At one o'clock in the morning, everyone gathered in the living room.
The task force consisted of five people: Morris, Sirius, Lupin, Frick, and Mundungus Fletcher.
"This guy is trying to escape."
When Morris entered the living room, he saw Frick grabbing Mundungus Fletcher by the back of his collar and forcing him down onto the sofa.
The posture was very ambiguous.
Mundungus Fletcher's eyes gleamed with terror in the dim candlelight.
"I didn't do anything," he shouted, "I just went out for some fresh air."
"That would be best," Frick said, releasing his grip and taking a step back. "To be honest, if you don't want to come with us, we can leave you here."
"Then I'll stay," Mundungus Fletcher rubbed his neck, his face immediately lighting up with delight. "This whole thing is strange; who would send intelligence agents to the front lines?"
"You're just scared." Sirius walked past him, his tone full of disdain.
Say what you want.
Mundungus Fletcher flopped onto the sofa.
As an intelligence broker who had spent years mingling in the lower strata of society, he knew his place better than anyone else.
If it weren't for seeking Dumbledore's protection, who would willingly take on a job that could cost them their life at any moment?
" Frick, is this okay?" Sirius asked.
Frick looked down at Mundungus Fletcher, "This guy is really useless."
"Yes, yes," Mundungus Fletcher nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "I'll only drag you down with me."
Everyone was speechless.
After Mundungus Fletcher left, Sirius sat down at the long table and unfolded a map.
"Our target is here," he pointed to a marked mountainous area on the map, " the Cambrian Mountains, where there used to be a wizarding village, but it was abandoned long ago. Recently, some dark wizards have settled there. Our informants say there are Death Eaters active there."
Lupin asked, "Who is the informant?"
Sirius shook his head. " Dumbledore didn't tell me. The information might not be accurate, it could be a trap, we have to be prepared."
"Then how do we get there?" Lupin asked again.
Sirius took something resembling a rusty doorknob from the inside pocket of his robe and placed it on the table.
" The Portkey," he said. "Let's go, let's get going."
Everyone stood up, gathered around the table, and placed their hands on the doorknob.
"Three, two, one!"
The surrounding scenery was torn to shreds, and Morris closed his eyes, feeling as if he were tumbling through the air.
The experience with the Portkey remains as terrible as ever.
A few seconds later, he landed on a hard, muddy patch of ground.
The night breeze carried the scent of grass and trees, and the moon was out; the clouds hung low, threatening rain at any moment.
Once his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he looked around.
Just as Sirius said, this used to be a village. Several crooked wooden houses stood by the overgrown roadside. The roof of the nearest one had collapsed most of it, and the others in the distance were also in their own state of disrepair.
Only the house furthest away was emitting a faint light.
Frick lowered his voice. "How should we investigate? Should we split up?"
"It's best not to," Sirius said. "Our mission is just investigation; safety comes first."
Morris shook his head. "It's better to split up; having too many people will only cause trouble."
He wanted a quick victory; he didn't want to waste too much time.
Lupin frowned, somewhat puzzled. "What if we get attacked?"
Morris shrugged. "Don't forget the Shadow Concealment Stone I gave you earlier; they're great for survival. I'll go check out that house with the lights on."
"That's not true either--"
Before Lupin could finish speaking, Morris had already merged into the darkness and disappeared.
Sirius sighed somewhat helplessly, "Let's do it this way."
He still trusted Morris to some extent.
Half a minute later, Morris appeared at the door of the house with the light on, the Guantou landing beside him at the same time, his eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
Morris knocked gently on the door.
According to Sirius, everyone who comes here is a dark wizard.
Why be so polite? Just grab him and ask him directly.
This is the best research method.
After waiting for almost a minute, the door was opened, and a masked person appeared in the doorway.
The moment Morris saw the other person, he knew they were no good.
Who would wear a mask and open the door for a stranger at 1 a. m.?
"One of us," Morris said.
Because it was dark, his face was not clearly visible.
The masked man didn't speak, his gaze sweeping over Morris from head to toe, his hand already reaching for his waist. There was a bulge there, probably his wand.
"Show me your mark," the man said in a flat, monotone voice.
mark?
The Dark Mark?
Morris doesn't have that.
Let's just put on an act.
Morris, feigning composure, reached out to pull at his cuff.
Meow~
A cat's meow rang out, and a Stunning Spell shot out from behind Morris, striking the masked man squarely in the chest.
The man didn't even utter a sound before falling straight backward, his head hitting the floor.
Ouch~ That looks painful.
"Well done," Morris said.
He crouched down, picked up the other person's wand, and lifted the mask.
Under the mask was an old man with a face full of wrinkles, who looked to be at least fifty or sixty years old.
He's most likely a Death Eaters.
Great, the target should have been found.
Morris casually slipped the mask onto his face; it was a little too wide, but it didn't bother him.
Then, he changed his robe to match the other person's style.
The two men were about the same height and build, and there seemed to be no flaws in their appearance.
He dragged the unconscious Death Eaters into the shadows in the corner, cast a Binding Charm, and then walked into the house.
Walking down the dimly lit corridor, the sound of footsteps was mostly swallowed up by the moldy wooden floor.
At the end was a half-open door, with faint light peeking through the crack.
Morris pushed open the door and walked in confidently.
It's okay if we get caught.
Sigh, it's just for fun.
There was only one person in the room, wearing the same mask as the Death Eaters from earlier.
He sat at a table with a pile of parchment spread out in front of him, a quill pen in his hand, intently writing something.
Of course, none of this matters.
Importantly, Morris spotted something familiar next to the parchments.
Ageless Stone.
It's that Ageless Stone that was stolen from the Ministry of Magic!
He absolutely did not admit his mistake!
But strangely, only half of the stone remained; the other half had vanished.
"What happened downstairs? Why did you take so long?" Hearing the commotion, the man turned to look at Morris.
Morris sat down on the sofa next to him and said, "Guess."
"?"
What are you guessing?
The man was clearly stunned for a moment, then quickly reached for his waist.
But Morris was faster.
" Expelliarmus!"