Chapter 1165: A Single Strand of Hair
Chapter 1165: A Single Strand of Hair
In mid-September, the rainy season in Britain seemed to have arrived earlier than expected. The streets of London, once shrouded in chilly fog, now witnessed a light drizzle that hastened the footsteps of passersby. Umbrellas dotted the landscape as people hurried along, tacitly agreeing to spend as little time outdoors as possible.
Ever since the thick fog enveloped various parts of the country in July, an air of unease had settled over the nation. This feeling was only exacerbated by the strange occurrences that had plagued the past two months, casting a dark cloud over everyone's heads.
Among the bustling pedestrians, a middle-aged man carrying an umbrella and a briefcase paused in his stride. He tucked the briefcase under his right arm and fished out a piece of paper from his suit pocket. After scrutinizing the name on the note, he looked around as if searching for someone. Soon, his eyes lit up, and he returned the note to his pocket before quickening his pace toward a cafe nestled between two shops.
Seizing the opportunity while putting away his umbrella on the rack, Bill, disguised as the middle-aged man, surveyed the cafe. He spotted a blond man sitting in a corner and offered a subtle smile to the female server, indicating that he had an appointment. He then made his way toward the table.
"Hope I didn't keep you waiting."
Bill greeted the stranger sitting across from him, reading a newspaper.
In reality, this exchange served as a password of sorts, uttered regardless of who arrived first.
"No, I just got here myself."
The man lowered his newspaper and smiled, gesturing for Bill to take a seat. "Shall we begin?"
Bill breathed a sigh of relief as their passwords matched.
He sat down across from Albert, who was disguised as a middle-aged man with blond hair.
"Take a look at this first," Albert said, handing over a document from his briefcase.
Bill couldn't help but admire Albert's disguise skills. Even if a Death Eater were present, they would be hard-pressed to recognize their true identities.
Anyone observing this scene would assume they were just ordinary businessmen discussing a potential collaboration.
Bill took the document and found that it indeed appeared to be company-related. However, with Albert's subtle cues, he soon noticed the faint ink markings on each page.
There was a message on every sheet, simple in nature: Albert requested Bill's assistance in delivering several letters to the healers at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. During this process, he asked Bill and Fleur to pose as a pregnant couple going for a check-up, using the opportunity to discreetly hand over the letters.
"This..."
Bill lowered the document, his eyes darting toward Albert, but he quickly composed himself, masking his bewilderment.
To be frank, Bill was utterly perplexed by Albert's intentions. "To be honest, if you truly need to, I can just..."
"What would you like to drink?" Albert politely interrupted.
"The same as you," Bill replied with a smile, noticing the nearby waitress.
"Please bring this gentleman a cappuccino as well," Albert requested from the waitress.
After she left, Bill lowered his voice and asked, "Why not just deliver it directly?"
"That would draw unnecessary suspicion, and I don't want to cause them any trouble. You know my situation isn't ideal," Albert explained. "Oh, and those are letters from Mrs. McDougal to her old friends."
"Alright, no problem. I'll make time this weekend to help you with this," Bill agreed reluctantly, after a moment's hesitation. Although he felt that Albert's plan was overly complicated—a simple owl delivery would suffice—he knew that Albert must have a valid reason for this elaborate arrangement.
Perhaps it was more discreet and less likely to raise eyebrows?
Bill didn't refuse, as the task wasn't overly challenging. It would only require one visit, but... he trusted that Fleur would be amenable to the plan.
"By the way, I'm getting married next summer. Make sure to attend the wedding," Bill mentioned, changing the subject.
"I will. But I think you might have misunderstood," Albert said, taking a sip of his coffee and offering a smile.
"All I need are a few strands of your hair and to borrow your identities temporarily. At a specific time, I'd like you to avoid being seen outside to prevent raising suspicions. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours."
Bill was left stunned by Albert's words.
He never anticipated that the situation would unfold in such a manner, and he initially thought...
