238: Prision Guarden and a Large Box

According to the dragon's true name, the 'Shadow of Destruction' is a form of John.

'Wotan' is also a true name, but for some reason, Heimdall, the namer, does not know this name.

"I don't get what my True Name really is. Both probably?"

After leaving Silent Valley, John did not immediately return to school, instead, he headed for Knockturn Alley.

Leaving was much easier than arriving.

With Apparition, and his current level of magic, he could travel across countries and arrive at Knockturn Alley effortlessly.

When he appeared inside Johnny Silverhand's specialty shop, Tommy was slightly surprised—But he quickly composed himself.

"My lord." Tommy respectfully stood to the side.

John snapped his fingers—Snap!

A silver notebook flew toward him in the office.

"Anything happen while I was away?"

He flipped open the silver-covered book.

Inside, the pages displayed a list of names and each name was constantly shifting.

Tommy thought for a moment, then said:

"Old Barty was attacked."

"Hm?"

John's fingers paused mid-page turn.

He quickly flipped to the section labeled "Barty Crouch."

Old Barty's name remained intact—Which meant the attack had failed.

John's expression remained calm as he asked,

"Does he know who it was?"

"Old Barty has no idea either," Tommy replied respectfully.

"The attacker struck from behind and tried to use the Imperius Curse to control him. But Old Barty carries an amulet that prevents Imperius' influence."

The Imperius Curse was indeed hard to guard against. Fortunately, Old Barty was always cautious.

Ever since his house was broken into, he had been carrying a protective charm at all times.

After being attacked, he immediately fought back. The opponent was fairly strong.

But as a former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Old Barty was no weakling either.

In a swift exchange, Old Barty managed to drive the attacker away.

Tommy added, "He suspects it was some notorious Dark wizard. Back in the day, Old Barty made a lot of enemies. He doesn't know who exactly would go this far."

Old Barty had too many enemies.

At his peak, he was untouchable—Had it not been for the Barty Jr. incident, he would have been Minister for Magic by now.

On the path to power, whether it was political rivals or Dark wizards, many despised him.

Now that he was competing for Minister again, it was only natural that someone wanted him gone.

John nodded and ran a finger across Old Barty's name.

His gaze deepened—"Have a few werewolves from the security team tail him.

No need to follow too closely.

The Aurors aren't useless, after all."

Tommy signaled that he understood.

John closed the book and asked,

"What about Barty Jr.?"

"He's in the Secret Garden," Tommy hesitated for a moment before adding,

"He seems… different.

He even tried to escape.

Should we move him back to Silverhand Manor?"

After the Death Eater attack on the manor, Barty Jr. had been relocated to Knockturn Alley.

But that wasn't exactly secure either, Barty Jr. was a brilliant wizard in his own right, and he might just figure out a way to escape from the garden.

Hearing this, John knew the matter needed to be handled.

He headed for the Secret Garden located inside a doorless house within Knockturn Alley.

Walking straight into the wall, John passed through just like entering Platform 9¾.

Inside—

A blooming paradise of vibrant flowers greeted him.

Calling this place a garden was far more believable than calling it a prison.

Barty Jr. was there—Sitting on a bench, staring blankly into the distance.

The moment he sensed John's arrival, he lifted his gaze.

Deep in his eyes, resentment flickered, mixed with a hint of something more complicated.

"What do you want?" Barty Jr. scoffed coldly.

"Did he send you?"

That 'he' obviously referred to Old Barty.

No matter how coldhearted Old Barty was, in the end, a father would always hold onto a shred of affection for his son.

During Barty Jr.'s imprisonment, Old Barty often came to visit him. But every time, father and son could never have a proper conversation.

Old Barty was bitterly disappointed—his own son, willingly joining the Death Eaters.

Barty Jr. resented his father for a lifetime of neglect and for never trusting him.

After over ten years of imprisonment, Barty Jr. gradually erased his father's image from his mind and replaced it with Voldemort.

Just like him, the Dark Lord also had a father he refused to acknowledge.

Years of loneliness and subtle influence had twisted Barty Jr.'s heart until he saw Voldemort as his true father.

So when John entered the garden, the first thing Barty Jr. thought of was his severed left hand. That hand was his only remaining connection to Voldemort.

