An ocean freighter had just docked at the Port of London when several figures suddenly appeared on the rooftop of a port warehouse.
A blonde woman in a long coat appeared and weakly held onto the railing, taking a while to catch her breath.
The man who approached her, dressed in a suit jacket and comical clown pants, asked, "Mary, are you okay?"
Mary Thompson, the captain of the American Auror team, waved her hand dismissively. The man then handed her a small bottle, "A pick-me-up, good for seasickness. Just a small sip, or you'll start smoking from the ears."
Mary took the bottle, took a small sip, and her pale complexion soon recovered a bit, "Thank you, Conrad."
"We really should have listened to Kingsley and used a Portkey to get here." Conrad sighed, "Unfortunately, the others don't seem to trust him much."
There were several other people on the rooftop, all in various strange attire, appearing to be from different countries.
"The Confederation is too cautious," Mary observed the group, "This kind of team could ensure fairness and justice if the other party cooperated, but they have already refused five times! Clearly, they won't cooperate well. With such a scattered group, I'm afraid we might return without achieving anything."
Conrad also sighed, "They still don't quite believe in what Head Auror Dumbledore has said. After all, some of it sounds too sensational."
"But we know it's true." Mary frowned, "More than two years ago, I met that Murphy Darkholme when he was still a wanted criminal... but he left a deep impression on me..."
Mary recalled the scene she saw in the Grand Canyon, which still felt somewhat surreal to her.
But if Murphy truly was a demon, everything would make sense.
"Those capable of discerning the truth are indeed few." Conrad said, then asked, "Has Kingsley contacted you?"
"He said he would arrive shortly."
As soon as Mary finished speaking, the space next to them twisted, and suddenly a burly black man and a short figure appeared on the rooftop.
"Kingsley." Conrad stepped forward and shook hands with him, then extended his hand to the goblin next to him, "Hello, Mr. Griphook."
"Don't call me 'Mister'!" The goblin swatted away his hand, "Call me Director Griphook! Don't you have goblins in France?"
"Which idiot insisted on coming by boat? We've wasted a whole ten days! Ten days! My brethren are suffering in the mines! In ten days, how many goblins will have died because of your stupidity!"
"I'm sorry, Griphook, we understand your feelings," Mary said, "But the British Ministry of Magic has blocked the international floo network with other countries, and these wizards aren't accustomed to flying—I mean, in Muggles' iron birds..."
"Why not use a Portkey? Are your wands just for show?" The goblin was relentless.
"Enough," Kingsley spoke up, his voice deep, "Let's not waste time arguing. I bring the President's instructions to help Director Griphook rescue his kin. Especially those remaining members of the Griphook family."
"What about the investigation?" Conrad asked.
Kingsley shook his head, "We're unlikely to find out anything. Murphy Darkholme is extremely cunning. And even if we had evidence, it's hard to make a real impact. Give up any fantasies and try to do something practical. However, our status as investigators still helps. At least in theory, they should assist us in our investigation, which we can use to gather intelligence and find the location where the goblins are being held."
"If possible, establish contact with those willing to resist."
"Will you join us?" Conrad asked.
"Sorry, I'm still a wanted man here." Kingsley sighed, the irony of a former Auror being unable to show his face in his own country was both sad and ridiculous.
"Griphook is in your hands," Kingsley said, "He's also a special investigator, his status is legal, but the situation here is complicated, take good care of him."
Mary frowned and pulled Kingsley aside, "Why does the President want to help these goblins?"
"The Griphook family holds significant power among goblins. If we can rescue a few members of the Griphook family, it could help us in our fight against Murphy," Kingsley explained, "Besides, it's also the wish of the President of the American Magical Congress. After all, they're the biggest donors."
"I don't like them," Mary said.
"Neither do I," Kingsley admitted, "But right now, they're our allies."
...
The special investigation team of the Wizarding Confederation made their way to the British Ministry of Magic via the visitor's passage.
They were warmly welcomed, with the Minister of Magic, Bartemius Crouch, personally meeting them and stating his full cooperation with the investigation team's efforts, ordering all departments and all wizards in Britain not to obstruct the investigation for any reason.
This was somewhat surprising to Mary and her team; they had expected to be met with resistance from the start.
Could Mr. Bartemius Crouch truly be unaware of Murphy's activities?
No, that was unlikely. Dumbledore's documents explicitly mentioned Murphy's infiltration of the Ministry, suggesting Mr. Crouch might be complicit with Murphy to some extent.
