"The LeMay couple has sent out a plea for help; Grindelwald is tormenting them!"
Though it was nearing midnight, the candles in the headmaster's office remained lit. Dumbledore looked up in surprise at the late-night visitor, Jane Yu.
"I heard their screams through the two-way mirror. Grindelwald burned down their house, broke their limbs, and Nicolas has gone deaf—"
Dumbledore's gaze sharpened. He stood abruptly, walked to the corner, and began fiddling with a peculiar silver instrument.
The device was oddly shaped, resembling a small astronomical telescope, but it emitted silver mist.
Removing his glasses, he leaned close to the non-misty end, peering into the intricate patterns inside.
"A Moonwatch Mirror," he explained. "Though your astronomy classes likely rely on charts, the Moonwatch Mirror conveys far more detailed information."
He studied it for a long time, slowly turning the intricate gears and pressing several buttons.
But Dumbledore's expression gradually shifted from solemn to puzzled. Finally, he replaced his glasses and pressed his fingers to his brow.
"The moon phase is beautiful, and I didn't see a second star resembling Mars appear… I believe they might be fine. Strange, truly strange."
"From what I know of him, he's not one to torment others for mere amusement. Perhaps what you heard wasn't real."
Hearing this, Jane Yu felt slightly relieved, though questions still swirled in her mind.
"Nicolas's last words were, 'Albus… Azkaban.' I don't understand the connection between Grindelwald and Azkaban."
Dumbledore's puzzled expression slowly faded, replaced by a calm, contemplative look.
"What you heard may be exactly what Grindelwald wanted you to hear."
"He took the LeMay couple and deliberately passed this information to you… perhaps to draw me out."
"As for Azkaban… I suspect there's something there he desires. Much like Voldemort sought the Dementors—"
Pacing slowly in the office, Dumbledore seemed deep in thought, his expression calm throughout.
"What does he want me to do?"
Dumbledore stopped, sighed lightly, and appeared to make a decision.
"Regardless, if Azkaban is his target… I believe it's time we paid it a visit."
With a gentle wave of his wand, he transformed a teapot on the desk into a Portkey.
"I'll take you somewhere first, Yu."
...
The Bones Residence.
Amelia Bones, dressed in gray velvet pajamas, poured tea for the two of them.
Perhaps the malicious rumors Fudge had spread months ago had troubled her. Jane Yu noticed that her gray hair was now cut shorter, almost close to her scalp. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her thinner frame made her jawline appear sharper.
Yet Jane could sense her indomitable spirit, like a tightly wound string or a fully wound clock, ready to spring into action.
"I apologize for disturbing your rest at this late hour, Amelia," Dumbledore said. "But I've just received urgent news."
"In times like these, I wouldn't call a late-night visit a disturbance." Having already received the Patronus message, Amelia Bones nodded at him, her gaze falling on Jane Yu as she cryptically asked, "Is this about the matter we discussed recently?"
Recently? What matter?
Catching the keyword, Jane turned to look at Dumbledore.
No wonder when she asked him where he had been last time, he answered, "A secret!"
It turned out he had been conspiring with Director Bones!
"No, it's not," Dumbledore shook his head. "It's unrelated. I received news that there's something in Azkaban that Grindelwald desires. I can't confirm whether his target aligns with Voldemort's."
Bones's face turned grim, her jaw muscles tightening as her molars clenched together.
"Almost all the Aurors have been dispatched by Fudge for other tasks. I can't mobilize more forces to Azkaban on short notice."
"If I make private arrangements, any anomaly detected by the Dementors will be reported directly to him. Before certain matters are confirmed, we can't give him more leverage. I can't explain why I suddenly deployed so many Aurors or why you would suddenly appear there."
"That's exactly why I need your help," Dumbledore nodded, his expression solemn. "I need you to grant us access to Azkaban without alerting the Dementors."
Jane watched as Bones pondered for a moment, set down her teacup, and briskly walked to a drawer, pulling out a document.
"According to the current schedule, aside from the monthly patrols, two Aurors deliver food to the prisoners weekly."
"They hand over the meals to the Dementors, who then distribute the food to each cell. I think you can assume their identities."
