Ravenclaw's Blue Gem

"Then the three of us pretended to be walking and playing, and it was enough to follow Kroc from a distance. We can't have any contact with it. This will make the prisoner vigilant. We have to risk losing contact with it. Risk to do this."

Although knowing that what Zoe said was correct, Hermione always felt a thorn in her heart when she used Kroc as a bait."I don't want Kroc to face the horror and pressure alone, I want to help..."

"That's why you have to keep your eyes open so that Crocker's hard work is not wasted. If we catch the prisoner's tail, we must take advantage of him and throw it down. The longer the delay, the more disadvantageous to us... "Zoe thought.

"Why can you be sure that the prisoner will show up on the same day? If it were me, wouldn't you think about why there are already several elves in trouble, but they still send the elves to make purchases on time as required?" Hermione asked Said, "Isn't this situation very suspicious?"

"Hermione, you are always thinking about this issue from your perspective.'We' don't take the lives of one or two elves seriously, even some elves themselves don't think of their lives. How important it is. As long as the master orders them, even if they are put on the gallows, they will happily get their heads into the noose..." Zoe sighed.

"And that dark wizard...no matter what kind of person he used to be, he is out of control now. I have roughly compared the time of these cases. The interval between them is getting shorter and shorter. You know what this means. Even if the prisoner can still have the most basic sense and know how to test and select prey, he cannot stop the desire to kill that has been out of control-hope. If we don't stop him as soon as possible, there may be more lives in the future. ——Not just elves, humans will undoubtedly be involved."

"We'd better find the freak before the regrettable thing happens, and then subdue him. We didn't pay extra attention to Kroc's spare time. It is very experienced, even if we don’t go. If you care about it, it will also find a way to survive."

Hermione shook her head: "I'm afraid that so-called'accident' will happen. I can't attribute it to force majeure."

"Then we can find a way to increase Kroc's survival rate, so that even if the situation is critical, Kroc may be added as a combat power, although I don't know how its magic is used..." Zoe thought for a while. We can either make it move quickly from one place to another, or let it have the means to resist attacks, or let Kroc suddenly disappear from the enemy's sight-it looks like you are thinking of something."

"Have I told you? Harry has a cloak, we can..." Zoe interrupted her."Wait, you mean Potter has a cloak?" Hermione nodded."We can give it to Crocker..."

"Why give it to Kroc?" Zoe said, "We can choose someone to wear it, so that we can follow Kroc at any time, which can prevent the occurrence of'accidents', or secretly observe suspicious People. We can be divided into two groups, you pretend to be playing, we can even set a trap." Zoe became excited.

"No one will notice that there is actually another person hiding under the invisibility cloak. When I find his real body, I can quietly give him something ruthless." Zoe said."Then you are going to face the danger alone?" Hermione frowned."It won't happen, Hermione. I have thought about it carefully. This is one of the best options. We can't avoid every risk, but I try to reduce it." Finally Hermione agreed to find Ha Li borrowed the cloak, but asked that they must wait for them to be in place before Zoe could get out of the cloak.

Chapter 67 Investigation (2)

Chapter Sixty Seven

"Relax, Hermione, relax. You now look like a hesitant hedgehog, just wanting to group yourself together." Luna looked curiously at the cobblestone road on both sides of Hogsmeade, she This year is just the third grade, and this is her first time in Hogsmeade.She just saw seven or eight witches riding broomsticks descending from the sky, chirping in a circle, they all had large and small musical instruments in their hands, and the brass trumpets were still in a certain way. The witch dangled her hand.

Luna stared intently until they crossed the street and couldn't see it again."They look familiar. Do you usually listen to Wizard Radio, Hermione? They are a bit like members of the Calliope Girls Orchestra-like they introduced themselves on the radio. They are here on vacation, right? After all, Christmas is coming soon. Dad and I like to tune in to the music channel if there is nothing to do. There will always be many talented artists..."

"Well, if I should behave calmly and relaxed, you would have gone too far, Luna. You can't be more reliable at such important and serious moments, instead of diverting you completely. Thinking? Just a few witches who can play can take all your attention away. I think the prisoner will be let go even if he appears under your nose."

Hermione’s face was tense. She tried to show her disapproval and make herself look more like an ordinary student coming out to play, but her gaze was always fluttering around unconsciously, guarding her surroundings. all.The one who happened to be the other extreme with her was Luna. From her face, you can only read the intense curiosity when she first arrived at Hogsmeade. She walked around generously and looked at it, the more weird she saw Things become more exciting.

Hermione was leading her to the Pig's Head Bar. She had only followed Zoe once last year, but the route was still clearly remembered.They walked around in the alley, and finally stepped on the muddy ground that looked rather dilapidated. The messy and dilapidated building of the Pig Head Bar appeared in front of them. The bloody pig head printed on the wooden board looked like the wind blowing. It is swinging his head left and right.

"Follow me." Hermione took Luna, who was looking around. Just about to push the door open, the door opened by herself. Hermione first smelled a strong scent coming from the front, she didn't have time to stop. , Just hit something, Hermione stepped back and looked up to the front. He was an adult male wizard with a very ordinary appearance. She always felt that the impression would be erased from her mind in the next second.

