Chapter 229 - 229: Goblins!

Words : 2205 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

"Then why can't we just issue an arrest warrant for Dumbledore?" Umbridge asked. "Even if we can't ultimately convict him, as long as we prevent him from running in the election, wouldn't that still achieve our goal?" Fudge's face turned beet red. "I tried!... But Scrimgeour refused. Hmph! After the election, I'm definitely replacing him with a more obedient Head Auror!" He put his hat back on and strutted out proudly. "Alright, let's go pay Dumbledore a visit!" ——— After the first class of the morning ended, as everyone filed out of their classrooms, they noticed something had changed—there was a chilling, oppressive atmosphere hanging over Hogwarts. It didn't take long before they saw the cause: swarms of Dementors stationed throughout the castle—not just outside the walls like last time. They moved in small groups of three to five, escorted by two Aurors each, either patrolling or searching for something inside the castle. By noon, panic caused by the Dementors was already spreading rapidly among the younger students. Professor McGonagall eventually cancelled all afternoon classes, ordering everyone to remain in their dormitories or common rooms. Truth be told, Edward hadn't expected Fudge to go this far off the rails—pushing the Azkaban incident onto Dumbledore with no evidence, and then surrounding Hogwarts with Dementors. In a sense, this was a direct declaration of war against Dumbledore. Did he really think Dumbledore wouldn't lose patience and charge from Level One to Level Ten of the Ministry with just a wand? Oh, right—he wasn't worried, because he had no idea what Dumbledore was truly capable of. In Fudge's mind, Dumbledore was probably equivalent to three or four Aurors, tops. "I was wrong. I overestimated Fudge's intelligence and moral compass when threatened," Edward said, looking at Dumbledore. "I'm sorry, Professor." Dumbledore rubbed his temples. "...I didn't expect Cornelius to be this...this foolish either." "All he had to do was play his role as Minister, issue a public statement, and assure everyone he would do everything in his power to catch the perpetrators." "But instead, he thinks he's caught me red-handed and is now trying to use the Dementors to force me to back down." Lilith, perched on Edward's shoulder, chimed in sweetly, "Professor Whitebeard, Miss Lilith can help take care of those things, you know~" "Thank you, Miss Lilith," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "But the real problem right now isn't the Dementors—it's Fudge." She tilted her head. "Don't get it." "Professor," Edward asked, "have you found anything on the second group that attacked Azkaban? Was it Voldemort and the Death Eaters?" Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't think so. After collapsing the outer fortress, they went into Azkaban and released all the high-security prisoners. The inmates on the outer levels only reported seeing several dragons...with riders." "...The Dementors must know, right?" "Yes, but they can't speak—and Legilimency doesn't work on them either." Edward nodded. "Then we'll have to try necromancy." Audrey whispered, "Professor...did we mess things up?" "Oh, not at all," Dumbledore said with a laugh. "Quite the opposite. If you two hadn't taken care of the Death Eaters ahead of time, the situation would be far worse." "Don't worry. Although the process...came with some surprises, the outcome won't change. I believe Cornelius has already received that letter by now." ——— [Ministry of Magic, Level One—Minister's Office.] Fudge stood before a desk piled high with letters accusing him of abusing Dementors. He tore one letter to shreds in a rage, then furiously swept everything off his desk and smashed whatever he could reach. "Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT! Dumbledore, you bloody bastard!!!" The election date had been moved up! Originally set for after the Christmas holiday, it had now been rescheduled to just before Christmas—specifically, December 20. That meant only about a week remained. It was a unilateral notice. Before receiving it, he hadn't heard a thing. Which meant his position as Minister was now all but a sham. "Have these people forgotten I am the Minister of Magic? I hold the highest power and authority in the Ministry!" After a long silence, he muttered, "No...I can't lose. I won't give up this post! No one can stop me—not even Dumbledore!" He walked slowly to the fireplace, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, and tossed it in. "Gringotts!" With a loud whoosh, he disappeared into a swirl of green flames. ——— Driving away Dementors was easy—just use the Patronus Charm. Killing them wasn't too hard either—Instigation, Purification Halo, Light of Holiness, or Reaper's Cull all worked. But how did one capture a Dementor, destroy it without drawing attention, and still have enough time afterwards for necromancy? After much thought, Edward made a decisive choice: It's up to you, Sirius! As a former long-time resident of Azkaban, Dementors were undoubtedly very familiar with Sirius's 'scent'. He'd be the perfect bait. The Dementors at Hogwarts—able to see, but not touch—wouldn't be able to resist. Sirius had no objections. He had thought he'd be able to reunite with Harry within the next couple of days, but then Hogwarts got swarmed by Dementors, forcing him to stay holed up in the Shrieking Shack. He hadn't even managed to sneak a single glance at Harry. That evening, during dinner, two Aurors escorted a patrol of five Dementors near the Whomping Willow. Suddenly, the Dementors seemed to catch a scent—they sharply changed direction and rushed straight toward the base of the Willow... ...then vanished into the roots. The two Aurors rushed forward, and their sudden movement immediately roused the Whomping Willow, which had appeared lifeless under a thick blanket of snow. It sprang into a frenzy, its withered branches whipping out to entangle them before delivering a fierce beating. Several nearby Auror teams quickly moved in to assist, but they too found themselves in trouble—very few knew that pressing the knot on the trunk would make the tree stop attacking. Even if someone did know, it was of no use now, as the knot had already been covered up in advance. They shouted for the Dementors to help, but what could Dementors possibly do against a sentient tree? Meanwhile, the five Dementors, lured by Sirius Black's scent, had entered the Shrieking Shack and followed the secret passage to Hogsmeade. Just as they thought their prey had finally given up on running and were rushing in gleefully to feast, they suddenly