When Count Dentis arrived in the drawing room, Donna Lockhart was pacing anxiously by the sofa.
The refreshments on the coffee table were untouched, revealing her current state of mind.
"My apologies, Madam Lockhart," the Count said with a smile as he entered.
"The New City is about to be put into use, and things are a bit hectic, causing you to wait."
Normally, Donna would have offered a few compliments, such as:
"The New City is a remarkable project; it's amazing that the Count could complete it so quickly";
"The Count is busy with important matters; I've come at an inconvenient time, troubling you";
Things of that nature.
However, Donna was clearly in no mood for pleasantries; she almost tearfully pleaded:
"Count Dentis! Please, save Gilderoy!"
Count Dentis looked bewildered:
"What are you saying, Madam? Gilderoy is doing well as a professor at Hogwarts; surely he's not in any danger?"
"He's been framed, accused of being a loyal Death Eater of the Dark Lord, and is about to be imprisoned in Azkaban!"
"How could this be?" Count Dentis exclaimed, looking shocked.
"Gilderoy is such a good person! Who would want to harm him?"
Donna burst into tears, shaking her head vigorously:
"I don't know, and I don't want to know; I just want him to avoid Azkaban! It's no place for a human being! He's a man who lives so exquisitely—if he were in Azkaban, he probably wouldn't survive half a month!"
"Indeed," the Count said, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
"You're right; Azkaban is indeed no place for a human being; Gilderoy probably couldn't endure it."
"I knew it… so what should I do now?" Donna sobbed, looking at the Count with hopeful eyes.
"Count, Gilderoy told me that only you can save him, so I've come to you—I believe you have the power to do it!"
The Count tilted his head 20 degrees to the left, asking curiously:
"Couldn't your own Avery family resolve this? I recall that your cousin—what's his name, Gaius Avery?—was replaced by someone else, with your family's help. And the unlucky fellow who took the blame was Dana Emrys from my Quidditch team."
Donna slowly shook her head:
"That matter cost our family a fortune—but now that the New City is about to be put into use, my family has invested almost all of its cash into it, so…"
She paused, then continued, "Besides, the Dana Emrys affair has caused an uproar throughout the wizarding world. Although the Ministry of Magic has provided a good explanation to the public, I doubt any high-ranking officials in the Ministry would agree if we tried to find another innocent person to take the fall."
The Count nodded, pondering, "That does make it difficult."
Donna asked anxiously, "Can't you acquit Gilderoy before he's imprisoned in Azkaban?"
Count Dentis raised an eyebrow:
"Madam Lockhart, please be careful what you say—Gilderoy may be innocent, but he's currently considered the Dark Lord's most loyal Death Eater. Without absolute proof, anyone who tries to get him out will be in trouble…"
Just then, there was a knock at the drawing room door.
The Count called out, "Enter."
A servant entered with a letter, respectfully handing it to the Count.
The Count took the letter, opened it, and then shrugged:
"This is a letter from Minister Fudge. I told him I was interested in the British wizarding world's judicial system, and if there were any interesting, publicly available cases, he should notify me immediately."
He looked at Donna, "Madam Lockhart, you see—Gilderoy is not only accused of being a Death Eater, but also of using Obliviate to wipe the memories of at least seven people, causing varying degrees of brain damage. And these seven people are all famous figures in the wizarding world…
On this charge alone, the Ministry of Magic must imprison Gilderoy, as there are simply too many people involved."
Donna was speechless.
She had previously focused on the Death Eater accusation, as it was the most serious.
But she had overlooked the lesser charge, which was the most troublesome, as the evidence was conclusive, and the Ministry seemed unable to cover it up.
"So, Madam—" the Count said very seriously:
"To save Gilderoy, we probably still need to find someone to replace him."
"But high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Magic are now afraid to let innocent people take the fall!"
The Count smiled:
"What if the person replacing Gilderoy is willing, and has a close relationship with him?"
Donna paused, startled:
"Willing, with a close relationship?"
Her eyes suddenly widened—
"Are you suggesting… that I replace Gilderoy?"
Donna shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, I'm pregnant now; I can't go to Azkaban… if it's for too long, something will happen to the baby."
The Count sneered inwardly; it seemed Donna didn't love Lockhart enough!
"No, Madam, precisely because you're pregnant, this is the best way.
You see, you're still in the early months, not showing yet. You volunteer to replace Gilderoy—of course, I'll cover the money to grease the palms of high-ranking Ministry officials—but in just half a month, a month, your belly will gradually grow, and I can 'accidentally' discover this during a visit.
The high-ranking officials in the Ministry will naturally be afraid of something happening; after all, your identity is not simple. If something were to happen to both mother and child, even if you volunteered, they wouldn't be able to bear the consequences.
Under such pressure, with a little more money from me, I should be able to get you out."
Donna was skeptical:
"If you can directly get people out, why not just save Gilderoy from the start?"
The Count shrugged, saying bluntly, "It seems Madam's brain is a bit duller than I imagined,"
He shook his head with a smile, "If we don't drag them into the water first, how would they be so amenable? Your husband is considered a Death Eater! He can't be easily rescued directly!"
The thought of her radiant lover suffering in Azkaban caused Donna's heart to ache.
If… if it was just for a month, she should be able to endure it, right?
She looked up, pursing her lips tightly:
"Count, are you sure you can get me out?"
The Count raised his chin slightly, "Of course! I can even swear to it—"
The Count raised four fingers, "In the name of my Dentis family's ancestors!"
End of the Chapter.
Read 140+Chapters:- patreon.com/AntonioStark
Update Schedule: 7 Chapter/week.
Every 300 Power Stones+1 (5 ⭐ Review)
= 1 Chapter+1Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters