Raid on a Death Eater Stronghold

The next day, in the morning, a group of wizards carrying identical toolboxes arrived at Grimmauld Place, Number 13.

The leader was a meticulous-looking old wizard who showed Harry the badge of the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Ministry of Magic and Veratia's signed permission as he opened the door.

"I've been commissioned by the Minister to update the mansion's protective magic," he said.

Harry gestured for them to come in and had Ruby bring them tea and refreshments.

The assessment work began. They tested the strength of the original Protective Charm, superimposed more covert anti-spying, anti-curse implantation, and spatial anchoring spells at key points, and even set up independent magical alarm circuits in the basement and study areas.

Cassandra accompanied him throughout. She was quite knowledgeable about protective magic and could offer some insightful suggestions, which made the old wizard take a second look at her.

At the same time, Ron's letter was also sent out.

Bill replied quickly, inviting them to meet that afternoon in a secluded private room on the second floor of the Leaky Cauldron.

Lupin's reply came a little later, but it was concerned. He said he did know of some long-dormant Contact Point and would try to make contact as soon as possible, while reminding Harry to be careful.

In the afternoon, Harry quietly went to the Leaky Cauldron.

Bill was already waiting there, his skin even darker from the sun, his face bearing the seasoned composure of Gringotts Curses Specialist, but a hint of barely perceptible worry in his eyes.

"Harry," Bill shook his hand firmly, skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point, "I've also heard some things about South America. Gringotts has some unpleasant business dealings there, and the black market activity you're looking for has been unusual lately. Several of the largest underground auction houses and intelligence exchanges have been infiltrated by a new force, the rules have become very strict, and they're especially controlling transactions involving old-world memorabilia and materials from certain Magical Creatures."

He lowered his voice as he said this.

Rumors circulated that the new owner was a frighteningly beautiful witch, whose methods were more terrifying than the most potent Amazon Voodoo. The matter of the Frosted Apple had already silenced the entire underworld.

Harry's heart sank; this matched Veratia's intelligence.

"Can you find any clues about the general area of activity, or the core stronghold?"

Bill shook his head. "Very difficult. They use multiple layers of intermediaries, and the funds flow through several different channels before finally disappearing into several anonymous magical vaults in the Caribbean Sea and Switzerland. However—there are a few donors who used to be very active, specializing in reselling dangerous magical plants and cursed items, but they've recently become unusually low-key, either traveling with their families or claiming to have retired. I might be able to find a breakthrough with them, but it will take some time."

"Time is probably what we lack most," Harry sighed, telling Bill his speculation that Voldemort might be involved.

Bill's expression grew even more serious. "If it's him—then everything makes sense. Harry, don't worry, I'll use all my connections to get back to you as soon as possible. You all need to be very careful; the way he's coming back means he's up to no small thing."

On the other hand, Cassandra also received sporadic replies through her carefully disguised inquiry requests.

The information is fragmented and vague: The magical barrier in an area controlled by Ghost Council deep in the Brazil rainforest has recently become unusually strong; an Inca Altar in the Argentina mountains, once used for illegal teleportation, has recently shown regular Magic Fluctuation.

Several Europe Potions families have received exceptionally generous long-term supply offers from South America, but the supplier's background remains a mystery.

Hermione carefully organized and cross-referenced this fragmented information, marking several potential key areas on the map. Based on this, Veratia began to draft the initial investigative priorities for the International Joint Investigation Team.

Nighttime, in the master bedroom.

After a busy day, the three of them enjoyed a rare moment of peace together.

Veratia leaned against the headboard, quickly scanning the intelligence summary Hermione had prepared. Cassandra, having finished her bath, wore a silk robe and dried her wet blonde hair with a towel. Harry sat cross-legged on the bed, watching the two of them, and suddenly spoke.

"Bill said today that rumors in the underworld say the new owner is frighteningly beautiful."

Veratia looked up from the Parchment. Cassandra paused slightly as she dried her hair.

"Looks like he's adapted well to his new skin," Veratia said, barely suppressing a smile. "And he's better at using every advantage now. Beauty, sometimes, is more deceptive than grotesque, and it makes things easier in certain situations."

