Arya had been working in Pessac Castle for almost half a year.
Her mindset had completely changed.
She knew that Comrade Duntis had taken control of the once-notorious Fire Serpent Party, but instead of allowing it to decay, he had breathed new life into it.
"The Wizarding World will be socialized, achieving true democracy and fairness, allowing all wizards to be rewarded for their labor."
At first, Arya did not believe such words.
She had always believed that the wizarding world should be ruled by elite wizards over lower-class wizards. Whether they were pure-blood families, half-bloods, or Muggle-born, she believed that those with ability should naturally stand high above the rest.
And how could Comrade Duntis, a great landlord and capitalist, achieve socialization or realize true democracy and fairness?
Yet in France, Arya had seen it with her own eyes.
Comrade Duntis truly placed his industries in the hands of the people. The lower-class wizards did not merely sell their labor; they became true participants. He distributed more than sixty percent of the profits to the working wizards, giving everyone involved a genuine sense of ownership and dignity.
To be honest, the past six months under Comrade Duntis had been the happiest time of Arya's life.
People influenced one another, and through watching the lives of those around her steadily improve, Arya gradually came to understand the correctness of Comrade Duntis's ideals. Every day, people walked with smiles, carrying hope instead of despair.
Through continuous study and quiet observation, she realized that the way of life of the pure-blood families was destined to be discarded by history sooner or later. In the face of the great tide of change, no one could resist it.
Not even Dumbledore.
After all, the number of lower-class wizards was ten, even a hundred times that of the so-called upper-class. Once magical knowledge flowed freely into that vast population, the old ruling class would have no power left to resist.
However, an unexpected encounter with Barty Crouch Jr. made Arya realize that among the many obstacles on Comrade Duntis's revolutionary path, there existed another terrifying variable.
Lord Voldemort.
Someone who could easily destroy the bright future Comrade Duntis had worked so hard to build.
When faced with Barty Crouch Jr.'s demand for her wand, Arya hesitated only briefly. She then drew her wand from her robes and extended it forward.
"Take it, take it. Quickly find your master. We cannot be without our master's leadership."
In that moment, Arya made a firm decision.
She would help Comrade Duntis stop Lord Voldemort, no matter the cost.
Although Dumbledore had not contacted Arya for a long time, she still believed that his earlier plans regarding Voldemort were sound.
Only by uncovering the secret of Voldemort's immortality could they find a true weakness and destroy him completely.
So Arya decided to become an undercover agent once more, but this time not for Dumbledore.
This time, it was for Comrade Duntis, and for the future of equality and democracy for all wizards.
She was now a revolutionary.
Barty Crouch Jr. took the wand and gave Arya a light pat on the shoulder.
"You're good. I will speak well of you to my master."
"Thank you, Barty…"
Arya's voice trembled with excitement.
"But you must Stupefy me now. Otherwise, I won't be able to gain the trust of Comrade Duntis's subordinates."
Barty Crouch Jr. nodded and raised his wand.
"Stupefy!"
A flash of red light struck Arya, and she fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Moments later, Barty cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and disappeared.
Arya's collapse immediately drew the attention of nearby members of the Fire Serpent Party.
Someone came running.
"Rudy, what's wrong with you?"
Arya's alias in France was Rudy Mont, and the wizard rushing toward her was her close friend in Pessac, Jean Martin.
When Rudy Mont woke up, she was surrounded by a circle of familiar faces. These were wizards of humble origins, all looking at her with worry and concern.
A warm feeling surged through Rudy's heart.
"Rudy, what happened?" Jean asked as he helped her sit up. He had been the one to lift the Stupefy spell.
"Just now, someone waved at me," Rudy replied weakly. "Anyone who can see us through the Muggle-Repelling Charm and Confundo must also be a wizard. So I walked over."
Jean frowned. "And then?"
"That person suddenly snatched my wand and Stupefied me."
"Did you recognize him?" Jean asked quickly.
"No," Rudy answered.
Then, after a short pause, she added, "But I can confirm he was a Death Eater."
The words were a lie.
This was not betrayal of Comrade Duntis's revolution. Rather, Rudy had learned from old letters written by her grandfather and by Dumbledore that, in Britain, an enemy was searching for her.
