Chapter 70: Such Authority

"Your name?"

"Alexis Wood."

"Who do you work for?"

"Murphy Darkholme."

"What do you do for him?"

"I handle potion materials for him, make potions, and then sell them to Muggles."

"How long have you been doing this for him?"

"I... I don't know, I'm not sure..."

"Different question, what potions has he been selling to Muggles?"

"Dittany Essence, and also... Beautification Potions..."

"Boss!" Seeing Alexis continually revealing secrets under the influence of the truth serum, an excited Auror called out, "He confessed! He's confessed everything!"

"But testimony under Veritaserum won't be admissible in Wizengamot trials..." another Auror fretted.

"Then we won't go through Wizengamot!" an older Auror said. "Let that reporter in, we'll make his testimony public! That way, everyone will know what Murphy has done!"

"That's too risky. They might accuse us of torture. We should still take him to Wizengamot for a proper trial and conviction of Murphy."

"Taking him to Wizengamot will be too late. Once the effects of the Veritaserum wear off, he might recant his confession! We'll get nothing! If no one hears his current testimony, they can even claim it's fabricated! We should let others witness what he says!"

Everyone fell silent, turning to Kingsley. "Boss, make a decision."

Kingsley hesitated. As an upstanding Auror, he preferred not to convict through dubious means. He wanted to bring criminals to justice fairly and squarely.

But the older Auror was right. Wizengamot wouldn't accept testimony obtained under Veritaserum, and once its effects wore off, Alexis Wood might recant, making it unreliable in court against Murphy.

Perhaps letting go of this opportunity was the right thing to do.

Murphy Darkholme was a more cunning enemy than he had anticipated. Perhaps a longer battle of wits was needed to truly catch him.

If Scrimgeour were here, he would advise patience. An enemy driven by greed is always more impatient than the Aurors. With enough patience, they could wait for the enemy to slip up.

But could he wait?

Thinking of Frank, who lost over a month's memory and was still somewhat forgetful, and the bloodstains outside Basque's hospital room, Kingsley Shacklebolt's heart felt like it was being squeezed.

How many more brothers would be hurt if they waited?

Who would be the next Auror carried into the hospital? Garon, Layton, or Lisette?

How would he face their families then?

"Boss! We can't hold them off any longer. Rita Skeeter is making a fuss about illegal detention, and Barty Crouch, Sr. is here!" an Auror reported to Kingsley.

Kingsley looked at the Auror, feeling a sudden relief.

With the situation as it was, he had no choice.

"Let her in."

...

Rita Skeeter stormed in, pushing past the Aurors who had been blocking her. She was followed by a photographer.

Murphy and Barty Crouch, Sr. followed closely, both looking grim.

Rita Skeeter didn't know what was happening but smelled a news story. She didn't care about the details; she wanted to blow things out of proportion, the bigger, the better, to make her report more valuable.

Upon entering the interrogation room, she saw Alexis Wood slumped in a chair.

"Illegal arrest! Torture!" Rita Skeeter immediately got excited. "Take photos! Quick!"

"Wait!" Barty Crouch, Sr. shouted. "Kingsley! What's going on?"

"Minister Crouch, we've obtained testimony from Alexis Wood about Murphy Darkholme's violation of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy," Kingsley explained. "Alexis Wood is Murphy's assistant, and he's confessed everything!"

"Oh?!" Barty Crouch, Sr. relaxed a bit.

The commotion outside had been intense. When he heard Rita Skeeter shouting about illegal detention, he was worried. Then he learned it was about Kingsley arresting Murphy's associate, easing his concern slightly. But this was still a damaging accusation for the Aurors. As the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement, he had a duty to clarify things.

On the way here, he had been arguing with Murphy, who seemed keen on pinning the "illegal arrest" label on him, irritating him greatly.

But now, hearing that Kingsley had evidence, Barty Crouch, Sr. felt relieved and even internally applauded Kingsley.

He was a firm believer in tough measures against crime. As long as the results proved Murphy and Alexis were criminals, then preemptive arrest was a minor issue. They could just issue a retroactive arrest warrant for Kingsley.

"What's going on, explain!"

"Minister Crouch, we received a tip that Alexis Wood was making potions for Murphy Darkholme to sell to Muggles. This is a serious violation of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. We immediately apprehended Alexis Wood and have just completed the interrogation. He's confessed to his crimes and confirmed Murphy Darkholme's criminal activities."

"Good!" Barty Crouch, Sr. nodded. "Ms. Skeeter, you heard it. It's not illegal arrest by the Aurors, but conclusive evidence of crime. We should immediately send these two criminals to Azkaban!"

"Oh? Such authority, Minister! Without a Wizengamot trial, you can send people to Azkaban. The Aurors can arrest illegally, and now even Wizengamot is under your command. Then, in the future, you could say who to arrest, who to imprison, who is guilty and who isn't?"

Murphy, who had been silent since entering, suddenly spoke up.

"Don't misinterpret my words!" Barty Crouch, Sr. rebuked. "When did I say no trial?"

Although Wizengamot was under the jurisdiction of the Magical Law Enforcement Department, it only handled administrative tasks like meeting arrangements, convening, and record-keeping. It didn't directly manage Wizengamot members or interfere with their decisions and trials.

Wizengamot was a legislative and judicial body, separate from the Auror Office's enforcement and prosecution functions. Otherwise, holding legislative, prosecutorial, enforcement, and judicial powers would create an uncontrollable monster of authority.

The criticism of the powers of the Magical Law Enforcement Department had never ceased, and this was Barty Crouch, Sr.'s most dreaded accusation.

During the First Wizarding War, Barty Crouch, Sr. had once sent Sirius Black to Azkaban without a trial. Although this overreach wasn't condemned at the time and even boosted his reputation, doing so now, seven or eight years after the war, would cause widespread fear. His position as Head of the Magical Law Enforcement wouldn't last long.

However, Murphy wasn't about to let him off. "Using Veritaserum on suspects, is this your way of trial?"