Nurmengard had originally been constructed by Gellert Grindelwald as a prison for his enemies.
Ironically—
In the end, he himself became the prisoner confined within its most heavily guarded chamber.
The suffix "gard" carried two meanings:
A fortified town.
And a guardian.
What surprised Hibiscus the most, however, was that the outermost area surrounding the prison had gradually developed into a small settlement.
There were clear traces of human life.
Some people believed these residents were former followers still waiting for Grindelwald to one day escape imprisonment.
Others believed they had simply become too disconnected from normal wizarding society and could no longer reintegrate into the outside world.
So they remained here instead.
Living out the rest of their lives beside the prison.
There was a fundamental difference between Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort.
If one used the modern concept of alignment—
One represented chaotic evil.
The other lawful evil.
Voldemort pursued destruction for its own sake.
Grindelwald, on the other hand, possessed ideology and long-term goals.
He was willing to hurt others in pursuit of what he believed to be wizarding order—
But he did not inflict suffering purely for pleasure.
People often mistakenly referred to Grindelwald's followers as "Holy Disciples."
In truth, that term originally described those who pursued the legendary Deathly Hallows.
Grindelwald himself could indeed be considered one.
His followers, however, were not.
Still, every organization required a cohesive title.
"Grindelwald's Army" simply lacked grandeur.
So over time, the title "Holy Disciples" gradually became associated with his faction.
In short—
A strange ecosystem had formed around Nurmengard.
Inside the prison walls existed only prisoners and guards.
Outside the walls, however, life continued normally.
Aurors and prison guards occasionally came into the settlement to relax.
Naturally—
Taverns became the most popular locations.
Nobody seemed to know exactly how food, wine, and supplies reached this isolated island.
Today, however—
This rarely visited island welcomed two entirely uninvited guests.
Ten minutes after hijacking the boat successfully, Malfoy guided the vessel onto shore.
Jagged black reefs surrounded the coastline.
The hard stone beneath their feet resembled asphalt.
Countless tiny insects crawled rapidly through the cracks in the rocks.
"If you can avoid speaking, then don't speak."
"I'll handle everything requiring conversation."
Malfoy reminded Hibiscus quietly.
She simply nodded.
"From the moment we stepped onto this island, Apparition became impossible."
"So stay careful."
"We don't have much time."
"For now, the guards will still believe our disguises."
"But eventually they'll discover the problem."
"There should also be something similar to the waterfall inside Gringotts Wizarding Bank."
"It'll remove all disguises."
"Polyjuice Potion won't work forever either."
"When that happens…"
"We charge straight through."
Hibiscus stared at him in disbelief.
"Charge through?"
Instinctively, she believed they should infiltrate slowly and carefully.
Blend in.
Hide.
Wait for opportunities.
"That would only give them time to react."
"They'll report upward through layers of bureaucracy."
"Dragging things out works against us."
"Sometimes the simplest approach is the most effective."
Malfoy spoke calmly.
Wherever governments existed—
Bureaucracy inevitably followed.
The two continued walking openly down the main path.
Eventually, a massive iron gate appeared before them.
Towering black stone walls extended endlessly in both directions.
Their height made climbing impossible.
The only visible entrance was the gate itself.
Nearby stood a stone monument engraved with four words:
"For the Greater Good."
"You've worked hard, Lucas. Jem."
The guard changing shifts waved casually toward them before opening the gate himself.
Malfoy and Hibiscus immediately walked through.
"Jem, you don't look too well."
The guard glanced suspiciously toward Hibiscus.
"Not feeling good?"
Hibiscus subconsciously touched her face in panic.
Had she exposed herself somehow?
"He's just thinking about women."
Malfoy answered casually without even turning his head.
"When our shift ends, I'll help him relieve the pressure."
The guard immediately revealed the knowing grin shared universally among men.
Malfoy had already checked the work schedules earlier.
The identities they had stolen were supposed to finish duty soon.
The two continued forward through the corridor.
Trying their best to appear relaxed and familiar with the environment.
This was the true interior of Nurmengard.
A long, winding underground corridor stretched endlessly ahead.
The walls were built from marble.
Dim torches hung at intervals, permanently bathing the passageway in oppressive darkness regardless of the time outside.
They walked cautiously for several minutes.
Then—
A recessed opening suddenly appeared along the corridor wall.
The signs of manual excavation were obvious.
It resembled a duty room.
A smoke-stained glass window faced outward toward the hallway.
Several men sat inside.
Some smoked cigarettes.
Others played cards around a table.
Smoking clearly wasn't prohibited here.
The prison was constructed almost entirely from stone, making fire hazards minimal.
Nicotine helped pass the endless boredom.
It emptied the mind.
Allowed temporary escape.
As for gambling—
That was even less surprising.
Winning and losing stimulated emotion.
Both prisoners and guards required distractions within this isolated fortress.
Malfoy and Hibiscus instinctively slowed their pace while passing.
Years of peace had made the guards complacent.
But Nurmengard possessed confidence in its security.
Azkaban had relied upon Dementors.
Nurmengard chose a different method.
Anti-Magic Shackles.
Special restraints jointly designed by famous alchemists and Muggle craftsmen.
Once fastened around a prisoner's wrists, casting magic became nearly impossible.
Some powerful wizards remained dangerous even without wands.
For example—
Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban despite losing his wand by transforming into his Animagus form.
The Anti-Magic Shackles prevented such possibilities entirely.
Once restrained, prisoners became little different from ordinary Muggles.
This was one of the primary reasons why no successful prison breaks had occurred within Nurmengard for so many years.
Every prisoner wore them.
Every prisoner—
Except one.
At the very top of the tower sat a single special prisoner.
According to rumor, Albus Dumbledore had personally designed the magical imprisonment surrounding him.
And that security was far more reliable than any Anti-Magic Shackles.