Azkaban Fortress is a heavly guarded prison that holds the British wizarding world's criminals. It is located on an island miles off the coast somewhere near the North Sea. In the beginning of the Harry Potter series, the fortress was guarded by foul, soul-sucking creatures known as dementors. Later on in the books, as Voldemort regains power the guards leave to join him. Rowling introduced the prison in the second book when Hagrid was convicted as the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets and sent there for a year. In Harry's third year, the dementors guarded Hogwarts whenever Sirius Black became the first person to ever escape from Azkaban. Later in his fifth year, Draco Malfoy's father Lucius was caught at the Ministry as a Death Eater and sent to Azkaban.