Chapter 34. The Great Search of Hogwarts!
Professor McGonagall had anticipated this.
With Dumbledore not currently overseeing Hogwarts, she was essentially in charge of all the school's affairs.
On the day Hubert was attacked, she not only informed Dumbledore, who was in Sevi Quirkley , but also reported it to the Ministry of Magic.
A simple school attack wouldn't warrant such a report, but since it involved Dark Magic, it fell under the jurisdiction of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Even if Professor McGonagall hadn't done this, Hubert's parents would have reported it anyway.
Thus, on the third day after the attack, two Aurors arrived at Hogwarts.
Their actions were swift; they had already conducted a professional examination and questioned Hubert at St. Mungo's Hospital the previous day.
Although the information obtained was limited, they preliminarily determined that the perpetrator was likely still at Hogwarts.
The Cruciatus Curse's primary use was for interrogation, and why would a Dark Wizard risk such a great deal to interrogate a child?
The most likely explanation is that the murderer was after something from Hogwarts, and the attacked young wizard possessed or knew its location.
While Hogwarts appears outwardly relaxed, it's actually under intense scrutiny.
Professors and prefects patrol the castle day and night.
The lack of any unusual activity suggests the murderer is still lurking, perhaps having already obtained what they wanted, or perhaps not, waiting in the shadows for their chance.
Of course, there's also a very small possibility that the murderer escaped Hogwarts on the day of the incident.
"We need to go to the scene of the incident first," Kingsley requested of Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall led them to the corner leading from the Slytherin common room to the Great Hall corridor.
This was the only way to get from the Slytherin common room to the corridor, so it was no longer the way it was at the beginning of the incident.
Moreover, even when Hubert was first discovered, there were no traces left here.
But the Aurors had their own methods.
"Sevi Quirkley, Red Powder," Kingsley crouched down where Hubert had fallen and instructed his assistant behind him.
Sevi Quirkley took a bottle of black powder from her robes and handed it to Kingsley.
Kingsley sprinkled the powder from the glass bottle around him.
The black powder floated in mid-air, and upon contact with the air, its color began to fade rapidly, eventually becoming completely transparent and dissipating into the air, invisible to the naked eye.
"Red powder is a common method we use to check for remnants of Dark Magic.
It reacts with residual Dark Magic power retained for five days. If someone has cast Dark Magic here, the red powder will turn from black to red; otherwise, it will remain as it is now," Kingsley explained to Professor McGonagall.
"So what kind of clues do we get from this?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Sevi Quirkley answered her question.
"This isn't the actual scene of the young wizard's attack; someone dumped him here."
Kingsley stood up. "Let's go. It's been a while since we've seen the portraits at Hogwarts. Let's go say hello to them."
They then walked down the corridor asking around, but the portraits all said that no suspicious persons appeared on the day of the attack, and the broken Hubert seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
"Has the Anti-Apparition Charm in the castle been weakened recently?" After running out of leads, the young Auror Sevi Quirkley asked a rather silly question.
Professor McGonagall shook her head without hesitation, saying, "There's no doubt about that. No one can Apparate in the castle."
Having found nothing new at the scene, Kingsley was already planning to investigate the attack from a different angle. Just as he was about to ask Professor McGonagall to take them to her office...
A young Slytherin wizard who had been following them suddenly approached and mustered his courage to ask,
"Are you Aurors from the Ministry of Magic?"
Kingsley raised an eyebrow; he had a premonition that this young wizard would bring him some benefits.
"That's right, child. My name is Kingsley Shackleberry, a serving Auror from the Ministry of Magic. Is there anything you want to say to me?"
The young Slytherin wizard trembled slightly, whether from nervousness or excitement, and spoke loudly like a whistleblower reporting a pro-Japanese element to the Japanese.
"Professor Fawkes!
This must have been done by Professor Fawkes! He used to be a dark wizard, and only he would have a reason to do such a thing at Hogwarts!"
Professor McGonagall's face instantly darkened. She said angrily,
"Professor !
"Professor !"
Who taught you this! Now! Immediately! Get out of here! And, within three days, submit a foot-long apology!"
Professor McGonagall's long-standing authority terrified the young wizard, who turned and ran, but the words he wanted to say were already out of his mouth.
Professor McGonagall, looking at Kingsley deep in thought, solemnly said, "Adrian does have a criminal record, but as an Auror, I think you know the details better than I do.
So I believe him, and Albus believes him too. The real culprit is definitely not him!"
Kingsley waved his hand to comfort Professor McGonagall, saying,
"I understand, Professor.
Of course I know about Fawkes's past, and naturally I believe he wouldn't do such a thing. But as you've seen, since a student dared to accuse Fawkes to your face, it shows that his image among the students is already very negative."
Professor McGonagall's expression was still not good.
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
Kingsley said frankly, "Take us to Fawkes's office. We'll prove his innocence."
Ten minutes later, in Professor Fawkes's office.
Kingsley sat in a chair, looking around at the office's decor.
Professor Fawkes had prepared black tea for the three of them and chatted with Kingsley like two old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time.
"I thought you'd come to me first when you arrived at Hogwarts."
Kingsley seemed quite at ease with Professor Fawkes, their meeting not a stranger's.
"Of course I believe you wouldn't use your research against your own students.
However, your reputation at Hogwarts isn't exactly good right now."
"Enough with the small talk, how do you need my cooperation?" Professor Fawkes looked Kingsley in the eye, his manner quite practiced.
"Just like ten years ago, old Fawkes, please hand me your wand."
Kingsley didn't avoid his gaze; this scene reminded him of that day ten years ago.
Having recently become an Auror, he was responsible for examining Fawkes' wand.
The results then...that wand had cast countless Crucifixion Curses and...
five Killing Curses in just three days!
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(End of Chapter)