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A few days later, the Ministry of Magic Minister's Office.
Cornelius Fudge sat behind a luxurious desk, his face exceptionally grim.
He tightly clutched a parchment report in his hand.
The report's title was glaringly obvious: "Preliminary Investigation Report Regarding the Loss of Azkaban Detainees (Numbers XXXX, XXXX)."
The content of the report made his blood pressure skyrocket.
The beginning described, in a conventional manner, how two empty cells were discovered during a routine patrol, and confirmed upon verification that the two Werewolf Wizards sentenced to ten years had disappeared.
But the subsequent analysis infuriated him—instead of focusing on tracing the cause of the disappearance and the suspects, the report spent a large amount of space emphasizing:
"In light of the recent consecutive security incidents at Azkaban, which expose the lack of experience, decreased vigilance, and obvious shortcomings in the emergency response capabilities of the current guards... it is recommended that the relevant responsible personnel be reassigned and retrained, and that consideration be given to deploying more Senior Aurors to strengthen security around the prison perimeter and at critical internal nodes..."
The report also "thoughtfully" included a final sentence:
"Furthermore, given that the primary pursuit forces are currently focused on searching for the fugitive Sirius Black, it is recommended that the Minister's Office consider appropriately increasing the bounty and authorizing the use of more international resources, in hopes of closing the case quickly, stabilizing public sentiment, and diverting..."
"Divert their attention my arse!" Fudge finally couldn't hold back, slamming the report onto the desk.
"These good-for-nothings! Idiots! The guards lose prisoners, and their first reaction isn't to catch them, but to find an excuse for themselves—and they want me to increase the bounty?!" His round face flushed with anger.
The most crucial point was that these two Werewolves had been sentenced to ten years only through his personal "operations," and now they had inexplicably "disappeared."
"Umbridge!" Fudge called towards the door.
The door was pushed open almost immediately. Dolores Umbridge, wearing a sickeningly pink suit, walked in with tiny steps, her face plastered with an excessively fake smile.
"Minister, did you call for me?"
"Look at this!" Fudge pointed at the report on the floor, his anger still palpable. "Something happened at Azkaban again! Those two Werewolves are gone! Vanished without a trace!"
Umbridge quickly scanned the report's content, blinked her small eyes, and immediately understood the seriousness of the problem and Fudge's concerns.
She pitched her voice high, "Oh, dear Minister, this is indeed a regrettable little... administrative oversight.
But please rest assured, this matter will definitely be handled properly and will not cause any negative impact on your reputation or that of the Ministry of Magic."
Fudge's expression remained grim.
"Handle it immediately!"
"Understood, Minister. Please calm down first and have a hot cup of tea..."
---
...Time flew by, and it was soon September 1st, the day Hogwarts started term.
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station was as lively and noisy as ever.
Lynn boarded the Hogwarts Express again.
He found a compartment by the window and sat down. Soon, Ollie, Edgar, and William arrived one after another.
Ollie had reverted to his usual quiet self.
Edgar, as always, was full of energy, chattering about pointless topics.
William pushed up his glasses and quietly organized his books.
The train whistled, slowly started, departed London, and headed towards the Scottish Highlands.
Lynn took The Daily Prophet delivered by an owl and unfolded it to read.
The front page immediately caught his attention:
"Azkaban Sees Another Bizarre 'Disappearance' Incident. Is Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge Really Competent?"
—Special Commentator: Rita Skeeter
"Azkaban, the fortress that should be the end of evil and strike terror into the hearts of Dark Wizards, seems to have recently contracted a terrible 'leakage syndrome.'
Following the mysterious escape of the notorious murderer Sirius Black, our reporters have learned from 'reliable sources' that just recently, two more incarcerated prisoners—believed to be Werewolf Wizards involved in Muggle attacks—have bizarrely 'disappeared' from their heavily guarded cells and remain missing.
Two such serious security incidents occurring in such a short period must raise doubts in the mind of every law-abiding Wizard:
Does our esteemed Minister for Magic, Mr. Cornelius Fudge, truly possess the ability to properly manage this maximum-security prison, which concerns the safety of the entire wizarding society?..."
"This is by no means an unfounded accusation, but one based on unsettling facts.
Sources close to the newspaper revealed that when the Azkaban guards initially reported the disappearance of these two Werewolf prisoners, the internal investigation report received by Minister Fudge's office clearly pointed out the dangerous identities of the missing persons and the potential public panic they might cause.
However, the Minister's first reaction was not to immediately activate emergency protocols and fully investigate, but rather to try and suppress the matter, prohibiting the leakage of information, especially fearing public knowledge... Is this method of 'covering up' intended to maintain the Ministry of Magic's image, or to conceal some deeper... management negligence? Or are there other reasons he wishes to keep secret?..."
