The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was dead?
This was the highest-ranking murder case so far.
And then something even more frightening emerged.
The attack on the Weasleys had only been the beginning.
Amelia Bones was dead.
The situation escalated.
Those paying close attention began to analyze the incident, and suddenly noticed something.
There might be a reason behind Amelia's death.
An investigation.
And everyone knew who Amelia had been investigating all along…
Johnny Silverhand!
…
"I knew it, I knew it—anyone who goes against him never ends well!"
"He wiped out five families, and now he's even gone after a senior Ministry official."
"The Weasleys? Who's to say that wasn't his doing too!"
The pure-blood families knew far more about what had happened to the five families than anyone else.
And because of that, they were terrified.
In their eyes, Johnny Silverhand had already become a dictator.
Any voice of opposition would be silenced by death.
Panic spread through the magical world.
Barty Crouch Sr. was driven to a headache by the constant noise from every side. He still couldn't believe that his political rival, Amelia Bones, had died just like that.
Those voices kept flooding his mind. His expression darkened, fear flickering in his eyes. "Was it you, John?" He muttered to himself.
He thought of the five families, then of the Weasleys, and now Amelia Bones.
Their one common thread was the Dark Mark used to frame Johnny Silverhand.
And that realization was frightening.
Everyone believed it was Johnny Silverhand.
"Assassinating the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement—this is an extremely serious accusation."
Barty Crouch Sr. paced back and forth, his thoughts in complete turmoil.
Whether to trust John, or to give rise to suspicion, left him unable to calm himself at all.
"Pius, tell me—what should I do?"
Now promoted to a senior Ministry official, Pius Thicknesse sat in Barty Crouch Sr.'s private residence, his face grim.
This smooth, ever-adaptable bureaucrat was stumped by Barty's question.
Even he could no longer give his superior a definitive answer.
"The pure-blood families have started revisiting the deaths of the five families," Pius said thoughtfully. "The Bones family holds great prestige among the pure-bloods. They made enormous contributions during Voldemort's era."
"So what?" Barty slammed the table, shouting, "What are you trying to say?"
"With all due respect, Minister Crouch," Pius said steadily, "how likely do you think it is that Johnny Silverhand was involved? We all know who possesses both the capability—and the motive."
Pius's words tore open the truths Barty was unwilling to face.
He slowly sank back into his chair, the pent-up heaviness in his chest escaping in thin breaths.
Pius did not press him. He simply watched in silence.
A long silence.
"Minister Crouch, we have to accept reality," Pius said at last.
"Reality?" Barty gave a self-mocking laugh. "I thought he and I would be friends."
"He's too narrow-minded," Pius said, a flicker of something strange passing through his eyes. "Despite your repeated insistence that he not target the pure-bloods… it seems he never took you seriously at all."
"Johnny Silverhand possesses immeasurable wealth, well-trained private security, and even desperadoes willing to work for him."
Pius spoke with rising intensity. "His very existence is the greatest threat. If one day the Minister of Magic can't satisfy him, would he replace the Minister instead?"
"Oh.. and ..He's done that before, Minister Crouch."
Layer by layer, blood-soaked truths were torn open.
Barty Crouch Sr. seemed convinced. In a hoarse voice, he said, "I know what to do now. Thank you, Pius."
Seeing that Barty had been persuaded, Pius finally relaxed, a faint smile appearing on his face. "We're on the same side, Minister Crouch."
Barty rose and walked Pius out.
Standing at the doorway, Barty watched Pius's retreating figure and suddenly sensed that something was wrong.
His gaze fell on Pius's lowered left index finger—where a ring should have been.
"Pius, where's your ring?"
Pius stopped. The smile vanished from his face.
Turning back expressionlessly, he said coldly, "Did you really have to point that out, Minister Crouch?"
Barty's expression changed. The instant the other man drew his wand, he moved to slam the door shut.
His~~<<
"Arg—"
Barty Crouch Sr.'s movement froze. Black veins crept up along his neck.
Lowering his head with great effort, he saw a small emerald-green snake biting into his ankle.
Barty was unable to move. He could only watch helplessly as the other person walked toward him.
