Here is the twentieth chapter in Book 3. Hopefully this is the first of several catch up chapters over the next few weeks, the next one should be out in a few days but I wanted to get at least one out on Christmas. I expect the next chapter to be out around the 28th or 29th depending on how much editing is needed. There are no questions to answer here so sit back and enjoy the 20th full chapter in the third installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 3: Unity.
Disclaimer: As always I own nothing related to these two great works of fiction.
Chapter 20
As soon as the ship departed the 4 White Lotus guards moved into a formation around Hermione and she began to shuffle forward and along the jetty. It gave way to a gentle, rocky, slope that rose to the imposing, wrought iron gates that was the entrance to Azkaban Prison. The entrance was set into one of the three sides of the prison, the face if Hermione had to guess as it was the side that faced the jetty.
"As you can tell Azkaban is a triangular structure." Dedalus said as they entered the prison and immediately went right into a small waiting room manned by another guard. "Each side serves a different purpose. The entrance face is where the administration of the prison occurs. It is also where the guards live, and the prison laundry, kitchen, visiting rooms, and interrogation rooms, are."
Hermione was listening, she was always willing to listen to knew things and store them in her photographic memory. However, right now she just wanted to get through the process and get to her new cell so that she could start to learn the lay of the prison.
"The face also house inmates in protective custody, those with mental health issues and the international Death Row and death chamber." Dedalus continue, oblivious to Hermione's lack of caring. "We only have 2 on Death Row right now as most plead out to avoid it. As for the other two faces, well they house men on one side and women on the other. Each floor is based on the threat level and notoriety of the inmates so you are on the top level naturally. Though for security purposes only those charged with guarding the high profile inmates know precisely where they are housed."
Hermione was not in any mood to talk to the prattling Warden and just shuffled along through the waiting room and into the classic booking protocol. She hadn't been through this since she had been transferred from the palace dungeons to the Capital Prison Tower so this would be her first updated profile.
"Now if we uncuff your wrists you will behave right." Dedalus said a note of warning suddenly in his voice that reminded Hermione that the man had to have some skills to earn his position.
"Yes." Hermione said quietly as she noticed the 4 guards with her all brace for action just in case. "I will behave myself."
"Yes sir." Dedalus said, sternly correcting her. "You will address me either as sir or Warden is that understood."
"Yes sir." Hermione growled.
She did not like it that someone who was beneath her was acting like a petty tyrant but he had all the power here. Hermione knew that if she was to make parole and serve her time in peace she would have to follow the rules, even if she was above them because she was an Enlightened.
"Well that's a start." Dedalus said as they came to the processing station. "We will work on that. Discipline is key in Azkaban. You will have more freedom here than wherever you were held before, though not as much as the other inmates given your status, but if you slip up then it's the hole for you and that will be worse than where you were.."
"That will be hard to achieve." Hermione said as her hands were uncuffed and her fingers were printed. "Nothing is worse than that shithole. Sir."
"Good." Dedalus said as the fingerprint card was taken away and put in a file. "Just follow the rules and we won't have a problem."
Hermione said nothing as she was moved to another room and given a card. Sighing she stepped back to the lined wall behind her and held up the card that had her info on it and looked at the camera without smiling. There was a flash as her mugshot was taken. She then turned to her left and another flash occurred.
After that Hermione was then lead to another room where two female White Lotus guards stood in a wet room. It was time for her to be strip searched, something she always found degrading, and her shower. She wouldn't be surprised if at least one of the guards was a waterbender to ensure she stayed in line.
Dedalus thankfully left her in this room as one of the guards removed Hermione's leg irons and told her to strip down. Her clothes were then bagged and the junior of the two guards gave her a full body cavity search. She was then instructed to step under the shower head and she was told to quickly wash herself as the cold water fell over her.
As soon as Hermione was clean and dry the women gave her a set of prison issue underwear, a breast wrap, a long sleeved white undershirt, white socks, black and white striped pants and a matching short sleeved shirt with her name and the number 5 on it. Lastly she was given a pair of slippers and lead out of the room to another room that was clearly where the new inmates received their supplies.
Dedalus was standing there and again Hermione had a set of leg irons attached and the belly band but no handcuffs. She was issued with a full set of bedding, the same as she had in her cell in Republic City, a small bag of toiletries and a role of rough toilet paper.
"Follow me." Dedalus said and Hermione did flanked by the two female guards who were apparently staying with them for the trip to her cell.
They walked in silence for a few minutes until they turned a sharp corner and walked through a series of automated doors and into the main bulk of the prison. They continued along another long corridor with dorm-like cells on either side that housed 10 women each and towards an elevator at the end. As they walked Hermione saw a few women of various ages looking at her, other inmates, as she passed them.
