The next day, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the British Ministry of Magic received an anonymous letter of complaint.
The letter mentioned that there were a large number of illegal items related to dark magic hidden in Malfoy Manor, and these items were hidden in a secret warehouse under the fountain in the center of the courtyard.
Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, took the letter of complaint from her assistant, and her originally indifferent expression gradually turned into extreme surprise.
"Rufus, come and take a look at this letter of complaint." She waved to the head of the Auror Office, Rufus Scrimgeour.
A man with gold-rimmed glasses and brown hair walked over. His legs seemed to be a little lame, but he walked with a bold and elegant stride.
"What's wrong, Amelia?" Scrimgeour glanced nonchalantly at the letter in Bones' hand and said casually, "A letter of complaint against Malfoy Manor? Isn't the Malfoy family often reported? But we have never found any concrete evidence."
"No, Rufus, this letter of denunciation is a little different." Bones shook his head slightly and handed the letter to Scrimgeour.
Scrimgeour took the letter with a skeptical look, and then his eyes became uncertain.
"This letter actually contains the detailed structure of Malfoy Manor? I'm afraid only someone who has a very close relationship with the Malfoy family can draw such a clear blueprint." He frowned and said puzzledly, "Who is the person who wrote this letter and what is his purpose?"
"No matter what, this is a rare opportunity that we cannot miss." Amelia Bones made a decision quickly. "How about this, Arthur and Malfoy are sworn enemies, and he should know a lot about that place. You and he will lead a team together, take two teams of elite Aurors, and go to Malfoy Manor to search it thoroughly!"
Scrimgeour also nodded decisively, turned and walked towards the Office of the Prohibition of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, preparing to notify Arthur Weiss to join him on the mission.
After Scrimgeour left, Bones pulled a document from a drawer and began filling out a search warrant for Malfoy Manor.
Just then, a relatively tall man with long, light blond hair braided into a neat braid appeared next to her desk.
"What's the matter, Yaxley?" Bones also noticed this wizard in gorgeous robes who was out of place in the atmosphere of the Ministry of Magic, and asked with a frown.
Yaxley put on a smile that was easily unpleasant at first glance, and said, "Our department has a document that needs the signature of the director. I'd like to trouble Director Bones."
Bones frowned slightly, signed his name on the document brought by Yaxley, and then let him leave his office area.
However, what she didn't know was that after Yaxley left, he did not deal with the document he had just signed. Instead, he secretly took out a feather pen and began to write a letter in the corner of the deserted corridor outside the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
The addressee written on the envelope was clearly visible - L. Malfoy.
…
A weekend evening at Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England.
A wizard wrapped his entire body in a pitch-black cloak, standing in the shadow of the street, staring at the extremely luxurious and extravagant manor in front of him with an uncertain expression.
"Master, if Malfoy doesn't take out and dispose of what you need as you expected, what should we do?"
Quirrell's slightly trembling voice sounded from the shadows.
"Don't worry, I have already considered this." Voldemort's gloomy voice sounded under the same shadow, "If Lucius doesn't take out what I want, it will prove that he still has at least a trace of loyalty to me in his heart."
"If his loyalty to me has not completely disappeared, we can use the Dark Mark to contact him and ask him to hand that thing over to you. Of course, if Lucius is really stupid enough to take out my things and dispose of them, we can naturally purchase them directly according to the original plan!"
"What is mine will definitely be mine, and no one can stop it."
Voldemort's low voice echoed in the shadows, making the surrounding atmosphere quietly become extremely gloomy and terrifying.
Time passed by minute by minute, and fine snowflakes gradually floated in the sky. However, there was still no movement coming from Malfoy Manor.
Quirrell was shivering from the cold and couldn't help asking:
"Master, I think Malfoy still has great loyalty to you. He hasn't taken out the things and disposed of them yet. It's unlikely that he will do so any later."
"I hope he does." Voldemort's voice also took on a hint of complacency. "Get ready. I will teach you how to use the Dark Mark."
Just as Voldemort was about to teach Quirrell how to use the Dark Mark to contact his remaining loyal subordinate, the door of Malfoy Manor suddenly opened.
A wizard wearing expensive wizard robes and covering his face with a silk scarf sneaked out of the manor gate.
Lucius, who took a long time to pack up the many illegal items, did not disappoint Voldemort's prediction and arrived at the meeting place with the precious items left by Voldemort.
"You are the Knockturn Alley black marketeer who contacted me, right?" Lucius handed over a cloth bag and said proudly, "It took me six hours to collect all the treasures. Do you understand how many and how valuable they are?"
"If I wasn't in a hurry to make a deal, two thousand Galleons wouldn't be enough to buy even a fraction of what's in here!"
Quirrell stared blankly at Lucius, whose face was covered, and shuddered all over. He could feel that Voldemort behind his head was almost in a state of rage.
"I knew the Malfoy family was unreliable. They have always been a bunch of fence-sitters!" Voldemort's curse kept echoing in Quirrell's mind.
Suppressing his fear, Quirrell tremblingly took the bag cast with the Invisible Extension Charm from Lucius and began to check whether there was anything Voldemort needed among the large number of illegal items.
"Yes, what I need is in here." Voldemort's voice, suppressing his anger, sounded in Quirrell's mind.
Quirrell breathed a sigh of relief, handed Lucius the two thousand Galleons he had just dug out from someone else's grave, and left Malfoy Manor without looking back.
In a remote corner of Wiltshire, under the guidance of Voldemort, Quirrell took out a blank diary with a black cover from the cloth bag with trembling hands.
Voldemort's original anger gradually disappeared, replaced by relief and the subsequent ecstasy.
…
…