Malfoy's Scheme

With a crack, a hooded figure appeared out of thin air in a dark alley.

The stench in the alley made the hooded figure wrinkle his nose. He then raised his head and warily surveyed his surroundings. Only after confirming that no one was nearby did he silently leave the alley and vanish into the desolate streets.

After passing through a run-down, abandoned district, the hooded figure stopped before a dilapidated row house. He seemed to mutter something under his breath, and the gap between two crumbling row houses suddenly split open, revealing a hidden wooden door.

As the hooded figure approached, the wooden door opened without warning, and he immediately stepped inside.

The wooden door closed behind him, and firelight immediately flared up ahead.

Lucius Malfoy pushed back his hood, revealing his slightly pale face in the firelight.

This was their base. These days, Death Eaters were like rats in the street, despised by everyone. Naturally, they could not afford to be too conspicuous, so they had found a secluded place to gather.

Malfoy walked through the corridor and stopped before a door. He raised his hand and knocked lightly three times. Then he passed straight through the wooden door and appeared in a lavishly furnished sitting room.

The previously noisy sitting room fell abruptly silent when Lucius Malfoy entered. Everyone turned to look at him in unison.

"Old friend, you nearly missed it."

In the silent room, someone suddenly spoke first, breaking the stillness. If Hagrid had been there, he would certainly have recognized the speaker as Walton McNeil, the man who had nearly chopped off Buckbeak's head.

"That matter took up quite a bit of my time."

Lucius Malfoy sat in the vacant seat. From its position alone, it was not hard to see Malfoy's status among