The cubicle was a fully enclosed space; in such an environment, the most suitable spell to use was actually the Explosion Charm.
It wouldn't take many; if ten wands used the Explosion Charm together, the people inside wouldn't be able to react at all and would all be blown to ashes.
But after all, the cubicle didn't only contain Death Eaters. Two Ministry of Magic employees were lying on the ground, and the Witch tied to the chair being interrogated could basically be identified as the Head of the Department of Mysteries, Madam Selwyn.
So Sherlock could only adopt a compromise. He increased the number of wands, noted the approximate positions of those inside before opening the door, and took aim.
Then he kicked the door open, and the spells were released simultaneously!
"Petrificus Totalus."
This time, Sherlock did not continue to use non-verbal spells because that would also diminish the effect of the magic. When dealing with one person before, he didn't need to care, but now that the targets had increased and there was no longer any need for stealth, Sherlock naturally chose to chant the incantation.
Dozens, nearly a hundred Stupefy charms gave the people in the cubicle no time to react at all. Or rather, even if they had enough time, they couldn't possibly figure out how to react to such a situation in such a short period.(TN: What does he mean by a hundred stupefy charms? He clearly used Petrificus Totalus.)
The vast majority of the spells hit their targets.
Of the first few targeted Death Eaters, three were hit directly by over a dozen spells and fell down instantly, their bodies rigid.
However, due to the angle, Algy was behind the Witch, so the Petrificus Totalus charms were all blocked by Madam Selwyn, and not a single one hit him. The same was true for another Death Eater; most of the spells were blocked by the three companions in front of him. He was only hit by one, and the significantly weakened effect was not enough to petrify him, leaving him only somewhat stiff and hindered in his movements.
Another dozen or so spells landed on the desk and the walls, leaving behind numerous pitted holes.
At this moment, Algy and the other Death Eater who had only been hit by one Petrificus Totalus charm finally reacted.
The only thing on their minds right now was that they were surrounded by dozens or even hundreds of Aurors! The Aurors had abandoned the Death Eaters in Sheffield and chosen to return to guard the Ministry of Magic!
Otherwise, even if all the Aurors currently stationed in the Ministry came over, it would be impossible to cast so many spells at once.
So the first thing Algy and that Death Eater did when they regained their senses was prepare to escape!
Only two of them were left, while the Aurors seemed to have arrived in full force; the plan had definitely failed!
Algy immediately raised his wand, and the spell he chanted was Apparition.
However, before he could finish the incantation, a thick tome on the desk floated into the air and smashed directly onto his head!
The spell was interrupted, and then over a dozen red Petrificus Totalus charms hit him directly, completely blocking his path of escape.
The other Death Eater had no chance to use Apparition at all. He was not a Ministry employee, and the Anti-Apparition ward here was not open to him.
While he stood helplessly in the corner with his wand raised, dozens of wands floated in mid-air and flew into the cubicle, all aimed at him.
At the same time, Sherlock walked in with a numb-faced Sophie.
The Death Eater cornered against the wall didn't dare to use a spell. After Sherlock walked in, he was still peering behind him, trying to find the large force of Aurors who had just cast the spells in unison.
However, it was empty behind Sherlock; there was no one there.
Among the other petrified Death Eaters, only Algy was lying in a position facing the cubicle door. He could see more clearly that there was no one in the Time Room outside, and the only ones walking in were the Wizard and Witch before them.
And judging by their attire, that Wizard was clearly not from the Ministry of Magic!
Algy's gaze became dazed.
So there was no large force of Aurors at all; all those countless spells just now had actually been cast by a single person?
Sherlock didn't care about the mental state of these Death Eaters. After using a few Petrificus Totalus charms on the only Death Eater who could still move but had basically given up resistance, he walked over to Madam Selwyn and lifted the spells on her.
Seeing the confusion on the face of the Head of the Department of Mysteries, Sherlock raised an eyebrow and introduced himself.
"Hello, Madam. My name is John Watson. I was entrusted by Eddie Butler in Sheffield to remind you that the former Head, Stredri, has been murdered. The Death Eaters learned the secrets of the Department of Mysteries from her and could break in here at any time. But it seems I arrived a bit late."
Madam Selwyn shook her head.
"No, you arrived just in time. If you hadn't come, there would have been big trouble."
