Chapter 1072: Prepared
Chapter 1072: Prepared
Regarding Rufus Scrimgeour, the Head of the Auror Office, Albert felt neither hatred nor liking. To him, the man was merely a stranger—a stranger who might come in handy in the future, and nothing more.
With Albert, a player-like existence, intervening in this world, the original timeline had already been disrupted. Who knew what direction things would take from here? Even with his prophetic abilities, Albert dared not put too much faith in his predictions. He preferred to be prepared and leave room for flexibility, so he wouldn't be caught off guard by unforeseen circumstances.
What would happen if Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Amelia Bones, and Scrimgeour hadn't died? Would the wizarding world undergo earth-shattering changes?
It was hard to say, but perhaps this world was headed towards a different path.
Tom yawned widely, lazily sprawled on his cushion. He held the little ball of yarn that Hermione used for knitting in his paws, his eyes curiously blinking at the crystal ball on the cushion before him. Just as he was about to reach out with his paw, he felt a hand gently stroking the back of his head, causing him to comfortably narrow his eyes.
"I noticed you've been gazing at the stars a lot lately?"
Izabel walked into the room, casually drying her fiery red hair with a towel. While she could instantly evaporate the moisture from her hair with magic, she still preferred the habit of towel-drying it.
Of course, there were times when Izabel enjoyed Albert's care and let him help her dry her hair.
"I learned astrology from Flitwick." Albert raised his hand as if to grasp the stars in the night sky and took the towel from Izabel to gently dry her hair.
"And what have you seen?" Izabel asked with a smile.
"War!" Albert whispered.
"I remember you mentioning this a long time ago." Izabel also looked up at the stars and turned to ask, "Was Flitwick's divination class interesting?"
"It was quite unique. If you want to learn it, I can teach you, although I only have a basic understanding of it myself." Albert's astrology skill was only at Level 3, not because he was stingy with his experience and skill points, but because astrology wasn't as useful as he had imagined.
Whether at Level 2 or 3, what he saw in the stars was the same—war.
War was coming.
Given this, it was best to conserve his experience points.
Perhaps due to his increasing strength, Albert found the quests in his panel increasingly challenging to complete. The more he used his stored experience, the less he seemed to have. There would undoubtedly be times in the future when he would need those points, so it was best to keep a reserve.
"Your basic understanding is different from others'." Izabel teased with a smile.
"By the way, I have some good news. Our wedding date has been set." Albert suddenly announced.
"Sometimes I feel like all of this is like a dream." Izabel's smile was sweet, and her hand caressed Albert's cheek as she lightly kissed him.
She much preferred this life, a thousand times better than the one she had originally envisioned for herself.
This feeling of happiness, so close to overflowing, was perhaps the kind of life that countless girls yearned for.
"Me too." Albert whispered, "It feels like a dream."
No wonder so many novels gave their protagonists an edge.
If this was a dream, may it never end.
"It will be in mid-July, at a manor in France. It's one of the properties under Bagman's name." Albert took out several letters and placed them in Izabel's hand. "Our Felix Felicis is also ready, and everything is proceeding as planned."
Undoubtedly, Albert intended to drink the luck potion on their wedding day, sharing this magical moment with Izabel and creating the most beautiful memories of their lives.
After reading the contents of the letters with the light of her wand, Izabel arched her eyebrows slightly. "I recall you once prophesied about our wedding..."
She remembered that it wasn't a pleasant occasion.
"If Rufus Scrimgeour becomes the Minister of Magic, he should agree to my plan. If we can prevent the hatred from escalating, I'll bring the date forward by one day." Albert wasn't worried that Scrimgeour would refuse. He had already set things in motion, and if Scrimgeour wanted to avoid disaster, he would have to seek help. The man wouldn't have many choices.
Albert was willing to offer assistance and get what he wanted in return. As for whether Scrimgeour would ultimately survive, that was none of his concern.
Yes, deep down, Albert still believed that Scrimgeour would become the Minister. Even if Amelia Bones received the warning and protection of the Order of the Phoenix, her chances of survival were slim.
This had to do with Bones' personality and Voldemort's desire to kill the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
The Bones family had a deep-rooted hatred for Voldemort and his Death Eaters. If he were Voldemort, he would never allow an enemy to become the Minister of Magic and cause him trouble.
"You always find a way to solve problems." Izabel put away the letters and looked at the yawning Tom, murmuring softly.
"All done!"
Albert put down the towel and took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent. He raised his hand and gently waved, evaporating the last bit of moisture from his hair.
"I'll send them invitations. Do you think they'll come to our wedding?" Izabel turned to Albert and asked softly.
"Hmm, maybe. After all, we're good friends."
Albert wasn't too concerned about this. He preferred to savor the moments they had together.
Just then, the bracelet that had been lying on the table suddenly lit up with a faint glow from one of its gems, conspicuous in the darkness.
Tom noticed it too and reached out with his paw, but Albert was quicker and picked up the bracelet.
"What's wrong?"
Izabel immediately realized that something had happened.
She remembered Albert mentioning that the bracelet was a tool for emergency contact.
"Professor Dumbledore wants to get in touch with me."
Albert looked at the glowing gem and easily deduced the reason.
"The Headmaster?" Izabel stood up from Albert's lap.
Albert picked up his wand from the table and waved it, summoning a leather bag from thin air. He opened it and took out a metal book, tapping it lightly with his wand. The pages flipped rapidly until they settled on the two-way mirror with Dumbledore's photo.
"Good evening, Professor. Everyone thought you had disappeared." Albert greeted the elderly wizard in the mirror with a smile.
"Indeed, we owe you a debt of gratitude for what you did for Hagrid." Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Hagrid is my friend, and I merely gave him a reminder."
