Chapter 1073: The Unveiled Trap
Chapter 1073: The Unveiled Trap
"You finally decided to show up," Fred said as soon as Albert returned to the common room. George and Lee Jordan turned to give him a plaintive look as well. The Weasley brothers flanked him, placing their hands on his shoulders, while Lee gave him a gentle push from behind, guiding him into an armchair.
"What's got you so riled up?" Albert asked with a smile, sensing that something must have happened.
Fred reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope, which he handed to Albert. "Bill sent us a letter. He's been helping us scout Diagon Alley and has found some shop owners who are willing to rent or sell their stores."
Albert extracted a piece of parchment from the envelope and was surprised to find a simple map of Diagon Alley, marked with the locations, sizes, prices, and contact details of shops available for purchase.
It seemed that entrusting Bill with some Galleons to assist them was a wise decision.
While Albert could have tasked Dobby, his house-elf, with gathering this information, the details obtained might not have been as comprehensive, and there was a risk of exposing their connection.
There were other reasons for this decision as well.
Lately, Dobby had been busy, and if he were to leave the school to run errands for Albert, it could spell disaster for Gryffindor Tower.
This situation was partly due to Hermione.
Determined to pursue her idea of liberating house-elves, she had put her plan into action, causing house-elves to dislike Gryffindor Tower and refuse to help with cleaning. As a result, all the chores fell upon Dobby's shoulders.
"Their asking prices are a bit steep!" Fred exclaimed.
Albert carefully examined the parchment before sliding it back into the envelope and returning it to Fred. "Well, you can start by expressing interest and negotiating with them, but don't commit just yet. Let them know we have plenty of options. The prices will be more favorable after the summer holidays, so we don't need to rush into buying a shop."
Fred and George exchanged a glance, their expressions confirming their agreement.
They then produced a notebook filled with new shop designs, inspired by their observations of Zonko's Joke Shop and other stores. The designs looked innovative and fantastic.
"Don't they look great?" Lee asked, beaming.
"They certainly do," Albert acknowledged, nodding as he studied the designs. "I'm sure our joke shop will be a hit, so we should aim for a larger store."
In the following days, Fred and George remained busy with their research on promotion and sales. Their joke items, especially the Skiving Snackboxes, were flying off the shelves at Hogwarts, greatly boosting their confidence.
Around this time, something rather unexpected happened—the Quidditch matches were canceled.
Although Umbridge was temporarily unable to interfere with the upcoming matches, the three Quidditch captains decided to call off the remaining games after discussing the matter.
With both the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup ruined by Umbridge, they no longer seemed worth fighting for. Rather than let Slytherin benefit in the end, it was decided that this year's Quidditch matches would be scrapped, leaving Slytherin to play by themselves. This freed up more time for DA training.
The process of becoming stronger was always fascinating, sometimes even more thrilling than being in bed with a girl.
Especially for those students who were making rapid progress at the DA gatherings, the sense of growth and transformation was exhilarating.
As the DA meetings gained popularity, many Hogwarts students became interested in Albert's "Self-Defense Guide." Some even went as far as to protest and complain that he intended to wait until after graduation to publish the book.
As for whether the DA gatherings were illegal or not, that topic had become irrelevant.
Before Umbridge recovered and returned to Hogwarts, the DA meetings were not considered unlawful. Not even Filch dared to interfere, and the only one who regretted this turn of events was Peeves.
Having lost Umbridge, his favorite plaything, Peeves shifted his attention back to his old adversary, Filch, engaging in daily battles of wits that left the caretaker flustered and disheveled.
The caretaker no longer had the time or energy to roam the corridors with his whip, seeking out students to torment.
Until Umbridge returned to resume her role as a scapegoat, Filch would have his hands full with Peeves.
As March drew to a close, a tense atmosphere descended upon the school.
With the Easter holidays approaching, the sense of urgency finally set in for the fifth and seventh years, as they would soon be facing the most important examinations of their lives.
The library was packed to the brim, and Albert couldn't be bothered to compete for a seat there.
As for the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, Professor McGonagall had wanted Albert to fill in as a substitute teacher, but he had promptly refused. He really didn't want anything to do with that jinxed position, especially since he planned to marry Isabelle this year. Who knew if the curse would strike again?
Albert was well aware that curses didn't occur without reason, but he also had no desire to take on the role, and it wasn't out of laziness. In the end, the task fell to Snape, who was more than happy to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts temporarily. It was common knowledge that Snape had always coveted that position, but whether this turn of events was a good or bad thing for the students of Hogwarts remained to be seen.
For Harry, however, it was definitely not a positive development, as he had recently fallen out with Snape.
"You're right, I really don't have a talent for Occlumency," Harry said glumly to Albert. Despite studying with Snape for several months, he was still struggling with the mind-closing technique.
"Did you do something to upset Snape?" Albert asked curiously.
"Something unpleasant happened," Harry muttered. "I accidentally… well, never mind. The point is, Snape has made a mess of my mind. Those visions aren't just going away; they're becoming more intense and frequent. I've had to rely on potions to cope lately."
"Even if you say that, I can't teach you," Albert replied. "Sometimes, it comes down to talent, or you might need to put in more effort yourself. Perhaps if you persist for a year or two, you'll succeed, but we don't have that kind of time."
Albert sensed that Harry wasn't merely seeking sympathy but was probably hoping that he would continue to instruct him in Occlumency. However, Albert had no intention of agreeing to such a troublesome task, especially when there was no guarantee of success.
Sometimes people could be stubborn, and with Harry's already strained relationship with Snape, it was only natural for him to suspect the professor of underhanded dealings.