What stood out to Hermione was that all the women she saw were wearing different colored prison jumpsuits. Most were either green, red, or purple but there were a handful of light and dark blue. She saw a couple yellow jumpsuits and one brown one but none like hers.
"Why are they all wearing different colors?" Hermione asked, her innate curiosity peaked by the sight. "And none are like mine."
"That is because you are classified as a high profile, maximum security inmate and as such you wear the black and white striped uniform." Dedalus said as they walked. "That way everyone knows who you are. The colors as you can probably deduce represent the home nation of the other inmates with purple being the United Republic. That way we know where a particular prisoner is from."
"I see." Hermione said not liking that she was being singled out with her jumpsuit but it did show the other prisoners that she was special as she should be. "I assume the brown is Foggy Swamp Tribe, that is the only one that is not obvious."
"It is but we only have 7 inmates from there, 5 men and 2 women from the Swamp." Dedalus replied. "One of the women is low security so the most freedom and privileges, the other is in the mental health wing. They wear brown so as to not conflict with the green of the ISEK."
"Make sense." Hermione said as she shuffled along, the few women around all staring in shock at her though whether it was Hermione herself or her outfit she wasn't sure. "Tell me more about my own wing or whatever you call it."
"You are in the maximum security wing of the female face of Azkaban." Dedalus said as she entered the elevator. "You will be locked in that wing for 22 hours a day but only the night hours will you be locked in your cells, unless there is a lockdown in which you will remain there until the lockdown is over. Each of you have an individual cell where you will keep your stuff. Your meals will be served in the wing by the guards with breakfast signaling when you can leave your cells and dinner being when you have to be in your cells for the night."
"Good, I don't want to be locked in a cell all day, I have had enough of that." Hermione said as the elevator began to rise. "You said 22 hours, does that mean I get some time outside the wing?"
"That is correct." Dedalus answered. "In the afternoon you get to join the rest of the female inmates outside in the central courtyard for the 2 hours of yard time that all inmates must get. This is the only time you are allowed there and all 5 of you must travel to and from the yard in full restraints one by one. As I said, should a lockdown occur you go into your cells and stay in them. There will always be one guard and one dementor in the maximum security wing. That level is only with such an arrangement."
Before Hermione could respond the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened to a small foyer. As soon as they were all out and the elevator doors slid shut, a barred gate in front of Hermione opened. She went through it and then another set that opened after the first had closed and into the wing. As soon as she was there she took it all in a quick glance.
The cells were on one side of a long room that likely wasn't the full length of that side of the prison. There were about 20 in total. Inside the rest of the wing were tables, a few shelves of books and a few pieces of basic workout equipment. At the far end was a guard station with a female guard in it. Next to the guard was a Dementor floating there silently, the sight sending a chill down Hermione's spine. The last thing at the end of the wing were two shower stalls with no privacy.
Hermione was led to the cell right in the middle of the line and couldn't help but notice that the set up was for every other cell to be occupied. Those that were occupied with stuff in them were empty however. Her cell was like the others with a simple spring bed, thin mattress, toilet, desk, stool that bolted to the floor, and a shelf. Hermione put her things on the bed then turned to Dedalus.
"You are in luck." The Warden said as if he knew what question she was about to ask. "It's yard time so you will get to go out there for a bit and meet your fellow inmates. Usually the cell block is locked down for new arrivals here but the timing has worked in your favor today."
Hermione just nodded and extended her wrists so that one of the female guards could attach the handcuffs that had been dangling at her waist tightly to her wrists again. Hermione then shuffled back to the elevator and down to the 1st floor, all the while missing the brief freedom of not having her hands cuffed that she had had a moment earlier.
"I will leave you here." Dedalus said once they exited the elevator for a second time. "You will be under the care of the White Lotus from now on. Enjoy the next 28 years at least with us at least."
With that Dedalus turned and walked away. Hermione didn't say anything as she was led by the guards to a door and through it into a small outdoor cage, the chill hitting her as soon as she was outside. Her restraints were removed and the guards stepped back. Then the last door was opened and she stepped out for her first bit of yard time outside in here more than two decades of false imprisonment. She had been underground for so long that she had forgotten what it would be like to be outside.
Hermione carefully walked into the yard and looked around, taking it all in. It was full of women, all nonbenders like herself, though unlike her they had been born without bending while hers had been stolen from her by the Avatar. Now that she saw the majority of the female population of Azkaban she could see the mix of nations present. Her earlier assessment had been correct, the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom and United Republic were the most represented with green being the largest of all. Occasionally, and only out of the corner of her eye, did she catch the same outfit as her within the crowd of prisoners.
