The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 521, Section 530: The Eternal Gamble

Voldemort's henchmen will be spared for the time being.

That's the reason.

Ian has more important things to focus on.

and.

Let's use that Death Eater as bait.

But before that.

He also needs to figure out why this happened.

Facing Ian's gaze.

Johansson is under a lot of pressure.

Feeling Ian's gaze and the oppressive force, Joggins tensed up and hurriedly said, "Please, please ask! I will answer everything I know!" He appeared very frightened.

He probably had no idea that the mysterious and powerful wizard standing in front of him was actually his junior, a Ravenclaw wizard.

"Well, I hope you can clear things up for me." Ian's gaze swept over the "normal" Muggle streets around him, then returned to Jorkins' face, his eyes deep.

"I can roughly reconstruct the path you took from when that Death Eater chased you to when you were forced to reveal yourself here. Given your location and surroundings, there were at least three other shorter, more concealed routes that would have allowed you to encounter other wizards or escape directly back to the Ministry of Magic's safe house. However, you chose a roundabout route that passed through a relatively open Muggle area and ended up revealing yourself right in front of the Royal Catherine Hotel."

His tone, stating the facts, instantly made Joggins break out in a cold sweat again.

"This makes me very curious," Ian continued, his tone becoming more inquisitive. "Is it a coincidence? Or... did you deliberately lure him here? Yes."

This is the strange thing Ian discovered in the Death Eaters' memories.

Upon hearing this, Jorgins' face turned deathly pale. He frantically waved his hands, "No! No, sir! How could I deliberately lead such a dangerous guy to the Muggle neighborhood? And right in front of you? I swear I absolutely didn't mean it! I was just trying to escape, my mind was a complete mess..."

He was afraid that Ian would misunderstand.

He's trying his best to explain.

"So, this was Mr. Barty Crouch's arrangement?" Ian interrupted Jorkins, his tone still calm, but a very subtle glint of sharpness flashed in his eyes when he mentioned that name.

Among the fragments he sifted through the Death Eaters' memories, there was indeed information about Jorkins working for Crouch. And Barty Crouch… in the original timeline, was a complex figure who would stop at nothing to combat dark magic, even showing ruthlessness towards his own son. If he knew Jorkins was being hunted, would he have used this opportunity to set a trap, perhaps even resorting to using Muggle areas and unknown powerful beings to weaken the Death Eaters?

This conjecture caused Ian's gaze to turn slightly colder. He disliked being used, especially being drawn into the potentially ruthless schemes of high-ranking Ministry of Magic officials.

of course.

There's one inexplicable aspect to this conjecture: it would require Crouch to know of Ian's existence, which is highly unlikely.

Thinking about this...

Ian's confusion and curiosity intensified.

"It has absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Crouch!" Jorkins' voice rose sharply, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, filled with fear and urgency. He even temporarily suppressed his awe of Ian.

"Director Crouch has no idea I discovered that thing! I haven't even had a chance to report it to him yet! I swear! I swear in Merlin's name! This was entirely my personal discovery and experience from beginning to end, and has nothing to do with the Director or any official orders from the Ministry of Magic!" It's clear this guy is very loyal to the Ministry of Magic.

He was so anxious he was incoherent, fearing that the terrifying figure before him would take his anger out on Director Crouch, or even the entire Ministry of Magic. He couldn't even imagine the consequences.

Ian watched him silently as he frantically tried to explain himself, without speaking immediately. His calm gaze seemed to pierce through all pretense, reaching straight to the heart. Jorkins felt like a specimen placed under a microscope, with nowhere to hide.

"I'm telling the truth!"

He forced himself to explain.

"Oh?" Ian uttered a single syllable, the last syllable rising slightly, carrying an unmistakable skepticism. "If it wasn't Crouch, and it wasn't a coincidence... then can you explain why, in a life-or-death situation, your 'instinct' choice so precisely led you to this particular location?"

