Chapter 1484: The Prisoner of Nurmengarde
Chapter 1484: The Prisoner of Nurmengarde
Austria.
In a secluded and hidden hillside, stood the infamous Nurmengarde Prison.
A figure, cloaked and shrouded in the cover of night, appeared without a sound. He lifted his gaze towards the dark night that enveloped the hillside, then took a step forward.
"Puff!"
The figure seemed to pass through an invisible barrier, and the night ahead rippled like the surface of a lake, forming waves.
Beyond the ripples stood a sinister tower—Nurmengarde.
It was a wizarding prison specially built by Gellert Grindelwald, the first Dark Lord, during his reign, to incarcerate those who opposed him.
After Grindelwald's defeat at the hands of Dumbledore, this fully-equipped prison was taken over by the International Confederation of Wizards and used to hold dangerous individuals from various European countries.
The notorious Grindelwald himself was imprisoned here, and given the level of danger he posed, the defenses of Nurmengarde were undoubtedly formidable.
This was the main reason why Albert had not directly invaded Nurmengarde. Unless he wanted to fight his way through, taking down every guard in the prison.
That would be a terrible idea.
However, with Babbage's help, Albert could visit this wizarding prison as a visitor.
Although it sounded ridiculous, Dumbledore himself had done this more than once during his lifetime.
"Good evening, sir. Please show your identification."
An elderly Nurmengarde guard, holding an oil lamp, approached Albert. He initiated a greeting but his eyes remained guarded.
Anyone who chose to visit at this hour would arouse suspicion.
However, the fact that Albert had passed through the outer protective magic of Nurmengarde without any hindrance and without setting off any alarms indicated that he had been granted permission.
Albert handed the piece of parchment that Babbage had given him to the elderly guard.
"This is quite unusual."
The old guard examined the parchment carefully in the light of the oil lamp, then lifted the lamp and waved it in a specific pattern toward the tower behind him. This was a signal for the guards inside to open the main door and let them in.
This was a precautionary measure in case of a prison break. Should anyone attempt to attack the wizarding prison, the Ministry of Magic in the vicinity would immediately be alerted and arrive to provide support, preventing the escape of the high-profile suspects imprisoned here.
Albert stopped at the entrance of Nurmengarde and raised his wand towards the words left by Grindelwald above:
For the Greater Good.
"That guy was only ever concerned with his own good." The elderly guard paused and turned to Albert.
Albert silently raised his finger and gently pointed at the old guard, who then followed behind Albert into the lobby. The area was set up like a registration desk, and a younger-looking Auror, hiding behind a newspaper, eyed Albert up and down. Before he could say anything, he was controlled by the Imperius Curse.
This method was crude but undeniably effective.
It saved Albert a lot of trouble.
Led by the Auror, Albert made his way to Grindelwald's cell on the top floor.
Like most prisons, Nurmengarde did not prioritize the rights of its inmates. The living conditions were as dismal as those in Azkaban.
The only fortunate aspect was the absence of Dementors as guards. Black wizards imprisoned here had to endure harsh living conditions but were spared the torment inflicted by the soul-sucking creatures.
The Auror escorting Albert behaved as if he were receiving an important guest and shared many details about Nurmengarde.
House-elves provided the inmates' meals.
To prevent them from causing trouble after eating their fill, they were served only two meals a day, and the food was barely edible—just enough to keep them from starving.
Due to the absence of Dementors, there had been several escape attempts at Nurmengarde, but they typically ended in failure.
The prison was warded against Apparition, and without the aid of a wand, escape attempts were difficult. Even if an inmate managed to escape their cell using wandless magic, they would still be no match for the guards who were skilled in combat and possessed wands. Most importantly, the guards were authorized to kill any inmate who attempted to escape.
After being led to the top-floor cell by the Auror, the guard bowed slightly to Albert and then left, giving Albert ample space to converse with the prisoner.
"Good evening. I hope I'm not disturbing your rest."
Albert looked at the frail, disheveled old man lying on the hard bed and found it difficult to associate him with the once-powerful Dark Lord.
"Who are you?"
The bedraggled figure slowly sat up on the bed and lifted his head to look at the unfamiliar figure standing outside the iron bars.
"A messenger," Albert introduced himself.
"A messenger?"
The old man ignored the young man before him and repeated the word as if chewing on its meaning.
"Dumbledore is dead."
Albert looked at the stiff-reacting old man and dropped a bombshell.
"Oh, he's dead?"
The old man did not show much sadness at the death of his once-close friend, indicating that he probably already knew about this.
"He asked me to apologize to you for dragging you into this conflict." Looking at Grindelwald, Albert wondered what he himself would look like when he grew old.
"Apologize? That doesn't sound like something he would do. I thought he would hate me for killing his sister." Grindelwald's eyes now held only memories.
"The Deathly Hallows," Albert prompted.
Grindelwald suddenly lifted his head, his eyes sharp despite his age, and fixed the young man outside the iron bars with a penetrating gaze.
In the end, he chose to remain silent.
"He found them. All three Deathly Hallows."
"So, the rumor was false. Possessing all three Deathly Hallows didn't help him conquer death." This statement was tinged with mockery.
"No, he conquered death." Albert spoke softly. "Only those who dare to face death are worthy of conquering it."
"So, that fool chose to die?"
Grindelwald seemed to take an interest in Albert. "It seems you must be his favorite student."
"Not really. Harry Potter is," Albert explained with a smile. "I'm here because you once possessed one of the Deathly Hallows."
"Oh, so someone is looking for the Elder Wand." Although aged, Grindelwald had not completely lost his wits and immediately guessed the reason for Albert's visit.
"The person currently seeking the wand calls it the 'Deathstick,'" Albert intended to inform Grindelwald about Voldemort's search for the Elder Wand, giving him a heads-up, even though he felt that Grindelwald might not need it. But as a junior, he felt it was necessary to show his respect.
"Oh, that name is quite fitting. I did indeed use it to bring about many deaths." Grindelwald seemed to enjoy the rare conversation. "I have a fair idea who might be seeking the Elder Wand."
(End of Chapter)
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