The yard itself was a mix of grass, concrete and gravel with multiple areas for exercise, table games, and general chilling at what looked like picnic tables. There were clear cliques on the yard with a group on the gaming area, another by some tables talking, a group meditation on a large area of grass, a group working out, and many others spread out. Hermione would have to socialize for the first time in a long time.
"My Empress!"
A voice yelled as Hermione walked into the yard trying to avoid eye contact from the other women who were looking her up and down, clearly evaluating her because of the distinctive jumpsuit she wore. Hermione jumped at the sound, she had been hoping to avoid notice this early and drawing too much attention to herself until the time was right.
"It is you!" The speaker continued, joy in the other woman's voice. "Until yesterday when we heard your forced confession we thought you were dead. I am so happy to see that the rumors were false."
Hermione look over to the sound of the voice and saw a tall, thin, austere woman with steel gray hair and wearing a dirtier version of the same striped Azkaban Prison outfit that Hermione had on. Clearly the woman was one of the 4 other high profile inmates in her wing but the other woman was too far from Hermione to clearly see who the woman was.
Around the other inmate were a gaggle of other prisoners ranging from as young as 18 to as old as 70 if Hermione had to guess. They gathered around her as if she was their leader but now they were all staring at Hermione with a mix of awe, fear, amazement and most importantly, respect.
As the woman closed in, Hermione finally saw who she was. It had been a long time since Hermione had seen the woman striding towards her and honestly Hermione thought she had been secretly executed years ago, not sent to rot in Azkaban.
"Director?" Hermione asked to the woman who had run her secret police, the Fire Utopia Internal Commission on Ensuring Equality, and one of her most loyal followers. "That is you isn't it?"
Director Arabella, or simply the Director, had been a ruthless ally in ensuring that Hermione's goals were followed through, her laws upheld and those who dissented against her and spread hate and bigotry were locked up or quietly disappeared, whichever was better at the time. She had been one of the few to personally pledge loyalty to Hermione above the other Enlightened at the start of the Fire Utopia, despite being recruited by Leach, and as such had been one of the few to survive Hermione's many necessary purges.
Arabella had received her position in part because of her blind loyalty and devotion, in part her ruthlessness and in part because she was a woman and a nonbender and therefore more entitled to the position than anyone else. She was competent and efficient and Hermione was glad she was in Azkaban with her because now she had an ally in navigating the landscape that would be Azkaban Prison.
"I can honestly say I was not expecting to find you here." Hermione continued as the woman and her contingent approached her. "It is a pleasure to know someone else in this shithole."
As soon as the Director of the FUICEE arrived, she dropped to a knee and bowed her head in front of Hermione as she had done many time during Hermione's reign. At once all of Arabella's followers fell to a knee in front of Hermione just as they should.
"My Fire Empress, Hermione the Savior, Enlightened savior of the world." The Director said in a serious tone. "You will always be my leader and the rightful ruler of the Fire Utopia and the world. I once again pledge mine and my followers service and undying loyalty to you and your noble vision."
"Rise my faithful Director." Hermione said in the imperious tone that she had used back during her reign, the feeling coming back to her despite all the years in prison. "Come let's find a quiet area where you can give me the low down on Azkaban. I will need your skills now more than ever."
The Director and her followers rose and they quickly surrounded Hermione and began to move to a far corner of the yard. The display had begun to gather attention from the other women in the yard and Hermione didn't want that just yet. She was already marked because of her uniform, soon people would learn who she was and she would have to deal their ignorance then.
"I see that you are, like me, a special prisoner here." The Director said Hermione once they had reached one of the three corners of the yard.
They sat down at a table there, only Hermione and the Director sat down the others took places around the bench so that Hermione could survey the whole yard. Clearly the Director had her followers well trained to protect them and defer to their authority.
"Yup, in that maximum security level or wing or floor or whatever the fuck they call it here." Hermione said with a note of anger. "At least I'm here and not in some fucking classified hole by myself like before. I was going crazy on my own."
"I was going to ask about that." The Director said. "Where did the Avatar throw you? Honestly we thought that the whole commutation to life without parole was a lie by the evil Avatar and the tyrant Druzok in order to kill you without making you a martyr. We all just expected you to be dead and never spoken of so we who still believed in you would have to keep your memory and teachings alive. I am glad to see that you are not dead."