"Oh, alright! Of course, that's fine," Bill agreed, his face stiff as he nodded. Albert's unconventional methods had left him bewildered.
He had expected a request for assistance, not a request to borrow their identities.
Albert, of course, had no intention of sending Bill to deliver the letters. He planned to accompany Mrs. McDougal herself to St. Mungo's Hospital, leveraging her connections with Gilderoy to swiftly resolve the matter without attracting any unwanted attention or complications.
As for the disguise as Bill and Fleur, it was a precaution to avoid raising suspicions, especially since the couple was already engaged. It wouldn't be unusual for them to be extra cautious before their wedding, and people had been eloping left and right during the mysterious stranger's rise to power.
Bill, perplexed by Albert's intricate plans, returned home and shared the details with Fleur.
"Perhaps Albert's wife is pregnant, and he wants to secretly consult the healers at St. Mungo's Hospital," Fleur speculated. "Albert is currently being hunted by those dark wizards, and appearing directly at such a crowded place as St. Mungo's could easily draw unwanted attention."
"That makes sense. Maybe that's exactly what's happening," Bill said, enlightened, as he kissed his fiancee's forehead. "You're so smart. I was wondering why we had to pretend to be pregnant."
"That guy is certainly cautious," Fleur remarked softly.
Bill obtained a few strands of Fleur's hair, combined them with his own, and placed them in a glass bottle to be delivered later that night to Fred and George at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. He planned to spend the upcoming weekend at home, tutoring Fleur in English.
"By the way, Bill, there's something I want to discuss with you," Fleur said suddenly.
"What is it?"
"I want to join the Order of the Phoenix," she declared, her expression serious.
"You want to join the Order, but... won't that be too dangerous?" Bill hesitated, torn between his desire to protect Fleur and the need for more allies in the Order. Involving her in this endless war felt cruel, even though he knew the Order needed all the help they could get.
"If we get married, I don't think my situation will be much better than if I join the Order," Fleur countered, her gaze unwavering as she gently rebuked Bill's hesitation. "Remember, I also participated in the Triwizard Tournament. I'm not as fragile as you might imagine."
"Alright, you've convinced me. I'll speak to Dumbledore about this," Bill conceded, kissing Fleur's forehead and pulling her close. He knew that this decision wasn't solely hers, and the sense of guilt washed over him. He could see that his sister and mother weren't particularly fond of Fleur, yet she remained unwavering in her commitment.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Weasley appeared outside.
"Hope I'm not interrupting."
Mrs. Weasley said to her eldest son as she stepped inside the room, "Lupin just told me that the evening meeting has been moved forward. It seems there's some sort of operation in the works, and I hear it's one of Fred and George's crazy ideas."
"By the way, Mom, Fleur also intends to join the Order of the Phoenix," Bill suddenly said.
"Oh, that..."
Mrs. Weasley paused in her tracks and turned to look at Fleur with a puzzled expression, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Joining the Order can be dangerous, and you'll need to get Dumbledore's consent first."
"I will," Bill nodded.
After a simple dinner with Fleur at home, Bill rushed to Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Sirius had just finished dinner as well, and Mrs. Weasley was helping to clear the table. As Bill walked into the hallway, Kingsley was distributing documents to everyone: "Scrimgeour has agreed to the plan and intends to use this opportunity to ambush Death Eaters. I think he's even more eager than anyone to diminish Voldemort's forces."
"This is good news, isn't it?" Fred mumbled, "Much better than working with Fudge. Collaborating with the Ministry will significantly reduce the threat of Death Eaters, even if those Ministry folks can't always be trusted. Seems like Scrimgeour has realized this problem as well."
Of course, all of this was thanks to Albert's efforts.
Up until now, many members of the Order were curious as to how Albert had managed to convince Scrimgeour, as it was no easy feat.
After all, Scrimgeour's relationship with Dumbledore was less than ideal.
"This plan has a high chance of success, and even if it fails, it's just a matter of putting on a show," Sirius approved of the plan. He felt that those who dared to target Albert would surely be in for some misfortune.
