Chapter 1201: An Ambush
Chapter 1201: An Ambush
Ever since receiving Albert's letter, Hermione had been in a state of distress. Even though she had already decided to send her family away from Britain in the short term, knowing that they might be in danger made it hard for her to calm down completely.
There was no need to take such a risk.
As for the plan to spend the Christmas holidays with her family, Hermione canceled it outright. The fact that Albert had sent her a letter meant that he was truly in trouble.
As for the so-called implication mentioned in the letter, she was still confused. But Hermione trusted that Albert wouldn't and had no reason to joke about such a matter.
So, after receiving the letter, she didn't deliberate for too long before making a decision and replying to Albert.
After meeting Albert in Professor McGonagall's office, Hermione found that he had already made arrangements for her. The request for leave went smoothly, as Professor McGonagall approved it without inquiring about the reason.
"I thought you might need more time to consider," Albert said, pleased that Hermione had made a decision so quickly, even though it was within his expectations. He wanted to resolve the issue as soon as possible, as Hermione's family was ultimately affected by him. If anything happened, not only would the mission reward be in jeopardy, but their relationship might also suffer. Maintaining a good relationship certainly wouldn't hurt.
"What exactly is going on?" Hermione finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.
"You know that the mysterious person abducted Cassandra and made her perform a divination ritual on me," Albert said calmly, looking at the slightly tense Hermione. "And the content of that divination could very well implicate you and your family."
"Cassandra?" Hermione repeated, aware of the abduction but unsure how it could affect her and her family. "The last time, in the stands at the Quidditch match, when I mentioned needing your help, this is the consequence." He explained with a sense of helplessness.
It was truly frustrating to be caught up in such a situation.
"How... how did you find out?" Hermione asked.
"I suspect she might have divined the time and location of my appearance or prophesied the date of my death." Albert spoke softly. "We found Cassandra's body, and on it, we discovered a hidden message she left for us. After deciphering the code, one of the clues pointed to December 27th, and you just happened to mention that date."
Now Hermione understood! It made sense, as she had just decided to send her family away after the Christmas holidays, and it was no wonder that Albert would make a connection upon seeing that date.
"So, I plan to move the timeline up to avoid this danger." Albert briefly explained the reason for the change. "Avoiding the outcome of a prophecy can be both simple and challenging, but it's not impossible."
"What do you plan to do next?" Hermione wanted to hear Albert's suggestions.
"For now, you must stay vigilant and plan out the entire process in advance." Albert was glad that Hermione was seeking his advice directly. "It's best to modify their memories and have them immigrate away from Britain immediately."
"I was thinking along the same lines, but..." Hermione worried that it might not be that simple.
"This situation indeed implicates you because of me, and I will help you handle it. After the war is over, I'll accompany you to find them and lift the magic as well." Albert offered reassurance. "Don't worry, this war won't last too long. What you're doing now is solely to ensure their safety."
"In fact, I sent my family away from Britain a long time ago, allowing them to avoid many troubles."
Hermione knew that Albert had probably misunderstood, but she was satisfied with his arrangements. After all, he was doing his best to help. "How should we get back? Should we use the Disapparition spell or take the train?"
"We'll Disapparate. I've already asked Dobby to scout the area, and he'll take us directly to the park near your house."
After leaving Professor McGonagall's office, Albert led Hermione to an empty classroom, where the house-elf, Dobby, was already waiting for them.
"Are we leaving now, sir?" Dobby asked in his sharp voice.
"Yes, we're leaving now, and we're counting on you once again, Dobby," Albert said.
"It is Dobby's honor to serve Mr. Anderson," the house-elf said excitedly.
Hermione looked at Dobby and asked, "Dobby, how have you been lately?"
"Very well, miss. Mr. Anderson's friends are very kind to Dobby," the house-elf replied.
Albert drew his wand from his robe pocket, tapped Hermione's shoulder, and cast a Disguise Spell on her before asking, "Is this your first time Disapparating?"
"Yes, is there a problem?" Hermione asked, tilting her head in confusion, unsure why Albert was asking this question.
"The first time might be a bit uncomfortable, so hold on tight to my arm." Albert extended his left hand to Dobby, and when their hands clasped together, the three of them vanished from the classroom.
When they reappeared, they were in the park near Hermione's house. Several young children nearby were startled by the sudden crack of Apparition, but Albert had already drawn his wand to modify their memories, not even giving them time to react.
"Don't worry, they didn't see us; they only heard the sound of Apparition, and their memories have been altered. There won't be any issues." Albert casually remarked as he watched the children's retreating backs. "That's the benefit of using the Disguise Spell."
Noticing that Hermione hadn't responded, Albert turned to her and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Not really," Hermione replied, her face pale. "I feel like I've been squeezed out of a tube. It's a terrible feeling." It seemed like she was having a hard time adapting to the sensation of Disapparition, and it took her a few minutes to recover.
"That's how Disapparition feels. I used to feel the same way when I first started. It might be very uncomfortable at first, but once you get used to it, you'll find it quite useful." Albert pulled out a salty candy and handed it to Hermione. "Here, this might make you feel better."
"Thanks," Hermione said.
She hoped that her future boyfriend would be as considerate as Albert.
"You need to get accustomed to it. If you want, after this is over, I can take you Disapparating a few times until you get the hang of it. With your talent, I'm sure you'll adapt quickly, just like Fred, George, and Lee Jordan did."
"Thanks, I'll take you up on that offer later," Hermione said, not refusing. She understood the importance of mastering Disapparition.
