Ludo Gives Thanks, Barty Has a Favor to Ask / Something Amiss, a Hidden "Secret" ...

Barty Crouch also arrived, accompanied by a timid House-elf.

"Long time no see, Granger, Black," he greeted Harry and the others with a stern face.

Seeing his more serious demeanor than usual, Harry realized the man wasn't just there for a casual chat...

Chapter 561 Ludo thanks him, Barty makes a request

"Haha! The famous Harry Granger, I've finally met him in person today!"

Ludo Bagman seemed to be a very warm and talkative person. Before Mr. Crouch behind him could finish speaking, he immediately leaned over and extended his hand to Harry.

"Hello." Harry could sense that the other person was looking at the scar on his forehead, but he still shook hands with Ludo without caring.

Over the years, he had long since become accustomed to it.

"I heard you guys came to watch the game too, so I've been wanting to find you. In the end, Arthur told me you were here," Ludo laughed heartily. "Back in the Albania forest, it's amazing you guys were able to bring old Bertha back. Even though she had some problems, it's good that she's back."

"Sigh... Ever since she joined my department, her memory has gotten even worse, it's like a bottomless Cauldron; and her sense of direction is terrible too. This time she actually wandered into the depths of the Dark Forest. If it weren't for you guys, she probably wouldn't even have had a chance to get into St Mungo's's."

Ludo was clearly there to thank Bertha Jorkins, though he didn't know what had happened in Albania, but he did know that Harry and his group had rescued his forgetful subordinate.

To be fair, although this person is carefree and his speech and behavior are frivolous and casual, he is at least good to his subordinates.

Bertha Jorkins' forgetfulness was notorious throughout the Ministry of Magic, and only Ludo didn't mind it... even though he himself wasn't exactly a reliable guy.

However, the people in the conversation did not notice that when the topic of Bertha Jorkins was brought up, Mr. Crouch, who was lagging behind, showed a momentary unease on his face.

"Owner..."

The Crouch family's House-elf looked up at Barty Crouch Sr. in a panic, but after being given a cold glare, she quickly hunched over and lowered her head again.

"Hmm?" This little incident, however, was unintentionally witnessed by Luna Lovegood, whose gaze was not directed in this direction...

"Hey, wanna place a bet on the game?" After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ludo winked at Harry and Sirius, "I've already convinced a lot of people to bet. You guys can join in if you're interested. If your bets are interesting enough, I'll definitely give you great odds."

"A lot of people?" Harry raised an eyebrow, feigning curiosity. "You just came from Mr. Weasley's place. Did his family place bets too?"

"Of course! Those two kids placed a huge bet," Ludo said boastfully. "They bet on Ireland to win, but on Viktor Krum catching the Golden Snitch. They bet over ninety Galleon, plus a fake wand—by the way, that fake wand is really interesting. I'm even thinking of buying another one from them for five Galleon!"

Wow... good heavens, it seems the Weasley Brothers really did invest all their savings in Ludo; they probably didn't have a single penny left from their previous month's salary.

But... a fake wand?

Harry certainly knew what Ludo was talking about; it was one of the Weasley Brothers' joke products, which could be turned into a rubber chick or some other toy animal when waved.

The problem is, these fake wands only cost two Galleon each at the Odd Jobs Shop, and you get a discount if you buy in bulk. Yet Ludo Bagman was willing to pay five Galleon for them...

So... are the prices in the store set too low?

After that, taking advantage of the Weasley Brothers, Ludo tried to persuade Harry and Sirius for a long time to place a bet together, but neither of them responded.

"Alright, see you tonight." Seeing that he couldn't attract any new bets, Ludo had no choice but to say goodbye. "I'm the commentator for the match, so you'll have to listen carefully to my voice."

He waved goodbye to Harry and the others, then Apparition away from the spot.

"Granger, you were right not to agree to him." After Ludo left, Barty Crouch Sr. came over with his House-elf. He didn't seem to like Ludo Bagman very much.

"Gambling is never a good thing, especially Ludo. Apart from his Quidditch skills, he's absolutely terrible at everything else."

"Indeed," Harry nodded in agreement.

As someone whose soul has been transmigrated into China, even though gambling is legal in Britain, Harry still believes that gambling is entirely harmful and has no benefits.

Therefore, he would never gamble... But if he ever did gamble, he would have to win, by any means necessary!

"I'm going back to get some sleep." Barty Crouch Sr. clearly had something to discuss with Harry, Sirius, seeing this, didn't want to stay any longer and went back into his tent on his own.

It was because of Barty Crouch Sr.'s arbitrary judgment that Sirius lost twelve years of his freedom for no reason, and this is not something that can be easily forgiven.

"Sigh... Even now, I still feel very sorry for him," Barty Crouch Sr. sighed, watching Sirius's retreating figure.

"Mr. Crouch, please speak frankly." Harry didn't really want to hear Barty Crouch Sr. bring up the past; neither Harry nor Sirius would accept his so-called guilt.

