The Scourer slowly closed his eyes and collapsed weakly back onto the bed.
Nightmare magic could force the target's subconscious mind into a dream.
Within that dream, it became extremely difficult for the victim to distinguish reality from illusion.
As a result, anything deliberately concealed would often reveal itself subconsciously within the dream.
Of course, Wade could have simply used a Puppet Bug and enslaved the man outright. Then he would have answered anything Wade asked.
But since Wade already had nightmare magic, there was no need to waste a Puppet Bug.
Besides...
There was no chance Wade was going to use a Puppet Bug in front of Dumbledore.
Ten minutes later, Wade withdrew the nightmare magic and shook his head helplessly.
"Couldn't find anything? It's fine, I'll do it. I know you think I'm too rough, but... he doesn't have long to live anyway. At least this way it'll be quick." Grindelwald raised his wand again.
"No... I found it," Wade said.
"Oh?" Grindelwald immediately looked interested. "Then what memories was he hiding?"
"His memories really weren't altered, but a small portion was directly removed. What he was hiding was that tiny fragment of deleted memory, probably less than a minute. In other words, the memories you uncovered before were still genuine," Wade said.
"So he's still an impostor, a scapegoat deliberately thrown in front of us? What are they trying to do? What's the point of this?" Grindelwald was furious. He had realised someone was playing him for a fool.
"It means they want you to stop here. They've already given you a way out. All you need to do is follow this lead, eliminate the 'Scourers' they prepared for you, and the matter ends there," Wade said.
Grindelwald said coldly, "I won't let them get what they want! Wade... whether these Scourers are real or fake, I'll wipe them out. And the people who played me will pay as well... I mean, they'll face the law too!"
Grindelwald's meaning was obvious. He would take the way out they had given him, but he would still destroy them afterward, because they were the ones who had tricked him into taking it.
Wade fell into thought.
He could not shake the feeling that Grindelwald was being led around by the nose, though he could not explain exactly why.
And the Scourer's physical deterioration was far too strange. It did not resemble an illness acquired later in life. It seemed more like something he had been born with.
But if he had been born with a condition this severe, there was no way he could have survived until now.
It made no sense, scientifically or magically.
...
Inside the guard office at Azkaban, Tom, Anne, and André were already waiting.
André looked slightly better, but both Tom and Anne were pale.
Clearly, the old Hit Wizard had taken his duties very seriously and had given them a thorough understanding of just how miserable Azkaban truly was.
Tom had also lost all the confidence he had shown before arriving.
The Patronus Charm could indeed drive away Dementors, but to Tom's despair, when he had actually faced Dementors at full strength, he had been unable to cast the Patronus Charm at all.
That alone showed just how badly Wade had weakened the Dementor Tom had been using for practice back home.
Wade, Grindelwald, and Dumbledore soon returned as well. None of them looked particularly good, and all three seemed preoccupied.
Tom knew that their visit to Azkaban had only been incidental. Wade and the others had definitely come here for something more important.
"We'll talk after we get back."
Wade could tell what Tom and the others wanted to ask, but this was not the place for it.
After touring Azkaban, all three of them were in poor condition.
At that moment, the old Hit Wizard entered through the door carrying an oil lamp.
"Sorry. You were gone too long, so the connection to the fireplace in this office has been blocked. If the same fireplace is going to be reopened, it'll take several more hours. You'll have to use another one. I had the fireplace in the office across the way connected instead."
Wade checked his watch. They really had been delayed for quite a while.
"Then let's go," Dumbledore said.
Tom and the others immediately looked alarmed.
Inside this office, the Dementors' influence was relatively weak.
But now they had to leave, cross the long corridor again, and walk beneath the Dementors' gaze to reach the office on the other side?
Tom pulled out his wand with a trembling hand.
"Expecto Patronum..."
This time, he finally succeeded, although the Hydra he summoned was rather small.
"Azkaban is terrifying, isn't it?" Grindelwald asked.
"Mm..." All three nodded at once.
"Then remember this feeling. Make sure you never end up here in the future!" Grindelwald said sternly.
The old Hit Wizard sighed. "Exactly... Even if you become a Ministry Auror, don't let yourself get transferred to this damned place!"
"All right. When you get back, remember to tell your classmates what this place is like." As Dumbledore spoke, he lightly tapped his wand.
A white phoenix emerged from it.
As the white phoenix flew around them, a warm and comforting feeling immediately filled everyone's hearts.
"Ah... I haven't felt this warm in years..." The old Hit Wizard nearly burst into tears.
"The guards at Azkaban work in shifts. Have you never been allowed to leave?" Grindelwald asked.
"Sigh, don't ask. I offended someone..."
"Oh? Which pure-blood family?" Grindelwald immediately became interested.
Clearly, he had become addicted to digging up dirt on pure-blood families. And since he was currently in his "Dumbledore phase," something like this naturally caught his attention.
Wade could already guess that another arrogant pure-blood family was about to walk straight into Grindelwald's line of fire.
And Grindelwald was already in a very bad mood.
With Dumbledore's Patronus and Tom's Patronus accompanying them, the Dementors merely watched from a distance and did not dare approach.
Even so, their sinister, greedy gazes remained fixed on the group, making Tom and the others deeply uncomfortable.
But the creatures did not stay for long.
Soon, they began shrieking something and rushed out through the windows near the top of the corridor.
In moments, not a single Dementor remained in the entire passage.
"What happened?" Tom asked in confusion.
"Hmm... That really is unusual," the old Hit Wizard said. "But I've been stationed here long enough that I can understand a little of their language..."
"What are they saying?" Anne asked curiously.
"They seem to be shouting something like... 'Run! That terrifying devil is here again!' Strange..." the old Hit Wizard said, puzzled.
Wade rubbed his nose.
"Very strange. There isn't any devil here..."
Tom suddenly turned to look at Wade.
He had just remembered the Dementor Wade had been dragging around with him.
Don't tell me...
That Dementor really was kidnapped from Azkaban!
Wade glanced back at him.
Tom immediately wilted.
Back when he had been practising the Patronus Charm, he had tormented that Dementor plenty too.
Which meant he was also an accomplice in kidnapping a Ministry employee!
So Tom did not dare say another word.
He had only come to visit Azkaban today.
He had no intention of checking into a private cell while he was here.
______
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69