There was no pouring rain as in the movies, only a sparse scattering of guests. Once a high-ranking official, now even in death, he was met
There was no pouring rain as in the movies, only a sparse scattering of guests. Once a high-ranking official, now even in death, he was met with such bleakness.
"Judy! Has your Auror Department found the murderer yet?"
Dropping a flower into the grave, Regulus Black stared at the pit and thought back to the times when, in his past life while reading, he cursed authors who dug holes in the story but never filled them. Perhaps it would be better to just bury those authors in pits like this.
"No, we haven't found the killer. The only clue is that Director Barty Crouch had arranged to meet someone, and that person murdered him. The scene was completely destroyed, leaving no usable evidence."
Among those attending the funeral were naturally Aurors who had taken over Crouch's case. Since it was the Director of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures asking, they had no reason to refuse an answer—especially since one of them was his own lover, Judy Fox.
"Did Director Crouch have any family? I don't see any at the funeral. It seems like it's all Ministry people."
Regulus glanced around. Indeed, there was no sign of any family members. Perhaps a blood relative had attended, but certainly not in the capacity of host.
"Director Crouch had a wife, but she died years ago from illness. His son was a Death Eater, and Crouch personally sent him to Azkaban. He died there as well, before his mother passed away."
Judy Fox spoke with clear sympathy for the murdered Director Crouch. Their relationship must have been rather good.
"The entire Ministry is talking about this. After all, it's not only a high-ranking official who has been killed, but it also happened right after the Azkaban breakout. Still, there was no Dark Mark at the scene, so it might have just been an isolated incident."
Penello Crivatt bent down and whispered the situation at the Ministry into Regulus Black's ear.
"That's not right! There was a Dark Mark at the scene. But the Aurors who arrived first were ordered by Minister Fudge to remove it. That's utterly impossible. If the Dark Mark could be erased so easily, it would never have been feared as a terror in the first place. In the end, the Aurors had no choice but to cast an illusion to conceal that section of the sky."
Judy Fox's tone grew heated as she spoke. Just how long did Minister Fudge intend to keep covering his eyes?
"So, this is the third time the Dark Mark has appeared. And you still don't know who the killer is? Investigate Crouch's family, even if they are already dead. You may find something interesting."
Those were Regulus Black's parting words before he left. Young Barty Crouch had long since escaped and was still at large, committing crimes. By now, the Auror Department should be made aware of this fact.
Judy Fox watched Regulus's departing figure, puzzled by his last words. Investigate the dead? What did that mean? Young Barty Crouch, who supposedly died in Azkaban? Or Crouch's wife, who passed away from illness?
Regulus was infuriating. He always spoke in half-truths. Yet not investigating would gnaw at her curiosity. He really knew how to use people.
What happened to prisoners who died in Azkaban? Were their bodies returned to their families? Buried on site?In fact, neither. Just like in the Middle Ages, prisoners who died in their cells were simply left to rot, until only bones remained. When the stench finally faded, the cell would be reused for the next unfortunate soul, serving as a grim reminder of those who came before.
Judy Fox quickly led a group to inspect Barty Crouch Jr.'s cell. It was a formal witnessing procedure, requiring mutual supervision and verification. But when they arrived, a clearly female skeleton lay on the floor.
"You're sure this is the right cell number? Why is there a witch's body here? Or was a female prisoner put in here afterward?"
As the leader, Judy Fox already understood what Regulus Black had meant. Barty Crouch Jr. had escaped. Still, she clung to a final hope and questioned the Azkaban guard.
"I'll check the records. This is indeed the correct cell, and no new prisoner was ever placed here."
The guard Auror immediately flipped through the records, which contained every detail of prisoner confinement and visitation.
Judy Fox snatched the record and read: one year ago, on a certain day, Barty Crouch had brought his gravely ill wife to visit their son. Not long after they left, Barty Crouch Jr. supposedly committed suicide.
Aurors at the time even examined his corpse and confirmed it was him. From then on, no one ever entered the cell again, and no one bothered to check it.
"It was Polyjuice Potion. The gravely ill Mrs. Crouch and Barty Crouch Jr. switched places. Then, while imprisoned, Mrs. Crouch committed suicide. As long as the Aurors didn't notice the substitution within the potion's effective time, no one would come back to investigate afterward."
Judy Fox quickly pieced together the truth. But the incident had happened a year ago, which meant Barty Crouch Jr. had long since escaped and was still at large.
"Don't spread this for now. I must return to the Ministry immediately to report it. You must all wait until an official order is issued."
Looking at Mrs. Crouch's remains, the Aurors present all understood that if this wasn't handled properly, it would become another scandal for their department.
However, instead of reporting it directly to the Auror Office, Judy Fox first went to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to consult Regulus Black about how to handle the matter.
Experience had proven that consulting Regulus Black was often the right choice, because he could always come up with solutions that satisfied all sides—something no single department could achieve.
"Barty Crouch Jr. escaped long ago! Why didn't you say so earlier?"
The moment Judy Fox entered, she slammed the table at Regulus Black, furious as an Auror that someone with such knowledge had kept silent.
"Some things happen, and they happen. Some people escape, and they escape. The important thing is to uncover the truth, and then bring them back in."
Regulus Black spread his hands with a careless air. Sitting in his position, he naturally viewed matters differently. In front of him now were two swaying peaks, shifting as though under an earthquake.
"Tell me how to handle this, and I'll overlook your failure to report."
Judy Fox of course knew exactly where her lover's gaze was fixed. She shifted her waist slightly, making the peaks tremble.
Regulus Black smiled and reached out both hands to steady the trembling heights.
"We need to think about this matter deeply, not just on the surface. Some things can only be judged by their final outcome. Imagine—if the Dark Lord had triumphed back then, who would have been the ones judged instead?"
His fingers traced across the peaks, lingering in their fragrant valleys.
"You must have a plan. Tell me what it is. I think I can help you."
Judy Fox bit her lip. With spring warmth and blossoms on her face, she thought of how her lover would never send her to investigate this matter without reason. That meant there was definitely more to it.
"I already told you—we need to delve deeply into this. Only by fully probing the problem can we find the answer we want."
Regulus Black stood and moved behind Judy Fox, letting her keep her hands on the table as she thought, while he guided her into preparing for a deeper inquiry.
The full, round peach before him was a perfect emblem of human desire—the heart-shaped symbol of love originated from it.
The two began to explore the matter slowly, sometimes returning to the surface, then delving deeper again. Back and forth they went, and in the heat of their inquiry, they finally reached a shared conclusion about the essence of the issue.
"Oh damn! You forgot to draw the curtains—everyone will have seen…"
Only then did Judy Fox realize that the office windows were uncovered. She couldn't tell how many people might have witnessed their heated exchange, and the thought made her instantly anxious.
"What are you worrying about? I'd never let anyone see. The windows were already enchanted—no one outside can see in. Only we can look out. Even if you pressed yourself against the glass, no one outside would notice."
Regulus Black gave the peach a firm slap, bringing the conversation to an end.
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09