Enclosed

Chapter Nine: Azkaban

As a prosecutor for the ministry, Rose didn't get to pick her cases. She was assigned them. It took her years to be able to have a say in cases. When she started off as a new lawyer, Rose got the worse cases. The ones that couldn't be won. Rose worked her way to the top by defying the odds. That meant she had to do a lot of the grunt work, which would result in her dealing with informants in Knockturn Alley. 

Azkaban made the back alleys of Knockturn Alley look like a Unicorn's safe haven. She'd been to Azkaban on multiple occasions to talk with clients and speak with witnesses. Each visit left her feeling emotionally drained and void of happiness.

Dementors were dismissed after the Battle of Hogwarts and only employed to deliver the kiss to the most sinister of inmates. Even though Dementors didn't reside on the island, their presence hadn't left. When a demon exudes happiness from a place for so long, it takes an eternity for that feeling to go away. 

Al moved through security swiftly. The clomp, clomp of the centaur's hoofs as they led Al down the hallway echoed through the ears. 

"Wait here. Prisoner #43983 will be brought to you in five minutes. Please remain in your seat. If you would like to leave the room, tap on this button." The guard instructed.

"Thank you."

A door slammed as the guard exited the room. 

"I hate these visits," Al complained. "It's bad enough they took my wand at security. The least they could do is get me a comfy chair."

Rose understood his complaints. 

When Azkaban was rebuilt following the breakout over two decades ago, the prison cells were moved underground. It made a breakout nearly impossible. To get access to the jail cells, one not only had to get past security but also needed to find the private lift. The lift was enchanted to change locations every 7 minutes.

The former jail cells were converted into offices for the higher-up security guards, meeting rooms, and a gigantic kitchen. The lack of funding meant that the majority of the money went to heightening security measures, leaving the upstairs corridors to suffer. 

The meeting rooms were ice cold. Goosebumps were a permeant fixture. The metallic metals of the chair stiffened your bones. Rose never failed to leave an interview with a hunched back and in desperate need of a realignment. 

"It's for one hour. You'll be fine," Malfoy replied unsympathetically. "Now listen to me. I've got a few tactics I want to try to get Melanie to open up. First, you're going to make small talk. Ask her how she's been and really empathize with her. If she says the food is horrible, agree with her. If she says that you're a piece of scum, tell her she's right."

"Oi! I happen to think I'm a decent person."

"A ray of sunshine," Rose muttered, earning a shush from Malfoy. 

"At some point I want us to work in the conversation something about family. We need to appeal to her humanity and get to the root of the issue. We'll see how the conversation goes from there."

"Affirmative."

"You want to listen," Rose added, "Don't place your opinion or try to tell a story about yourself to relate. Listen to what she has to say. Seem truly invested, like everything she says makes complete sense to you."

"I know how to talk to people."

"You know how to talk to people. Sometimes you forget how to listen."

Al muttered incoherently, as the cell door creaked and the guard returned. 

"Prisoner #43983. You have 30 minutes."