Chapter 1101: Seeing Her Off
Chapter 1101: Seeing Her Off
The man whose name shall not be mentioned has returned! When Albert saw this unpleasant news in the Prophet, he was far from surprised; instead, he felt a sense of relief.
Voldemort could no longer remain hidden.
Events were unfolding just as Albert had expected, although there had been a minor hiccup that resulted in the Death Eaters, who were supposed to be thrown into Azkaban, slipping away right under the Aurors' noses.
To be honest, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it was a good thing.
Not only had it dealt a blow to Fudge, but it had also taught Scrimgeour a lesson. Perhaps now he would understand that dead Death Eaters caused the fewest problems.
Putting down the newspaper, Albert began to eat, intending to finish his meal before continuing to read so that his food wouldn't get cold.
"When do you plan to return to Hogwarts?" Isabelle asked, wiping milk residue from her lips with a handkerchief after finishing the milk in her glass.
"Today," Albert replied softly as he swallowed the last bit of food on his plate. "I have an appointment with Dumbledore."
"Do you plan to stay until you graduate?" Isabelle inquired, although she already had a good idea of Albert's decision.
Albert nodded. "At least until after the N.E.W.T.s. It's not long now, and it would be a shame to miss out on graduating with my year."
"And after you graduate, will you start preparing for the wedding?" Isabelle asked further, now able to bring up the topic without feeling overly anxious.
"Mhm, that's the plan," Albert replied with a mischievous smile. "Are you in a hurry to marry me?"
"I'm just a little worried," Isabelle said, glancing at Albert. "You've made yourself quite the target yesterday, and now those Death Eaters have escaped. I'm concerned they might cause trouble."
"Don't worry, I've made preparations for the wedding," Albert reassured her gently. "I've even invited Dumbledore to attend. As long as Riddle and his followers have a shred of sanity, they won't do anything foolish."
Dumbledore's presence was indeed reassuring.
Despite Isabelle's knowledge of Albert's exceptional abilities and his thorough preparations for the upcoming turbulent times, she still couldn't shake off her concerns.
If given a choice, Isabelle would much rather Albert take her away from Britain, far from all this mess.
"Don't worry, we have a Boy-Who-Lived," Albert said. "He's the expert when it comes to dealing with Riddle, and you're just overthinking things."
"Even the Boy-Who-Lived wouldn't want to inherit Riddle's legacy," Isabelle retorted, giving Albert a sharp look. Her worries were not unfounded.
"I'm sorry for making you worry," Albert apologized sincerely.
"Are you planning to publish the Self-Defense Guide now?"
Isabelle didn't dwell on the topic further and instead steered the conversation in another direction.
"In a couple of days, I'll have people start mass printing it," Albert said. "Do you want me to add your name to it as well?"
"No, let's not bother with that," Isabelle shook her head. "It won't make much of a difference. You're the Dueling Champion, your name will carry more weight."
"But it would show that we worked together and that we have a good relationship," Albert said, batting his eyes. "I'm sure a lot of people would be envious of us."
"Envious? Let's not invite more trouble," Isabelle said. "Remember, you're on Riddle's blacklist, and I don't want others to be affected because of their association with me. I'm not interested in that kind of fame." Isabelle wasn't concerned about such trivial matters. She was well aware that in Albert's shadow, she would always be overshadowed, but she never let it bother her, just as Albert didn't fret over his reputation.
"You could publish a book on beauty and skincare, I'm sure that would be a hit with the ladies," Albert suggested.
"Most girls aren't as fortunate as I am, and they aren't as wealthy as you might think," Isabelle replied.
Isabelle shook her head. "I don't think so. Fred and George's prank products sell well, and it's easier to earn money from girls than boys." Albert was skeptical.
After all, in his experience, girls' money was the easiest to earn.
"Most witches and wizards aren't as wealthy as you think," Isabelle replied. "The average wizard doesn't earn much, and Katrina and I don't have a lot of spending money. Most of the other girls are in a similar situation because we don't need to spend money at Hogwarts."
"We can conduct a proper survey once peace is restored in the wizarding world," Albert said, unbothered. After all, having grown up in the Muggle world, his understanding of wizarding society was limited compared to native-born witches and wizards.
"Then I'll definitely write a book about the wizarding world. I remember collecting information for it," Albert said as he and Isabelle lounged on the sofa, with Tom, now well-fed, lazily swinging his tail by their side.
"Witches and wizards from Muggle families will definitely want to buy it to better understand the wizarding world. We can co-author it," Albert added.
"You certainly have a lot of books you want to write. How much time do you plan to spend on them?" Isabelle asked as she picked up Tom and gently fiddled with his tail.
"I'll finish them when I finish them," Albert replied nonchalantly. "It's not like I have a deadline, and if need be, I can always get some help."
For the current Albert, writing books was more of a hobby than a means of livelihood.
The two of them chatted idly on the sofa, not really paying much attention to what they were saying. Suddenly, the music playing on the radio came to an abrupt halt, replaced by the latest news about Voldemort and the Ministry's response.
"Well, I think I should go now," Albert said as he turned off the radio. "I don't want to miss the show."
"What show?" Isabelle asked curiously.
"Dolores Umbridge should be leaving Hogwarts soon, and I want to see her off," Albert said, checking his pocket watch.
After all Umbridge had done at Hogwarts, they couldn't let her slip away quietly.
"I thought you hated her," Isabelle said, raising an eyebrow.
"I do, but I don't hate seeing her misfortune. It will bring me a whole day's worth of happiness," Albert shrugged.
"You really are..." Isabelle trailed off.
"A good person. I think so too, even though I don't particularly like the word 'good person,'" Albert said.
Isabelle gave him a 'you win' look. While Albert was mature, he could also be quite childish at times.
Albert went to pick up Sibyl Trelawney, the Divination professor. She seemed to be doing well, and upon hearing that Umbridge would soon be kicked out of the school, she expressed interest in witnessing her comeuppance. She also hoped to return to her position at Hogwarts.
However, she was not pleased with Firenze taking over the Divination class.
"Firenze won't be at Hogwarts for long. He'll return to his centaur herd within a few years," Albert reassured her.
"Is that your prophecy?" Trelawney asked skeptically.
"You could say that," Albert replied.
"That's wonderful news," Trelawney said, relieved.
She envied Albert's divination abilities. If her prophetic powers were as stable as his, she wouldn't have ended up in the situation she did.
"Your inherited gift is actually quite strong, but your ability is unstable. Maybe you should try to develop your powers further," Albert suggested.
"How do I do that?" Trelawney asked, intrigued.
"You could try using Felix Felicis, the potion that enhances a witch or wizard's abilities. Perhaps it will boost your prophetic abilities," Albert explained.
"Felix Felicis... I can't get my hands on that," Trelawney said, having only heard about the elusive luck potion.
"I have some here. You can try it later," Albert said as he knocked on the door to the Headmaster's office.
(End of Chapter)
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