Dumbledore's expression softened as he nodded in gratitude toward Bones.
"Thank you for your assistance, Amelia."
"Oh, this isn't assistance. I'm merely doing what I believe is right." Jane could see that Bones, accustomed to speaking loudly, was making an effort to lower her voice. "You'll need to stay here tonight. Tomorrow, once I'm at the Ministry, I'll retrieve what you need."
Jane finally witnessed what efficiency looked like.
To be honest, Director Bones's efficient style seemed out of place in the British Ministry of Magic she knew.
The Director of Magical Law Enforcement and Dumbledore quickly finalized various details in just a few words, even arranging for a magical camera.
Afterward, however, Bones shifted the topic back to "that matter."
"Since you brought the child here," Director Bones's gaze turned to Jane Yu, "I assume we can discuss that matter in her presence?"
This immediately piqued Jane's curiosity. She wanted to know what major event Dumbledore had been quietly working on during his absence.
"Of course," Dumbledore nodded. "I was just about to bring it up. Amelia, how's the progress on your end?"
Bones's facial muscles relaxed a bit, and she turned her gaze to Jane Yu again, her expression a mix of admiration and approval.
"Thanks to Yu, the progress is remarkable. No wonder you've invested so much effort in nurturing this child, Albus."
"I think we owe you our gratitude, Yu. Susan told me about how you organized the students to resist Umbridge at school. It was an extraordinary act. We never thought she'd easily make such a foolish move to offend those people… You've made our plan much smoother."
Seeing Jane's confused look, she explained.
"Fudge is busy dealing with skepticism. You should know how troublesome those pure-blood families can be. Of course, the Wizengamot hasn't found concrete evidence of her crimes, but her dereliction of duty is undeniable. She's been completely stripped of her position in the Ministry and expelled from the Wizengamot."
"Without Umbridge's obstruction and surveillance, it has given us an opportunity. Over a quarter of the Ministry staff have signed the re-vote documents, and many have hinted their support to me… In fact, I believe more than half of the Ministry is now aware of the Dark Lord's return."
Dumbledore smiled in relief and said.
"The progress with the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards is also promising. I must thank Marchbanks and Ogden for their support."
"But most of all, I must thank you, Amelia. Your efforts are crucial. I've always been proud of your fairness and justice. I've often thought that if it had been you instead of Fudge in that position, things would have turned out very differently."
But Bones shook her head, her eyes shining with determination.
"No, Albus, I'm too rigid by nature. For so many years, I never aspired to that position, but now, I have no choice."
"Simply because I've realized that in the current Ministry of Magic, no one but me can bear the responsibility of protecting the wizarding world."
Jane's eyes widened. She now understood what Dumbledore and Director Bones were planning—
An early election to reform the Ministry of Magic!
"So this is what you were doing when you left the school?" Jane exclaimed in astonishment.
Bones answered Jane's question on behalf of Dumbledore.
"Matters have priorities. Based on our judgment, the threat of the Dark Lord takes precedence over Grindelwald."
"But to address the Dark Lord, we must first resolve the internal conflicts within the Ministry of Magic. Thanks to Grindelwald, his crimes in America provided Albus with a reasonable and unremarkable excuse to leave the school and rally supporters."
A faint smile broke through Bones's serious expression.
"The directive to send Albus to America was even issued personally by Fudge… None of us expected such good fortune."
Jane suddenly understood.
Pretending to go to America to capture Grindelwald while secretly rallying forces across the wizarding community to overthrow Fudge…
Dumbledore's feint was indeed brilliant!
And Grindelwald, causing trouble in America while warming hearts in Britain—
If the LeMay couple weren't still in his hands, she might have been tempted to send him another "good person" card!
"Now we only need an opportunity and some public opinion," Dumbledore's fingers lightly tapped the cup. "I believe that day isn't far away."
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📚 BOOK COMPLETED ON PATREON!📚
This story has reached its conclusion on my Patreon!
🔥 Full story available now
💎 Exclusive bonus content & early access to new books
👉 Join my Patreon community today!
[✨patreon.com/DarkGolds]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━