Chapter 1132: July 13th
Chapter 1132: July 13th
"How does it look?"
"Very handsome."
Daisy beamed with delight as she admired Albert in his black tuxedo.
"Good." Albert picked up his wand and pocket watch from the table, glanced at the time, and started to walk out. He paused and asked, "How are the girls doing with their preparations?"
"Be patient," Daisy said mysteriously. "Isabella will want to look her very best when she marries you."
"Then I'll go and greet the Le Meis." Albert nodded in understanding. It was only natural for a woman to want to look her best, especially on her wedding day. This was also why Albert was willing to invest time and effort into organizing this wedding.
"There's no need. The Le Meis are already here, and Mr. Sierra is receiving them," Mog said as he walked over. Smiling at Albert, he continued, "Go ahead and greet them. It seems Mr. Le Mei has brought something that he wants to give you personally."
Albert was a little surprised but followed Mog towards the large tent that had been set up.
After walking a short distance, Mog suddenly asked, "You're aware of what's happening in Britain, right?"
"Yes, I know," Albert nodded. "I was there at the time."
"You shouldn't have taken such a risk," Mog frowned.
"I wanted to ensure a peaceful life, so I had to give them a warning," Albert said nonchalantly. "Also, I didn't want any disruptions on my wedding day."
"It's safe here, but we still can't let our guard down," Mog agreed with Albert's viewpoint, but he still had concerns about potential accidents. "How are the arrangements in Britain going?"
"My old friend, Tiberius, will notify them to gather at Hogwarts, and then Dumbledore will bring them over," Albert replied. He had made these plans long ago and wasn't worried about any troubles.
Mog was naturally aware of Albert's arrangements but still worried about unexpected problems.
After all, there were quite a few guests coming from Britain, and it would be challenging to hide their movements with such a large group. Who knew if they might attract the attention of the mysterious person?
The mysterious person, having suffered a loss, would certainly not let the matter rest.
"Don't worry," Albert reassured him. "I've created a very spacious box that can accommodate all the guests from Britain. Even if someone is being tracked, I'm sure Dumbledore, on his own, can easily shake off any pursuers." Albert wasn't concerned about the situation in Britain. Fred, George, and Lee Jordan would also be taking the Felix Felicis potion to ensure a smooth process, which was why Albert had prepared the potion in advance.
"As for the guests from other countries, I've asked Dobby the house-elf to help with the reception. Before that, I'll give the house-elf a dose of Felix Felicis, so I don't foresee any major problems," Albert said, turning to Mog and asking, "How are your preparations going?"
"Everything is ready," Mog sighed softly. "You always manage to arrange things in an orderly manner. You'd actually make a great leader."
Albert had asked Dumbledore to borrow Hogwarts' house-elves to give the manor a thorough cleaning. Even the food the Aurors enjoyed yesterday had been prepared by the house-elves in advance.
At this moment, the house-elves were busy in the kitchen, preparing the wedding banquet after having helped set up the wedding venue.
If they had been left to handle the arrangements, it wouldn't have been impossible, just more troublesome.
"Never mind, I'm rather lazy and don't like to meddle in such matters," Albert said.
As he entered the large tent, Albert immediately spotted three people chatting in the corner. He walked over to greet the Le Mei couple and Sierra.
The two elders were dressed in formal silk robes and smiled as they greeted Albert. In contrast, Sierra, the elderly man, seemed a bit restrained.
"We've prepared a gift for you," Nicole smiled.
"Go ahead and open it," Pere Le Mei said, handing Albert a delicate wooden box.
"This is..."
Albert opened the box and was surprised to find two rings inside. They were obviously custom-made by Nicole, featuring a simple design with only mysterious patterns as decoration. However, Albert could detect traces of magic on the rings, suggesting they possessed some extraordinary effect.
"We've imbued them with a love enchantment," Nicole said mysteriously.
"It's an incredibly wonderful enchantment," Pere Le Mei said, winking at Albert. "And it's because of this enchantment that our love has endured and remained vibrant throughout the long years."
"It looks amazing," Albert remarked.
Sierra shifted his gaze from the rings and asked, "Are you all set on your end?"
"Everything is under control, and we'll be taking Felix Felicis," Albert smiled and asked, "Would you like some?"
