The Oriole Lurks Behind

August Rookwood, one of the Death Eaters, currently, no, previously served in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic.

Sean certainly knew Rookwood; he was one of the fanatical Death Eaters. However, because he wasn't very bright, Sean didn't give Lukwood the Dark Mark that would allow him to contact him directly, unlike Barty Jr.. and Bella. He could be considered one of Barty Jr..'s moles within the Ministry of Magic.

With Barty Jr.. out of contact, Sean has implicitly acknowledged that Rookwood has been arrested or has defected.

However, it is worth investigating why a former Ministry of Magic employee would attack Muggle, especially without giving any orders.

Sean maintained his expressionless demeanor and glanced indifferently at Little Aiken.

"Please go ahead."

Little Aiken licked his lips, his eyes gleaming. "Wait for me to come back."

Then he left the Great Hall directly.

Sean maintained his indifference, only glancing at the arrogant Umbridge as he walked out of the Great Hall.

As he walked to the corner, a thin Occamy slithered back from the school gate, slipped into Sean's sleeve, and let out a soft squeak.

"Understood, thank you for your hard work, little Naja." Sean smiled and patted the Occamy that was seeking praise, then fed it one of its favorite hard-shelled beetles.

He then sighed with regret.

"I thought they had some tricks up their sleeve, but they've already given themselves away... How boring..."

Sean quickly left the area.

After the afternoon classes ended, the students hurried to the Great Hall. According to Umbridge's rules, not eating on time would also be punished.

In the third-floor washroom, Jorison, who had clashed with Osman that day, was cleaning with a gloomy expression.

There was a faint white mark on his exposed left arm, a souvenir from his argument with Umbridge a few days earlier.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him. Jorison turned around and was surprised to find Sean waving his wand, smooth household spells flowing from the tip of his wand, quickly cleaning other places.

"Sean ..."

Sean smiled slightly at him, "We're wizards, at least, aren't we?"

"But Umbridge won't let me use it...sigh..." Jorison sighed.

Sean had the mop sweep him up, then walked over to the other person and whispered, "Bexley, 19 Iris Road. By the way, the Bird of Paradise in your flower garden is blooming beautifully..."

The address the other party gave made Jorison's eyes widen. It was his home, the place where his family, whom he had always worried about, lived!

How did he know all that?! He even knew exactly what the flowers in the flowerbed were like?

Sean winked at him. "Actually, your house is very close to a hospital near mine, and I have to tell you, your family is doing well, it's just that you haven't written home for a long time and they're getting a little worried—I had someone pass on a message to them that you have important research courses at school, so you don't have time for the time being."

Jorison threw the mop to the ground and grabbed Sean's hand. "Really? Sean, you... you made contact with the outside world?"

"Shh, keep your voice down. I didn't want to say this, but I felt I needed to put your mind at ease," Sean said with a smile.

Jorison breathed a long sigh of relief. The safety of his family had been a huge weight hanging over his head, but now he could finally relax.

He said gratefully, "Dude, thank you so much. I really, really don't know how to repay you..."

"It was nothing, don't worry about it."

Jorison shook his hand, then glanced outside and whispered, "Thank you, Sean, but you'd better hurry up and leave. Umbridge is trying to find something on you."

"Don't worry..." Before Sean could finish speaking, a voice came from outside the washroom.

A sickeningly sweet, high-pitched voice.

"Mr. Wallop." Umbridge clasped his hands, his face almost bursting with barely suppressed excitement.

"Oh, aren't you going to have lunch, Investigator's Wife?" Sean raised an eyebrow.

"I think catching you committing a foul is far more important than a dinner. Mr. Wallop, I have made it clear to all the students, including you of course—students are not allowed to act alone, and—" Umbridge glanced at the cleaning tools he was still cleaning, "This is Mr. Jorison's punishment, and I have also made it clear that we cannot help him, as that would ruin his chance to reform. Now, Mr. Wallop, please come with me."

Sean shrugged and walked straight out.

Instead, Jorison stepped in front of him, his expression calm. "Mrs. Umbridge, it was I who asked Wallerup to help me clean, because I helped him last year, so he couldn't refuse me."

