Chapter 1285 The Simplest Way
London, top floor of the Lane Hotel.
A dark figure silently passed through the huge floor-to-ceiling glass window and appeared in Hunter's field of vision, who looked exhausted.
Startled, Hunter quickly grabbed the Dominator pistol that was lying to the side. When he saw who it was, his mouth twitched violently.
He set down the Dominator and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Welcome back, Mr. Headline."
Vincent ignored the sarcasm in his words and went straight to the refrigerator to take out a can of Coke.
"Hiss—" A burst of cold air and the sweet aroma of syrup suddenly erupted.
After taking a big gulp of ice-cold cola, Vincent lazily lay down on the sofa.
Hunter rubbed his slightly throbbing temples. "Well, how did it feel on the dragon's back?"
Vincent raised his hand. "The experience was unique and the view was expansive, but the wind was very strong at night, making my head buzz."
Hunter pressed his temples hard.
Right now, both the Muggle world and the wizarding world are in an uproar because of Gringotts and the dragon, while the person in front of him is enjoying an ice-cold cola with a completely carefree expression. If those people who are still in a state of panic knew this, who knows what their reaction would be.
"Sigh—" Hunter sighed softly, went to the refrigerator, grabbed an ice cube, and poured himself a glass of authentic Scotch whisky. "Where's the dragon? Where did you put this big guy?"
"A completely safe place."
Hunter breathed a slight sigh of relief.
On a positive note, even if there are serious casualties in the magical world, it's the wizards' problem. Compared to the panic caused by the Berlin incident, the appearance of the dragon will not cause serious economic losses, and may even bring a large number of international tourists to London who are interested in it.
No wonder this kid was so fearless; he had calculated that the Muggle government wouldn't hold him accountable.
Having figured things out, Hunter stopped worrying and took a sip of whiskey. "Have you found any leads on that antisocial pleasure offender?"
Vincent rolled over, shifting to a more comfortable position. "Nothing of value. I tracked it all the way from the Dark Magic Items shop to Gringotts. This guy is very cautious; he doesn't seem like a novice."
Hunter frowned. "Does the Ministry of Magic have files on such dangerous individuals?"
Vincent thought for a moment, then shook his head and nodded. "His temporary treasury has a lot of Galleons, which proves that he has a certain amount of wealth. So he should have a rather glamorous identity on the surface. Even if the Ministry of Magic's files don't have detailed records, they should be able to screen out some suspects."
Hunter looked at the real-time map of London on the projection screen. "Because of your 'fire dragon fireworks show,' the eyes of the whole world are on London. This cautious guy must be too scared to continue his crimes."
If the murderer disappears without a trace, even if a suspect is identified based on the existing evidence, it will be difficult to pinpoint them. This case of repeatedly placing cursed items may ultimately become an unsolved case like "Jack the Ripper".
Hunter inputs the killer's characteristics that Vincent obtained from Mr. Borkin into the projection screen.
Male, slender build
Clean fingers
• Scars on the neck
• Cold and serene demeanor, an atypical dark wizard
• Using an untraceable temporary vault, indicating a certain level of wealth.
He poured himself another glass of whiskey. "A rich, clean, calm madman with a scar on his neck. By the way, what method do you plan to use to get your hands on the Ministry of Magic's files?"
Vincent gently put down the empty can in his hand. "The simplest way is to infiltrate."
Hunter's eye twitched wildly.
Infiltration? Another infiltration?
This kid infiltrated Gringotts and released the fire dragon, infiltrated the Ministry of Magic... He had a strange, ominous feeling.
……
……
Late at night, Surrey.
With his hair perfectly styled and his robes impeccably pressed, Percy emerged from a mansion cleverly concealed by magic.
His face was serious and businesslike, but his brows were slightly furrowed. He had just conveyed Fudge's urgent request that Scrimgeour immediately end his leave and return to his post to deal with the Gringotts crisis, with a hint of pleading in his voice.
But Scrimgeour's reaction... was less one of resistance and more one of profound weariness and mockery, which made all of Percy's prepared arguments seem utterly pale.
“Tell Fudge that if he spent half the energy he uses to shirk responsibility and manipulate public opinion on serious matters, we would face far fewer problems.”
Percy opened his mouth, but in the end he could only nod helplessly and turn to leave Scrinker's house.
As the Apparition explosion subsided, tranquility returned to the area around the mansion.
10 minutes later,
In the living room of the mansion, Scrimgeour stood before the unlit fireplace, gazing at the empty grate, as silent as a weathered sphinx.
He was thinking, thinking about Fudge's folly, thinking about the appalling destruction at Gringotts, thinking about the name that haunted him like a ghost in the later years of his career, Vincent Wayne.
"Still worrying about the mess at the Ministry of Magic?" a calm voice suddenly rang out.
Scrimgeour's muscles tensed instantly, his right hand swiftly gripping the wand in his pocket, and he turned around with astonishing speed.
There was no sound of apparition, no opening or closing of doors and windows, and not even any magical fluctuations.
The man stood there naturally in the shadows of the living room, as if he had always been there and had only now decided to reveal himself.
“Wayne.” Scrimgeour’s voice was hoarse, as if it came from deep in his throat.
His hand gripping the wand was as steady as a rock. "How did you—"
"How did you find this place?" Vincent slowly stepped out of the shadows. "Or how did you get in?"
He approached Scrimgeour, not even glancing at the wand that was almost touching his chest. "Director Scrimgeour, you should upgrade the defenses here. Anti-Apparition and Anti-Intrusion Charms are useless against powerful wizards."
Scrimgeour stared intently at him. "Arrogance! Do you know that all the Aurors in Britain and even half of Europe are looking for you? Gringotts' feat? Riding a dragon across London? You're becoming more and more like the Dark Lord they're looking for."
Vincent chuckled. "The Dark Lord is just a label imposed on me. You should know very well who the real enemy is. It's those cowards who wear masks and enjoy torturing the weak, and that madman who abandoned all humanity to save his own life, Voldemort."
Scrimgeour's eyes widened, his hand gripping his wand trembling violently. "But now it's you who's creating chaos, Wayne. Do you know how much trouble your actions are causing the wizarding world?"
The serious exposure of magical creatures has led to unprecedented scrutiny of Gringotts and the Ministry of Magic, potentially triggering a series of panics comparable to Voldemort's return.
……
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