"Sorry, I didn't look at the way just now." Hermione bowed her head and apologized. The wizard was not angry, and accepted her apology kindly.When Hermione passed him by, she smelled a big scent from him, probably for a date, but the smell was so strong that she couldn't help but look at the man more.

After Hermione and the others entered the Pig’s Head Bar, Hermione asked Luna to go to the window to take a place, while she walked to the bar. Aberforth wiped the cups near the bar as usual, except that the dirty veil touched the glass. It will only get dirty more and more.

Aberforth still remembered her: "That kid didn't come today?" He frowned."Well, she has something personal to deal with." Hermione covered her sleeve and passed the note to Aberforth. Someone was sitting and drinking at the bar."I see, two cups of hot milk. I'll help you deliver them later." At this time, the drunkard sitting at the bar heard someone order this thing in the bar and began to chuckle.

"This glass hasn't been wiped in a few years." Hermione took out her wand and repeated "Clean and New" several times before finally cleaning the window, which was not known for how many layers of dust and dirt, at least. See the outside environment clearly.

"Do you know where Zoe is now?" Hermione asked, and Luna pointed to the distance. "I can feel it a little, my rune reaction is still on her, as long as I follow the feeling to catch up, it will be fine. , It will become clearer and clearer."

"I still think I should explain to Crocker in advance and tell her that Zoe is right next to it." At this time, Aberforth came over with two large cups of steaming milk, "Slowly, ladies." Hermione pulled a folded note from the bottom of the cup.

"I don't think it's okay if you don't say it, so that it doesn't have to worry about the surroundings and always wants to look where no one is." Luna took her share with joy. "What did Mr. Aberforth say?"

"Well... it's mostly nonsense. You know that even if a drunk yells to twist Mr. Minister's neck, it is just a drunk joke, which is uncountable. But it has been out recently. Something suspicious..." Hermione said.

"According to the villagers living in Hogsmeade, something suspicious might have happened in the village recently. They think it might be a beast from somewhere. The chickens and ducks raised by the villagers are constantly missing...here So far, it can only be regarded as stolen, but Mrs. Broad, who lived on the ramp at the entrance of the village three days ago, loves dogs very much and has seven or eight dogs at home. But the day her dogs let them go for a walk that day At the time, only two dogs went home safely." Hermione retched suddenly when she read it to the end.

"What's the matter?" Luna asked."Oh my God, it doesn't matter who did it, it's disgusting." She handed the note to Luna, bowed her head and took a gulp of hot milk.

Luna frowned as she read."Someone not only killed those dogs, but also divided the corpses?" It was clearly written on it. Mrs. Broad, who was anxious to find her own dog, finally found one of her cute... cuts from the middle. His body was as if it had been torn apart by something vigorously, the blood stains had been sinking deeply into the mud, and the surrounding area became dark.All the dog's organs have disappeared, which Aberforth thinks is a suspicious point.

"If the person who committed this incident is the same person we are looking for, what use is he asking for those things, can it be used for frying?" Luna put down the note, except for those that did happen. In terms of significance, the note also recorded several interesting anecdotes that were passed on by the drinkers, but none of them had anything to do with this matter (the authenticity is also mostly questionable).

For these idol villagers who usually have nothing to do, they are more excited about events that can smell unusual smells.Even if Hogsmeade is never boring because of its particularity (it is probably the only remaining village in the UK where pure wizards live), people will not stop watching the excitement.

"What are we going to do next?" Luna asked.

"We need to judge whether these things Mr. Aberforth said have anything to do with the murder of the elf. If it doesn't matter, then we are just taking a long way; but if there is a connection between them, we may be able to follow through this incident. Find clues about the prisoner." Hermione said, "Let’s go to Mrs. Broad, we can learn more about the details from her mouth. Once rumors come out from others, it will cause subjective distortion."

"What if we don't find anything?"

"Then we can only passively wait for the guy to take the first shot. Even if Zoe's presence may cause the other party to fall into chaos, we don't even know the other party's details, and we don't know how to deal with him."

"'No matter how seamless the crime is, as long as it is committed by humans, there is no reason to solve it!'" Luna suddenly cried out, and Hermione was startled."what are you doing!"

"I just think we really look like detectives like this." Luna shrugged."You don't look like a detective like this, but rather like a patient who ran out of the St. Mungo's Magical Injury Hospital, and suddenly became ill on the street." Hermione did not remove her head from her arm until the curious eyes around her were finally removed Lifting it up, she straightened out her messy hair and said helplessly, "You can't be a little more stable? We are not playing, and there are so many people around, don't you feel ashamed!"

Luna shook her head quite naturally, looking somewhat complacent."We have to hurry up, time is life." Hermione gave her a blank look."I don't need you to remind me of such a simple truth."

Luna stuffed the remaining half of her milk into Hermione's hands: "Wasting food is not admirable, Miss Assistant." Hermione was too lazy to entangle her with these trivial matters anymore, although Luna was a little bit off when doing homework together before. Line, but not as free as uncontrollable as it is now, as if there is no rule in this world that can restrain her, as long as she doesn't want to.

