Chapter 1183: Temporarily Avoiding the Limelight
Chapter 1183: Temporarily Avoiding the Limelight
"Are we just leaving like this? I thought you'd want to watch as Bellatrix, that crazy woman, gets captured by the Aurors and sent to Azkaban," Fred said, lowering his telescope and turning to look at Albert, who was clutching his wrist.
"I think that crazy woman will be executed right away," Lee Jordan corrected.
"Yeah, she's too dangerous. It would be easier to pay the price for killing her than to capture her alive," George agreed, also believing that the Aurors would kill Bellatrix.
None of them could understand why Albert wouldn't stay to watch the show unfold. The climax was just beginning, and they wanted to see Bellatrix's ultimate fate before leaving.
"Has something happened?" George was the first to notice Albert's actions and sense that something was amiss.
"Yes, the Dark Lord is coming," Albert explained, stroking his ring. "It's best to leave now if we don't want to run into him. I'd rather not cross paths with him."
"The Dark Lord!" The three friends were startled by Albert's words.
"Since Scrimgeour isn't here, the Dark Lord must be coming for me."
Albert raised his wand and summoned his Patronus, sending it to warn the Aurors capturing Bellatrix of the Dark Lord's imminent arrival. Whether the Aurors chose to evacuate immediately or stay to surround and capture the insane woman was no longer his concern.
"Let's go." After sending the glowing orb from his wand toward the house in the distance, Albert gestured for the three to grab his arms, and they disapparated.
"Where are we?" George looked around and saw that they had appeared on a remote cliff with turbulent waves crashing in the distance.
"This is a defense post left over from the Muggle war. It has been completely forgotten and abandoned by Muggles. I've turned it into a temporary safe house. Follow me," Albert said, leading them around a bend and into a hidden entrance in the tunnel. Soon, they found the safe house.
"Why are we here?" George asked, puzzled.
"We're waiting for Dobby. He will take us directly to Hogwarts. Otherwise, it would be a hassle to find our way through the secret passages again. By the way, it's best not to apparate directly near our headquarters in the future. It's too easy to leave traces and expose our location," Albert explained to the three as he kept his eyes on the live map, checking for any name changes in the village.
"Can you really do that?" Lee Jordan asked in surprise.
"Ordinary wizards certainly can't, but the Dark Lord can. In fact, I can, and so can the headmaster," Albert mumbled, "The Aurors have evacuated that Muggle village. Bellatrix has really escaped their grasp this time. Those guys are really unreliable."
Although he had anticipated this, Albert still felt quite regretful that the madwoman had not died. It meant that the deadly scheme he had set up had failed.
It was a great opportunity, yet the Aurors had wasted it. He couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.
Indeed, next time I'll have to do it myself.
Never mind, I'll let it go for now.
Perhaps one day, the opportunity will be even better, and I can reap greater rewards.
"So, you've reached the level of the headmaster?" The three friends stared at Albert with wide eyes, even though they had already suspected as much. Still, hearing it confirmed by Albert himself was surprising.
"Can you defeat the Dark Lord in a duel?" Fred was more curious about this.
"I don't know. I don't think I can kill him. After all, he is the Dark Lord, and his experience far surpasses mine," Albert admitted frankly. "I'll need time to make up for that gap."
"If the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters find this place, won't this safe house be exposed?"
"It doesn't matter. There's an even more concealed safe house inside. So, even if this place is exposed, it won't be a problem," Albert wasn't worried. He was more curious about how the Dark Lord had predicted his exact location, which was highly unusual.
"The environment here is quite dismal, and there isn't even a proper light source." After looking around, Lee Jordan turned his attention back to Albert and noticed the change in his expression. "Have you thought of something?"
"It's very unusual for the Dark Lord to know my precise location." Albert's expression turned gloomy as he looked at Tom Riddle's name appearing on the map.
"But didn't you also realize that the Dark Lord was targeting you right from the start?"
The three friends couldn't understand how Albert had obtained this information so quickly. It was beyond their comprehension.
"I see," Albert said, as if he had just realized something. "That guy's brain is working better now."
"What do you mean?" they asked in unison.
"He actually got someone to divine my location through divination."
"Divination?"
"Yes, no one is better at finding people than diviners," Albert mumbled.
Fortunately, his reaction had been quick enough; otherwise, those Aurors would have likely suffered heavy casualties.
"There are very few true divination masters, but they do exist. Cassandra Vablaski, the author of 'Beyond the Mist, See the Future'. That guy put himself in St Mungo's, but he still couldn't escape?"
