Chapter 1223: Keeping Calm
Chapter 1223: Keeping Calm
As a qualified father, Albert quietly listened as the mother and daughters discussed how to take care of the baby. Even the house-elf paused its work and sat nearby, listening intently. Perhaps, in the near future, it would also have the task of caring for its little master.
"Mom, were you like this when you had me?" Katrina asked curiously.
"How could I have been so lucky? When I gave birth to Isabelle, I was so flustered and busy. I didn't have the luxury of someone patiently teaching me all these things like you do now." Mrs. McDougal sighed softly.
Similar conversations had been taking place frequently lately, and Mrs. McDougal was more than happy to teach the young couple how to care for their baby.
After the half-hour lesson, the house-elf quietly returned to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
The three of them remained in the sunroom, chatting idly. Occasionally, Albert would hear some embarrassing stories about the sisters from Mrs. McDougal.
Most of the time, he played the role of a good listener.
"She's kicking me again. She's such a mischievous child," Isabelle said, rubbing her belly through her clothes, her maternal glow becoming more and more evident.
"Let me listen."
Albert gently pressed his ear against her belly, but there was no sound.
No, there was a sensation, but it wasn't coming from Isabelle's belly. It was from his palm. Albert felt a sharp prick on the back of his hand, and some vein-like red lines appeared on his arm before fading away.
A strange feeling arose in his heart.
The contract had been triggered.
"What's wrong?"
Isabelle, keenly aware of Albert's change in demeanor, asked.
"It's nothing."
Albert returned to his seat and picked up an apple from the table. "Do you want an apple?"
As he spoke, he skillfully peeled and cut the apple into slices, arranging them neatly on a plate.
"I have a feeling that losing weight is going to be really difficult from now on," Isabelle said with a frown as she picked up a slice of apple. She was eating small meals frequently to provide nutrition to the baby, and her body had noticeably filled out.
"That's not a problem. I think that as long as we control our portions, losing weight won't be difficult for anyone except Tom," Albert said, reaching out to stroke the cat. Tom was getting older, and Albert rarely bothered him these days.
"What's wrong?" Isabelle asked suddenly.
Mrs. McDougal and Katrina turned to look at him.
"Hmm, I think there's a problem with Mrs. Dell." Albert withdrew his wand and summoned a metal book out of thin air. He opened it to reveal a map and located Mrs. Dell's exact position.
"I think... yes, she's probably been captured by Death Eaters."
"How did the Death Eaters find out about her? You've been so careful, and there shouldn't be any connection between them and you," Mrs. McDougal said, puzzled.
"This was probably an accident. There are only two of them in the country. If someone in the Death Eaters guessed that Isabelle was pregnant, it's not surprising that they would capture Mrs. Dell just to be safe," Albert shook his head.
The three of them fell silent.
"Will they die?" Mrs. McDougal asked suddenly. "I remember you signed a magical contract with them, requiring them to keep secrets."
"No, that contract was more of a warning. Leaking secrets isn't a big deal. As long as they don't harm Isabelle or the baby, they won't suddenly die," Albert reassured Mrs. McDougal. "Don't worry, with that contract, their safety is more guaranteed. And I guess the mysterious man won't kill them easily. He'll probably use them for something."
"For example..."
"To murder Isabelle." Albert said it casually.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm the one who brought them in, and I'll take responsibility for fixing this." Albert said confidently, "I'm afraid I have to leave, but I'll be back for dinner tonight."
"Are you going to rescue them?" Katrina asked.
"No, I'm going to prepare a backup plan and look for alternatives from other countries, just in case."
After saying that, Albert returned to the study and first contacted Bard through the two-way mirror. He then used the Disillusionment Charm to travel to France and meet with the other party in person.
"I don't know what you're planning, but I still want to say that you shouldn't stay in Britain. It's not safe there," Bard said seriously. "Go to Spain, Germany, or stay in France. I can help you arrange things."
"As long as you can help me find a reliable healer in this regard, I'll handle the rest." Albert said without hesitation, "Although it may not be useful, I must leave some backup plan in case something else comes up."
"Actually, I'm a little confused as to why you're getting involved in this."
In Bard's opinion, if Albert didn't want to, he definitely wouldn't have gotten into such big trouble. He had now completely caught Voldemort's attention. Otherwise, who would have done something like this?
This was a matter of sworn enemies.
"Why?" Albert thought for a moment before answering, "I think it's probably because of the benefits. There's little risk and a huge potential payoff. I don't see any reason to refuse."
"Not much risk?"
Bard felt that he had gained a new understanding of what "not much risk" meant.
"Okay, I'll say it again: don't take unnecessary risks. You have a long life ahead of you." Bard patted Albert on the shoulder and took him to meet the French obstetric healer.
She was a thin, fifty-year-old witch who was completely unsurprised by Albert's intentions, as Bard had obviously already made the necessary arrangements.
After a brief exchange, the two parties signed a confidentiality magic contract.
"How much did you pay?" Albert asked curiously.
"Not much, about this much." Bard held up a single finger.
Albert's expression said it all.
What could he do? Money talks.
"Thank you so much for today. By the way, things aren't very peaceful in Britain this year. Be careful," Bard said.
"I think you should be saying that to yourself." Bard reminded him again, "Don't push yourself too hard. Staying alive is the most important thing."
"I know."
After bidding Bard farewell, Albert returned to Britain using the Disillusionment Charm.
Through the live map, he confirmed that Mrs. Dell had returned home and that there was no one monitoring her. This further confirmed Albert's suspicion that she was being controlled by Voldemort using the Imperius Curse.
He didn't expect Mrs. Dell and Mary to be able to break free from Voldemort's control on their own, and he wasn't confident that he could help them with a potion to break the curse, considering that Voldemort was the one who had cast it.
Even if the two of them managed to break free from the Imperius Curse, Albert didn't plan to take any more risks.
During dinner, Albert shared his decision with the three women.
"So, are we going to France?" Isabelle asked, frowning.
"Yes, we'll go to France at the end of May to wait for the birth." Albert nodded, "Everything has been arranged over there."
"You just went to France and took care of all this?" Katrina was amazed at Albert's efficiency.
"What do you plan to do with Mrs. Dell and Mary?" Mrs. McDougal asked.
"I'll do my best to help them break free from the Imperius Curse and temporarily protect them." Albert had already made arrangements. The Defense Association was short-staffed, and although there might be some deviation in their profession, they were still healers.
(End of Chapter)
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