Chapter 170: I am not particularly interested in combat

The chamber was a total enclosure, an environment ideally suited for the use of the Exploding Charm. It would take merely ten wands casting the curse together for the individuals within to be overwhelmed, obliterated into nothingness. Yet there were not just Death Eaters in the chamber. Two Ministry of Magic staff lay on the ground and secured to a chair under interrogation was the head of the Department of Mysteries, Mrs. Selwyn. Thus, Sherlock decided on a more measured approach, increasing the number of wands and locating his targets within the chamber before he opened the door. As soon as he kicked it open, he released the curse. "Petrificus Totalus!" 

This time, Sherlock did not use a non-verbal spell—these reduced the effectiveness of the curses, acceptable when dealing with just one person but not feasible now that the number of targets had increased, and subtlety was no longer required. Scores of stunning spells offered the people inside the chamber no time to respond and, even given time, they would be unable to decide on the best course of action. Most of the spells hit their marks. The first Death Eaters targeted, three in their ranks struck directly by more than a dozen spells, stiffened and fell instantly.

However, due to the angle of attack, Mrs. Selwyn shielded Argus from the petrifaction spells, not one hit him while another, protected by his comrades in front, got away with just a minor hit—the significantly reduced impact insufficient to fully petrify him, merely causing some rigidity and inconvenience. Multiple spells also hit the walls and desks leaving a plethora of dented holes.

Finally, Argus and the other sparsely hit Death Eater shook off the shock. What echoed through their minds was the realization that they were now surrounded by scores, perhaps hundreds of Aurors. The Aurors had given up chasing Voldemort's Death Eaters in Sheffield, electing to defend the Ministry of Magic. Actually it would be impossible even for all the Aurors in the entire Ministry to cast so many spells simultaneously.

Hence, upon this terrifying realization, Argus and his companion's immediate thoughts diverged to escape. Now, with only two left on their side and nearly all the Aurors gathered on the other side, they knew their plan had failed spectacularly.

With a snap, Argus had his wand raised, ready to cast the disapparate. But before he could fully utter the incantation, a bulky book from the desk magically levitated and mercilessly hurtled toward him! his spell was interrupted and instantly, several stunning spells streaked in red hit him one after another, ruling out his chances of escape. 

Meanwhile, the other Death Eater hardly had the chance to disapparate. He wasn't an employee of the Ministry of Magic, therefore, the Anti-Disapparition Jinx prevented him of even dreaming of fleeing. As he stood in the corner, wand drawn, clearly bewildered, dozens of wands hovered over in mid-air, jetting around the chamber, trained on him. It was then that Sherlock and a desensitized Sophie strode inside. 

The cornered Death Eater, intimidated and unable to disapparate, refrained from casting any spells. When Sherlock entered, the scared Death Eater strained his neck looking behind Sherlock, expecting the full squadron of Aurors who struck him with simultaneous spells were tailing in. But Sherlock's trail was empty, as was the rest of the room.

The other petrified Death Eater, Argus, sprawled on the floor, had a clear line of sight of the compartment's doorway. He could see that no one was present in the Time Chamber beyond. The newcomers were merely the two wizards before him. Moreover, by their attire, it was evident that the male wizard was not a member of the Ministry of Magic! A look of confusion dawned on Argus' face. So, there wasn't a squadron of Aurors and all those countless spells were cast by a single person?

Sherlock didn't bother acknowledging the psychological state of the Death Eaters. After hitting even the last mobile Death Eater with a sequence of petrification spells, he turned towards Mrs. Selwyn, liberating her from her binding enchantment. 

Noticing the confusion on the face of the Department of Mysteries' Head, Sherlock arched an eyebrow in self-introduction, "Good day, Madam. My name is John Watson. At Sheffield, I was entrusted by Eddie Butler to notify you about the murder of your predecessor, Stedry, and that the Death Eaters have knowledge of the Department's secret seventh chamber, which I've been told poses a considerable threat. Unfortunately, it seems I arrived a tad too late." 

Mrs. Selwyn shook her head. "No, your timing was impeccable. If it weren't for your intervention, we would've been in a dreadful muddle."

From her tone, Sherlock could faintly deduce she hardly harbored any residual fear. It was as if, even without his appearance, her being fed Veritaserum wouldn't have been a concern, nor could the Death Eaters obtain what they sought.

