Chapter 613: Azkaban
Chapter 613: Azkaban
The wedding festivities stretched late into the night, only concluding in the early hours of the morning. Fortunately, the wedding went off without a hitch, with no one attacking them or any news of the Ministry of Magic falling.
However, due to the late night, Liam didn't wake up until nine o'clock the next morning. After a quick cleanup, he rushed to the kitchen for a sandwich, and then Professor Dumbledore arrived.
"Ah, Albus, would you like a sandwich? We went to bed quite late last night, so we're running a bit late with breakfast this morning", Mrs. Weasley asked Professor Dumbledore.
"Not right now, thank you. I'll just have a cup of hot tea", Dumbledore replied, taking the teacup Mrs. Weasley offered and sipping it. "Your cooking is excellent, especially since we're about to head to a very cold place. A hot cup of tea beforehand is just perfect. By the way, Liam, I suggest you wear more layers."
After finishing his tea and bidding farewell to everyone in the room, Dumbledore called for Liam to leave. They walked out of The Burrow's yard, followed the path for a while, and then passed through a hedge to a clearing.
"Alright, I don't think anyone is around", Dumbledore said after looking around. He pulled a black iron coin from his pocket, which had a skull carved in relief. "This is the special Portkey to Azkaban. The place has complex magical protections, and only a dedicated Portkey can get us there. It's time, so place your hand on the coin."
Liam did as instructed, placing his finger on the coin. After the familiar sensation of weightlessness, Liam found himself standing on a barren black island, with Professor Dumbledore beside him.
"Is this Azkaban?" Liam looked up at a triangular black castle a few hundred meters away. The castle stood on its own island, occupying the entire landmass. Only the area directly opposite where they had landed had a small, unoccupied piece of land jutting out, with a pier extending into the sea and two black wooden boats. Liam could tell this was the entrance to Azkaban.
Even from a distance, Liam could feel the intense negative emotions emanating from the castle. These negative emotions, combined with the unique magical environment, created a thick fog around the castle, which even the morning sunlight couldn't penetrate.
The interior of the castle, shrouded in this dense fog, was perpetually in darkness. Liam could see faint, dim lights through the windows of the black stone structure. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the lights on the lower levels were much brighter than those on the upper levels.
"The staff at the Ministry of Magic changes frequently, but they always refuse to remove the Dementors from Azkaban. Even after most of the Dementors rebelled last time, they told me that only a portion had defected, and those remaining were reliable", Headmaster Dumbledore said, looking in the direction Liam was observing, his tone irritated. "Fortunately, a few weeks ago, most of the Dementors suddenly disappeared. The survivors are now hiding in the uppermost levels of the castle, which makes our task a bit easier."
Dumbledore then tossed the black iron coin into a black stone basin filled with silver liquid. Immediately, a small black wooden boat moored at the pier of Azkaban's entrance began to move towards their island. Once the boat reached the shore, Liam and Headmaster Dumbledore boarded it. After settling in, Dumbledore tapped the side of the boat with his wand, and it quickly turned and headed towards Azkaban.
As they approached the castle, Liam felt an increasing sense of oppression. Standing at the castle's entrance, the towering black walls loomed like a cliff, exerting immense psychological pressure. This was likely a deliberate design to intimidate those entering the castle. Combined with the centuries of prisoners' dying screams and the Dementors' presence, the accumulated negative energy, mixed with magic, created an extremely oppressive atmosphere.
"Hello, we are here to pick up Lucius Malfoy. This is the Ministry of Magic's release order. I believe the Ministry should have notified you of this earlier this morning", Dumbledore said after knocking on the iron gate. A small hole at eye level opened in the gate, and Dumbledore immediately stated their purpose, handing over a rolled-up parchment.
"Alright, come in." After checking the documents for several seconds, the man reappeared behind the door and used his wand to open the castle's gate for Liam and Dumbledore. The gate of Fortress Azkaban wasn't large, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. However, the entrance was very deep and dark. Liam couldn't see the exit for a moment after stepping inside.
Fortunately, the wizard who had opened the door for them lit his wand and led them into the castle. As they walked, he said, "Working a shift at Azkaban is truly terrible. If I hadn't been in dire need of money, I wouldn't have taken this job—"
After about five minutes of walking, Liam and the others arrived at a large hall. Unlike what they had expected, this hall's style was completely different from the rest of Azkaban. Under the soft lighting, a few plush ivory-colored sofas were arranged around a fireplace. A bookshelf lined the wall, filled to the brim with books. A thick red carpet covered the floor, and in one corner, an iron stand held several beautiful plants.
Two wizards were sitting on the sofas, playing Wizard's Chess. They looked up when the door opened, and one of them saw Professor Dumbledore.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, it's a pleasure to see you today", a witch with short, neat hair greeted him warmly. "Are you here to—"
"Professor Dumbledore is here to handle the bail procedures for Lucius Malfoy", the middle-aged wizard who had led them in said. "Susan, please bring Professor Dumbledore some hot tea. Peter, use the Two-way Mirror to notify Albert and the others on patrol. Have them bring Lucius Malfoy here."
"It seems different from the last time I was here", Dumbledore said as he and Liam sat down on the sofas facing the fireplace. After accepting a cup of tea and thanking Susan, Dumbledore asked the middle-aged wizard, "At least two years ago, when I was here, this room was a dark, stone hall with water dripping from the ceiling."
"You're right", the middle-aged wizard replied. "This room and the two adjacent dormitories were only renovated a few months ago, after most of the Dementors disappeared. The Ministry of Magic had to rely on us Aurors and Hit Wizards to fill the personnel gap. We have three Aurors and six Hit Wizards divided into three teams. One team patrols, one rests and serves as backup, and one sleeps. But the conditions in Azkaban are so harsh that we can only keep going by making our living quarters as comfortable as possible."
"At first, the Ministry of Magic didn't want to spend the money, as most of the wizards willing to come here were Muggle-born or half-bloods", the young witch named Susan said angrily. "Fortunately, we collectively refused to come here without the proper protection. They couldn't find anyone to replace us, so they had to bite the bullet and provide this for us."
"I've repeatedly told the Ministry of Magic that Azkaban doesn't need Dementors. These evil creatures are only Voldemort's allies. But the Ministry has never accepted my arguments", Dumbledore said.
At the mention of Voldemort, the two Ministry officials shuddered. Hans then said, "But it's much better than before. When I used to bring prisoners here, I would shiver all over at the gate. Now, that feeling only comes when visiting the top floors where the Dementors still guard the high-security cells."
"Knock, knock, knock." As Dumbledore and the Azkaban supervisor were talking, three knocks—one long and two short—came from another door in the hall. The middle-aged wizard nodded apologetically at Dumbledore, then walked to the door, wand in hand.
"Lightning", the middle-aged wizard called.
"Thunder", a deep voice replied from outside. The door opened, and a wizard with graying temples stepped forward, followed by two others who were escorting Lucius Malfoy in his prison uniform.
(End of Chapter)
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