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Chapter 1110: Secret Meeting
Chapter 1110: Secret Meeting
"It's quite unusual for you to be late."
Scrimgeour glanced up from his pocket watch, his young face bearing a rare look of concern as he gazed out at the mist clinging to the window panes. Ever since the Dementors turned to the mysterious figure, these damnable creatures had been floating all over Britain, indiscriminately feeding on Muggles' happy memories, breeding incessantly, and ultimately forming these eerie fogs. Yet, the Ministry seemed powerless to stop them.
Even Muggles had noticed something amiss. In late June, a chilly fog blanketed the sky... It was all highly abnormal.
Scrimgeour took a sip from his cup of tea, his ears pricking up at the faint footsteps approaching. He slowly turned to face the stranger sitting across from him, quickly recognizing who it was.
To ensure the safety of this meeting, both men had used Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as Muggles.
It would seem perfectly normal for two young men to meet for tea and a chat in a beverage shop, and no wizard would waste their time and energy on Muggles.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Albert said apologetically, offering a smile to Scrimgeour.
"About five minutes," Scrimgeour replied, not really minding the delay. He suspected that Albert had taken extra time to confirm the surroundings were secure before meeting him.
In fact, Scrimgeour had guessed correctly. Albert had indeed arrived earlier than him but had stayed out of sight for safety reasons, only revealing himself once he was certain the area was secure.
"As an apology for my lateness, let me treat you today," Albert said, turning to the waitress. "A cappuccino, please."
Scrimgeour waited for the young woman to leave before turning his attention back to the stranger sitting across from him. Lowering his voice, he said, "You must have noticed the mess we're in lately. We need your help."
"No, you don't need me, and there isn't much I can do to help," Albert replied calmly, fully aware of what Scrimgeour was implying.
To be honest, he found the notion of "great justice" repulsive and even nauseating.
"The wizarding community needs you," Scrimgeour insisted.
Scrimgeour sighed inwardly, knowing that his plan to enlist Albert's help was not going as expected, but he continued nonetheless, "Besides, I think the position of Senior Undersecretary is quite attractive. Many people would covet such an opportunity..."
"I already have a job," Albert interrupted with a smile, pulling a book from his shoulder bag and handing it to Scrimgeour. "And if you've been paying attention, you'll know that I wrote this book, which will be officially on sale in a few days."
Scrimgeour glanced at the title, A Self-Defense Guide, and flipped through the pages, finding a black magic defense artifact advertisement tucked within. His expression became complicated.
"You can consider this me promoting my new book," Albert continued, "at a fair and reasonable price, I might add..." He held up two fingers.
"Here's your cappuccino, sir," the waitress said, placing the coffee in front of Albert.
"Thank you," Albert replied.
He took a small sip, finding the taste rather mediocre.
"You will be of great use," Scrimgeour said after a moment's silence, not rejecting Albert's offer. In truth, he knew that the Ministry's safety handbook for Death Eaters was useless. Many employees couldn't even cast a decent Shield Charm, whereas Albert's Self-Defense Guide taught people how to protect themselves in dangerous situations, and the black magic defense artifacts could potentially resist dark curses, if they worked as advertised.
"Won't you reconsider? We can certainly offer you a satisfactory price," Scrimgeour persisted, unwilling to give up just yet, despite his personal dislike for Albert. He needed to expend a little more effort to woo him, especially since Albert could predict the future accurately, and Scrimgeour hadn't forgotten the prophecy about his own death.
Honestly, he didn't want to die, so it was imperative to gain Albert's favor.
"Why not try to solve the problem yourself?" Albert asked softly.
"I would like to..." Scrimgeour trailed off, then said more firmly, "Alright, let's get back to the main topic. You didn't come here to sell me that book and the artifacts advertised within, did you?"
"I'm getting married!" Albert blurted out.
"What?"
Scrimgeour was taken aback, momentarily stunned and unsure what Albert meant by this sudden announcement.
And hadn't he just graduated from Hogwarts the day before yesterday?
"This wedding is bound to be anything but peaceful," Albert said calmly, as if discussing something that didn't concern him.
"You want me to..."