"No, thank you. Felix Felicis is a rare potion. You should keep it for your own use," Sierra refused with a wave of his hand.
"Today is your special day, so you don't need to accompany us," he added.
"Then I'll go and check on the girls' preparations," Albert said, holding the rings as he walked away.
"They're both outstanding," Nicole murmured, "reminding me of us back then."
"I believe they will have a happy life together," Pere Le Mei whispered.
"He's an excellent successor," Sierra smiled.
As Albert made his way towards the girls' room, he was stopped by Nia.
"You should be more patient," Nia, wearing a sleep dress, blocked the door with a smile. "Wait until later to see them so you can be surprised."
"Then why aren't you getting ready yet?" Albert asked.
"There's still time, and Katrina is also getting dressed. It'll be my turn after she's done," Nia said, poking Albert's chest with her finger. "You should be patiently waiting now."
Albert reached out and ruffled Nia's hair, saying, "I have to remind you that it's already eight o'clock, and you're still in your sleepwear."
"Ugh, don't mess up my hair," Nia brushed Albert's hand away, complaining, "You should be busy with your own things now."
"Alright!" Albert walked away helplessly.
Katrina, already changed into a white bridesmaid dress, stepped out of the room and watched Albert's retreating figure, puzzled. "Why didn't you let him in?"
"Albert should wait patiently. It would be too easy for him to see us now," Nia turned and examined the dress on Katrina, asking curiously, "Is mine similar to this?"
"The style is similar, but not exactly the same," Katrina replied.
...
"I hate this stuff," Fred grumbled as he adjusted his tuxedo in front of the full-length mirror with Mrs. Weasley's help. "When I get married, I'm not doing any of this nonsense."
"Alright, then. When the time comes, you can wear whatever you like, even if it means showing up in your underwear. It'll be your business," Mrs. Weasley helped Fred straighten his tie and smoothed out the wrinkles on his shoulders. "But you'd better hurry up. I don't think you want to be late for Albert's wedding, do you? And didn't you say you have an important task today?"
"There's still plenty of time. It's half an hour before the scheduled time," George said as he walked in with a communication quill in hand. "Lee Jordan asked when we're leaving. He's already contacted the others."
"In ten minutes, assemble at Hogwarts." Fred picked up the planned itinerary. As long as they followed the steps, there shouldn't be any major problems. After all, Albert always arranged things meticulously, and they had both Felix Felicis and Dumbledore as safeguards, so there was no need to worry.
"Is Bill going?" George asked, turning to Mrs. Weasley.
"He's going with Fleur." Mrs. Weasley nodded. "They're ready and waiting for you."
"Then let's go!" As Fred and George headed downstairs, they saw Bill talking to Fleur. Ron, who was eating breakfast, had a complicated look on his face, while Ginny seemed envious.
"Regarding the Ministry of Magic's order, remember to ask and give me a response." Mr. Weasley, who had been eating, suddenly looked up and said.
To be honest, this matter was quite troubling for him.
After all, it involved both his work and his son. Fortunately, the decision rested with Albert, otherwise, he wouldn't know what to do.
"I'll remember to ask." George reminded him, "But Dad, you can probably forget about that seven-percent discount."
"Let's go!"
The four of them held hands and apparated to the front gate of Hogwarts.
The school gates were wide open, and about a hundred meters away from the entrance was a large tent where a group of people were gathered, chatting away.
The quartet walked towards them, and Fred smiled as he saw Angelina, "Is everyone here?"
"Not yet." Angelina looked Fred up and down, smiling, "You look very handsome in that tuxedo."
The girls beside her giggled.
"You look beautiful too. Be sure to save me a dance later." Fred grinned, "By the way, when are we getting married?"
"You're dreaming." Angelina's face turned red, and the people around them started teasing her.
"We can wait a year or two. Bill's getting married next year. Well, we can consider getting engaged first." Fred said seriously, "You can take your time to think about it, no need to rush an answer."
"Isn't this a proposal?" Alicia nudged her best friend and giggled.
"What were you guys talking about just now?" George changed the subject to spare Angelina further embarrassment.
"About what happened yesterday." Diggory continued, "Do you think Albert guessed something, which is why he..."
