bioinnovel Chapter 271 A Bird Startled by the Bow
Chapter 271 A Bird Startled by the Bow
Chapter 271 A Bird Startled by the Bow
Before she knew it, it was noon, but Belvina remained in her office and did not go to the auditorium for lunch.
She sat before the fireplace with its flames burning, her hands resting on the wooden armrests of the chair, her delicate fingers tapping rhythmically.
After a while, the flames in the fireplace suddenly turned emerald green, and Percy Weasley's head was suspended in the middle of the flames, with flames dancing around him.
"Miss Black, I have urgent news to report," the fiery version of Percy said rapidly.
Belvina immediately opened her eyes.
According to the original plan, she was to stay at Hogwarts permanently, partly to teach students and partly to keep an eye on the Triwizard Tournament.
All the documents that the International Department of Magical Cooperation needed to process were handed over to Percy, his assistant, for delivery to Hogwarts.
In this way, Belvina can balance both teaching and her departmental work without interrupting her teaching duties.
The only one who suffered was Percy, who had to travel between Scotland and London.
However, magic is much more convenient than Muggle in terms of transportation; Percy can use the Floo Network or Apparition.
At this moment, Belvina stayed in the office waiting for Percy, but unexpectedly, she was greeted by Percy's "little fireman".
"It's about Mr. Barty Crouch." Percy, still speaking rapidly by the fireplace, asked, "What happened to old Crouch? Did he submit his resignation?"
Belvina asked nonchalantly, "This is to be expected."
Even before Sirius Black was exonerated, Barty Crouch announced that he would resign and leave the Ministry of Magic after the Quidditch World Cup.
Now that the Quidditch World Cup has been over for more than a week, it's about time for Barty Crouch to pack his bags and leave.
To everyone's surprise, Percy, engulfed in emerald flames, shook his head and said, "Mr. Crouch did not resign; he stayed on."
click!
a bolt from the blue.
Belvina's eyes widened suddenly. She'd stayed on?
"Did I hear that right?" she asked incredulously. "Barty Crouch continues to serve as Director of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic, right?"
“You heard me right, Miss Black,” Percy said. “Mr. Crouch will continue to serve as the Director of the International Magical Cooperation Division.”
What a joke!
Crouch had said he would resign long ago, but he stayed on?
You're going to take back every single word you said, aren't you?
How did he shamelessly stay at the Ministry of Magic? How did he shamelessly continue to stay at the Department of International Magical Cooperation?
The fact that we didn't sideline him in the summer was to save face for the old comrade. How can he be so shameless now!
The assessment of Barty Crouch as someone who disregards everything for the sake of his official position is truly accurate, apt, and incisive!
The saying "profit comes above all else" is becoming increasingly valuable.
"Was it Crouch's own suggestion, or did the minister try to persuade him to stay?" Belvina asked. "That's important."
Emerald green flames licked Percy's ears and swept across the top of his head, but Percy was completely unaffected by the flames.
Percy replied, "According to the minister's office, Mr. Crouch went to the minister with his resignation, but somehow..."
He suddenly decided not to resign.
No way—Cornelly Fudge, are you crazy?!
Swear words surged in Belvina's chest as she longed for Fudge's collar and to ask him what he was really thinking.
Wait a minute, something seems off; this doesn't fit the minister's style.
Cornelius Fudge has always seen Barty Crouch as a thorn in his side. He's already being kind by not kicking Crouch while he's down, so why would he try to keep him around?
"You mean, Crouch went to Fudge with his resignation, and when Fudge came out of his office, he stayed on?" Belvina asked again, as if she were deaf.
“That’s right, that’s the information from the Secretary’s office,” Percy said. “I also confirmed with Mr. Gordon, and his account is pretty much the same as what the Secretary’s office said.”
numb.
I'm completely numb.
Why did Barty Crouch stay on? What is he planning to do?
Although the Ministry of Magic has been in turmoil lately, based on Belvina's understanding of Fudge, the Minister is unlikely to try to retain Crouch.
Since the decision to retain him did not seem to be Cornelius Fudge's doing, it could only have been orchestrated by Crouch.
It's not that Belvina looks down on the Minister, but rather that the two are incomparable.
If Crouch plays Wizards Chess with Fudge, and Crouch doesn't give Fudge two pieces, that's considered bullying Fudge.
"Why stay on?" Belvina murmured. "What does he want to do?"
"It's probably because of the Triwizard Tournament," Percy offered his analysis. "The Quidditch World Cup has been in big trouble, and the Triwizard Tournament can't afford to lose. He probably wants to stay and help out?"
"That's a barely valid reason," Belvina said. "Connelly might be persuaded by this reason; stability is what he cares about most."
Percy continued with his analysis, saying, "Although Mr. Crouch caused the miscarriage of justice, his competence is undeniable, and it's understandable that the minister wanted him to stay."
The analysis is good and reasonable.
But Belvina always felt that things weren't that simple.
What Fudge thought is not important; what is important is why Buddy Crouch chose to stay.
"Did Crouch say or do anything to you?" Belvina asked.