We barely spoke a few words last year. Knowing that Jorison meant well Sean smiled and shook his head at him before turning to Umbridge.

"It seems you recognize your mistakes." Umbridge gave Sean an unsettling yet expectant look before turning and leaving.

Jorison gestured to Sean with his arm, which still bore white marks, and shook his head seriously.

Sean gestured for him not to worry, and then followed him.

Before long, Umbridge brought Sean to her office, which, as Sean had imagined, was tacky and greasy, making him uncomfortable.

Umbridge's magnificent robes blended seamlessly with the tablecloth as she took out a piece of parchment and a long, thin, black quill pen with a very sharp tip and pushed it in front of Sean.

Her laughter sounded like a toad that had just swallowed a fat Fly, and the girl's high-pitched, affected voice was nauseating.

"Please begin, Mr. Wallop. Write: 'I, Sean Wallerup, will no longer violate the new rules of Hogwarts issued by Professor Umbridge.'"

Sean was casually looking around the room, replied offhand, "It's long, Professor. How many times will you have to write it?"

Umbridge grinned cheesily, "I'll write until you never forget."

"Okay." Sean smiled slightly and raised his right hand.

Umbridge unconsciously looked at his ring, the ring face transforming into a jet-black round pupil.

Thirty minutes later, Sean, clutching his left arm and looking ashen-faced, walked out of Umbridge's office.

Ten minutes after he had completely walked away, a figure walked into the office.

It was Little Aiken, who had clearly left Hogwarts, followed by a member of the Guard Corps.

Umbridge saw Little Aiken walk in and looked puzzled. "Fabian? Didn't you go to the Ministry of Magic?"

Little Aiken toyed with his wand, then picked up a black gem hanging on the wall. "Madam, did Wallerup offer no resistance?"

Umbridge frowned. "What makes him dare to defy me? You still haven't told me how you got back? And what's that you're holding in your hand...?"

Her words were interrupted by a spell.

"Imperio" (Imperio).

The men brought by Little Aiken immediately used the Imperius Curse to control Umbridge.

Only then did the black gem in his hand begin to tremble.

"My detection gem was not touched before, Umbridge was not under control, check her memories."

The Guard Corps pressed his wand against Umbridge's temple, and silvery memories were drawn out.

While waiting for the examination, Little Aiken squinted. The gem in his hand could detect powerful fluctuations of Dark Arts. It was unexpected that Wallerup hadn't used the Imperius Curse to control Umbridge, but given the other party's cautious nature, it was understandable.

Of course, he absolutely did not believe that the boy Wallerup would just obediently accept punishment; he had seen Umbridge's quill pen before.

Time ticked by, until beads of sweat appeared on the forehead of the Guard Corps before he spoke, "It did indeed cover a layer of memory... His spell is very subtle, and the changes are minimal."

"Let me see." With that, Little Aiken pulled out a smaller version of the Pensieve.

The silvery wisps sank into the basin, and Little Aiken's head was buried in them.

A moment later, he looked up, his excitement barely concealed. "Just as Rookwood told me... Ha, I caught him..."

Having said that, he instructed, "Remove this stupid woman's memories of tonight, then plant a psychological suggestion in her. Don't actively cause trouble for Wallerup; catch him when Wallerup breaks the rules again. Also..."

After speaking, the Guard Corps cast a series of spells, and once Umbridge sat down in a daze, the two quickly left.

A moment later, Umbridge regained consciousness. She shook her head, somewhat puzzled, before drowsiness gradually overcame her.

On the third night, Sean was once again led to Umbridge's office.

"Hmm? I caught you again, didn't I? Hmph, looks like the lesson I gave you last time wasn't enough, Mr. Wallop."

Inside the office, Umbridge laughed again.

Sean clutched his arm, his face ashen. "Professor..."

Umbridge interrupted him abruptly, slamming the parchment and quill onto the table.

"Write!"

Sean sighed heavily, gripped the quill, but hesitated to write.

Umbridge gave a grotesque laugh, her toad-like eyes bulging out. "You should be glad Fabian isn't at Hogwarts, or you'll realize how merciful I am."

"Oh? He's not here?" Sean's eyes narrowed.

