Chapter 130: Investigators from the Ministry of Magic
After so many incidents at Hogwarts for so long, the Ministry of Magic finally sent not just one or two owls for some trivial questioning, but investigators.
It is important to distinguish here that investigators are not Aurors. Since the Auror Office has a certain degree of autonomy and is no longer completely under the command of the Law Enforcement Department, this investigator department that is completely under the command of the court and the Law Enforcement Department has gradually emerged.
Well, after an attack on the child of a high-ranking official, the efficiency of the Ministry of Magic suddenly increased.
As for the person sent, it happened to be Aidan's father, Dark Royeria.
Now, he and Snape were standing at the door of the infirmary, preparing to go in and check on the condition of the students who had been attacked.
"Are you the only one coming?" Dark asked Snape directly. He had the same messy blond hair as Aidan. He was middle-aged, but he maintained a good figure and looked handsome and strong. Although his son did not look much like him, when he raised his eyes slightly and spoke in a nonchalant tone, one could tell at once that they were father and son.
"Why, are you looking forward to the guard of honor?" Snape said bluntly.
"I thought that even if Headmaster Dumbledore didn't come, at least there would be a few more professors to receive me. You really don't take me seriously," Dark said, without any anger on his face. He pushed open the door of the infirmary and walked in without caring. "Let's take a look at those Slytherin children first."
"I don't think you can find out more than our headmaster." Snape said coldly. He waved his wand and opened all the curtains in the infirmary, revealing the petrified and unconscious students to the investigator.
"Hmm~" Dark nodded and looked around. His sight paused on the two petrified children, then he snapped his fingers and walked towards the unconscious boys with dirt-colored faces without hesitation. "Abbate with a high nose bridge and a mole on his mouth... It's really hard to recognize him with your eyes closed."
"You have a clear goal, Investigator Royea." Snape, who was following behind, said sarcastically.
"With a grandfather who was awarded the Order of Merlin, second class, and was also a member of the Wizengamot, it's normal that I have clear goals." Dark said as he pinched Abate's thin face, which was dyed gray, and examined it carefully.
Snape frowned as he watched Dark act like he was fiddling with a doll. "We've checked several times and found that their appearances were transformed by magic, but we haven't found the reason why the magic is irreversible."
"It's just ordinary transformation magic, indeed," Dark replied casually. Without even turning his head, he asked again, "What's your guess as to their coma?"
"It's also a very common sleeping spell. We can't find the reason why the magic is irreversible." Snape said concisely.
Dark turned his head back at this time, and looked at Snape without blinking, "Professor Snape, you have already investigated the dark arts, right?"
"Of course." Snape raised his head, with a hint of arrogance in his eyes. "Are you here just to get these obvious conclusions, Mr. Investigator?"
"Almost." Darhk easily agreed to Snape's words, and then asked, "Can I walk around the school by myself during the remaining investigation time?"
Snape did not speak immediately. He kept staring at Dark. When he felt that his gaze had reached the desired level of intimidation, he slowly spoke, "Although it is Saturday, I hope you will be careful not to disturb our students in the next two days."
"Of course." Dark replied.
Snape nodded, shook his cloak and walked away with great momentum, while Dark pinched Abate twice more, then walked out with his chin in his hand, looking thoughtful.
"Dad."
As soon as he closed the door of the infirmary, Dark heard Aidan shouting in a neither-too-loud voice. He turned his head without much excitement and nodded slightly to indicate that he heard it.
"Why are you here?" Aidan asked as he trotted over.
"Come over to investigate. Didn't I say that in the letter?" Dark glanced at Aidan strangely, and the two started walking while talking.
"No..." Aidan opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself just as he started. He knew very well that with his father's personality, if the conversation didn't match the airwaves, there would be no conversation at all, so he quickly changed the question, "Why is it that only Professor Snape showed up, and even the headmaster didn't show up?"
"I guess they're still holding a grudge against the Ministry of Magic. Fudge had hinted at Jobifer before, oh, that's Red Beard who's in charge of logistics. Anyway, departments that usually don't lack materials are out of Mandrake. Milos guessed that Fudge saw the letter Dumbledore sent to the Ministry of Magic and made the statement first to create trouble." Dark replied.
Milos Lind is Aryan's father and the head of the review team responsible for the final file review of officials' transfer qualifications.
"Then is there any report about Hogwarts? There was no mention of this in the newspaper that Uncle Linde received for Christmas." Aidan asked, watching his father take out a cigarette from his pocket.
"I don't read newspapers from Country Y. You should write to your mother and ask her about this." Dark said nonchalantly. He put the cigarette in his mouth and took out a very old silver lighter, which made a very crisp sound of lighting. However, there was not even a flame coming out of the lighter. Dark used the dud lighter to light the cigarette and pretended to take two puffs, as if he was really smoking.
Aidan looked at his father with a complicated expression. He had obviously quit smoking a long time ago, but he always pretended to be so because he didn't want the lighter his mother gave him to be useless. In his heart, he secretly despised his love-brained appearance. He turned to ask, "What about those new students who were attacked? What's going on?"