"What about Runcorn— " Harry thought of Cassandra's worries from yesterday.

"There's no news yet. Perhaps he's helping Voldemort purge the underground wizards of America," Veratia said. "However, the demands of the America Goblin and Voldemort's ambitions may not align, and could even conflict. But we must be wary of any possibility. The International Confederation of Wizards will also issue a warning to the American Goblin Federation, but they have always been independent, and their attitude is unpredictable."

Cassandra sat down on the bedside and said softly, "I heard from Lucius that Old Nott seems to have sensed something unusual and has been subtly inquiring with Lucius whether some old glory has found new ground in the South."

She gave a cold laugh as she said this.

There will always be some people who won't give up.

Harry reached out and put his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace, while holding Veratia's hand with his other hand.

He tried to lighten his tone. "Whether they give up or not, we won't give them another chance to spread this time. We are prepared, we have an alliance, and we have this conference president in front of us."

Veratia put down the Parchment, snuggled up to Harry, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"The president isn't omnipotent either, Harry. There are also disagreements and delays within the Confederation. Once the rapid response mechanism is activated, at most we can secure a crack Allied Auror Squad to carry out a precision strike after the intelligence is confirmed."

But eradicating a network whose roots may have already penetrated deep into the underground world requires time, patience, and some luck.

A few days later, an urgent intelligence report was delivered to Grimmauld Place through Bill's secret and costly channel.

Intelligence points to a manor in Colombia, on the Eastern Slope of the Andes, disguised as a high-end Eco-Magic Retreat Center.

According to a former cursed item donor who risked his life to repay Gringotts' enormous debt, there have been frequent, secretive wizards with chilling Magic Fluctuation coming and going from the manor recently. The manor's underground has been expanded on a large scale without leaving a trace, for the purpose of debugging some kind of large-scale Magic Array and training personnel.

More importantly, the informant's glimpse of the classic Dark Mark inside the manor confirmed this.

It has to be said that Voldemort really didn't intend to hide it; the Dark Mark appeared openly and conspicuously.

Why the hell didn't you hang a "Upright and Honest" sign at the entrance of your manor?

"This is the first active base we've discovered in South America." Veratia, her expression grim, displayed the marked dots on the Magic Map at an emergency, small meeting. "They're clever; they chose a location on the edge of a remote but legal magical community, using a retreat center as a front. The official authorization for the International Joint Investigation Team is still pending, but time is of the essence. If we let them complete the debugging of the Magic Array, or relocate, the trail might go cold."

She looked at Harry: "I need a crack team to conduct rapid reconnaissance and, once a threat is confirmed, to have the authority to take decisive action as appropriate. You are the best candidate, Harry, not only because of your experience, but also because you are the person he most wants to see and most fears. Your presence might disrupt their judgment and even elicit more information."

Harry nodded without hesitation. "I'll go."

"I'm going too," Veratia followed closely behind. "As the president, I need to assess the threat level firsthand. Besides, it's safer for me to be present when facing any potential Dark Arts directly related to Voldemort. We'll be taking a small team of the most elite international Auror; I've already allocated personnel from the rapid response mechanism, and they should be able to assemble at the designated location tonight."

Cassandra's lips tightened into a thin line, but she didn't object, only saying, "The manor's protective magic must be extraordinary, especially since it might involve spatial expansion and dark Magic Array. That's what that old madman excels at. Take this with you."

She pushed a Silver Compass inlaid with tiny sapphires in front of Veratia.

"One of the Malfoy family's heirlooms, it can interfere with and reveal unnatural spatial distortions and Dark Arts energy nodes to a certain extent, which may help you find the array's core or weak point."

Hermione quickly compiled a briefing on the terrain and magical environment surrounding Colombia, while Ron began checking his and Harry's usual combat gear. Although he wasn't on the main roster for this operation, he insisted on providing logistical support.

The operation unfolded covertly. Late the following night, in a secluded mountain hollow a few kilometers from the retreat center in Colombia, the team, their Disillusionment Charm perfectly blending into the darkness, assembled.