"I was thrown into a hole and left to rot in order to silence me." Hermione said with a scowl. "I was effectively dead and forgotten in all but name. Alas I can't say where as it is part of the deal that I leave the vague location, what I know anyway, a secret as it is still classified. If I reveal it then I void my deal and go back there, or a new, likely worse, place, for the rest of my life. It was a shithole though. I thought the Avatar would murder me when I had my sentence commuted life. However this time the Avatar was not lying in what he did, for once."
"Very well, I do want my Empress to remain here." The Director admitted. "And we all know that they forced that confession out of you."
"You heard it?" Hermione asked shocked. "I wasn't sure how far that conference went."
"Oh yes we have a radio in the wing and there are VVs in the lower security wings." Arabella answered. "It was broadcast everywhere, that was how important the tyrants who defeated you decided your humiliation was. You did a good job to word it such that you fooled the Avatar and the Earth King while still pointing out who was truly at fault. We both know you and I did nothing illegal during your glorious reign."
"Thank you." Hermione said glad to have some support at last. She knew she could rely on the Director to support her without question just as all should. "I knew you would understand what I was forced to do."
"As for where you are housed here, I've been here since the beginning and I still don't know what the levels are truly called." The Director said turning the conversation back to their housing. "I think the Warden does that to keep us annoyed. However I am one of the now 5 inmates housed in the maximum security wing."
"I can see." Hermione said. She was happy that she would have a loyal underling while locked in the cell block she was housed in. "I do have to ask why though. I mean I know you were one of the most senior officials in my regime but still it's not what I would expect."
"It's because other than you I am the highest ranking member of the Fire Utopia government who was caught alive." The Director pointed out. "Dean, the head Chosen, and the Commissioner of the Enforcers were both killed in the Battle of the Caldera. No one else was senior enough other than us."
"I see." Hermione said with a nod.
It made sense that the leaders of her various institutions would have the same classification as her. They were just as blameless as Hermione for her legal actions so it was no surprise that the World Leaders in their ignorance would classify them the same as Hermione.
"Therefore, when I was caught I was deemed a high risk, high profile prisoner." The Director continued. "And that was confirmed after my conviction, days before your own, by that show trial the false leaders of the world had for us. Once the status was confirmed on me it can only be removed by the Avatar. Therefore, when Azkaban was built some 20 years back after a failed attempt to rescue me from the Boiling Rock I was the first to be housed in the maximum wing of this place."
"An how were you caught?" Hermione asked, a question that had been burning in Hermione's mind for years.. "They only told me that you had not been in the city when the Avatar usurped and raped me but that you were caught at a later date. It wasn't until my trial did I learn that you had just been convicted of all the crimes levied against you for the legal actions of the FUICEE and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the Boiling Rock. That's all I knew."
"I wasn't in the city the day your Utopia fell because I had left the day before via one of the secret tunnels I created as a precaution." The Director admitted. "After the Avatar, the coward that he is, fled during the Battle of the Caldera and the FUICEE headquarters were destroyed by the other members of Team Avatar I knew that I would have to leave the city. I didn't expect you to fall but I felt it was safest if I was able to flee and regroup so as to free you at a later date."
"That was wise of you." Hermione said. "It was for the best given how the military betrayed us. That I didn't see coming and was why I was defeated in the end. What was the plan to save?"
"I had a few contingencies planned just in case you were captured by the Avatar and was putting them into place when I was caught trying to board a ship to the eastern Earth Kingdom about a month after your arrest." Arabella answered. "It was the traitorous military who had sought me out as the last upper echelon 'war criminal' and they found me just before I left. There were still Chosen who were being hunted but they weren't as important as me. I pled not guilty but my arguments fell on deaf ears because I was convicted and sentenced to life without parole for not committing any crimes."
"The military betrayal is what hurt us the most." Hermione agreed. "Alas many are now free after cutting deals to turn on us or just to save their own necks. The past is in the past though and we cannot go back so let us not dwell too much on the enlightened days of my rule. First tell me who the other three inmates are that we share a cell block or whatever it's called with. I should know who to look out for."
"Well there is a freelance assassin with over 40 kills on her resume, but only pled guilty to 4." The Director said pointing to a lithe, tanned, and toned, woman with short black hair and wearing the same striped outfit as they were who was working out in the exercise portion of the yard. "She was picked up about 7 years back and just avoided the death penalty because she's a woman, as she should it is one of the benefits of our gender. Well that and she cut a deal for life without. Due to the high profile nature of her crimes she was placed in the maximum security wing."
"Interesting." Hermione said looking at the woman who was doing a punishing workout. "Any issues with her?"
