The Interrupted Gathering

As Ivan spoke, the seventeen magical runes engraved on the bracelet on his left wrist lit up… and a magical shockwave spread out in all directions.

Jamie's face froze, as though he had been hit in the chest with a hammer, and he was sent flying, tumbling and crashing into the huge stone pillars that surrounded the square.

The law-enforcers on the other side were quick to react, and swiftly tied up the dying Jamie.

Ivan acted as if he had just done something trivial. He didn't even look in that direction as he turned his attention to the twenty or so Dark Wizards who had been pushed out by the crowd. Just like before, he used Legilimency to lecture them about their crimes…

Robbery… murder… theft… fraud… curse…

Evans were gradually exposed to crimes both overt and covert.

Every witch and wizard who was called out was covered in a cold sweat, and Ivan, standing on the stage, was like a demon from hell, unearthing their deepest secrets.

The wizards standing below were filled with righteous indignation. Ivan's words had stirred up all the anger they had accumulated over the years, and they wanted nothing more than to rush forward and dismember these people.

If looks could kill, these twenty thugs would have been riddled with holes.

Doggett was curious about Ivan's source of information. In his spare time in the afternoon, Ivan asked him about a list of people to look out for in Knockturn Alley, but Doggett did not include nearly as much information as Ivan did.

'Did Ivan have other sources of information?'

While Dougster was racking his brains for an answer, Ivan had already told each of them their crimes and given them a trial. Nine of them were sentenced to death for their heinous crimes, and the remaining sixteen were sentenced to life imprisonment!

Ivan's cold judgement caused the twenty-five witches and wizards to fall to their knees, begging and crying, except for one elderly witch, who glared at Ivan and screamed at him.

"You have no right to judge us—"

The law-enforcers gathered around the table snickered, and to their surprise, Ivan nodded in agreement.

"You're right. I have no right."

Everyone present was stunned, even the old witch, who had not expected Ivan to agree with her.

Before she could react, Ivan turned to the wizards below the dais and continued loudly.

"Yes, of course I didn't have the right, but they did!"

"It is not my selfish desire to judge you, but the decision of all the wizards of Knockturn Alley…"

Ivan's words woke the wizards who were gathered in the square.

"Yes! Execute them! Hang these people from a pole!"

"No, don't let them get away with it, use the Cruciatus Curse!" another wizard shouted back, glaring at the old witch.

The cries of the crowd caused a great deal of fear among the Dark Wizards who were about to be put on trial, and several voices suggested that Ivan should cut them up or torture them to death with the Cruciatus Curse…

"Silence!"

Ivan raised his hand, his voice booming like thunder under the influence of magic.

A few seconds later, the chaotic square fell silent again, and pairs of eyes turned towards the stage, looking at Ivan with more approval than before.

At the same time, the system prompt for mission accomplished sounded in Ivan's head.

However, Ivan had no time to deal with this for the time being. He focused all his attention on the hundreds of wizards below the stage.

"My fellow citizens, I fully understand the anger you feel…"

"But killing blindly is not desirable. Some of them are guilty of heinous crimes, and others do not deserve to die. Order, not chaos, should be what we seek… Judgement is not about letting off steam, but about getting what they deserve!"

Ivan paused for a moment before continuing solemnly, "I promise you that each and every one of them will be judged fairly! From this day on, Knockturn Alley will welcome a new chapter!"

Under Ivan's advice, the agitated wizards of Knockturn Alley gradually calmed down.

Keeping an eye on their faces, Ivan nodded to himself, understanding that his authority had been tentatively established.

Not only did he memorize the speech for the entire afternoon, but he also secretly rehearsed it several times…

All of this seemed to have been well worth it, and the results were surprisingly good. He had expected to have to resort to coercion in the end, but the wizards of Knockturn Alley were easier to deal with than he had expected.

Ivan's lips curled up slightly, and at that moment, a soft round of applause came from the right side of the square, breaking the silence.

At first, Ivan thought that the law enforcement officers were cheering him on, but when he looked over, he broke out in a cold sweat. The two law enforcement officers guarding the door had fallen to the ground, dead or alive.

The faint sound of applause came from the depths of darkness where even the light of the fire could not reach…

"Who's there?" asked Flan and the others, pointing their wands in the direction of the voice.

Under the dim night sky, a tall, thin figure slowly walked out. His dark wizard robes seemed to blend into the night, and only his red eyes could be seen.

"What a wonderful speech…"

He stepped to the front of the stage, stopped applauding, and spoke in an appreciative tone, his snake-like face so pale that there was not a trace of blood in it.

Lord Voldemort?!

Ivan's pupils contracted as he stared at the strange figure in front of him in bewilderment.

Why was he here? How could he be here?

Was there a traitor among the Regulators, or was it because I shouted his name in the Underground Fortress, or did the Death Eaters manage to activate the Dark Mark before they were captured?

Numerous thoughts flashed through Ivan's mind,

However, this was beside the point. What really puzzled him was the fact that, in Dumbledore's opinion, Voldemort should have been fatally injured during the battle and should have been bedridden for some time.

This was why he dared to hold this gathering in the Wizarding Market.

But now, Voldemort, who should have been seriously injured, was standing right in front of him…