The rest of the article sarcastically mentioned Fudge's "sluggish reaction" after Black's escape, his "confused directives regarding Dementor deployment," and the "increasingly bloated bureaucracy," stopping just short of demanding "Fudge's resignation."
"Oh~ Reading the paper? What's the news?" Edgar, who had just finished talking with William, curiously leaned his head over and immediately spotted the sensational headline.
"The Daily Prophet? Is Rita Skeeter slandering Dumbledore again?"
Edgar casually pulled the newspaper away and quickly skimmed it, making a series of exaggerated "tsk, tsk" sounds as he read.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... alas... morals are declining and people are losing their integrity~ Is Azkaban really so easy to enter and exit? Minister Fudge's seat must be getting pretty hot~"
After finishing, he handed the paper back to Lynn, while simultaneously giving a thumbs-up to Lynn and Ollie, who was looking out the window.
Lynn took the paper back. "What does that have to do with me? I didn't write the report."
After speaking, he yawned, pulled an eye mask out of his bag, put it on, and leaned back. "I'm going to sleep for a bit. Wake me when we arrive."
Edgar watched Lynn's appearance, curled his lip, and whispered to William, "He's pretending to be innocent."
Edgar was convinced that even if Lynn hadn't written the report himself, he was definitely involved.
Why else would Fudge have given those two Werewolves a lenient ten-year sentence in the first place? Perhaps this was a case of... every wrong having its perpetrator, every debt its debtor?
The train traveled smoothly, the wheels striking the rails with a rhythmic sound.
The compartment gradually quieted down. Edgar took out snacks and began eating, William continued reading, and Ollie watched the scenery.
After an unknown amount of time, the train seemed to enter a foggy area, and the previously clear scenery outside the window became blurred.
Lynn, who had been sound asleep, ripped off his eye mask and sat up straight.
Suddenly—
Screech—Grind—!!!
A screeching emergency brake sound echoed throughout the entire train!
The tremendous inertia sent everyone unprepared lurching forward!
Inside the compartment, Edgar's snacks spilled everywhere, William's book flew out, and Ollie hit the back of the seat in front.
"What happened?!"
"What's going on?!"
"Merlin's beard!"
Exclamations and sounds of collision came from outside the train and the neighboring compartments.
Immediately after, a familiar sensation permeated the carriage.
"F*ck!" Edgar jumped up as if electrocuted. "It's a Dementor! That feeling... it's definitely a Dementor! How did they get onto the train?!"
"Expecto Patronum!" x3
Three Patronuses appeared inside the compartment, shielding the four people within.
Lynn didn't intend to act; he felt that the Patronuses of Edgar and the other two were sufficient.
The compartment door suddenly clicked open, and the door was pushed ajar.
A black figure floated in the doorway, slowly "scanning" the four "meals" inside the compartment... Then, it froze.
The next second, under the gaze of the four, the Dementor naturally retreated, then reached out and gently closed the compartment door.
"Click." The door closed.
Faintly, they could hear sounds from outside the door: "Aba aba... (Can't see me... didn't see anything... wrong compartment...)"
This familiar tune... The compartment was silent for two seconds.
Lynn, his face dark, chased after it.
"It's you again!!!" Lynn's roar exploded down the corridor. "Didn't learn your lesson last time? You dare to come out and disturb my sweet dreams?! And you're 'on duty' on the Hogwarts Express now?!"
The Dementor shuddered, and its escape speed instantly skyrocketed!
But it was too late.
"Expecto Patronum!" Silver light burst from Lynn's wand, and the Phoenix Patronus soared out, heading straight for the "guide" that dared to flee.
Bold students in other compartments cracked open their doors and happened to witness this jaw-dropping scene:
A seemingly powerful Patronus was chasing a frantically fleeing Dementor, enacting a dramatic pursuit in the train corridor!
And there were three more Patronuses inside the compartment opposite.
"Aba aba! Aba—!!! (Misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding! I was sent here to patrol! I'll never leave home again! Spare me—!!!)"
The Dementor let out a miserable wail, scampering up and down and emitting black smoke as the Patronus chased it.
At that moment, it regretted immensely why it had come out today, and even more why it had chosen to open that damned door!
The "guide" no longer cared about the companion who had come with it and disappeared into the thick fog under the "friendly persuasion" of Lynn's Patronus.
At the same time, another Patronus flew out from the rear of the train, also driving away a Dementor.
The chilling atmosphere on the train gradually receded as the Dementors fled and the silver light of the Patronuses dissipated it.
Lynn and the others retracted their Patronuses, returned to the compartment with dark faces, and slammed the door shut.
Edgar, stifling a laugh, leaned closer. "Cough... Lynn, it seemed like it was just... routine duty?"
"I don't care if it's routine or not! It disturbed my sleep! Twice!"
Ollie and William exchanged glances and shook their heads helplessly.
A few minutes later.
Knock! Knock knock!
The compartment door was knocked upon once again...