SWDnovel Chapter 92 Wissengarmo Roll
Chapter 92 Wissengarmo Roll
Chapter 92 Wissengarmo Roll
"What happened?"
Harry lowered his head, walked quickly to the Gryffindor table, squeezed into the seat Ron had reserved for him, and asked Ron beside him.
"They're here about the Forbidden Forest. We were just having breakfast when Filch brought them in, saying they wanted to see Professor Lynch. Professor McGonagall has already gone there with a few people."
Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance; they both knew better than anyone the dangers they had faced in the Forbidden Forest the previous night.
"I hope they catch the man in the black robe from last night," Harry said.
Hermione continued, "Don't get your hopes up too high; he's probably already far away."
Ron looked at Harry, then at Hermione: "What? A man in black robes?"
Harry glanced at Ron and realized that when they returned to the castle last night, Ron and the others were already asleep, and he had gone straight to the infirmary, so no one had told Ron what had happened last night.
He explained to Ron, "Last night, our confinement mission was to help Hagrid find the unicorn in the Forbidden Forest. On the way, Hermione and I encountered a man in black robes who tried to kill us!"
Recalling the harrowing moment of last night, he shrank back in fear; the black-robed man's magic had almost struck him.
Thanks to Professor Lynch's timely arrival, otherwise I would probably be lying in the school infirmary right now instead of sitting here.
"What!?" Ron looked at Hermione. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Hermione shrugged helplessly: "I didn't have a chance to tell you that you went straight to the Great Hall as soon as you got up, and by the time I found you, these Ministry of Magic officials had already come in."
"Alright," Ron agreed with Hermione's reasoning, "So how did you escape?"
"Professor Lynch appeared just in time, defeated the man in black, and saved us," Hermes exclaimed. "He truly is an excellent wizard!"
Harry noticed the look of admiration and adoration on Hermione's face as she spoke.
This is normal; anyone who has witnessed Professor Lynch effortlessly defeating that man in black would feel the same way.
Unfortunately, although he was there at the time, he was so throbbing with a headache that he completely missed the magical battle that amazed Hermione.
But Harry was already deeply moved just hearing Hermione recount the scene on the way back.
Hermione added at the end, "But unfortunately, the man in black escaped while Professor Lynch was distracted."
"It's a bit of a shame, but we're all safe and sound, and I think that's good enough," Harry said to Hermione.
Listening to their conversation, Ron frowned: "What you're talking about happened last night, and the Ministry of Magic arrived this morning. Strange... they don't usually arrive this quickly..."
Just then, Harry noticed Dumbledore leading the middle-aged man from the Ministry of Magic out of the Great Hall, with several officials in formal robes following behind them.
After they stepped out of the Great Hall, the young wizards could no longer contain their curiosity and began whispering among themselves, trying to find out the inside story of the Ministry of Magic officials' visit to Hogwarts again.
In the corridor, Dumbledore walked steadily, leading the Ministry of Magic officials forward.
"Dumbledore," the middle-aged man broke the silence, his voice cold and businesslike, "what is it that you insist I see? I hope this isn't just another futile delay. There's a group of wizards from Africa in the Ministry of Magic claiming that the deaths of the six Vargado wizards in the Forbidden Forest are related to Professor Jim Lynch of your school. I need to take him back for questioning. This is an international dispute and needs to be taken seriously."
Dumbledore tilted his head slightly, his voice still gentle: "You'll understand when you see it, Mr. Crouch."
Barty Crouch—then the Director of the Department of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic—remained silent, his face as stern as a taut granite block.
Dumbledore eventually led them to his headmaster's office.
He stopped in front of the door and turned to Crouch: "I don't think it's a wise decision to expose some things to so many eyes and ears."
"Mr. Crouch?" one of the young Aurors asked his superior with a questioning look.
Crouch did not answer immediately; his self-glow lingered on Dumbledore's calm face for a few seconds as he assessed the risks and the necessity.
Ultimately, his deep-seated trust in Dumbledore prevailed.
"You wait here." Crouch's voice was firm and unquestionable. "No one is allowed to come up without my order." "Yes!" The subordinates responded in unison, took a step back, and lined up outside the principal's office.
Dumbledore then pushed open the door to the headmaster's office, and Crouch followed him in.
The office was warm and familiar, with various exquisite silverwares emitting wisps of smoke. Phoenix Fox preened its newborn feathers on a gilded perch, emitting a soft chirping.
The portraits of the past principals all seem to be asleep, or at least, they all maintain a closed-eye posture as Crouch's sharp gaze sweeps over them.
Dumbledore didn't go to the desk, but went straight to a tall oak cabinet against the wall, filled with drawers. He opened one of the drawers and rummaged through it.
Crouch stood in the center of the room, hands behind his back, back ramrod straight, patiently waiting.
"I remember putting it here..." Dumbledore muttered to himself as he searched. "Ah! Found it!"
He turned around, holding a metal cylinder about a foot long in his hand.
The body of the cylinder is a cold, dark silver color, with no elaborate carvings on the surface, yet it exudes a restrained and heavy aura.
A ribbon is wrapped around the middle of the tube, and gold threads are interwoven on the green surface.
Crouch's pupils contracted sharply.
As the head of the Department of Legal Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, he knew all too well what this ribbon meant—it represented confidential documents sealed inside, certified by the Supreme Court of Wizengamor and possessing absolute legal force.
"This is...?" Crouch's voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible gravity.
He stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the metal reel.
"The judgment of Wizengamor." Dumbledore handed over the metal scroll, his eyes filled with admiration. "It explains why you couldn't take Professor Lynch away from Hogwarts, and... why I don't believe he's the murderer you're looking for."
Crouch's gaze swept over the Wizengamo ribbon again, and after confirming the authenticity of the scroll, his fingers found a small mechanism on the side of the scroll.
With a gentle press, a soft "click" sounded, and the scroll sprang open, revealing the tough, yellowed parchment inside.