Prologue IV
June 10, 1982
The North Sea.
"Those of us who entered to investigate formally refuse to talk of what we have found inside, but the least frightening of what we could say is that the place is infested with dementors."- Connor Weasley
The Auror office's chief who inspected the fortress upon its discovery agreed to include only those words in his memoirs. However, now that the Ministry of Magic had taken ownership of the site, they were well-informed about the perilous location, which was considered the worst place to be in Great Britain. The island in the North Sea, on which the wizard prison was constructed, never appeared on any map, whether wizard or Muggle. Its first known inhabitant, Ekrizdis, delved into the most abhorrent forms of Dark magic and erected a stronghold on the island, where he would lure unsuspecting Muggle sailors and subject them to torture and murder.
After his demise, the concealment charms placed on the isle began to wane, and the Ministry of Magic learned about the existence of this enigmatic location. The authorities of the time debated whether to demolish the fortress but fearing retaliation from dark entities or the island itself, they decided against it, allowing the sizable colony to persist. The island remained untouched and unmonitored for many years, possibly decades until the International Statute of Secrecy was established.
The impracticality of using small, local prisons, which could result in noise, odors, and light displays if inmates escaped, led to plans for a solitary, purpose-built wizarding prison on a remote Hebridean island following the passing of the International Statute of Secrecy. However, when Damocles Rowle became Minister for Magic in 1718, he opted for Azkaban instead, viewing the Dementors as a valuable asset. Using them as guards would save time, money, and lives. This decision was put into action, and despite objections, Azkaban became the go-to prison for wizards, thanks to its apparent zero escape rate.
Dementors served as the prison guards, as it allowed them to feed on the emotions of the inmates, which remained trapped within its walls. Despite protests, it remained the primary prison of the wizarding world until the end of the Second Wizarding War. Opposition to the use of Azkaban did surface; Minister Eldritch Diggory visited the prison and was appalled by the inhumane levels of despair and insanity that the Dementors inflicted on the prisoners. He formed a committee to find alternative solutions, but the campaign stalled after Diggory died of Dragon Pox while in office.
Minister Hephaestus Gore, reversing his predecessor's stance, chose to refurbish and reinforce the prison. Despite no serious opposition arising to the prison's continued use over the next few centuries, no Minister considered shutting it down.
Kingsley was the first to arrive at the fortress. As a result of an anti-apparition jinx, he had to sail from the coast. As soon as he stepped off the ship, he understood why the older Aurors always did their best to avoid this place, sending the rookies instead. The appearance of the prison alone was horrendous; merely staring at it was enough nightmare material for a lifetime. However, Kingsley could tolerate the fortress's look, but the atmosphere that surrounded it was an entirely different story. In this gruesome place, neither the stars nor the moon existed. Only silence and a powerful stench of decay prevailed.
Suddenly, he saw them appear, with their black cloaks floating towards him at an incredible speed, which made him instinctively reach into his pocket, draw his wand, and aim it at them.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he shouted.
A silver lynx erupted from his wand and charged the dementors, keeping them at a safe distance from him. However, he could still feel their power-sucking every drop of happiness and life from him. He wasn't going to stay at the place any longer than necessary, absolutely not. He raised his voice, attempting to cover the noise of the waves crashing on the rocks at the shore, and shouted at them:
"MY NAME IS KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT, I AM AN AUROR FROM THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC SENT TO INVESTIGATE THE ESCAPE OF SIRIUS BLACK! YOU ARE TO RETREAT TO YOUR ROUNDS AND CLEAR THE WAY SO I CAN ATTEND AN URGENT MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR OF THE PRISON."
To his surprise, the guardians immediately obeyed his commands and cleared the way for him. However, Kingsley wasn't going to trust them. He kept his Patronus active and murmured "Protego," making a circle with his wand around him, enveloping himself in a magic shield before stepping inside the prison.
The dark corridors of the castle loomed before him, an oppressive silence engulfing his senses. The black stone walls seemed to close in on him, suffocating him with their unrelenting embrace. He knew that the fortress was determined to keep him trapped there indefinitely, a plaything for the soul-sucking dementors that guarded its domain.
