The Ability to Guess the Suspect Is Absolutely Brutal / Prophecies Generally Don't Bring Good News

Harry quickly described the criminal's physical characteristics, which made Corvus' eyes widen again.

"How did you know?!" Corvus asked in astonishment.

"By observing the deceased's position, we can roughly deduce the murderer's position, and just now... I happened to bump into that guy!"

The victim was standing next to the wreckage of the crystal ball. If the killer wanted to hit both the crystal ball and the victim's heart with a pistol, the distance between them and the victim couldn't be too far.

Harry had also heard the gunshot, indicating that the killer was on the opposite side of the street, using the sound of fireworks to cover up the gunshot and firing the bullet through a gap in the float.

It was precisely because his aim was restricted by the movement of the float that he couldn't perfectly match the sound of the fireworks when he fired the second shot, which allowed Harry to notice something amiss.

Therefore, working backwards from the deceased's position, the cloaked man Harry happened to bump into earlier was in a perfect shooting spot!

He is no longer at the scene.

"Mr. Lestrange, I need detailed information about all the entrances and exits of the Hidden Street!" Harry asked Corvus seriously.

The other party is, after all, a descendant of the Scamander Family. Now that such a big thing has happened, Harry can't just stand by and do nothing; he definitely has to do his best to help.

"I have a map here." Seeing that Harry was willing to lend a hand, Corvus didn't hesitate and directly offered a map of the Hidden Street.

Now that things have come to this, he is somewhat at a loss and can only choose to believe in Harry.

Moreover, Harry's performance has been consistently convincing from the moment he arrived until now.

"Hidden Street has several entrances and exits, each leading to a different location," Corvus explained, pointing to the map. "The closest one is..."

"He's not there." Before he could finish speaking, Luna Lovegood immediately dismissed his idea.

"Indeed, if it were me, I wouldn't go to the nearest one either, because it's too easy to get blocked there." Hermione nodded in agreement with Luna Lovegood's words, then pointed to another location, "I think the most likely place is here, the entrance to Place du Tertre!"

Although she still doesn't speak French, she's been here for quite some time now, so the academically gifted girl can recognize some basic place names.

Located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, Place du Tertre is arguably the most vibrant nightlife district in the entire Paris. If the murderer wanted to escape the Auror's pursuit, the best option would be to blend in with ordinary people.

"That's right, let's go there first!"

Harry thought Hermione's reasoning was quite reliable, so he decisively took the two girls with him and, together with Corvus, followed the clues to catch up.

(P. S. The Place du Tertre mentioned in the text is actually the filming location for the "France Diagon Alley" neighborhood in FB2, the place where you crawl under the skirt of the Pythia Statue...)

Of course, that statue isn't actually located there; it's placed inside the Paris Opera House. That's all.

Chapter 256 The ability to blindly guess the suspect is ruthless.

When Harry, his friends, and Corvus arrived at the entrance to Montmartre with Corvace, a large group of wizards who wanted to leave had already gathered there and were arguing with the Auror blocking the entrance.

Today is National Day, and many wizards came to Hidden Street to celebrate. Now that the celebrations are over and they want to leave, the Auror have blocked the entrances and exits, demanding that everyone can only enter and not leave. Naturally, these wizards are furious.

Despite their anger, these wizards, eager to leave, dared not do anything rash except argue, since the Auror represented the official France Wizarding World.

"Could the murderer be hiding among these people?" Corvus stared wide-eyed at the crowd around him, trying to find some clues.

"He shouldn't be here." Harry shook his head slightly. "Auror all carry Probity Probe. Besides his wand, that guy should also have a magically modified pistol. He won't rush up to argue, because that would definitely increase the risk of being discovered."

"Where could he have gone?" Hermione looked around, puzzled as to where the murderer could be hiding in such a small area as the entrance and exit.

"Maybe there." Luna Lovegood suddenly pointed to a spot—a bar with an attractive sign.

"A bar... that's certainly a possibility."

Harry thought about it briefly and figured that if he were the murderer, he would probably hide here first.

It's already quite late. If the murderer hasn't left yet, he'll be more deliberate in going shopping or eating.

Instead, the most natural and inconspicuous thing for a wizard to do would be to go to a bar for a few drinks to relax, like other wizards do.

"Let's go in and take a look." Corvus took a Probity Probe from an Auror and then led Harry and the others into the pub.

As soon as they entered, the noise and bustle filled their ears.

The bar's interior was exquisitely decorated, with plenty of tables and booths. At that moment, many wizards were raising their glasses in celebration, while the bartenders behind the counter were constantly busy.

After entering, Corvus had a brief conversation with the bartender, while Harry kept carefully observing the patrons in the room.