"Did he say anything?"
Moody put down the parchment and looked at Fred and George. He was certain that this wasn't an idea that came from them; it was more likely to be Albert's suggestion.
Indeed, it fit that guy's style. He didn't need to take revenge himself; others would eagerly do it for him, and all he needed to contribute was a single strand of hair.
"No, Albert's been busy lately. I think he's planning to compile another book on Dark Magic Defense," Fred added, as if remembering something. "We've been busy too, so we won't be attending the upcoming Dark Magic Defense training."
"By the way, we have something here that might be of great use."
George continued where Fred left off. With a smile, he pulled out a few ordinary-looking bags from his pocket. Then, in full view of everyone, he pulled out a metal rod from one of the bags.
"The Undetectable Extension Charm again?" Kingsley couldn't help but smile wryly as he watched this scene. "You two really like to overuse that charm."
This wasn't the first time. He often noticed traces of the Undetectable Extension Charm on Fred and George, indicating that they were indeed abusing this spell.
"What is this?" Sirius was more interested in the object in George's hand.
"A communication pen, I think," George said uncertainly. "It's one of Albert's latest research results. It's similar to the enchanted coins but more advanced. It can be used to send timely messages."
Fred unfolded the metal rod, revealing a series of long, thin metal strips about five inches in length.
"The downside is that if it falls into the wrong hands, it could easily be exposed. Of course, as long as you keep it hidden, others usually won't notice this bag that's been charmed with the Undetectable Extension Charm, just like this." George signaled to Fred to demonstrate the trick with the charmed bag.
As long as you attached it to your clothes with the Sticking Charm, you could easily pick it up with two fingers after putting the communication pen back inside.
When Albert had first presented this invention, everyone had been impressed. They never imagined that the communication bookmarks could be used in such a way. While they had seen Albert turn the bookmarks into a book before, it had been cumbersome to use.
Now, this simplified version was not only cheaper to make but also much easier to use for sending messages.
"If you want to add more communication strips, just disassemble it and insert the matching strips," George explained, indicating that everyone could try it out.
"It's indeed very convenient!" Sirius guessed the principle behind the invention, but there were few wizards as proficient in Transfiguration as Albert.
Changing the numbers on ordinary coins was far simpler than what Albert had achieved with this invention.
The communication pens were quickly divided among Sirius' group, just in time for their upcoming operation.
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
"Are you planning to sell these?" Kingsley frowned and asked.
"We'll probably sell a downgraded version after the war is over," George didn't hide the fact. He was confident that this invention would be very popular.
At the very least, couples would love it. He remembered how Albert often used similar inventions to chat with his girlfriend.
"Things have really changed a lot nowadays," Moody fiddled with the communication bookmark in his hand and sighed softly. "In the past, we didn't have so many auxiliary tools, nor was it this convenient."
Even with the two-way mirrors, it wasn't always possible to find someone immediately. In contrast, this invention would heat up upon receiving a message, ensuring that the recipient noticed it. Moreover, messages could be saved, guaranteeing delivery.
If they had had these during the First Wizarding War, things might have turned out very differently.
Albert had brought about many changes in their thinking, while the Death Eaters remained oblivious to such advancements. This was why Voldemort's forces had been consistently outmaneuvered since his return.
"Alright, it's about time. The Snivellus should be arriving soon!" Sirius glanced at the clock, reminding the group.
The implication was clear—they intended to keep this matter from Snape.
Everyone quickly gathered up the parchments on the table, then brought out cups and poured themselves butterbeer, casually chatting about light-hearted topics.
Bill also mentioned that his fiancee, Fleur, planned to join the Order of the Phoenix, and this news didn't seem to face any opposition.
Mrs. Weasley, however, looked a bit gloomy.
During the last Wizarding War, her two brothers had joined the Order and made the ultimate sacrifice. Now, almost her entire family had joined the Order as well.
(End of Chapter)
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