112 Colin Dale Street, Barnet District, London.
This was a beautiful, small Western-style building that stood out like a sore thumb among the old, weathered structures surrounding it.
However, the pedestrians passing by didn't seem to notice the beautiful house at all. Not a single person gave it a second glance.
This was the combined effect of a Muggle-Repelling Charm and Confundo.
Rudy Mont carefully circled the house once.
At least seven alarm charms had been set up around the house. If anyone touched them, the person who cast these spells would be immediately alerted.
Barty Crouch Sr. still had many tricks up his sleeve. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to sit so firmly as the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement during Lord Voldemort's most rampant period.
Rudy Mont wasn't confident he could break these spells without being discovered.
The standard wand issued by the Fire Serpent Party was barely usable. It was far from being something that felt like an extension of his arm.
Rudy quietly left the area.
A few minutes later, he returned, holding a struggling kitten by the scruff of its neck. The kitten hissed and struggled weakly, letting out soft cries of "mew, meow."
"Little guy, cooperate with me. I won't hurt you," Rudy whispered.
As he spoke, Rudy lightly tossed the kitten toward one of the likely trigger points of the alarm charm.
From afar, Rudy cast a Levitation Charm to ensure the kitten wouldn't fall and get injured. He then disappeared quietly into the shadows of a nearby street corner.
He was confident the alarm charm had been triggered.
He also knew that Barty Crouch would definitely not come out immediately. Instead, Crouch would observe the surroundings using other magical means.
Once he saw that it was only a harmless kitten that had triggered the charm, he would relax temporarily, and later come out to reset the triggered alarm.
Rudy Mont was very patient.
He crouched behind a trash bin at the entrance of a narrow alley. Using Transfiguration, he disguised himself as a beggar and quietly observed 112 Colin Dale Street.
As dusk settled and the moon rose above the tree branches, a window on the first floor of the house slowly opened.
A figure flashed into view for just a moment, and a faint blue light flickered. Then the window closed again.
Although it happened in an instant, Rudy was absolutely certain.
It was Barty Crouch Sr.
His deduction was correct.
Rudy stood up and calmly walked in the opposite direction from 112 Colin Dale Street.
After walking about one block, he found a sparsely populated area. He quickly cast a Muggle-Repelling Charm, then firmly pressed the alarm device issued by the Auror Office.
A few moments later, Rufus Scrimgeour Apparated beside him, along with several other Aurors.
When Scrimgeour noticed the Muggle-Repelling Charm that Rudy had already set up, he nodded slightly in approval. However, his expression remained grim.
They had spent most of the day tracking the House-elf, but without success.
The small creature seemed to be deliberately playing with them, and although they were exhausted, they were reluctant to give up such a valuable clue.
"You'd better have found something," Scrimgeour said coldly.
"We're swamped. If you're messing with us, even if you're Minister Dantes's man, you'll be kicked out."
Rudy Mont showed no fear.
"Director, I've found Barty Crouch. He's at 112 Colin Dale Street, one block away. The house belongs to Monk Trafford. Trafford is Mrs. Crouch's cousin who left Britain last year."
"That's just your guess. Did you see Barty Crouch with your own eyes?" Scrimgeour demanded.
"Yes, Director. There are alarm charms around the house. I triggered one using a cat. Not long ago, I hid in the shadows and personally saw Barty Crouch open the window to reset the alarm charm."
Scrimgeour's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Quick! Take us there!"
Rudy, however, calmly looked at Scrimgeour and the Aurors behind him.
"Director, Barty Crouch hasn't realized he's been exposed. He won't leave anytime soon. Shouldn't we gather more people to ensure the arrest goes smoothly before taking action?"
Scrimgeour froze for a moment.
Then he realized that Rudy was right.
His face darkened as he snorted coldly.
"Are you telling me how to do my job?"
"I wouldn't dare," Rudy replied respectfully.
Scrimgeour looked at Rudy's calm and humble expression, and his demeanor softened slightly.
"Marlene, return to the Ministry and gather reinforcements immediately.
The rest of you, follow me. We absolutely cannot let Barty Crouch escape."
