The other wizard quickly snapped out of it and roared, "To hell with retribution! We're under attack! Get to the island and provide backup!"
At that moment, on the island opposite Azkaban, a group of Enforcers and Hit Wizards had barely managed to release a few alarm spells before they were all taken down.
They had been in the lighthouse enjoying a hot meal—well, no, more like stargazing and singing—when two men suddenly appeared. One of them threw a creepy, laughing doll, and everyone in the room immediately charged toward it uncontrollably. Their minds went blank, and by the time they came to, they had all been subdued.
"You...do you even know what you're doing?"
The lead Hit Wizard shouted angrily.
"Even if you catch us, it doesn't matter! Once the Dementors get here, the only thing waiting for you is death by the Dementor's Kiss! Mu-mmmph!"
Edward casually wiped away the man's mouth and walked to the window, looking across the sea at Azkaban. Within minutes, Hit Wizards on broomsticks arrived, shrouded by swarming Dementors that looked like dark storm clouds.
He and his companion stood silently as the enemy approached. Once within range of the island, the Hit Wizards slowed and spread out, letting the Dementors fly ahead to engage first.
In the blink of an eye, a chill so deep it seemed to freeze blood swept over them.
"Lilith, I'll take the ones in front. Try to manipulate the ones coming from the other directions."
"Got it!"
Lilith darted out of Edward's arms, transformed into a shadow, and zipped out the window. She sprinted along the walls and climbed to the top of the tower, circling it while continuously using her Incite ability.
The power of an Instigator typically required verbal suggestion, but when it came to Dementors—creatures driven purely by the instinct to feed—words weren't necessary. The ability worked regardless.
As the Dementors flooded in, several restrained Hit Wizards looked on with excitement.
"Those two idiots...if they survive the Dementor's Kiss, make sure they're thrown into the deepest cells so the Dementors can give them some special attention every day!"
Just then, Edward stepped forward and loudly declared:
"Flight is prohibited here."
In that moment, nearly half of his spirituality was drained.
The next second, all flying creatures—Dementors and Hit Wizards alike—within dozens of meters of the lighthouse crashed from the sky.
Then Edward leaned back, arms open wide as if embracing the sun. From above, a majestic, pure, and blazing column of light descended straight into the densest cluster of Dementors.
Shhh-shhh-shhh—
The Dementors at the centre of the blast were instantly vaporised. The radiant light burned the surrounding ones, slowly disintegrating them as they let out soundless wails.
"Th-The Dementors…the Dementors were killed!"
"They're dead! Someone killed Dementors!"
"How is this possible?!"
The Hit Wizards were stunned. They stood frozen, utterly lost. The ones who had been fantasising about how to torment the intruders were in complete disbelief. These were Dementors, for Merlin's sake—how could they possibly be killed?
Who were these two?
The reason no one dared stir up trouble in Azkaban wasn't because of a few dozen Hit Wizards. It was because of the hundreds of unkillable Dementors on the island.
Yet that single beam of light from the sky had annihilated over a dozen of them in an instant. The creatures, once driven only by hunger, now felt fear. They squirmed along the ground, desperately trying to flee the lighthouse.
The Hit Wizards had no doubt: if those Dementors got airborne again, they would flee without hesitation.
And what could a bunch of dropouts who failed to become Aurors possibly do against a wizard who could instantly obliterate dozens of Dementors?
So, those still able to move turned and ran. The ones who had broken their legs threw away their wands without hesitation and shouted their surrender.
"…They're giving up already?"
Edward tilted his head, thinking about it. If he were in their shoes, he'd probably surrender just as fast.
A few hundred Galleons a month wasn't worth dying for.
Just then, Lilith leapt back in through the window, puffing her cheeks in frustration.
"Miss Lilith didn't even get to do anything! You said I'd handle the rest!"
Edward scratched her head. "I didn't expect Dementors to actually be afraid…"
—Though it had only taken one Prohibition to bring down the entire swarm, the spiritual cost had been massive. He couldn't sustain it for long.
"Hmph!"
Off to the side, Audrey grumbled silently: I didn't even get to cast my Patronus Charm yet!
Edward then tapped his wand to his throat and amplified his voice to boom across the island:
"I'll give you all five minutes. In five minutes, everyone is to gather in front of the lighthouse. Don't worry, I won't kill you. But if you don't show up...I make no promises."
"Starting now."
The Hit Wizards who had finally managed to get away from the lighthouse fell into turmoil. Should they go back…or keep running?
But they soon realised it wasn't really a question. They had no way of escaping the island. After a bit of mental struggle, they had no choice but to return.
Those with broken legs and mangled limbs were worse off. They wanted to gather at the lighthouse—but physically couldn't.
Within five minutes, most of the Hit Wizards had gathered in front of the lighthouse. Edward stood atop the tower, looking down at them and declared:
"Listen up. From now until sunrise tomorrow, I don't want anyone disturbing us at Azkaban. Is that understood?"
What else could they say?
"…Understood," they replied weakly.
"Very good. Now, hand over your wands, broomsticks, and any magically extended items you're carrying. I'll leave them all in Azkaban. Once tonight is over, you're free to retrieve them yourselves," Edward said.
He wasn't lying either. The Hit Wizards were just doing their duty, guarding the inmates of Azkaban. Technically, they stood on the side of justice—Edward was the one acting outside the law. There was no reason to actually harm them for simply doing their job.
