Regulus Black had been rather busy lately. Families with witches imprisoned in Azkaban had begun reaching out to him one after another.
It turned out that during what seemed like a peaceful period, many of these families had already gone to Azkaban to visit their imprisoned witches. Those women, long held in isolation, fell apart emotionally upon learning what was now possible.
On one hand, they were heartbroken by their families' years of cold indifference. On the other hand, they were overjoyed at the chance to bear a child who could return to the family.
In the end, they all agreed and hoped the matter could be arranged as soon as possible—every additional day spent in Azkaban was pure torment.
So, accompanied by Aurors, Regulus Black went to meet with these witches. These were considered normal visitation rights. However, a single wizard visiting numerous witches from various unrelated families stirred rumors throughout the Ministry of Magic, whispered beneath the surface.
Everyone was waiting—waiting for news that one of the witches was pregnant. Some families were even beginning to plan for the witches to return home to rest and await childbirth. The greatest resistance to this idea came from within the Ministry itself.
"Regulus! Can't you handle this matter separately? Don't you know that some of these families have already filed appeals? They want those witches to come home, but Azkaban has never released convicted criminals before,"
Fudge would say this every time he saw Regulus Black. Lately, Regulus always had a different wizarding family member by his side each time he appeared.
Their presence wasn't just a show of support for the plan—it was a show of power.
Centered around the Black family, a growing coalition of old, powerful wizarding families was forming.
And in this world, there's nothing harder to repay than a favor. Especially when the "price" Regulus asked in return—adding a child to a pure-blood family—was absurdly low. The bigger the favor owed, the harder it was to ever repay.
"Relax, Minister Fudge. There's no issue here. Just agree to their request—it will make you look merciful."
Regulus Black sat casually in Fudge's office. After countless visits to the Ministry, legal actions, and formal appeals, the two had grown more familiar. With his great-grandfather, Phineas Black, whispering in Fudge's ear, the Minister had come to trust Regulus completely, speaking freely without reservation.
Even Regulus had to admit—such a shrewd Minister of Magic, yet he was surprisingly easy to handle. No wonder so many factions still supported him.
"You say it'll make me look merciful? How do you figure? Releasing Azkaban prisoners? No Minister in history has ever done that. If I do, I might be thrown out of office the very next day."
Fudge still valued his power greatly. He wasn't blind to the fact that his position was the result of careful political compromise.
"Don't worry. Just look at who's backing this bill. Even the Malfoy family, who have no relatives in Azkaban, are supporting it. If you continue to resist, you become the real obstacle standing in their way."
Regulus had calculated the stakes. He had even invited Lucius Malfoy to join the cause—and after some thought, Lucius had agreed.
There was no death penalty in the wizarding world, but being imprisoned in Azkaban was no better—and possibly even worse. Dementors fed on the prisoners daily, sucking them dry until not even their souls remained.
Yet to birth a child, to preserve one's bloodline, and to contribute to the survival of the family—what couldn't be compared favorably to that? Even if one never saw their child's birth, the benefits clearly outweighed the loss.
Not choosing this path was sheer stupidity—a choice that doomed a bloodline to extinction.
"Then what should I do to make this situation more favorable for me?"
Minister Fudge was still hesitant. Without complete certainty, he was unwilling to take such a risk.
Regulus leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Fudge nodded repeatedly and, at last, a smile spread across his face.
Breaking news from the Daily Prophet: Minister Fudge to make an official statement regarding pregnant witches.
"To all friends in the wizarding world, I, Cornelius Fudge, have an important announcement to make. Regarding the recent instances of witches in Azkaban becoming pregnant due to certain circumstances, the Ministry of Magic has enacted a series of corresponding measures…"
"During the incident involving a pregnant witch, we coldly watched Bellatrix Lestrange go through her entire pregnancy while in Azkaban. But the child was innocent, and we had no idea whether Dementors would have any effect on the child. Fortunately, everything was normal after the birth. Nevertheless, Mr. Regulus Black lodged a formal protest—and soon after, several other witches also became pregnant in Azkaban."
"In response, after detailed discussions between the Ministry of Magic and the respective families, the following decisions have been made."
"1. All witches sentenced to imprisonment in Azkaban have committed clear and defined crimes, and there is no justification for sentence reduction."
"2. Given that the child is innocent and clearly unsuitable to grow up in the Azkaban environment, pregnant witches are granted the right to serve their sentence outside the prison during pregnancy."
"3. Witches serving sentences outside Azkaban must reside in Ministry-designated areas, are forbidden from leaving their place of residence without permission, and are strictly prohibited from using magic."
"4. After giving birth, the witch will be returned to Azkaban under the continued custody of the Auror Department."
"5. Witches who have given birth will be permitted to meet freely with their children. The Ministry of Magic will not place restrictions on such contact."
"These are the contents of today's press conference, jointly ratified by the Wizengamot and the Ministry of Magic, and shall remain permanently in effect."
As Minister Fudge finished his address, Regulus Black, seated in the front row, gently led the applause.
Those in the audience, still stunned by the announcement, finally snapped out of their shock and joined in the clapping.
Minister Fudge was very pleased with the reaction, the turnout, and the constant flash of camera lights—all thanks to the great-grandson of his old friend, Phineas Black.
"That first rule was absolutely necessary. It blocks any accusations that you're opening a precedent for releasing Azkaban inmates. You cut off that criticism from the start—and with full legitimacy—leaving no room for rebuttal."
"The second rule is meant to win broad public support. When it comes to children, all wizards feel the same way. Even the Dark Lord never said he wanted to destroy Hogwarts completely, did he? He just wanted to run it more strictly. Remember, in the Middle Ages, Hogwarts was notorious for being harsh."
"The third rule is a safeguard to silence those worried that released witches will cause chaos. Their fears won't materialize. Is it really that hard to stay within a residence? To not use magic? It's just moving their prison from Azkaban to a controlled house. They're still serving time—just in a different location. The Auror Department is very experienced in handling such situations."
"The fourth rule is a precaution. No one can predict whether similar circumstances will arise in the future. No matter the methods used, none will replicate the Black family's rare outcome of 'mother dead, child survives.' Since we've already shown mercy by allowing them to give birth outside prison, it's only right they return to serve the remainder of their sentence."
"As for the fifth rule, consider it an act of benevolence. Sooner or later, someone will step forward and accuse the Ministry of being heartless, of cruelly separating mother and child—regardless of what crimes the mother committed. On the contrary, allowing a mother to see her child more often causes no harm."
"If all of this is executed properly, the issue of pregnant witches will be resolved, the birth of children will ensure the continuity of wizarding families, and the Ministry of Magic will gain a good reputation. As for you, Minister Fudge, you'll bear no blame—this will be seen as a result of various wizarding families promoting the legislation. To you, it'll be nothing but credit."
At the time, Fudge broke into a cold sweat just listening. From that point on, he placed absolute trust in the words of Regulus Black.
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