lost the ability to fly and crashed hard to the ground. It was that person again! Even with their limited intelligence, the Dementors hadn't forgotten the one who had stripped them of flight and wiped out dozens of their kind the night before. Now, like five crumpled black rags, they trembled in terror, writhing across the ground in a desperate attempt to escape. Edward and Audrey stepped out, no longer disguised—this time appearing as their real selves. Sirius blinked in surprise. It dawned on him that the two students were the same middle-aged couple from before. So this was how they truly looked. No wonder they'd seemed so intimate—it turned out they really were a couple. Then, another realisation struck him: so the ones who had stormed Azkaban last night, provided therapy for the prisoners, slaughtered two or three dozen Death Eaters (he conveniently overlooked that he'd helped with that), and rescued him…were actually two Hogwarts students? Wait a second—since when were Hogwarts students this powerful? Not only were they frighteningly strong and ruthlessly efficient, but they could also handle Dementors like they were nothing—he had never imagined he would one day see Dementors filled with fear, looking so pitiful and helpless. After spending over a decade in prison, had the wizarding world changed so much that he barely recognised it anymore? Edward stepped slowly toward the writhing Dementors, golden, ethereal flames surging from his palm. As they touched one of the Dementors, it let out a blood-curdling screech before rapidly melting, evaporating, and disappearing completely. It was actually dead. Sirius opened his mouth in shock. That golden fire wasn't Fiendfyre, nor was it Incendio—it looked almost like sunlight given form. Edward activated his spirit vision but saw no lingering souls. He then threw three more waves of fire, reducing three more Dementors to ash. He turned to the final one and said: "Cooperate, and you live. Resist, and you die. Do you understand?" The Dementor squirmed again, then went still, lying flat on the ground. That seemed like a yes. Edward quickly set up the summoning ritual and stepped back. After a few chants, he began the divination incantation: "The ones who attacked Azkaban last night. The ones who attacked Azkaban last night. The ones who attacked Azkaban last night..." He repeated it seven times before closing his eyes and entering the dreamscape. And then, he saw himself inside the lighthouse, unleashing divine fury as he obliterated dozens of Dementors in a single blow. He had to admit—from a third-person point of view, he looked pretty cool. The vision soon shattered and shifted—five or six dragons appeared above Azkaban. The Dementors rushed upward to attack, and Edward saw the riders perched on the dragons: short, ugly goblins. Snap! The vision shattered completely. Edward awoke from the dream. "Goblins?" Audrey gasped in disbelief. Goblins?! After multiple rebellions throughout history, goblins had their wands confiscated by wizards and were relegated to managing Gringotts. While that decision had always been controversial, it had the effect of limiting their activities to Gringotts alone. It wasn't impossible that a few rogue goblins still wandered the world—but to think they had the power to ride dragons and attack Azkaban? What were they after? Did they want to release Dark Wizards and throw the wizarding world into chaos for their own benefit? Or were they planning yet another rebellion? But the goblins were even weaker now than in the past—how could they possibly stand a chance? Wait…if their goal at Azkaban was to free Death Eaters, then perhaps they had allied themselves with Voldemort. Had Voldemort made them some kind of offer in exchange for their allegiance? That…was not good news. And if that were the case, another question remained: was it just rogue goblins scattered across the world who had turned coat, or had Gringotts itself secretly allied with Voldemort? Sirius stood to the side, completely bewildered as he watched Edward light candles, sprinkle oils, and then lie down and fall asleep. He didn't think Edward was crazy—he was more convinced than ever that he himself had just spent too long in prison and was totally out of touch with the wizarding world. Edward summoned the golden flames once more and incinerated the final Dementor, then turned to Sirius and said, "Alright, all done. The Aurors and Dementors will definitely be combing through the Shrieking Shack next—you'd better find a new hiding place." "Where?" "Why don't you go home for now? That should be safer." Sirius hesitated. "Oh right, that broomstick Harry has—was that a gift from you?" His eyes lit up immediately. "Yes! I heard he flies just like his father and joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team, so I got him the newest model." "Well, it's a shame Harry already received a Nimbus 2000 last month. And a gift that expensive with no clear sender—he was too cautious to accept it. You should take the time at home to think about what kind of Christmas gift would actually be appropriate." Sirius's smile froze. "…Fine." He nodded and, as he turned, transformed once more into a big black dog and vanished in a flash. Edward cleaned up the scene with a few spells, then Apparated with Audrey to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore waved his wand, restoring everything that had been blown out of place by their arrival. "Well?" he asked. "It may be worse than we thought," Edward said gravely. "The second wave of Azkaban attackers were goblins." "Goblins…" Dumbledore frowned deeply. "During the last war with Voldemort, the goblins remained officially neutral, but they were far from idle behind the scenes. Voldemort's downfall came too quickly for them to act. But this time…are they choosing a side?" "I just don't get it," Edward said, puzzled. "Everyone knows Voldemort is a hardline pure-blood supremacist. He can't even tolerate half-bloods, let alone non-human creatures like goblins. Even if he wins, would their status really improve?" He looked at Dumbledore seriously. "Professor, I think this is a question only the goblins themselves can answer." Dumbledore steepled his fingers and nodded slightly. "Tomorrow morning, we go to Gringotts." "Alright!" ——— [Note]: Enjoy~ No Extra Chapter tomorrow. But don't let that stop you from voting! Go go go! And if you are like me and want to read 40 Chapters in advance of the current story right now, you can support me on my Patreon. Thank me later~ Link - (P)atre(o)n.c(o)m/ Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]

Chapter 229 - 229: Goblins!

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