Albert shook his head. "Knowing that he's being watched by a mysterious man, he doesn't even bother to find a place to hide. Now look, he's been dragged out of his sickbed by the mysterious man. He really knows how to cause trouble for me."
"So, the mysterious man may be able to locate you through divination in the future?" George quickly grasped the key issue and suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
"It's only temporary," Albert reassured them. "Cassandra Vablaski is already very old, and she won't be able to withstand the torture of the mysterious man and the Death Eaters for long. I suspect she won't live much longer." Albert wasn't worried about this problem. After Cassandra Vablaski's death, he believed Lord Voldemort would struggle to find another divination master.
The three friends were stunned, temporarily abandoning their futile struggles as they realized they couldn't keep up with Albert's train of thought.
"What should we do now?" George asked, voicing the question that Fred and Lee Jordan also wanted to ask.
"Let's go to Hogwarts to check on Cedric's condition," Albert suggested.
At that moment, the sound of popping filled the safe house as a house-elf appeared out of thin air.
Dobby bowed slightly to Albert and asked in a high-pitched voice, "Is there anything Mr. Anderson needs?"
"Take us to Hogwarts, quietly, without attracting attention," Albert instructed, reaching out to grab Dobby's hand. Fred, George, and Lee Jordan quickly followed suit, and the four of them disappeared with the house-elf.
They reappeared in the school's observatory, a location that would be deserted at this time.
"Thank you, Dobby. We'll need you to send these three back later," Albert said.
"Dobby is happy to serve Mr. Anderson," the house-elf bowed slightly and then disappeared without a trace.
"A house-elf can apparate within the school grounds?" George muttered, staring at the spot where Dobby had vanished. "Why hasn't anyone thought of using house-elves to infiltrate Hogwarts before?"
"Because wizards are too arrogant," Albert replied with contempt. "They treat house-elves as slaves and overlook the fact that they can use magic. Moreover, most wizards who own house-elves are of a similar mindset."
"Indeed, that's truly like you."
At times like these, comparing others to Albert only served to highlight their foolishness.
Under the cover of the Disillusionment Charm, the four made their way towards the school hospital, encountering a few students along the way but remaining unnoticed.
As they took a shortcut, Fred slowed his pace and asked, "With the help of the Ministry, do you have a way to ambush and kill the mysterious man?"
Albert stopped and turned to face the three. "For now, we truly can't kill the mysterious man," he said calmly. "Since we can't kill him, taking such a risk would be meaningless."
"So, even you can't do it? Then how are we supposed to win this war? Do we really have to rely on Harry?" Fred countered.
"Don't be hasty," Albert interrupted.
"The victory in this war doesn't lie within the game but outside of it."
"As long as we find a way to truly kill the mysterious man, we will win. Dumbledore has been working on this, and we need to wait until we have a way to kill him before making our move."
"Is Dumbledore searching for a way to kill the mysterious man?"
"He will find it," Albert said calmly. "And when he does, the mysterious man will be reduced to a mere mortal."
"You must know something," George probed.
"The fewer people who know about this, the better," Albert said, making a shushing gesture.
"As for killing the mysterious man once he's a mortal, there's no need to worry. Even the most powerful person can fall victim to an ambush," Albert whispered. "You must have heard the story of the Three Brothers in 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard.'"
"The eldest brother, who was unbeatable in battle, was ultimately killed by another wizard who stole his wand while he slept and slit his throat," Fred recalled.
"That strategy has a very low chance of success," Lee Jordan scoffed. "I don't think anyone could slit the mysterious man's throat while he's sleeping."
"It's just an analogy," Albert retorted.
"I know, I'm just saying," Lee Jordan defended himself.
"We must first weaken the mysterious man's forces, wait for Dumbledore to find a way to kill him, and finally, join forces to finish him off for good. That's the most prudent approach," Albert explained.
"At that time, even if he tries to hide, I can locate him through divination!"
"So, encountering the mysterious man right now would be extremely disadvantageous. Remember, he cannot be truly killed yet.
Of course, Albert had no intention of dueling with the mysterious man. He didn't fear him, but he was cautious of being stabbed in the back.
The previous encounter with the Aurors from the Ministry had left him wary, especially after the Malfoys and their gang had attacked from behind.
Moreover, their opponent was the mysterious man, and who knew if any of the wizards on their side had been controlled by the Imperius Curse.
It would be incredibly foolish to expect the mysterious man and his Death Eaters to fight honorably. They would use any means necessary to try to kill Albert.
However, Albert never gave them the opportunity.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
