bioinnovel Chapter 266 The Enemy is in the Ministry of Magic
Chapter 266 The Enemy is in the Ministry of Magic
Chapter 266 The Enemy is in the Ministry of Magic
Generally speaking, women have sharper and more accurate intuition, making them more likely to detect lies.
At the same time, women are relatively better at interpreting nonverbal cues, including body language, facial expressions, and even tone of voice.
It is precisely these feminine traits that make some women seem very pretentious or even fussy, because they are using this trait in the wrong way.
Belvina wouldn't say her intuition was particularly accurate; her suspicion of Moody was more of a subconscious reaction, a bad feeling compelling her to take measures to avoid or minimize the harm as soon as possible.
In other words, Belvina sought peace of mind, to avoid being paranoid about Moody's attack, and to focus more on the upcoming Triwizard Tournament itself.
"I know that what I just did may seem like I was being unreasonable," Belvina said to Mr. Weasley.
She paused for a moment, then continued, "But I have to do it. The Triwizard Tournament, and Harry—Hogwarts can't afford any mistakes this year."
"Are you still worried about the magic mark from that night?"
Mr. Weasley also sat down on a bench by the roadside, next to Belvina.
He continued, "You looked preoccupied that night, and you still are. What are you worried about?"
In Mr. Weasley's opinion, Belvina was taking the Dark Mark too seriously. Being overly concerned with something can lead to hesitation and ultimately be counterproductive.
"Our high-ranking minister treats what happened at the Quidditch World Cup as an isolated incident, trying to downplay the situation," Belvina said, not giving a direct answer. "But I don't think so."
Mr. Weasley nodded, acknowledging Belvina's analysis of the minister.
Cornelius Fudge chose to avoid the issue, thereby downplaying the panic in people's hearts and concealing the Dark Mark.
The minister is able to whitewash the situation because he has a situation to whitewash, and because people are equally unwilling to face the fear brought about by the Black Mark.
However, Cornelius Fudge should not simply let this matter rest; instead, he should continue the investigation and bring the person who created the Dark Mark to justice. That is what the minister should be doing.
"We can't let our guard down until we catch the person who conjured the Dark Mark," Belvina continued. "With the Triwizard Tournament just around the corner, Hogwarts is the best place for that person if they really want to do something."
"To enter Hogwarts unnoticed," Mr. Weasley thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "either hide like a ghost and spy in the shadows, or disguise yourself as someone from the school and appear openly in public."
"Yes, if someone really wants to do something and happens to choose the latter," Belvina said, "there's no one more suitable than Alastor Moody."
Mr. Weasley nodded in agreement, once again acknowledging Belvina's analysis.
An Auror who has been retired for many years is invited by Dumbledore to return to the fray, and the margin for error in impersonating him is very high.
For the students, Alastor Moody was a legendary figure; they knew little about the Ministry of Magic's finest Auror.
The same applies to faculty and staff; even if someone knows Moody's lifestyle and notices his unusual behavior, they can simply dismiss it as "paranoia."
It is well known that Alastor Moody suffers from severe paranoia, constantly worrying that his safety is threatened. This condition has worsened with age, showing no signs of abating.
Even if such a person behaves abnormally, people won't find it strange; they might even actively find suitable reasons to rationalize those abnormal behaviors.
It may sound absurd, but Ludo Bagman is a living example.
People would rather believe Ludo Bagman was an incredibly stupid man than believe he would do anything bad.
As a result, Mr. Bagman owed the goblins a large sum of gold, as well as many wizards, which greatly damaged the reputation of the Ministry of Magic.
"Now that you mention it, Alastor's sudden attack does seem rather strange," Mr. Weasley said. "It's quite a coincidence that it happened just before he was about to depart for his new post."
Belvina nodded emphatically, with such force that one couldn't help but worry that her neck might break.
"That's how it is, everything is so coincidental, almost deliberately so," she said. "These things happened one after another, it's hard not to connect them."
Most importantly, Belvina knew in her heart that Voldemort would soon return.
Maybe this year, maybe next year, it won't be long in the end, but it's unclear how he will "resurrect".
That's why Belvina seemed preoccupied and suspicious; she feared that the Dark Mark that night was a sign of Voldemort's return.
Mr. Weasley thought for a moment, then changed the subject to the punishment that the Ministry of Magic had given Alastor Moody.
He said, "Mafalda and Arnold discussed it and decided to give Alastor a serious warning, since no one has been harmed because of Alastor's actions."
This means that regardless of whether Moody's current identity is questionable, he will go to Hogwarts on time to serve as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the new school year.