The wands hovering mid-air began to return to Sherlock's bag one by one. A flurry of commotion found its way from outside the Time Room at the same time. In a matter of moments, Scrimgeour  arrived on the scene, accompanied by Barty Crouch Jr. and Kingsley Shacklebolt along with three others. Their faces held an array of shock and bewilderment at the sight unfolding in the office of the Department of Mysteries.

Sherlock was reminded of police from TV dramas, the kind that only appear after all the action is done— arriving just in time for the cleanup. In this case, it seemed Scrimgeour and his companions were indeed here to finish the tidying up. Since Argus was without his mask, it became immediately clear who the traitor was. After instructing his subordinates to take the Death Eaters to the interrogation room, Scrimgeour, as the head of the office, commenced a thorough debriefing of Sherlock. 

"Do you mean to say that during your trip to Sheffield, you just happened to encounter Eddie and he requested that you relay the situation back to the Ministry? Are you an old friend of his?" 

His demeanor was confused but cordial, the questions routine and far from an interrogation. Therefore, Sherlock sensed nothing amiss and replied honestly, "Yes. The Death Eaters were after him and didn't want him to report back to the Ministry, while the Ministry... well, they had some misunderstanding towards him. But luckily he ran into me. For certain reasons, we had a basis of trust, so he asked me to locate Sophie and through her, reach Mrs. Selwyn at the Ministry. And well, the result is what you see now."

A shadow crossed Scrimgeour's face. "After the failed operation in Wales, it was Argus who accused Eddie of being a traitor! His grandmother was a previous Minister for Magic and had extensive connections within the Ministry. Those connections swayed Crouch into denying Eddie a chance to prove his innocence, unjustly branding him the traitor. Even Barty's doubts about the identity of the traitor fell on deaf ears."

He turned his gaze back to Sherlock. "Did Eddie tell you where he plans to go next? With Argus' capture, it should be enough to vindicate him."

Sherlock merely shrugged. "He said he's heading for the Isle of Man. The Death Eaters are still after him, and his intention is to divert some of their focus, alleviating the pressure on Sheffield."

Scrimgeour  stood silent for a moment, his face inscrutable. "Eddie's loyalty to the Ministry should never have been questioned. I will make sure justice is sought within the Ministry for him."

Finally, with a solemn expression, Scrimgeour thanked Sherlock.

"Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Watson. I shudder to think of the dire consequences had you not arrived when you did. Is there anything you require? If so, I can endeavor to make arrangements within the Ministry as a measure of gratitude," said Scrimgeour sincerely.

Without Sherlock's intervention, the situation might have escalated catastrophically, especially if Mrs. Selwyn had been administered Veritaserum - he might have even lost his position as the Head of the Auror Office. 

Sherlock, for his part, had been waiting for this very question. He did not pretend modesty or offer deflection. Instead, he went straight to the point, "During my visit to the Ministry, I have found the Department of Mysteries a rather fascinating place. I've been between jobs for a while so I'd love the opportunity to interview for a position here."

Scrimgeour was taken aback by his request. If Sherlock had asked for fame or wealth, he could have easily sought approval from the Ministry or if he expressed a desire to join the Aurors, Scrimgeour would have wholeheartedly backed him. Although unclear about the exact method Sherlock used to single-handedly thwart five Death Eaters (Sophie wasn't counted in the fighting force), Scrimgeour knew that with such abilities, Sherlock would indeed be a formidable addition to the Auror Command.

He proposed, "If you're agreeable, Mr. Watson, I can have you directly recruited into the Auror Command. Your great achievement today even qualifies you for an unprecedented direct promotion to Captain. As for the Department of Mysteries, I don't have the authority to decide for them. If you really wish to work there, I can only help seek Mrs. Selwyn's opinion."

Sherlock neither declined nor agreed to this, instead saying, "Then, may I trouble you to inquire on my behalf? I am indeed willing to aid the Ministry, but according to my personal interests, I feel more inclined towards the Department of Mysteries. I am not particularly interested in combat." 

With a tug at the corner of his mouth, Scrimgeour nodded in agreement. "Will you wait within the Ministry for the outcome, or leave for the moment? If you decide to leave, once things here are settled and Mrs. Selwyn has given her response, I'll have someone notify you."

"I don't want to rush you, I'll return to the Leaky Cauldron for now. If there's any development, please have someone find me there - my Uncle and I are staying there for the foreseeable future."