With each step, he felt a sense of hopelessness that threatened to swallow him whole. The fear of being forgotten, abandoned, and left to rot in the depths of the castle consumed him. Even a man like him, who had bravely led the capture of four death eaters earlier that day, was not immune to the suffocating darkness of the fortress.
As he felt his heart racing in his chest, he was suddenly jolted back to his senses by a surge of electricity coursing through his body. His loyal lynx was weakening, and the urgency of the situation spurred him into action. He remembered that someone, supposedly crazy and physically frail, had managed to escape the fortress without a wand or anyone noticing for ten hours.
He finally arrived at the governor's office, and the moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere transformed dramatically. He no longer sensed the presence of the dementors lurking in the shadows or their malevolent powers. Instead, his body warmed as if he had returned to the Aurors' office miles away from this place. It didn't take him long to realize why—the governor's large silver tiger Patronus was sitting in the corner, radiating its aura around the room in a way that his lynx couldn't match, reflecting the man's level of wizarding.
The governor himself was an imposing figure, with broad shoulders, a stern gaze, and a long grey-white beard. Most Aurors regarded him as a good and strong leader and a proven military commander. As Kingsley recalled, the governor had been appointed to this position because he was a veteran Auror who had been on duty before Kingsley was even born. Kingsley waited at the door frame, not wanting to interrupt the governor as he responded to a floo call. However, he didn't have to wait too long before the governor stood up and greeted him with a small smile, speaking to him politely.
"You must be Schaklebolt. I should have met you at the entrance, only I was held back by the minister…He's on his way. Did the dementors cause you any trouble?", he asked, glancing at Kingsley's silver Lynx.
Kingsley shook his head. "No, sir. My Patronus is only a precaution", he replied shaking firmly the governor's hand. "So, you have a man at large?"
The governor nodded and sat across from him. "We all have. I might look calm, but I'm livid. The dementors are even more! We have all been played. It's the first time it happened since this fortress became a prison."
Kingsley glanced at the closed door behind him and lowered his voice. "Should we consider he got helped by the dementors? After all, weren't they on you-know-who side? Black might still have some leverage on them to force their obedience", he said.
"I'm certain that no dementor is involved in his escape. Dementors are dark and evil creatures, they'll only they their obedience to whoever has more to offer back. The one-who-must-nit-be-named lost the war, and his army is scattered. The dementors would never risk the commodities we're generously offering them to help a prisoner and lose the ''all you can eat'' buffet Azkaban represents for them." The governor firmly said, then tiredly sighed. "I personally inspected his cell and found no magical signature or anything that could explain how he proceeded. It's as if he just disappeared."
Kingsley nodded, thoughtful. "May I have a look at his handcuffs?", Kingsley asked.
Confusion appeared on the governor's face. "What handcuffs?", he abruptly asked. "The aisle Sirius Black was incarcerated in is protected by all the jinx and wards you could think of and the dementors add their own contribution. The fireplace in my office is the only one to exist in this fortress and it's charmed to only work for communication, so no one -including me- can use it as transportation."
Kingsley shook his head. "You misunderstood me, sir. I meant the handcuffs you use to restrain animagi from using their ability", Kingsley clarified.
The governor stared at him in confusion, the silence in the office only disturbed by the storm outside, unleashing around Azkaban. The governor rubbed his face and finally asked, "What are you talking about?"
Kingsley shrugged. "As Sirius Black is an Animagus, I imagine he must have been wearing a tracer in his cell to prevent him from transforming", he clarified.
The governor suddenly rose from his chair, surprising Kingsley, and rushed to a file cabinet, pulled out a file from it, and came back. He dropped it on the desk and opened it swiftly. He turned the file towards Kingsley he said, "There is ABSOLUTELY no mention of Sirius Black being an Animagus in his record! NOT A SINGLE WORD!", The governor shouted, his face contorted with anger.
Kingsley frowned in confusion and snatched the file to read it, as he had insisted on that in his report. "He can transform into a rat sir. I don't understand, it was in my report!", Kingsley said.
The governor cursed loudly, his hands on his hips. He pondered for a moment, then said with a calm voice, "Listen carefully, Schaklebolt. You'll go straight with this to Alastor Moody, and do not discuss it with anyone else. Not the other Aurors, Ministry employees, or even the minister for magic. Do you understand?". Kingsley stood up and nodded his reply.
