It was not difficult to guess what would happen next.
Those cunning information brokers would undoubtedly sell the news to the German Ministry of Magic and earn a second payment from them.
Naturally, the German Ministry would not take such reports too seriously.
At most, they would dispatch one or two Aurors to investigate.
Situations like this occurred frequently.
Even if the entrance to Nurmengard was hidden, adventurous locals and foreign visitors still occasionally tried to approach it.
Furthermore—
Even with Muggle-Repelling Charms in place, some Muggle fishermen inevitably slipped through the gaps.
The ocean was simply too vast.
Large-scale enchantments covering endless waters could never be perfectly reliable.
Because of this, patrol ships constantly sailed near Nurmengard.
Most of the time, they merely chased away trespassers.
Only those with obvious malicious intent were treated seriously.
Not far from the damaged boat floated a lone patrol ship.
No matter how one looked at it, the wrecked vessel clearly did not appear to have suffered a genuine attack.
The information dealer had no intention of getting personally involved in trouble.
At that moment, Malfoy and Hibiscus leapt from the ruined boat into the sea.
Hibiscus immediately cast the Bubble-Head Charm around them.
Transparent spheres formed over their heads, allowing them to breathe underwater temporarily.
She had used this same spell during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.
She was already very familiar with it.
The seawater itself was not particularly cold.
Winter sunlight reflected off the ocean surface, creating countless glittering ripples.
Yet despite the peaceful scenery—
Their situation was hardly optimistic.
"What do we do now?"
Hibiscus asked nervously beneath the water.
Her voice distorted through the seawater, creating ripples around them.
Malfoy raised his head slightly.
Through the dark blue water above, he could vaguely make out the enormous black shadow of the approaching ship.
A German Ministry patrol vessel.
"Simple."
"We hijack it."
Malfoy calmly mouthed the answer before immediately swimming upward toward the ship.
Hibiscus hurriedly followed.
Compared to the previous vessel, this ship was far more advanced.
It belonged directly to the German Ministry of Magic.
Numerous defensive enchantments and concealment spells had been layered across the hull.
Thick iron plating reinforced the structure, giving it a heavy and intimidating appearance entirely fitting Germany's reputation.
A wizard dressed in standard black Auror robes stood upon the deck.
A polished insignia gleamed upon his chest.
From time to time, he waved his wand toward the water ahead, seemingly using magic to propel the ship forward through recoil force.
"That's not how ships are supposed to sail."
A sudden voice startled the Auror.
The man instinctively turned around—
Only for a spell to strike the back of his head instantly.
He collapsed onto the deck unconscious.
"Lucas?"
"Why did the ship stop moving?"
Another Auror near the bow shouted in confusion.
A Disarming Charm immediately struck his wrist.
His wand flew high into the air before smashing directly into his forehead.
He crumpled instantly.
Malfoy grabbed the edge of the hull and vaulted onto the ship.
Then he reached down and pulled Hibiscus up from the water.
"This is the first time I've attacked government personnel."
Hibiscus stared at the unconscious Aurors nervously.
Even with her rebellious personality, there had always been limits.
This situation felt completely different.
Directly attacking Ministry Aurors represented a clear violation of the law.
The two now stood in the center of the ship.
The unconscious German Aurors had been tightly bound with ropes and thrown to the side.
Their mouths were sealed.
Their wands were tied high atop the mast where they could not possibly reach them.
Malfoy looked at the steering system with mixed amusement and disbelief.
Perhaps just as Muggles struggled to understand magic—
Wizards equally failed to understand Muggle technology.
The sails had not even been raised.
They relied entirely upon wind-generating spells to move the ship.
Malfoy calmly began sorting through the spoils.
First—
The uniforms.
Blending in as Aurors would simplify matters considerably.
"The advantages of excessive discipline."
Malfoy waved a small green notebook in his hand.
He had found it on one of the crewmen.
The latest pages contained neat handwritten notes.
Not exactly a diary.
More like a schedule.
"8:00 AM — Begin shift. Patrol waters near prison."
"12:00 PM — Rotation. One hour rest. End patrol."
"Received report today: outsiders attempted to approach Nurmengard from southwest sector. Investigate."
Every detail of the day's activities had been meticulously recorded.
"They actually write all of this down?"
Hibiscus stared in disbelief.
"Maybe they're afraid of making mistakes."
Malfoy shrugged casually.
"At least it benefits us now."
He then handed her a transparent glass vial filled with liquid.
"You know what to do."
"Of course…"
Hibiscus reluctantly accepted the Polyjuice Potion.
"Which one am I again?"
"Jem?"
"And you're Lucas?"
She muttered while examining the Auror identification papers.
Meanwhile, Malfoy walked toward the steering position and began adjusting the ship's course.
Hibiscus raised the sails while using wind magic to push the vessel back toward its intended route.
Fortunately, the patrol schedule also included their assigned destination.
Otherwise—
The two captured Aurors would likely have endured far more unpleasant interrogation methods.
Even without using the Imperius Curse, extracting information through hypnosis or memory-related spells would not have been difficult.
Towering black waves slammed relentlessly against the jagged reefs and dark stone walls ahead.
At the center of the island rose an enormous black tower that radiated oppressive authority.
Occasionally, seagulls circled above it.
Perhaps they were the only creatures truly capable of leaving freely.
Like Azkaban, Nurmengard stood upon an isolated island surrounded entirely by sea.
Powerful anti-Apparition enchantments covered the island.
The only normal method of entry was by boat.
Of course—
A sufficiently skilled wizard capable of true flight magic might still break through.
Most visitors focused solely upon the towering prison itself.
Very few noticed what lay beneath it.
The majority of wizards observing the island from afar never dared approach too closely.
They feared attracting suspicion and giving the authorities excuses to imprison them.
Ordinary people naturally avoided danger.
Aside from Ministry personnel, almost nobody willingly came here.
Yet if outsiders ever truly reached the island—
They would discover that beneath the prison tower existed something resembling a Muggle military fortress.
Massive black walls surrounded Nurmengard completely.
Cold.
Rigid.
Oppressive.
Simply looking upon them was enough to make people feel chilled to the bone.