Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Water Margin

Chapter 226 The Torture Finally Reveals the Demon's Whereabouts

Chapter 226 The Torture Finally Reveals the Demon's Whereabouts

Picking up where we left off, Harry listened to Liu Tao's words and felt as if he had been enlightened, and suddenly began to ponder deeply.

He thought to himself: If I disturb this world, I will be punished by heaven. Could it be that the great master of the Song Dynasty is struck by lightning every day because of this?

As the thought crossed my mind, a sudden flash of inspiration struck me, and I seemed to have gained some insight.

Unfortunately, this flash of inspiration was like trying to see a lamp through the fog or trying to catch the moon's reflection in the water; it vanished in an instant.

Upon reaching the castle, Liu Tao bid farewell to Harry and went directly to Dumbledore to discuss matters concerning Grindelwald.

Harry stood still, watching Liu Tao leave.

Hermione, who had been following behind, saw Harry standing there blankly for a while, so she strode forward, waved her five fingers in front of his eyes, and asked curiously, "Harry? What are you thinking about?"

Ron also dragged the willow-shaped magic staff closer, clicking his tongue and saying, "I guess you regret sending Lockhart to gather intelligence."

Harry, still glancing at where Liu Tao had gone, said, "Just now, while I was talking with you, sir, I learned that there is actually an office in the East that is in charge of the law of equilibrium."

Hermione was taken aback at first, then lowered her head and pondered to herself.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Ron scratched the back of his head and pondered for a while. "So—is there a problem with this?"

"Of course there's a problem, and it's a very big one." Hermione nodded slowly, her brows furrowing as she pondered, "If the Chinese Ministry of Magic is researching the Law of Balance, then it means that the Law of Balance is an open topic in China."

Ron hesitated for a moment, then asked, "And then?"

Hermione rolled her eyes upwards and said helplessly, "But why are there so few people in the British magical community who have even heard of the Law of Balance?"

Upon hearing this, Ron suddenly realized, "So you were talking about cultural differences."

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance after hearing his words, and neither of them had any interest in talking anymore.

The two men patted him on the shoulder once, then walked side by side toward the stone corridor.

Enough of this rambling. Seven or eight days passed in the blink of an eye, and sure enough, news from Lockhart began to arrive one after another.

Fudge's autobiography was only a few inches long, but he filled a whole stack of parchment with information about others, which he sent an owl to deliver daily.

"These two Auror inspectors should be fine—"

"The fairy in charge of crafting the trophy can also be ruled out—"

Meanwhile, in the office, Liu Tao carefully examined the dossier submitted by Lockhart, scrutinizing each item and checking the whereabouts of the Death Eaters.

Harry and Hermione were also helping out, each flipping through the book.

That daredevil Liu Lang also came, but after reading for only half a cup of tea's time, he felt the words were as small as ants, and his head and eyes became dizzy.

After a short while, he found an excuse to slip away and went straight to the secret room to practice his staff techniques.

Harry unfolded several parchment pages and examined them closely. The first page was densely covered with writing, clearly recording the daily movements of an employee of the Department of Sports.

The time of roll call, the time of tea, and even the number of times one goes to the toilet in a day, whether it's relieving oneself or going to the toilet, how much time and effort is spent, are all carefully recorded on paper.

Harry glanced at it briefly, then immediately found it offensive. He tossed the parchment aside, shook his head, and spat, "Damn it! Lockhart really knows how to be ruthless, remembering such filthy trifles without missing a single detail."

Liu Tao continued flipping through the book without turning his head, saying, "Studying laws isn't like sitting in an office; practice is the sole criterion for testing truth—wait, what?"

He suddenly paused, his tone rising in a tremor. Harry heard it clearly and, sensing something was amiss, rushed forward.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that the parchment in Liu Tao's hand clearly bore the name Ludo Bagman.

Harry's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Sir, do you suspect this Ludo?"

Liu Tao did not answer, but instead picked out all the papers related to Ludo Bagman and laid them out in a row on the table.

He then glanced at a few more lines before nodding and saying, "That's right, I do have some doubts about Mr. Bagman now."