"Don't waste your time then", the governor said before sending his Tiger Patronus running out of his office. "You'll find the way back clear."
Kingsley ran in the prison corridors, burst out of the high iron doors, and crossed the sea back to the shore from where he apparated to the Ministry of Magic.
As he walked in the Aurors office, out of breath, with his boots drenched in mud followed by the curious gazes of the Aurors working in their cubicles. Before entering Moody's office, he flicked his wand to clean himself and pushed the door open.
The office was empty, and it took him a moment before remembering that he was in the office of Alastor Moody, the most paranoid man of Great Britain, if not the world…So, he was surprised to not have triggered a defensive charm meant to curse any intruder. Suddenly, Moody stepped out of the fireplace and walked straight towards his desk.
"It took me an eternity to find him, even with Dumbledore's instructions, and they say I'm the crazy one. What are you doing here Schaklebolt? Stealing my booze?", Moody asked, opening his desk's drawer. "No, it's still here."
"What's in little winging, sir?", Kingsley asked.
"What do you want?", Moody asked.
Kingsley stepped forward. "Sir, I'm just back from Azkaban where Scrimgeour sent me to investigate the escape of Sirius Black.", he said.
"Although he was supposed to go there himself. How was it?", Moody asked.
"It's awful I'm afraid. The Auror office and Azkaban have been careless, and Black's escape might be our fault", Kingsley said.
Moody's eyes locked on him, making Kingsley instinctively step back. "Explain yourself!", Moody commended.
Kingsley nodded and cleared his throat. "The day I went to Chesterfield last year to investigate that murder last year, I remember watching a muggle recording showing Sirius Black transforming into a rat. However, it appears that the Department of Law and magical justice didn't share that information with Azkaban. Although, I consider that Azkaban should have taken Black's Animagus ability into consideration, as it must have come up during his trial at some point", he said.
Moody leaned back in his chair and stared intensively at him. "There was no trial. Black was arrested without resistance by a HIIT wizard and sent straight to Azkaban. Are you sure that you sent your report to the magical law department?", he sharply said.
"Yes, sir.", Kingsley said with a firm nod.
Moddy nodded and stood up, pointing a finger at a chair by his desk. "I'll be back in a second, wait for me here, and don't talk to anyone, would you?", Moody said with a calm tone of voice that surprised Kingsley before leaving the office.
Kingsley sank into the chair, patiently waiting for his boss to return. Even though the Ministry of Magic was buried beneath London, most offices had enchanted windows to make the environment more bearable for the employees. However, Kingsley couldn't help but long for a real window that would let in some fresh air. His eyes wandered around the room, taking in Moody's office, which was brimming with devices designed to detect dark magic, intruders, enemies, and invisible creatures. Other Aurors made their workspaces homier with pictures of their relatives and friends, favorite Quidditch team posters, or their former Hogwarts house banners. But in Moody's office, there was nothing personal. No pictures of him smiling with friends or family, no Quidditch posters - nothing.
Was this because Moody was too professional and prudent to expose his private life, or because he had given everything to his job and was alone? Was this the price to pay to become the best Auror in the history of the Ministry of Magic? Kingsley had always known that being an Auror was demanding and that he would have to give a lot of himself, perhaps even assign his life to the corps. But he wondered if this was the only way to become the best or if it was Moody's own choice.
Kingsley snapped back to reality when he heard the office door open behind him. Alastor Moody walked in, followed by Bartelimius Crouch Sr., the head of the Department of Magical Law and Justice - the boss of Kingsley's boss. Crouch Sr. strode over to Moody's chair, sat down, crossed his arms on the desk, put his elbows on the desk, looked Moody in the eyes, and waited for him to sit in the chair next to Kingsley before speaking.
"Mr. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the head of the Auror office, is here to confirm that months ago, you received a report containing crucial and valuable information concerning Sirius Black, the Death Eater. Is that correct, or would you like to correct your statement?"
