The truth about Liam's immunity to curses like the Cruciatus Curse and even the Killing Curse had never reached the Ministry of Magic.
The Dark Wizards made sure of that.
After all, if the Ministry learned that Liam possessed a method for resisting the Unforgivable Curses, they would undoubtedly try to uncover the secret.
And if such knowledge became public?
The Dark Arts would lose much of their power.
For Dark Wizards, that was unacceptable.
In fact, some had even considered breaking Liam out of Azkaban.
Unfortunately, the plan was never realistic.
Most Dark Wizards couldn't produce a proper Patronus.
Even among those who could, few possessed enough skill to confront large numbers of Dementors.
Azkaban's defenses were simply too formidable.
The Patronus Charm was one of the most difficult defensive spells in existence.
Without it, attempting a prison break was suicide.
Besides, killing Liam wasn't an option either.
Too many people had already tried.
Too many had failed.
The only viable solution had been to recruit him.
No one had expected him to walk out of Azkaban after only two months.
Especially not after publicly killing two Muggles.
When Lucius thought about it, a disturbing possibility surfaced.
Had Liam traded his secrets to the Ministry?
Had he revealed how he resisted the Unforgivable Curses in exchange for a reduced sentence?
Such a contribution might justify early release.
The thought made Lucius deeply uneasy.
Perhaps he should investigate.
Perhaps he should speak with Ludmis directly.
One careless action by Liam Hale had the potential to change the entire landscape of the Dark Wizarding world.
Those two foolish Muggles had no idea what chaos they might have caused.
Dark Wizards relied on terrifying curses to maintain their power.
If a reliable defense against those curses became widespread, their influence would collapse overnight.
The future would become very difficult indeed.
Lucius's expression darkened.
Then he placed a hand on Draco's shoulder.
Crack.
A vortex appeared.
Father and son vanished.
...
Malfoy Manor.
The moment they emerged from Apparition, Draco collapsed onto the floor and began vomiting.
Lucius barely glanced at him.
His mind was elsewhere.
Without a word, he strode through the manor and entered the family vault.
Several moments later, he emerged carrying a heavy pouch of Galleons.
Then he Apparated once more.
This time, his destination was Azkaban.
If he wanted answers, there was only one person who could provide them.
Ludmis.
And Lucius knew from experience that Ludmis's memory improved significantly when accompanied by money.
After all, the purse he'd just handed Liam had already cost him a small fortune.
...
Inside the Warden's Office, Ludmis sat comfortably behind his desk reading the Daily Prophet.
For the first time in weeks, he felt genuinely relaxed.
Since Liam's departure, the Dementors had returned to their usual behavior.
Their enthusiasm for tormenting prisoners had increased noticeably.
That alone confirmed Ludmis's suspicions.
The boy had definitely been doing something to them.
Knock.
Knock.
A guard appeared at the door.
"Warden, Lucius Malfoy is here to see you."
"Lucius?"
Ludmis brightened immediately.
"Send him in."
His mood improved even further.
Liam had extorted him.
Lucius, on the other hand, usually arrived bearing gifts.
The difference was substantial.
A few minutes later, the door opened.
Lucius entered.
"Lord Lucius."
Ludmis rose from his chair with a welcoming smile.
"It's been quite some time. What brings you here today?"
Lucius didn't bother with pleasantries.
"I'll be direct."
His gray eyes narrowed.
"Liam Hale killed two Muggles."
"Yes."
"Why was he released?"
Ludmis sighed.
"Straight to business, I see."
"A child doesn't reform in two months."
Lucius folded his arms.
"So what's the real reason?"
There were legal avenues for release from Azkaban.
A prisoner who genuinely repented could eventually regain freedom.
Neither of them believed Liam fit that category.
"Such a young child spending every day surrounded by Dementors."
Ludmis adopted an expression of sympathy.
"As an adult, I simply couldn't bear it."
Lucius stared at him.
Then silently drew his wand.
A soundproofing charm sealed the room.
Next, he placed a Galleon on the desk.
"Try again."
Ludmis immediately pocketed the coin.
His smile widened.
"Well, since you insist."
He leaned back.
"The kid is terrifying."
"Go on."
"The first two weeks were normal."
Ludmis shook his head.
"The Dementors visited him constantly."
"But?"
"They got nothing."
Lucius frowned.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
Ludmis nodded.
"He never cried. Never screamed. Never looked afraid."
The memory still unsettled him.
"The expression on his face never changed."
"That impossible child sat there as though he was the one studying them."
Lucius remained silent.
"For the next six weeks, things got worse."
Ludmis rubbed his temples.
"My Aurors started reporting strange behavior."
"What kind of behavior?"
"The Dementors stopped bothering him."
Lucius's eyes narrowed.
Ludmis continued.
"You understand how Azkaban works."
"The prison relies entirely on Dementors."
"If they stop obeying, our security system collapses."
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Then Ludmis spoke quietly.
"We concluded that eventually we wouldn't be able to hold him."
"If he escaped, Azkaban would become a laughingstock."
"So you released him."
"Exactly."
Ludmis pocketed another Galleon.
"Much simpler."
Lucius finally exhaled.
At least Liam hadn't betrayed his secrets to the Ministry.
But what he had just heard was somehow even more alarming.
The Dementors had ignored him?
Even those creatures couldn't affect him?
The last person Lucius knew who could casually disregard Dementors was Voldemort himself.
But Voldemort had reached that level after years of magical study and conquest.
Liam was only ten.
He hadn't even attended Hogwarts yet.
How was that possible?
"Did he use the Patronus Charm?" Lucius asked.
The question wasn't random.
Over the years, he had never once seen Liam cast a Patronus.
His assumption had always been that the boy didn't know the spell.
Ludmis immediately rolled his eyes.
"A Patronus?"
"Yes."
"He's ten."
The Warden looked genuinely offended.
"Do you think a child that age can casually cast one of the most advanced defensive spells in existence?"
"Besides, his wand was confiscated."
Lucius considered that.
True.
Yet something still bothered him.
"The Patronus isn't the only defense against Dementors."
The statement caused Ludmis to grimace.
"Don't remind me."
He shuddered visibly.
"That child is unnatural."
"After all these years, I've never met anyone like him."
Ludmis shook his head.
"Do you know what conclusion I reached?"
"What?"
"He doesn't have any happy memories."
Lucius blinked.
The Warden continued.
"The Dementors couldn't take anything because there was nothing to take."
"Just darkness."
"Hatred."
"Despair."
The image resurfaced in his mind.
"That boy felt less like a child and more like some little devil crawling out of the abyss."
Lucius slowly nodded.
Now that explanation made sense.
A child raised by Death Eaters.
A child tortured from the age of three.
A child who survived solely through revenge.
Of course he had no happy memories.
The Dementors had found an empty table.
Nothing more.
"I suppose that's possible," Lucius said.
"He was raised by Death Eaters. It's not surprising."
Without realizing it, he had inadvertently provided the perfect explanation for Liam's behavior.
Ludmis nodded thoughtfully.
The concern he had felt regarding Liam's request for a Dementor suddenly seemed much less important.
Children said strange things all the time.
Perhaps wanting a Dementor as a pet had simply been one of those things.
....
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