"Not really, she keeps to herself mostly." The Director said. "She isn't affiliated with any group here but she doesn't need protection. She's highly trained and skilled, no one can beat her in a fight. Rumor has it that she was caught by Prince Ron himself after trying to kill then Princess Dominique. It took a waterbender in an ice palace to bring her in, or so the tale goes."
"Damn, that is impressive." Hermione said with a nod. "I agree, let's leave her alone. Who else?"
"That over there is a fem fatal who was convicted of slaying 18 wealthy men and women who she seduced, exploited and then calmly murdered." The Director said pointing to a tall, muscular woman with buzz cut gray hair and covered in tattoos with a stunning, curvy blond bombshell on her arm. "She's an absolute psychopath with no remorse whatsoever. She claims that she killed all her victims during sex right at the point of her orgasm, apparently that makes it even more intense. She showed up 3 years back as she pled guilty to her crimes in order to avoid a death sentence and again was placed in the maximum security wing due to the high profile nature of her crimes and victims.."
"What that tattooed dyke?" Hermione asked, confused because the woman wore a green jumpsuit and not the striped one reserved for the high profile inmates. "She was a master seducer?"
"What oh no not the dyke, the blond on her arm." The Director said and that was when Hermione noticed that it was the blond who wore the black and white striped jumpsuit. "She's only hooked up with the dyke crowd for protection as she had no skills or faction to join when she got here given her crimes. She's amusing but don't trust her at all."
"Got it." Hermione said noting that there was a Dyke faction her. "And how was she caught? Someone who gets away with 18 murders doesn't get caught easily."
"Her arrest was as high profile as her crimes so it is common knowledge what happened there." The Director said. "She liked to turn married women but would go after men as well. Apparently there was a profile on her given her habit of killing with a stiletto dagger to the ear. Well she didn't know that and ended up deciding to go after a member of Team Avatar, Neville."
"Wow, that is bold." Hermione said looking at the woman who was currently flattering her protector. "I will give her that. If you are going to go big there isn't much bigger than a member of Team Avatar."
"Yup but her narcissism and arrogance was her undoing." Arabella said shaking her head. "She was recognized by Neville who decided to play into it while Chief Ron got the team together and the evidence. Then, on a date in Republic City, they trapped her. It was atop that tower there, during a private date. She saw and tried to fight her way out. according to her, Neville disarmed her and slammed her head first through a wooden table. Knocked her out and that was how she was caught."
"Fuck me, that is high profile." Hermione said with one last look at the woman. "No wonder she is here. And the last one? Who is she?"
"Over there." The director said pointing to a short, dumpy, mousy looking woman with brown hair, streaked with pink, and artistic tattoos on her exposed arms and belly surrounded by similarly styled women of various ages.
Like the other 3 she wore the striped jumpsuit of a high profile inmate and seemed to take pride in it. Her followers seemed as devoted to her as Hermione's were to herself. The woman was clearly someone who Hermione needed to know more about.
"Who is she?"
"That's Impia, the former Imperial Governor of the State of Malum up in the far northeast corner of the Earth Kingdom." The Director answered. "The only Governor to go rouge since the end of the Purity Wars."
"That's one of the smallest and most progressive, therefore best and closest to enlightened, states in the ISEK right?" Hermione asked to which the Director nodded. "I remember because that was where Warren, the nonbender Enlightened's friend Sanders was originally from. It was on our list of states to take over as part of the our Earth Utopia movement, What did someone so progressive do to wind up here?"
"She's a radical, lesbian, militant, feminist." The Director said, all things that made sense for someone from Malum and all things that Hermione could agree with. "We get along well but she would never have been our ally as she doesn't want true equality with men, she wants supremacy."
"Wait what?" Hermione asked confused. "We never wanted that, just to put men in their place so that they are equal to women."
"Correct, we were all for oppressing and hating men in order to get women equal to them but once we were equal we would leave it at that." The Director said with a nod. "Well and then continuing what we could to maintain that equality. Alas Impia went further. When she was elected governor, becoming the most progressive governor in the brief history of the ISEK, she instantly declared herself governor for life and instilled martial law there to get rid of toxic masculinity."
"That's a fair reason to institute martial law." Hermione pointed out. "Toxic masculinity is a blight on society that must be eradicated. Everything that is traditionally male is wrong and needs to be stopped."
"Agreed but that is not the direction Impia went in." Arabella said. "She went off the deep end as soon as she had declared marshal law. Impia decreed that all males, straight, gay or trans male to female, had to be locked up in prison camps for the rest of their lives for the safety of all women in the state. This was regardless of age. They were only to be used for their semen and that's it and even then it was, to quote her, milked from them by force. In addition, any trans female to male was arrested and placed in conversion therapy to return them to the sisterhood. Impia believes in only 2 genders and doesn't recognize trans rights."