He paused, then added, his tone carrying a chilling insight: "You see, I just 'saw' some of that Death Eater's memories. Although he's arrogant, he has the basic logic of tracking and interception. Your several detours and path choices, from the perspective of escaping tracking, were not optimal, and even somewhat... deliberate."

Ian's statement is not without merit.

These are some of the inconsistencies he gleaned from the Death Eaters' memories.

"so?"

Jorgins opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He recalled the chaotic thoughts that had clouded his judgment during his escape. Yes, now, calmly reflecting, there were moments when he could have easily turned into a more familiar alley or rushed in another direction where there might have been an Auror patrol. But...

Somehow, a voice in his head, or rather a strong intuition, drove him to run in this direction, even ignoring other seemingly safer options.

That feeling... was like being pulled by some invisible force.

The color drained from his face, and a chill deeper than that of being hunted by Death Eaters rose from the depths of his heart. Could it be... that he had truly been affected by something without even realizing it?

Seeing the changing expressions of fear and confusion on Joggins' face, Ian understood.

The other party wasn't lying; at least not on his own level of understanding. But this raises another, more noteworthy question. Why?

Why did Johansson do this?

To know.

There are no coincidences in the wizarding world.

"Think about it carefully, Mr. Jorkins." Ian's voice softened slightly, but it still carried an undeniable guiding force, making the other party feel pressured.

"Before this pursuit, did anything unusual happen? Did you encounter any unusual people? Or... hear any unusual 'advice' or 'prophecy'?"

Ian has also studied similar situations.

So the guessing started.

"what?"

Jorgins jolted, jerking his head up. A look of disbelief flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by deeper confusion and a hint of fear. "A...special person..."

Jorkins murmured, the floodgates of memory opening, "About two weeks ago... in Diagon Alley, in that narrow alley behind the Leaky Cauldron where they pile up junk... I met someone."

He fell into recollection, his speech slowing with uncertainty: "That day I worked late and went to Diagon Alley to buy some energy drinks. As I passed through that alley, it was very dark, and I think I saw a figure leaning against the wall, wearing a very loose black robe, the hood covering his face, so I couldn't see his features." "I was about to walk past quickly, but he... he suddenly called out to me."

Jorkins hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"What did he say?" Ian pressed, his gaze focused.

"His...his voice was strange, a little hoarse, and it sounded like there was something between his ears, so I couldn't hear him clearly." Jorgins tried to recall as he recounted the story. "He said...'Beware of the claws in the shadows, they have smelled your scent.' I was startled at the time, thinking it was some drunken wizard talking nonsense."

"Or maybe it's some new kind of scam opening line. I ignored him and tried to leave." The more Joggins thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, sensing something was amiss, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

Well, how should I put it?

As a Ravenclaw student, he certainly possessed basic intelligence, which is why Jorkins was able to clearly realize at that moment that he had been tricked.

"and then?"

Ian continued to calmly inquire of you.

Then he said something else.

Jorgins' face showed lingering fear. "When darkness closes in and there's nowhere to hide, remember to run towards the light... towards the sanctuary marked by the golden lion." After saying that, he seemed to... melt into the shadows and disappear. I looked around, but the alley was deserted. "I was tired and annoyed at the time, and just felt confused and even a little creeped out, so I quickly left. I didn't think much of it afterwards, just assuming I'd encountered a strange madman or it was a hallucination."

Jorgins continued to break out in a cold sweat.

His eyes were filled with doubt and uncertainty.

A sanctuary marked by a golden lion? Ian's heart skipped a beat. The Royal Catherine Hotel... The name itself doesn't have an obvious connection to lions, but many old-fashioned British hotels, especially those with "Royal" in their name, often incorporate lion elements in their coats of arms or interior decorations.

And "a place of refuge"... hotels do indeed provide shelter. This is a rather subtle implication.

"Just now... when I was cornered by that Death Eater and almost caught, my mind went blank," Jorkins said, his voice filled with lingering fear and disbelief.