Harry, seeing his confident assertion, assumed he had something to hide and quickly leaned over to examine the parchment more closely.

Unexpectedly, after reading it two or three times, he still couldn't find any flaws. He could only shake his head and clasp his hands, saying, "I hope you can enlighten me, sir. I am blind and really can't see anything wrong with this fellow."

"He stopped drinking coffee the day before yesterday."

Hermione's voice came unexpectedly from behind them. Liu Tao was surprised and clapped his hands, saying, "Very perceptive, Miss Granger."

"Have you received any specialized training?"

Hermione twisted her hands behind her back, raised her head, and said smugly, "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Liu. I'm just a little more observant than others."

Harry, in no mood to listen to their further answers, said urgently, "Sir and Madam, please stop playing riddles. What's the big deal about missing a sip of coffee?"

Liu Tao said, "It's no big deal to drink one less cup of coffee, even if it's a gallon-a-ounce cup of Ryukaku coffee."

.

"The key point is that he has never stopped for the past ten years or so."

He immediately wrote another letter and sent it to Lockhart, instructing him to carefully investigate the background of Narudo Bagman.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Lockhart's reply arrived.

Why did Ludo give up coffee? Well, that's because he couldn't resist gambling and went to a gambling den to play again.

Unexpectedly, his luck ran out, and overnight he incurred a loss of 3,000 Galleons.

Although Ludo owed Harry a large sum of money, Scarface was not an ordinary greedy person, but a chivalrous hero who valued righteousness over profit.

He only wanted to keep the debt for future use, so he never sent anyone to collect it, pretending not to know anything about it.

Seeing Harry's relaxed attitude, Ludo became even less concerned. He continued to dress in silk and satin as usual, feasting and drinking frequently, and his horses and carriages remained bright and well-maintained.

Despite his empty pockets, his ostentatious lifestyle remains unchanged; it's truly a case of "the more lice, the less itchy; the more debts, the less worry."

The scene of a hooligan.

But that gambling den was no benevolent place; it was full of debt collectors. Seeing that Ludo owed money and hadn't paid, they were all eager to seduce him.

It's clear that the three thousand Galleons haven't turned back, meaning they're three thousand who refuse to give up!

Ever since Ludo signed the debt agreement, the gambling den has sent four or five wicked sorcerers from Azkaban to follow him around every day.

They threw a threatening letter at night and stuck it on his door, blocking his way in the street to intimidate him. This kind of commotion was almost enough to make them want to go to the Ministry of Magic to plead their case.

Naruto was most afraid of tough guys and feared the ruthless. Seeing that these wizards were all desperate criminals, he immediately backed down.

Only after he swore an oath that he would repay the principal and interest without any delay did the gambling den finally give up.

From then on, this fellow became more subdued, cutting back on all his drinking and eating, and losing all his former glory.

Harry, after reading Lockhart's letter, was so enraged that veins bulged on his forehead. He glared and cursed, "Damn it! That old gambler is a dog that can't change its nature! He owes me a single ounce of gold and hasn't paid it back, yet he's gone out and caused a huge mess. Does he really think his sword won't chop people up?!"

Liu Tao ignored this question and instead turned to Hermione, saying, "Miss Granger, could you please tell me the value of three thousand Galleons in the British wizarding world?"

Before Hermione could speak, Ron blurted out, "I know! It's probably worth two or three years' salary for Mr. Bagman."

After listening, Liu Tao pondered for about half an incense stick's time before raising his eyes and letting out a long sigh, saying, "I think we can go and consult Mr. Bagman in detail now."

Before he could finish speaking, Harry suddenly stood up and shouted, "I'll go find that scoundrel right now and get to the bottom of this!"

After saying that, Harry wrote a letter, in which he said that he had some doubts about the Triwizard Tournament and wanted to ask them in person.

So he threw it into the fireplace that led directly to the Ministry of Magic and gave it to Ludo.

When Naruto received and read the letter, he saw Harry's earnest invitation and remembered that he owed Harry a large sum of gold, so he dared not be negligent in the slightest.

