Chapter 68: Ah

Saint Mungo's Hospital.

Rufus Scrimgeour and Kingsley Shacklebolt hurried over, only to be stopped by a healer outside the ward.

"How is he?" Kingsley asked, his voice trembling.

"The situation is very bad," the healer shook his head. "Both of his legs are almost shattered, and he has numerous wounds on his body. Although he used apparition to get here as fast as he could, perhaps due to the pain causing his consciousness to blur, a splinching occurred during the apparition. When we found him, there was almost no unharmed flesh on his body."

"Can he survive?"

"We are doing our best."

The doctor left, and Kingsley stood outside the treatment room, like a statue.

His usual mild elegance was replaced by a deep-seated anger. He stood there, like a volcano about to erupt.

After a while, he suddenly turned and walked away, but was pulled back by Scrimgeour. "Where are you going?"

"To catch someone!"

"You know we don't have any evidence."

"I will find evidence!"

"Shacklebolt, be calm, you will give the enemy an opportunity..."

"Rufus..."

Kingsley's trembling voice made Scrimgeour pause. He looked at his companion and saw tears in the eyes of the always composed black man.

"Shacklebolt, you..."

"Basque just had a daughter two months ago. Now that he's become like this, how can I explain it to his wife and daughter?"

Scrimgeour fell silent and loosened his grip on Kingsley's hand.

"Don't worry, I won't be reckless. I got a tip. Alex Wood is Murphy Darkholme's assistant. Lucius once caught this person, and he confirmed this."

"I'll catch Alex and get enough evidence from him."

Scrimgeour looked at Kingsley and after a while, could only say, "Be careful, remember, the enemy is very cunning."

Kingsley nodded firmly. "I will make him pay!"

...

"Alex Wood, the one who initially bought potion ingredients for Murphy in Diagon Alley, it's him." Bald Paped hiding behind a bush, informed Kingsley and three other Aurors.

"When I caught him before, he was still dealing with materials for Murphy. We can definitely dig out a lot of secrets from him."

As Paped spoke, he rubbed his nose, which had never fully healed after being broken by Murphy.

"Did Malfoy send you?" one of the Aurors asked mockingly.

"How could it be? Helping the Aurors fight crime is the duty of every wizard."

"Hmph."

Although these Aurors were eager to apprehend Murphy for his blatant disregard of the law, they had no fondness for Malfoy, who also skirted the edges of legality and committed many deplorable acts.

Dog eats dog.

However, they were happy to see internal strife leading to mutual disclosure of dark secrets.

"Have you seen Alex? Can you recognize him?" Kingsley stared at Paped with intense eyes.

Paped felt uncomfortable under the gaze of the Auror Captain, who exuded a terrifying aura, making him feel like a mouse in front of a cat.

"Yes, of course, I can recognize that face."

"Good, you'll join me in the raid. Once we catch him, everyone must return to the Ministry of Magic through the Floo Network immediately! Do not linger, understood?!"

"Understood!" the Aurors responded in unison.

Just then, another Auror appeared beside Kingsley after a swirl of space distortion. "Boss, he's here!"

Everyone crouched down and cast Disillusionment Charms on themselves.

About twenty meters from them was an owlery. According to the Aurors' investigation, Alex Wood would come here periodically to send a bag full of Galleons back home using the public rental owls.

Sixty Galleons each time, not more, not less.

At this moment, a figure in a cloak emerged from the opposite bushes, looked around sneakily, and walked towards the owlery.

"What a dutiful son." One Auror muttered quietly.

"Committing crimes is the greatest disrespect!" another Auror scoffed.

Kingsley kept his eyes on the figure, who put some silver coins in the box outside the owlery, opened a cage somewhat fearfully, and took out an owl. He didn't immediately give the order.

"Boss, he has a Portkey, he could disappear anytime after sending the letter!" an Auror reminded.

Kingsley, watching the man struggle to tie a bag to the owl's leg, suddenly felt an unease but didn't have the time to ponder its source. "Move in!"

Suddenly, five Aurors apparated outside the owlery, surrounding the hooded figure. As they appeared, they cast spells, "Stupefy!"

"Bang!" The man didn't even get a chance to shout before he was hit by five spells, falling into a deep unconsciousness.

Kingsley approached, pulled off the man's hood, and sighed in relief upon seeing his face.

Still cautious, he pulled Paped over. "Look carefully, is it him?"

"It's him! He is Alex Wood!"

"Good, take him, let's go!"

...

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Diagon Alley, the headquarters of the Daily Prophet.

Rita Skeeter met with her guest.

"You're a busy man, Mr. Murphy. It's not easy to get a meeting with you."

Ever since Murphy sent Lucius to Azkaban, Rita Skeeter had been wanting to interview Murphy, but it wasn't until today that Murphy suddenly agreed to her request.

"You're a busy person too, Miss Skeeter," Murphy said, throwing a stack of Daily Prophets on the table. "You've criticized me dozens of times in just a few months."

The newspapers Murphy had specifically opened showed articles about him, most with sensational headlines like "Dark Wizard or Righteous Crusader? The Secrets of Murphy Darkholme" and "A Rich Man Fallen from the Sky? The Strange Inheritance of Murphy," none of which had much good to say.

"I just report the facts," Skeeter said unabashedly. "Are you accepting my interview today to reveal some of your secrets?"

As she spoke, she took out a notebook, which floated in the air, and a quill immediately began writing furiously on it.

"I have no secrets," Murphy said. "But I happen to know one of yours."

"Murphy's somber face was filled with wariness. He claims to have no secrets, but his evasive eyes reveal many untold stories..."

"You really have a way with words," Skeeter said, writing a few hundred words of her own fiction before looking back at Murphy. "Let's start with your past. Your parents were Dark Wizards, and you're an orphan. How has this affected your character?"

"..."

"Tragic orphanhood makes Murphy reluctant to open his heart. He is deeply secretive about his past..." Rita muttered, and as she spoke, the quill wrote even faster.

"Ah."

Murphy suddenly chuckled and drew his wand.

"Bang!" The quill and notebook spontaneously combusted, turning to ash in moments.