However, she also knew what needed to be done at the moment. "Let's go," she said, turning to Albert. "Do you know where my house is?"
"No, I'll need you to guide me."
Albert made a beckoning gesture.
"Follow me!"
Hermione smiled and led the way, chatting as they walked. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she asked, "Was Cedric also brought directly to Hogwarts by Dobby?"
"Yes, it's faster, safer, and more discreet this way," Albert nodded in admission. "However, keep this under wraps and don't let anyone else know about it."
Hermione nodded, then listened as Albert continued to divulge intriguing information.
"Although Hogwarts prohibits Apparition, house-elves' magic is different from that of wizards, so they are unaffected by the restriction." Albert spoke softly, "This is actually a small loophole that most people don't think about. If they were aware, many would surely exploit it."
"I suppose there aren't many families that own house-elves," Hermione mused.
"Not many, but not few either. Sometimes, things are not as they seem on the surface," Albert cautioned, "Pure-blood supremacy is more deeply rooted in the wizarding world than you realize. In the past, wealthy pure-blood wizards were akin to the nobility among Muggles, and they are certainly not in short supply even now. So, they value pure bloodlines even more than you might expect, especially in power hubs like the Ministry of Magic, where it's difficult to attain a high position if you're not pure-blooded."
"What about you?" Hermione furrowed her brow deeply, "I heard you've become a member of the Wizengamot."
"That's because I have a wide network, a strong will, and formidable power to knock down any obstacles, trampling on their ridiculous notion of pure-blood superiority." Albert stated calmly, revealing shocking insights, "That's why those pure-bloods view me with such hostility, and why the mysterious figure is so bent on eliminating me. However, you shouldn't be too pessimistic; your luck is actually not bad."
"My luck is not bad?"
Hermione was taken aback, unable to comprehend how getting caught up in a wizarding war could be considered good luck.
"If we can achieve victory in this wizarding war, it will deal a heavy blow to the pure-bloods' dominance, and significantly ease the situation of pure-blood control in the Ministry." Albert observed Hermione's astonished expression and calmly explained, "You don't think this is all because of the mysterious figure, do you? This war is essentially a conflict between pure-bloods and Muggle-born wizards, but the mysterious figure has simply overshadowed everything with their prominence. Of course, you could argue that this war was instigated by them, but you must look beyond the surface and understand the fundamental essence of the conflict, or you'll find yourself floundering even after entering the Ministry."
This was also why Kingsley, after becoming Minister, had been working tirelessly to abolish laws supporting pure-blood supremacy and striving to eliminate mutual discrimination based on blood status.
Hermione's mouth hung slightly agape as she absorbed the startling revelations from Albert. She didn't doubt his words, but there were some things she couldn't quite comprehend or fathom the reasons for.
"Don't think about it too much for now; you'll understand in due time," Albert assured her.
As they neared Hermione's house, Albert suddenly stopped and pulled out his detection pocket watch, which was reacting to something.
Hermione, too, fixed her gaze on her own detection watch, her wand at the ready, looking tense.
Undoubtedly, the presence of a Dark wizard here was not a good sign.
It almost certainly meant that Albert's concerns were justified—the mysterious figure had likely targeted Hermione's family, intending to use them as bait to lure him into a trap.
"Your family should be fine," Albert said, scanning the street with his eyes while using his detection watch to locate the wizard responsible for monitoring this area. "If the mysterious figure wanted to use them as bait, they would need to keep them alive."
"Wait here, I'll take care of the enemy," Albert gestured to Hermione and proceeded alone.
Soon, Albert silently slipped through a wall and knocked out the Dark wizard hiding under a Disillusionment Charm who had been tasked with watching over Hermione's house.
After ensuring the area was secure, Albert sent his Patronus to notify Hermione.
"It's done?" Hermione asked, surprised by Albert's efficiency.
Upon confirming her safety, she hurried home, only to be astonished once again—her house was empty.
This sent a chill down Hermione's spine, and her mind began to race with terrible possibilities. If her family had been taken by the mysterious figure, rescuing them would be next to impossible.
"Don't worry, perhaps your family is just out at work," Albert gently patted Hermione's shoulder in reassurance, "After all, it's working hours, and you can't expect them to stay at home, can you?"
"Oh, yes, you're right," Hermione admitted, feeling a bit flustered, but she found Albert's words reasonable. She decided to go look for her family.
"Don't rush," Albert stopped her, "I'll review that guy's memories first. It's better to understand the situation before we act."
Returning to the house across the street, Albert used Legilimency on the downed Dark wizard.
"They're fine," Albert said, holstering his wand, "This guy didn't know much; he was just responsible for surveillance."
"Legilimency is a scary kind of magic," Hermione muttered, "Can you see through me as well?"
The last time Harry had practiced Occlumency, Hermione had read about it in books and understood the nature of Legilimency.
"No, I can only tell if you're lying," Albert shook his head, "Of course, if I look directly into your eyes, I might be able to discern some of your thoughts, but wizards capable of that are quite rare."
Hermione quickly averted her gaze.
"It's not that difficult," Albert continued, addressing Hermione's unspoken question, "It requires some talent, and assistance from another person. Of course, one's success also depends on their personality."
"Can you teach me? I mean, Occlumency, if you have the time," Hermione asked tentatively.
"It's not a pleasant process," Albert glanced at Hermione, "I assume Potter has mentioned this to you. Someone would have to sift through your memories while you try to resist, and in the process, they would uncover many of your secrets. It's certainly not an enjoyable experience."
"Alright, let's go. I now know where your family is," Albert said.
(End of Chapter)
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