Chapter 1257: Advice
Chapter 1257: Advice
The sea vessel came to a halt in the waters off the coast of France. Isabelle, standing on the deck, pushed back the strands of hair that the sea breeze had tousled, turning to look at her husband.
"You still can't seem to let go of the matters in Britain."
"I have no choice," Albert replied, his gaze fixed on the towering cliffs in the distance. "We always hope that the future will unfold as we desire, but the future is always full of uncertainties. Even with my ability to foresee the future, I am not all-powerful."
In truth, Albert felt that going with the flow might be a better option, but he had already invested so much effort into his plans. He was so close to achieving his desired future, and he refused to slack off at this crucial juncture.
"Are we not going to stay on the ship anymore?"
Katrina, dressed in a beige casual dress, emerged from the cabin, accompanied by Mrs. McDougal and her house-elf, who was carrying a familiar briefcase.
"We'll be borrowing a friend's house temporarily," Albert explained with a smile. "I've already communicated with the healer, and there won't be any issues."
"Are you sure your friend is reliable?"
Katrina was surprised that Albert was willing to trust someone else and was curious about this friend he spoke of.
On the other hand, Isabelle remained calm, as if she already knew what was going on.
"You know him too. He's here."
Albert left the deck, and his apparition appeared above the cliffs.
"Welcome to France," said a voice.
Bard, dressed in trendy Muggle casual wear, greeted Albert with a smile and gave him a big hug.
"Thank you, Bard. We appreciate your help," Albert expressed his gratitude.
"No problem. Even without me, you would have had a plan," Bard assured him.
Bard surveyed the ordinary-looking sea vessel and nodded. "I dare say that as long as you hid out at sea, no one would have been able to find you."
Albert merely smiled and tacitly acknowledged Bard's words. Indeed, the sea vessel was his last resort.
As the house-elf appeared beside him with the briefcase, Albert waved his wand and promptly stored the entire ship into a magic bottle.
"It seems you've gone further than most," Bard remarked as he withdrew his gaze from the magic bottle. "Shall we go?"
With that, Bard, along with Albert and the house-elf, disappeared using apparition.
When they reappeared, they found themselves in a suburban area where a villa prepared by Bard was located. Although it looked a bit old, it was evident that someone had been living here and taking good care of the place.
Undoubtedly, Bard had been residing here previously.
"Mundungus Fletcher is the Secret-Keeper for this place," Bard informed the group. "However, he's not in Europe at the moment, and it will be difficult to locate him for a while, so you don't have to worry about any secrecy issues."
Mrs. McDougal sneaked glances at Bard, then at the villa protected by the Fidelius Charm, speculating about their relationship with Albert. It was evidently a close one, or else, with Albert's caution, he might have had them stay on the ship.
"Please come in," a house-elf bowed and led the group to their respective rooms.
"I heard Dumbledore is dead?"
Bard and Albert sat alone in the living room, chatting casually. Bard brought up Dumbledore's death, and the older man seemed to feel a bit regretful that he couldn't attend Dumbledore's funeral. After all, he had been his old friend.
"Yes, he's gone. The circumstances were rather complicated," Albert briefly explained the situation.
"Dumbledore was as ruthless as ever, even towards himself," Bard commented, his face twitching slightly as he heard how Dumbledore had intentionally asked Snape to kill him.
"I tried to persuade him," Albert shook his head. "But I failed. Otherwise, he could have lived a few more years, and things wouldn't have turned out this badly."
"It's useless. Most people are hard to persuade, especially someone like Dumbledore. That old fox is a master at convincing others," Bard wasn't surprised. Despite Dumbledore's amiable appearance, his personality was as stubborn as a rock. He wouldn't be easily swayed by others, especially when it came to matters he firmly believed in. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sacrificed his life as part of his scheme against the mysterious wizard.
Given the mysterious wizard's intelligence and perception, it was unlikely that he would see through Dumbledore's conspiracy anytime soon.
"I suppose most geniuses are like that," Albert conceded.
He couldn't deny it, for he, too, would not easily change his mind based on others' words. Geniuses tended to trust their own judgments.
"After his death, what's the situation in Britain?" Bard asked as he sipped his iced fruit juice.
"It's not looking good," Albert said with a serious expression. "The mysterious wizard and his followers will soon dominate. Before this wizarding war concludes, it's best not to return to Britain. Things are about to get chaotic there."
"Looks like the Ministry of Magic is doomed."
"Bard was a little surprised by this. 'I thought the Ministry of Magic could hold out a little longer. I didn't expect it to be in worse shape than imagined.'
