Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 159 The Prisoners of Azkaban

As the eerie fortress standing amidst the thin sea fog began to emerge on the horizon, Snape raised his wrist.

The dial was covered with clouds, and the hands had just pointed to the five o'clock position.

“It’s still early,” he said, lowering his arm, his voice muffled in the sea breeze. “According to the plan, we’ll move at six.”

The three stopped the magic that propelled the raft, letting it drift on the surging waves, waiting silently.

Without a word, that familiar, soul-chilling cold was spreading from Azkaban. Fortunately, the Dementors were unaware of their hidden presence and did not approach them.

They resisted the negative emotions brought on by the Dementors through sheer willpower and did not immediately summon their Patronus.

Time ticked by. Snape's gaze returned to his watch, the hands finally pointing heavily to six o'clock.

“It’s time,” he said.

The three waved their wands again, propelling the raft through the black water and heading straight for the fortress.

As the distance rapidly closed, the chilling sense of despair quietly intensified.

The blurry black shadows that had been aimlessly drifting on the sea surface, like moths to a flame, glided down from the towering towers of the fortress amidst the howling wind, heading straight for the small raft on the sea.

Snape swung his wand sharply, tearing away the massive invisible cloth covering the raft and revealing the three figures. They became the sole beacon of light in the vast ocean, igniting the Dementors' interest.

His vision was filled with fluttering black rags and hoods. Faced with this overwhelming and terrifying sight, Snape did not hesitate: "Palmtopsus!"

In an instant, the giant serpent made of blazing silver light shot into the sky from the tip of Snape's staff.

Its body was so enormous and solid that it emitted a warm and powerful light that instantly dispelled the surrounding darkness and chill.

Wherever the giant serpent passed, the black air seemed to hiss and wail.

The narrow sea area was illuminated, and the Dementors that rushed forward were stunned by the sudden bright light, their momentum abruptly halted.

Their faceless, hooded black holes were pierced by the intense light. Immediately afterwards, as if instinctively feeling fear, they let out a silent hiss and tried to turn around and flee.

But the silver serpent was faster. It was like a sentient being, its massive head thrusting forward, its enormous mouth agape, as it rammed into the group of dark creatures that had just attacked like death itself.

When the silver serpent's light touched the foremost Dementors, billowing black smoke instantly billowed from their tattered cloaks. The twisted black forms struggled and convulsed wildly in the air, trying to shake off or annihilate the deadly silver light.

In just a few breaths, the Dementors completely disintegrated, turning into charred, magic-free rags that fluttered down onto the cold sea below.

Emily had already raised her wand, preparing to summon her guardian spirit to assist in the defense, but she was stunned by the scene before her. She stared blankly at the raging silver flames in the sky, and her hand holding the wand loosened slightly.

The overwhelming power and speed displayed by Snape's Patronus, when truly revealed, far exceeded her comprehension.

“It’s alright, you’ll get used to it, Emmeline.” Noticing her reaction, Moody, who was still struggling to maintain the ship’s speed, said in a low voice, “I’ve seen it once, though he wasn’t this extreme back then.”

In the brief moment that Emily was distracted, the raft, no longer propelled by the two people's continuous magic, slowed down noticeably.

A fragment of a Dementor's cloak, its edges still emitting wisps of black smoke, swirled and drifted down, landing wetly on the deck not far in front of Snape.

He disdainfully brushed aside the disgusting wreckage with his toe, as if brushing away a speck of dust, letting it fall into the sea.

“No need to stop,” he said. “Speed ​​up.”

Emmeline snapped out of her daze, raised her wand as if waking from a dream, and quickly focused her mind to propel the raft forward.

The raft, as if whipped, accelerated suddenly, breaking through the waves once more, and rushed towards the dark stone fortress of Azkaban.

Above them, one Dementor after another, unable to escape, disintegrated in mid-air, turning into fragments that drifted limply down from the sky and were then swallowed by the sea.

The drifting black wreckage became the final backdrop for their raft as it hurtled toward Azkaban.