Scrimgeour paused, then realized what Albert was implying. Was he seeking the help of the Ministry's Aurors?
However, Albert's next words surprised Scrimgeour once again.
"You've guessed wrong," Albert said, shaking his head.
"Wrong?" Scrimgeour frowned.
"They hate me. They're likely to show up," Albert explained.
"If you want..." Scrimgeour began, but was interrupted once more.
"It seems that your long-term work has dulled your wits," Albert said, a hint of disdain in his voice. "I suggest you take a sip of tea and ponder the true meaning of my words."
Scrimgeour's frown deepened as he disliked Albert's tone, feeling as though he was being mocked as a fool.
"Your mode of thinking is wrong," Albert added kindly. "It could be deadly."
"He relies on this," Albert said, making a light fist.
"And you rely on this," he continued, pointing to his mouth.
Scrimgeour's frown deepened as he considered Albert's words. If the fist represented strength, what did the mouth represent?
Speech?
"To be honest, I'm quite unhappy," Albert said, setting down his tea and looking calmly at Scrimgeour. "Of course, this situation also presents a good opportunity for you. I know you can't find them, and you're hoping that through me, you'll be able to."
Scrimgeour looked up at Albert.
"Now, they've come to you," Albert said, a hint of a reminder in his voice.
"They've come to me?" Scrimgeour asked, suddenly understanding Albert's implication. "You mean..."
"Yes, it's a bit risky, but the advantage is on your side. You can consider it, as the choice is yours."
"You're planning to..." Scrimgeour stared at Albert, astonished.
"I can easily change the location of the wedding," Albert said, pulling a wooden box from his shoulder bag and pushing it towards Scrimgeour. Inside were strands of hair with name tags, a small bottle of Polyjuice Potion, and a silver card.
The meaning was clear—he wanted the Ministry's Aurors to disguise themselves as guests and ambush the Death Eaters who would inevitably cause trouble.
"It seems you've planned everything in advance," Scrimgeour said, a hint of admiration in his voice.
"Scrimgeour hated the feeling of being led by the nose, but it confirmed how formidable the young man before him was.
Albert had laid out everything neatly for the Ministry to deal with the Death Eaters, and Scrimgeour found himself unable to refuse, even though he knew he was being manipulated.
'This is one of your few opportunities,' Albert said softly. 'If I were you, I wouldn't give them a chance.' 'I'm surprised to hear you say that,' Scrimgeour replied.
He never expected Albert to suggest taking such drastic action against the Death Eaters.
'Unless you're determined, it's best not to take that position,' Albert advised kindly. 'If you get what you want, there's no turning back. Don't expect anything, and there's no doubt that the current leader is very clever.' 'What about the incident that happened some time ago?' Scrimgeour asked abruptly.
'I just gave him a wake-up call. There are no coincidences in this world,' Albert said quietly. 'Undoubtedly, he has realized this.' Scrimgeour's expression turned complicated as he suspected, as he had expected, that Albert had something to do with the recent incident where a group of Death Eaters were captured by the Ministry.
'Think about it carefully,' Albert said with a smile.
'Think about it? You never intended to give me a choice from the beginning, did you?' Scrimgeour said as he closed the box, sounding self-deprecating.
Neither the Ministry nor he himself had any choice in the matter.
Now was undoubtedly the best time to strike against the Death Eaters, and Albert Anderson seemed to have foreseen something and set up this situation, intending to use the Ministry's hand to deal with the Death Eaters. Perhaps he had even seen the outcome already.
'Who wins?' Scrimgeour asked abruptly.
'You,' Albert said matter-of-factly. 'As long as you're prepared.' 'Then that's enough.'
'By the way, there's one more thing,' Albert suddenly said.
'What is it?' 'I estimate that Bones won't last long,' Albert stated.
'Are you warning me, or do you not want...' Scrimgeour began.
'Some things can't be changed by you or me. Only Professor Dumbledore has that power,' Albert said as he finished the coffee in his cup. 'Are you going to ask me why I didn't tell him?' 'I did remind them, whether it was you, Bones, or the headmaster, but... sometimes reminders aren't enough, and Cassandra is a prime example of that,' Albert explained, looking directly at Scrimgeour.