The environment here is quite complicated, so Harry needs to memorize the locations and basic appearances of these people beforehand, lest the murderer change his appearance to Confundus Charm when they begin the formal search.

Furthermore, Harry wanted to try to roughly pinpoint the killer's location, lest the guy, seeing the situation turn against him, act rashly and endanger others.

However, Luna Lovegood overlooked all of Harry's concerns.

Looking around, the girl seemed to have spotted something in a corner of the bar. She hurried over and stood in front of a man who was drinking alone.

"Is it you?" Luna Lovegood asked directly.

"Miss, what are you saying? I don't understand." The other party was an ordinary-looking wizard dressed in very simple clothes. He seemed confused when faced with Luna Lovegood's sudden provocation.

"You understand, and I know... you must have done it."

No matter how the other party refuted her, Luna Lovegood remained unmoved, and even reached out to grab the other party's wrist.

"You wretched brat, aren't you annoying?!"

After being relentlessly accused by Luna Lovegood, the man finally lost his patience. His face turned incredibly sinister in an instant, and he quickly reached for his waist, actually pulling out a gray-black pistol!

"Expelliarmus!"

Unfortunately, while the man drew his gun quickly, Harry swung his wand even faster. Always on high alert, Harry unleashed Expelliarmus the instant the man made his move, sending the gun flying from his hand.

Harry himself quickly followed, pulling Luna Lovegood behind him.

"Damn it! Avada Kedavra!" The pistol was deflected, but the man still refused to surrender. He quickly drew his wand and unleashed a merciless Killing Curse at Harry.

"Expelliarmus!" *2

Faced with the approaching ghastly green light, Hermione and Harry used the Expelliarmus without hesitation. Not only did they use the power of the core from the same wand as Harry's to neutralize the Killing Curse, but they also used the impact of the spell to slam the murderer to the ground.

"You all step back right now! Let me deal with him!!"

The series of unexpected events startled Corvus, especially the fact that Harry was actually pointed at and Avada Kedavra by the culprit... Although this was not a big deal for the three of them, it really made Corvus' heart jump into his throat.

He quickly stepped forward and, taking advantage of the moment before the murderer got up from the ground, unleashed a series of spells with his wand.

Suddenly, a corner of the bar was filled with a flurry of sparks.

When Corvus went all out, Harry truly witnessed just how formidable his dueling skills were, considering he was Auror from a prestigious family.

His wand tip trembled nimbly in front of him, like a bird hunting its prey, constantly threatening it with its sharp beak.

Although the suspect who fired the shot continued to resist with various curses, Corvus was always able to easily deflect them and launch counterattacks at the same time. Before long, he used various powerful restraints to completely subdue the killer.

"Phew... we finally caught this guy." With the battle over, Corvus wiped the sweat from his brow, then looked sincerely at Harry. "Harry, this time it really wasn't until you guys helped us."

"It's nothing. Since we've run into them, we couldn't just stand by and do nothing," Harry said modestly, waving his hand. "Besides, we were able to spot the killer so quickly thanks to Luna Lovegood."

To be honest, Luna Lovegood's ability to spot the murderer at a glance was truly ruthless. Harry thought that once they actually formed Detective Society next school year, they could make wild guesses about the suspects after encountering a case, and then investigate the case based on those guesses.

Wouldn't the efficiency of solving cases then skyrocket?

"He did fire the gun. The pistol has a 15-round magazine, but it's missing two rounds, which corresponds to the two shots fired at the scene. Besides, he not only has bullet holes in his sleeves, but also calluses on his hands."

Harry quickly examined the pistol and the suspect, noticing obvious burn marks on the man's sleeves. Clearly, he had used Transfiguration to transform his clothes into a black cloak, concealing his face and also using his sleeves to shield himself from the muzzle flash.

To be able to hit the target so accurately under those circumstances, the killer's shooting skills must have been honed through countless trials.

When Harry examined the killer's palm, he did indeed see a thick layer of calluses, the kind that only develop from years of holding a gun.

"With this evidence, even if this guy denies everything, you should be able to convict him, right?"

After presenting the detailed evidence to Corvus, the latter immediately nodded excitedly, like a chicken pecking at rice.

In Corvus' eyes today, Harry Granger is practically synonymous with magic.

However, no one present saw that the murderer, who had been unable to move, suddenly flashed a fierce light in his eyes!

Chapter 257 Prophecy are generally not good things.

"Harry, and thank you again for your help, ladies."

At the bar entrance, Corvus, with the murderer completely bound, once again sincerely thanked Harry and his two companions.

"Mr. Lestrange, you're too kind," Harry said with a smile, waving his hand. "We didn't really do anything..."

"Hmph... you lot, do you really think I'll be caught so easily?"

