Chapter 1293 Disaster Strikes Out of the Sky While Sitting at Home

Stepping out of the cold gates of Selwyn House, Scrimgeour shed his disguise and returned to the Lane Hotel in London.

The investigation, which lasted for several days, paid off, and Aiden Selwyn was officially named the prime suspect.

Vincent's success finally allowed Hunter to relax his tense nerves.

He patted Vincent's chest half-jokingly, "You haven't caused any major trouble after infiltrating for so long, that's progress!"

“Hehe—” Vincent returned a polite smile, “How’s the situation on your end? Have you found any suspicious individuals?”

Hunter shook his head. "No, but the crime rate in London has decreased these days."

Normally, the temperature should rise as Christmas approaches, and with the influx of tourists eager to witness the dragon, it can only be said that London's criminals have a keen sense of danger, sensing the peril behind this bustling metropolis.

However, there is still a long way to go before the danger is completely eliminated.

Aiden Selwyn has been missing from the wizarding world for three years. The fact that no new victims have appeared for such a long time proves that he is very vigilant and may disappear again as a result.

But as long as he is not caught, London will remain under his shadow.

Therefore, no clue related to him should be overlooked.

The investigation, both overt and covert, is in full swing, but Vincent's focus is on the accident that happened three years ago, even though it won't do much to help the search.

Using his identity as Scrimgeour and the autonomy he gained in his confrontation with Fudge, he began to systematically sift through the files of the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters.

His focus was on the unusual incident, hoping to find the official record of the accident.

On the other hand, in his capacity as a special advisor to the British intelligence agency, he accessed the reports on unnatural incidents stored in MI6.

The Ministry of Magic's records are too general, and many of the unusual incidents show signs of being tampered with, making further investigation unlikely.

Vincent had no choice but to turn his attention to MI6’s reports on unnatural events. Among the numerous reports, he pinpointed an explosion that occurred on April 14, 1992, in an old industrial park in East London.

The report itself was unremarkable; the incident was characterized as a localized explosion and chemical leak caused by the improper storage of organic peroxides, resulting in serious injury to one warehouse manager and inhalation injuries to eight nearby office workers.

But what caught his attention was a supplementary note from the on-site environmental investigator:

"About 15 meters from the explosion's epicenter, large areas of irregular water damage were found on the ground and parts of the walls. Water samples showed that it was just ordinary tap water with no chemical contaminants."

There were no fire hydrants or damaged water pipes in the area, and there was no rainfall recorded that day.

The distribution pattern of the water stains does not conform to any known fire extinguishing or dilution procedures and does not overlap with the extent of the explosive spill.

The source of the water cannot be explained; it is recommended that records be kept. (Attachment: Photos from the scene)

Extensive, unexplained water damage.

Vincent pulled out the slightly yellowed photo of the scene. Between the charred and twisted metal and the remaining chemical stains, there was a large patch of water stains that were noticeably darker and had strange borders.

It doesn't look like a splash; it looks more like a large amount of water bursting out from one point and then spreading out to form traces.

Vincent put down the photo, rested his chin on one hand, and pressed his index finger against his cheek as he fell into deep thought.

If a wizard were accidentally contaminated by a highly corrosive chemical, what would be his first reaction as his flesh is continuously burned?

Even though he knew nothing about treatment, his most instinctive reaction was to summon plenty of water to rinse the parts of his body that had come into contact with the chemicals and to try to relieve the pain of the continuous burns by cooling them down.

In the midst of panic and excruciating pain, his spell might go out of control, causing him to unleash an unusually large amount of water.

This perfectly explains the inexplicable water stain; it wasn't a Muggle's mistake, but rather a magical mark left by an injured wizard.

Vincent immediately notified MI6 and obtained all reports related to the incident.

Medical call records at the time showed that, in addition to the warehouse manager, another unidentified passerby was also recorded as seriously injured. He received initial first aid at the scene and left on his own without going to the hospital.

The police did not investigate his identity afterwards, only noting that he might be a homeless person or an undocumented immigrant who did not want to disclose his information.

Vincent knew that this passerby was very likely Aiden Selwyn.

The pieces of the puzzle began to come together, and at the time of the accident, this noble and talented therapist appeared near that filthy industrial area.

Due to a Muggle's negligence, illegally stored hazardous chemicals exploded, unexpectedly ensnaring him.

Magic failed to fully protect him; some highly corrosive chemical he had never known about struck him, causing horrific, persistent burns.

In his agony and confusion, he instinctively used magic to save himself, but was left with indelible scars.

Vincent leaned back in his chair, and the accident photos, close-ups of water stains, and medical records in his field of vision gradually became blurry.

Aiden Selwyn's motive for casting the cursed item is clear: this random Muggle industrial event not only destroyed his body, but also his belief in being a healer and his last shred of tolerance for Muggles.

“I was sitting at home when disaster struck…” Vincent murmured with a complicated expression.

This twisted hatred, which transforms from victim to perpetrator, is ultimately directed towards a wider range of innocent people.

Suddenly, a "ding" broke the silence.

Vincent turned on the projection screen; it was a message from Kingsley to Scrimgeour, urging him to go to Gringotts as soon as possible.

He hadn't shown up at the Ministry of Magic for several days, and Aiden Selwyn's investigation hadn't made any substantial progress, so he might as well go to Gringotts to make a show of it, lest he intensify Fudge's dissatisfaction and cause him to relinquish his autonomy.

Diagon Alley

When Scrimgeour entered Gringotts, he was not greeted by the usual stench of money, but by a cold, restless atmosphere that was clearly hostile.

Several fairy-like counter clerks stopped writing and stared at him with their unfriendly, round eyes.

In the distance, the sharp sounds of fairies arguing could be heard. The content was not very clear, but the tone was full of resentment.

The goblin leading him was named Raring, and it was very unfriendly, seemingly not welcoming his arrival. "Director Scrimgeour, the damaged area is still sealed off. For your safety, I do not recommend going deeper. Repairing the vault is our top priority right now."

Scrimgeour scoffed, completely ignoring his words.

The British Ministry of Magic is notoriously inefficient, and the chaotic investigation has undoubtedly slowed down the repair progress. However, in order to resume business as soon as possible, the fairies should fully cooperate with the investigation.

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