Harry did not hesitate. He immediately called for Hagrid and the others to come with him.
As they drew closer, they saw the figure clearly.
It was a wizard dressed in a fitted black Wizard Robe. Harry had seen him not long ago.
His identity was none other than Barty Crouch!
This high-ranking Ministry of Magic official had lost his usual vitality and lay silently on the ground.
Rotting leaves had piled beneath him into a blackened cushion, giving off the decayed stench of life gone by.
His head was tilted to one side, his silver-gray hair tangled into a bird's nest. Several strands were caught around the roots of a tree, trembling faintly in the evening breeze.
His wand had slipped from his slack fingers. Its tip was embedded in the soil, and it had clearly been snapped by someone's foot.
He had completely stopped breathing. His life force was gone. Some criminal hidden in the darkness had murdered him.
Hagrid immediately cried out, "Good heavens, what happened to Crouch? Was he murdered?"
Ron and Hermione instinctively took several steps back. They had never seen a dead person before, and terror rose from the depths of their hearts.
Harry, however, walked forward without changing expression. He came to Crouch's side and carefully examined his body.
Although he and Crouch were now on opposing sides, that did not mean Harry wanted Crouch dead.
Among the many Ministry of Magic officials, Crouch was one of the more responsible ones.
When Voldemort had once ravaged the Wizarding World, most Ministry officials had already surrendered. Only a small number of wizards, including Crouch, had resisted stubbornly.
Moreover, his character was fairly decent. Harry had even discussed with Dumbledore the possibility of entrusting him with an important position after reforming the Wizarding World.
So