"It's all thanks to Fudge. That guy made a mess of the entire Ministry before he resigned. It's a miracle Scrimgeour didn't explode when he took over," Albert replied.
Albert was all too familiar with the state of the Ministry, and he knew that Scrimgeour's ability to stabilize it relied more on his reputation as a fighter against Death Eaters and Dark Wizards, forcibly suppressing the internal strife within the Ministry by directing their attention outward.
"It's a pity about Scrimgeour," Bard said.
He didn't continue on that topic, as he was well aware of the situation within the Ministry and the role Albert had played in it.
"I warned him, but he obviously didn't want to be a deserter," Albert said, taking a sip from his teacup. "However, I think he must have been prepared for it when he became the Minister."
"Yeah, even if he wanted to give up, those pure-bloods wouldn't let him off easily," Bard said, shaking his head. "Don't forget, many of those Dark Wizards and Death Eaters who were killed by Scrimgeour have relatives, friends, and family."
"I understand what you mean," Albert nodded in agreement. "Do you think those pure-blood families will come to hate me because of this?"
"Their connections may run deeper than you imagine," Bard cautioned kindly. "This is also why many pure-blood wizards are so fearless. They have more options, and there were more than just those Death Eaters who escaped unscathed due to being controlled by the Imperius Curse."
"I had expected as much, but the mysterious wizard is not what they imagine him to be," Albert said meaningfully. "I know that their fearlessness stems from their pure-blood status, but the mysterious wizard is not Grindelwald. To him, Death Eaters are merely tools and servants, disposable when necessary. The Malfoy family is a prime example, and they will eventually suffer a heavy blow because of this."
"You seem to have a clearer grasp of the situation than I do, but you still need to be careful. While you've acted discreetly, this world is never short of clever people, and your identity may not be seen favorably by certain individuals," Bard warned.
"I'm not working for the Ministry anymore, especially now that it's on the brink of collapse," Albert pointed out.
"I remember you once prophesied that this war wouldn't last too long," Bard said.
"Yes, once the mysterious wizard gains control of the Ministry and Hogwarts, his influence will peak swiftly. Death Eaters and Dark Wizards have never been the docile type; it's only a matter of time before they go from thriving to declining, and this process will be rapid," Albert said, his eyes seeming to see through to the future. "Dumbledore has pinned everything on Harry, and all we need to do is wait patiently for the mysterious wizard to return to being an ordinary man."
"So, you've found the mysterious wizard's weakness, and the chosen one to execute the plan is the savior?" Bard asked, a bit surprised but soon understanding the reason. He nodded and said, "Harry Potter is indeed a suitable choice. Although I don't agree with putting everything on one person's shoulders... I still hope he can successfully resolve the issue of the mysterious wizard."
"I believe he can, and I hope he will," Albert said.
Bard looked at Albert, his lips twitching as he said, "Although I don't know what agreement you've made with Dumbledore, nothing is more important than staying alive."
"I know what I'm doing," Albert said with a confident smile. "I'm just waiting, and patience is a virtue."
"That's good," Bard said, and then he seemed to remember something. "Since you're in France, I plan to leave the country for a while. Have you been in touch with the healer?"
"Yes, I've already contacted her," Albert replied.
"That's good," Bard said, and soon after, he bid farewell and left with his house-elf. He intended to go to Spain and disappear for a while.
"He's gone?" Katrina asked, looking at Bard's departing figure and then at Albert. "You two have a good relationship. I always feel like you're hiding some big secret."
"Are you curious?" Albert raised an eyebrow.
"Does my sister know?" Katrina asked.
"Isabelle is smart; she guessed it right away," Albert said with a mischievous smile. "So, don't expect me to tell you."
"I never expected you to," Katrina said, rolling her eyes and deciding not to dwell on the matter.
"Am I really safe here?" she asked, her concern evident.
"It's more convenient here, and while there is some risk, it's not high," Albert assured her. He was well aware that the only risk was the healer, but he had taken steps to ensure her reliability.
"Unless the mysterious wizard comes after us personally, but that's unlikely. Lately, his attention is mostly on taking control of the British Ministry of Magic. With Scrimgeour and the Ministry diverting his attention, he won't have the time to focus on us," Albert explained.
Of course, Albert had also put in place multiple layers of safeguards.
"Scrimgeour really drew the short straw," Katrina commented, suspecting that Albert had somehow manipulated the situation to his advantage.
"That was his choice; you can't blame anyone else," Albert said.
(End of Chapter)
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