"It's alright, I'll find a way to continue confirming his identity," Belvina said casually. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore won't mind doing me a small favor."
Then, Belvina changed the subject, continuing, "Arthur, did you know beforehand that Alastor would be the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
Mr. Weasley shook his head and said, "All I know is that Alastor is about to start a new job, but I don't know the specifics. If you hadn't said you two were colleagues at Hogwarts, I would still be completely in the dark."
Upon hearing this, Belvina's expression immediately relaxed considerably.
She jumped up from the bench like a child and said in a lighthearted tone, "Although I feel sorry about the attack on Alastor, the outcome was good; it gave me new ideas."
"What do you mean by that?" Mr. Weasley asked suspiciously. "What have you thought of now?"
"Arthur, not many people know that Alastor got a new job, and even fewer know that he's going to Hogwarts."
"You suspect that the attack on Alastor was carried out by the Ministry of Magic?" Mr. Weasley also stood up, his expression even more grave. "I must be dreaming."
The news that Alastor Moody was about to start a new job was circulating only within a small circle of the Ministry of Magic, and as Belvina said, not many people knew about it.
Belvina stroked her smooth chin, pacing back and forth as she spoke, "If, and I mean if, someone wanted to use this opportunity to infiltrate Hogwarts, to sabotage the Triwizard Tournament, or to achieve some other ulterior motive, and he happened to know that Alastor's new job was as a professor at the school—what do you think he would do?"
"Find someone to replace Alastor and take his place at Hogwarts," Mr. Weasley answered without hesitation. "Compound Soup!"
Before he could finish speaking, Mr. Weasley overturned his own opinion.
He continued, "No, that's not right. If it were really someone from the ministry, they couldn't possibly be running back and forth between Scotland and London, so it must be the Imperius Curse—using the Imperius Curse to control Alastor!"
The Soul-Stealing Curse is a spell that can completely place the cursed person under the control of the caster. The cursed person can be made to do anything by the caster, even drowning themselves in the toilet.
If Alastor Moody were to be afflicted by the Imperius Curse and travel to Hogwarts with some ulterior motive, the consequences would be unimaginable!
"Wait, something's not right." Mr. Weasley once again dismissed his own opinion. "You've completely misled me, Belvina."
After calming down, the flustered Mr. Weasley tried to shake off the influence of Belvina and rethink the whole incident.
After a long while, Mr. Weasley slumped onto the bench as if he had collapsed from exhaustion, and spoke with lingering fear.
He said, "Your reasoning is too arbitrary; it's all personal speculation. You've already decided that someone wants to sabotage the Triwizard Tournament, and everything becomes highly suspicious in your eyes."
Immediately afterwards, Mr. Weasley looked up at Belvina with a worried expression.
He said with concern, "Perhaps you should take a good rest and relax a bit. Don't keep your nerves on edge."
Thinking too much at a young age is not a good thing.
If one worries too much and becomes depressed, one will fall ill, and witches are no exception.
Belvina was taken aback. She knew she had been being overly paranoid lately, but surely it wasn't to the point of discussing her condition with Alastor Moody?
"Don't worry, Arthur, I'm in excellent mental condition," Belvina said with a smile. "My physical condition is even better, there's nothing to worry about."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "And as I just said, it's all just a hypothetical scenario, and all these inferences are based on my assumptions. Maybe it really is just a coincidence!"
Although she spoke lightly on the surface, Belvina was not so inwardly; her worries about the future weighed heavily on her heart.
Voldemort's resurgence may seem like just a short sentence, but it will cost countless lives.
"It's definitely a coincidence, you're overthinking it, it's absolutely a coincidence," Mr. Weasley chimed in. "Hogwarts will be fine, it definitely will be fine—"
That being said, Mr. Weasley did not appear as relaxed as he seemed.
During the years when Voldemort's power shrouded England, as a pure-blood traitor Weasley, he not only survived those dark years unscathed, but also fathered a Quidditch team with his wife. He was no ordinary parasite among the department's mediocre members.
Arthur Weasley realizes that Belvina's fears may one day become a reality, and that dark times may return.
This time, Mr. Weasley has a wife and children, and he has to do something.
For his wife and children, Arthur Weasley had to do it, even at the cost of his life.
For the next while, neither of them spoke again, and the atmosphere became quite somber.
One stood there casually, taking the traditional three-seven step stance, while the other sat motionless on a long bench, like a Muggle sculpture of a thinker.
After an unknown amount of time, a dark cloud drifted over the village, completely blocking out the sun, and the light dimmed instantly.
Then, a torrential downpour began, pounding against the windowpanes.