The North Sea, the Shetland Islands.
A wooden sailing ship that looked as if it had come from the eighteenth century slowly pulled in to shore. Two Aurors, one on each side, gripped a wizard by the arms and brought him down from the ship.
"Lucius Malfoy, your sentence has been served. Your imprisonment is now officially lifted." A Black Auror took a wand from a wooden box beside him and handed it over. "This is your wand."
Lucius looked as if he had aged ten years. His once-sleek, pale-gold long hair was now withered like dry straw, and his whole person seemed dull and numb. He reacted a beat late before taking his wand.
The Auror opposite him had long since grown used to this. He patted Lucius on the shoulder. "Behave yourself from now on, and don't come back. Oh, right, your family and friends are waiting over there. Go see them."
Lucius glanced in the direction the Auror indicated.
Narcissa stood there in a black skirt suit, looking calm and sorrowful. Her pale face was still expressionless, but she had grown even thinner.
Draco stood beside her, tightly holding his mother's hand, staring at him in shock. He had probably never seen his father in such a wretched state before.
Lucius forced himself to rally, using his hand to tidy his hair and outer robe.
Pull yourself together! Lucius! You've already gotten out of that damned place. You can think of happy things now!
But he couldn't. It was as if those monsters had permanently taken something from his body.
Or perhaps the effects of that terrible harm had not yet faded. He only felt waves of weakness spreading from the depths of his heart. Just keeping himself from collapsing into loud sobs, just standing there with