The Butcher of Hogsmeade

Barty Crouch spent a considerable amount of time in the ward, not because he had a particularly friendly impression of Shen Hou, nor because he was genuinely proud that his department had produced a "combat hero." His trip was more of a political statement, expressing support by visiting the wounded and staying longer, and consolidating his tough image by expressing support.

Even the relatively careless Fabian of the Pewter brothers saw through his little scheme; the director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was somewhat superficial in his "performance skills," and despite his great fame, he was unlikely to become an excellent politician.

No sooner had Mr. Crouch left than Alastor arrived. Aside from the Demon Eye still darting around and sending chills down one's spine, his attitude was much better than before. He returned the triangular military dagger that Shen Hou had left at the scene, placing it on the bedside table. It was gleaming white, reflecting no light under the hospital room lamp, and the blood groove still bore traces of crimson blood.

"I've seen people use transfiguration to conjure swords, axes, and daggers to hurt others, but I don't recall ever seeing a wizard wielding real melee weapons in battle. You really are still a Muggle. Although you know a few strange hand gestures for spellcasting, you still don't consider yourself a wizard at heart."

"I was a Muggle to begin with," Shen Hou said.

Alastor said curtly, "Then you'd better change your mindset as soon as possible. Things have changed since last night."

"My life has been different ever since I appeared in Hogsmeade," Shen Hou said with a touch of self-deprecation.

“No, you don’t understand. The owner of the Hog’s Head might beat you up, but he certainly won’t kill you; the Ministry of Magic is a place that follows the rules. But…” Alastor emphasized, his eyes, one serious and one feigning, fixed on Shen Hou, “The Death Eaters don’t follow the rules. Or rather, they have their own set of rules, called an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, blood for blood.”

"Will they avenge those two Death Eaters who died?"

"More important than revenge is maintaining the dignity of the Death Eaters," Alastor said. "If a Ministry of Magic clerk could kill two Death Eaters at the same time, it would make the Death Eaters seem both incompetent and ridiculous. If you could walk around openly after killing them and go to work at the Ministry of Magic every day, the terrifying image they've cultivated would completely collapse. If the Death Eaters want to salvage their image and continue to be feared, they must eliminate you as soon as possible, and in the most brutal way possible, so that everyone can see it."

"The Ministry of Magic can't just stand by and let the Death Eaters retaliate," said Gideon, who was standing nearby.

"Of course not, but no one can guarantee absolute safety. Not just him, but you two too; I reconstructed yesterday's scene, and if Shen hadn't been there, it's very likely that it wouldn't have been Antonin Dolokhov who died last night, but either of you—and you're both active Aurors!"

The two Pwitt brothers fell silent, recalling everything that had happened the night before, their faces turning slightly pale.

"What about Dumbledore?" Gideon asked; faced with an unsolvable problem, he instinctively trusted the old headmaster of Hogwarts.

"I don't know," Alastor said. "I haven't seen him for the past two weeks. I've written to him by owl, but there's been no reply. Even the Hogwarts professors haven't seen him in a long time."

"What happened? Where could he have gone? How long has he been gone?" Fabian was at a loss.

"I don't know, he must have had something important to do to leave... What are you panicking about?" Alastor said gruffly. "Do you think Dumbledore is like you? If the Man Who Knows was that capable, he wouldn't have been hiding from Dumbledore all this time."

"Remember, never leave the hospital through the main gate, go back to the Ministry of Magic through the fireplace, and don't go home for the next few days." This was Alastor's special emphasis before he left, and it was already close to noon.

The third visitor arrived shortly after, whose identity was as expected, but whose timing was unexpected, and who brought a sumptuous lunch for three people.

"Arthur, you should be at work at this time," Gideon said, expressing surprise at his brother-in-law's arrival.

"No, it's lunchtime now." Arthur tapped his wand, enlarging the dining table next to the hospital bed more than three times its original size, so that three lunches could be placed at the same time. "If I don't come, Molly will; if Molly comes, I'll still come. So, I think it's better if I come alone."

"And these lunches..."

"As you can see, you two should be quite familiar with each other. Molly made them all herself." Arthur waved his wand, and bowls and plates of all sizes flew out of the basket and lined up neatly on the table.

"That's great! I haven't had a chance to eat since last night," Fabian said happily.

"Actually, all of this was prepared for Shen. You... were just incidental." Arthur ruthlessly stabbed his brother-in-law in the heart. "Molly was terrified when she saw the newspaper today. Luckily, she received the letter you sent by owl. She wanted to come to the hospital herself, but I stopped her. I promised her that I would personally deliver these lunches to the hospital."

"I don't believe Molly would say that," Phoebe said, pretending to clutch his chest. "We're her own brothers."

"That's right, so Shen is her own brother's savior." After Arthur finished stabbing her, he turned to face Shen Hou. "Molly asked me to convey her invitation, which also includes me and my children. We sincerely invite you to our home for dinner. She is eager to meet you. Of course, everything will have to wait until you recover, and you can decide when is appropriate."

"I am honored." Shen Hou nodded in agreement, even feeling slightly embarrassed. After actually saving the lives of the Prewitt brothers last night, he could foresee that his relationship with Prewitt and Arthur would become closer, but the enthusiasm of the Weasley lady still exceeded his expectations.

After lunch, with the help of a nurse, Gideon removed his bandages, and just as he had said, he had fully recovered in just a few hours. So the two brothers and their brother-in-law left the hospital through the fireplace and returned to the Ministry of Magic.

Just when Shen Hou thought he could finally have a peaceful afternoon nap, the ward door was pushed open again, and the fourth visitor of the day arrived.

"Professor Dumbledore, what's wrong...?" Shen Hou was extremely surprised. "I just heard from Mr. Moody that you've been very busy lately."

"Oh, Alastor has been here? He's right, I went on a trip last week and just got back this afternoon." Dumbledore looked around after entering the room, making sure that Shen Hou was the only one there, before closing the door.

"Did you come here specifically to see me because of what happened last night?" Shen Hou asked.

"I did come here specifically for this purpose, but not because of what happened last night. I thought we would meet at the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries."

Shen Hou's expression tightened slightly: "What happened?"

"You should ask, where I've been last week."

"Where...did you go?" After a brief moment of surprise, Shen Hou chose to go along with it.

"I went to the Far East, to China. In fact, it wasn't just for a week; I spent a full ten days in your homeland."