"Fuck me that's extreme." Hermione said impressed at the woman's commitment even if it went too far in her books, something Hermione had never experienced.
Yes men were a major problem but one that could be fixed if they followed Hermione's laws word for word. What Impia had done was extreme and not the right answer, she deserved to be here for that. Well she deserved to be in prison for deny trans people their rights but that was another charge that the woman was guilty of.
"I bet the Avatar ended that very quickly." Hermione added. "He wouldn't let that shit stand."
"Actually she was ousted within 3 months by her own people." The Director said to Hermione's surprised. "Impia had been too swift in her actions when she was elected and didn't do what you did and ensure that her own people were in power. As a result the national guard was able to overthrow her with the aid of women from all over the ideological spectrum. The whole debacle was in the news for weeks during the Malum Civil War."
"Damn, how did she fuck up?" Hermione asked. "Anyone seeking power like that should know how to properly execute a coup. She may have had extreme views but her goals were noble on paper."
"Again this is all rumors, but apparently the election was rigged." Arabella said. "Her views were too extreme even for Malum so she rigged the vote. That was why she acted so quickly I think. The ISEK Election Integrity Commission was set to investigate the results but she closed the state and declared martial law before they could."
"That makes sense." Hermione said with a nod. "Still, she should have had people in place prior to the vote rigging."
"Agreed." The Director said. "Another rumor is that the remaining Enlightened were involved though it is unclear to what extent."
"They would have helped her but they never would have sanctioned the vote rigging before the support was in place to sustain her rule." Hermione said shaking her head sadly. "I am glad that they helped, I don't doubt it, but she ruined her chances by seeking power first and not the needed institutional support."
"That and the fact the Avatar was going to attack anyway was what led to Impia's quick downfall." Arabella said. "She was defeated, though she killed the leader of the insurrectionists against her in single combat. Despite this, she was wounded and her own supporters turned on her because they knew that it was over. She was arrested and subsequently convicted of multiple counts of kidnapping, abuses of power, human rights violations, institutional discrimination based on sex, and sexual assault. All of her crimes led to a sentenced of life without parole. She was lucky that she avoided a treason charge, that is an automatic death sentence in the ISEK."
"Well I can see all of that resulting in a life sentence." Hermione said as she looked at the dumpy, innocent looking woman in a new light.
"It is a shame because it allowed the men's rights movement to become legitimate and therefore legitimize their sexism and misogyny." Arabella said with disgust. "Impia's legacy will always be tied to that. Naturally she was placed in the maximum security wing 14 years back when she got here due to her position as a former Imperial Governor and for what she did. She leads the radical feminist, the RadFem, faction that just hates all men no matter what. Of all the inmates, she is not allowed contact with any males for fear of retaliation."
"She did go to far." Hermione said before turning her attention back to the Director. "What about the other factions here? You mentioned the RadFems and the Dykes and of course there are those who follow you and by extension me and my enlightened teachings but what about the others? I assume that there are more than just 3 factions."
"As always you are correct, there are three other groups here." The Director confirmed. "We in maximum security don't have to worry about it as much, even if two of the faction leaders are locked up in the wing. Still it is important to know the groups. The faction that I have led until your arrival is called the Followers of the Enlightened, FoE for short. We have to make sure that they are safe when in their respective wings and cell blocks but we are large enough to ensure that and I know the game well so we are always on top of what is going on."
"Good to know." Hermione said with an approving tone. "I will naturally take charge in time but first you must brief me on everything and get me up to speed. After that you will continue in your role just under me."
"It will be like old times." The Director said with a faint smile. "Only this time we won't have absolute power."
"Alas not." Hermione agreed. "One day perhaps though. Until then, who is the first faction to know about?"
"The first group are simply the unaffiliated inmates." Arabella said pointing to a bunch of women in the exercise area. "They are a faction in their own right as they protect each other from the others but the most of us don't deal with them. They are effective lead by the assassin as she is also unaffiliated but that is more out of her abilities then anything else. The rest of us fight amongst ourselves for dominance that often spews over into fights here so I'll help you make a shiv and some training in nonbending fighting. I know you were a prodigy with firebending before the Avatar illegally removed it but you aren't the best at nonbending fighting."
"You are right." Hermione said with a note of sadness. "It is my biggest flaw but I underestimated the Avatar's willingness to break the law of nature when he attack my Utopia. Thank you, I am a fast learner so it should be quick but I will need the training. What about the other two groups that we fight with or ally with or whatever."