Zoe has been acting with such a girl, and Hermione's heart beat for no reason.But now the focus has never been Luna, but the dark wizard who hides and doesn't know his true identity.Hermione didn't believe in so-called intuition, she only agreed with the facts before her eyes.But faintly, her intuition did tell her that what they were about to investigate would not be a purely accidental event.

"I don't know what you are trying to do, but run away if you are in danger, if you still don't want to die." Aberforth said coldly when collecting the money.

"When I come back here, I will bring the other one. I have put in several boxes of Butterbeer here, and I have no place to sleep in the warehouse." After Aberforth, he turned around, "If she If you haven't planned to give up that matter yet."

"I'll tell her." Hermione smiled bitterly, and she probably understood that this was how Zoe and Aberforth got along.

Chapter 68 Investigation (3)

On the other side, near the open space at the intersection of Hogsmeade Road, Zoe was sitting on a public bench in a cloak. The wind was very cold today, but fortunately there was no snow and the ground was dry.Otherwise, if someone is interested, they will be aware of the series of footprints that appear out of thin air on the ground.Zoe shrank in the corner. The students left Hogwarts a little earlier than the time when the elves came out to purchase. Opposite her was the entrance that the elves must pass through.

There are students passing by in groups from time to time, and the lingering sound of laughter echoes in the air. Coupled with this year's triwizard competition, these students who have gone to Hogsmeade on vacation are also more excited.This excitement is not a bad thing, but it makes it easier for those people to ignore the abnormalities around them than usual.

Zoe saw Draco and his Slytherin comrades walking towards the three broomsticks. Draco held his head up and acted arrogantly, while the others showed the quality of the audience just right, only in doubt. Insert two sentences whenShe also noticed some familiar people, such as Sister Pettier and Lavender Brown, as well as Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory.She even saw the other two warriors and their alumni, also wearing uniforms that were incompatible with their surroundings, drilling into various shops.

Furong is dating a boy that Zoe doesn't know (probably that's the case). The boy followed Furong unscrupulously. He responded with "Yes!" and "Yeah!" to all the comments and opinions she said, Furong. His interest is not high, but he has not given up on spending this time with him.Zoe noticed that, unlike Krum, who was still around a few boys, Fleur almost always acted alone (except when making fun of boys).

There was another group of people in her field of vision. Although she always observed other people, she never relaxed her focus on the front.After a tall, big man disappeared from her, Crocker's short figure finally appeared in front of Zoe. It still had the lens on it, but in addition to other house elves. The impression is exactly the same.

Zoe stood up and followed Kroc, the elf expertly finalized the order and share with the store, and then stood at the store entrance and waited for it to receive the goods.She doesn't have to follow Kroc all the time, the shop is very safe, unless the owner is a dark wizard, but the chance is so small that it can be ignored.Hogwarts has always only traded with established and reputable merchants. These are shops that have been screened.Not to mention that even if the owner of the shop was really a dark wizard, he would not start in his own shop that would immediately lock him as a criminal.

Although Crocker was short and had little steps, he walked fast.It doesn't seem to be in old age at all, and the whole body is full of high morale."Strange, it deviated from the original route..." Zoe followed Kroc, and as she walked more and more roads, the cloud of doubt in her heart expanded.

Crocker apparently speeded up the purchase of supplies, and it quickly stopped taking the route that had been negotiated in advance, and instead drilled in places with many people for a while, and drilled in places with few people for a while.It still stayed in one place for a while as if playing, staring at something intently, but didn't like it much and didn't buy it in the end.

"Is this looking for a prisoner?" Zoe sensed Crocker's intention, which was not surprising.For this old guy who has probably begun to claim (and in essence) as the right leader of the Hogwarts house elves, it is impossible not to hate the role of killing his own compatriots.

But soon she realized that something was wrong.Crocker was not looking aimlessly at all.Its goal is very clear, it will always be near some wizards with similar characteristics.Then, consciously or unconsciously, it confirms with the image in the heart. If it recognizes that it is wrong, it will decisively leave.Kroc obviously had more information, and it didn't tell them all about the dark wizard.

******

No one will notice the observation of a house elf, as long as it is not too conspicuous.Crocker knew this fact well, and he repeated the same procedure several times, scanning the tall and thin wizards from head to toe.The face in its memory has become blurred, no matter how hard it struggles, it still cannot violate the iron law that the longer the memory fades.

It apologizes to the little girls who helped it, but this is its responsibility, and it does not want to involve other people.It’s time for this chapter from the past to end, and the person who nailed the last coffin board must be it Crocker.

Whether that person finds it first or it catches that person's tail first, it is considered Crocker's success, because then it doesn't have to keep cowering and live, and the life that survived can also make the long-cherished wish in his heart. I wish it.If it died because of it... (it stopped thinking briefly), it would be treachery to its compatriots-even if they didn't have this consciousness yet.But it believed that Hermione would do well, she was a principled and caring kind girl.