"Maybe you'd learn faster with a different teacher?" Albert shook his head. "Potter, have you ever thought about why you keep having the same dream?"
"You know something?" Harry asked, glancing around and lowering his voice.
"I know what they're saying," Albert replied, guiding the conversation.
"What?" Harry was perplexed, as were Hermione and Ron.
"You need to understand that there are no coincidences in this world. The fact that you keep having these dreams is no accident," Albert explained. "You need to figure out why you're having these recurring dreams."
"Snape... no, sometimes I suspect I might be Voldemort," Harry said, his face paling slightly. "Or perhaps I've been possessed, so..."
Not only Harry, but also Hermione and Ron, looked uneasy.
"I don't think you've been possessed. It's probably just a mental influence. You have a deep connection with the Dark Lord, and he's very skilled in this area, so it's possible he's left some kind of imprint on you," Albert said, looking at Harry. "If you want to know the truth, go talk to Professor Dumbledore. He's likely to have a better understanding of what's going on."
Harry's lips twitched, but he said nothing.
To be honest, he highly doubted that Dumbledore would be willing to share any information with him.
"Are you saying that the Dark Lord is making Harry have these recurring dreams?" Hermione realized what Albert was implying.
"I think so," Albert nodded, steering the topic further. "What do you think is the Dark Lord's intention or purpose behind this?"
"The Dark Lord's purpose?"
The three friends exchanged glances, and then Harry spoke up. "To make me curious about that corridor. In fact, I am quite curious about what's at the end of that corridor."
"Do you mean that the Dark Lord intends to lure Harry to investigate that corridor?" Hermione said, and then realized that her words didn't quite make sense.
"Your line of thinking is wrong," Albert said softly.
"What?"
"Regardless of what the purpose is, it's a trap, a trap set specifically for you." Albert stated calmly. "Otherwise, the Dark Lord wouldn't waste his time and energy on you."
"What about you?" Albert didn't directly answer but instead looked at the others.
"If this really is a trap, how does the Dark Lord plan to... make Harry fall for it?" Ron, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked.
"Everyone has their weaknesses." Albert looked at Harry. "Potter, what's your weakness?"
"That..."
Harry felt a bit embarrassed. To be honest, he didn't really know what his weakness was.
"You tell us." Albert looked at Hermione and Ron. "If you don't know, then think hard about it. Those weaknesses might be exploited."
"Is this related to weaknesses?" Ron asked, confused.
"Yes, think about the common traits that most Gryffindors share, and you'll understand." Albert glanced at Ron. "Now that you know it's a trap, what should you do?"
"Avoid it?" Harry was even more perplexed, feeling that his brain wasn't up to the task. He took out a Muggle-born's intelligence candy from his pocket, popped it into his mouth, and then shook his head. "The Dark Lord obviously won't give up easily."
"But you're not fighting this battle alone." Albert reminded him.
"Do you mean asking Sirius for help?" Harry shook his head in denial. "He thinks that even Sirius might not be able to help him.
"Why don't you just tell Harry directly?" Ron looked at Harry, who was deep in thought, and then frowned at Albert.
"If you can't think for yourselves, you'll never be able to grow and mature." Albert explained. "You can also help by thinking it through. Flexible thinking can solve a lot of problems."
"If it were me, knowing that there's a trap ahead and that I can't avoid it, I'd prepare in advance to minimize the damage it could cause me." Hermione thought carefully before responding.
"I know what to do now." Harry suddenly spoke up.
"What do you know?" Hermione and Ron looked at Harry together.
"Since it's a trap, why don't we use the trap to our advantage?" Harry said excitedly. "If we're aware of the trap, we can turn it against them, can't we?"
Ron opened his mouth, but suddenly didn't know what to say. However, Harry continued.
"I know what to do. As soon as I step into the trap, someone from their side will definitely show up. Then we can figure out what they're up to. Why don't we get someone to deal with them?" Harry felt it was necessary to have a chat with Sirius, and perhaps even involve the entire Order of the Phoenix.
Most importantly, they could reveal that Voldemort was still alive and turn the current dire situation around.
Both Ron and Hermione were bewildered.
Just as the three of them were about to leave, Albert suddenly said, "By the way, Hermione, the things you hid caused some trouble for the house-elves."
"What?" Hermione was even more confused.
"Dobby told me that you hid woolen hats and woolen socks everywhere, which made the Hogwarts house-elves feel insulted and unwilling to clean Gryffindor Tower," Albert said, looking at Hermione. "Your actions are causing a lot of trouble for everyone."
Hermione fell silent for a moment before speaking. "So, my woolen hats and woolen socks..."
"...were all taken by Dobby," Albert finished. He had thought that Hermione might change her ways, but it seemed she hadn't.
For someone as stubborn as her, perhaps she would need to hit rock bottom before she finally came to her senses.
Albert didn't intend to continue persuading her, but he wanted to give her a reminder. After all, Dobby, the house-elf, would be leaving the school along with him after graduation, and if Dobby refused to set foot in Gryffindor Tower, the students there would likely be in for a world of hurt.
Hermione opened her mouth, unsure of what to say.
"Dobby will be leaving Hogwarts with me after this summer. If you don't change your ways, perhaps no house-elf will be willing to help with the chores in Gryffindor," Albert suggested. "Take some time to apologize to the house-elves. They will forgive you."
Hermione's face paled, and she looked lost.
"Are you okay?" Harry and Ron exchanged glances and anxiously looked at Hermione.
"I'm fine!" Hermione looked dejected. Albert's words had dealt her a heavy blow. If she apologized, it would mean denying all her previous efforts.
Was she really wrong?
(End of Chapter)
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