The Ministry of Magic was off work, but in this world there were always people who worked overtime, even if there was not a single Knut of overtime pay.
A complaint letter had been sent to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. It reported that vehicles in a certain area had been magically modified. Muggles could not detect these changes, yet their vehicles would suddenly lose control at any time. Some Muggles had already been injured, and the sender hoped the Ministry would quickly undo the modifications.
The complaint also included several reports of Muggle injuries, along with inspection records of the damaged vehicles.
To most people, the letter was simply an accusation against wizards illegally modifying Muggle cars. But in Arthur Weasley's eyes, it was a detailed design of magical modifications. The few cars that had malfunctioned clearly showed traces of experimental work. Obviously, this wizard was conducting various modification trials, and those broken-down vehicles were only test subjects. The real treasure lay in the techniques used on the cars that had not yet failed.
Arthur Weasley decided to visit the reported area after work. Handling enchanted Muggle objects was his job, and while dismantling those modifications, he could learn plenty of useful techniques.
In fact, Arthur wanted to find the wizard behind this—not to have the Aurors arrest him, but to meet the person himself and exchange ideas on the technical aspects of Muggle car enchantments. With shared interests, there would be much to talk about.
He arrived at a chaotic neighborhood that could only be described as a slum. If not for the "Muggle-Repelling Charm" he had cast on himself, Arthur would already have run into several gangs of thugs.
At the destination, the surroundings were filthy, and the parked cars were all in terrible condition. After inspection, Arthur discovered that every vehicle there had been tampered with. No wonder they had been chosen for experiments—if one of these cars malfunctioned, no one would suspect anything, unless another wizard happened to notice.
While Arthur was busy checking the cars, he failed to notice that the area around him was growing unnaturally quiet. A protective barrier had sealed off the parking lot.
"Hey! Old man, what are you doing? Planning to steal our cars?"
Several Death Eaters suddenly appeared, surrounding Arthur as if they were common thugs.
Arthur was stunned. He had already cast a Muggle-Repelling Charm on himself. No Muggle should have been able to see him, let alone surround him. Even if they bumped into him, they should have unconsciously avoided him.
The Ministry had records of a wizard who once placed such a charm on himself and then strolled down a busy street. The result was chaos—vehicles crashed, pedestrians fell into accidents—yet the wizard walked away completely unharmed.
Arthur was confused. How could this be happening? Why was he being cornered by thugs? He secretly reached for his wand to recast the Muggle-Repelling Charm.
"Hey! What's this? Your weapon? You going to poke me with that stick? Or maybe you're planning to cast a spell with it?"
Just as Arthur drew his wand, one of the Death Eaters—clearly assigned to act at this moment—snatched it away.
"You're not Muggles! You're wizards! Who are you?"
Arthur finally realized the truth. His attackers weren't Muggles. He had indeed cast the charm before. So why were these wizards surrounding him?
"Oh! The head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office doesn't even recognize us. Maybe we should make sure he remembers this day forever!"
"Let me! I'll go first! I'll make sure the Director never forgets this moment, even in death."
One Death Eater grabbed Arthur's wand, holding it reverently with both hands as if performing some sacred ritual.
"Arthur Weasley, as the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, you have abused the authority granted to you by the Ministry, recklessly modifying your Muggle car. By order of the Wizengamot, you are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban, and your wand will be broken in court!"
With that proclamation, the Death Eater snapped Arthur's wand in two, pulling it apart until the core spilled out.
It was indeed something a wizard would never forget. Having one's wand broken was one of the harshest punishments in the wizarding world.
Clearly, this Death Eater still bore a grudge from long ago. Now that Arthur was in his grasp, he wanted him to taste the same despair, even if Arthur had nothing to do with his own imprisonment. He simply wanted someone else to suffer.
"You escaped from Azkaban, didn't you? What is your purpose?"
For the first time, Arthur felt death so close. If he was going to die, he wanted to understand why.
The Death Eaters continued to restrain him. Then, the crowd shifted aside to reveal a platinum-haired wizard standing there—Lucius Malfoy. He had been present all along, merely hidden behind the others.
"It's you! Lucius! Still the Dark Lord's lapdog. You'll pay the price for this one day!"
Arthur seethed with bitterness. If he had known earlier, he would have raided Malfoy Manor himself.
"I know you're upset, Arthur. But you must face the truth: the Dark Lord has returned, and no one can defy him."
Lucius Malfoy stepped closer, calmly delivering the fact.
"Impossible! Harry Potter would never become the Dark Lord. You must have some other plot!"
Arthur's own thoughts startled him, yet no matter how he denied it, the reality would not change.
"You've already admitted to yourself that he's back. You just refuse to say it aloud. Very well, let me give you another reason, something to make your death easier. Once you're gone, I will inherit your position. You know I've always wanted a post in the Ministry. It suits my status, doesn't it?"
Lucius smiled, almost apologetic about stealing Arthur's job.
"So that's it… So that's it…"
Arthur's spirit was crushed. Whether it was Voldemort's resurrection or Lucius's ambitions, it meant he would not survive the night.
"Everyone, begin. Enjoy yourselves."
Lucius stepped aside. This was vengeance for the Death Eaters. After more than a decade in Azkaban, they had built up too much rage. Tonight was their release.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
They did not use wands. They did not cast the Cruciatus Curse. Instead, they beat Arthur with fists and feet, blow after blow, like Muggles in a rage room. By exhausting themselves in this violent frenzy, they could vent their pain and regain control over their emotions.
And so, a tragedy unfolded in that parking lot. There was only one witness, one victim, and six assailants. They beat him relentlessly until their own strength gave out.
"He's already dead. Let's get out of here—we've wasted too much time."
Lucius urged them on. They had been at it for over two hours. Arthur had long ceased to respond, and Lucius had even noticed several Muggles come and go from the lot during that time.
"Pah! Pah! Pah!"
They spat on Arthur's broken body before finally drawing their wands. Together with Lucius, they transformed into black smoke and vanished.
The fading barrier and Muggle-Repelling Charm were restored with a single tap of a wand.
Regulus Black arrived at the scene. Arthur Weasley's corpse was beaten beyond recognition, his facial bones shattered—how would the Ministry even identify the body?
A crystal orb was pressed to Arthur's temple, extracting every memory.
Regulus Black repaired Arthur's face just enough, then departed without another word.
ChatGPT can make
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09