Albert certainly wouldn't admit that he had flipped the Aurors, casually steering the topic in another direction. "Professor, I'm sure there's more to it than that!"
Albert didn't think Dumbledore would bother him over such a trivial matter. The old wizard contacting him must be related to Voldemort.
"I may need your help," Dumbledore said gently.
"Help? Now?" Albert raised an eyebrow.
"If you have the time now, I'd like to speak with you privately, using the two-way mirror. By the way, this is quite a handy device." Dumbledore said with a smile, not bothering to ask why Albert was outside the school. "I hope you don't mind me borrowing your time."
"I'll prepare some supper for you. Take your time." Izabel immediately understood and left the room with Tom in her arms.
"What an enviable life." Dumbledore said with a smile. "I dare say many people are jealous."
"If you wish, you could retire early and enjoy life like the LeMes, too." Albert smiled.
"Yes, I've considered it." Dumbledore sigented; his age was already quite advanced. "But... I'd rather not leave problems and troubles for others."
"They're not that incompetent." Albert said softly. "Heroes and saviors shouldn't exist in the first place. It's only in sad times that they're needed."
"I agree with you." Dumbledore nodded. "But sometimes, people need them."
"No, people don't need those things. They need to save themselves." Albert intended to end the topic there. "So, what do you want me to prophesize this time?"
Helping Dumbledore with his prophecies wasn't entirely a bad thing. Every time he got involved, the progress toward defeating Voldemort slowly increased.
Dumbledore's expression became complex. He knew that these words reflected Albert's attitude toward the whole affair. In truth, Dumbledore agreed with this perspective, but as a centenarian wizard, he no longer cared about such things, or perhaps he truly cared about very few things. Solving the Voldemort problem and restoring peace to Britain was what he wanted to accomplish most at the moment.
"I've collected some memories." Dumbledore steered the topic back.
"That's awe-inspiring." Albert said softly.
"Awe-inspiring?" Dumbledore smiled. "I don't think you'd be afraid of Voldemort."
"No, I'm talking about how early on you started collecting the memories of the mysterious man!" Albert marveled softly. "The level of importance you place on him far surpasses the attention he gives you."
"You always see right through." Dumbledore didn't mind. He continued, "It's true that knowing oneself and one's enemy is the key to victory, as the saying goes. Your prediction that your greatest enemy will be the one who understands you best is quite insightful."
"Those who achieve ultimate victory are often those who are well-prepared." Albert felt that Voldemort's failure was due to being specifically targeted.
"And?"
"I've collected many memories related to him." Dumbledore continued, "I need to find what I'm looking for within those memories."
"You want me to help you filter out the useful memories?" Albert guessed the reason. As a seer, Albert was indeed better at this, especially since his image among others was that of a genius with good luck, keen instincts, and a master of prophecies—these were the reasons Dumbledore sought him out.
"Something like that. I've discovered something." Dumbledore said softly. "Voldemort seems to have a preference for the relics of the four founders."
"How many suspicious items have you found?"
"Hufflepuff's cup, Slytherin's pendant, and Slytherin's ring." Dumbledore recalled. "If we add in the destroyed snake, Ravenclaw's diadem, and Riddle's diary, and finally, Voldemort himself, that makes seven. The number seven also relates to your speculation about the seven Horcruxes, although there isn't any direct evidence."
"Looks like you'll be able to gather them all soon." Albert said softly. "That's truly wonderful news."
"It's hard to say."
Dumbledore wasn't as optimistic. He was keenly aware that the world was full of unexpected twists and turns, and he had to ensure that everything was foolproof to avoid potential disasters. That was why he had sought out Albert.
"What do you need me to do? Prophesy the whereabouts of the Horcruxes?"
"Something like that. There's also another matter." Dumbledore said, "Slughorn has some crucial information that I need."
"Crucial information?"
"It was Slughorn who initially told Voldemort how to create Horcruxes. Splitting the soul is a risky endeavor, especially when it's done multiple times..."
"The number of Horcruxes?" Before Dumbledore could finish, Albert already knew what he wanted to say, once again confirming the number of Horcruxes.
"Yes."
"He refused?"
"No, I think he will likely refuse."
"That makes sense. I'm sure he doesn't want others to know about this." Albert asked with a quirky expression, "So, you want me to help you obtain that memory?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"I suggest you seek out Potter." Albert declined politely.
"I've only found two suspicious places." Dumbledore said softly. "If you were him, where would you hide your most precious items?"
"A vault in Gringotts." Albert said, "If the mysterious man has a vault there."
"I don't think he has a vault." Dumbledore shook his head.
"Perhaps he entrusted the Horcruxes to other Death Eaters for safekeeping, just as he gave the diary to Malfoy." Albert speculated.
"That's an interesting idea. Voldemort doesn't have a vault in Gringotts, but I think he longs to have one." Dumbledore smiled. "I hope we can have a proper chat sometime. Good night, and farewell."
The two-way mirror dimmed again, and Albert put away the metal book and headed toward the stairs. Izabel had already prepared supper.
It looked like fish balls, evidently homemade, and it smelled delicious.
"Are you done talking?"
Izabel felt her waist being hugged and turned with a smile.
"Yes, the Headmaster wanted me to make a prophecy. It seems to have gone quite well."
"I bet no one thought of eating it like this before. It tastes great." Izabel scooped a bowl for Albert.
There was still some fish paste left, but it wasn't suitable to eat too much at night.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Albert asked with a smile.
"I'm on a diet, so I need to control my portions."
"It's fine. A bit of exercise later, and the calories from this will be burned off." Albert scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and fed it to Izabel.
(End of Chapter)
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