"The Ministry of Magic plans to station Dementors at Hogwarts." Dumbledore called out quickly to stop Wes Elwin, who was just about to turn and leave.
"Dementors—these magical creatures regarded as the embodiment of pure evil—feed on human joy, memories, and souls. They are evil spirits from the abyss, devouring the most beautiful things within a person's heart.
They are employed by the Ministry of Magic to guard Azkaban and watch over the condemned souls imprisoned there. Anyone who sets foot on the grim and desolate grounds of Azkaban will be relentlessly tormented by these monsters.
Under their influence, people gradually lose all happy and joyful memories. Their hearts become consumed by darkness, sinking into a bottomless abyss of despair.
Sirius Black's recent escape has only enraged these creatures further. To the Dementors, his breakout was not only a humiliation of their authority but also a direct insult to their duty.
And the Ministry's reaction has been nothing short of disappointing. Faced with the wrath of the Dementors, they actually chose to compromise. It's truly unbelievable.
They agreed to let the Dementors leave Azkaban to hunt down Sirius. This level of concession really makes one question whether the Ministry's decisions can be trusted."
Dumbledore unloaded all the information he had like a barrage of spells.
Wes, who had already reached the door, paused in his step upon hearing this. He turned back and sat down again in the soft armchair.
"Where has their common sense gone? The Ministry is absolutely useless."
Dumbledore leaned back against the chair, the wrinkles etched into his face by time growing deeper. He rubbed the space between his eyebrows, clearly exhausted after saying so much in one go. After all, age made such things more taxing.
"They suspect Sirius is targeting Harry, and that he might try to infiltrate the school. Many parents are also worried about their children's safety."
"Hah…" Wes remained expressionless. He raised one hand and lightly tapped his fingers against the armrest of the chair. "So this is the brilliant idea they came up with? What about the Aurors? Have they all vanished?"
Dumbledore sighed softly. "Who knows what Fudge is really thinking."
"Still, I've firmly rejected the idea of allowing Dementors into Hogwarts."
"Fudge was furious, and his attitude toward me has grown increasingly wary." As he said this, Dumbledore sat upright, his back straight, as if everything was still well within his control.
In the end, Dumbledore told Wes he had reached a compromise with the Ministry.
"The Dementors won't be allowed inside Hogwarts, but they are permitted to patrol the surrounding areas."
"Including Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts Express?"
Dumbledore nodded. "I'm concerned the Dementors might lose control and target students on the train."
Wes was silent for a moment before replying, "Understood." As a professor at Hogwarts, he had a duty to protect the students.
During the previous school year, Wes had taken the time to master the Patronus Charm. If any Dementor dared lay a hand on the students, he wouldn't hesitate to act.
On the day the school year began, the sun blazed overhead as Wes arrived in Hogsmeade Village.
However, unlike the usual bustling scene, the arrival of the Dementors had brought a chilling silence. The once-crowded streets were now empty and quiet.
Many shop doors were tightly shut, with "Closed" signs swaying gently in the breeze, as if voicing the unease of their owners.
There were pitifully few pedestrians on the road, and each of them walked quickly with their heads down, not daring to linger even for a second.
They wrapped their clothes tightly around themselves, heads lowered as they rushed past, afraid of catching the attention of those dreadful Dementors. Even occasional conversations were carried out in hushed tones, quickly finished before hurrying away.
The September sun still blazed hotly on the ground, but the Dementors circling over Hogsmeade made the temperature plummet, as if autumn had come early.
The chill wasn't just physical—it was a deep-rooted fear that rose from the heart.
Dementors prowled every corner of Hogsmeade, carefully searching for anything or anyone that might draw their attention.
These creatures knew nothing of mercy. Their actions were harsh and direct. They would approach passersby without warning, using their icy breath and terrifying presence to force expressions of fear from their victims.
For some unknown reason, the Dementors didn't seem particularly interested in Wes, allowing him to reach the train station without trouble.
As the sky gradually darkened, the already overcast heavens seemed to be draped with an even heavier curtain.
Wes keenly sensed the Dementors becoming more active—especially as the Hogwarts Express was about to arrive. Their aura of unrest reached its peak.
Inside the student-filled train, laughter and joy echoed through the carriages. The children's innocence and excitement for the new term filled the air.
But to the Dementors, this train was a delicious feast.
Sure enough, as the train pulled in, dozens of Dementors pounced like a pack of starving wolves.
The train was forced to halt under the sudden assault. The noise inside came to an abrupt stop, replaced by the terrified screams of children.
Some staff seemed to want to get off and confront the Dementors, but several were blocked in the driver's compartment, unable to come out.
Seeing this, Wes immediately Apparated.
His sudden appearance startled the driver and the staff. Seeing how frightened the driver was, Wes stepped forward and gently patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down.
"Don't worry. I'm a professor at Hogwarts. Leave the rest to me."
The driver relaxed immediately upon hearing that Wes was from Hogwarts. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he nodded repeatedly. "That's a relief! I have no desire to deal with those monsters."
Wes had no intention of being polite to the Dementors. He turned toward them and shouted:
"Get the hell out of here!"
The sudden shout caused the Dementors in the driver's cabin to screech horribly—the sound was far worse than a knife scraping glass.
People nearby clutched their heads and covered their ears in pain.
Seeing that the Dementors remained unmoved, Wes decided it was time to teach them a lesson.
He raised his index finger, which began to emit a bright silver-white glow.
Bathed in this light, the Dementors began to tremble. Their once-terrifying forms now appeared somewhat hesitant under its brilliance.
The other Dementors swiftly gathered, surrounding Wes in a tense standoff.
Just then, a disheveled, gaunt man pushed his way through the crowd.
Upon seeing Wes confronting dozens of Dementors, he drew his wand and aimed at the creatures, calling out:
"Hello, I'm Remus John Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this term. What's going on here?"
Though he looked a bit down on his luck, his presence was anything but weak.
Wes nodded slightly and replied, "Hello, Professor Lupin. These filthy fools wanted to board the train, but I stopped them."
Upon hearing this, the Dementors became even more agitated, shrieking sharply and looking ready to attack at any moment.
°°°
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