The dungeon of Caliban Castle was freezing cold and smelled of mildew and dust.
Haylan hadn't gotten around to updating the dungeons yet, not expecting to need to use them so soon. The dungeon walls had seen centuries of prisoners and the magic in the air seemed to behave similarly to having dementors around. Death magic lay thick in the air exuding unease.
Having Dumbledore as Haylan's first prisoner was immensely satisfying.
"Oh Dumbledore! Rise and Shine Asshole!" Haylan called out in a cheery tone as he entered the dungeons. Bellatrix and Sirius stood close to Haylan acting as unofficial guards since Haylan was having the Romanian Aurors stay outside while he spoke to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore stood in the middle of one of the few cells where the stasis spell hadn't crumbled during the years the castle was abandoned. Dumbledore's garishly bright robes really looked out of place in the damp gray stone cell. The old man's eyes no longer twinkled and he wasn't trying to hide behind the mask of a 'friendly old man'. The hard cold look on Dumbledore's face was probably the most authentic expression anyone had seen on the man in a long time.
"Release me." Dumbledore dared to order causing Haylan to laugh at the man.
"Mmm nope. Not after you and your lackeys tried to kill me last night." Haylan smirked before conjuring a small throne to sit on in front of Dumbledore's cell.
Haylan wore all black today to match his crown which he did wear down to the dungeons to make a statement. Sirius had also talked Haylan into wearing some black eyeliner to make his eyes stand out more. His bright red hair was pulled back in intricate braids giving the illusion of short hair.
Haylan looked dangerous and Sirius was sure when Blaise flooed over later that he would have to catch the boy when he fainted.
"The British Ministry of Magic and the ICW will not tolerate you holding me hostage boy." Dumbledore tried to threaten. Haylan just smiled more.
"I have two letters. One from the British Ministry declaring you a persona non grata in the U.K. both muggle and wizarding. The other is from the ICW requesting a meeting to hear what punishment I will lay out for you and your order for being traitors to the crown."
"Liar!" Dumbledore shouted, stepping closer to the metal bars holding him in and suppressing his magic.
"I would stand down if I were you Dumbledore. Don't make this harder than it needs to be." Sirius quietly advised the old man, drawing Dumbledore's attention to him.
"What would Harry think of you standing behind this tyrant Sirius? You would turn your back on the order, your friends, everything that they stood for?! Where are your Gryffindor morals?" Dumbledore targeting Sirius now, a frightening gleam in his eyes.
"My morals died when you got my godson killed, and you and your lot betrayed me first when you believed I would dare get Lily and Jamie killed. If Harry was here I am sure he would understand. Harry was a good and reasonable kid. He would not appreciate your manipulations, Headmaster." Sirius was steady in his tone and resolve. With the help of healing Haylan forced him through, Sirius found it much easier to not rise to Dumbledore's taunts as he once might have done.
Sirius' calm and sanity just enraged the Headmaster more. Dumbledore had worked hard to make sure the man received very little treatment to recover from his years in Azkaban. But now here the man stood looking very much like the Heir of the House of Black.
"What should I do to you Dumbledore? Any ideas? You are clearly a threat who doesn't know how to shut up, sit down, and stay in his place. As capable as I am, I would rather not continue to worry my betrothed with the continued threats on my life. You have also refused to disband your little club of pests." Haylan drawled to drag Dumbledore's attention away from his godfather. Dumbledore didn't deserve to be speaking his old name, especially to try to manipulate Sirius.
Dumbledore remained silent, glaring at Haylan.
"I don't think Dumbledore believes I will truly do anything to him. Do you agree Bella?" Haylan asked with a tilt of his head, looking at the eldest Black sister.
"The old man has always been a fool believing in his power and popularity to save him," Bella said in her smoky tone.
"Siding with Voldemort won't endear you to the masses. More people will see who you truly are. Just another Dark Lord." Dumbledore smiled disparagingly.
"Your age must be affecting either your hearing or your memory Dumbledore because I distinctly remember telling you that Voldemort is under the same warnings as you have been." Haylan tutted.
Dumbledore just looked at Bellatrix and then back to Haylan like he couldn't expect to be convinced due to Bellatrix standing with him. Everyone knew that Bella was unofficially one of Voldemort's strongest and most ardent followers.
"If you had forgotten, Bella is a Black and is therefore under my protection. Bella has seen the error of her ways and is even helping negotiate with Voldemort to have the man surrender before I need to destroy his pesky presence alongside his fanatic death eaters." Haylan helpfully informed Dumbledore. "But enough about them, we are here to discuss you and your fanatics. I am happy to leave what is left of the Order alone to their boring lives, but I have this feeling that once I deal with you they will be using you as a martyr to reinvigorate their nonsense."
"They will rebel against you! Everyone will see how dark you really are." Dumbledore responded.
