Bab 238: Chapter 237 "Among Us"
On the front page of the Daily Prophet, Rita Skeeter's sensational headline screamed: "Shocking! Ministry of Magic Officials Vanish, Director Not Immune! Can the Ministry Ensure Public Safety?"
The news couldn't be suppressed despite Minister Fudge's efforts to contain the situation. If it emerged that a senior Ministry official had gone missing, it would revive memories of the Quidditch World Cup chaos. Despite deploying significant resources, no clues were unearthed.
In reality, Crouch had been taking frequent "vacations" for months due to supposed health issues. His absence went unnoticed as he continued to issue instructions via owl to his assistant, Percy Weasley, who, blinded by ambition, never questioned the arrangement.
Instead, Percy saw Crouch's absence as a mark of respect, a chance to prove himself, so Crouch's disappearance went unnoticed.
When Dumbledore learned of Crouch's disappearance, he was perplexed. The situation surrounding Crouch was undeniably complex.
Crouch was known for his work ethic, but his sudden decline in health after the Quidditch World Cup raised suspicions. He began delegating tasks to inexperienced individuals like Percy Weasley, a departure from his usual behavior.
According to Harry, Crouch visited Hogwarts with a pressing matter to discuss, but upon arrival, he seemed disoriented and couldn't recall why he came. Dumbledore suspected foul play, but despite his expertise in memory magic, he couldn't discern any tampering when he examined Crouch's memories.
Crouch's memory appeared flawless to Dumbledore, without any gaps, inconsistencies, or abruptness. While Dumbledore acknowledged his own proficiency in memory magic, he found it hard to believe that someone could modify a memory to such an extent without leaving any detectable flaws.
Instead of someone as old as him, Dumbledore simply looked in the distance, mumbling something in a low voice, "The wind of change is upon us; certain people with opposing backgrounds have changed their foundation due to another force moving behind the scenes." He said before he took a long breath.
Harry looked toward Dumbledore with a confused look before asking, "What do you mean by that, Professor?"
"Only time will tell for you, Harry. You only need to focus on learning and practicing the magic you've been taught for now. Not only does the threat of the dark lord await us in the near future, but there is something worse ready to strike the wizarding world. Protect your loved ones, Harry, and work well with them." Dumbledore convinced while putting his hand on Harry's shoulder.
Understanding the intricacies of memory magic, Dumbledore knew that cracking and restoring memories differed from identifying flaws within them.
While it was conceivable for someone to modify a memory to the point where it couldn't be cracked or extracted, ensuring it remained flawlessly undetectable was an exceptionally challenging task. Even formidable wizards like Grindelwald and Voldemort would struggle with such a feat.
Initially planning to allow Crouch to recuperate at Hogwarts under Madam Pomfrey's care while he observed and investigated further, Dumbledore was taken aback when Crouch mysteriously vanished after just a few days.
Adding to the mystery, Madam Pomfrey had been struck by a powerful memory charm, rendering her unable to recall any details surrounding Crouch's disappearance.
"It's been weird how I can't recall anything lately, feels like I've only been living day by day doing menial tasks and looking after careless students instead. There is something wrong with how my days have been passing lately." Madam Pomfrey muttered with a sad tone.
Dumbledore personally witnessed Crouch's arrival at the school hospital and took extra precautions by casting his most potent defensive and warning spells around the perimeter, ensuring even Voldemort himself would be unable to approach without detection.
Despite his meticulous preparations, neither his alert nor defensive spells were triggered when Crouch mysteriously vanished from the hospital, leaving behind no trace.
Madam Pomfrey, due to her mental strain from the incident, was unable to provide any useful information and took an extended leave to recover, prompting Dumbledore to secure a temporary replacement to keep the hospital operational.
Despite his efforts, Dumbledore's investigations into Crouch's disappearance yielded no results. Portraits, armor, statues, and ghosts offered no helpful insights into the mystery, leaving Dumbledore perplexed.
Adding to the intrigue, Apparition was impossible within Hogwarts' grounds, and access to the Floo Network required Dumbledore's authority as the headmaster, making any external interference unlikely.
Dumbledore found himself at a loss regarding Crouch's disappearance from Hogwarts without detection. Despite knowing Crouch's last known whereabouts, Dumbledore refrained from announcing it to the media until the mystery was solved, preferring not to excuse Fudge prematurely. After all, Fudge bore some responsibility for Crouch's situation, given the underhanded tactics he employed to suppress him.
Fudge, initially diligent in organizing search efforts, grew weary with time. He pondered why he should shoulder the blame when the Ministry of Magic was vast, and missing employees were not uncommon. He resorted to a familiar tactic—shifting the blame onto someone else.
"How could I know anything about Crouch's disappearance?! All I care about is that he went missing in one of his missions; there is no reason why you need to put the blame on me. I hadn't even seen him a few months prior. He was declared AWOL!" Minister Fudge explained angrily toward the crowd of mobs demanding an answer from him.
Suddenly, he raised his eyebrows, "Why don't you guys go and ask Percy Weasley? He is Crouch's personal assistant; I am pretty sure he has a clue or two about his boss' disappearance." A wild idea popped in his head, "Apprehend Mr. Weasley now! We need to bring him in and question him!"
Enter Percy Weasley, Crouch's personal assistant.
Unluckily for Percy, he became the scapegoat. Suspended for investigation and arrested as the prime suspect, Percy found himself in dire straits.
"What did I even do wrong?! Do you think I have the power to match with Mr. Crouch when he could easily stand against probably five of me?" Percy yelled helplessly, trying to claw his way out of this hopeless situation.
The media erupted with speculation about the Weasley family, alleging that Arthur Weasley was vying for power to achieve his fanciful dream of Muggle-wizard harmony. Percy, perceived as his favored son, was portrayed as a mere pawn in Arthur's Ministry of Magic machinations. Crouch's disappearance served as apparent evidence of a leaked plan.
In a sudden turn of events, the Weasleys' reputation shifted from relative obscurity to a source of widespread contention. Former allies like the Prewett, Longbottom, and Diggory families distanced themselves, fearing association with the burgeoning scandal.
While Fudge had initiated the blame-shifting strategy, the ferocity of public opinion caught him off guard. Behind the scenes, someone stoked the flames: none other than Skyler Malfoy, the scion of the Malfoy family and a central figure in the unfolding narrative.
Following Barnabas Cuffe's establishment of a connection with Skyler through Horace Slughorn's Slug Club, the Daily Prophet swiftly aligned itself with Skyler's faction. Backed by the Medieval Wizards' Union's influence in the media realm, Skyler wielded significant power over public opinion, adept at twisting truths and sowing discord.
While Skyler may have owed Dumbledore a debt of gratitude and hesitated to sever ties outright, their ideological divergence remained unresolved. Their paths diverged irreconcilably—there could only be one dominant force in their world.
Unable to directly confront Dumbledore, Skyler might target members of the Order of the Phoenix instead. Even with Dumbledore's protection, the Weasley family faced unprecedented challenges, straining their resources and jeopardizing their standing in society. The looming threat cast a dark shadow over their once-promising future.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Scaramousse
Scaramousse Chapters will be updated daily at 23:00 GMT+7!
Don't forget to leave power stones and you can read up to 40 chapters ahead on [p][a][t][r][e][o][n].com/Scaramousse
Community Discord server: https://discord.gg/fUTE3bckdX
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone