The Road Ahead Is Long and Far

"In the past, Azkaban had always been a place wizards spoke of with dread. Because of the Dementors, more than fifty percent of criminals never left Azkaban alive, and those who did were generally dead within a year. That was not good."

Under the astonished, slightly dazed gazes of the crowd, Bernard smiled as he explained:

"Punishment should not merely inspire fear. While that can indeed reduce crime, anyone can make mistakes. Such a high mortality rate can easily make criminals adopt a self-destructive, nothing-to-lose mindset. At the same time, punishment should help prisoners recognize their mistakes and give them a chance to turn over a new leaf."

Bernard’s speech was impassioned, but everyone’s attention was clearly still fixed on what he had said earlier.

"Wait a moment… Mr. Bernard, how do you intend to make prisoners fully serve fixed-term sentences lasting as long as a thousand years?"

It was still the same wizard who had asked the question before.

"Through our efforts, the new Azkaban has bid farewell to the darkness of the past. Dementors have been removed from their role as prison guards and replaced with magic… the magic of time."

Bernard looked at him and smiled proudly.

"With the technical support of a friend who wishes to remain anonymous, every cell in the new Azkaban has been equipped with time magic. Prisoners will spend the corresponding amount of time inside according to their sentences, while no more than twenty-four hours will pass in the outside world before their terms are complete."

"Is that really possible? That is magic capable of controlling time."

The wizard frowned and muttered:

"And even if it is possible, wouldn’t the prisoners simply grow old and die?"

"No, no, no. During this process, time inside the cells will reset continuously. A prisoner’s body will experience no more than twenty-four hours. Even if they commit suicide, they will immediately come back to life. Only their consciousness will remain unaffected, allowing them to clearly perceive how long they have spent in the cell."

Bernard snapped his fingers.

"To prevent prisoners from developing mental problems amid repetitive, prolonged isolation, the new Azkaban has thoughtfully prepared corresponding measures to ensure that prisoners can retain clear minds even after spending hundreds or thousands of years behind bars."

Hiss—thoughtful. How very thoughtful!

The Ministry of Magic employees below felt chills run through them, unable to stop themselves from wondering just how utterly deranged the person who had provided the technical support must be.

The new Azkaban should be locking up people like that most of all!

No, wait. The guy speaking right now should be locked up too!

"During this process, prisoners must complete appropriate labor and physical training every day, study legal provisions, and will also have ample free time to repent for their crimes. Good behavior earns sentence reductions and parole; poor behavior earns additional penalties."

A warm, sunny smile bloomed across Bernard’s face.

"Under this premise, the prisoner in the example mentioned earlier must make a choice: accept 4,785 years of fixed-term imprisonment, along with any potential additional penalties, before receiving the death sentence—or strive for a reduced sentence and parole through good behavior. That is the point of this example."

"Gulp—"

Looking at the smile on his face, everyone lowered their eyes and avoided meeting his gaze.

This man was a devil!

But setting aside the bone-deep dread that came from imagining themselves in the prisoners’ place, everyone could not help but marvel at the effectiveness of these laws.

There had always been a difficult problem when it came to sentencing. If the sentence was too light, criminals would not feel it; if it was too severe, they would simply give up on themselves. Punishments beyond a person’s tolerance—such as fixed-term sentences exceeding two hundred years—were basically ineffective.

That was why truly vicious criminals often did not care about committing a few more atrocities. In the end, all anyone could do was let the Dementors give them a proper welcome.

But under these laws, every punishment would be carried out in full. Not a single part of any sentence would go to waste.

This way, even criminals who had already killed someone would have to consider whether it was worth spending at least several days—and potentially much longer—in prison before their execution over some minor additional offense.

Seen this way, punishments that went straight to the death sentence were practically an act of mercy!

Everyone could not help looking once more at the crimes that could receive direct death sentences, then sighed regretfully.

Crimes punishable by death, such as premeditated murder, also carried a fixed-term sentence starting at five hundred years. That was still assuming the offender turned themselves in to the Ministry of Magic and begged to be sentenced immediately after killing someone.

Trying to exploit that kind of loophole?

Not a chance!

After going to such lengths to hire Adam to build the prison of his dreams, how could Bernard possibly leave behind such an easy shortcut?

As punishment for taking a life, prisoners sentenced to death could also enjoy the attentive care of the Ministry of Magic’s new guards during their imprisonment—the Ghost Mosquitoes.

All that could be said was that criminals without much education who wanted to exploit loopholes would be greatly blessed in the future~

"Any other questions?"

Bernard smiled at everyone around the conference table. One by one, those who met his eyes lowered their heads and shook them desperately.

"Then…"

Bernard looked toward Eugene, who understood and smoothly took over.

"This meeting is now concluded. The trials of the Death Eaters will begin this afternoon. Anyone interested may attend as a juror."

Though everyone wanted to say they would rather not go, deep down—

This was the first trial after the new laws had come into force. It also changed the previous method of having the Wizengamot reach verdicts by a show of hands, so that afternoon, everyone still showed up despite themselves.

In the former Wizengamot chamber, now a courtroom, Bernard—who had spoken so passionately in the conference room earlier—wore robes symbolizing the chief judge and sat at the head of the court.

Two wizards who had originally been Wizengamot members sat on either side of Bernard as judges. They were highly respected scholars in the Wizarding World, as well as two of the Wizengamot members who were relatively close to Eugene.

Bang—

With one strike of the gavel, Bernard looked at the people below.

Though many wizards were somewhat unaccustomed to this style of trial because it was their first time attending one, and some could not even find where they were supposed to stand at first, it was beginning to look reasonably proper.

For as long as he could remember, his childhood dream had been to become a great lawyer like his parents. He had never expected to skip straight to becoming the presiding judge.

No… perhaps he should be called a chief justice?

Bernard’s thoughts raced, but his expression remained stern as he spoke coldly:

"The first trials of the Death Eaters now begin!"

Somewhat ironically, because Voldemort’s Death Eaters had been hunted down from many sides this time, their numbers were far smaller than those of Voldemort’s Death Eaters back then.

Yet the number of people who ultimately needed to stand trial was far greater than before. Due to the Ministry of Magic’s current shortage of judicial personnel, the trials even had to be conducted in batches.

There were even some Death Eaters whose trials had been postponed because their biological classification still required further determination!

Establishing a true judicial system in the Wizarding World was a long and arduous task.

What was that saying Adam had mentioned…

Bernard watched as a Death Eater was brought forward by two court officers, his gaze cold and resolute.

The road ahead was long and far; I would search high and low for the truth.