Chapter 26 — The Blank Diary
The next day, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the British Ministry of Magic received an anonymous tip.
The letter claimed that Malfoy Manor was hiding a large number of prohibited dark magic items, all stored in a secret vault beneath the fountain in the center of the estate's courtyard.
Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, took the letter from her assistant. Her initially indifferent expression gradually shifted to one of profound surprise.
"Rufus, take a look at this tip," she said, summoning the Head of the Auror Office, Rufus Scrimgeour.
A man with chestnut hair and gold-rimmed glasses approached. Though he seemed slightly lame, his stride carried an air of confident boldness.
"What is it, Amelia?" Scrimgeour asked casually, glancing at the letter in her hands. "A tip about Malfoy Manor? The Malfoys are frequently reported, but we've never found any concrete evidence."
"No, Rufus, this tip is different," Bones said, shaking her head slightly as she handed the letter to him.
Scrimgeour took it with a skeptical look, but as he scanned the contents, his eyes widened with disbelief.
"This letter even includes a detailed layout of Malfoy Manor? Only someone extremely close to the family could have drawn something this accurate," he said, frowning. "Who wrote this, and what are they after?"
"No matter the reason, this is a rare opportunity we cannot miss," Amelia said decisively. "Arthur and Malfoy have always been at odds. He should know the estate well. You'll lead one team, and Arthur the other, each with two squads of elite Aurors. Search Malfoy Manor thoroughly."
Scrimgeour nodded firmly, then turned toward the Office for the Abuse of Muggle Artifacts to notify Arthur Weasley to join the mission.
After Scrimgeour left, Bones pulled a document from her drawer and began filling out the search warrant for Malfoy Manor.
At that moment, a tall wizard with pale blond hair neatly braided appeared beside her desk.
"Is there something you need, Axley?" Bones asked, frowning at the wizard in his lavish robes, whose presence seemed out of place in the Ministry.
Axley smiled in a way that was immediately unsettling and said, "We have a document from our department requiring your signature. I'll need your attention, Director Bones."
Bones frowned slightly, signed the document, and then dismissed him from her office.
What she didn't know was that once Axley left, he didn't proceed with any official tasks. Instead, he secretly retrieved a quill and, in a deserted corridor outside the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, began composing a letter.
The envelope clearly indicated the recipient: Malfoy.
…
England, Wiltshire—Malfoy Manor, a weekend night.
A wizard, cloaked completely in darkness, stood in the shadows of the street, his expression hidden but tense, staring at the grand, opulent manor ahead.
"Master, what if Malfoy doesn't handle the items as you intend?" Quirrell's voice trembled from the shadows.
"Relax. I've already considered that," Voldemort's dark voice responded from the same shadows. "If Lucius fails to produce what I need, it only proves that he retains at least a shred of loyalty to me."
"If his loyalty isn't completely gone, we can contact him using the Dark Mark and have him transfer the items to you. Of course, if Lucius foolishly attempts to dispose of them, we can simply acquire them ourselves, as originally planned."
"What is mine will always be mine. No one can stop it."
Voldemort's low voice echoed through the shadows, sending a chill through the surrounding air.
Time passed slowly, and fine snowflakes began to drift from the sky. Still, Malfoy Manor remained silent.
Quirrell shivered from the cold and nervously said, "Master, I think Malfoy still has considerable loyalty to you. The fact that he hasn't acted yet suggests it's unlikely he will delay much longer."
"Hopefully, that is indeed the case," Voldemort replied, a trace of self-satisfaction creeping into his tone. "Prepare yourself. I will teach you how to use the Dark Mark."
As Voldemort prepared to instruct Quirrell in contacting this still-loyal subordinate, the gates of Malfoy Manor suddenly opened.
A wizard, dressed in an expensive robe and concealing his face with a silk scarf, slipped quietly out of the estate.
Lucius, having spent hours carefully collecting all the contraband, had fulfilled Voldemort's expectations. He arrived at the rendezvous with the valuable items left behind by Voldemort.
"You are the contact from Knockturn Alley, correct?" Lucius said arrogantly, handing over a cloth bag. "It took me six hours to gather these treasures. Do you realize their quantity and value?"
"If I weren't in a hurry, you wouldn't get a single item here for even two thousand Galleons!"
Quirrell stared at the masked Lucius, trembling. He could feel Voldemort behind him, nearly seething with rage.
I knew the Malfoys couldn't be trusted—they've always been fair-weather followers! Voldemort's curses reverberated endlessly in Quirrell's mind.
Suppressing his fear, Quirrell shakily took the bag, enchanted with a Muggle-Repelling Extension Charm, and began searching through the numerous contraband items for what Voldemort required.
"Yes… the item I need is among these," Voldemort's voice rumbled in Quirrell's mind, restraining his anger.
Quirrell exhaled quietly, handed Lucius the two thousand Galleons he had dug from another's grave, and departed Malfoy Manor without looking back.
In a secluded corner of Wiltshire, following Voldemort's instructions, Quirrell's hands trembled as he withdrew a blank diary with a black cover from the bag.
Voldemort's earlier fury gradually dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief—and an almost uncontainable joy.