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Chapter 1187: A Strange Affair
Chapter 1187: A Strange Affair
As Harry, Hermione, and Ron made their way back from the school hospital, their conversation revolved around the peculiarity of Diggory's presence at Hogwarts for his recuperation. It seemed odd that he would choose Hogwarts over St. Mungo's, especially given the recent mysterious disappearances at the latter, which remained unsolved.
The trio concluded that Diggory's choice likely stemmed from the perception of Hogwarts as a safer option. As for the reason behind his injuries, it remained a mystery, but they all suspected it had something to do with Voldemort, prompting Diggory to seek refuge at Hogwarts.
Regardless of the specifics, the entire situation reeked of strangeness, and anyone with a modicum of sense could tell that something was amiss.
After some discussion, they decided to attempt communication with Fred and George via the communication quill, hoping to arrange an in-person meeting. The quill had limitations on the number of words it could convey, making it challenging to express their thoughts adequately.
Fortunately, third-year students at Hogwarts were allowed to visit Hogsmeade in mid-October, providing an opportunity for them to meet up and discuss matters more thoroughly.
"By the way, Harry, Professor Slughorn asked me to extend an invitation to you for a gathering this Wednesday evening. He hopes you can attend," Hermione mentioned, taking advantage of Ron's absence as he had stepped into the boys' washroom.
She was aware of the reason for Harry's previous absence from the Slug Club gatherings, but felt it necessary to keep him informed, especially considering his intention to glean secrets from Professor Slughorn.
"I can't commit just yet. It depends on the situation," Harry replied quietly, glancing surreptitiously at the boys' washroom. "You know I'm the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain. I can't just abandon practice for a party. And Ron's recent performance has been less than stellar... I need to help him regain his confidence and get back on track."
Only after becoming captain did Harry truly understand the weight of responsibility that Wood and Angelina had previously shouldered.
Ron's inability to perform up to par during practices was becoming a concern, as it chipped away at his confidence. If left unchecked, it could lead to a complete loss of morale, which would be catastrophic for the team. At times, Harry questioned whether he had made the right decision in recruiting Ron.
As a result, he was willing to invest extra effort into helping Ron improve, hoping that he would regain his form for the upcoming matches, rather than resort to the drastic measure of removing him from the team out of desperation.
Harry couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. With the weight of defeating Voldemort and saving the world on his shoulders, he should have been focusing all his energy on those endeavors. Yet, here he was, preoccupied with the intricacies of the Quidditch team. It seemed surreal.
Moreover, Diggory's presence at Hogwarts and his assistance in organizing the DA gathering, instructing students in dark magic defense, felt like a calculated move by Albert. Harry sensed that something significant was brewing, and he doubted he would get a straight answer even if he inquired.
Fred and George's response was slower than Harry had anticipated, and it wasn't until that evening that he noticed new content on the communication bookmark. Fred and George had asked to meet at the Three Broomsticks pub to discuss the upcoming DA gathering.
Harry wanted to chat with them further, but they merely left a message saying, "We'll discuss it when we meet."
...
"Harry's agreed!" George shared the good news with the group. "But he seems to have a lot of questions. He's probably wondering why we're helping to train Hogwarts students."
"I would be too," Lee Jordan added, unsurprised.
"When is it, then? I mean, when are the third-year students and above allowed to go to Hogsmeade?" Fred asked.
"This weekend," George replied without hesitation. "Meet at the Three Broomsticks at twelve."
"Have you guys figured out what to say? I think Harry Potter might be hard to convince," Shanna said, pausing in her knitting of a scarf to offer a friendly reminder.
"Why don't we just tell them that we're planning to reorganize the Defense Association and want to recruit Hogwarts graduates?" Lee Jordan suggested, feeling it was best to be honest with Harry.
"That sounds ridiculous."
"Let's be honest, and if that doesn't work, we can bring up Albert. After all, he's the one who asked us to do this," Fred said, thinking that Albert would be a more persuasive argument. The guy might be inscrutable, but he always had his reasons.