"That phrase... 'When darkness comes and there is nowhere to hide, remember to run towards the light... towards the sanctuary marked by the golden lion.' It was like someone suddenly repeated it in my head at a loud volume! So clear! And then I... I don't know what happened, my body seemed to have a mind of its own, and I just ran desperately in that direction... I didn't even have time to think about the optimal route..." Jorgins swallowed hard. He had realized it.

An ordinary, unremarkable person.

Perhaps he'd been caught up in some terrifying incident. He finished speaking and looked at Ian nervously, afraid the other would think he was making up a bizarre story to shirk responsibility.

Ian listened quietly, his expression unchanging, but a slight glint appeared in his deep eyes. Two weeks ago… the narrow alley of Diagon Alley… the mysterious man in black robes… words carrying prophetic and suggestive meaning… a “guidance” triggered in a moment of crisis… This didn’t sound like something Joggins could have fabricated, and it seemed to exceed the scope of Barty Crouch’s pragmatic style. It was more like… a pre-installed “insurance” or “guide.”

"A prophecy?"

Ian muttered to himself. He looked at Jorkins, a scrutinizing glint in his eyes. "Mr. Jorkins, are you willing to testify to your statement?"

"I'm willing! Of course I'm willing! How about a magic contract?" Jorgins nodded hastily, as long as he could prove his innocence and that what he said was true.

He's willing to do anything.

"No need for that."

Ian shook his head, his tone still polite but carrying an undeniable certainty, "I have a more direct way to verify whether you are lying, and... to see what that 'hint' is all about."

Jorgins paused, taken aback: "A...more direct method?"

“Yes,” Ian said calmly, looking at him. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to check your memory of this matter. That’s the clearest and most reliable way.”

Viewing memories?!

Jorkins' pupils suddenly contracted.

Capture the mind and seize thoughts!

This mysterious adult actually proposed using this advanced magic, which could easily breach privacy and psychological defenses! In an instant, instinctive resistance and fear surged into my heart. No one would willingly allow their memories to be casually flipped through like a book, especially when it involves personal privacy, work secrets, or even some less-than-honorable thoughts.

Moreover, given that the other party is such an unfathomable being, to what extent will his Mind Control technique penetrate? Will he see things he shouldn't? Or even... cause irreversible damage?

Jorkins's heart was in turmoil.

However, this initial resistance vanished the moment he met Ian's calm, unwavering eyes, which seemed to see through everything. At that moment, Jorkins recalled the terrifying power Ian had just displayed—easily imprisoning Death Eaters, massively altering Muggle memories, and even extracting information from their minds.

Faced with such an existence, his pitiful privacy and mental defenses were probably as fragile as paper. Moreover, when the other party made this request, the tone was polite and "requesting," but the underlying sense of "this is the best way," and the absolute confidence, all made Jorgins understand that this was actually a "notification."

Whether you agree or not.

The difference may lie only in whether the other party enters "politely" or "forcefully" in.

More importantly, Jorkins asked himself honestly if his memory of the incident was false, and he desperately wanted to prove his innocence and clear himself of suspicion of "deliberately causing trouble." Letting the other party examine it might be the fastest way to clear his name and even find out what strange event he had encountered. Should he do that?

most!

After a brief internal struggle, Jorkins gritted his teeth, his face revealing a resolute determination, or rather, resignation.

He took a deep breath, trying to make his eyes appear sincere and open, though his voice still trembled slightly: "I...I agree, sir. Please...check it. As long as it can prove I wasn't lying, and clarify what really happened...I...I have no objection."

He even deliberately relaxed his mental barrier—which wasn't particularly strong for a wizard who wasn't a combat or mental magic specialist.

"Very good, very honest."

Seeing that Jorgins, though terrified, still tried to relax and show utmost sincerity, Ian finally revealed a faint, gentle smile. This smile wasn't feigned, but rather an acknowledgment of a pragmatic and courageous attitude. In the magical world, especially in this turbulent era, wizards who so openly accept Legilimency examination are rare. Of course.

As a Ravenclaw student, the other party must be well aware of this fact.

Refuse.

I can't stop myself.

That is indeed true.