"My master told me that you possess quite a few of Silverhand's products."
That face shifted rapidly, like kneaded putty.
"P-Pius… where… is he…?"
Barty struggled to breathe as he forced out the question.
"Him? He should be sleeping somewhere right now."
The man leaned close, whispering in a demon's murmur, "Care to guess when he'll lose his usefulness?"
Barty's eyes widened. He wanted to slap the face that had drawn so close.
But he couldn't even move a single finger.
The man raised his right hand, held up one finger, and gently poked Barty.
Barty collapsed stiffly to the ground.
"Sleep, my dear Minister Crouch."
Drawing his wand and aiming it at Crouch, the man gave a sinister smile. "Send my regards to Silverhand."
Barty Crouch Sr.'s heavy eyelids closed, and a voice echoed in his ears.
"Avada Kedavra."
…
The Constellation Society.
"Something's wrong," he muttered.
Holding the newspaper, he reread it again and again inside the Constellation Society.
"Barty…"
The article described how the Minister of Magic had personally stepped forward, vowing to find the culprit and punish them severely.
That statement struck John as strange.
Barty hadn't contacted him at all. Had he truly believed him without question?
His relationship with Barty hovered somewhere between cooperation and friendship. More often than not, they operated under the guise of friendship while each took what they needed.
Barty needed John's financial power; John needed Barty's current position as Minister of Magic to expand his reach.
Yet this time, Barty had borne the pressure himself, without even attempting to question him.
The last time the Weasley family was attacked, Barty had stormed over to confront John, slamming the table and demanding to know whether it had been his doing.
Doubt took root in John's mind as he stared at the newspaper.
"Amelia Bones is dead… was it Voldemort?"
He pondered the question.
Amelia Bones was not merely a Ministry official, but an exceptionally powerful witch.
To kill her, it would have required either a surprise assault by multiple attackers, or Voldemort himself acting in person.
Yet so far, there was still no concrete information about Voldemort at all.
He had never once revealed his whereabouts.
John couldn't even determine whether the man was still in the country or already abroad.
The imbalance of information made the situation difficult to handle.
After reclaiming his soul, Voldemort was far more troublesome than before, as if he had suddenly become frighteningly clear-headed.
Amelia's death plunged the entire magical society into panic. This invisible fear would only help Voldemort expand his power, dispersing the attention that should have been focused squarely on him.
"First the Weasleys, then Slughorn, and now Bones. Every step you take is unexpected, deliberately stirring panic."
John set the newspaper down. Voldemort's objective was obvious—to make the magical world afraid, and to incite conflict between the pure-bloods and Silverhand.
Barty had also reacted quickly, stepping forward as Minister of Magic to bolster public morale.
As expected of someone who had once led the Ministry of Magic against Voldemort—when fear of the Dark Lord began resurfacing everywhere, he stepped forward bravely.
John let out a quiet breath of relief, yet the lingering doubt in his heart refused to dissipate.
As he walked out of the Constellation Society, he saw Basil waiting at the entrance.
"What's wrong?" John walked over and noticed a letter held in Basil's mouth.
John took it and opened it.
His expression changed instantly.
"The Ministry of Magic has suspended matters related to the expansion of the werewolf community?"
John stared hard at the letter. Attached was the original document and correspondence sent by Tommy.
Had Barty made a move against him?
John opened Tommy's letter.
"Regarding recent developments in the werewolf community, the Ministry of Magic expresses its regret. Due to funding issues, the expansion of the werewolf community will be temporarily halted."
John clenched the letter tightly, reading each word over and over.
After confirming that he hadn't misread anything, John finally understood why Barty hadn't contacted him to seek the truth.
He was already prepared to make a move against Silverhand.
Was it pressure from the pure-bloods, or was he planning to tear the alliance apart?
"Barty, you're far too impulsive."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, a flash of cold vertical pupils flickered through his gaze.
John murmured to himself, "I really didn't expect you to turn on me. That surprises me."
He glanced at Basil and told him to return to the dormitory.
Then he turned and walked back into the Constellation Society.
Woosh!
Pale blue flames ignited in the fireplace.
John stepped into it and said expressionlessly,
"Silverhand Manor."
~~~
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