hiding it with straw and broken barrels. This way, even if he didn't come here, he could still keep track of the situation inside the granary.
But just as Kyle finished doing all this, the granary door creaked open from the outside, and a golden figure immediately caught Kyle's attention.
"Is that you?" Grindelwald looked at Kyle. "What are you doing here?"
Kyle's mouth twitched; he couldn't understand why Grindelwald would come to this abandoned granary.
And especially at this time.
"Oh, you're Bathilda's nephew," he said casually. "I just stumbled upon this place and decided to take a look, thinking I might find some clues."
"You're lying; you didn't find this place by accident," Grindelwald narrowed his eyes. "But I don't care what you're up to, even though you seem suspicious and must have come here for a reason, I don't believe you'll harm us."
"Intuition?"
"No, I can see it," Grindelwald said, his gaze fixed on Kyle, making him feel a bit uncomfortable.
"By the way, you mentioned you were researching the history of magic," Grindelwald suddenly spoke up. "Do you know about the Three Hallows?"
"The three magical items mentioned in 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'?" Kyle asked.
"You think they're magical items?" Grindelwald's voice rose slightly.
"Of course," Kyle replied. "It's impossible for them to be divine creations. I'd rather believe they're the masterpieces of a powerful alchemist, imbued with a mysterious legend over hundreds or thousands of years."
"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly ask about this? Do you believe that story?"
"It's nothing, just a random question."
Upon hearing Kyle's words, Grindelwald's expression immediately became much more indifferent, as if he had lost interest in Kyle.
"I have something to do, so you can continue..."
"No, I'm done searching," Kyle said. "This is obviously just an ordinary granary, with no connection to Godric Gryffindor whatsoever."
This time, Grindelwald didn't even stop; he left without looking back.
(End of Chapter)
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