Chapter 702
Under the Spotlight
Chapter 702 Under the Spotlight
The Quidditch stands at Hogwarts suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
The next second, chaos erupted.
“No, Harry! No—” Hermione stood up abruptly, her face pale, her fingers digging into Ron’s arm.
Ron sat there, dumbfounded, his mouth agape. "What was that? Did you see it? Did they... did they suddenly shrink?"
Some screamed in terror; some gripped their wands, their eyes burning with fury; and others covered their mouths, silently weeping.
Some of the foreign wizards stood up from their seats, saying in a panic, "Oh, I think we should leave..."
Ferdinand held Fiona tightly, his voice trembling, and kept saying, "Believe in Wade, believe in Wade... Do you remember what he said? He said he would definitely come back safely! Believe in him!"
As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Dumbledore on the referee's bench.
Albus Dumbledore... is said to be the most powerful wizard in the world, and Vader has always held him in high esteem and trusted him greatly... If Vader were to truly encounter danger, he might only be able to rely on him...
Sirius Black, like a raging beast, leaped over the railing and charged out of the stands. He only realized halfway out that even if he rushed into the Forbidden Forest, he couldn't bring the two children back. He then dashed back to the referee's box with lightning speed.
Lupin, along with many other wizards concerned about the situation, rushed over and asked, "Dumbledore, what should we do now? The screen isn't showing the match proceedings, is it?"
“A conspiracy! This is a complete conspiracy!” Umbridge shouted. “If some people think they can force the Ministry of Magic to compromise in this way, or even drag out long-dead guys to show off, then we will definitely…”
“Shut up, Umbridge,” a square-chinned, gray-haired witch said impatiently. “Don’t presume to know the headmaster of Hogwarts with your shallow mind. Dumbledore, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will do everything in its power to help those two students.”
"Thank you, Ms. Burns..."
Before Dumbledore could finish speaking, Fudge, who was only now realizing what was happening, asked in alarm, "Dumbledore, what's going on? Don't tell me you know nothing about what that kid said! I need... the Ministry of Magic needs an explanation!"
He slumped into the chair, his thick lips trembling, but he said, "That person, he's been dead for a long time... The whole world knows that... right?"
Professor McGonagall said, her face pale, "Albus, we must act immediately!"
Snape stood in the corner of the arena, not looking at anyone, his gaze fixed on the now blank Mirror screen, his fingers unconsciously tracing the location of the Dark Mark on his arm.
Amidst the chaos, Dumbledore, the focus of everyone's attention, stood up. As he raised his hand, the entire stands fell silent, and countless eyes filled with anticipation, fear, and apprehension stared at him.
Dumbledore's gaze swept across the room, his silver-white hair and beard fluttering slightly in the wind, his voice steady and solemn:
"Everyone, stay calm."
He pointed his wand to the sky, and the silver phoenix Patronus soared into the air. A translucent, silvery barrier instantly expanded outwards from Dumbledore, filling the stands with a calming power.
“I think the Ministry of Magic should immediately set up an investigation team.” Dumbledore looked at Fudge, his tone leaving no room for doubt: “We must seal off the scene, examine the magical traces on the trophy, and investigate where the building shown in the last image is located.”
Fudge was disgusted by his commanding tone and instinctively wanted to refuse or even deny it, but just as he was about to open his mouth, Rita Skeeter and her personal cameraman rushed in front of him, and the camera lens and microphone were shoved in front of Fudge.
Then the Minister of Magic, who was about to speak, suddenly changed his mind and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, seal it off immediately! Where are the Aurors? Where are all the Aurors?"
Scrimgeour limped over and said in a deep voice, "The Aurors have all been mobilized, and the trophy will be brought back soon."
Dumbledore nodded and said to Professor McGonagall, "Minerva, organize the students to return to the castle and reinforce the protective spells."
Professor McGonagall nodded, her eyes still filled with worry, but she trusted Dumbledore and didn't ask any further questions. "Felius," Dumbledore said silently, looking at the short professor who was so anxious he almost jumped up but managed to hold back his shout. "Take the guests to the castle to rest. If anyone wants to leave, don't stop them."
“Okay.” Professor Flitwick couldn’t help but press, “Albus, what about that boy Wade…”
“Felius.” Dumbledore nodded slightly and said in a low voice, “Trust me… and trust him too.”
Professor Flitwick's expression changed slightly; his tense demeanor relaxed a little, but he still couldn't hide his worry.
“Alastor.” Dumbledore turned to Professor Moody, who had been silent until now. The two exchanged a glance and nodded slightly. Then the headmaster said, “Protect them.”
“I understand,” Moody said gruffly, leaning on his cane as he approached the Grays.
Among the bustling crowd, the couple's attire was inconspicuous, and they possessed fewer Muggle characteristics than most wizards. As long as they didn't loudly proclaim themselves to be Ved Grey's parents, they wouldn't attract any attention.
Therefore, Moody did not get too close to them, but stayed nearby, keeping a watchful eye on every suspicious person.
Just as the stands were in chaos and many people were getting up to leave, the previously hazy white screen suddenly flickered a few times and lit up again.
The noise in the audience suddenly stopped, and everyone stared wide-eyed. People crowded at the exit and students queuing at the prefect's request all turned to look at the screen.
"That's strange!" The FMC manager quickly looked at the instrument in his hand and said, "This isn't my operation."
A hand was placed on his shoulder.
“Sit down,” Marchionni said in a deep voice. “Right now… we are just spectators.”
“This… could it be…” The person in charge pointed to the screen, then to the badge on his chest.
Because he greatly admired young Ved Grey, his soft-light badge consisted of two simple capital letters – “VG”.
Marchionni nodded.
"He really is..." The person in charge stammered for a long time, unsure how to comment, and finally only managed to utter, "Is he really an alchemist?"
It's hard for Marchionni to disagree.
Why can't an alchemist, like his teacher Professor Morrie, stay in a safe place, avoid any disputes, and enjoy a life of wealth, respect, and peace?
Vader was undoubtedly a genius, but his adventurous nature, which he didn't know how it developed, often greatly troubled Marchionni.
Just then, the screen, which had been flickering like snowflakes for a few seconds, suddenly became clear, displaying an exceptionally eerie image—
The strange, snake-faced baby was surrounded by enormous venomous snakes, and in his delicate, red hands he held a magic wand almost as long as his body.
Barty Crouch Jr., who should have died long ago, stood to the side, his expression so fanatical it was physically unsettling.
His presence almost seemed to reveal the identity of the baby next to him.
Then, a baby's hoarse voice came from the mirror—
(End of this chapter)