Has this world not been destroyed?
Sirius paused, instinctively glancing towards Amortika in hopes of finding an answer, but noticed that Amortika's brow was furrowed deeply, as if deep in thought.
On what Gryffindor said, Rowena Ravenclaw was obviously well aware, she gazed at the azure sky, only a dark cloud covered small island under it, eyes slightly dim.
The ship beneath their feet suddenly increased its speed, slicing through the waves and rapidly approaching the island. Amortika also put aside his contemplation and directed his gaze towards the island. Azkaban, the island named so, is the most closely guarded restricted area in the wizarding world. In the legends that have spread outside, most are about the notorious guardians of this restricted area—the Dementors. However, there are not many descriptions of the island itself.
"Amortika--"
Sirius shrunk his shoulders and shivered slightly. The gradually clear scene in front of him made Sirius recall the days he spent in prison with Dementors, the fear etched into his soul causing his courage and curiosity to quickly fade, even though he was aware that what he saw in front of him was mostly illusory.
"Are you sure we're not in the real world right now, but just a memory, isn't it?"
"Very likely--"
Amortika noticed Sirius's odd behavior, in a blink of an eye, he understood why Sirius looked so timid. After a moment of reflection, Amortika patted Sirius on the shoulder.
"If you're not quite comfortable, you can stay on the ship. I'll go down with these two and have a look -- I guess this part of the memory will end after Gryffindor and Ravenclaw explore Azkaban, and then we should be able to get out."
This suggestion was indeed quite tempting to Sirius. He hesitated for a moment, his gaze unconsciously touching the sword slung over Gryffindor's waist and the flapping robes.
"I want to go——"
Sirius took a deep breath, his body still trembling, yet he managed to straighten his chest.
"It's just an illusion!"
Sirius panted, his tone both like explaining to Amortika and like encouraging himself,
"I graduated from Gryffindor, how can I let Godric Gryffindor down? Moreover, if James were to find out that I'm actually scared like this in the face of an illusion, he'd laugh his head off!"
"You can make your own decision, don't be too forceful."
Amortika shrugged.
The ship did not dock at the shore reef; instead, it stopped a distance away from the island, as it was interfered with by Gryffindor, floating on the sea surface and gently swaying with the waves.
Amortika and Sirius avoided eye contact with each other, as did Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The four of them did not exchange any words.
Further ahead, the world seemed to lose its color.
Everything in sight, whether the sky, the sea, or the island that was scorched like fire, was all in muted tones of gray. Everything was so still that only the wind passing through the island's dry, cracked rocks produced a painful scream.
"A desolate place in the North Sea, the birth and ruin of death--"
The eerie and terrifying Azkaban caused even the color to fall from Gryffindor's face.
"The clues you found from ancient texts, Rowena—"
Rowena nodded slightly, her eyes dimming.
"Haven't you heard the wailing of the lives that have perished on this land, Godric, the madman from head to toe? It's unimaginable to think that if such an evil person were to return to our world, the terrible future foretold by Hagrid..."
"That's why we're here, isn't it? To prevent such a conclusion?"
Gryffindor gripped the hilt of his sword, his piercing gaze driving back the grey, faded atmosphere emanating from the island.
Azkaban is more of a vast, flat reef jutting out from the sea than an island.
The only structure on the huge rocky island is that circular tower, which has been polished by the passage of time and its outer surface is as smooth as glass, reflecting a faint glow.
"Something is wrong--"
Sirius finally summoned up the courage to lift his head. He had been imprisoned in that tower for twelve years, indifferent to the majestic building standing tall on the island, his only concern being whether there were Dementors, those creatures that took away his endless pain and even denied him the pain itself!
"The number of Dementors"
Sirius narrowed his eyes, suppressing his discomfort, and hesitated as he spoke.
"Have you seen those things, Gryffindor?"
Rowena Ravenclaw suddenly spoke up, so Sirius closed his mouth immediately.
"Evil creatures—"
Gryffindor's passionate voice was full of disdain.
"Yes, I saw them, never seen or heard of before. Let's go, Rowena, see if they're what we're looking for."
Gryffindor and Ravenclaw disappeared from Amortika's world for a moment and reappeared standing on the island of Azkaban. Amortika, who didn't want to miss any information, didn't hesitate and, grabbing Sirius's arm, body-disappeared and flew towards the island.
Dementors!
In today's magical world, the terrifying creatures are probably known to all, but in a thousand years ago, few people knew about them.
This island has been untouched for hundreds of years. Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw should be the first wizards to set foot on this island after its original inhabitants disappeared.
Swirling around the shore, Dementors have been relying on drawing simple emotions from sea creatures for hundreds of years. As soon as the first legendary wizards of Hogwarts stepped foot on the island, they fell into madness.
Thirty or forty Dementors cried out, as they passed, a faint white frost appeared in the air!
The irrational creatures had no idea of the magical power of their intended targets. When they were about sixty feet away from the two legendary wizards, Gryffindor abruptly drew his long sword to the sky, and the crisp clashing sound was even more heart-pounding than the rumble of thunder.
The rolling darkness above Azkaban was pierced through a huge hole, and golden sunlight poured down.
Gryffindor's eyes flashed with disdain, and the glittering sword emanated an endless flow of power like flowing air. This strange power seemed to freeze space, freezing the Dementors in the air one by one. Even their tattered robes stopped fluttering.
As everyone knows, there is only one spell that can affect Dementors -- the Patronus charm!
On Avalon Island, Amortika had also witnessed Gryffindor's Patronus, which was a majestic lion. At that time, the guardian also caused Amortika quite a scare, as it was actually a physical entity.
In front of him, Gryffindor once again taught the younger wizards a lesson: common knowledge can be broken, and Dementors are not only controlled by Patronuses!
On the other side, Rowena Ravenclaw also demonstrated her powers.
She raised her slender wrist towards the Dementors, and the air twisted into a blur. The Dementor closest to them, as if pulled by some force, slowly descended towards Rowena Ravenclaw's palm.
The Dementor was imposing, at least ten to twelve feet tall, but on its path towards Ravenclaw, it seemed to be subjected to an extremely strong suppression. The enormous and terrifying body began to emit a wisp of black smoke, as these evil forces were driven away. The Dementor's body shrank rapidly, and by the time it landed on Ravenclaw's palm, it had become a 'mini' version of the Dementor.
Gryffindor's gaze also fell on the Dementor, and for some unknown reason, the weight in his eyebrows deepened.
Ravenclaw clapped her hands together, and countless beams of radiant sanctity poured out from the cracks between her palms.
"Halt!"
At the edge of the island, Amortika, who had just landed on the shore, staring in shock at Sirius, stared at Ravenclaw with murderous intent and raised his wand resolutely!
(Chapter ends)
