"…Nurmengard Tower… collapsed?"
Mr. Lucius Malfoy's voice trembled.
Even as a child, he had heard countless "stories" about Nurmengard Tower from his parents.
Legend held that the tower was surrounded by multiple layers of formidable magical defenses, guarded by hundreds of elite wizards—one of the most secure fortresses in Europe. And all of it existed for one p urpose: to imprison a single, notoriously infamous Dark Wizard—Gellert Grindelwald.
Though Grindelwald's influence had never reached British soil, much of Europe and North America's wizarding world had once fallen under his reign of terror. In a sense, the feats he accomplished were beyond what the Dark Lord (Voldemort) would even dare to imagine.
In the end, it was Dumbledore who defeated him in a duel, bringing his mad ambitions to ruin.
Whenever Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy—Lucius's parents—spoke of this matter, there had always been a trace of regret in their tone.
The pure-blood families of British magical society had long been divided into two major factions.
One faction, represented by families such as the Malfoys, Blacks, and Averys, formed the Slytherin lineage. The other, represented by families such as the Dumbledores, Shacklebolt, and Prewett, formed the Gryffindor lineage.
The Slytherin faction was more tightly knit, its internal bonds strong. The Gryffindor faction's connections were comparatively loose. But the hostility between the two sides was unmistakable.
In 1891, Percival Dumbledore was sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban for assaulting three Muggle boys. Behind that verdict, Lucius's grandfather, Brutus Malfoy—then Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement—had played a significant role in pushing the matter forward.
So after defeating Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore rose almost overnight from a mere Hogwarts professor to the most celebrated wizard in Europe, soon succeeding Armando Dippet as Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Though the benevolent Headmaster Dumbledore never exacted any "revenge" upon the Malfoy family, he also completely ignored Abraxas Malfoy's repeated attempts at reconciliation.
That was the underlying reason, many years later, the Malfoy family ultimately threw their full support behind Voldemort.
...
Snapping out of his childhood memories, Lucius Malfoy stared at the boy before him in disbelief.
Who would have thought that a Dark Wizard imprisoned for fifty years could truly return?
And now this young man stood before him, offering Lucius a chance to pledge his allegiance.
If the wizard truly served Gellert Grindelwald, then his earlier hatred toward Albus Dumbledore made perfect sense. After all, it was Dumbledore who had locked his master away for half a century.
Forcing down the turmoil inside him, Lucius took a deep breath.
"Your Excellency… I am willing to believe you," he said carefully. "But this matter is simply too unbelievable…"
"I mean no offense, but Lord Grindelwald has been absent from the wizarding world for far, far too long…" he stammered.
"So… you want me to prove it?"
A faint, contemptuous smile appeared on the young man's face.
"I apologize…" Lucius said quickly.
"That's simple," the young man replied coldly. "In ten minutes, someone will rescue you from this prison."
"Ten minutes?"
Lucius Malfoy shuddered.
It was not entirely from fear. The effect of the Phoenix's tears was fading, and the Dementors' influence was creeping back in.
"What? You don't believe me?" the other asked icily.
Lucius curled in on himself, his words coming in broken fragments.
"No… sir… what I mean is… if I truly can leave here… how am I to contact you… contact the Master…"
"Very simple. Find a safe place to recover and wait for further instructions."
A faint smile tugged at the young man's lips.
"If you truly demonstrate loyalty, the Dark Lord will also show his generosity and mercy."
"Then… how should I address you?"
"Call me Patrick… Chris Patrick."
The retreating figure spoke calmly as he walked away.
"And by the way, please extend my sincere Christmas greetings to my friend Draco. I'll leave that to you, Mr. Malfoy."
"Patrick… Patrick…"
Lucius called out loudly, but as the cell door shut firmly, the figure was already gone.
...
Astoria lay quietly in her mother's arms, forcing herself to smile.
She told her about her days at school, about the small, happy routines she shared with her sister. She tried her best to leave her mother with more joy—something to counter the Dementors' lingering influence.
Just then, a somewhat displeased bird cry sounded from the doorway.
It was the Phoenix who had brought her and Jon here. She seemed to be urging something.
Astoria understood immediately. The great bird was telling her it was time to leave.
She cast one last reluctant glance at her mother and opened her mouth to speak.
But Mrs. Greengrass simply smiled and shook her head.
"It's all right, Astoria. Knowing that you're doing so well now makes me very, very happy. Go on. This isn't a place you should stay."
Astoria wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
The Phoenix had already flown in front of her, looking extremely agitated.
"We don't need to wait for Jon—"
Her words were cut short.
Fawkes seized her collar rather roughly.
In the next instant, both bird and girl vanished from the Azkaban cell.
...
Auror Gawain Robards was currently in the guard tent outside Azkaban Castle.
For reasons he couldn't quite place, he felt unusually uneasy.
Suddenly, the Sneakoscope on the table let out a sharp, piercing shriek.
This was already the second time it had sounded today.
That meant another intruder.
Robards immediately grabbed his wand—
But the tent flap was gently pushed open.
The tension that had filled him only moments before drained away at once when he saw who stood there.
"Oh… Merlin's beard… Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"It's a pleasure to see you, Gawain," Albus Dumbledore said with a warm smile. "You look exactly the same as you did when you were at school."
"You still remember what I looked like back then… I'm truly honored, Professor Dumbledore!"
Gawain Robards' face flushed with excitement.