The raft crashed heavily against the rotten wooden piles of the dock with a dull thud.

The three of them nimbly leaped onto the damp, slippery rocky bank.

Moody looked around carefully, and for once, he was taken aback. He took a deep breath of the unusually "clean" air, which smelled of the sea, and said in a hoarse voice, "This is the first time I've breathed such 'normal' air in Azkaban."

He looked back at the sea. The enormous silver serpent was still relentlessly pursuing the fleeing Dementors, and wherever it passed, the black mist dissipated, and the once deathly and oppressive sky regained some clarity.

“Let’s go in.” Snape turned first and walked toward the heavy prison gate made of black iron.

With a wave of the wand, the heavy chains on the door creaked and fell apart.

The prison remains as cold and damp as it has been for a century, with its rock walls covered in mold. But as Moody said, without the Dementors' insidious mental attacks, it is still oppressive, but no longer a prison capable of destroying one's will.

They hurried along the dimly lit passageway, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

On either side were rows of cold, dark iron-barred prison cells. Moody's glass eyes darted around frantically, his good eye scanning the empty cell interiors. His scarred face grew increasingly grim, eventually turning almost purplish-red.

"Empty? This place is empty too!" His suppressed roar echoed between the stone walls. "Where are all those Death Eater scum I personally arrested? Where are all those murderers and dark wizards? They're all gone! Damn Ministry of Magic, they've practically emptied the entire prison!"

“The Ministry of Magic has become like Mysterio,” Snape replied, his gaze sweeping over a deeper cell in the corner. He slowed his pace, stopping at the cell door, observing the familiar layout inside. “Murcyber isn’t here either.”

As they searched rapidly, Emily, who was at the front, let out a short gasp: "Professor! There's someone here!"

Snape immediately stepped forward, the light from his wand shining into the hole.

In a similarly cramped cell ahead in the passageway, a thin, frail figure huddled in a corner on the cold stone floor.

She was wearing tattered prison clothes, her body trembling slightly. Most striking was the head of hers, which had been bleached and then covered with a layer of ash, giving it a withered, decaying gray-white appearance.

The girl's face was buried in her arms, and her bare skin appeared sickly pale in the dim light of the magic wand.

Snape pointed his wand at the lock on the cell door, and the latch popped open.

He stepped into the cell, and at the same time, a thought flashed through his mind. The giant silver serpent that had been chasing the remaining enemies in the sky above the sea received the command, instantly transforming into a streak of light, passing through walls and returning to Snape's side in a flash.

The condensed serpentine shadow nimbly circled above his head, then shrank, becoming like a gentle ribbon of light that wrapped around the unconscious Tonks, tenderly enveloping her and dispelling the lingering chill. Snape was about to bend down when Amelie recognized the girl.

"Nifadora!" she exclaimed, immediately squeezing in and carefully picking up the weakened Tonks.

Feeling the warm light and touch, Tonks' eyelashes fluttered a few times, and he struggled to open his eyes a crack.

Those eyes, which had sparkled with liveliness and cunning the last time we met, were now shrouded in a thick layer of bewilderment and death.

But as her blurred vision focused on Snape and Moody's faces, a faint glimmer of light flashed.

Snape immediately pulled a large piece of chocolate from his pocket, broke off a big slice, and handed it to Tonks: "Have some, it will make you feel better."

Tonks's chapped lips trembled, oblivious to what was being offered to him. With all his might, he uttered a weak, tearful plea: "Snape, Mr. Moody...please...save my mom and dad...they..."

“We will rescue them.” Snape did not retract his outstretched hand. “Eat this first, then we will go rescue your parents.”

Tonks nodded weakly, his finger gesturing feebly towards the depths of the cell. Snape, without hesitation, broke off a large chunk of the chocolate and forcefully shoved it into Tonks's slightly open hand: "Eat!"

Tonks held the chocolate in his hand, but didn't eat it.

There was no time to wait. With the weakened Tonks in her arms, Amyline and the group continued to descend and advance along the cold stone passageway.