The Death Eater attack on the wedding venue yesterday had certainly startled everyone.
However, they were even more curious about how Albert had teamed up with the Ministry of Magic to teach those guys a lesson. It was undoubtedly a satisfying outcome for them.
"By the way, Diggory, when are you and Cho getting married?" Fred suddenly asked.
"Umm..." Diggory's cheeks reddened, and he stammered, "It's too early to talk about marriage."
"Not at all, look at Albert, he's getting married soon." Fred smiled, "Maybe you two can consider getting engaged first. Well, you can make me your best man when the time comes."
"Let's talk about it later. Who's going to be Albert's best man?" Diggory noticed the way Cho was looking at him and quickly took her hand, his mind already drifting to thoughts of their engagement.
"Both of them together?"
"I don't know, maybe they'll decide with a game of rock-paper-scissors, or they might leave this important task to you." Fred changed the subject, "How many more people are we waiting for?"
"They should all be here soon. There's still half an hour left."
"Have you seen Professor Dumbledore?" George looked around but couldn't spot the elderly wizard, "I think we should discuss this with him. Albert mentioned that Dumbledore would take us to the wedding."
"Are we going abroad?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Yes, it's not safe to stay in Britain right now. You must have read yesterday's newspaper too."
"But how are we going to get to France? Are we using a Portkey?"
"I don't think so." George pointed to the elderly people nearby, "They're not really suited for that kind of travel. Maybe we'll use a box for transportation, it might be more convenient and less noticeable."
"Anyway, let's take attendance first and see how many people have arrived. I'll go ask Professor McGonagall about Dumbledore's situation."
As Lee Jordan went to count the number of guests, Fred went to borrow a basin from Hagrid, while George quickly walked towards Professor McGonagall, who was approaching them.
"Professor, do you know where Professor Dumbledore is?" George asked directly.
"No, is there something wrong?" Professor McGonagall asked, puzzled.
"Albert told us that Professor Dumbledore would take us to the wedding venue." George explained, "So everyone gathered at Hogwarts."
"If Anderson gave instructions, Professor Dumbledore should be here soon. I think he might have gone to the Ministry of Magic first." Professor McGonagall looked around and noticed that there were quite a few invited guests, including some of her former colleagues.
"Long time no see, Minerva." Professor Slughorn smiled and greeted Professor McGonagall, "Where's Dumbledore?"
"Oh, my old friend, I didn't expect you to come to the wedding." Professor Dumbledore approached with a group of elderly wizards, "He said the wedding would be safe."
"To be honest, I was scared by yesterday's newspaper. I hesitated for a long time this morning." Professor Slughorn gave Professor Dumbledore a hug.
"Don't worry, it's safe over there. I heard they used the Fidelius Charm on the manor to ensure that only invited guests can enter." Professor Dumbledore put down his briefcase and asked George, "Has everyone arrived?"
"Lee Jordan is taking attendance." George explained, "I'll go check with him."
"There are still a few people missing."
Soon, Lee Jordan came to Professor Dumbledore with a notepad, "This is the list of invited guests from Britain."
"I think the others might not be in the country. Let's bring everyone else over. We should leave now." Professor Dumbledore opened the box and revealed a downward staircase.
"Professor, before that, we need to ask everyone to wash their faces. It will help us determine if anyone is under the influence of Polyjuice Potion or the Imperius Curse."
Fred conjured a wooden chair and placed a basin on it, while George took out a bottle of golden potion and poured it into the water.
"What potion is this?" Professor Slughorn asked curiously.
"I don't know, Albert said that this potion can wash away most curses and magical disguises. Even if someone is under the Imperius Curse, it will show an abnormal reaction." George stirred the water in the basin and was the first to scoop some water to wash his face.
"What a remarkable invention." Professor Slughorn murmured in awe, "If this potion can indeed remove the Imperius Curse..."
"I don't know, you'll have to ask Albert about that."
"Alright, everyone, come over here and wash your faces. After that, you can go inside. I'll take you to France." Professor Dumbledore pointed to the downward staircase and explained.
To be honest, being called upon by Albert to help with this matter had left him feeling rather helpless. Thankfully, Albert had promised to share some useful information as a reward.
(End of Chapter)
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