She was not foolish.
She easily deduced that Dumbledore had been referring to Comrade Duntis. There was no personal hatred between herself and Duntis. Instead, the real conflict lay elsewhere.
A Quidditch star under Comrade Duntis's banner, Dana Emrys, held a deep grudge against her.
Dana Emrys was known as the best Seeker in the world, and Rudy knew this all too well. No one remembered that name more deeply than she did.
She also knew the truth.
It was that young man who had taken her place in Azkaban.
Although the ultimate goal had been to eliminate Lord Voldemort, she had, in the process, implicated an innocent person.
Because of that, Rudy did not want her true identity exposed. She wanted to silently contribute to Comrade Duntis's revolutionary cause.
And for Dana Emrys, if given the chance, Rudy would even be willing to atone with her own life.
But not now.
Not yet.
Besides helping Comrade Duntis succeed in the revolution, she also needed to maintain her identity as a Death Eater, so that she could one day draw close enough to Voldemort to destroy him.
"That's terrible," Jean said softly. "A Death Eater stole your wand."
He did not show even the slightest suspicion.
"This is not a good sign," he continued. "I will report it later. As for your wand, Rudy, the Party will issue you a new one."
"We're getting new wands?" Rudy asked in surprise.
"Of course," Jean replied. "Many of our comrades used to be so poor they couldn't even afford food, let alone a wand. All newly joined comrades who don't have wands will receive one from the Party."
He gestured for her to stand.
"Come quickly. We need to collect our wands. The Minister is waiting for us. We already have a mission."
A mission as soon as they disembarked left Rudy feeling slightly overwhelmed.
The group followed Jean Martin through the fireplace inside the Plymouth Maritime Museum and traveled by Floo Network to Comrade Duntis's Castle in the Hebrides.
"Welcome to Comrade Duntis's Castle!"
A capable-looking wizard descended the spiral staircase and greeted them warmly.
Jean immediately stood straighter.
"Comrade Jack Murray! Jean Martin reports with seventy-two comrades from France!"
Jack Murray smiled.
"No need to be so formal. We are all comrades, partners working together to achieve the Minister's grand goals."
His eyes moved across the group with satisfaction.
"Everyone looks spirited. That's good. If you can't save yourselves, how can you save our suffering compatriots?"
Then he looked back at Jean.
"By the way, has everyone eaten yet?"
"Not yet, Comrade Murray!"
"Good," Jack said brightly. "Everyone follow me to the dining hall. Fill your stomachs first. The Minister says, 'People are iron, food is steel!' Without food, there can be no revolution."
Rudy Mont followed the crowd in silence.
She knew who Jack Murray was. Anyone who had joined the Fire Serpent Party knew his name.
The commander of the Combat Department, once just a poor, uneducated wizard from the bottom of society, he had risen to become one of the four leaders of the Fire Serpent Party.
Rudy understood that while effort mattered, talent alone could not explain such growth.
Without someone fully dedicating themselves to teaching and guidance, a man with no formal magical education could never reach such a level.
From this, she understood Comrade Duntis's true broad-mindedness.
After everyone finished eating, Jack Murray clapped his hands.
"Has everyone finished?"
The group nodded.
"Then I will announce your mission," he said seriously. "Comrade Jean Martin has probably already told you about it."
Rudy listened intently.
"The former Minister of Magic, Barty Crouch Sr., has gone into hiding. This man is extremely important to consolidating the Minister's position in the British wizarding world."
He paused, his voice lowering.
"As long as he is captured, the Minister will gain absolute authority in Britain. This is critical to our future reforms."
The room was silent.
"Therefore," Jack continued, "you will be assigned to the Auror Office of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic."
"You will become Hit Wizards."
"Your mission is to apprehend Barty Crouch Sr."
Rudy Mont's hands clenched slowly into fists.
This was her first real mission from Comrade Duntis.
She could not fail.
Barty Crouch Sr.
Her mind worked quickly.
She was the eldest grandchild of the Avery family, and she knew the affairs of the Sacred Twenty-Eight very well.
This mission…
Would not be simple.
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