Under warm sunshine utterly unlike that of Hogwarts, dozens of Avalon Prison inmates swung shovels and picks, sweating profusely as they worked the neatly divided patches of black earth.
Four Acromantulas stood guard on either side of the strip-like fields, watching the inmates work with predatory eyes.
"At present, there are a total of 372 prisoners transferred from Azkaban and received over the past few months—"
Prison regulations were strict. All the inmates kept their heads down as they worked, not even daring to glance around.
Mr. Barry stood some distance away with the young wizards, giving them a brief introduction to Avalon Prison.
"Three hundred and seventy-two?"
Sensitive to such information, Hermione immediately let out a sharp cry.
"But there are only—"
"Only eighty-six people here—"
Mr. Barry nodded and said pleasantly,
"Most of those transferred from Azkaban are serious offenders serving sentences of more than ten years. As for these inmates..."
Barry paused, choosing his words carefully.
"Their minds have suffered severe damage from the fear spread by the Dementors. They are unable to adapt to Avalon Prison's normal management, and whenever these prisoners gather together, they always display intense aggression. So we have no choice but to house them separately by section."
Harry nodded grimly.
Everyone knew of Azkaban's horrors. Even wizards Harry considered far from lacking courage, such as Hagrid and Remus, had fear flickering deep in their eyes whenever Azkaban was mentioned.
Though it was all in the past, whenever Harry thought of Sirius having been imprisoned in Azkaban for more than a decade,
he could not help feeling hatred for Peter Pettigrew rise in his heart.
Normally, watching a group of prisoners plow and harrow fields would have been terribly boring, but not one young wizard showed the slightest impatience.
They silently watched the