Germany is located in the center of Europe. The straight-line distance between the Dublin and London is about 950 kilometers. If it were a fighter jet in La Voiture Noire mode, it could reach London in less than an hour at a speed of Mach 10.
I definitely want to go, but not now.
Vincent pushed the lever and returned to the Westminster district.
He did not activate his stealth ability and flew at low altitudes along Charing Cross Road.
The La Voiture Noire the aircraft, like the tip of a sword, pierced through an invisible barrier and successfully reached the empty Diagon Alley.
Vincent's destination wasn't here, but rather the other side of Knockturn Alley.
As it approached midnight, Knockturn Alley became eerily quiet.
The La Voiture Noire landed beside Wayne Enterprises' pyramid-shaped Alchemy Shop, Vincent jumped out of the cockpit carrying a briefcase.
Almost simultaneously, colorful spells shot in from all directions.
"No wonder it's so quiet—" Vincent waved his hand in front of him to form a magical barrier, then turned and picked up the briefcase.
The sudden attack failed to achieve the desired effect, and the Auror had been lying in ambush no longer hid.
"Wayne— " Scrimgeour appeared on the side of the Alchemy Shop, looking somewhat tired. "That's enough. I won't let you cause any more trouble."
Vincent glanced at the Auror around him.
Tonks, Kingsley, and Wales were all there, but Delores wasn't.
"Mr. Scrimgeour, how did you guess I would come here?"
"Intuition." Scrimgeour slowly walked towards him. "After I woke up, I was told to form a Special Squad to hunt you down. My intuition tells me that you will take your staff with you before you leave Britain."
After all, Cheshire and the others were once dark wizards, and they all had cases on their hands. Scrimgeour knew very well that Vincent would not stand by and watch his people be taken away, so he immediately led his team to lie in ambush.
Vincent nodded. "I see."
Scrimgeour is one of the very few officials in the Ministry of Magic who dares to take responsibility for his mistakes. When the Auror Office was destroyed by Luke Wood's self-destruction, he dared to dig out the wreckage with his bare hands, which bore traces of corrosive Dark Magic, without even wearing Dragonhide Gloves, thus saving the lives of many Auror.
Vincent looked at the black gloves he was wearing.
Whether it was a publicity stunt or not, he was indeed a good boss.
Vincent gestured to the Alchemy Shop behind him. "Mr. Scrimgeour, would you like to come in and have a seat?"
Scrimgeour remained silent.
After a moment, he loosened his grip on his wand slightly. "Sitting with the Ministry of Magic's most wanted criminal?"
"It depends on how you view the arrest warrant issued by Fudge."
Scrimgeour put away his wand. "Okay, but we don't have much time. I'm probably not the only one who thought of this place."
Vincent looked at the Auror around him again, "You've been busy for so long, come in and take a break."
"Okay!" Tonks stopped looking stern, put away his wand, and jogged over.
Kingsley's face darkened further, and he followed without saying a word.
Wales and the remaining Auror followed suit.
The entrance to Wayne Enterprises' Alchemy Shop is at the top of the pyramid; to get in, you have to climb an invisible, floating staircase.
This is nothing new to any wizard in the British Wizarding World; Alchemy Shop have long been a popular weekend destination for most wizarding families.
Upon entering the Platinum Corridor, Cheshire briefly lost her composure before warmly welcoming the Auror.
There were hardly any customers all day; the few who did come left shortly after the hearing began.
The huge rest area seemed unusually empty, and both Lucifer and Xi La, the two heads of the security department, appeared very nervous about the arrival of the Auror.
After two years of working together, they had long since come to accept Vincent as their boss.
They certainly didn't want to go back to those days when they risked their lives on wands, but reality was harsh, and if the Auror wanted to...
"Lucifer, Xi La, come and sit down."
Both of them saw a hint of warning in Vincent's eyes.
Cheshire smiled and pulled the two of them aside to whisper a few words. When they returned, there was no obvious hostility between them.
Lucifer and Xi La, being the heads of the security department, would occasionally glance at the Auror with scrutinizing eyes, even when they were sitting down.
Vincent and Scrimgeour sat in a secluded corner when a pot of freshly brewed, steaming hot black tea and some pastries flew over and landed on the coffee table.
Vincent took a small sip of his black tea, then casually picked up a cookie and put it in his mouth.
Scrimgeour, holding his teacup, turned his head to look at Lucifer and the others. "Your staff is quite good."
"Thank you for the compliment."
He looked Vincent with a complicated expression. "Wayne, turn yourself in. There are relevant regulations in the department. If you pull some strings, there's a good chance you can get a minor charge."
"Forget it," Vincent chuckled. "I'm afraid I might not be able to resist grabbing Fudge and beating him up."
This joke isn't funny because it could actually happen.
Scrimgeour looked down at the steam rising from his teacup. "Actually, I have no right to say that. You and Dumbledore Champion who dare to face the truth, while I am just a coward who takes a step forward and then shrinks back."
Suddenly, he tilted his head back, raised his teacup, and drank it all in one gulp. Then he wiped the tea dripping from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "Even though the danger from Azkaban is much greater, I still obeyed orders to come and arrest you. You must think I'm a very hypocritical person, right?"
Vincent shook his head. "Mr. Scrimgeour, not everyone has the courage to go against authority."
He changed the subject, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Now it's my turn to advise you. Fudge's ambition is growing ever larger. He can no longer tolerate me and Professor Dumbledore, and soon he will be unable to tolerate any dissenting voices."
Scrimgeour's lips trembled slightly, as if he had vaguely guessed something.
Vincent crossed his fingers, appearing quite relaxed. "People blinded by lust for power often resort to any means necessary, even sacrificing principles and moral bottom lines."
He looked directly into Scrimgeour's pupils, which were almost shrunk to pinpoints. "What the Auror Office is willing to risk its life to protect should not be a lie. Are you really willing to let someone like Fudge continue to manage the British Wizarding World?"
Scrimgeour clenched his fists tightly. "Wayne, do you know what you're saying?!"
Two extremes: one is relaxed, the other is tense.
"Of course I know." Vincent's deep blue eyes seemed to see through everything, including Scrimgeour's heart. "The current Minister for Magic has seriously neglected his duties. He has slandered Dumbledore as a schemer, but has chosen to turn a blind eye to the real danger."
Scrimgeour instinctively avoided his gaze.
"Cornelius Fudge would rather embrace the eternal night of Voldemort's resurrection than loosen his grip on power."
Vincent's words were like a heavy hammer, causing Scrimgeour to hurriedly loosen his clenched fist.
"Those maggots huddled in the dung heap of power fabricate new lies every day to cover up their own, and you Auror are willing to risk your lives for them. Do you think all of this is reasonable?"
Scrimgeour kept his head down and remained silent, never daring to meet Vincent people.
"If you think it's unreasonable, why don't you pick it up—"
"Enough!" Scrimgeour finally raised his head.
His pupils trembled violently. "The situation in the British Wizarding World is already dire enough. Doing this will only make the panic spread faster."
Scrimgeour had anticipated Vincent's overreaction.
Coups can indeed trigger political turmoil and social division, and may even face international intervention.
Vincent's goal was simply to plant a seed in Scrimgeour's heart; whether it would blossom and bear fruit would depend on Fudge's subsequent actions.