In fact, judged by the Auror Office's initial standards, as a Death Eater, Cedric Diggory wouldn't have made it past the first screening. Of course, that was the initial assessment; now, being a Death Eater was practically a bonus.
Another ten minutes ticked by. Fudge, having finished extolling the benefits of joining the Ministry of Magic, fell silent, not wanting to risk annoying Tom Riddle.
Then, Scrimgeour, usually a man of few words, stepped forward. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, before we depart, I need to point out a few things."
Scrimgeour cast a serious glance at Harry Potter and the others. "Before you graduate, you don't need to come into contact with those dangerous dark wizards."
...
But we seem to frequently come into contact with the most dangerous dark wizards in the world, Harry thought dryly.
Noticing the "you've probably seen more dark wizards than I've had hot dinners" look on Harry Potter and his friends' faces, Scrimgeour coughed awkwardly twice. "Ahem, anyway, stay close to us and don't wander too far. We'll teach you some things you won't learn in school."
...
In fact, what we learn in class might be things even you don't know. After all, they had a professor named Tom Riddle.
However, for whatever reason, Harry Potter and his friends chose to humor Scrimgeour and remained silent.
"Alright, now, we should get going."
...
Upon exiting the elevator, the group found themselves back at Scotland Yard.
" 'Moody', where are we headed this time?" Cedric Diggory asked, slightly excited and hovering half a step behind Mad-Eye Moody.
"I'm not your professor," Moody reminded him with a glower, then added, "You'll find out when we get there." Given Moody's paranoia, he was reluctant to reveal their destination, however close it might be.
"Tonks, aren't the main dark wizarding communities in the wizarding world controlled by the Death Eaters?" Hermione Granger asked the young woman with short purple hair beside her, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
Hearing Hermione's question, Tonks paused to consider. "They're not in the wizarding world; they're based in Muggle territory, and there are so few of them that the Death Eaters haven't bothered."
Hearing this, Luna Lovegood, who was clutching a notebook, inquired curiously, "So there are dark wizards in the Muggle world too?"
"I seem to recall…" Harry Potter's thoughtful voice came from behind. "The nearest dark wizarding community in Muggle territory is in the Rust Belt of South Wales, I believe?"
The so-called "Rust Belt" referred to regions where traditional industries had declined due to a lack of industrial diversification, shrinking energy resources, and the impact of new technologies.
...
'Moody's expression darkened, and he swiftly moved to cover Harry Potter's mouth. "Don't say it!"
Then, after cautiously glancing around to ensure they weren't overheard, he whispered a warning to Harry, "Be careful what you say out here. If you accidentally let something slip, they might ambush you!"
"But even by train, it takes at least two hours to get from London to South Wales! Even with a Portkey." Harry was a little confused. Was this excessive caution?
"Your professor must really dislike you." 'Moody's good eye narrowed slightly. "Just remember that, and don't come crying to me later."
...
Harry Potter, second-in-command of the most extensive dark wizarding organization in the world, fell silent. Regret was unlikely.
After listening to the entire conversation, Cedric Diggory dropped back to walk beside Draco Malfoy. "How did Harry know there was a gathering place for dark wizards over there?"
"Sigh… Don't forget your identity." Malfoy proudly raised his head. "We're Death Eaters; knowing these things isn't difficult."
"Nagini, how do we get there?" Since they couldn't see Tom Riddle, Cassandra Volle simply asked Nagini, "Don't we need a Portkey? Or are we flying?"
"No, according to Director Scrimgeour and the others…" Nagini shook her head slightly. "They seem to think that using Muggle transportation will be more discreet and less likely to be detected by dark wizards."
Hearing this, Cassandra nodded thoughtfully.
...
St. Pancras Station, London.
Like King's Cross Station, this was a major London train station.
Malfoy, encountering an automatic ticket machine for the first time, seemed quite excited.
"How do you use this thing? How does it dispense train tickets? Do you have to chant a spell to activate it?"
Malfoy tried whispering a few incantations, causing the machine to malfunction and spit out a wad of tickets. "..."
Frozen in place, Malfoy was hoisted up by Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Although there are no restrictions on your use of magic this time due to special circumstances, here in the Muggle world, you can just watch and learn."
Hearing this, Malfoy pouted unhappily. "Fine, fine, you decide."
...
Kingsley Shacklebolt helplessly set Malfoy down. "I hope you truly understand."
Scrimgeour shook his head wearily at the scene.
After finally sorting everything out and buying their train tickets, the group waited for the train to arrive at the platform.
Several young wizards, who had only ever seen the Hogwarts Express—that antiquated relic—were immediately captivated by the novel Muggle train.
"Huh? Where's the door handle?"
Because the Hogwarts Express was old-fashioned, it required passengers to manually pull open the doors. So, facing the sleek, unadorned door, Malfoy scratched his head in confusion.
Seeing this, Kingsley Shacklebolt felt a sense of foreboding. "Wait, do you really understand what I just said?"
"Yeah, I know!" Malfoy waved his hand dismissively, then a wand tip emerged from his sleeve, pointing at the train door. "Alohomora!"
Beep-beep-beep…
...
Kingsley Shacklebolt listened silently to the blaring alarm, then, his face a mask of fury, he stalked toward Malfoy.
Seeing this, Malfoy broke out in a cold sweat and awkwardly stumbled backward. "Blackie, please don't!"
...
On the train.
"These newspaper pictures aren't moving at all." Cedric Diggory examined the Muggle newspaper in his hand, then asked Malfoy beside him, "What do you think, Malfoy?"
"I don't find it amusing in the slightest." Malfoy leaned against the window, averting his gaze, concealing his expression.
Harry Potter, sitting on Cedric's other side, waved his hand dismissively. "Sigh, he's just green with envy, playing the tormented city dweller."
"Hey! You little rascal!"
...
Listening to the conversation in the back row, Cassandra Volle, who was also engrossed in a Muggle book, frowned slightly.
"What's wrong?" Nagini, sitting next to her, noticed.
Cassandra closed her book. "Nothing, it's just that they're kind of embarrassing Tom Riddle."
Hearing this, Nagini paused for a moment, then smiled. "But Tom probably wouldn't think so."
"Yeah, he enjoys watching this sort of thing."
---
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