Chapter 214. Add More Money
Having received Adrian Wesson's confirmation, Cornelius Fudge ordered the two guards behind him: "Let them in."
The two guards from Azkaban nodded in silence.
Adrian noticed that one guard's mouth began to move soundlessly—most likely some spell to control or command the Dementors.
Sure enough.
When the incantation was finished, it felt as though the sky had darkened.
Adrian looked up, and a mass of black shapes appeared on the horizon.
"We'd best stand back." Fudge patted Adrian on the shoulder and drew him aside.
The black shapes in the sky gradually descended, and Adrian soon saw them clearly.
They were, without a doubt, Dementors—ragged black cloaks, no faces, an oppressive chill rolling off them.
The Dementors gathered by the two guards.
Even at a distance, Adrian felt a chill seeping into him.
Just then, as if sensing something, one Dementor drifted towards Adrian.
"It's all right; it won't harm the innocent—it's safe."
Fudge said this, but from his tone he hardly sounded certain.
Perhaps to lighten the mood, Fudge tried to change the subject.
"I've heard people say Harry Potter's been in your care this summer," he said absently. "Did he have a decent time with you?"
Adrian was about to answer, but the Dementor drifting over was nearly upon him.
He couldn't help a wry smile. Was this what Fudge called safe?
Or did he have a special attraction for Dementors?
However, Adrian quickly realised the Dementor's effect on him was less than expected—at least for now it was bearable.
Of course, it might simply be that the Dementor had not used its most fearsome power—the Dementor's Kiss.
Seeing the Dementor closing in, cold sweat broke out on Fudge's brow.
"Oi, you there!" he shouted to the two guards.
The guards had just started to move when one of Adrian's Patronuses—a small, silver-white hedgehog—somehow appeared on his shoulder, baring its teeth and letting out a roar.
"Awoo~"
Adrian was quite certain normal hedgehogs did not sound like that.
And normal Patronuses probably didn't make noises either.
Still, curious as the sound was, the effect was immediate.
The approaching Dementor recoiled as if scalded, jerked back some distance, and returned to the dense, black ranks.
Fudge stared for a moment, then wiped his forehead. "They do that from time to time… Right, they'll set to work shortly. Before six o'clock this evening, they'll finish all inspections. Then they'll screen tomorrow's Hogwarts Express, and finally they'll be stationed at Hogwarts for a while—until Black turns up."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the Dementors began to move, scattering; the two guards also headed off in different directions after them.
Adrian inclined his head slightly.
He knew the truth about Black, so he wouldn't let this drag on for long.
Once Ron reached Hogwarts, he would be able to expose the truth about that rat.
As for what followed, that could be left to Dumbledore.
With any luck, these Dementors would soon be withdrawn.
In the afternoon, a cold rain began to fall outside, and Fudge left Hogwarts for the time being.
Adrian went to the Headmaster's office to report the Ministry's arrangements to Albus Dumbledore.
"Keep a close eye on those Dementors," Dumbledore said, his expression scarcely changing.
Clearly, he had long anticipated that the Ministry would take this measure.
"Understood, Professor." Adrian was about to leave when Dumbledore suddenly called him back. "Wait—one more matter."
"What is it?"
Adrian turned and saw a small, soot-black plaque in Dumbledore's hand.
"This is…?"
Very familiar…
"Someone left this in the courtyard," Dumbledore explained. "I imagine it's yours—"
Adrian took it from Dumbledore, glanced over it, and immediately understood.
This was the talisman he had prepared earlier for Hagrid, to help him avoid Dementors.
It seemed Hagrid had dropped it by accident.
Adrian's talismans were simple to make: cast the magic onto a wooden tag, then carve certain special runes.
Of course, he had his lightning-struck wood to thank for that.
Lightning-struck wood was particularly suited to making talismans.
Adrian had tried many other materials, but none worked as well.
As a result, most of his talismans were sooty-black and easy to recognise.
He had previously given out talismans of the same make—but with different functions—as rewards to students who did well in their end-of-year exams.
Dumbledore had likely seen something similar on one of those students.
A few questions would easily reveal that these came from Adrian's hand.
"This one is Hagrid's," Adrian said, holding the talisman up to Dumbledore. "I made it specifically so he wouldn't be affected by Dementors in Azkaban."
"I see."
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Can it deal with Dementors?"
"Probably not; it can only repel them to a degree," Adrian shrugged. "If someone stinks, you're not likely to want to get close. To a Dementor, this talisman is essentially that 'stink'. If a Dementor insists, it can still approach."
"So I thought." Dumbledore picked up the talisman from Adrian's hand and turned it over several times. "Repel… evil… hmm. Combined with this material, yes, it would have that effect. A clever design, Adrian."
Because the crafting wasn't complicated, Dumbledore quickly grasped the talisman's structure.
Then he set it on the desk. "The Dementors may be stationed around Hogwarts for a time. Needless to say, those foul things will affect the children, and not everyone can learn the Patronus Charm."
Adrian opened his mouth. "You mean…?"
"Could you make a few more talismans?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle. "For the students' safety."
"It's not that I can't," Adrian said, looking a bit troubled, "but the material's hard to come by."
He wasn't lying; after all, he had only the one lightning-struck tree.
"If I'm not mistaken," Dumbledore blinked, "the Board of Governors would be very happy to spend some money on this. The students' safety is paramount. Let me think—at least one thousand Galleons could be secured."
"But…" Adrian still frowned.
"Impossible?" Dumbledore asked.
"No."
Adrian shook his head. "Add more money."
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