He quickly tucked the letter into his pocket, changed into a neat robe, locked his office door, and headed straight for Hogwarts.

Arriving at the foot of the castle in the Night Chariot, before he could even catch his breath, he rushed to find the underground classroom where they were to meet, following the directions in the letter.

He lifted his robe, his legs moved swiftly, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, as if he were afraid of being late and displeasing the scarred man.

By the time Ludo found the underground classroom, he was already panting heavily.

He hastily wiped his face and pushed the door open. But as soon as he pushed it open and looked closely, he felt his breath catch in his throat, and all he could hear was the pounding of his own heart. He couldn't move an inch.

In the underground classroom, besides Harry standing in the middle, there were Liu Tao, Dumbledore, Snape, and a bunch of other formidable figures standing on either side.

Ludo's heart sank, and he cried out inwardly in despair, realizing that this scene was not about any competition.

His legs were about to give way and he hesitated when Harry rushed forward, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him into the house.

"What an ungrateful wretch! He owes Grandpa gold and doesn't even bother to repay it, yet he dares to cause trouble at the gambling den again!"

Ludo taught him to drink, and half of his soul flew away. His face turned deathly pale, and he cried out, "How did you know?!"

"Wait, I... I gambled to pay back the money I owed you!"

Harry sneered, "You little rascal! Do you think your grandpa Harry is a three-year-old?! You dare try to fool me with that nonsense about gambling to pay off debts!"

Ludo's words were a stab in the heart, leaving him speechless.

His mind was in turmoil as he racked his brains for an explanation, when Dumbledore tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice and said gently, "Don't be nervous, Mr. Bagman. We just want to confirm some things with you."

Before he could finish speaking, Snape crossed his arms, a bottle of truth serum between his fingers, and said impatiently, "Dumbledore, if you want me to respect your flexible bottom line standards, then stop talking nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore simply shrugged, feigning helplessness, and then turned to Liu Tao, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Tao."

Liu Tao smiled, dragged a wooden chair to sit opposite Ludo, loosely clasped his hands together, and said slowly, "Mr. Bagman, I hope you can tell me one thing: in the process of organizing the Triwizard Tournament, were there any unrelated personnel involved?"

Lu Duo was completely baffled and dared not speak carelessly, so he stammered, "Unrelated personnel? I don't think there should be any."

"Of course, there might be unrelated people involved, after all, this wasn't just my task; many colleagues got involved as well —"

Harry, who overheard their conversation, found it all rather cryptic and couldn't contain himself.

He immediately lunged forward, grabbed Ludo by the collar, and said, "Why waste your breath arguing with this scoundrel? Are you going to show him any mercy now?!"

He then roared at Ludo, "I've already found out everything about your shady dealings with the Death Eaters! Tell me the truth!"

Upon hearing the name "Death Eater," Ludo's eyes widened, and he suddenly jumped three feet high, screaming, "I'm a Death Eater?! That's blatant slander!"

"I already said that Lukwood was my father's friend, and I had no idea he was Mystic's henchman!"

"I thought I was gathering intelligence for our people!"

Upon hearing this, Harry's eyes flashed with even more ruthlessness. "Damn it! No wonder you weren't on the Death Eaters' list when they checked it last time! So you had such a way of hiding your identity!"

"If you don't tell the truth today, I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"

Seeing this, Liu Tao shook his head and sighed softly, "Harry, everything must be based on evidence. We can't use torture to extract confessions."

"This will disrupt social stability and order."

Ludo knew that Harry was a ruthless killer and feared that the ring knife might actually fall on his own neck.

Hearing this, as if grasping at a straw, he hurriedly shouted, "That's right, I am the Director of the Department of Physical Education and Sports, and I have the tracking threads used by Ministry of Magic officials!"

"If you use the Unforgivable Curse, or Veritaserum, Legilimency, or anything like that on me—the Ministry of Magic will be notified immediately!"

Harry, seeing that he was using the title of an official of the imperial court to threaten him, was filled with rage, his anger reaching the heavens. He roared, "You damned scoundrel! You owe me gold and haven't paid it back, which is already a capital offense. Now you're trying to intimidate your grandfather with your official title!"