"Yes, Director!"
…
In the Minister for Magic's office.
"Minister Dantes," Lucas Bagworth III said cautiously,
"About Dana Emrys joining the England national team, what do you think?"
Minister Dantes stood by the window, gazing at the magically simulated bustling traffic outside. He turned with a slight smile.
"Something like this should be discussed directly with Dana, shouldn't it? Why come to me?"
Lucas Bagworth III was the coach of the England Quidditch national team. His family had dedicated generations to English Quidditch. His great-great-grandfather, Lucas Bagworth, had lost half his teeth during the 1877 Quidditch World Cup.
"Minister Dantes," Bagworth said,
"Everyone knows that Dana Emrys is the star player of your Merlin City Cannons. If not you, who else should I ask?"
Minister Dantes chuckled softly.
"I almost forgot the Quidditch World Cup is coming up…"
"Yes! The qualifiers begin next month," Bagworth said eagerly.
"With Dana Emrys joining, England will definitely win this year's World Cup!"
"But Dana is still underage," Dantes said calmly.
"He's already playing league matches. Wouldn't it be too exhausting to play in the World Cup as well?"
"Not exhausting at all!" Bagworth waved his hands frantically.
"He only needs to play the matches. We won't bother him with anything outside the games. And with his skill, he can end a game in a matter of seconds. How tired could he be?"
Minister Dantes shook his head.
"He's the star player of my Merlin City Cannons. If he gets injured and it affects his career, wouldn't that be a huge loss for me?"
He looked directly at Bagworth.
"So, Coach Bagworth, you need to give me a convincing reason."
Sweat trickled down Bagworth's forehead.
In the Wizarding World, if your neck wasn't broken and you didn't die instantly, you could be healed within a week. Compared to magical injuries, Quidditch injuries were practically harmless.
Finally, Bagworth said urgently,
"Minister Dantes, you've just taken office. You need visible achievements! The Fire Serpent Party won't be solved overnight, but you can win a World Cup first! You know how important Quidditch is in the hearts of wizards. A World Cup championship is more convincing than anything else!"
Minister Dantes slowly walked back to his desk and sat down elegantly. He folded his hands under his chin and studied Bagworth carefully.
The silence made Bagworth's heart race.
"Fine," Dantes said eventually.
"I'll talk to Dana later. If he agrees, then it's settled."
"Really?" Bagworth jumped up. "You've agreed?"
"Mr. Bagworth," Dantes said calmly,
"You're only forty-five. You're not hard of hearing yet, are you?"
"Of course not! Thank you, thank you!" Bagworth said gratefully as he rushed out.
As he opened the door, he nearly bumped into Elisa.
Elisa walked into the office and quietly closed the door behind her.
"Earl, Barty Crouch Sr. has been captured," she said.
"Oh?" Earl Dantes raised an eyebrow.
"That fast? I thought it would take at least half a month before he had nowhere left to hide."
He gestured for Elisa to sit down.
"Scrimgeour doesn't have that kind of ability. Who found him?"
Elisa answered softly,
"It was a young man named Rudy Mont."
She lowered her voice slightly.
"He's someone we developed in France."
Earl Dantes laughed.
"There's no need to be so cautious. My office has multiple soundproofing charms. No one can hear us."
Elisa nodded.
"How did he find Barty Crouch?" the Earl asked.
"He analyzed Crouch's interactions with relatives over the past year," Elisa explained.
"He deduced the most likely hiding place, then confirmed the presence of alarm charms. Through testing, he verified that Barty Crouch was indeed hiding there."
She continued,
"After confirming it, he didn't act impulsively or try to claim credit. Instead, he immediately notified Scrimgeour and helped set up a dragnet, which made the capture extremely smooth."
Earl Dantes nodded in satisfaction.
"Our Fire Serpent Party truly has no shortage of talent."
He looked at Elisa.
"Notify your brother. Our party's promotion system needs to be improved as soon as possible. Capable people like Rudy Mont, who have both ability and merit, should be assigned to more important positions without delay."
"Yes, Earl," Elisa replied respectfully.
.
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