John ignored the hatred in Barty Jr.'s eyes. Casually, he plucked a vivid red rose from a nearby bush, twisting it idly between his fingers.

"I just came to check on you," John said lightly, "and confirm something."

Stepping closer, John's silver-masked gaze studied Barty Jr. like he was inspecting a mere object.

The moment John got near, Barty Jr. lunged at him like a rabid dog.

Unfortunately for him, he never reached John.

Thorned vines snapped up around him, binding him in place. The rose's sharp thorns sliced into his skin, his blood seeping into the petals, turning them an even deeper crimson.

John watched the pathetic sight in front of him with interest and chuckled. "Looks like you know something. You're right—your so-called master has returned."

Barty Jr. froze, his eyes lighting up with excitement and fanaticism. Like a brainwashed zealot, he let out a sharp, hysterical scream.

"At Last!! He's back! He's back!"

His voice cracked from the intensity, but John, already annoyed, shoved the thorny rose stem straight into his mouth. The sharp thorns cut his lips, instantly silencing him.

"Quiet." John raised a finger and wagged it mockingly before smirking. "Do you really think he's coming to save you?"

Before Barty Jr. could respond, John continued lazily, "Unfortunately, he's not. Some Death Eaters tried to break you out—they failed."

Seeing the fury flare up in Barty Jr.'s eyes, John chuckled. "I was wondering how to track him down… Maybe you'll be my way in."

Barty Jr. rasped through his wounded throat, "Bullshit! You're no match for the Dark Lord!"

"Oh?~ You sure about that?" John leisurely adjusted the collar of Barty Jr.'s disheveled robe, then leaned in close, whispering right by his ear, "Then why are you shaking?~~"

"Are you afraid that your all-powerful Dark Lord will be dragged down because of you? Or… are you scared that he might actually lose?"

The moment John finished speaking, Barty Jr. ignored the pain in his throat and roared, "That's impossible!"

"Same thing as before," John said playfully. "I've already killed him twice."

He saw Barty Jr.'s body start to tremble.

John's arrogance, his utter disdain, the way he didn't even regard Voldemort as a threat—it planted a deep, unsettling fear in Barty Jr.'s mind.

Fear flooded his thoughts.

A treacherous idea suddenly surfaced...

What if the Dark Lord really lost?

What would happen to him then?

The Dark Lord, who was supposed to be invincible in his mind… had this man in front of him really killed him twice?

No. Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

His shaking body slumped, his head drooping. He didn't even notice that the thorns binding him had disappeared.

Clutching his head, he desperately tried to push the thought away. But the more he fought it, the clearer it became.

This was exactly what John wanted. He was here to shatter the image of Voldemort in Barty Jr.'s mind.

Only by destroying Barty Jr.'s faith in Voldemort could he make him truly obedient.

If Barty Jr. tried to escape, it would only deal another blow to his once-unshakable belief. That doubt would fester, driving him deeper into madness.

If he didn't run, he would stay here obediently, drawing more Death Eaters to him.

This was an open conspiracy.

To ensure this, John silently used Shared Dreams - Inception, planting a seed deep in Barty Jr.'s consciousness.

When Voldemort failed in front of him, he would completely abandon his faith.

John's deep eyes watched as Barty Jr. muttered to himself like a lunatic. Then, without another word, he turned and left the secret garden.

...

In the castle corridor.

Heinrich cast an Unlocking Charm on the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.

As he stepped inside, a Foe-Glass stood right in front of him.

A faint scent of alcohol lingered in the air—a rich grape aroma.

It was the signature fragrance of a top-quality wine.

Following the scent, Heinrich's gaze landed on an elegant, finely crafted wine bottle.

Less than half of the wine remained inside.

His eyes settled on a distinct serial number—the unmistakable mark of the Silver Hand's private wine cellar.

His expression darkened.

He had confirmed something.

Just as he was about to leave, Heinrich's footsteps paused.

His gaze landed on a large chest.

Something felt off.

With sharp instincts, he approached the chest, drawing his wand and pointing it at the lid.

"Alohomora."

Tuck! Thuck! Thuck! 

A series of locks clicked one after another.

One by one, they unlatched—until only the final lock remained.

Heinrich leaned in slightly, wanting a closer look.

Click.

"Who's there?!"

____________

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