Chapter 1197: Voldemort Gets His Way
Chapter 1197: Voldemort Gets His Way
That evening, the news of Cedric helping Harry organize the DA gathering spread quickly among the students of Hogwarts, bringing excitement to the school as winter approached. More and more students became interested in the so-called DA gathering, and many younger students were curious about how to join the Defense Association.
Of course, the students of Slytherin were excluded from the DA gathering, and the reason was simple: to prevent anyone from sneaking in to spy on their activities.
A small number of Slytherin students were very dissatisfied with this and used Albert's "Defense Association" as an excuse, accusing Harry of discrimination.
The response to this was simple:
"The students of Slytherin have no need to worry about Death Eater attacks because the majority of Death Eaters come from their own house."
This statement all but accused Slytherin of being the lair of the Death Eaters.
However, it received unanimous agreement from the others.
There was no denying that the actions of the Death Eaters and Voldemort had made them extremely hated, and it was only natural for people to be cautious of Slytherin students.
Who knew if they would become Death Eaters themselves in the future?
Moreover, many students also wanted to join the "Defense Association" that Albert had established after graduating, to learn more advanced Dark Magic defense techniques and ensure their safety during the Second Wizarding War. It wouldn't hurt to have a good relationship with Albert, as evidenced by his close friends.
Under these circumstances, how could they allow Slytherin students to come in and cause trouble?
Cedric shared these concerns with Albert and informed him about the graduates who wanted to join the "Defense Association" proactively.
Albert had a reputation for being reliable, and the rising success of Fred, George, and Lee Jordan also inspired admiration in the soon-to-be graduates.
"Although we've recruited a large number of students at school, I still don't feel like they're very reliable. That group has a terrible sense of secrecy."
Even as he communicated with Albert through the two-way mirror, Cedric couldn't help but express his worries. He felt that the students of Hogwarts lacked maturity, and despite his reminders, they had still leaked the secret.
What if those people joined and then revealed the headquarters of the Defense Association? That would be a complete disaster! "Don't worry," Albert said calmly. "Not everyone has the courage to stand up to Voldemort, and not everyone will be accepted into our ranks. We will also develop some peripheral members, similar to those in the Anti-Voldemort Alliance, who will support us without officially joining the Defense Association."
Albert never expected everyone to have the courage to confront Voldemort, so he had planned for different levels of involvement within the Defense Association from the start.
For those who were willing to join and had the courage to fight Voldemort, Albert welcomed them with open arms and was happy to teach them Dark Magic defense knowledge and skills.
For those who wanted to join but lacked courage, Albert would also welcome them and provide limited information and assistance, allowing them to secretly support the fight against Voldemort and serve as a foundation of support among the general wizarding population.
"See? I told you not to worry," Lee Jordan said with a smile as he patted Cedric on the shoulder. "Albert always thinks further ahead than we do."
"By the way, Kenneth is also planning to come over and build a house here soon. What about you guys?" Fred suddenly asked.
"What house?"
Cedric looked confusedly at the others, hoping for an explanation.
"I've already chosen a location. It's not easy to build your own house," Truman said, already making plans for the future. If Scrimgeour were to be assassinated, the Ministry of Magic would become an unsafe place. In that case, coming here and banding together with the others would be the best option to ensure their safety.
"I thought Albert bought up all the land in this village?"
Cedric looked at Truman, perplexed, as he tried to understand Fred's comment. To be honest, he had been startled by that news as well when he first heard it.
"Albert has given us permission to build houses here," George explained.
"According to Albert's plan, this place will become the headquarters of the Defense Association, so there's no question about safety," Fred said with a smile. "If we can defeat Voldemort, we plan to build a wizarding village here."
"Of course, we're not sure about the specifics either, and we'll probably have to ask Albert directly," Lee Jordan added, full of confidence in Albert. "I'm sure he's already made all the necessary arrangements."
"So, you guys plan to live here in the future?" Cedric asked, a little surprised, but he soon understood.
After all, they would eventually get married and have families of their own, so it made sense to choose a place now.
It took away the uncertainty of the future.
