Early the next morning.
Owls carrying The Daily Prophet filled the sky, descending like a flurry of snowflakes.
They delivered a bombshell piece of news that stunned countless wizards!
It caused an untold number of people to spit out their tea!
"Merlin's beard! Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is this a hallucination? The collapse of Azkaban? That Azkaban??"
"Last night, Azkaban came under severe attack, causing the entire tower to come crashing down... All prisoners were killed; there were no survivors...'?"
"A Dark Wizard attacking Dark Wizards? Which genius came up with this!"
"I'm dying of laughter. Let me see who did it... Ethan Vincent??!"
Instantly.
The name "Ethan Vincent"—the famous figure who had just blown up Gringotts not long ago—swept through every street and alley of the wizarding world once again.
In Knockturn Alley, Dark Wizards looked at each other, wondering when they had acquired such a powerful ally.
The Leaky Cauldron was bustling with noise. Believers dressed in black robes and wearing eagle-beak masks shouted, "The God of Light has revealed his power!"
"I've always hated the look of Azkaban! How could Dementors ever be loyal? It wouldn't be surprising if there was a mass breakout one day!"
"Long live Ethan Vincent! The best way to prevent a prison break is to kill those damn Death Eaters beforehand! Anyway, who knows how many innocent lives were lost at their hands!"
"Well done! Savior! Let the Ministry of Magic deal with the headache! Hahaha!"
Glasses were raised one by one, clinking amidst the cheers, spilling golden liquid.
At Hogwarts, in the Great Hall.
Professor Snape sprayed a mouthful of tea right in front of the assembled staff and students.
After staring at the large-print headline for several seconds, he swapped his morning tea for a cup of high-proof "Oolong tea" that could practically ignite.
Amidst a reverent silence, with a face like iron, he gulped it down in one go.
Ministry of Magic, Minister's Office.
Slap!
Minister Scrimgeour slammed the newspaper onto his desk, glaring at it while panting heavily, his face flushed red.
It was as if the newspaper were some blasphemous text left over from ancient times.
Just looking at it made him want to explode.
[Shocking! The Collapse of the Millennial Holy Land, Azkaban! The Culprit is Actually...?!]
[Last night, an earth-shattering piece of explosive news occurred! The so-called "Impregnable Azkaban" actually collapsed in its entirety!]
[It is just as unsettling as the claims of "The Safest Place in Britain, Hogwarts" and "The Most Secure Place in Britain, Gringotts."]
[...The culprit has been identified as the wizarding world's new Savior, Ethan Vincent.]
[The following is a statement from the survivor, Mr. Sturgis:]
["Thank you, Ethan! Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore! Thank you, Merlin! I was wrongly accused in the first place!! Ministry of Magic, why aren't you laughing now?"]
[...Reported by our correspondent, Mike McArthur.]
"This is simply preposterous! Do they have absolutely no respect for the authority of the Ministry of Magic?!"
Minister Scrimgeour roared, panting like a bull.
He raised his wand and burned the newspaper to ash!
Still feeling unsatisfied, he lifted his foot and stomped on it several times! Bang, bang, bang!
He didn't stop until the dust flew and not a single complete piece of paper could be found.
"..."
In the office, the atmosphere was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The staff members all lowered their heads, quiet as quails, not daring to breathe loudly.
After a full minute or two, Minister Scrimgeour finally took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, his voice low and hoarse:
"Notify The Daily Prophet immediately! Inflict severe punishment on the reporter who wrote this article! Ignoring the Ministry's authority and fabricating nonsense!"
"Yes, sir!"
A staff member responded immediately, turned, and trotted out.
"Ethan Vincent... you've really done it now! Do you really think the wizarding world will tolerate such reckless destruction?"
Minister Scrimgeour continued, veins bulging on his forehead.
He looked up, his eyes shooting out a grim, cold light as he ordered:
"Summon Ethan Vincent immediately! Move the second trial up to today!"
The staff member paused. "But, the appointed judge is currently on a business trip in Germany and hasn't returned yet—"
"I will be the judge for this trial!!"
Scrimgeour roared, slamming his fists onto the table with a bang.
The staff member trembled, hurriedly lowered his head, and stammered, "Yes, yes!"
A moment of silence.
Minister Scrimgeour closed his eyes briefly, then waved his hand:
"...The second trial will be held this evening. Tell the Wizengamot members scheduled to attend to make preparations."
"If Ethan does not appear... issue a warrant for his arrest immediately!"
"Yes, Minister!"
Several staff members trotted out in a hurry to write the letters and issue the orders.
Just then.
A clear, bright voice rang out from the window:
"No need for all that trouble. I'm right here."
Everyone: !!!
They whipped their heads around, looking toward the window in terror!
They saw "Ethan Vincent," the owner of the name now known to every household, sitting casually by the window.
It was as if he had been sitting there for a long time. A faint smile played on his lips as he looked at them leisurely.
Only then did the Aurors scramble to pull out their wands, pointing them at this uninvited guest, their hearts filled with shock!
...If Ethan had attacked directly just now, everyone in this room would likely have been doomed!
Just when did he appear...
The Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour—who had replaced Fudge—felt his pupils constrict.
Although he was startled, he reacted quickly.
Without backing down an inch, he stared at the handsome figure by the window—who looked entirely out of place—with eyes as sharp as a hawk's.
His voice sounded as if it were being squeezed through his teeth, emphasizing every word:
"Ethan... Vincent...!"
—My strongest rival in my political career!
Ethan: "Hello, hello. Do you want an autograph?"
As he spoke, he solemnly took out a notebook and pen.
Minister Scrimgeour: "..."
Can't you be serious for once?
The iron-blooded Minister huffed and puffed, looking like a little girl being teased by a hooligan.
He gritted his teeth. "After committing so many crimes, you dare to appear openly in the Ministry of Magic...! You are simply shameless!"
"Crimes? Hmph~"
Ethan shifted his sitting position, spread his arms, and put on a look of compassionate pity, smiling harmlessly. "I merely helped those sinners fulfill the last value of their lives. How can you call that a crime?"
"You pile them up together like you're breeding poisonous insects, and yet you trust the Dementors? Do you believe that with one command, I could make the Dementors release them all?"
Minister Scrimgeour: "..."
Where does this kid get all this twisted logic?!
"Heh," Scrimgeour sneered. "Are you implying that a breakout was possible at Azkaban? And that thanks to you, it was prevented?"
"There should be a limit to your nonsense! I think you're truly out of your mind!"
—Not "possible," but inevitable.
In the original story, Bellatrix and the other criminals staged a mass breakout and took the Dementors with them.
Ethan really couldn't understand.
Why did these people at the Ministry think that creatures they were afraid of themselves would remain completely loyal to them?
But there was no point in talking too much.
Ethan gazed into the other man's bloodshot eyes and said slowly, "See you at the trial tonight."
—Compared to Cornelius Fudge, who was a complete cowardly bastard, he actually admired this overly rigid Minister.
After all, in the original story, even when tortured to death by Voldemort, he never gave up any information.
And looking at the staff members trembling like baby chicks, it was clear just how brave Minister Scrimgeour was for insisting on interrogating him despite his "illustrious achievements."
Then.
Ethan waved his hand.
As if draped in an Invisibility Cloak, his figure vanished into thin air.
"...I will never let you have your way."
Minister Scrimgeour clenched his fists tightly.
"Unless the Ministry of Magic blows up too, I will end your atrocities in the courtroom tonight!!"
Gringotts and Azkaban...
That was because of poor supervision by their managers, which gave Ethan an opening.
But the Ministry of Magic would absolutely not make the same mistake!
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