Over a dozen wizards remained busy on the island; collapsed houses floated up, and items buried beneath were cleared one by one.
A variety of documents, machines, medicines... were piled up on the open ground. To organize this mess, half of the clerks from the British Ministry of Magic were dispatched here, and several staff members were even borrowed from the magical ministries of neighboring countries.
Under Dumbledore's intervention, the American Ministry of Magic was excluded, yet some small African countries were brought in.
Because in the island's dungeon, there were over a dozen children from Africa. The number of others buried remains unknown.
Some of the still intact buildings on the island were converted into interrogation rooms, and the use of Veritaserum was specially approved by the Wizengamot Court.
Under the influence of the magic potion, the Muggle soldiers had almost no resistance and confessed everything they knew.
However, the lower-ranking soldiers knew very little of value, and those who truly held the secrets were all dead.
Fudge didn't have the patience to wait on this godforsaken island; he had several major projects to focus on! Establishing the Quidditch World Cup stadium was a priority, and in Fudge's mind, other matters had to be put on the back burner.
Muggles coveting wizard magic power is indeed terrifying, but Fudge believed someone else would handle it — like Dumbledore, or perhaps other magical ministries.
After all, among the children kidnapped to this island, few were born in the United Kingdom, with the majority from the United States, Australia, Southern Europe, Africa, and West Asia.
For Fudge, it wasn't really his concern. If it weren't for Dumbledore getting involved first and contacting the British Ministry of Magic, Fudge would've just needed to send a few people for a token involvement.
Future problems are for the future Minister of Magic; Fudge only cared if the British Magic World was peaceful during his term and if he could leave behind a remarkable resume.
Soon after, under Fudge's insistence, despite the unfinished follow-up work, most of the Ministry of Magic officials were preparing to return to the UK, along with dozens of children with no place to go, including the Obscurial Mabel.
To transport these children, the Ministry of Magic acquired a nearby cruise ship.
The white cruise ship, like a giant whale, sailed across the vast sea. From one of its rooms came the sound of a fierce argument, where Fudge's voice stood out particularly loudly—
"Dumbledore, oh Dumbledore, you can't keep doing this."
Fudge anxiously said, "Letting that Obscurial go to the school? You must be mad!"
"—Obscurial, Obscurus, it's all the same? There's no point in getting caught up in this. Really, you must know what I'm worried about... We have to think about the students' safety..."
"Oh... of course... of course... I know you must have your reasons, Dumbledore... I know you'll definitely do your best to protect the students' safety..."
"But look, just look at those poor Muggles out there, what have they become?"
"Oh, whether these Muggles are pitiful doesn't matter; they committed crimes, I know, they hurt that young lady, I also know, you've mentioned it three times already... But the harm caused by the Obscurial isn't fake either!"
"The students in the school are even less capable of protecting themselves than those Muggles! Letting an Obscurial in is like letting a hungry wolf loose among the sheep!"
"I'm definitely not doubting your abilities, Dumbledore... Sigh, from our responsibilities, I think preventing such a creature from entering campus is the very least... She's pitiful, but that can't be a reason to risk the other children..."
"Also, those other—those magical children, they shouldn't be let directly back home... What if one of them is a potential Obscurial?"
"I believe that Obscurial should be directly executed, which would be best for everyone. I'm sure those injured on the island think the same..."
"As for the other children, and that Hayley, keep them in the dungeon for a little while... It's not a bad thing, just to set everyone at ease, as a safety measure..."
"How long... How can this be accurately determined? We have to ensure there's absolutely no risk, I heard Obscurials don't live long, but surely three to five years would be needed..."
…
Mabel tightly embraced Hayley, the two nestled on a sofa, surrounded by several wizards whose faces were expressionless and serious.
They wore black wizard's robes, an attire that reminded the two girls of those black-clad soldiers on the island.
Even their eyes were similar—wary, disdainful, fearful...
It seemed as though they were people who shouldn't exist.
These past few days, Mabel had stayed by Dumbledore's side. Whenever Dumbledore had matters to attend to, a chubby witch would look after them.
She introduced herself as Professor Sprout, gentle and kind, her face always adorned with a lovable smile, attentively and considerately caring for them, giving a maternal feeling, allowing Mabel and Hayley to gradually lower their guard and develop an infinite yearning for the school she belonged to.
But today, Professor Sprout was forced to leave, and some who claimed to be Aurors from the Ministry of Magic took over their "care". Since then, the sisters haven't seen a single smiling face.