Who let this Dementor into Hogwarts!

Chapter 173 Who can keep a diary?
"The Muggle newspapers have reported the disappearance, but no one at the Ministry of Magic is doing anything?"

Cohen flipped through the newspaper and read the report carefully.

Castle Combe Gazette, July 1993, 7, special report

[“Ghostly shadows are attacking the townspeople, and five people have mysteriously disappeared!”

—Our reporter Edwin Hollingworth

Since May 5st, the first day after Whitsunday, this wool market town with 31 years of history has been shrouded in an unsettling cloud. The sheriff's office has confirmed that five disappearances have occurred around the central square of Castle Combe, the latest of which occurred just before Midsummer's Eve.

Marjorie Mollick, of 13 South Street, told the newspaper she witnessed something "not God's creation" at midnight. According to this respected widow, as the bells of St. Margaret's Church struck eleven, a "shadow like a stream of asphalt, with an unnatural twisting trajectory" flashed through the gaps in her curtains. The police searched the scene but found only some tar-like residue on the cobblestones.

In response to the growing rumors, Mayor Lewis Fitzroy issued a statement this morning in front of Tudor Town Hall (the Wool Merchants' Guildhall). "We are working with Wiltshire Police," the three-term Conservative said, polishing his silver pocket watch chain. "We kindly ask you to keep your doors and windows locked during the curfew (10 pm to 5 am). God bless us and bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible."

[Confusingly, when asked whether there was any involvement of paranormal phenomena, the mayor abruptly ended the interview, and his press secretary later delivered a handwritten note emphasizing that "all speculation should be based on rationality and empirical evidence."]

"Mayor Lewis must have a pair of purple panties at that widow's house," Cohen said thoughtfully.

"Why are they purple pants—" The Count's curiosity was piqued, but he soon realized that he seemed to have been led astray by Cohen: "Wait, aren't you looking for monsters?!"

"Because his name happens to be Lewis." Cohen leaned back tactically, "And the witness was a widow—but that doesn't matter. No monster would attack purple underwear—"

"This clearly has nothing to do with purple underwear!" the Count roared. "Where did the newspaper mention purple underwear? Are you still going to find that monster?"

"It seems like you're more anxious than I am... Of course we have to look for him, but this matter isn't so urgent that we don't even have time to chat." Cohen turned to the other side of the newspaper, but unfortunately, the report only covered the part where the mayor was unwilling to reveal the truth.

Most news stories use a lot of nonsense to describe something that can be explained in just one sentence, because that's the only way to sell newspapers.

Regarding the mayor's vague words, according to Edward, there should be no wizards here except Grandma Martha, which means that even if the kidnapper is some kind of magical creature, the mayor will definitely not recognize it.

"It seems the mayor didn't recognize the monster, but he has seen it. He chose to conceal it because he was afraid of causing panic among the people. Otherwise, he could just say the kidnapping was done by a notorious murderer," Cohen said. "The disappearance took place in the central square of Fort Combe—and there was tar-like residue..."

"It must be something that can breathe fire," said the Count. "Things that can breathe fire have this liquid in their saliva. The Chimera you mentioned last time—"

"I really don't believe it was the Chimera who did this," Cohen said. "If it had randomly chosen a lucky townsperson to kill like a wild animal, then what would have been left on the ground wouldn't be a tarry residue, but blood."

"What if it is smarter than the beast?" the count said incredulously, "like your old basilisk father..."

"Then it wouldn't risk catching a human," Cohen said. "It's survived all these years, so there's no need to eat humans just for food. Human flesh isn't tasty—it's not as plentiful as beef or mutton."

"That makes sense..." the Count said, tilting his head.

Suddenly, Cohen turned his gaze to the Earl, which made the Earl's feathers tense.

Usually when Cohen gave it that look, it meant… "Go to Central Park," Cohen said. "Investigate it carefully, and then come back and tell me the results."

"What if I get lost too!" the Count objected. "Besides, I still think that monster is very similar to the Chimera—they eat everything. The lion head in front eats meat, the sheep head on the back eats grass, and the snake head at the tail eats birds!"

"It's okay, at least it won't fly," Cohen comforted him. "You just have to avoid the fire that comes out of the lion's head."

"What about you?! You were the one who wanted to find it! Why don't you go there yourself?" The count said awkwardly, "I'm just a bird! Each species should do its own thing!"

"Because I still have to look for that 'non-existent basement,'" Cohen said. "And if 'each species should do its own thing,' then as a Dementor, shouldn't I..."

"There's really nothing I can do about you." The count flapped his wings helplessly and flew out of the window.

Of course, it was not afraid of the Chimera - no matter how dangerous or difficult this species was, it was still easy for the Count, as a bird, to escape.

After the Earl went out to look for clues, Cohen also began his exploration plan of the "basement" of Norton's hometown.

First was the study - there were more magic books and some tools for making specimens. It seemed that Martha had been keeping the place tidy and clean since Charleson's death. Cohen didn't see any obvious dust on the books neatly arranged on the shelves.

Although he is a lickspittle, Charleson seems to have successfully captured Martha's heart...

"journal?"

The sharp-eyed Cohen pulled a thick gray book from the bookshelf. It looked like it was bought from a Muggle street because wizards usually used parchment for binding instead of industrial paper that would easily turn yellow and dry out.

But... who would write a diary if they were serious?
Cohen spread the diary on the table in the study and opened the first page.

This diary was started in 1981.

It happened to be the year Cohen was born, and also the year Charleson went crazy - it was very likely that it recorded the monster in the basement that Charleson mentioned.

Everything was normal from January to September 1981. It was full of Charleson's trivial matters, such as urging Edward to divorce again today, being scolded by Martha again, and what rumors there were after the mysterious man lost power.

The old man has always been opposed to Edward and Rose's marriage.

All I can say is that the Bock family’s reputation is still too bad.

But by the end of September, Cohen saw a change in the diary entries.

On September 30th, Charleson first recorded the strange noises in the house.

I heard all sorts of animal noises, under the bed, in the walls, but Martha said it was because I was old and hallucinating.

(End of this chapter)