Scrimgeour looked deeply into Albert's eyes, understanding his meaning. If Bones died, it would be entirely her own fault.
Wasn't this a warning to him as well?
Albert had given them a reminder, and if they didn't listen and something happened, they couldn't blame him.
'Bones is too dedicated to her work,' Albert shrugged.
'Dedicated?' Scrimgeour echoed, sensing the underlying sarcasm in Albert's tone.
However, he had already marked Amelia Bones for death, and according to Albert, the mysterious figure would take action himself, which was why Dumbledore's help was needed.
The Aurors wouldn't be able to stop the mysterious figure.
Obviously, Dumbledore couldn't provide protection to Amelia Bones forever, especially if the mysterious figure was determined to kill her.
Hiding would be the best option, but Amelia Bones had apparently refused, which was why Albert said she was too dedicated to her work.
What about him?
'It's been a pleasure doing business with you,' Scrimgeour said, extending his hand to Albert. 'I hope that before then, I can get your help to ensure the plan goes smoothly. As for the advertisement in the book, if it's useful, I'll consider it.' Fudge's removal from office was inevitable, and if Amelia Bones died, Scrimgeour believed he would likely become the new Minister of Magic. This was both a crisis and an opportunity for him.
Otherwise, following the normal process, he would never have had a chance to become the Minister. The gift that Albert had offered would undoubtedly help him solidify his position.
Before leaving, Albert handed Scrimgeour a letter. After paying the bill at the counter, he left the shop.
'What an annoying guy,' Scrimgeour muttered, looking at the letter in his hand and then at Albert's departing figure.
He disliked Albert's disregard for the Director of the Aurors, he disliked being used to deal with the Death Eaters, he disliked being led by the nose, and... Scrimgeour could easily come up with ten reasons to dislike Albert. Yet, Albert had offered him something he couldn't refuse, forcing him to hold his nose and treat Albert politely. Albert was clearly aware of this.
'All done?' As Albert left the cold drink shop, he saw the blonde-haired girl walking towards him with two hamburgers in her hand, offering one to him.
Isabelle had insisted on helping to keep watch after learning that Albert was going to meet with Scrimgeour. Initially, Albert didn't want her involved, but Isabelle had been insistent, and he eventually agreed.
'It's done, and it went well,' Albert said with a smile. 'Now, shall we head home or take a stroll around?' 'Let's go home. The weather is terrible today!' Isabelle replied without hesitation.
'Home it is!' Albert wrapped his arm around Isabelle's and turned the corner to a nearby alley, disappearing from view.
They took a few detours and, with the help of the house-elves, safely returned to their hideout.
'When did you convince Scrimgeour?' Isabelle asked between bites of her hamburger.
'A long time ago. It wasn't difficult to persuade them. I just gave them what they wanted,' Albert said, taking the half-eaten hamburger from Isabelle. 'Don't eat too much of this kind of food. It's unhealthy. Let the house-elves prepare some delicious and nutritious meals for you.' 'It's fine to eat this occasionally,' Isabelle mumbled.
'Where did you two go just now?' Katrina asked.
'To get you some tasty treats,' Albert smiled. 'You must rarely get to taste Muggle food.' 'I heard everything you said,' Katrina said, narrowing her eyes.
'If you don't eat it, the house-elves can try it,' Albert suggested.
'Who said I'm not eating it?' Katrina retorted, taking out her wand and magically dividing the hamburger in half. She shared it with Isabelle, just as Isabelle had said that eating a small amount wouldn't be a problem.
'It's similar to a sandwich, but it tastes better,' Katrina commented after taking a bite. 'By the way, why did you go to see Scrimgeour? Were you asking him to help with the Death Eaters who might cause trouble at the wedding?' 'Are you curious?' Albert asked.
'Can't I be?' Katrina raised an eyebrow.
'I asked him to help deal with the Death Eaters who might come and disrupt the wedding,' Albert confirmed.
'Disrupt?' Katrina's eyes widened.
'Don't worry, everything is under control,' Albert assured her confidently. 'Since they want to come and cause trouble, they will have to pay the price.' (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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