"I think you're missing the point," Cedric cut in. "The point is that we can offer something valuable to Hogwarts students, right? That's why people want to join the Defense Association—to learn something useful."
"You're not wrong, but the problem is that the level of Dark Arts defense at Hogwarts is abysmal. We could teach them a few basic things, and they'd be set for a long time," George explained.
"Actually, you haven't had proper training either. If you'd gone through Albert's specialized training, you wouldn't have been taken down so easily," Fred mumbled, "especially with all the Dark Arts defense gadgets he could provide."
"What do you mean by 'proper training'?"
Cedric was curious about what Fred meant by proper training.
"Spellcasting techniques, combat strategies, and incantation usage," George said, turning to Shanna. "Do you still have the copy?"
"Do you want it now?"
"What copy?"
"Albert is planning to write a textbook, and Shanna has been helping him organize the materials. She should have a copy," George explained.
Shanna waved her wand, and a file folder flew into her hand.
Digory flipped through the pages and immediately understood what they meant by "proper education."
"I think Albert should consider becoming a professor at Hogwarts in the future. He'd be very popular," Cedric said with a bitter smile.
This was the true level of an international dueling champion! The so-called Dark Arts defense class at Hogwarts was a joke, no, it was more like a basic introduction to the wizarding world's common sense, with very little actual instruction.
"I reckon Albert might become the Headmaster of Hogwarts one day." Lee Jordan mumbled.
"If he wants to," Fred shrugged.
"Now that you mention it, doesn't Albert rarely come around here?" Cedric asked as he put down the parchment. He actually wanted to learn some practical Dark Arts defense techniques from Albert, especially after the last incident, that feeling was even more urgent.
"Yeah, after all, he's married now. You can't expect him to keep hanging out with us," George shrugged, reminding him.
"It's just a matter of getting used to it." Lee Jordan patted Cedric on the shoulder, "That guy likes to boss people around and always dumps things on others."
"Don't listen to their nonsense. We just need to mind our own business. If you want to go back to work at the Ministry of Magic in the future, Albert will help you too. He has a lot of pull there." Shanna reassured him.
"I heard Scrimgeour wanted to hire him as a special advisor, but he flat out refused." Fred waved the Wizarding Cards in his hand and asked, "Wanna play a game?"
"How are the Wizarding Cards doing?" Cedric asked as he took the cards.
"Not great, it's a money-losing business, but Albert doesn't care, he's just throwing money at it." Fred was a bit dejected talking about a losing business.
"You haven't played Wizarding Cards in a while." Lee Jordan watched the two of them play cards to pass the time.
"There's nothing I can do about it."
After Cedric finished organizing the cards, he picked up the communication bookmark beside him and looked at its contents, changing the subject, "I feel like Harry doesn't take the Defense Association very seriously."
"In Harry's eyes, the Defense Association's mission is probably over now that Voldemort's gone. Plus, he's the Quidditch captain, so he can't spend too much time on this." Fred easily saw through Harry's thoughts.
"Albert's kid is about to be born, do you want to compete to be the godfather?" George suddenly asked.
"Compete for what?" Cedric was taken aback.
"Who's going to be the godfather of his child?" Fred took a bite of the meat pie, his words a little muffled.
"Anyway, Lee Jordan's been ruled out, I'm the most likely candidate." George was proud, his chest puffed out.
"You're so full of yourself!" Lee Jordan rolled his eyes.
"That guy's going to have a kid soon." Cedric marveled quietly.
"When are you and Cho going to get married? Next year?" Shanna asked curiously, "Yes?"
"I haven't made a decision yet, it might be too soon for us." Cedric was a little embarrassed, not that he didn't want to marry Cho, but he felt the timing wasn't right. The entire wizarding world was in chaos, and he was worried about dragging Cho into the vortex. Plus, he wasn't ready yet.
"If it were me, I'd seize the opportunity. Don't let happiness slip away." Fred advised sincerely.
(End of Chapter)
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