Chapter 431: Chapter 431: Azkaban Liaison Office (Edited)
Any other person, surrounded by so many Dementors, would have fainted. But Tom, with his crown, felt no fear of the desperate atmosphere created by the Dementors. He was completely immune.
Amelia's arrival alerted the Dementors, who approached her with hostility.
Amelia watched as the Dementors stirred, as if awakening from a slumber. At that moment, she had no time to ponder the relationship between the masked figure and the Dementors. She knew she had to quickly retrieve the documents from the Ministry of Magic to appease these dark creatures. She trusted that the Patronus Charm would be enough to intimidate these erratic individuals.
Just then, the masked figure moved. He extended a hand, and all the Dementors in motion froze, not daring to take another step forward.
As all the Dementors halted, Tom took a few steps forward, approaching Amelia.
"Hello, Minister Bones," Tom said.
In that moment, Amelia could clearly see the appearance of the masked figure. In an instant, she recognized this figure: it was the same person she had encountered at the Hog's Head Inn!
She wouldn't mistake this mask!
Before, she had thought this masked figure was an informant of Dumbledore, but now she was no longer sure. Who had ever seen a wizard who could live in harmony with Dementors? Their coexistence was as if a hungry wolf and a fat lamb had become good friends.
Then, she thought that this being was not some strange magical creature, or perhaps a particularly intelligent Dementor that had evolved to become the King of Dementors?
"I didn't expect you to have this other identity," she said with a complex expression.
Tom: ...
Amelia's words left Tom unsure of how to respond.
"Why have you come here?" he asked, opening his mouth.
Amelia explained the purpose of her visit to Tom.
"What do you think? Would you be willing to send some Dementors to help me search Knockturn Alley? The captured criminals will eventually be brought to Azkaban, which would be beneficial for your kind." Amelia looked at Tom with some unease, unsure if negotiations could proceed smoothly after the appearance of the authoritative figure among the Dementors.
After all, persuading a highly intelligent creature like a wizard and persuading a group of fools were two very different things.
"Why should my tribe and I help you?" Tom skillfully noticed a gap in Amelia's words. In that gap, he heard the sound of extortion.
"Because... the captured wizards will be sent to Azkaban and provide more fresh food for you." Amelia's eyes flickered slightly.
"Are not criminal wizards always sent to Azkaban? So if I don't agree this time, you won't bring the prisoners?" Tom asked.
Dementors and Azkaban were unique to the British magical world, and even the magical world in general. Was there any more absolute monopoly than this? There was none.
From what Tom knew, the other Ministries of Magic in other countries only had more primitive temporary jails or custom prisons like Nurmengard, a large prison where many wizards could be incarcerated long-term. Only Azkaban was an exclusive market for selling prisoners. Even if Tom rejected Amelia's request, could she change that? Where would she lock up her prisoners, Gringotts? Or would she build an institution to house minor offenders at the Ministry of Magic?
Amelia: ...
It had become more complicated! She was now completely on guard against this mysterious individual: he was too suspicious. According to Amelia's judgment, this creature was already colluding with Dumbledore, and there was surely a very close cooperation between them. Together, they had toppled Fudge's regime, and she herself had become Minister with their help.
Before knowing the identity of the masked figure, she wasn't as worried. After all, Dumbledore and his followers were normal. This kind of thing had happened countless times throughout history, and the Malfoys were prominent examples. Being outdone by Dumbledore wasn't too bad; it was better than being outdone by pure-bloods. But now Amelia was anxious because this seemed more than an internal struggle among wizards; it was a racial showdown.
What was Dumbledore planning? How could he be allied with these monstrous creatures called Dementors?
Upon reflection, Amelia believed that Dumbledore was too good a man to do such a thing, so perhaps there was something more to it. The identity of the masked figure remained an enigma.
After thinking it over a bit, Amelia was no longer as nervous. The most urgent task was to convince this person to send the Dementors to help her clean up Knockturn Alley. Yes, afterward, she would go interrogate Dumbledore.