Kingsley glanced to his right, seeking Moody's support, who nodded in agreement. He then turned back to Crouch and replied without hesitation, "Yes, Mr. Crouch, that is exactly what I did. Last year, on November 1st, I was dispatched to investigate the murder of a Muggle named Steven Blakeley. The investigation led me to find that the crime was committed by a wizard capable of transforming into a rat. The videotape didn't help identify the suspect, but the motorbike found at the crime scene belonged to Sirius Black. Later that same night, he gave it to Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gatekeeper, probably to make it harder for us to locate him. I made all of this clear in my report, which I then sent to your office. After returning to the ministry, I was informed that Sirius Black had been arrested, confessed to the murders and that the case was closed."
"Barty, everything Kingsley has said is true," added Moody. "It was I who informed him of Black's arrest, and if he says he sent you the report, then he did, period."
Crouch remained silent for a long moment, studying Kingsley's eyes. Kingsley felt a soft wave of anxiety wash over him, and he couldn't look away from Crouch's gaze. Then, suddenly, he felt a cold sensation on his forehead, and Crouch blinked, breaking the eye contact. Kingsley was surprised to find that his mouth was slightly open. Crouch spoke to him in a less intimidating tone, "Do you remember who was in my office when you submitted the report?"
"Yes, sir. It was November 2nd, and the Minister had given everyone the day off except for a few departments. There was only one man in your office, a year ahead of me in school. I remember handing it to Dolohov," Kingsley replied.
"Dolohov? Antonin Dolohov?" Crouch asked with a surprised expression.
"Yes, sir. The same one. He's long, pale, and has a twisted face," added Kingsley.
Crouch looked at both Kingsley and Moody before addressing Kingsley directly, "Did you discuss this story with anyone? Your report and Black's abilities?"
"No, sir. It's only the three of us and Azkaban's governor," Kingsley replied.
"Alright then," said Crouch, clapping his hands. "Let's pick him up."
Moody wasted no time after meeting with Crouch. Within an hour, he had assembled a crack team of Aurors consisting of Kingsley Schaklebolt, John Dawlish, and himself. Their target: Antonin Dolohov, a young wizard from a wealthy, ancient family, who lived in the opulent Mayfair district of London. Despite his clean record and impeccable academic standing at Hogwarts, Dolohov was suspected of involvement in a serious crime. The team arrived at his residence, a luxurious property situated between the bustling streets of Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly, and Park Lane, on the edge of Hyde Park in the City of Westminster. Their mission: to take Dolohov into custody and bring him to the Ministry of Magic for questioning.
Moody led the way to the door with Kingsley and Dawlish flanking him on either side. He knocked firmly three times. After a brief moment, the door creaked open and a house elf appeared, bowing low. "Good morning," Moody began. "I apologize for disturbing you at this early hour, but we are from the Ministry of Magic, and we urgently need to speak with Mr. Antonin Dolohov."
The house elf's face twisted with concern. He hesitated before saying, "If you could wait for just a moment, please..."
Moody's impatience showed as he cut in, "Make it quick. We don't have all day."
The door shut, and the waiting began. When it reopened, Dolohov stood before them, grinning wildly and offering his hand to Moody. The two shook hands before Dolohov said, "Alastor Moody! What a pleasure to meet such a legend!" He nodded to Kingsley and Dawlish before stepping aside, beckoning them inside. "Please, come in. Toky just made some tea!"
Moody smiled politely and walked past Dolohov, grabbing the doorknob as he closed the door behind him and locked it. A tense moment followed before the Aurors drew their wands in unison.
"DEPULSO!" Dolohov bellowed, unleashing a bolt of blue light from his wand. Moody swiftly erected a shield around the Aurors in preparation for the attack.
Reacting quickly, Kingsley flicked his wand, launching a stunning spell at Dolohov. But the dark wizard deflected it effortlessly and countered with a powerful wave that sent Dawlish flying into a nearby car and left the other Aurors disoriented.
Moody vanished from sight, narrowly avoiding Dolohov's deadly curse, which instead destroyed a nearby fire hydrant, sending water gushing into the air. Kingsley's wand moved with lightning speed, expertly disarming Dolohov with a precise shot to the chest, just as Moody reappeared behind the Dark wizard.
When Dolohov next opened his eyes, he would find himself shackled to a chair with a dementor at his side, awaiting trial before the Wizengamot in the depths of the Ministry of Magic's dungeons.