"We plan to have our labs and factories here as well," Fred continued. "The shops in Diagon Alley are limited, and if we want to reduce costs, it's better to produce some of the raw materials ourselves. Albert even wants to grow some medicinal herbs here."
"Furthermore..." Fred teased with a laugh, "if you build a home here, you can start thinking about getting married right after Fall Zhang graduates."
"Then why haven't you proposed to Angelina?" Cedric shot back.
"I want to, but Angelina won't agree. What can I do?" Fred shrugged, "So, take my advice and seize the opportunity. Propose after Fall Zhang graduates. Albert has set a good example for us to follow."
"As for work, it's even simpler. If you can't find a job, we can definitely make a spot for you here." Lee Jordan smiled and patted Cedric on the shoulder. "According to Albert's plans, we'll definitely need more people soon."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Cedric replied casually. He still intended to return to the Ministry of Magic for work, but Truman was interested in that option. He currently worked in Muggle relations at the Ministry and had been very busy lately. As a fringe member of the Ministry, he was open to the idea of a more lucrative job.
"By the way, is Kenneth trustworthy?"
"For now. That guy probably wants to rely on Albert to make a fortune too!"
Fred saw right through Kenneth's scheming. "After all, we're the best example. That guy's pretty smart, and he played the role of bait for a while. Now that he's finally made it out, why would he give up such a bright future?"
"Do you think he'll get his wish?" Cedric found this a bit unbelievable.
"Definitely," George laughed. "Albert's always been generous. If he plans to expand his niche businesses, Kenneth will definitely be useful."
"So many jobs indeed."
"I guess so!" Fred said, unsure. "After all, those were Albert's exact words."
"I'm more curious about when Albert will teach us more advanced Dark Magic defense," Truman said, flipping through the books left there. He felt that self-studying these things would take a lot of effort, and he was waiting for Albert to come and instruct them.
"I just asked, and he said it might take some more time," Cedric explained, noticing that everyone was looking at him. "The poor Divination Master who was captured by the Dark Lord is close to death, and her age doesn't help."
"So, Albert is actually waiting for that Divination Master to die?"
"Probably to avoid exposing his location," George replied without hesitation. "Divination should be able to pinpoint Albert's approximate location, so he's hiding where the Order of the Phoenix can protect him. That way, even if someone wanted to find him through Divination, it would be difficult to get his exact whereabouts."
As the group discussed Cassandra Vablatsky, the author of 'Unfogging the Future', the elderly woman indeed found herself in the dire situation they had speculated.
Although Voldemort had not used the Cruciatus Curse on her, his series of actions had accelerated Cassandra's decline, and her energy was now a far cry from what it used to be; she was on her last legs.
Thus, Cassandra eventually agreed to perform Divination for Voldemort in exchange for the chance of her family's survival.
Even though the elderly woman didn't expect Voldemort to keep his word, she needed something to hold on to.
"I see Scrimgeour's death. He perishes by your hand." Cassandra Vablatsky touched the crystal ball and gazed at the fallen Minister for Magic lying on the ground. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "Are you satisfied now?"
"Very good. Now, I want to know when that old coot Dumbledore will die!" Voldemort glanced at the contents of the crystal ball and signaled for Cassandra Vablatsky to continue, knowing that she could do it but chose not to help.
However, when Voldemort had her family captured and brought before her, the elderly woman finally relented.
"I feel like I might be dying soon!"
Cassandra Vablatsky said wearily, "Let them go, and I'll make one last prophecy for you. I'm sure you're curious about the outcome, too. Plus, I can give you some additional information. It's a fair trade. Killing them would be meaningless anyway since I'll be dead soon, and nothing matters once a person is gone."
"I agree, but I want to know where that Mudblood will appear next," Voldemort said coldly, looking at the dying old woman before him.
As for promising to spare her descendants after her death, Voldemort didn't give that any thought at all.
"As you wish. I hope you'll keep your word," Cassandra Vablatsky said, looking deeply into Voldemort's eyes before slowly closing her own.
No matter the outcome, she had tried her best.
(End of Chapter)
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