Without even thinking, Percy said, "After he came back from the minister, he took all the documents and files related to the Triwizard Tournament, and then locked himself in his office."
Is it really just to ensure the smooth running of the three-way championship?
A bad feeling returned, and it grew even stronger. Belvina didn't want Crouch to participate in the Triwizard Tournament and hoped he would stay far away from Hogwarts.
"What a hassle!" Belvina complained. "Wouldn't it be better to go home and enjoy your retirement? Why insist on staying here!"
She stood up and continued complaining, "It's one thing to stay in the Ministry of Magic, but he should just stay in the International Magical Cooperation Division! Why does he have to get involved in the Triwizard Tournament!"
Surrounded by flames, Percy remained silent, unable to understand why Belvina was reacting so strongly.
Barty Crouch is already in a high position before he's even thirty, even if he's just a deputy. But his influence is not what it used to be. Is it really necessary for him to care so much?
Belvina felt inexplicably irritated, as if there was a fire burning inside her.
"Did he offer any suggestions regarding the Triwizard Tournament arrangements?" Belvina asked again, wanting to keep track of Barty Crouch's movements.
"No, Mr. Crouch has been in his office and hasn't summoned anyone," Percy said. "If he has any comments, I will let him know immediately."
"Percy, give him your previous report on the crucible thickness and let him handle the crucible issue," Belvina instructed. "And all that rubbish from the International Trade Standards Association, let Crouch handle it all."
Since Barty Crouch is looking for trouble, let's overwhelm him with trivial tasks!
"All, remember, all—" Belvina continued, "hand over all work matters unrelated to the Triwizard Tournament to him."
Forcing Barty Crouch to resign is unlikely to work in the short term, unless Crouch, that old man, is shameless enough.
No one could force him to submit his resignation.
“I’ve got it,” Percy said. “But I don’t understand why Mr. Crouch stayed to help us—it should be considered good news, shouldn’t it?”
If this had happened a month ago, Belvina would have thought the same.
Barty Crouch's competence is beyond question; with his help in filling in the gaps, Belvina will have a very easy time.
But Belvina doesn't see it that way now. She instinctively wants to reject anything abnormal and eliminate any possible unexpected situations.
Barty Crouch's behavior at the Quidditch World Cup was strange; instead of searching for the person who displayed the Dark Mark, he wasted time on Harry, which was highly unusual.
“That might have been good news before, but it’s not now,” Belvina told Percy. “Multiple authorities are not a good thing; they only make things more chaotic and ultimately mess everything up.”
She continued, "When you're moving around the department, keep an eye on Crouch's every move. I need to know exactly how many glasses of water he drinks each day, how many times he goes to the restroom, even the smallest things."
"I understand," Percy said. It was a difficult task, but he had to do it.
Leaders simply give orders, but subordinates run themselves ragged. Even in a wizarding society, this situation is hard to avoid.
"Alright, you can go ahead and get busy," Belvina waved her hand. "I need to be alone for a while."
Percy didn't say anything more. With a soft "poof," his head disappeared from the fireplace, and the flames returned to their original color.
After a while, the flames in the fireplace gradually died down, but the residual heat still lingered in the stove.
Belvina frowned and sat back down in the armchair.
Just as she had just told Percy, she needed time alone.
Firstly, it helps to relieve inner anxiety, and secondly, it allows for a re-analysis of the series of strange events that have recently occurred.
The first thing that comes to mind is the Quidditch World Cup, where the Death Eaters caused a riot at the encampment, the Dark Mark went up again, and the Death Eaters fled in disarray.
Clearly, the person who conjured the Dark Mark was not one of the Death Eaters in the camp.
So, who is he?
Are they remnants of the Death Eaters who escaped punishment from the Ministry of Magic, or are they Death Eaters who are deeply hidden and have not yet been discovered?
Following the World Cup riots and on the eve of the start of Hogwarts' term, the newly appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Alastor Moody, was attacked. Was this an isolated incident?
If this was an isolated incident, was the attack on Moody's an act of revenge, or a burglary? It's even possible that Moody's is once again being paranoid.
If the two events are related, could the assailant who attacked Moody be the one who conjured the Black Mark, and what did he want to do with Moody's identity?
And what about Barty Crouch's unusual behavior? What happened to him?
Everyone knows that fourteen-year-old Harry Potter couldn't conjure the Dark Mark. Why is he keeping a close eye on Harry? Is he just being diligent and responsible, or does he have ulterior motives?
Now, Barty Crouch is staying at the Ministry of Magic again and wants to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. What is his purpose?
In the silent office, Belvina was filled with questions. She was almost stumped by the questions she had been asked, as she couldn't answer any of them.
After much thought, Belvina felt that something was missing from all these strange occurrences.
But she couldn't remember what she had overlooked that prevented her from finding the key link that connected the strange events.
Could it be that his condition has worsened, making him as easily frightened as Moody?
Just as Belvina was filled with self-doubt and introspection, she suddenly remembered someone: Bertha, who had been missing for a long time without any news.
Johansson.