"So it was you who sent Malfoy?" Diana paused in surprise, then quickly understood. "I was wondering earlier—after all, I was never particularly close with that couple..."
"You could put it that way." Jon spread his hands, not denying it.
At the same time, he added with a hint of complaint,
"I still don't understand why you chose to stay in Azkaban back then," Jon said quietly. "And why you said those things during the interrogation just now… To be honest, the situation has become very complicated. Even I can't see a way out of this."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Just a few minutes ago, you admitted to all the charges without leaving yourself any room for defense. The Minister actually sympathized with you—she was trying to help."
Jon lowered his voice slightly.
"If you had played along and kept speaking—claimed you were under the Imperius Curse or something like that—the situation might have improved a great deal."
He sighed softly.
"But now, knowing Scrimgeour's temperament, the best you can hope for is life imprisonment in Azkaban. He's the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and he has considerable authority in matters like this."
After Jon finished his complaints, Diana opened her mouth to respond—but suddenly shivered.
She had clearly spent far too long in Azkaban and still hadn't fully shaken off the effects of the Dementors.
Jon lightly waved his wand. A silver-gray Panda Patronus appeared beside him, and the entire cabin instantly warmed.
The Panda had grown to adulthood—more than a yard long, bulky like a bear, round and well-fed, with a plump body, a round head, and a short tail. It waved its scalpel-sharp claws at Diana, looking slightly hostile.
"Your wand has been confiscated by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I'm afraid I can't get it back for you," Jon said as he took out another wand. "If you don't mind, you can use this one for now... though it might not feel very comfortable."
This wand had once belonged to Barty Crouch Jr. when he was alive. Ever since Dumbledore's Elder Wand had come into Jon's custody, he had almost never needed this wand again.
Diana glanced curiously at Jon's Patronus, but she didn't reach out to take the wand.
She smiled. Now that the Dementors' influence had faded, she no longer looked so disheveled. Some of her old composure seemed to return.
"I cannot leave Azkaban. If I did, I would become a fugitive in every sense of the word..."
"Lucius Malfoy is also a fugitive now," Jon replied calmly. "Yet he and his wife are living quite comfortably in Sweden."
"I have two daughters. They're still very young. If I left Azkaban, it would cause them enormous trouble...
"I've failed them since they were little. Because of me, they were cursed from the moment they were born... I cannot do such a thing again. I owe them far too much..."
"But letting them worry about your safety every single day—is that really the right choice?" Jon couldn't help but ask.
Truthfully, he simply couldn't understand the choice she had made.
Diana only smiled gently and didn't continue the discussion.
Instead, she answered Jon's earlier question.
"As for what I said during the interrogation... I can only say that I spoke the truth. I made a choice I may regret for the rest of my life, and I must bear the consequences of that choice..."
As she spoke, Diana fell silent.
Jon was quiet for a moment as well before saying,
"You don't have to blame yourself so harshly. That choice didn't actually lead to any terrible consequences. Dirk Cresswell, Amos Diggory, and Cuthbert Mockridge—they were all eventually released by the Death Eaters, almost completely unharmed..."
Diana raised her head, smiling as she shook it gently at Jon. With her eyes, she signaled that he didn't need to continue.
They shared a silent understanding. Both knew there were certain "sensitive" matters between them that didn't need to be discussed aloud.
...
"Now that I think about it, I haven't thanked you yet," Diana said, deliberately changing the subject. "Though honestly, I don't even know how to thank you..."
"You saved Astoria's life and freed her from the abyss of that curse. I cannot express my gratitude in words..."
"And I must also congratulate you. Even in Azkaban, I heard the news about you—you became the youngest Headmaster in Hogwarts' history.
"Now I understand why Albus Dumbledore valued and trusted you so much..."
"And I also understand just how grave my mistake was—and what terrible consequences I nearly caused..."
She spoke in fragments, almost as if she were delivering her final words.
Jon frowned and interrupted her.
"Madam, you've been released from Azkaban on bail. For now, you have a period of 'freedom.'"
"If you truly care about your two daughters, you should spend this time with them. They've nearly gone mad with worry over you...
"As for the rest, I'll think of something."
"I will," Diana nodded solemnly. "But you really don't need to worry about my affairs anymore...
"Truly, Jon. Thank you."
When she spoke Jon's name, her tone sounded somewhat strange.
Jon didn't respond to that. Instead, he said calmly,
"Then please allow me to escort you home, Madam."
"Alright. Thank you."
...
The door to the small room opened, and a young wizard dressed as an Auror rushed in.
"Diana Greengrass!" the Auror said coldly. "You are permitted to return home on bail until the Department of Magical Law Enforcement delivers its final judgment.
"During this period, you are forbidden from using any magic, forbidden from contacting any wizard other than relatives or your guarantor, and forbidden from leaving the area within one hundred yards of Greengrass Manor!"
"Understood," Diana nodded. "I will abide by the Ministry's regulations."
"The Ministry will be monitoring your movements. Don't entertain any foolish ideas," the young Auror snorted coldly before turning his gaze to Jon.
His stern expression gradually softened, and a sincere smile spread across his handsome face.
"It's great to see you, Jon!" he said warmly, giving the Hogwarts Headmaster a tight hug. "Honestly, when I received Hannah's letter, I was overjoyed!"
"Long time no see, Cedric!" Jon replied, nearly breathless from the force of the embrace.
This young Auror was none other than, Cedric Diggory.