The Butcher of Hogsmeade

Shen Hou didn't have time to find out who "you know who" was or why he had such a nickname, because Dumbledore took him away immediately after the conversation and left the Shrieking Shack.

"Hold my arm, and no matter what happens, don't let go or resist." The old man didn't go far after leaving the screaming shed. He stopped, called Shen Hou to his side, and extended a hand to him.

"What are you doing?" Shen Hou asked.

"I'm taking you to the Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore said. "Whether you came from China to England or from 2026 to 1980, your situation requires the intervention of the Ministry of Magic."

"Then why am I holding your hand? Are you worried I'll get lost?" Shen Hou asked, half puzzled and half joking.

Dumbledore shook his head: "No, the Ministry of Magic is in London, and we can't walk there. Other methods are too slow, and we also need to avoid exposing you to as many people as possible. So, I'll use magic to get you there. Alright, hurry up."

Alastor followed closely behind and came out of the door, grinning with a sinister sneer: "You'd better be careful. If something goes wrong and your body is torn to pieces, scattered all the way from Hogsmeade to London, we won't be picking it up piece by piece for you."

"What does it mean for a body to be torn to pieces?" The unknown and mysterious often bring fear, and Shen Hou felt a chill run down his spine.

"Don't worry," Dumbledore said, stopping Alastor with a look while offering gentle reassurance. "Remember, don't let go or resist throughout the whole process. Just let it happen naturally and nothing will go wrong. Wizarding children often travel with their parents this way."

Shen Hou felt slightly relieved and didn't mind being compared to a child. When he reached out and grabbed the old man's forearm, he held on even tighter than he usually did when taking the bus or subway. The next moment, he felt dizzy, like a spinning top being whipped hard, or like being stuffed into a washing machine... no, more like being flushed down a toilet, being pulled forward by a tremendous force while spinning rapidly; when he landed, he covered his mouth with his hand and used all his strength to suppress the urge to vomit.

"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's alright." Shen Hou was panting heavily, his face pale. "It's much more exciting than riding a roller coaster."

"Oh, actually I'd really like to try the roller coaster, but they don't sell tickets to elderly people because they think it's risky."

"Do wizards go to Muggle playgrounds? Isn't there a law of secrecy?" Shen Hou asked; although he had only experienced one day and one night, he was already able to use many of the wizard's terms fluently.

"Yes, because of the secrecy law, I can't force the staff to sell me tickets. It's a shame, some of my students love amusement parks, and many have recommended drop towers and roller coasters to me; young wizards from Muggle families always bring a lot of interesting and novel stories to the wizarding world."

Just then, Alastor appeared with a loud bang.

"You're still here, Dumbledore."

"I've been waiting for you. Let's go in together; it'll save the receptionist a lot of trouble."

"Millison's temporary security guidelines are useful, but they're too cumbersome," Alastor muttered under his breath. "Before, Aurors could go straight back to their offices, and familiar visitors didn't have to wait outside."

"During war, we need ministers like these, and we need strict systems like these," Dumbledore reassured him.

"Of course, of course, I'm not against her, you know; on the contrary, I'm very happy that Millison has taken over the ministerial position, otherwise the Aurors would still be tied up." Alastor said as he walked out, without glancing at Shen Hou once.

The three landed in a secluded alley. At the alley entrance stood a red public telephone booth, which looked very familiar to Shen Hou, even evoking a sense of warmth. Red telephone booths and red double-decker buses are famous symbols of London, frequently appearing in various films and television dramas set in London. For Shen Hou, who had suddenly encountered a strange magical world in the past day and night, any familiar object would give him a great sense of familiarity and security.

However, what happened next made Shen Hou realize that he had been too happy for too long.

Alastor opened the door of the phone booth and went inside, followed by Dumbledore, who gestured for Shen Hou to enter.

Shen Hou looked left and right outside the door, confirming that it was just an "ordinary phone booth." Even a slightly overweight person would have a hard time squeezing through the door, and turning around inside would inevitably cause his butt to rub against something. But now two old men had squeezed in, and they were planning to add him too? Without giving him a chance to continue dawdling, Alastor squeezed out half of his body, grabbed Shen Hou by the collar, and pulled him inside.

As soon as Shen Hou squeezed into the phone booth, he was prepared to suffocate, but the space in front of him suddenly widened. From the outside, it looked like a sardine can, but once inside, he found that the space was larger than a regular elevator car. Alastor stood in front of the telephone, Dumbledore and Shen Hou each occupied a corner, and there was still enough space for two or three people to stand between them.

It was only then that Shen Hou belatedly realized he had underestimated the wonders of magic. A wizard's abilities were not limited to fighting or repairing things.

Through the microphone, Alastor gave his name to the other end: "Professor Albus Dumbledore, Auror Alastor Moody, and a temporary visitor... a Muggle."

"Why is there a Muggle?" the voice on the other end of the phone asked, loud enough for everyone to hear, yet not a single word escaped the phone booth.

"Those involved in special magical incidents need to report to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters..." Before Alastor could finish speaking, Dumbledore suddenly added, "And the Department of Mysteries, I've already made an appointment with Thor Crocker."

"What?" the person on the other end asked.

"That's right, and the Department of Mysteries has also made an appointment with Saul Crook." Aristotle seemed to have absolute trust in Dumbledore, repeating what the latter said without even asking.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then two silver name tags, each less than half the size of a palm, fell out from below the coin slot. Alastor picked them up and gave one to Dumbledore and the other to Shen Hou; as an Auror himself, he obviously didn't need to be verified like a visitor.

Immediately afterwards, the entire phone booth sank into the ground.

"Isn't this a bit too conspicuous?" Shen Hou had an indescribable expression on his face. He felt that the mysterious filter he had built up over the past day and night regarding the magical world had suddenly cracked. "A phone booth suddenly sinking into the ground, aren't you afraid of being seen?"

Shen Hou spoke subtly, keeping some thoughts to himself because he worried the wizards might not understand. The scene of the phone booth sinking reminded him of many things, such as Q retiring from his workshop in James Bond, the two protagonists escaping from the base in Men in Black II, and of course, many more absurd spy movies.

It is called concealed, but in reality it attracts attention.

Is this the Ministry of Magic or a Men in Black base? Do wizards in the magical world watch Muggle movies? You can't even watch this kind of plot with your brain in a movie, and yet the wizards have replicated it in the real world?