Before long, everyone turned over their belongings. Edward flicked out a Galleon, confirmed none of them would interfere with what came next, then Apparated directly to Azkaban with all the confiscated items.
Almost at the same time, the lighthouse began flashing violently and emitting a sharp, high-pitched warning tone—signaling an intrusion into Azkaban.
"..."
The group looked at one another.
Practically all of Azkaban's Enforcers and Hit Wizards were already here—what was the bloody point of that alarm, besides constantly irritating them?
———
Inside Azkaban Castle, the moment Edward, Audrey, and Lilith stepped inside, they were met with an ambush by the seven or eight Enforcers who had remained behind. Unfortunately for them, a few quick Distortions turned their own spells against them, and they were promptly knocked out.
After collecting their wands, Edward simply Apparated again—one round trip—and dumped them off on the lighthouse island with the others. Only then did the trio begin their exploration of the wizarding world's most infamous prison.
Susie was let out of his coat pocket and looked around curiously, sniffing the air—only to have her tail tuck between her legs from the pungent, sour stench assaulting her nose.
She was a noble dog, after all. When had she ever been to such a filthy place?
The two men, the dog, and the orange cat first circled around the outer cell blocks. These were larger communal cells housing minor criminals—petty thieves, con artists, and the like.
The recent departure of the Enforcers, along with the bulk of the Dementors, had naturally alarmed the inmates. Some suspected someone was bold—or insane—enough to cause trouble in Azkaban.
But after the Enforcers left, everything went quiet again. No jailbreak, no return of the guards. No one knew what had happened.
As they crowded by the doors and whispered theories among themselves, they spotted two men—accompanied by an orange cat and a butterfly-eared dog—strolling casually through the prison as if they were on a leisurely outing.
Who were they?
Pure-blood aristocrats? Ministry officials?
But where were the escorts?
Surely…they weren't breaking into Azkaban? Not with that kind of ease?
Questions filled their minds. Unease spread. No one dared raise their voices or make a fuss—after all, for most of them, a few years would see them released. Even the heavier sentences rarely exceeded five or six years. Dementors also rarely came to this outer wing to 'feed', so why provoke trouble?
Before long, the group finished 'touring' the outer blocks and arrived at a thick stone door, sealed with anti-Alohomora enchantments. Typically, any wizard wishing to pass would need to dismantle the magical runes inscribed on the surface.
But for Edward, a single [Door Opening] was all it took.
Compared to the outer block, Azkaban's inner wing was a place of true darkness. Here, every prisoner was confined to a tiny solitary cell, fed only scraps of leftovers from the outer wing—just enough to keep them alive.
Once locked away in these cells, there was no leaving—not until death. All bodily needs—eating, drinking, sleeping, and more—had to be handled inside. The conditions were so foul that the stench could be smelled long before one reached the cells.
Before the trio even got close, a dozen Dementors descended silently, their pale, horrifying hands stretching toward Edward and Audrey, hungering for the warmth of their emotions.
"Let Miss Lilith handle this!" Lilith called out cheerfully.
Edward paused, yielding the field. He gave Audrey a glance, and she responded immediately—casting Frenzy and Mass Chaos, sending the Dementors into disarray midair.
Lilith darted forward, dashing along the walls and leaping to the top of the tower. From there, she rapidly unleashed her Incitement ability on the disoriented creatures. By the time the Dementors began to recover from the spells, they were already attacking each other.
In the nearest cell, a prisoner who had been slumped in the corner like a corpse suddenly stirred at the noise. Crawling to the bars, he spotted the group approaching and cried out in desperation, "Help! Get me out of here! I don't care who you are—my life is yours if you get me out! I swear it! I swear!"
His shouting quickly attracted the attention of nearby prisoners. Though they didn't know who the intruders were, anyone clashing with Dementors clearly wasn't here by official channels. They began crawling to their doors, shouting:
"Please! Take us with you!"
"Save us!"
"I never want to see those damned things again!"
"I know where a treasure is hidden! Take me out and I'll tell you! I swear on my mother's name!"
Still, only a handful spoke up. Most remained sprawled on the ground, like the dead. Some had already gone mad, muttering gibberish or laughing hysterically.
The British Ministry had built Azkaban because capital punishment was outlawed. But in truth, being imprisoned here was arguably more torturous than death.
After several minutes of chaotic fighting, only one Dementor remained—and it had been torn nearly to shreds by its own kind, barely holding itself together.
Having lost its targets, it regained a sliver of clarity and fled without hesitation.
Lilith strutted back proudly. "Well? Isn't Miss Lilith amazing?"
"Impressive!" Edward said with a thumbs-up.
"Heehee!"
They paid no mind to the fleeing Dementor and instead approached the nearest cell.
"Your turn, Audrey," Edward said. "I'll back you up fully."
The prisoner begging at the door was a long-haired man—though, to be fair, nearly everyone in Azkaban had long hair. Who would bother giving the condemned a haircut?
His face was filthy, his matted hair clumped into greasy tangles, and he reeked of rot.
As Edward drew close, the man shoved his hand through the bars, baring yellow-black teeth in a grotesque grin. "Save me! I'm yours! I'll do anything! Anything!"
Edward casually flicked out a Galleon and glanced at Audrey. "He's lying."
The man slammed his head into the bars in frustration. "No! I swear! I swear! Just—just get me out of this damned—DAMNED PLACE!!!"
Audrey calmly cast Soothe, bringing his emotions under control. She smiled gently and said, "Then let's talk. If it goes well…maybe I'll consider letting you out."
———
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