They passed by cell after cell, most of which were still empty, with only one or two unfamiliar, emaciated prisoners huddled in a corner occasionally.

"Mother……?"

While observing the figures in a cell, Tonks, who was in Emily's arms, suddenly struggled and let out a cry that was almost a sob.

Almost the instant the voice fell, a woman in the cell who had been lying on the floor facing the wall as if dead suddenly stiffened.

The next second, she burst forth with astonishing strength, struggling to her feet and staggering towards the iron bars.

A pale, haggard face, covered in dirt but still vaguely recognizable as once dignified, was pressed tightly against the cold iron bars.

"Nifadora? Nifadora!" the voice cried out, sharp and hoarse. "My child! Is that you?!"

"Mom!" Tonks, who was in Emily's arms, tried to struggle to get down, but Emily gently held him down.

"Andromeda!" Snape immediately waved his wand, and the cell door opened with a bang.

Snape and Moody rushed in and practically dragged Andromeda out.

The moment Andromeda burst out of the cell, he broke free from her support, and Emily quickly handed Tonks, whom she was holding, into Andromeda's arms as he rushed towards her.

Andromeda hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face, her body trembling violently from excitement and weakness.

Little Tonks struggled to hold the chocolate in his hand to his mother's mouth, his voice weak but comforting: "Don't cry, Mom... the chocolate, Mr. Snape gave it to me..."

Andromeda held Tonks in her arms, her tears flowing even more fiercely.

“There’s more.” Snape broke off another piece of chocolate and handed it over.

Andromeda took the chocolate while tears streamed down her face and carefully fed it to her daughter. Tonks took a small bite, and a faint hint of color seemed to appear in the ends of her gray hair.

"Where's Ted?" Snape finally asked.

“Down there, separated, locked up alone…and others…” Andromeda held her daughter tightly, breathing heavily, her finger pointing to the steep stone steps leading down.

They continued downhill. Each time they passed a cell, they would carefully scan it.

"Wait!" Andromeda suddenly exclaimed as they crossed a relatively spacious prison area, her eyes fixed on a gaunt man sitting against the wall in a cell to her left. She said urgently to Snape and Moody, "This man... I remember him! I saw him at the Ministry of Magic's Wizarding Registry! He should be Muggle-born..."

Snape and Moody exchanged a glance. The man seemed to sense the movement as well, slightly raising his head. He was too weak to speak, and his eyes seemed devoid of pleading.

“We’ll take them away when we get back,” Snape said. “First, we need to find our men.”

Finally, they found Ted Tonks at the very end of a secluded wing at the very bottom.

When the unshaven man, also dressed in tattered prison clothes, was released, his eyes instantly welled up with tears when he saw his daughter being held tightly in his wife's arms. He rushed forward, his trembling hands opening wide to embrace his wife and daughter tightly.

“There’s no time to waste.” After they calmed down a bit, Snape interrupted the Tonks family, pulled out two spare wands, and handed them to Ted and Andromeda. “Here you go.”

“Thank you,” Ted said, releasing his family and turning to Snape and the others. He took the wand, his eyes filled with a complex mix of gratitude. “It’s nice to see you again… I… can I join you?”

“Of course, Ted,” Snape nodded and patted him on the shoulder, “it’s not too late for you to join now.”

They quickly located Frank and Alice Longbottom in the vicinity. Fortunately, they had not received any extra "attention" and, although weak, were still conscious.

After handing wands to the two men, Snape and his party began their return journey.

Since there were no black wizards imprisoned here, they rescued and released all the other prisoners they encountered along the way who were still alive.

The group quickly grew to more than ten people, but trust takes time and testing. Apart from chocolate, Snape did not distribute wands to the newly released strangers.

As they escorted the ragged, stumbling but hopeful group to within a dozen yards of the prison gate, they heard voices ahead.

Snape raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

The people outside the door had obviously heard them and stopped talking.

"Listen up, you inside! You are surrounded! Put down your wands, disarm yourselves, and surrender! I repeat, put down your wands and surrender immediately!"

A warning came from outside the iron gate.

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(End of this chapter)