Chapter 626: Operation
Chapter 626: Operation (Additional Chapter for Youlan Yuehe)
A faint explosion sounded, and Liam and Hermione appeared on an island outside Azkaban. This was the same place where Liam had landed during his previous visit. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Hermione drew her wand and scanned the surroundings warily, while Liam quickly summoned the Rose Madonna to modify the various defensive magic arrays on the island.
Soon, a few key parameters on the magic array were altered, ensuring that no one except those with Liam's permission could dimensionally teleport to Azkaban. If Voldemort's side wanted to come here, they would have to either break through the defenses head-on or find another way.
"We've finally arrived ahead of the Dark Lord's group", Liam confirmed as he made the changes. He suspected this wasn't because Voldemort had overlooked this place, but rather because the hardcore Death Eaters he and Hermione had eliminated were too numerous. Voldemort simply couldn't spare enough trusted followers to come to Azkaban while simultaneously taking over the Ministry of Magic.
"That's the only good news I've heard today", Hermione said, then looked up at the black, triangular castle standing on the island. "So, this is the infamous Azkaban, where the power of death is visibly present."
"Yes, this is it", Liam said, taking Hermione's hand again. "Alright, let's go inside. We still need the cooperation of the Aurors inside."
Fortunately, Liam had been here before with Professor Dumbledore, so he accurately teleported them into the Aurors' resting room. Inside, they saw the same small group of wizards who had been laughing around a book when Liam was here last.
"Who are you?" The three wizards immediately took cover behind obstacles and raised their wands, not daring to move rashly, knowing that anyone who could silently appear in Azkaban was not someone they could handle.
Fortunately, the middle-aged wizard named Henry recognized Liam after just a few seconds. "You're the boy who came with Dumbledore last time. What are you doing here now?"
"Don't you know?" Liam was a bit surprised, but then he remembered how isolated this place was. It made sense they wouldn't know what was happening outside. He explained, "The Death Eaters just attacked the Hogwarts Express—"
At this, Henry lowered his wand and stood up, looking tense. "Was anyone hurt on the train?"
It seemed Henry's child was on the train. Liam reassured him, "Thanks to the efforts of the Aurors and Hit Wizards on board, and Headmaster Dumbledore's timely arrival, no students were harmed."
"—That's a relief." Henry relaxed immediately and, without raising his wand again, continued, "So, why are you and your companion here now?"
"Because the Death Eaters used the Hogwarts Express to tie up Professor Dumbledore, the Dark Lord and his core followers killed Minister of Magic Scrimgeour and completely took over the Ministry of Magic. To prevent the Dark Lord from entering Azkaban and freeing his followers, Headmaster Dumbledore sent us to strengthen the defenses here."
"What?" "Is that true?" The three wizards looked shocked. They hadn't expected the Ministry of Magic to fall so quickly. The two Hit Wizards appeared anxious and worried, while the Auror Henry remained calm.
"Please wait, I need to confirm this information." Henry walked into an adjacent cottage and closed the door, likely using some special means to contact the Ministry of Magic. The male and female Hit Wizards, seeing Henry leave, put down their wands and approached Liam to ask about the specific details of the attack on the Hogwarts Express.
After a brief introduction highlighting the contributions of the Aurors and Hit Wizards, Henry opened the door and walked out of the small room with a grim expression. "All communication with the Ministry of Magic has been cut off. I contacted a friend who told me that the Ministry is under attack and is now completely sealed. No one can get in, and no one can get out. It seems the bad news you brought is true."
Henry then fixed Liam with a stern gaze and asked, "So, what do we do now? What instructions did Headmaster Dumbledore give you?" Upon hearing this, the two Hit Wizards also looked up at Liam.
"At the very least, we should gather everyone here and discuss our next steps", Liam sighed inwardly, observing the lost and confused expressions of the Azkaban guards.
Those assigned to Azkaban were often the Wizards who had been marginalized within the Ministry of Magic. They were usually on the fringes, so it was no surprise that they handled the current chaotic situation poorly. If he and Hermione hadn't arrived in time, Voldemort or the Death Eaters would have had an easy time taking over the place.
A few minutes later, all nine Azkaban Guards were gathered in the room. After a brief discussion, Liam was chosen to lead the next steps.
This was partly because Liam represented Dumbledore, who was now the sole resistance core in Britain after the Ministry of Magic was completely taken over by Voldemort. The other reason was that they had confirmed Liam's ability to break through Azkaban's outer magical defenses and alter part of the magical system, proving his strength. Wizards still believed in the principle of might makes right.
"Since the Ministry of Magic is now completely gone, we must take decisive wartime measures. The first step is to deal with the Dementors on the castle. They could turn against us at any moment", Liam said after confirming his command authority.
"That's great, I'm sick of those evil creatures. Every time I patrol upstairs, I have to eat a large piece of chocolate to recover", the youngest Hit Wizard, Susan, stood up excitedly. She only sat back down after Henry gave her a stern look, but her enthusiasm had already lifted the oppressive mood caused by the bad news.
Once everything was ready, the 11 people from the castle, fully armed, began their ascent up the stairs. Liam noticed that the further they went up, the colder it became, and the torches and lanterns on the walls seemed shrouded in a black mist, making everything appear hazy.
"Alright, we're here", the oldest Auror, Albert, said as they approached a large iron gate. Visible wisps of black vapor seeped through the cracks in the gate. "There are three squads of Dementors behind the gate, each with ten Dementors. There used to be many more, but something happened a few months ago, and only these remain."
"The last attack by the Rose Crystal must have been quite effective", Liam thought, realizing that without the Miniature Dolls' previous battle, they would have faced a much bigger problem.
"Once inside, follow the plan. You will release the Patronus Charm to herd the Dementors together, and then we will eliminate them all at once", Liam reminded everyone. They all nodded, and a team of three people placed their right hands on the gate. With a series of creaking sounds, the gate opened.
Behind the gate was a vast, dark hall made entirely of black stone.
Once everyone entered the hall, the operation began: Liam and Hermione stayed behind to set up the magical array, while the others, following the plan, entered the High-Security Wing to gather all the Dementors into the hall.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