"Of course..." Umbridge suddenly stopped, seeing Sean pull out his wand.

"Imperio!"

The incantation rang out, and the office door was suddenly pushed open.

A fully armed Guard Corps and Auror members rushed in, followed by Little Aiken.

"Wallerup, you still can't hold your temper..." Little Aiken walked in, licking his lips and clapping his hands, holding the black gem in one of his hands.

He was so happy that he even found Umbridge's office so lovely, and the vulgar incense seemed high-class.

Then, his smile came to an abrupt end.

Inside the office, all the Guard Corps' wands were pointed at Umbridge, while the pink toad trembled, and wisps of smoke rose from the tip of her wand—a sign that a powerful spell had just been cast.

Little Aiken suddenly turned his head and saw Sean hiding innocently behind a chair, with a mark of a curse exploding at his feet.

"Oh my god, you've finally come to my rescue! Umbridge just went mad; she actually cast Unforgivable Curse on me!"

Little Aiken's face trembled.

"Take her down first!" an Auror shouted.

The Stunning Spell shot out, Umbridge didn't even dare to resist. She dropped her wand and watched in horror as the spell struck her and she passed out.

A British Ministry of Magic Auror looked at Little Aiken with a grim expression. "Mr. Aiken, you were the one who informed us that there was a Dark Wizard here. You said his name was Sean Wallerup?"

Sean shrugged in agreement and even handed over his wand.

"I don't mind checking me with Prior Incantato."

Little Aiken's face gradually turned ashen, and his eyes grew increasingly gloomy, but he still managed a cold smile.

"It's just infighting. Your Auror should have already interrogated Rookwood, and I have enough sources of information..." he said, grinning at Sean.

Sean's expression tightened, and he unconsciously covered his left arm.

Little Aiken finally bared his fangs. "Death Eaters... the Dark Mark of the Death Eaters is etched on their arms, and—it can't be hidden!"

Sean's face darkened completely.

The dozen or so Guard Corps present exchanged glances with Auror and slowly surrounded him.

"Wallerup, I suggest—don't resist."

Sean's chest heaved violently, and Little Aiken's smile grew even wider.

Just as he was feeling extremely smug and thought he was about to avenge his great enemy, he suddenly saw Sean's expression change.

A bad feeling suddenly rose in Little Aiken's heart.

Sean deftly pulled up his sleeves, revealing both arms.

His muscles were smooth and fair, except for a faint white mark on his left arm.

Sean gestured towards Little Aiken: "You should know where this came from, right? You're not trying to say it's Dark Mark, are you?"

Little Aiken looked at Sean in disbelief, only to see a disdainful smile.

"No, that's not right! He must have used some method to hide it, I need to check!" Little Aiken shouted frantically.

Sean's quick agreement only made him more desperate.

Despite the combined effects of the spell and the Potions, Sean's arm remained unchanged.

The leading Auror looked coldly at Little Aiken: "Mr. Aiken, slandering a wizard like this is illegal..."

Little Aiken gritted his teeth. In order to prevent Sean from making a comeback, he had specially brought in Auror from England today—who was not affiliated with the Guard Corps.

At this moment, the leader of the Guard Corps stepped forward, glanced at Little Aiken, and said slowly, "I believe Mr. Aiken wouldn't speak carelessly. How about this, Mr. Wallop, please cooperate with us and stay here for a while—Mr. Aiken, you said you had evidence."

This isn't sending Little Aiken back to find evidence; it's telling him to run away right now.

Everyone present understood this principle. The England Auror hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

Little Aiken snorted heavily and strode out of the office.

Sean found a chair, sat down, and shrugged. "How much longer?"

"We can wait for him to come back. If he doesn't come back, Mr. Wallop, you are naturally innocent."

"Okay, no problem."

The dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts were deserted, save for the heavy footsteps of Little Aiken, who gritted his teeth, his heart filled with a desire to tear Sean to shreds.

He had just turned a dark corner when he felt as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant, and then he collapsed to the ground.

A familiar smiling face slowly emerged from the shadows, and Little Aiken's pupils dilated violently.

"You don't really think you can run, do you?" Sean, revealing a set of white teeth in the darkness.