"Oh change the record Dumbledore. Dark and Light are made-up terms perpetuated by people like you and Tom Riddle. There is no dark magic. There is no light magic. Pull your head out of your ass for five minutes. I am sure your group would love to rebel, but I am not Tom Riddle. I won't kill them for fun or blood status. I will kill them and everyone related to them because if they continue to act as traitors to the House of Caliban, there is clearly something defective with their DNA that does not need to spread to future generations." Haylan spoke as he stood him, releasing his magic into the air.
He was done dealing with the deliriums of Albus Dumbledore.
"Be ready to leave. We will leave within the hour to appear in front of the ICW and give my verdict on your punishment. I suggest you start praying to Lady Magic and Lord Death now Dumbledore." Haylan advised the man before sweeping out of the dungeons, sending the guards back down to make sure the man behaved until he was dealt with for good."
The meeting between Emperor Caliban and the ICW was supposed to be a secret and private meeting, so naturally, everyone knew about it and flooded into the ICW Switzerland building to find out exactly what Emperor Caliban did to Albus Dumbledore.
Once upon a time, Haylan would have cringed away from such a large gathering of people, especially with how many were gawking at his presence. But Haylan wasn't that little boy anymore and if anything he was bored with the theatrics of politicians.
He expected this meeting to turn into a spectacle, maybe not this large, but a spectacle nonetheless. The wizarding community wouldn't have it any other way.
Haylan stood in his tight black battle robes, crown firmly situated over his red braids, and staring down the members of the ICW. A sinking feeling filled his gut as he realized this meeting would take way longer than he wanted it to so it was going to eat into his time with Blaise.
Haylan would be pouty later.
Their meeting got moved from a small meeting room on one of the upper floors down to one of the massive courtrooms on the lowest floors normally reserved for war crimes but since they needed the room, it would do.
Finally, the new Supreme Mugwump, Babajide Akingbade, called the room to order and enacted the peace wards.
The new Supreme Mugwump was quite young, especially in comparison to Dumbledore, but he was able to silence the large crowd and the members of the ICW with ease. The man's magic was calm and controlled and Haylan felt a respect for the man.
"Those who speak out of turn during this meeting will be immediately dismissed. This will be your only warning." Akingbade's voice wasn't very loud but it was deep and carried across the room effortlessly. "Emperor Caliban, it is an honor to have you in our halls. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting."
"Thank you Supreme Mugwump for your courtesy. I welcome good relations between myself and the ICW" Haylan said easily.
"This meeting is brought forth due to the actions of one Albus Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Most of us were there in Caliban Castle when Dumbledore threw an Avada Kedavra at Emperor Caliban. This is not a hearing or trial. Dumbledore has been kept in the custody of Emperor Caliban. Dumbledore's home country, the United Kingdom, has declared Dumbledore a persona non grata based on their own laws. We meet here with you Emperor Caliban to ask how you shall proceed with Dumbledore." Akingbade summarized the last 24 hours quite neatly. Haylan always appreciated someone who wouldn't beat around the bush.
"Based both on the laws of Dumbledore's home country and the ICW, using any of the unforgivables on another human being is a lifetime prison sentence. Based on the laws of old and of the Caliban Empire, any act of treason or attack against the House of Caliban is a death sentence. The problem I have faced is not in deciding Dumbledore's punishment, but what the fall out will be from the man's fanatical followers, also known as the Order of Phoenix, a vigilante group run by Dumbledore." Haylan spoke clearly, eyes only on the ICW members. "I am hoping the punishment I have selected for Dumbledore will serve as an example and a warning for those wishing to commit treason."
Haylan took a small breath in, keeping his head held high. He knew people were going to react badly to his decision, but he wouldn't back down from it.
"This evening Dumbledore will be put to death through an offering to Lord Death and Lady Magic. Dumbledore will be made to sacrifice his magic first and then his soul. His body will be pushed through the veil and his soul will be held captive in limbo. He will not move on to the Summerland and he will not have a chance to reincarnate. So I have spoken, so mote it be." Haylan declared with heavy words.
Silence for a moment held in the meeting room.
And then pandemonium broke out.
How could Emperor Caliban have the power to do such a thing?
Was it morally right to allow the Emperor to bring forth such a punishment?
Would Emperor Caliban do that to all who opposed his reign?
It was a vastly different sentence than the last time they met in this courtroom and condemned Gellert Grindelwald to live out his days in his own prison.
Had Albus Dumbledore really gone so far over the line to deserve a worse punishment than the worst Dark Lord that Europe has ever seen?
Haylan stood silently, basking in the chaos his words had caused the ICW.
He wouldn't regret it, not with everything Dumbledore had done to him and others over the years, and maybe people would actually take him and his threats seriously.
He didn't care if all of the wizarding world feared him and thought him a monster.
He would destroy them all if they dared get in his way.
Dumbledore would be the start, but he certainly would not be the last.
Not if Haylan had any say in it.