Mary and Conrad exchanged a look that said, "Be careful."
However, aside from them, the rest of the investigation team seemed oblivious to any anomalies.
Even the goblin, who had been claiming "all my kin are locked up," was easily flattered into confusion.
It seemed he might not actually care that much about his own kind; what he truly missed was probably Gringotts Bank.
Bartemius Crouch gave the investigation team a tour of the Ministry, introducing them to various departments before preparing a lavish dinner.
At the banquet, nearly all the high-ranking officials of the British Ministry of Magic were present, showing strong support for the International Confederation of Wizards and even boldly claiming their ongoing respect for Dumbledore.
"To think that he left Hogwarts over some differences in philosophy, preventing Britain's next generation from receiving guidance from such a great wizard, deeply pains me," said the head of the Auror Office, Lachsim, with solemnity.
"Yes, we all grew up under Headmaster Dumbledore's watchful eye, and we have deep affection for him," added the Head of the Watchers, Winston.
"In the end, it's our own shortcomings," Lachsim sighed, "That's probably why the President is so disappointed in us."
"Uh... cough cough... yes... yes..." Bartemius Crouch, not as shameless as Murphy's two loyal lackeys, couldn't fabricate such words.
However, this stance still had a very good effect; the investigators were relieved, thinking that the British Ministry of Magic wasn't as arrogant as rumored, but quite enlightened, after all.
After dinner, Lachsim and Winston, among a few other high-ranking Ministry officials, accompanied the investigators back to their specially prepared accommodations.
Located in Diagon Alley, it was once the mansion of a noble family, very luxurious.
Upon arrival, Lachsim assigned several Aurors as bodyguards to protect the investigators and informed them that special magical defenses had been placed Realizing they had been effectively placed under house arrest, the group's initial shock quickly turned into a mixture of frustration and anger. Mary Thompson, the captain of the American Auror team, was the first to regain her composure. "This is ridiculous," she spat, her voice a mix of disbelief and fury. "They've actually dared to lock us up."
Conrad, still wearing his incongruously formal suit paired with clownish pants, paced back and forth, trying to come up with a solution. "We need to get out of here," he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "There must be a way."
The rest of the team, a diverse group of wizards and a goblin, all clad in their own unique attires, began to explore their surroundings, searching for any possible escape routes. Despite their efforts, it became evident that the magical protections placed on the house were beyond their current means to break, especially without their wands.
Kingsley Shacklebolt, despite being a fugitive in Britain, had stayed with the group, understanding the risks. His experience and calm demeanor were invaluable now. "We need to think this through," he advised. "Rash actions could put us in even greater danger."
Griphook, the goblin, was furious. "This is an outrage!" he exclaimed. "Not only am I prevented from helping my kin, but now I'm also a prisoner of wizards. Again!" His disdain for wizards, though momentarily set aside for the sake of the mission, was now palpable.
As the night wore on, the group gathered to discuss their options. It was clear that brute force would not be the answer; they would need to be cunning.
Mary, taking charge, laid out their situation. "Our wands are registered to this location, which means they're useless to anyone outside. That's a start. If we can get them back, we have a chance."
Conrad nodded, adding, "We also have to consider why we're here. They could've just as easily refused us entry into the country or sent us back. Why go through the trouble of keeping us here?"
Kingsley, deep in thought, finally spoke up. "It's because we know too much. Or rather, they think we do. This isn't just about keeping us from snooping around; it's about controlling what we can report back."
Griphook, ever the pragmatist, pointed out, "Escape is only part of the problem. Even if we get out, we're still in enemy territory. We need allies, and we need to get a message out."
The group agreed. Their immediate goal was to escape and find a way to communicate with the International Confederation of Wizards. Only then could they begin to think about rescuing Griphook's kin and exposing the truth about the British Ministry of Magic's collusion with Murphy Darkholme.
As dawn began to break, a plan started to take shape. They would use their diverse skills and knowledge to bypass the magical constraints of the house, retrieve their wands, and seek out allies within the wizarding community who were sympathetic to their cause.
The task would not be easy, and the risks were high, but the alternative—doing nothing—was unthinkable. With determination and a newfound sense of unity, the members of the International Confederation of Wizards' investigative team prepared to take their first steps towards regaining their freedom and exposing the dark secrets of the British Ministry of Magic.
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