Sherlock could faintly hear from her tone that she didn't actually feel much lingering fear. It was as if even if Sherlock hadn't appeared, being forced to take Veritaserum wouldn't have been a big deal, and the Death Eaters wouldn't have gotten what they wanted.
The wands floating in mid-air flew back into Sherlock's bag one after another, and at this time, a commotion was heard outside the Time Room.
Soon, Scrimgeour arrived with Barty Jr. and Kingsley, along with a group of six. Seeing the scene in the Department of Mysteries office, their faces were filled with shock and bewilderment.
Seeing them appear only now, Sherlock couldn't help but think of the police in films and television shows who only show up afterwards; they only arrive to wrap things up once everything is over.
Scrimgeour and the others were indeed there to wrap things up.
Algy wasn't wearing a mask, so it was clear who the traitor was. After having his subordinates take the Death Eaters to the interrogation room, Scrimgeour, as the Head of the Auror Office, personally conducted a series of inquiries with Sherlock.
"Are you saying that while travelling in Sheffield, you unexpectedly met Eddie, and he requested your help to report the matter to the Ministry?"
His attitude was very amiable; he wasn't conducting an interrogation, just some routine questioning. So Sherlock didn't feel anything was amiss and spoke the truth.
"Yes, the Death Eaters were hunting him down at the time to prevent him from bringing the news back to the Ministry. And the Ministry... well, had some misunderstandings about him. It just so happened that he met me. For certain reasons, we have a basis for mutual trust, so he asked me to find Sophie and have her bring me to the Ministry to find Madam Selwyn. The final result is what you see."
Scrimgeour's face darkened.
"After the failure of that operation in Wales, the one who said Eddie was the traitor was Algy! His grandfather was once the Minister for Magic and has extensive connections in the Ministry. Those people persuaded Director Crouch not to give Eddie a chance and directly determined his guilt. Even though Barty Jr., who also participated in that operation, expressed doubts and said the traitor might not be him, it was to no avail."
Saying this, he looked at Sherlock again.
"Did Eddie tell you where he plans to go next? Now that Algy has been caught, it's enough to prove his innocence."
Sherlock shrugged.
"He said he's going to the Isle of Man. The Death Eaters are still hunting him, and he wants to draw away some of their attention to relieve the pressure on Sheffield."
Scrimgeour looked thoughtful.
"His loyalty to the Ministry should not be doubted by anyone. I will demand an explanation for him from the Ministry."
Finally, Scrimgeour thanked Sherlock solemnly.
"Thank you very much for your help, Mr Watson. If you hadn't arrived in time, the serious consequences would have been unimaginable. Do you have any needs? If so, I can try my best to apply to the Ministry on your behalf as a reward."
Scrimgeour spoke these words sincerely. If not for Sherlock, and Madam Selwyn had been given Veritaserum, today's incident would have become extremely serious. It wasn't impossible that he might even have lost his position as Head of the Auror Office because of it.
And Sherlock was waiting for exactly those words. He didn't put on a reserved or declining posture and asked directly.
"Coming to the Ministry this time, I find the Department of Mysteries very interesting. Can I apply for a position here and work?"
Scrimgeour was caught off guard by this request.
If Sherlock wanted honour or money, he could get approval from the Ministry. Or if he wanted to join the Aurors, Scrimgeour would be more than happy.
Although he didn't yet know what means Sherlock had used to defeat five Death Eaters single-handedly (Sophie wasn't factored into the combat power at all), with such strength, if he became an Auror, he would certainly be a great asset to the Auror Office.
Scrimgeour said tentatively.
"If you are willing, Mr Watson, I can recruit you directly into the Auror Office, and with your current merits, it's not impossible to promote you to captain exceptionally. As for the Department of Mysteries, I don't have the authority to make decisions for them. If you really want to work there, I can only help you ask for Madam Selwyn's thoughts."
Sherlock neither refused nor agreed, but simply said.
"Then please help me inquire. I am naturally willing to contribute to the Ministry, but based on my personal interest, I am still more inclined towards working at the Department of Mysteries. Fighting and killing isn't very interesting."
Scrimgeour twitched the corner of his mouth and nodded.
"Then will you wait in the Ministry for the result, or leave first? If you plan to leave, once things here settle down and Madam Selwyn gives her answer, I will have someone notify you."
"I'll head back to the Leaky Cauldron first. If there's a result, you can send someone there to find me. My uncle and I are staying there."