"Gilderoy Lockhart..." As Amelia looked at the name on the document, she was immersed in memories.
Both being graduates of Ravenclaw House, although Lockhart entered the school after Amelia had already graduated, she still heard news about Lockhart frequently from younger students.
She had a good impression of this younger student; he was handsome, intelligent, and eloquent. And what about his extravagance and desire for attention? Those were privileges of geniuses. Amelia bought every book he published and even had a signed edition in her collection. And she wasn't the only one; almost every witch at the Ministry of Magic collected his signed books, postcards, and correspondence...
Last year, he even became the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, and then the scandal emerged.
Amelia found it hard to believe that Lockhart's adventures were fake. After all, those adventures were so legendary. How could a wizard with such experiences fall under the Memory Charm? But the evidence was overwhelming, and she couldn't do anything about it.
Ten years in Azkaban was the punishment imposed by Fudge.
However, today, this document caught Amelia's attention. Someone questioned the sentence imposed on Lockhart, considering it too severe.
In the magical world, punishments as severe as ten years in Azkaban for the misuse of the Memory Charm are not common. Furthermore, as there were no victims in this case, some people believe that Lockhart's sentence could be reduced.
After much thought, Amelia finally ticked the sentence reduction box on the application.
...
"Amelia has become the new Minister for Magic." After quickly flipping through the newspaper, Hermione tossed aside the Daily Prophet she had in her hand and continued writing the essay assigned by Professor Lupin.
After writing a few sentences, she suddenly remembered something and told Tom, "By the way, I just saw that Minister Amelia signed the commutation order for Lockhart. Lockhart is going to be released."
Tom: ???
What? Lockhart is going to be released? He only entered a few months ago, not even half a year!
Tom is furious.
Did Lockhart commit a crime? Yes, he did! Did his crimes receive appropriate punishment? Unfortunately, they didn't. He hasn't even been in Azkaban for half a year, even if we count it fully. To let him go so easily, how can it be fair to those wizards whose memories and honor were stolen from them? These victims can go mad for the rest of their lives due to the improper use of the Memory Charm, which causes irreversible damage to the brain. In the original timeline, after receiving the backlash from the Memory Charm, Lockhart lived the rest of his life in St. Mungo's Hospital.
Furthermore, since the news has spread widely, and almost the entire magical community knows about this matter, but no victim has come forward to accuse Lockhart, Tom has reason to believe that these wizards have become either insane, foolish, or have even lost all contact with the magical world due to Lockhart's Memory Charm.
The Ministry of Magic may forgive this guy, but Tom Yodel won't.
You want freedom? Fine! But your freedom will be restricted!
Tom immediately left the Granger's house and went to make additional arrangements. Behind him, he heard Hermione's angry voice, but he decided to act as if he didn't hear it.
...
The dark, chilly waves crashed against the cliffs, breaking into fine foams that splashed against the outer wall of the dark castle. The salty sea air brought a sense of brine into the interior of the castle, where the ragged clothing of the prisoners was covered in dew.
Though it was high noon, most of the prisoners still huddled in a corner of their cells, sleeping; only in dreams could their suffering be alleviated slightly, but only slightly.
Because in this place, despair was everywhere, with no escape. Even if you fell asleep, you would only have nightmares.
However, even in Azkaban, there were relatively better cells. For example, one located in the southeast of the castle had much better conditions than the average cell. This cell was situated in an elevated spot, and the water didn't seep through the windows with crashing waves, wetting the bedding. At the same time, the room was covered with abundant dry straw, maximizing warmth and dryness. The greatest luxury was that, during midday, this cell even had the chance to receive sunlight.
Compared to the rooms below that were barely better than sewers, this room was simply a paradise. Its location was so privileged that there were rumors in the Ministry of Magic that it was prepared for criminal Ministers of Magic.
Currently, this room housed a prisoner with blond hair. He frowned and huddled in the pile of dry straw, trembling and occasionally grinding his teeth. When his lips moved, a few bright white teeth appeared.
The prisoner's robe, though dirty and worn, was visibly made of high-quality and valuable fabric. The same applied to his hair; you could still discern the marks of meticulous care in the past.
The prisoner detained here had undoubtedly led a comfortable life before his imprisonment. However, his pale face and worn-out clothing demonstrated that his life in prison had been extremely harsh.
Creak!
The cell door opened, and the person in the straw pile stirred, opening his eyes with difficulty.
At the entrance stood two witches who gazed at the man in the cell with compassionate expressions.
After a moment of silence, both women struggled to speak: "Mr. Lockhart, you are free."
"Incredible, I never imagined I would have a day to see the light of day again." Several hours later, Lockhart returned to London accompanied by the two witches. By this time, he had changed into a clean robe, cleaned the dirt from his body, and tidied his messy hair, regaining his golden wavy locks. Apart from his still-pale face, Lockhart seemed to be the same as he was a year ago.
The two enthusiastic followers of Lockhart were the ones who received him after his release. Previously, Lockhart had been able to enjoy "privileges" in prison thanks to these fanatics' arrangements. After his release, they also provided him with a lot of spontaneous assistance.
"Congratulations," one of the witches congratulated Lockhart and then looked at him, asking, "Mr. Lockhart, do you have any plans after your release?"
Lockhart smiled ironically and said, "My plan is to write an autobiography first, telling my prison story and also including my past life experiences. I already have an idea for the title; it will be called 'The First Half of My Life: Struggles.' Additionally, I also plan to write a travel book to share my travel experiences from these years..."
"We are looking forward to it. Could we get a signed copy when it's published?" The witch smiled shyly, thinking the man in front of her was really attractive. As for the negative news circulating in the Ministry, after calmly reflecting on it for a long time, she felt it was false. Surely someone was unjustly pursuing Mr. Lockhart!
Upon hearing these familiar words, Lockhart felt a great relief. Fantastic, that familiar sensation had returned!
He opened his mouth and displayed his eight bright, white teeth. "Of course, no problem!"