A dozen wizards were still busy on the small island. Collapsed buildings floated in the air as buried items were carefully retrieved one by one.

Various documents, machinery, and potions were piled up in an open area.

To sort through everything, half of the British Ministry of Magic's clerks had been dispatched. They even borrowed personnel from the Ministries of Magic of several neighboring countries.

Due to Dumbledore's intervention, the American Ministry of Magic was excluded, while several small African nations participated instead.

That was because, in the island's dungeon, there were more than a dozen children from Africa. No one knew how many more victims were still buried beneath the ruins.

Some of the relatively intact buildings on the island were repurposed into interrogation rooms, and Veritaserum was specially approved for use by the Wizengamot.

Under the effects of the potion, the Muggle soldiers were utterly defenseless and they spilled everything they knew.

However, the lower-ranked soldiers had very limited knowledge—there was barely any valuable intelligence to extract. Meanwhile, the key figures who truly held the secrets had all perished.

Cornelius Fudge had no patience to stay on this godforsaken island. He had several major projects to oversee—especially the construction of the Quidditch World Cup stadium, which was his top priority. In Fudge's mind, everything else could wait.

Muggles coveting wizarding power was indeed terrifying, but Fudge believed that others would handle the matter—Dumbledore, for instance, or the Ministries of Magic from other countries.

After all, among the children kidnapped to this island, very few were from Britain. The vast majority came from the United States, Australia, Southern Europe, Africa, and West Asia.

As far as Fudge was concerned, this wasn't really his problem. If Dumbledore hadn't gotten involved first and reached out to the British Ministry of Magic, Fudge would have considered it sufficient to just send a few representatives as a gesture of goodwill.

The troubles of the future were for future Ministers of Magic to deal with. Fudge only cared about ensuring peace in British wizarding society during his own term—and securing a polished political record for himself.

Before long, under Fudge's insistence, most of the Ministry officials were preparing to return to Britain, even though many follow-up matters remained unresolved. Accompanying them were dozens of displaced children and the Obscurial, Mabel.

To transport the children, the Ministry of Magic had arranged for a nearby cruise ship.

The white cruise ship, resembling a giant whale, sailed across the vast ocean. Inside one of its cabins, a heated argument broke out—Fudge's voice was particularly sharp.

"Dumbledore, Dumbledore, you can't always do this!"

Fudge spoke anxiously. "Let that Obscurus go to school? Are you out of your mind?"

"—Obscuruss, Obscurials, they're all the same! There's no point in splitting hairs over terminology. You must know what I'm worried about… We have to think about the students' safety…"

"Ah… of course… of course… I know you have your own considerations, Dumbledore… I know you'll do your best to protect the students…"

"But just look! Look at those poor Muggles out there—look at what they've become!"

"Oh, whether these Muggles are pitiful or not doesn't matter. They committed crimes—I know. They hurt that young lady—I know. You've said it three times already… But what matters is that the damage caused by an Obscurus is just as real!"

"The students at school aren't even as capable of protecting themselves as these Muggles! Putting an Obscurus among them is no different from releasing a hungry wolf into a flock of sheep!"

"It's not that I don't trust your abilities, Dumbledore… Sigh, but from our standpoint, I believe that at the very least, we should not allow such a being into the school. She is pitiful, yes, but that doesn't justify putting the other children at risk."

"And those other—magical children, they can't just be sent straight home either… What if one of them turns out to be a latent Obscurus?"

"In my opinion, the best course of action is to execute the Obscurus immediately—it would be best for everyone. I believe that those who were injured on the island would agree with me."

"As for the other children, and that girl, Haley, we should keep them under observation in the dungeons for a while… It's not a punishment, just a precaution to ensure everyone's safety."

"How long, you ask…? Well, that's impossible to say. We have to be absolutely sure there's no danger. I've heard that Obscurus don't live very long, but three to five years should be a reasonable period…"

…

Mabel clung tightly to Haley as the two of them huddled together on the sofa, surrounded by several wizards with blank expressions and severe looks on their faces.

They were dressed in black wizard robes, an appearance that immediately reminded the two girls of the black-clad soldiers on the island.

Even their gazes were eerily similar—guarded, filled with disgust, and tinged with fear…

As if they were beings who should not exist.

For the past few days, Mabel had stayed close to Dumbledore. Whenever he was busy, a chubby witch would look after them.

She introduced herself as Professor Sprout. She is kind and gentle, her face always adorned with a warm, motherly smile.

She took care of them with great patience and attentiveness, making Mabel and Haley slowly lower their guard and develop an immense curiosity about the school she came from.

But today, Professor Sprout had been forced to leave. A group of individuals who identified themselves as Aurors from the Ministry of Magic had taken over their "care." From that moment on, the sisters hadn't seen a single smiling face.

And now, this heated argument was dragging them harshly back to reality.

Fudge's words drifted through the thin wooden door, echoing clearly in their ears.

Dumbledore had been fighting for them, promising that Mabel would not harm anyone and that the students at Hogwarts would be safe.

He argued that the current situation was not Mabel's fault, that as adults, they had a responsibility to give children a chance to grow—to give them a future.

He even declared that he would personally vouch for Mabel and was willing to take full responsibility for her.

His words made Mabel's eyes brim with tears, yet at the same time, Fudge's stance sent a chilling dread deep into her heart.

The man, who spoke in a hesitant, seemingly weak tone, was surprisingly firm in his stance. He insisted on executing Mabel and imprisoning the other children in the dungeons for three to five years.

At this rate, even those who weren't Obscurials to begin with might very well become one.

And yet, every word Fudge spoke carried the weight of public interest, duty, and authority—making Dumbledore's compassion for the sisters seem reckless and sentimental.

Finally, Fudge concluded: "How about this, Dumbledore? Let's bring this matter to the Hogwarts Board of Governors. My opinion alone doesn't matter, but if all twelve board members agree with you, then I'll have no objections."

"But I think that if they all knew what you were planning, the Board of Governors might decide that you should leave the school—suspended and dismissed. Otherwise, who knows? Next time, you might bring werewolves, vampires, and trolls into Hogwarts as well..."

Dumbledore paused and gazed deeply at Fudge without saying a word.

Fudge knew he had finally found a way to truly restrain Dumbledore, and he couldn't help but flash a smug smile.

The smile was fleeting, quickly replaced by an expression of concern, as if he were a devoted public servant, worried for the greater good.

He emphasized how reckless and irresponsible Dumbledore's actions were, how utterly unacceptable his decisions had become.

After being overshadowed by this old man for so long, Fudge was finally in a position to take the moral high ground.

He couldn't resist indulging in his moment of triumph and subtly insinuated—almost mockingly—that Dumbledore is growing senile, while he, Fudge, was the one truly safeguarding the future of the wizarding world.

He didn't care whether the two girls in the next room overheard him. He was certainly not the opponent of the Obscurial but he wasn't afraid—after all, isn't Dumbledore right there?

If Dumbledore stood by and let an Obscurial attack people, then he wouldn't be Dumbledore anymore.

With the world's strongest protector standing beside him, Fudge almost wanted Mabel to lose control and lash out at him. That would only prove that he was right all along.

Haley clung tightly to Mabel, trembling in fear of their uncertain fate.

Mabel covered the little girl's ears, but her gaze drifted to the window—

Beyond the glass, the vast blue ocean stretched endlessly, and a few dolphins swam alongside the ship, leaping gracefully above the water in elegant arcs.

From the deck, she could hear excited cheers—they were Ministry clerks, some barely older than herself, and their faces were still full of youthful innocence.

They held slender wands in their hands, their arms were as thin as twigs, yet with a single flick, they could make stones weighing several tons float effortlessly in midair.

Mabel thought back to when she and Wade had ridden on a broomstick to rescue Haley—that boy, who seemed about her age, could turn tiny insects into terrifying monsters.

And then what?

The researchers who once made Mabel tremble with fear were torn apart effortlessly by those enlarged insects, and they never even get a chance to escape.