"Without your help, even if we manage to catch people, they won't be many."
Tom had no idea that he had nearly become an ambitious outsider challenging the status of wizards in Minister Amelia's mind. He was just thinking about what kind of price to offer as a condition for joining the "fight."
"Between the Ministry of Magic and the Dementors, it seems there hasn't been an official channel of communication," Tom said calmly. "I hope you can establish a liaison office with the Dementors, or an office for the Dementors, where I can handle communication between the Ministry of Magic and the Dementor community."
Upon hearing this, Amelia's first reaction was to search her mind to see if the Ministry of Magic had an institution that fit the description of the masked man. Then, she was surprised to realize that in the vast Ministry of Magic, there was no specific department responsible for communicating with Dementors.
Usually, non-human creatures should fall under the purview of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but the seven departments under its jurisdiction (Beast Division, Being Division, Spirit Division, Goblin Liaison Office, Centaur Liaison Office, Pest Advisory Board, and Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office) did not deal with the management of dark creatures.
If Dementors were classified as spirits, then the Spirit Division could handle them, but they were not really spirits!
After pondering for a moment and considering it carefully, Amelia realized that she had to establish another institution dedicated to communicating with Dementors. Moreover, this institution would surely be of vital importance, as it would have to handle coordination with Azkaban. The absurd departments of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures were not suitable at all.
"Then, I will establish an Azkaban Liaison Office under the jurisdiction of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Amelia proposed.
Tom naturally had no objections.
After discussing a bit more, they finally reached an agreement: Tom would send the Dementors to assist Minister Amelia in capturing dark wizards in Knockturn Alley and, at the same time, limit their ability to escape. As a reward, after Operation "Whirlwind" concluded, the Ministry of Magic would establish the Azkaban Liaison Office, responsible for all matters related to Azkaban. Tom would head that department.
Chapter 432: Chapter 432: Assault in Knockturn Alley (Edited)
"Are you a wizard?" Amelia looked seriously at Tom before leaving.
"In my opinion, that question isn't important. Does it really matter whether I'm a wizard or not?" Tom took his wand out of his pocket and waved it gently twice, causing sparks to shoot from the wand's tip. "But since you want to know, I can give you a definite answer. I am a wizard, specialized in communicating with Dementors and maintaining a friendly relationship with them."
Seeing the wand in Tom's hand, Amelia felt relieved. Fortunately, this was an internal matter of wizards.
After getting a definitive answer, Amelia stopped worrying. She could finally leave Azkaban in peace. Though things had been complicated, she had achieved her goal.
As she returned to the Ministry of Magic, Amelia began to reflect deeply on their earlier conversation. She realized that if the masked man could really communicate with the Dementors, a new force would emerge in the magical world.
Dementors had always existed, but no one had ever truly mastered their power before. The Ministry of Magic had kept the Dementors under control and primarily used them as a tool for intimidation and coercion. Dementors obeyed the Ministry of Magic simply because it provided them with food and had overwhelming power, both of which were necessary for them.
But now, things were different. Dementors clearly had a leader. The masked man's words about his ability to communicate with them and maintain a good relationship were modest. Amelia could clearly see the Dementors' special attitude toward him, not as friends but as subordinates. The masked man was the master of the Dementors.
Over time, the masked man would have a prominent place in the magical world. From Ireland to Russia, his name would be known to all, resonating across the entire European continent.
Speaking of names, Amelia suddenly realized that she didn't even know what this masked man was called.
...
"The Ministry of Magic will carry out a major search operation in Knockturn Alley under the code 'Tornado,'" the Ministry of Magic's spokesperson on the stage read from the script in his hands, his mind blank. He had just received the speech, and before the press conference started, he didn't even know what he was going to talk about.
Now he knew. He had only one question on his mind: why hadn't there been a single rumor about this search?