"Yeah the relationships between different groups is always in flux." The Director said. "I'll explain that in a moment as it is complex at times. The other main group here, in fact they are the largest, are the Equalists. They are those who want all benders wiped out just like Amon tried to do and hate benders with a burning passion. As usual they are too extreme for us as we agree that nonbenders are not equal to benders and benders should be oppressed so they know what it feels like but we shouldn't want to get rid of their bending, or straight up kill all of them, unless they deserve it such as using bending to oppress nonbenders."
"Naturally." Hermione agreed. "Who's their leader?"
"Ah their leader, Petunia, is an interesting woman." The Director said with a smirk as she pointed to a boney woman in her mid 60s with black and gray streaked hair sitting on a bench surrounded by the largest amount of followers. It would appear that it was true that the Equalists had the largest following, something that did not surprise Hermione given how oppressive benders could be. "She's the Avatar's aunt, his mother's sister."
"Wait what!" Hermione said as she looked at the purple clad woman, she was somehow not a high profile prisoner despite her connection to the Avatar. "That I was not expecting. His mother is a first generation bender with the intelligence to be a member of the Enlightened but who instead decided to betray her own but Lily's crimes are well documented. How the fuck did the Avatar's aunt end up here?"
"There was a resurgence of the Equalist movement a while back." The Director told her, something that was news to Hermione. "It would have been whilst you were in your classified hole. From what I have gathered, she was jealous and hated her sister for being born a bender when she wasn't so it was easy to radicalize her."
"Naturally, bitterness and anger are great to radicalize someone." Hermione said. "I used it myself with the Chosen."
"As did I with recruiting for you." Arabella said. "Petunia was radicalized young and married a fellow Equalist. Her husband, who is locked up in the male section of Azkaban, was a successful businessman in Republic City, a high ranking member of the Equalists and a key funder of them. The pair were picked up by the Avatar trying to overthrow the United Republic on the anniversary of Amon's coup."
"I like the symbolism." Hermione said with approval. "However it was doomed to failure. What happened to them after they were caught?"
"Her husband received 40 years for his various crimes while she was deemed a lower level player, likely as the Equalists are very sexist, and only received 20, the minimum needed to be sent to Azkaban, of which she has served 14 years." Arabella answered without hesitation. "She was picked up the same year as Impia so that was a busy year for the Avatar apparently. Her son is now running for President but won't do well in the election given the general dislike for Equalists. The Avatar personally recommended the pair be sent here to rot."
"I don't doubt it." Hermione said before pointing to a group meditating in a Zen garden area surrounded by inmates serving as guards for them. "I assume they are the last faction."
"Yup they are the Spiritualists." The Director said dismissively. "They focus on spiritual matters. Most were sent here for various crimes committed in the name of the Spirits and they often spend time in the Spirit World. They are harmless as a faction and only really focus on protecting themselves for the rest of us. A bit cultish but what do you expect. They don't have a clear leader, more a commune style rule, so they aren't worth out time."
"I see, I think I will stay away from them." Hermione said turning back once again to her loyal supporter. "I am not a spiritual person after all. So what are the current relationships between the factions?"
"The Radical Feminists and the Dykes are usually allies to each other." The Director said. "Usually because well their all fucking dykes but with different goals. They fight from time to time but normally they side with each other. We have worked with all of them but only as much as we need to and never anymore. The Dykes aren't too extreme so we occasionally work just with them but spirits save them if any of them try that faggot shit with us. The Equalists are the largest and usually only form alliances when needed as they normally have the numbers to avoid it. Currently there's a tense stalemate but it could end any day for any reason."
"Interesting." Hermione said with a nod. "I will have to study all this a bit more. I am an expert in this sort of shit after all due to my training with the Enlightened. Once I am up to speed, we can begin our planning for how to ensure that we and we alone are on top here."
Before The Director could reply there was a load klaxon and a cool female voice announced the end of yard time. All prisoners except those in the maximum security wing were ordered to return to their cells immediately.
"We always have to stay." The Director grumbled as the other prisoners with them silently left and joined the mass of women heading into the prison. "We are the last ones onto the yard and the last to leave, same for the high profile men in the morning due to the rules on transporting us. Just wait until the rest are gone and then head to our exit and they will sort us out."
"I hate how we are conditioned like this." Hermione said with irritation. "But we are convicted criminals in the eyes of society even if we know that you and I at least didn't do anything wrong."