After all... if apologies were effective, there would be no need for wands and bricks.

"Alright... I heard you built a retirement home in Hogsmeade Village. I've come to discuss with you whether I can bring my House-elf to live there with me."

"Mr. Crouch, you're going to stay at my... nursing home?"

After learning the purpose of Barty Crouch Sr.'s visit, Harry was quite puzzled. Barty Crouch Sr. wasn't that old, and he had House-elf to take care of him. Why would he need to come to his place?

"I just want a change of scenery. My current house is too close to the Ministry of Magic, and there are so many troubles every day," Barty Crouch Sr. explained impatiently, as if he really didn't want to deal with the troubles at the Ministry of Magic.

"So, Mr. Crouch, you don't plan to return to work at the Ministry of Magic?"

"Yes, I don't plan to go back. There's no place for me there now." Barty Crouch Sr. nodded wearily at Harry's question. "Besides, after everything that's happened, I'm really exhausted."

"I see," Harry agreed outwardly, but his suspicions only deepened.

Admittedly, Barty Crouch Sr. did look as tired as he described, but the question is... is he really that disheartened after just a little setback?

In the period prior, because Fudge had aligned himself directly with the Pure-blood Family led by the Malfoy, the Ministry of Magic underwent a large-scale purge, and many people lost their jobs.

The same thing happened to Barty Crouch Sr.; his position as Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation was eventually taken over by Fudge's greenhorn nephew.

However, with Arthur Weasley's re-employment and promotion, Fudge and Dumbledore clearly reached some kind of consensus in private. Under these circumstances, many wizards who had previously been purged have returned to work at the Ministry of Magic.

Barty Crouch Sr. should have been able to go back to work, so why did he choose to retire so abruptly at a relatively young age?

Chapter 562 Anomalies, Hidden 'Secrets'

"Mr. Crouch, I don't think I have any reason to refuse."

After a moment's thought, Harry nodded in agreement. "My retirement home will be officially operational about a month after Hogwarts starts. I'll reserve a room for you in advance; you can just come directly with your House-elf. As for the fees, I promise to set a fair standard."

Harry ultimately decided to agree to Barty Crouch Sr.'s request.

Although the nursing home was a place he had given to his teacher and Scamander to live in for a long time, it was still a business, and he had no reason to refuse the profits that came to him.

Besides, whatever Barty Crouch Sr. Crouch's true intentions, he's already moved in right under Harry's nose; what trouble could he possibly cause?

"That's wonderful! I'll definitely check in on time."

Barty Crouch Sr. smiled with satisfaction, said goodbye, and left with his House-elf.

Barty Crouch, we might have to keep an eye on him from now on...

"That guy, Harry, you'd better keep an eye on him from now on!" Coincidentally, Sirius had a similar thought to Harry.

After emerging from the tent, he solemnly warned Harry, "From what I understand, Barty Crouch is incredibly power-hungry. When he was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the entire department was his personal fiefdom; even the head of the Auror Office had no right to contradict him! Even though his reputation has been severely damaged, there's no reason for him to give up his political career now."

"I know." Harry nodded seriously.

"And... I also find the matter of Bertha Jorkins highly suspicious," Sirius continued, "Many people in the Ministry of Magic think that Jorkins is an incurably forgetful witch, but the Jorkins I know is nothing like that!"

"In school, she was a very troublesome and gossipy girl. She even alarmed the principal by spreading rumors. She also had an exceptionally good memory, able to recite all sorts of hearsay and rumors perfectly even months later!"

"Oh, is that so?" Harry's interest was piqued, and he subconsciously sensed that there might be other secrets surrounding Bertha Jorkins.

"During the few days we came back early, I asked Tonks to inquire about Jorgins' experiences at the Ministry of Magic," Sirius said in a low voice. "While I'm not entirely sure, it seems that Jorgins started to become forgetful after leaving Barty Crouch's department."

"Is that so...? Looks like I'll have to make time to visit her at St Mungo's's."

All suspicions actually begin with the slightest anomaly. Now that Barty Crouch Sr.'s sudden retirement and Jorkins' bizarre amnesia have become connected, Harry naturally has to investigate this thoroughly.

"By the way... you'd better watch out for Ludo Bagman too." After the incident with Barty Crouch Sr. and Jorgins, Sirius turned his attention to Ludo. "That guy might not be a bad person, but he's an incurable idiot. He was even accused of providing intelligence to Death Eater mole August Rookwood, but he didn't actually know who he was."

"Don't worry, Godfather, I know what I'm doing." Harry smiled reassuringly, indicating that Sirius really didn't need to worry.

He knew that Sirius was somewhat nervous because Voldemort had returned, and he saw everyone as a bad guy.

Harry was grateful for his concern, but he hoped that his brother could relax and not be so alarmed.

Honestly, they clearly have the upper hand right now, don't they?

Furthermore, Rookwood had already been tortured to the point of wishing he were dead by Harry, and this guy had played a significant role in Harry's rapid progress in Legilimency.

