As soon as she said it, both of them vanished from the Ministry's main hall with a soft crack of Apparition.
When they reappeared, Alex found himself standing in a massive open-air plaza paved with black stone. Stretching out in every direction was an endless, crashing sea. The sound of waves pounding the cliffs echoed in his ears, and the air was thick with the sharp, salty tang of seawater.
Judging by the view, they were high above sea level. The surrounding ocean felt distant, yet ever-present.
The sky above was bleak, as if soaked in ink, dark, oppressive, and so overcast that it was impossible to tell what time of day it was. A light rain fell steadily, soaking them within moments. The chill of December, made worse by the biting sea wind, was nearly unbearable. There was no warmth to be found here, only the kind of cold that crept into your bones and made your soul ache.
Floating nearby in the air, a row of Dementors drifted slowly across the plaza. As soon as Alex and Bagnold appeared, the creatures turned in eerie unison to stare at them. Their gaze was filled with malice, cold and hungry. But they didn't attack, something held them back. Some rule, some command they dared not disobey.
Landing on the black stone, Alex instinctively reached for his monocles and activated them. The lenses shimmered faintly before revealing the full structure of Azkaban in stunning detail.
The prison was shaped like a towering black triangular pillar, rising hundreds of meters from the sea like a dark spear. From their position on the rooftop, Alex could see how the building plunged straight into the ocean depths below. It was an intimidating sight, isolated, cold, and unwelcoming in every way.
"This is the only area in Azkaban where apparition is allowed," Bagnold explained, her tone calm despite the grim surroundings. "Stick close to me. As long as you stay within my magical field, the Dementors won't bother you. They still respond to the Patronus Charm, but it's best not to provoke them unless absolutely necessary."
She exhaled sharply, rubbing her arms as she added, "Merlin, this place is freezing. Every time I come here, I swear the cold somehow gets worse."
Alex looked around the vast, empty rooftop and frowned. "It's so open. Isn't it risky leaving it like this? Shouldn't someone be guarding it?"
Bagnold gave a small chuckle, despite the cold. "Didn't you notice all the Dementors floating nearby? There's only one way up here, a single passage from inside the prison. And the prisoners down there can't cast magic. Most of them are barely human anymore. As long as we control the passage, there's no real threat."
Alex nodded thoughtfully but couldn't help feeling uneasy. Relying on Dementors as guards, creatures known for being unstable and dangerous, seemed far from secure. It might be effective, but the weaknesses in such a system were obvious, even to someone just visiting.
It was hard for Alex to understand why the Ministry of Magic chose to cooperate with such dark and dangerous creatures. Dementors were cruel by nature, feeding on fear, misery, and souls, and while they were notoriously difficult to destroy, they weren't completely invincible. If it were up to him, Alex would have preferred to render them harmless, or replace them altogether. But that thought was fleeting.
Before he could dwell on it any further, Minister Bagnold began leading him down a rocky stone staircase. The two of them gradually descended from the wind-battered rooftop, step by echoing step.
Though they'd left behind the brutal cold of the open-air plaza, the inside of the prison offered no real comfort. It was still damp and bitterly cold. If the outside felt like being lashed by a winter storm, then the inside was like being shut in a freezer, slightly better, but still miserable. It was like putting on a thin pair of trousers in the middle of a blizzard; better than nothing, but nowhere near enough.
They walked for a while through a long, dim corridor. The sound of their footsteps echoed against the stone walls, the silence broken only by the occasional distant drip of water. Eventually, they passed through another archway, and finally, the glow of firelight came into view.
Ahead was a wider corridor, warmer in tone but still bleak in atmosphere. Along the far wall was a single brazier, burning with real wood. Two wizards were seated on opposite sides of it, bundled tightly in cloaks and layers of clothing. Despite all the wrapping, they still shivered visibly. Yet in the middle of their suffering, they were playing a game of Magic poker.
Neither of them noticed Alex and Bagnold approaching.
Alex couldn't help but stifle a laugh, imagining how Vivian would react if she saw this scene. "See? I told you this magic poker was a good investment!"
"Ahem!" Bagnold cleared her throat sharply, her expression darkening when the two wizards didn't even glance up. They were far too absorbed in their game.
"Who's there?!" one of the men jolted in surprise, immediately reaching for his wand. But bundled in layers of thick winter gear, he fumbled helplessly, patting around like a confused bear without making any real progress.
Then he looked up, and froze.
Both wizards stiffened the moment they realized who was standing before them. The Minister of Magic herself. The one still fumbling for his wand snapped to attention, abandoning the effort entirely. He straightened awkwardly and gave a stiff salute. His companion followed suit, looking equally panicked.
"M-Minister Bagnold! You're here… Why didn't we receive any notice in advance?" the younger wizard stammered, his face pale, not that anyone could tell if it was fear or just the bitter cold.
"I did send a visitation notice," Bagnold replied coolly, her eyes narrowing. "The signed approval went out over a week ago. It was part of the official process. You didn't receive it?"
One of the wizards scratched his head sheepishly and looked to his partner for help. The other offered only a blank, utterly clueless stare.
"I'm sorry, Minister," the first one said quickly, forcing a grin. "We really didn't get anything. Maybe the owl got spooked by the Dementors? Happens all the time here."
"That may be true," Bagnold said sharply, "but it's still no excuse to abandon your post and get distracted with games."
Her eyes flashed with irritation. It looked like she was about to launch into a full-on scolding, until Alex stepped forward, calm and smiling.
"Minister," he said gently, "they've been stationed in this miserable place for who knows how long, and even with the conditions, they're still keeping guard at the entrance like they're supposed to. I'm sure they were just trying to stay sane in all this cold."
He tossed a quick wink at the two wizards.