The Director just nodded at this as they waited for all the other girls to leave before the pair walked over to the exit that Hermione had come in through. Already the other women that Arabella had pointed out were there waiting calmly though Hermione could sense the danger radiating off the assassin and the fem fatal. They were true killers with no moral compunction against it and it unnerved Hermione to be near such evil.
"So it's true, the great and enlightened Hermione the Cruel has been transferred here." The former governor of Malum said as they approached. "Of course you would join our little social club."
"It's Hermione the Savior, Impia." The Director snapped. "Get it right cunt."
"Ah I see, so you are her bitch now." Impia said with a sickly sweet smile. "I thought that you would never stoop to that fag shit as you see it. Perhaps I was wrong, or is it just an exception for power."
"And I never will but at least I understand loyalty to the only superior being on the planet." Arabella snarled. "Something you wouldn't know about."
"Meh, I agreed with a lot of what you did Hermione but you weren't harsh enough on men." Impia said with a shrug and lack of respect to Hermione that Hermione was going to have to punish. "They deserved what I did to them and I regret nothing. You aren't any different from the rest of us."
"I don't doubt it." Hermione said with a forced neutral tone. "And she ain't my bitch, like Arabella, I ain't a fucking faggot. She is my loyal follower though."
"In here that the same thing hunny." The fem fatal interrupted in a flirtatious, girly tone before extending her hand. "Name's Angheuol but you can call me Ange, everyone."
"Pleasure." Hermione said, taking no pleasure shaking the hands with the psychopathic woman who was not her equal in anyway.
Hermione noticed as she looked into the serial killer's face that Ange's blue eyes were cold and devoid of emotion. It was a chilling sight and a startling juxtaposition to the sweet, but clearly false, smile on her face.
Before any of them could speak a dozen guards walked in, all ready to strike. Hermione followed the other's lead and raised her hands and waited as the full restraints were added to each of them.
Then one at a time they were each lead to the elevator and taken up to their cell block by four female guards while the rest stayed to keep an eye on them. The exception was the assassin who was escorted by 6 guards though she left without a word or a complaint. Hermione was the last to be lead back to her cell and was thankful to find that her stuff hadn't been touched while she was away.
The rest of the day passed in small talk in the cell block as Hermione got to know the others. That was when she learned that the assassin was called Ubi, short for Ubiytsa, and that she was the least talkative of all of them. Hermione knew she wouldn't be friends with any of them but at least they were decent to talk to and much better than the Kyoshi guards.
Hermione was clearly smarter than all 4 women put together but in a place like Azkaban her intelligence would mean jack shit in the short term. She would take control of this prison but in due time. She had to learn the ins and outs of it, wait for the right moments and eventually she would reign once more albeit over a smaller and insignificant place.
The time flew by and soon dinner was served. After they had finished what passed for food here, they walked to their respective cells and the doors were automatically shut at the same time from the guard station.
Hermione sighed as she made her bed, stripped down and stretched out in it to read a book she had brought into her cell to entertain her while she was locked in the cell. It was a left wing book so it may be palatable to her Enlightened tastes but it was still not as progressive as she would have liked.
An hour later, with no warning whatsoever, the lights went out. Hermione marked her place and put down her book to fall asleep. Yes Azkaban wouldn't be fun but it was still better than the solitary cell she had called home for 22 years and the solitude of the year before her trial. As Hermione drifted off to sleep on the prison island she knew her time and impact in the world was over but at least she had people to talk to and interact with for the rest of sentence.
With that thought Hermione once more fell into a sleep. That night she dreamt of the other Enlightened and how their cause was effectively over. She was now longer relevant to the world and for the first time in her long time in prison Hermione was content with that feeling. That was her last thought before the dreamless sleep took her as it did every night. She had no regrets other than getting caught but for once she was at peace with that failure.
It was time that the world forgot their most enlightened leader. Hermione would no longer play a role in world events. She had no idea what was still to come.
First off, Merry Christmas to those who observe it, I wanted to get this out for the holiday. This chapter is a bit of a filler but it is a nice close out to Hermione's story arc in Book 3 and sets up Azkaban for when it returns in Books 4 and 5, as well as some of the spinoffs. Hermione as a character is basically done. She has 3 more appearances in the entire series and that is it, her story is effectively done. Her legacy is not and she will come up multiple times but she is one of the main villains so that is natural. The next chapter will bring us back to the main story line and begin the process of setting the stage for the finale of Book 3 as the two main story arcs resume and begin their conversion process. That is all for this post chapter note, as always please like, favorite, follow, review, this story and any questions asked in reviews or PMs will be answered at the start of the next chapter. Until next week.
Stringdog