It was rare for London to be sunny in mid-November.
Lin Ze was rarely in the office reading documents today. Instead, he was called to the main hall by a message from Scrimgeour.
"There is a new person coming to check in. Please pick him up for me." This is what Scrimgeour said in the communication.
Lin Ze was looking through a customs declaration form for Malfoy family Potions raw materials.
Hearing this, he raised his head and asked the communication badge, "Can't you let Frick do the picking up of newcomers? He likes to brag with newcomers."
"No, this newcomer has a special status and needs someone with enough weight to pick him up."
"What weight can I have?"
"You are the deputy team leader of Special Operations Team." Scrimgeour emphasized the words "Special Operations Team" very hard.
"And you have a great reputation in the ministry. Stop talking nonsense and go quickly."
So Lin Ze stood in front of the fireplace in the main hall, bored and watching the green flames in the fireplace rise and go out.
Every time there was a flame, a wizard stepped out from it. Some were in a hurry with their briefcases under their arms, some were dragging suitcases with tired faces, and some were choked by ashes and coughed when they stepped out, bending over and coughing by the fireplace for a long time.
Lin Ze watched the excitement for a while, then took out a small piece of baguette cut with Severing Charm from his pocket and took a bite.
Well...
Still having teeth.
The effect of Kingsley's Softening Charm only lasted for half a day, and the bread returned to the kind of hardness that could be used as a weapon.
Lin Ze While chewing, I thought, France If people eat this every day, their teeth will be much better.
Just as he was thinking about it, another green flame burst into flames.
This time it was a young man who stepped out of the flames.
He looks to be in his early twenties, has neat short dark brown hair, regular facial features, and a sharp jawline. He is wearing a well-tailored robe.
After he stepped out of the fireplace and stood there, he gave people an extraordinary feeling.
Lin Ze swallowed the bread in his mouth and his eyes paused on this young man.
Like.
Really fucking similar.
This young man's eyebrows are almost carved from the same mold as Barty·Crouch.
It's just that the cold and hard lines accumulated over the years on his father's face are missing, and there is a calmness and confidence that belongs to a young man.
Barty Crouch Jr.·Crouch.
Lin Ze recited the name silently in his mind, and the corners of his mouth turned up unconsciously.
In the original timeline, this Mr. Barty Crouch Jr. was an incredible person.
On the surface, he is the only son of Director Crouch. He graduated from Hogwarts with honors. During his schooling, his twelve O. W. L. s certificates were all O.
N. E. W. T. s results are equally impressive, and Ministry of Magic is a promising star for the future.
But secretly, he is one of the most loyal followers of Voldemort, and can even be said to be the core group of people in Death Eaters.
Polyjuice Potion pretended to be Moody and mixed into Hogwarts, which turned Triwizard Tournament upside down, and finally successfully delivered Harry Potter to Voldemort.
This kind of courage, strategy and execution ability are at the ceiling level of villains in any novel.
Of course, he is still just a Auror who has just joined the job, and has not yet experienced the trial that completely plunged him into darkness.
He was not sent into Azkaban by his father himself.
But Lin Ze is very clear that Barty Crouch Jr.'s worship of Voldemort is not due to any external pressure, but comes from the heart and deep-rooted belief.
"Hello, are you here to pick me up?"
Barty Crouch Jr. walked up to Lin Ze and stretched out his hand towards him.
His smile is just right, neither overly enthusiastic nor distant, and his voice is gentle and clear, with a kind of sincerity that makes people naturally fond of him.
Lin Ze patted the crumbs on his hand and held the hand. "Lin Ze, Special Operations Team deputy team leader. Director Scrimgeour asked me to pick you up."
"Lin Ze?" Barty Crouch Jr.'s eyes lit up.
"Are you Lin Ze?"
"Why, Mr. Crouch also knows about me?"
Barty Crouch Jr. smiled and said, "My father often mentions you at home and says you are a rare talent. It's an honor to see you today."
"A prize, a prize, a prize." The smile on Lin Ze's face remained motionless, but thoughts were racing through his mind.
This guy is really very sophisticated at a young age.
If Karkaroff hadn't identified him, I'm afraid he could have been lurking in Ministry of Magic until Voldemort was resurrected.
By that time, Voldemort's power will probably be much greater than in the original work.
Oh, speaking of Karkaroff, that is also the infamous Death Eaters.
After Voldemort fell, he was arrested by Auror. In exchange for his freedom, he claimed to be controlled by Imperius Curse and gave away a large number of Death Eaters's names.
It was his identification that ultimately led to Barty Crouch Jr.·Crouch being sent to Azkaban.
And now, less than three weeks after Voldemort fell, Karkaroff should still be at large.
If Lin Ze can find Karkaroff first and use him as a bargaining chip in his negotiations with Barty·Crouch...
Hiss~
It's exciting just thinking about it.
"Mr. Lin?" Barty Crouch Jr.'s voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, sorry, I got distracted." Lin Ze smiled.
"I read the documents too late last night, and my brain was a little fuzzy."
"Special Operations Team's work is so hard?" Barty Crouch Jr.'s tone was filled with just the right amount of concern.
"It's okay, I'm used to it."
Lin Ze pointed in the direction of the corridor, "Let's go, I'll take you to check in, Director Scrimgeour should be waiting for you."
The two of them walked along the corridor, passing several offices on the way, and Lin Ze noticed an interesting phenomenon.
Barty Crouch Jr. seems to know a lot of people and can chat with everyone.
When passing by Department of Magical Transportation, a female employee wearing glasses took the initiative to wave to him and say hello.
When passing by Department of International Magical Cooperation, a middle-aged wizard poked his head out of the office, exchanged a few words with him, and asked him if his father's headache had gotten better recently.
"Are you familiar with people in the ministry?" Lin Ze asked casually.
"Not very familiar either."
Barty Crouch Jr. smiled and said, "My father often brought me to the ministry when I was a child. I was naughty at the time and ran around, and got to know some uncles and aunts. Later, after I graduated, I often came to the ministry to observe some meetings and court hearings. Over time, I became familiar with him."
"Your father is very strict with you, right?" Lin Ze asked.
Barty Crouch Jr.'s smile paused slightly, but soon returned to its natural state. "Strictness is a good thing. My father always said that when you are in a high position, any negligence may pay an irreparable price."
"That's right." Lin Ze nodded and did not continue the topic.
Of course he knows how strict Barty·Crouch is to his son.
He was so strict that he forced his son to take the completely opposite path, and he was so strict that he finally sent his son to Azkaban with his own hands.
The two walked to the corridor of Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and saw Scrimgeour standing at the door of the office from a distance, holding a document and looking through it.
Seeing Barty Crouch Jr., Scrimgeour closed the file and strode forward to greet them.
"Mr. Barty Crouch Jr., welcome."
Scrimgeour's smile was much brighter than usual, and he held the other person's hand and shook it again and again.
Lin Ze leaned against the wall of the corridor and did not disturb Scrimgeour and Barty Crouch Jr.'s greetings.