Chapter 670: Prison Break
Chapter 670: Prison Break
Upon seeing the photo in the newspaper and learning that Peter was still alive, Black lost all interest in the crossword puzzle.
Having seen Peter transform into a rat countless times, he could never mistake that form.
The fact that the despicable traitor was not only alive but hiding by Harry's side was undoubtedly the worst thing that had happened to Black in the past decade.
Black knew he was the only one aware of Peter's survival, and he had to take action.
However, he was currently imprisoned in Azkaban, and escaping from this notorious jail was no easy feat.
For centuries, no wizard had ever successfully broken out.
Before Black could even attempt his escape, the Dementors of Azkaban, under Fudge's instruction, had already tightened their guard.
There were now more Dementors keeping watch outside the cells. Every day, they would open the cell doors and stretch their shapeless mouths beneath their hoods towards Black through the iron bars, relentlessly sucking in the air around the cell, emitting a terrible sound akin to a death rattle.
The Dementors were all too happy to carry out Fudge's orders, even though they didn't believe anyone could escape from Azkaban.
And neither could Black, in his current state.
At that moment, his face was ashen, and his mind was flooded with horrible memories, as if he were reliving the night James and Lily died.
He curled up, clutching the newspaper tightly in his hands, muttering softly to himself.
Black was trying to overcome the voices in his head and recall any information that could aid his escape.
He failed. His eyes rolled up, and his body seemed to lose all its strength as he curled into a corner of the cell, childhood traumas replaying in his mind.
Soon, the Dementors left the cell, and as they departed, the voices in Black's head gradually faded, his soul seemingly returning to his body. He lay on the ground with his eyes closed, his hands and feet trembling slightly.
When Black woke up again, he felt cold and weak, as if he had just recovered from an illness. He dragged himself onto the bed, breathing heavily like a dead dog, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor when speaking with Fudge.
After lying there for a long time, he opened his eyes again, his gaze falling on the plate of food next to the iron bars, before closing them once more.
Black didn't know how long he had slept, but when he awoke, he felt extremely weak. He ate some hard bread and drank some water, then lay back down, staring blankly at the closed cell door through the iron bars.
He had been brought to Azkaban by boat, the prison situated on a solitary island in the middle of the sea. The surrounding waters had engulfed the island, and the entire fortress was enchanted to prevent any wizard from Apparating or using a Portkey.
As for the Floo Network, that was out of the question.
So, the only way in and out was by boat from the dock, the sole entrance to this prison.
If he wanted to escape, he had to get away from Azkaban and out of range of the Anti-Apparition enchantments on the island before he could Apparate back to the mainland.
However, Black was weak, very weak, and without his wand, he couldn't cast a Patronus to drive away the Dementors. Worse still, the influence of the Dementors was causing his mind to become unstable, gradually eroding his ability to cast spells.
Without his wand, Black couldn't perform any other magic; non-verbal spellcasting was incredibly difficult. Only exceptionally talented wizards could manage it, and it wasn't something taught at Hogwarts.
He had to come up with another plan.
He knew that if his escape attempt failed, the Ministry would let the Dementors suck out his soul. So, he only had one chance.
He was at Hogwarts, right under their noses! He was still lurking, still plotting against Harry.
No, that couldn't be allowed! The moment they got wind of any suspicion, he might hand over the last of the Potters.
Just like he betrayed James and Lily.
Who would dare say then that he had ever betrayed Voldemort?
That despicable man could then effortlessly return to their midst, laden with honors.
He had to take revenge, to kill the traitor who caused the deaths of James and Lily with his own hands.
Revenge for them! Revenge!
A fire was lit within Black's heart, a fire that not even the Dementors could suck out—a fire of vengeance.
This was undoubtedly not a positive turn of emotions.
Ever since learning that Peter was still alive, Black had been constantly thinking about how to kill him.
But he couldn't act on it just yet. The first thing he had to do was get past the iron bars outside his cell, then open and pass through the cell door without the Dementors noticing.
After that, he might have to go through several more doors before jumping into the sea from the docks. Jumping off the fortress, on the other hand, was unlikely to succeed, as the water below wasn't deep enough, and he might end up smashing his head.
Black mechanically ate the now-cold food the Dementors had brought, observing his surroundings and carefully pondering his escape plan.
However, he now faced his first obstacle: there was no way he could get through the iron bars in front of him.
The Dementors never opened them, and food was always passed through the gaps. He measured the space between the bars with his palms; it was an impossibly narrow gap for a human to squeeze through.
The torrential rain continued outside, and Black curled up on his bed, strange sounds still ringing in his ears.
He covered his ears with his hands, but it did little to muffle the noises.
The frequent appearances of the Dementors in his cell were taking a toll on Black's mental state. If this continued, he might lose his sanity like the others here.
He would turn himself into a dog! Whenever Black felt he couldn't take it anymore, he would transform into a dog, minimizing the Dementors' influence on him.
No one knew he was an Animagus.
Not even the Dementors, for those evil creatures had no eyes.
Black seemed to realize something and slowly moved towards the iron bars.
If he transformed into a dog, a skeleton of a dog, he might be able to squeeze through the gaps between the bars.
If his plan went smoothly, he could even escape from Azkaban Prison, Disapparate back to the mainland, or simply swim there.
Black squeezed through the gap with difficulty and gazed at the closed cell door before him, muttering, "If only my Animagus form were an insect that could fly."
Black began appearing in front of the Dementors in his dog form. He knew these evil beings couldn't perceive the outside world and could only rely on emotions to locate and distinguish people.
And animals had far fewer emotional fluctuations than humans.
Black started controlling his emotional fluctuations, trying to make the Dementors think he was on the verge of insanity, becoming a madman.
One night, when the Dementors opened the cell door to bring food, Black, who had long transformed into a dog and discarded all emotions, strolled right past them. He had successfully made himself invisible to the Dementors.
Even though the Dementors had no eyelids.
His journey went smoothly, and hardly any Dementors noticed the dog. It was only when one Dementor realized Black was missing from his cell that Azkaban Prison descended into chaos.
By then, Black had already jumped into the turbulent sea and was swimming with all his might towards the open ocean.
The Dementors began searching the perimeter of the island, but Black easily evaded their capture, leaving the range of the Anti-Apparition enchantments on the island and vanishing into the vast ocean.
However, there was one thing Black never realized: why had he been able to escape so easily?
Was it simply due to the Dementors' negligence?
Yes and no.
It was all because the Dementors had intentionally let him go. After realizing Black had escaped from Azkaban, they only conducted a token search.
To the Dementors, Azkaban Prison was also a cage.
As the number of prisoners decreased, the Dementors' food supply gradually diminished. The wizards couldn't provide enough food for them, which displeased the Dementors. But... those wizards' patronuses restrained them, so they still had to abide by the agreement between them.
With someone escaping from Azkaban Prison, they could take the opportunity to leave as well and search for Black elsewhere.
As long as they were away from here, there would be enough food for them elsewhere, and they wouldn't have to worry about going hungry.
(End of Chapter)
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