Underneath the blanket was another blanket, and under that was a tattered wooden bed.
A prisoner has gone missing; this is a major incident.
Barton immediately notified the other guards on duty in the nearby waters, and then went to the cemetery to find the Dementors leader.
"I—I dared not get too close, after I finished speaking to it—after the prisoners ran away, it—they floated outside."
Faced with a group of terrifying creatures whose bodies were rotting under cloaks and whose faces had no features but only holes, the young man seemed not to have recovered yet.
No wonder they weren't affected; they went to find the escape artist, Sirius Black Black.
Umbridge's voice rose a few decibels, "Barton, if you have nothing to add, you may leave."
"I—I have," Barton stammered, uttering something else.
Ever since he was assigned here, he's always heard Sirius Black muttering something during his daytime patrols.
I sometimes hear it at night, and it's almost always the same phrase repeated over and over.
What is it?
"He—he said he—he said he was at Hogwarts."
"Who is he?"
"I—I don't know."
Fudge took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
He even gave him a newspaper to pass the time, and that damned Black dared to repay him like that.
Death Eaters are Death Eaters after all; they will never become obedient or docile.
"Minister Fudge, what's next—"
Search! Turn the entire North Sea upside down! Dead or alive!
Scrimgeour quickly deployed his men and personally led the team away under the watchful eyes of a group of high-ranking officials.
But they found nothing by dawn.
Umbridge whispered to Fudge,
"Minister, we've kept him locked up for 12 years. Even with a magic wand, he can't escape very far."
His face was cold, as if he was suppressing his anger.
"Would a convicted criminal who once used the Blasting Curse to destroy half a street corner, resulting in the deaths of 12 innocent Muggle, not have a detailed escape plan?"
"This..." Scrimgeour, who had returned to report, exchanged bewildered glances with a group of senior officials.
Nearly three hundred years of zero chance of escaping from prison.
Umbridge's big eyes darted around halfway, "I understand!"
"Minister, the reason he was able to escape Azkaban must be because he contacted someone outside to help him!"
The Death Eaters' helpers are, of course, the Death Eaters.
"Keep searching!" Fudge's face was extremely pale.
"Mobilize all personnel; we must find Black by today!"
"If we can't find it—" He struggled to suppress his anger.
"If we still can't find it today, you know very well what will happen."
This isn't some trivial matter like Voldemort returning to steal the Sorcerer's Stone or a fifty-year-old diary opening the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets.
Sirius Black Black is a hardened criminal, a ruthless Death Eaters.
Attempting to cover it up, regardless of whether the person is eventually brought back, is irresponsible towards the safety of the people.
Fudge gave a deadline of one day; in order to make the headlines in the major newspapers tomorrow morning, the entire British Ministry of Magic had to take action.
Amidst the chilly sea breeze, officials who usually spend their time in their offices appeared in Beihai.
Apart from the members of the Department of Mysteries and Wizengamot, all of the remaining 300-plus Ministry of Magic employees were present.
They searched nautical miles by nautical mile, even disturbing a few Kraken that inhabit the deep sea.
The Dementors at the forefront returned to Azkaban en masse just as they were about to reach the coast.
When Fudge saw them, his heart sank.
Wizards track using their magical aura, while Muggle rely on their eyes and technology.
Dementors can sense any human emotion from a very, very long distance away.
Although they lack a physical nose, their tracking ability is beyond question.
How can one swim to shore without magic in the entire night?
The sea area where Azkaban was located was not recorded on the map. Finding the right direction in the vast ocean was difficult enough, not to mention that the prisoners' food was notoriously bad, barely enough to keep them from starving to death.
Fudge suddenly looked at Umbridge was walking over with a lunchbox.
"Minister, you..." Her voice trembled, possibly because of the Dementors.
"Dolores, you said this morning that Black had help?"
Umbridge seemed relieved. "Minister, you know that quite a few Death Eaters have escaped trial."
One group was led by Malfoy and Nott, and another group was said to be newly recruited by the dead Voldemort.
If the information from the Japanese Ministry of Magic is true, Sirius Black's accomplice will most likely be the latter.
The former is certainly possible.
However, the final judgment of the Wizard Cards is the day after tomorrow, and unless they are desperate, they will never choose this sensitive time.
"He's at Hogwarts ..." Fudge murmured.
"Bring me that day's newspaper!"
The press officer from the Minister's Office quickly brought it out.
The headline features the Weasley family, who are traveling in Egypt; the photo is a family portrait.
Nothing special, and there was no mention of Hogwarts between the lines.
The newspaper was turned over twice, inside and out, before being put down.
"Could it be Harry?" Fudge gripped the newspaper tightly in his hand.
Since Voldemort's downfall, the once arrogant Death Eaters have been like headless flies.
It's not surprising that Sirius Black blamed Harry for his imprisonment; the reason for his escape might even have been revenge.
Umbridge was terrified.
If something happens to the Chosen One, they're all doomed.
"Minister, we must protect Harry Potter!"
She is the newly appointed Senior Deputy Minister and the Ministry of Magic's first choice to take the blame.
Fudge tightened his suit jacket. "Rufus, send a squad of Auror to secretly guard Privet Drive."
The Dementors returned empty-handed, and there was little hope left for the remaining half-day.
The most important thing right now is to prepare for the worst.
"Yes!" Scrimgeour left in a hurry.
The search operation must not be abandoned until the situation worsens.
Dementors are permitted to enter the Muggle world, provided they do not cause a disturbance.
The Memory Charmers of the Magical Accidents and Catastrophes Department is on standby at Level 1, ready to handle any Muggle discovered in the Wizarding World.
After all the departments were placed under a state of emergency, Fudge had just returned to the Ministry of Magic, still had no appetite for lunch.
In the three years since he took office, he has seen all sorts of storms and waves.
Quirrell, who had been trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone, became incredibly clever, while Lockhart, who was about to face his final trial, was also in poor mental condition.
The wizards have all been dealt with successfully, and the Wizard Cards will soon come to an end.
The alarmed Kraken has been driven away from the Britain mainland. Once Sirius Black is captured, everything will return to normal.
An hour passed,
Two hours passed.
After grabbing a quick bite in the evening, Fudge grew increasingly impatient as he waited.
"Damn Black!" he couldn't help but curse.
Time seemed to pass especially slowly today.