After the spokesperson announced this decision, silence reigned in the room. A few seconds passed, and the "commotion" the spokesperson had imagined didn't happen. The journalists seemed calm, silently jotting down notes with their heads lowered.
Journalists were used to these kinds of searches; some of them had experienced four or five of them before. Ministers of Magic came and went, and did it really matter? It was the same old thing.
"It's probably just a face-saving measure," the journalists thought. Unlike the spokesperson, the journalists were very composed. This was the information gap. The spokesperson, due to the confidentiality of the actions, deduced that this operation was of great magnitude. But the newspaper journalists had no idea about it.
Meanwhile, a group of people dressed in dark wizard robes appeared beside an inconspicuous shop in Knockturn Alley. They all had a shiny silver emblem on their chests with the letter "M" gleaming.
The leader of the group was a woman with a broad build and a square jaw. She had short gray hair and was the current Minister of Magic.
"Enter Knockturn Alley, Operation Tornado begins!" She glanced at her subordinates and felt that the spirit of this group was good. It was a mixed unit of well-trained Aurors.
Then, she led them into Knockturn Alley.
In reality, Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley were actually connected, but most parents of young wizards didn't allow their children to approach the shops adjacent to Knockturn Alley. This had also led to these shops having very poor business, and the rents were the lowest in all of Diagon Alley.
The reason was simple: serious wizards wanted nothing to do with Knockturn Alley. Less serious wizards simply went straight to Knockturn Alley to do their shopping. Who would have time to buy things at the place where two alleys crossed?
Once inside Knockturn Alley, possibly due to suggestion, Amelia felt that the light here was considerably dimmer.
On the dark stone path, there was an old woman with a tray holding what looked like nails from the dead. Upon hearing footsteps, she instinctively raised her head, revealing moss-covered teeth in a wide smile. She felt that business had arrived.
It was evident that her eyesight wasn't very good. But when she reached the center of the path, she finally noticed something amiss. The newcomers didn't look like potential customers or easy victims but rather provocateurs. So, she decided to flee immediately.
But it was already too late.
"Halt!" Amelia shouted, "Catch her!"
The proud Aurors behind her quickly drew their wands, and the fastest to do so turned out to be Dawlish, the confidant of the former Minister of Magic. When he heard about the search operation today, he was filled with anticipation and excitement. The reason was simple: he knew he had been valued by Fudge in the past, but now Fudge had fallen! In adversity, everyone seeks their own salvation, and he needed to show his loyalty to the new Minister of Magic. Dawlish also wanted to advance! He didn't want to spend the rest of his life as a small, obscure Auror.
A rope shot from the tip of his wand and tightly bound the old woman. She lost her balance and fell to the alley floor.
The plate she held in her hand also crashed to the ground, sending the nails inside flying.
"The Ministry of Magic Aurors are arresting people!" she shouted desperately, her voice echoing in the sky.
The sound of the arrest stirred the entire alley, and numerous wizards hidden in the shadows scattered in panic, like frightened cockroaches.
"People from the Ministry of Magic?"
"It can't be, I haven't received any information!"
"Go report to Mr. Flint!"
The alley was filled with whispers like these. At this moment, many wizards who saw that things weren't going well were already preparing to flee, while shop owners remained in place with worried faces, awaiting the Ministry of Magic's search.
Amelia glared at Dawlish: Can't you use a petrification spell to immobilize her? Now we're all exposed.
Dawlish: ...
"Minister, we'd better hurry..." advised Kingsley from the side.
At that moment, the wizards in the alley tried to escape using the Floo Network or Apparition Charm, preparing to leave that troublesome place.
But they failed.
In that instant, the entire Floo Network in Knockturn Alley was blocked by Amelia's loyal followers in the Ministry of Magic, just like Fudge. As the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic for many years, Amelia also had some trusted followers.
And Apparition was interrupted by a sensation of cold that emanated from the depths of the soul.
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