Chapter 314: The Investigators Who Drew Ire

At the Leaky Cauldron.

An Egyptian wizard, wrapped in a black robe, was inquiring the innkeeper Tom in halting English, "So, this place won't be seen by Muggles?"

"No, I refresh the Muggle-Repelling Charm every day," Tom said.

"What kind of wizards come here?" the visitor asked further.

"What do you mean? A lot of people come here because some young wizards need to enter Diagon Alley through here," Tom explained.

"Have you verified their identities?"

"What?" Tom was stunned, "Verify whose identity? The people who come in? How could that be possible?"

"Then how can you be sure they are all wizards?"

"I have Muggles coming here too, Muggles who need to pass through here to get into Diagon Alley," Tom tried to clarify.

"So, Muggles can know about this place?"

"Yes, but that doesn't affect..."

"As a gateway to the wizarding world, haven't you considered the risk of exposing the existence of the wizarding world?"

"No, I mean, those Muggles usually are accompanying young wizards to buy things in Diagon Alley, they need to exchange money... and the young wizards need their parents..."

"You haven't verified their identities. How can you be sure they are the parents of young wizards and not scheming Muggles with ill intentions, like the Second Salemers, the anti-wizarding activists?"

"I, I..."

"Oh! Merlin's festering sores! Enough!" A wizard drinking at the bar slammed his glass on the table, "Leave the poor man alone. He's just an innkeeper, not responsible for protecting the wizarding world!"

"Who are you?" the Egyptian wizard asked.

"What, you want to take down my name?" the other retorted fiercely, "Have you investigators nothing better to do than harass us all day?"

"I must correct you, adhering to the Wizarding Secrecy Act is the duty of every wizard," the Egyptian wizard stated, "but I've found that you British seem to care little for this."

"You'd better think carefully about what you're saying, sir!" another wizard stood up, "This is Britain, not a place where you can run wild!"

"Remarkable," the Egyptian wizard sneered, "but guess what, the order to come here and investigate you came from a British wizard. It was your Dumbledore."

"What?!" This statement instantly ignited the wizards' fury, several stood up, ready to pounce, but Tom quickly intervened, "

Calm down, gentlemen, let's not fight here, he's an investigator..."

"To hell with the investigator!" someone cursed angrily, "We British wizards don't need anyone pointing fingers at us!"

"The Wizarding Secrecy Act is international law," the Egyptian wizard maintained his calm demeanor, "We have the authority to inspect you."

"I'm sorry, sir, please leave my pub," Tom, seeing a conflict about to erupt, cooled his own demeanor, "You're not welcome here."

"Hmph. Dissatisfied with the Wizarding Secrecy Act." The Egyptian wizard jotted something down in his notebook while muttering, but ultimately left.

"To hell with the Secrecy Act, to hell with the investigators!" Once the Egyptian wizard was out of earshot, a wave of curses flooded the pub.

"I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking, letting others investigate us!"

"I hope the Ministry of Magic kicks these pests out soon! They're like flies, absolutely disgusting."

In the corner, Sirius put down his cup, frowning. These investigators had already caused widespread discontent among British wizards; whatever they were trying to achieve, it seemed unlikely to succeed now.

He had now confirmed these wizards weren't being controlled; their behavior seemed deliberately provocative, as if they were replaced.

So, where were the real investigators?

...

"Four months!" Mary Thompson was a mess, her hair disheveled, her face unwashed for days, covered in agitation and exhaustion, "We must get out of here!"

"But we don't have our wands..." Conrad frowned, "But you're right, we have to escape from here, or Murphy might just lock us up till we die."

"I still have some magic I can use..." The goblin Brin, his ugly face drooping, had become less brash recently, even ceasing his daily cursing. He now realized his fate was tied to these foolish wizards.

"Can it get us out?" Mary immediately asked.

"Not really, but maybe I can send a message out..." the goblin said, "I can make a coin that can be used for communication, throw it out, and maybe someone will pick it up and we can pass our message."

Goblins aren't allowed to use wands, but creating goblin coins doesn't require a wand, just the right ritual.

"But we don't have any coins." Conrad stated.

After entering the yard, all their possessions were taken, not even a Knut to their names.

"I do," the goblin Brin said, "I hid a few coins before they searched us."

Hid them where?

When they were commanded to strip naked, where could anything be hidden?

Not...

Everyone looked at the goblin.

"I put the coins in my mouth, and my nose," the goblin said. They have big mouths and noses, hiding a few coins was not a problem.

"Oh..." everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

So, two days later, they made a few coins, throwing one out at intervals. Not far from their yard was Diagon Alley, bustling with people. If someone found it, they could communicate with them and there would be hope.

...

"Lord Murphy," an Auror presented a tray with several coins to Murphy, "these are the goblin coins they made, but we intercepted them all."

These goblin coins were now too far to have a signal.

Murphy glanced at them, "Took them so long to come up with this, hard to say if they're stupid or just too relaxed."

"How many coins do they still have?"

"Probably at most two or three more," the Auror said.

"Wait another day," Murphy said, "then start rounding them up."

The fish worth catching had almost all been caught; those in the British wizarding world still attempting to oppose Murphy were mostly locked in Azkaban by now.

And, they had successfully attracted enough ire; it was time to give the public an explanation, to let everyone vent their frustration.

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