"It's similar to what the professors found, but I also found something else." Dark smoked the cigarette he was smoking and squinted at Aidan. "It looks a bit like a curse."
"Curses and spells are two completely different things. I don't believe our professor can't tell the difference." Aidan retorted.
"The definition of a curse is quite broad. As long as the soul of the caster is mixed in, it can be generally called a curse, because in most cases, only the caster can break a spell mixed with the soul," Dark explained to Aidan patiently, "even if the caster's original intention of incorporating the soul into the spell is just to make the spell more effective."
"Dad, do you think the caster just intended to use the spell but cursed unconsciously?" Aidan raised an eyebrow.
"That's roughly what I see. I don't sense much malice from the remaining magic, but I'm not a 'manifested' dark wizard after all, so I can't see more than that." Dark put the cigarette back in his mouth.
Manifestation is a new concept proposed a few years ago by the International Black Magic Society of Country D (this is an academic association recognized internationally by magic, not an evil organization).
"Yeah, anyone with a discerning eye knows that we should call someone who knows the business over here. I don't believe that my grandpa (old Abbot) doesn't know whether to call a manifested dark wizard over here. Why does he let you, a nearly non-staff member, come and investigate his gossipy grandson?" After going around in circles, Aidan finally asked the original question.
"Is his grandson a chatterbox?" Dark's focus shifted for a moment before he continued, "Old Abate recommended a few people. I don't know what those people are capable of, but they were all stuck with Fudge, and Fudge asked Milos to recommend them, so I, your father, am here."
"What's that? Isn't grandpa on the minister's side? Why is he passing the buck to Uncle Linde, who has always been neutral? I haven't heard any news that the forces supporting Dumbledore have changed." Aidan said jokingly with confusion.
He remembered Uncle Linde saying that Cornelius Fudge was a person who was very good at balancing forces but could not distinguish the primary from the secondary. It was estimated that this time Fudge felt that even those who supported him could not be too powerful, so he allowed the neutral faction to stir up trouble.
But Uncle Linde is really good at judging people. Even at this time, Fudge is still thinking about making trouble for the prestigious Dumbledore. It seems that he really values his position as minister.
"Who cares about them? I'm leaving after Easter anyway." Dark said nonchalantly.
Aidan was still distracted by the possible undercurrents in the Ministry of Magic. When he heard what Darke said, he immediately became anxious. He shouted, "Why are we waiting for Easter? Isn't it enough to spend Valentine's Day with my mother in Country Y?"
"Don't think I can't see it, kid." Dark put his arm around Aidan's shoulder, scolding him with a smile. "You're just thinking about spending another vacation at Ellian's house, right? Be careful that Milos kicks you out."
"Uncle Linde loves his daughter, and his daughter loves me. She won't kick me out as long as she has an excuse." Aidan raised his head proudly.
Seeing his son in such a love-minded state, Dark felt that he was a loser. He sneered and did not continue the topic. "Come on, take me to the crime scenes. Although Milos said that it would be enough for me to just look at little Abate, I have to pretend."
"Your report just needs to be a formality?" Aidan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I dictated and Milos organized it. You know him. He can make dead words come alive." Dark couldn't help feeling a little proud when he said this.
I guess Uncle Linde will have to talk to other people about this report that focuses on a certain student, Aidan thought to himself as the old man with a mole on his mouth and who was always serious at the Ministry of Magic flashed through his mind.
However, he could roughly guess the Ministry of Magic's next move. Fudge would still provide Dumbledore with all the obstacles besides providing help. The petty minister was afraid of anyone who threatened his position.
And if they believed that the unconscious Slytherin student was really cursed, they would probably follow Fudge's lead. After all, if the curser couldn't be found, the curse generally couldn't be lifted, especially this kind of sleeping curse. Aidan was sure that they would wait for the curser to commit a crime again so that they could catch him.
Isn't it too disrespectful to just use the students of a school as bargaining chips and bait?
Thinking of this, Aidan felt unhappy. He also put his hand on Dark's shoulder and said, "Dad, why don't you seem to be worried about me and Alian at all?"
"I believe you can choose to turn into stone directly when you encounter the basilisk. If you are unlucky enough to be the cursed one," Dark paused, "Well, I'll investigate further this time."
"What's the hurry?" Hearing this, Aidan finally smiled. He hugged Dark tighter and became more and more close to his father. "Since we're here, why don't we go to the library and Ravenclaw Common Room that Mom loved the most when she was in school? I, the president, haven't inspected them yet today."
Dark was stunned for a moment, then he grinned and patted Aidan's shoulder vigorously. "Good boy, you finally know how to give advice to your father."
As for the previous warning of "not to interfere with our students", Dark said that if he conducted an inspection, he could prevent any mishaps before they occurred and find other clues outside the crime scene.
So he not only had to walk around the school more often, but also had to walk carefully and visit all the places that might be "suspicious".