Chapter 672
Interrogation
Chapter 672 Interrogation
But...how is that possible?
No matter how outstanding Wade is, he is only a fourteen-year-old boy.
Oh... on the night of the World Cup final, he had only been exposed to magic for three years at most. Even if he was very talented... there should be a limit, right?
The idea that Wade killed Voldemort with a single spell is as absurd as Harry defeating the combined forces of Voldemort and Barty Jr. in a direct confrontation—it's laughable.
But Sirius couldn't laugh.
His eyes darted around violently; reason told him it was impossible, but his intuition clamored for belief.
But the reactions of the crowd did not disrupt Barty's narration, nor did they cause Dumbledore's rock-solid expression to waver in the slightest.
The principal's reaction made them suddenly realize—
Barty the Younger is probably telling the truth, and... Dumbledore must have known about this all along.
"It took me a long time to find my master again. He had become even weaker, and it was difficult for him to even create a temporary body to live in. He had no choice but to possess an animal..."
Little Barty continued speaking in a half-dead tone:
"Fortunately, we remembered a legend—that Salazar Slytherin's wand was buried outside Ivermoni, and a snake tree grew above the burial site, its leaves possessing powerful healing properties..."
"I led my master to Evamori, where we indeed found the Snakewood. My master used Parsleyan to awaken the Slytherin wand and stayed in Evamori to recover its power."
"Is Voldemort still in Ilvermorny?" Dumbledore asked.
"……I have no idea."
Little Barty said dryly, "My master asked me if I was willing to risk everything for him... Of course, of course I am... I can do anything to serve him and prove my loyalty... This is my dream, my greatest wish..."
"My master told me that he needed to place a trusted confidant at Hogwarts, that he needed... that he needed to send Harry Potter to him when he was ready..."
"And I... the most loyal servant among the Death Eaters, have taken on this arduous task..."
"Why did you choose Filch?" Wade asked. "He shouldn't have been your first choice, right?"
Barty paused for a moment, his lips curving downwards in displeasure, and said, "I originally thought the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would be the best target, but... by the time I returned to England from Evamorni, Moody was already at Hogwarts..."
"The professors rarely leave the school, and when they do go to Hogsmeade, it's always in groups of two or three... I haven't found an opportunity to make a move. Filch, on the other hand... he's always watching the school's secret passages, trying to catch students who break the rules... and I happen to know two of those passages..."
The unfortunate administrator thus became the target.
“But to disguise myself as Filch, I need to do more preparation. Because African tree snake skin is hard to come by, and shapeshifting is unreliable… For my master, I’ve decided… I’m willing to make any sacrifice, including completely reshaping my face…”
"So you went to a Muggle hospital for plastic surgery?" Sirius scoffed. "Does Voldemort know what you're doing?"
“My master isn’t as pedantic as others imagine… so I will do whatever it takes to complete the task he’s given me…”
"What about the doctors and nurses who performed your surgery?" Wade asked. "Wouldn't they be surprised that you wanted to be transformed into an old man?"
“I use forgetting and confusion spells every day to make them forget the absurdity of the situation,” Little Barty commented. “It’s not easy, because I have to stay conscious during the surgery…”
"And then what?" Wade pressed. "So that the medical staff completely forget about it?"
Repeated use of the Forgetfulness Charm will inevitably cause serious damage to the brain and memory, and may also make one appear confused in daily life... Those people probably can no longer stay in the hospital, and I wonder if they have become homeless now.
"Oh, they're all dead."
Little Barty simply said, his hoarse voice echoing in the room, "I set a fire."
Wade's eyebrows twitched slightly. He looked at Barty and remained silent for a long time.
Sirius, who had been looking down at Barty with disdain, paused upon hearing this, then suddenly jumped up from his seat, grabbed Barty by the collar, and roared:
“You filthy bastard! Why did you do that? Those were living, breathing people… You could have just used the Oblivion Charm!” Little Barty was being pulled and shaken back and forth, his bewildered eyes seemingly revealing a hint of clarity and resistance.
The office windows rattled with Sirius's roar, and Dumbledore had to reach out and press down on his shoulder.
“Calm down, Black, stop barking like a mad dog.” Snape raised his eyelids and said coldly, “Don’t wake him from this state.”
“Shut up, Snape!” Sirius snapped. “At least I won’t be like you, indifferent to this guy killing innocent people! He’s definitely been corrupted and moldy by dark magic…”
"Sirius!" Dumbledore tightened his grip, a hint of weariness flashing in his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Control yourself, we need to continue the interrogation."
Across from the headmaster, Sirius glared at Snape, then gave Barty a vicious look, his chest heaving violently, as if he were about to pounce and bite someone's throat off at any moment.
But in the end, he only managed a cold laugh through gritted teeth.
"After this is over, I'm going to personally deliver this guy to Azkaban! I want to watch the Dementors suck up his stinking soul!"
He turned around abruptly and strode toward the door.
“Blake!” Moody shouted.
But Sirius didn't turn around; he just slammed the door shut with a loud bang, sending dust flying from the ceiling.
A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by the faint crackling of the burning candle wick.
Little Barty blinked slowly, his eyes darting around as if trying to discern his surroundings.
Dumbledore frowned and said softly, "Severus."
Snape's sallow face seemed frozen, every muscle taut, and his dark eyes were even more unfathomable than usual. Even Moody unconsciously avoided looking him in the eye.
Upon hearing Dumbledore's voice, Snape paused slightly.
He turned and walked toward Barty Crouch Jr.
The young Death Eater's pupils contracted slightly, his mind struggling to surface. He instinctively tilted his head back, trying to avoid Snape's outstretched hand.
But the next moment, the Potions Professor had already grabbed his chin with such force that it seemed he could crush the bones, and with his other hand he pressed the mouth of the Truth Potion bottle against his teeth and dripped two more drops in.
“We can’t give him any more truth serum,” Snape said sarcastically, releasing his grip. “Otherwise, he’ll become a complete idiot.”
Little Barty made a gurgling sound in his throat, and his eyes became unfocused again.
Just then, the door was pushed open forcefully again, and Sirius Black, radiating anger, appeared in the doorway. Everyone turned to look, and Professor McGonagall instinctively stopped him, saying, "Sirius Black..."
But this time, Sirius wasn't after the prisoners. His gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Wade, his voice carrying an undeniable force: "Come with me, kid!"
Wade seemed somewhat surprised. He paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked at Dumbledore.
Then, without waiting for the principal to give any instructions, Wade stood up, gestured to the professors, and then walked towards Sirius Black at the door.
The man grabbed his arm and decisively pulled Wade away. As the wooden door closed again, everyone faintly heard Sirius Black's voice from outside: "You're still young, there's no need to rush..."
"boom!"
The door was completely closed, and the atmosphere in the room became strangely stagnant.
"continue."
Dumbledore sighed almost imperceptibly, looked back at Barty, who was slumped in his chair, and said softly, "And then? What did you do?"
One update tonight.
(End of this chapter)