There were seven people in total, including Harry and Veratia. The other five Auror were from Germany and Austria, and were all experienced elites who had participated in the fight against transnational dark forces.

Veratia gave a brief overview of the situation, emphasizing the key points of the operation and the use of force without hesitation if necessary.

The squad approached the manor silently, like shadows blending into the night.

The manor was shrouded in a magical barrier with both deceptive and alarm functions; from a distance, it appeared to be just a resort dotted with soft lights.

Cassandra's Silver Compass began to vibrate slightly, its pointer spinning erratically, the sapphire on its surface shimmering with a warning light.

"The barrier is complex, a mixture of Muggle-Repelling Charm, memory obfuscation, and attack reflection spells, but it exhibits periodic fluctuations."

The team leader, Antonidas, an Austrian Auror, analyzed in a low voice, noting his expertise in breaking down the protective magic of the South American system.

Veratia and Harry exchanged a glance; they needed to seize the moment when the fluctuations occurred.

The wait was agonizing; Harry gripped his wand tightly in his hand.

Finally, Antonidas made a gesture: Now!

Seven figures pierced through the barrier like arrows at its weakest moment, without triggering any alarms.

The interior of the manor was not as peaceful as it appeared. Although the buildings were elegant and the gardens were neatly manicured, a faint, strange smell permeated the air.

The pointer of the Silver Compass suddenly pointed towards the underground area of the main building, trembling violently.

The team split up, with two Auror keeping watch on the perimeter and cutting off any possible external communication, while Harry, Veratia, and the other three quickly infiltrated the main building.

The interior was luxuriously decorated but empty, with almost no signs of human activity.

But following the compass's guidance and the Auror' tracking of the remaining magic, they soon discovered a downward passage behind a giant oil painting in the main hall, enchanted with a powerful Concealment Charm.

At the end of the passage, the scenery suddenly changes.

An underground space, magnified dozens of times by the Undetectable Extension Charm, suddenly appeared.

This place is more like a combination of a dark temple and a laboratory. Huge and evil Magic Array are engraved on the ground, with dark red light flowing in the patterns. The air is filled with a restless atmosphere that makes people's skin tingle.

The surrounding area was filled with various dangerous magical materials and experimental equipment, as well as some wizards who were bound by magic and in a coma or semi-coma state, possibly prisoners or experimental subjects.

About a dozen wizards dressed in black robes were busy adjusting the array nodes, and Harry noticed the expression on the faces of several of them.

He's Death Eater.

"Enemy attack!!" A distorted cry rang out, and the alarm blared instantly in the underground space!

Without hesitation, the battle erupted instantly.

"Stunning Spell!" "Disarming Charm!" "Shield Charm!" Beams of standard Auror combat spells crisscrossed.

Harry and Veratia worked together seamlessly. Veratia used her high-speed movement and precise attacks to draw enemy fire and disrupt their formation, while Harry used more powerful and wider-range spells to suppress and break the array nodes that were trying to activate.

With a wave of his wand, magic flowed like a sharp blade, slicing through the dark red array light.

The Death Eater quickly recovered from their initial panic; they were well-trained, fearless, and their spells were vicious and insidious.

"Cruciatus Curse!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Green and scarlet lights flickered menacingly in the underground space.

"Watch out!" Harry swiftly used the Accio to pull a Germany Auror towards him. A beam of green light grazed the Auror's back, struck the wall, and left a charred mark.

"Thank you—" The Auror was still in shock; if it weren't for Harry, he would have truly died in the line of duty.

A fierce glint flashed in Veratia's eyes. With a flick of her wand, a green spell, like a whip, lashed out, causing the Death Eater to collapse as if their souls had left their bodies.

Oh, it really was an out-of-body experience; he died.

And they were the kind of dead that couldn't be dead any further.

The battle was intense but brief. With flawless coordination, the Death Eater who remained behind, though fierce, were unable to withstand the onslaught.

Soon, most of the Death Eater were knocked unconscious, and a few were killed by spells; the few who tried to activate pre-programmed escape spells or self-destruct devices were stopped in time by Veratia and Harry.

"Cleanup complete! Safety confirmed!" Antonidas reported loudly after checking the last corner.