She remembered when she transformed into an Obscurus—the arrogant black-clad soldiers, the powerful wizards who wielded mighty magic—all of them had looked just as terrified and helpless.

These Aurors, who now treated her and Haley like prisoners—if they weren't facing Mabel, but instead the Obscurus, would they still look at them with such contempt?

And Fudge… When he had almost been swallowed by the dark mist earlier, he looked like he was about to wet himself—not at all like the confident man now calling for executions.

Even though she had never received any formal education, in this moment, Mabel instinctively understood a fundamental truth—

All fear comes from a lack of power.

When she surrendered like a lamb to the slaughter and left her fate in the hands of others, no one cared about her suffering or her lack of choice. Most people, like Fudge, only considered their own interests.

Only by displaying the power to destroy everything could she take control of her own destiny—could she protect Haley and the other children. Only then could she stop them from being thrown from one abyss into another.

But if she did this, all of Dumbledore's efforts on her behalf would be wasted. She would never have the chance to go to Hogwarts…

Suddenly, Haley felt a chill run down her spine. She looked up in shock and saw that Mabel was silently crying.

"Mabel?!" Haley gasped, panicked, and quickly wiped away her sister's tears.

"Don't be scared… My mom said that when people die, they turn into stars in the sky. When that happens, we'll be next to each other up there, and we'll never be apart."

"…I'm sorry, Haley…" Mabel choked out, holding her little sister tightly. She whispered into her ear, "We have to be apart now… but no matter where I am, I will always protect you…"

Haley's eyes widened in fear. She struggled, trying to see Mabel's face. But Mabel was holding her too tightly.

Then, suddenly—

She pushed Haley away.

Haley was sent flying backward, colliding into a bald Auror.

"What's going on?!"

The Auror caught Haley in surprise and looked up—only to see that Mabel's eyes had turned completely white. Her body trembled violently, and tendrils of black mist began to rise from her skin.

The shrill sound of an alarm blared instantly. Several spells shot toward Mabel, but they only struck the sofa and the wall behind her.

Where the girl had stood was now nothing but swirling black mist. In the blink of an eye, she shattered the window and surged into the sky.

The very next second, Dumbledore and Fudge burst into the room—only to watch the mass of darkness disappear into the clouds, vanishing in an instant.

"S-She… she escaped, Dumbledore!" Fudge shouted in panic. "Why didn't you stop her?!"

Dumbledore was silent for a moment before letting out a helpless smile. "Yes, she escaped… She had always been so obedient before. So why did she run away now, Cornelius?"

Fudge's face darkened. He stammered, unable to form a response, before quickly turning to blame the Aurors for their incompetence instead.

The Aurors, however, were full of grievances they couldn't voice.

This was their first time dealing with an Obscurial. They had assumed that, with their magical abilities, subduing a young girl who had never learned spells would be easy. Who could have predicted that the transformation would happen so quickly?

Inwardly, they also blamed Fudge—if you were going to order an Obscurial's execution, couldn't you have chosen a different place to say it? Why argue about it right in front of them?

But Fudge was their superior, and they were his subordinates. So, with lowered heads, they silently accepted his scolding, pretending to agree that they were indeed incompetent failures.

After venting his frustration, Fudge rushed off to discuss with Scrimgeour how to recapture the escaped Obscurus.

Outside the room, Professor Sprout watched as Fudge left. Then she stepped inside.

"Would you hand the child over to me?" she asked Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Auror who was holding Haley. "She has no magic—she's just an ordinary girl."

Kingsley hesitated for a moment before silently handing Haley over.

As soon as the little girl fell into the warmth of familiar arms, she finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

The Aurors in the room looked uncomfortable and quickly made their exit. Kingsley hesitated for a moment but deliberately lingered behind.

Dumbledore softly comforted Haley for a while and then gave Professor Sprout a few instructions. As he stepped outside, he noticed Kingsley waiting quietly by the door.

"Dumbledore," Kingsley said. "May I have a word with you?"

Seeing the seriousness in the wizard's expression, Dumbledore—exhausted from dealing with both Fudge and Mabel—finally managed a small smile.

He nodded and said. "Of course."

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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters

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