Having said that, he drew his wand and shouted sharply, "Lightning and Thunder!"

As soon as the incantation ended, a fist-sized burst of electricity crackled and popped from the tip of Harry's wand. The crackling sound illuminated his pale face and brightened the room.

Before anyone could react, he flicked his wrist, and the wand plunged into Ludo's stomach.

"Hooray hoohoo hoohoo hoohoo hoohoo hoohoo hoohoo hoohoo hoohoo!!!"

Ludo let out a series of strange howls, and then collapsed to the ground with a thud. His eyes were glazed over, drool dripped from his mouth, and he was truly half-dead.

Seeing his state, Harry showed no mercy, stepped forward and stomped on his ribs again, cursing, "What are you pretending to be dead for, you bastard!"

This kick sent Ludo reeling. He took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly brightening, and his first words were like a shattered gong.

"I remember now! Unrelated individuals did participate in the Triwizard Tournament!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Dumbledore and the others, who had intended to offer advice, were all stunned.

Liu Tao's face twitched, and he finally shook his head, sighing to Dumbledore, "I've really come to Hogwarts for no reason."

After saying that, he glanced at Harry's fierce-looking face, his brows furrowed, and his expression troubled.

Damn it, they're even more ruthless than the Kuomintang secret police.

Seeing Liu Tao's pained expression, Dumbledore remained silent, but instead took out a bottle of potion for treating headaches from his pocket and handed it to him.

"If you feel unwell, drink a little; it won't do any harm to your health."

Seeing that Ludo's arrogance had subsided and he was truly behaving himself, Harry took another step closer and asked in a deep voice, "What is that person's background, and what is the connection between you two?"

Ludo did not respond to these words, but struggled to get up, trembling slightly, and suddenly felt something cold and wet in his hand.

Is it sweat?

He looked down again and suddenly realized what was going on.

It turns out he peed.

Seeing that he still didn't speak, Harry recited the spell again, making the lightning on the tip of the staff even more intense.

"I've never seen what he looks like!"

"But he wants me to make the Triwizard Tournament trophy into a door key!"

Readers, please hear this: It turns out that although Ludo lived a life of luxury, he still remembered the gold and silver he owed Harry. Although the Scarface hadn't asked for interest, he dared not refuse to pay.

Just when they were at a loss, an anonymous letter suddenly peeked through the window, something that even gods and ghosts couldn't know about.

The letter, written by someone claiming to be "for love and peace," condemned the Triwizard Tournament as brutal and bloody. It also expressed resentment that Harry had injured such a rare and magical creature in the first event.

So he promised Ludo a huge sum of money, enough not only for him to pay off his gambling debts, but also for Harry's debts.

If Ludo secretly turns the championship trophy into a key, he can immediately send the message a thousand miles away when the champion raises the cup, causing the grand event to suffer a major setback.

Seeing that there was hope of returning Harry's gold, Ludo relaxed and went back to the casino to have some fun.

Unexpectedly, in a moment of impulsiveness and bad luck, he incurred a debt of three thousand Galleons. The interest compounded daily, and the gold he had just earned was used to fill the casino's hole, yet it still wasn't enough.

As Ludo spoke, he kept glancing at Harry out of the corner of his eye, his forehead beaded with sweat.

"I think—it should be an organization dedicated to protecting extremely rare and exotic creatures, or some kind of peace enthusiasts."

"Although I don't want any surprises in the three-way battle, they're offering too much, and the interest is frighteningly high—"

"Of course, my main reason is for you, Harry! I'm doing this to pay you back your money—"

Harry, impatient with his rambling, waved his hand and snapped, "Stop talking nonsense! Tell me, where does that damn key lead to?!"

"The Albanian Forest"

Upon hearing the destination, Harry felt as if struck by a heavy hammer, and exclaimed urgently, "Do you have a map?!"

Dumbledore simply pointed his wand, and three or five beams of silver light coalesced into a world map.

Once the map was laid out, Harry examined it closely and remained silent for a long time.

Damn it! How did Albania end up in the territory of the Eastern Roman Empire?!