However, at that moment, the murderer, who should have been incapacitated, suddenly let out a vicious roar and then miraculously broke free from the restraints placed by Corvus!

"You were the first to spot me, weren't you? Very well, you saw right through my disguise. Could it be... you also possess that damned ability of Prophecy?!"

The murderer stared at Luna Lovegood with a ferocious expression, his eyes already bloodshot, like a venomous insect locking onto its target!

"What... what do you want to do?!" Corvus was shocked and quickly stepped in front of Harry and the others. "I'm warning you, that child isn't Prophet! You bunch of lunatics, don't drag her into this!!"

"Isn't she... Haha! Whether she's Prophet or not, it's not up to you to decide!" The murderer grinned maliciously, sticking out his drool-covered tongue at Luna Lovegood, uttering a chilling threat, "You can't escape! The King of Hell will surely return to the mortal realm, and before that, mortals, like ants, will utterly lose all guidance! Weak humans are only fit to become the King of Hell's bait!!"

Puff!!

After a piercing roar, the murderer suddenly jerked his head back and spat out endless blood from his mouth.

However, the people present were shocked to discover that what the murderer was spitting out was not blood at all, but rather a bunch of blood-red flies!

They swirled and roared through the air, even forming a pair of enormous and eerie compound eyes, their blood-soaked gazes fixed intently on Luna Lovegood, before finally exploding into a cloud of blood mist that vanished with the wind.

The murderer, who had been captured, now had a body that had withered into a horribly shriveled human skin...

"Hmm..."

"How scary..."

The bizarre scene before them filled Hermione and Luna Lovegood with fear. They clung tightly to Harry's arms, one on each side, trembling uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Corvus, who was standing to the side, had already collapsed to the ground.

"Something's happened... this is really going to be a big deal..."

"All I want to know right now is, who exactly is this killer!" Harry stared intently at Corvus, who was slumped on the ground. "Him, and the people behind him, are they after Luna Lovegood?!"

"Harry, I'm really sorry about what happened this time..." Hearing Harry's question, Corvus lowered his head apologetically.

He struggled to his feet, filled with remorse and self-reproach, saying, "I thought their target was only established Prophet, but I never imagined they would go so far as to include Miss Lovegood in their calculations... If I had known this would happen, I would never have let you come to help."

"Let's go somewhere else and tell me everything in detail!"

Harry is indeed eager to know the truth, but things have escalated so much that many people are already discussing it, so this is definitely not the place to talk.

"All right..."

Corvus nodded wearily, instructed his assistant to handle the situation, and then led Harry and the others away from the bar.

They came to an inconspicuous alley in Hidden Street, where Corvus found a small hotel and asked the owner at the front desk for a corner room.

After settling down to rest inside, Corvus remained silent for a long time before finally speaking slowly, "The murderer should be a member of a heretical organization that appeared in legends, their name is... Beelzebub's Skull."

"Beelzebub's Skull?" Harry was taken aback. "So the demon king that guy was talking about was Beelzebub? No wonder, all the Dark Magic curses are related to flies."

Beelzebub, from Hell, is not only the infamous Demon Lord of Gluttony, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but also a well-known figure in demonology, known as the 'Lord of the Flies'.

So... do angels and demons really exist in this world?

"These madmen only use Beelzebub totem. As for whether that legendary demon king actually exists, nobody really knows," Corvus sighed softly. "They believe that those Prophet who guide humanity forward will interfere with the process of their great demon king Beelzebub descending to earth. So for a very long time, Beelzebub's Skull has been Wild Hunt Prophet from all eras."

"So, the one Mr. Lestrange was protecting before was also a Prophet?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Yes, and a reclusive figure at that, yet renowned nonetheless." Corvus turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, have you ever heard of... Nostradamus?"

"You mean Nostradamus? The famous France Jewish Prophet, the one who left behind the book of Prophecy, The Centuries?"

For Hermione, who has always loved reading and has a wide range of interests, the name that Corvus mentioned was absolutely legendary.

Nostradamus was not only famous in France, but also enjoyed a high reputation throughout Europe. It is said that his book "The Centuries" Prophecy the France Revolution, the outbreak of World War II, and even many important inventions such as airplanes and atomic bombs.

In the third-year textbooks at Hogwarts, the Prophet of prophets in the Divination elective course mentioned Nostradamus, or rather, Michel de Nostradamus.

"Nostradamus was indeed a great Prophet, and the person I'm protecting is named Gervini. He's a descendant of Nostradamus's direct disciple," Corvus sighed. "This generation's Mr. Gervini made an important Prophecy not long ago, and it is because of this Prophecy that we Auror decided to stay by his side and protect him."

"Another Prophecy?"

Harry subconsciously narrowed his eyes. To be honest, he was now very wary of these Prophecy... and also very resistant to them.