Chapter 630: The Situation
Chapter 630: The Situation
In the afternoon following his call with Dumbledore, a young wizard appeared on the island outside Azkaban. After taking a boat to the entrance and confirming the password, he brought Liam the supplies he needed.
"John, how's the situation outside?" Albert greeted him, recognizing the young Auror. They had met once before, both being Muggle-born wizards.
"It's terrible", the young Auror shook his head. "There's chaos everywhere, with small-scale conflicts breaking out in many places. The only areas we have complete control over are Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and here. When I left Hogwarts, I saw Dumbledore ordering some empty classrooms to be opened for those who fled with nothing."
He then walked up to Liam and handed him a bag from his waist. "You must be Liam, right? I think you're the only Asian here. Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to tell you that due to the current chaos, there are many places that need help. He can't send anyone to assist you. He hopes you can hold onto Azkaban Castle and protect Hogwarts' northern flank."
"I'll do my best to hold this place", Liam nodded, taking the bag. The young Auror then registered the addresses of the family members present, nodded to everyone, and left.
As he had mentioned, Headmaster Dumbledore was doing his best to protect every innocent person from harm, especially the families of those fighting on the front lines. This was why no one could be spared: many were dispatched to protect the families of the warriors and to ensure their safe transport to secure locations.
That night, the guards at Azkaban hardly slept. On the castle's top floor, Liam and Hermione patrolled the roof under the guise of a routine check.
"How are the prisoners downstairs?" Liam asked.
"All the prisoners are wandless, so it's not a big issue", Hermione replied. "The low-security prisoners, especially those who were wrongly arrested, are cooperating with us. We've promised to improve their living conditions and will soon re-evaluate their cases. The main concern is the high-security prisoners. The influence of the Dementors will gradually diminish now that they're gone, and I'm worried they might cause trouble."
"Don't worry. With the current shortage of manpower, Headmaster Dumbledore compensated by providing a lot of materials. I can prepare some ritual arrays to keep those scum weakened."
For the rest of the night, Liam set up an alchemy table and began crafting magic arrays for the high-security prisoners. After his recent training in Silvermoon City, he had many more magical options to choose from.
Soon, he designed a comprehensive magic array that combined Stunning Spells, Suppression Spells, Despair Spells, Fatigue Touch, and Weakening Spells. The powerful negative energy surrounding the castle served as the best energy source for this array, effectively suppressing the Dementors' regeneration.
The entire night was spent creating various array plates and installing them in the high-security prisoners' ward. By the time the sun rose, everything was ready.
In the first rays of sunlight, Liam activated the magic array. The light in the high-security prisoners' ward on the top floor of the castle dimmed momentarily before returning to normal.
"The magic is working", Hermione stood in the main hall of the high-security ward, looking down the corridors. Her sensitivity to Death Power allowed her to feel a faint Death Aura rising from each cell.
"Yes, I can guarantee that under the effects of these Magics, the High-Security Prisoners here will feel exactly the same as they did when they were guarded by Dementors." Liam stretched lazily. "We can finally get some rest after being up all night."
They slept until the afternoon. When they woke up and were about to get something to eat, they noticed that most people were gathered around the radio in the common room, their faces serious as they listened to a raspy voice they had never heard before.
"According to the order of the newly appointed Minister of Magic, Pius Thicknesse, starting today, a 'Muggle-born Registration' will be conducted to investigate so-called 'Muggle-borns' and understand how they obtained the secret of Magic. The latest research from the Department of Mysteries shows that Magic can only be inherited through Wizard births. Therefore, if there is no verified Wizard bloodline, so-called Muggle-borns may have acquired their Magic abilities through theft or violence."
"The Ministry of Magic is determined to eliminate these Magic usurpers. For this purpose, every so-called Muggle-born is invited to the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission for an interview. The Commission is authorized to take any actions necessary, including the use of lethal Spells, to ensure the implementation of this policy."
"Alright, that's all for today's broadcast. Let us remember that Magic is power."
With a click, the radio was turned off. Liam looked at the troubled faces around him and asked, "What's the news?"
"A lot of bad news", Henry said, turning his chair. "Apart from that decree, Headmaster Dumbledore and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, have been wanted."
"What?" Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why? Have they committed a crime?"
"Just now, the new Minister of Magic, Pius Thicknesse, claimed that Scrimgeour was murdered because Madame Bones, under Dumbledore's orders, assassinated him. Along with Madame Bones, her accomplices include Arthur Weasley and Percy Weasley. They are referred to as the Usurper Group in the broadcast."
"How disgraceful!" Liam said angrily. "To use such crude methods to frame them, do they really think anyone will believe such lies?"
"At least no one here does. Dumbledore could have claimed the position of Minister of Magic if he wanted it. Although the Ministry of Magic fell quickly due to the large number of Death Eaters planted by the Dark Lord, the recent skirmishes and today's 180-degree policy shift make it clear that the Dark Lord is behind all this", Henry explained.
"But the problem is, apart from certain places beyond the reach of the Death Eaters, most people are only speaking privately, afraid to confide in each other, unsure of who to trust", Albert added. "I experienced the last Dark Lord's reign when I was young, and it was the same then. No one dared to speak freely, even though they knew the truth. They were afraid that by speaking out, they would see the Dark Mark hanging over their homes at night."
"So, the Dark Lord is still cunning", Liam said. "He knows his reputation is terrible, and if he declared his usurpation openly, it might provoke public resistance. So he stays in the shadows, sowing confusion, suspicion, and fear."
"What do we do now?" Albert asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty, having experienced such dark times before. The others also looked to Liam with hopeful eyes.
"For now, we stay here until a replacement arrives", Liam reassured them. "As long as Headmaster Dumbledore is still around, the Dark Lord won't risk an attack on the Ministry of Magic to come here. And with the castle's own magical defenses, I believe the Death Eaters alone won't be able to breach them."
"Besides, if Headmaster Dumbledore has promised to protect your families, he will. There's no need to worry too much."
(End of Chapter)
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