Harry thoroughly investigated his past, both as a Death Eater and as Unspeakable, including everything about Ludo Bagman.

The director of the Department of Magical Games and Sports is undoubtedly a complete idiot. Having someone like him as a teammate would be a nightmare, but that doesn't mean he's completely useless.

After all... a bad teammate isn't just someone your own team wants to beat up; the enemy team is just as disgusting, right?

Meanwhile, on the other side, Crouch family's House-elf followed their masters closely back to their tent.

Throughout this time, the House-elf's face remained timid and hesitant; she seemed to have something to say, yet appeared quite fearful.

After much effort, she finally seemed to have made up her mind. "M-Master, if you and Winky move into that boy's nursing home together, will you really be able to find... find the young master?"

"Winky, who gave you permission to meddle in this?!" Barty Crouch Sr. snorted coldly, extremely displeased. He swept his sharp gaze across the House-elf's body, instantly frightening the House-elf into kneeling on the ground.

"Winky deserves to die! It was Winky's fault, Winky shouldn't have said anything, it's all Winky's fault!"

She started slapping herself repeatedly, even banging her head against the ground harder and harder, until her body and face were covered in bruises. Only then did Barty Crouch Sr., with a dark expression, call out for her to stop.

"Enough! Winky, you remember this... Never, ever speak of that guy again! He died in Azkaban thirteen years ago!!"

"Yes... Winky understands..." the House-elf murmured in agreement, his face already covered in snot and tears.

'Young Master, where are you right now...?'

She prayed silently in her heart, hoping that the person she cared about would not be harmed, and that... he and her master would never have any conflict.

Her master, however, was staring at her with a gloomy expression.

To be honest, Barty Crouch really hated Winky, that useless House-elf.

In the first few years, if it weren't for her negligence, Bertha Jorkins, that meddlesome witch, wouldn't have discovered his hidden secrets, and he wouldn't have let her become so forgetful.

Not long ago, also because of Winky's negligence, her long-hidden 'secret' escaped from the house and has been missing ever since!

If it weren't for the worry that she might unintentionally say something inappropriate after leaving, Barty Crouch Sr. would have kicked Winky out long ago!

Therefore, Barty Crouch was actually forced to move into Harry's nursing home out of necessity.

He was well aware of how shrewd Harry was now, and that he might be exposed at any moment while under Harry's surveillance, but this was the only option he had.

He knew all too well how ingrained his hidden 'secret' was; once that guy regained his freedom, he would definitely return to the You-Know-Who's command.

However, the You-Know-Who now sees Harry Granger as a thorn in his side, so wherever Harry Granger is, that guy will eventually show up!

Then, I might have a chance to bring him back!!

Chapter 563 The Brain-Dead Plan, First Meeting with Elder Kong

As the day gradually passed, the excitement in the camp grew stronger, and even at dusk, many people were already eagerly waiting at the tent entrances.

Unlike the other audience members who were excited, Harry's side appeared serious and ready to go.

"I'm going with Hermione, along with our parents and Dobby, to pay our respects to the wizards from China. Godfather, just take everyone directly to the venue when it's time; we'll meet there."

"No problem," Sirius readily agreed.

Sending the Mr. and Mrs. Granger off the country was ultimately Harry's private matter, so there was no need to make a big fuss about it; the Granger family could simply pay them a visit.

"I have to go back first too." Astoria Greengrass, who had been there for most of the day, also prepared to return to her own tent.

She didn't have a ticket and had to enter the stadium with her mother and sister.

However, before leaving, she repeatedly reminded Harry of some very important things, "Those people will probably act after the competition. They've decided to torture these ordinary people in the camp first, and then burn down the tents along the way as a form of protest."

"Yes, I understand." Harry nodded with a smile. "Astoria Greengrass, thank you for reminding me. Please also thank your mother for me."

"It's nothing, this is a task that our Greengrass family should undertake. Besides, I don't agree with this kind of thing myself!" Astoria Greengrass shook her head indifferently, said goodbye to someone alone, and left the tent.

"Death Eater... Heh, if Voldemort knew what they'd done, he'd be furious and give them all a good beating." After Astoria Greengrass left, a mocking smile crept onto Harry's face. "Perfect timing, that guy's not available right now, I'll take his place."

Honestly, when Astoria Greengrass told Harry about the brain-dead plan of a group of the Pure-blood Family, he was completely dumbfounded.

However, his surprise stemmed not from the brilliance of the plan, but from the fact that these guys were utterly courting death.

To think that he would decide to publicly demonstrate and cause trouble after the Quidditch World Cup just because of his dissatisfaction with ordinary people and his desire to oppose Harry's use of ordinary people's history to revise the History of Magic... Harry said that he definitely wouldn't have come up with this idea unless he had a stroke lasting more than ten years.

After Voldemort's return, Harry was just looking for an opportunity to teach these opportunists a lesson, but now these people are practically offering themselves up for him to slap.