Chapter 1267: Alice
Chapter 1267: Alice
Several days later In the corridor outside the healing room, Albert sat in an armchair, his arms hanging down and his fingers intertwined, his eyes fixed on the tightly closed door in front of him.
Even though he had seen the foretold outcome in his crystal ball long ago, he still couldn't suppress the anxious emotions within him.
This was the first time he had become a father in his two lifetimes.
Although Albert wasn't exactly yearning to be a father, he was still nervous.
"You don't look nervous at all!" Katrina glanced at the man beside her, unable to understand why he was always so calm.
"Well, I'm managing," Albert replied casually.
When the door to the treatment room was opened from the inside, he immediately stood up from his chair and looked at the healer who smiled kindly at them.
"The mother and child are doing well," she announced.
After speaking, the healer stepped aside to make way for the anxious family members to enter.
Inside the room, Mrs. McDougall was holding the bawling Alice, allowing the exhausted Isabelle to look at her child.
"You've done well. Get some rest now," Albert said, reaching out to grasp Isabelle's palm and leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I'm right here."
His wife was still as beautiful as ever.
"I want to hold her," Isabelle said softly.
"You need to rest. Don't rush, dear," Albert said.
"I'm not as fragile as you think," Isabelle said, finding it a little amusing. Albert's concern made her feel warm.
Obviously, Albert was more concerned about her than the baby.
"Then wait until you've had some time to recover, and Alice also needs rest since she's just been born," Albert said, glancing at the healer for support.
"Don't rush. The baby has just been born," the middle-aged healer reminded them kindly.
Albert didn't hurry to send the healer away. Instead, he chatted with her about Isabelle's and the baby's care, carefully noted down the things to pay attention to, and then promptly paid the remaining half of the promised fee. He also specifically instructed the healer on some matters to avoid any trouble for her due to loose lips about their situation. Then, he asked their house-elf to send the healer on her way.
"What's the plan now?" Katrina asked.
"Leave France first," Albert said without hesitation.
"You don't trust her?" Katrina raised an eyebrow, "Then why not erase her memory? It shouldn't be difficult for you."
"That would be very rude, and... we're leaving soon anyway. Even if they encounter misfortune because of their loose tongues, it won't concern us," Albert said, asking the house-elf to check their supplies. They were preparing to leave France by boat.
That evening, Albert used a two-way mirror to inform his family about Alice's birth, and both Herb and Daisy were delighted.
However, the happiest of all were Luke and Shana. The elderly couple hoped that Albert would find time to bring little Alice to visit them in the Far East.
"Alice looks so tiny and ugly," Isabelle said softly, her eyes filled with tenderness as she held the baby.
"She'll grow up to be a great beauty just like you," Albert said as he took the baby from her and placed her back in the crib. "You should lie down and get some rest now. Take care of yourself for the next month to avoid any health issues."
"You're too tense," Isabelle said, her heart filled with sweetness and happiness.
"Dinner is ready," Katrina said, pushing the dinner cart into the room. Seeing the affectionate couple, she coughed lightly and said, "You should go out and eat. There seems to be someone trying to reach you as well."
After shooing Albert out, Katrina turned to Isabelle and said, "He really loves you."
"Yes, he's always been a gentle person," Isabelle replied.
Katrina didn't continue the conversation but suddenly asked, "Was giving birth very difficult?"
"It wasn't as painful as I imagined," Isabelle said softly, looking at her sleeping baby. "But it was very fulfilling."
"I can tell. I just hope the next child is a boy," Katrina mumbled.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
Mrs. McDougall entered the room and saw Isabelle enjoying her specially prepared dinner. "How's the dinner? Is it to your liking?" she asked.
"Hmm, dinner was delicious."
Isabelle raised her eyebrows slightly and gently soothed her mother, "Don't worry, Mom. He knows what he's doing, and the war will be over soon."
"Of course, I trust him, but..."
While Mrs. McDougall had confidence in Albert, she still worried about the cruel Wizarding War, fearing that her daughter would walk down the same path she had.
After a brief dinner, Albert contacted the Weasley brothers via a two-way mirror and shared the joy of little Alice's birth with them.
"Oh, that's wonderful. I'm little Alice's godfather now." George was in a good mood and couldn't resist bragging to Fred, who was scowling beside him.
"Don't get too happy yet. You probably won't be able to leave headquarters for a while." Fred countered bluntly.
"Yeah, keep this a secret for now to avoid trouble with the Death Eaters and the Mystery Man," Albert instructed.
"Do you mind if I tell others about little Alice?" George asked.
"Let others know, but change the subject," Albert said, then asked, "By the way, how is the situation in Britain?"
"You haven't seen today's newspaper, have you?" George suddenly asked, "No, I haven't. Is there any news?"
"The Ministry found Bubaji." Fred's voice suddenly sounded urgent. "They found her in the house you predicted. The Death Eaters used her to set a trap, luring Ministry members into it. We lost an Auror and three members of the Crisis Response Team, with many more injured."
"If it weren't for the Aurors carrying a lot of Dark Magic defense gadgets, the losses would have been even heavier."
"What about the Death Eaters?" Albert asked.
"Quite a few of them died as well." George shook his head. "The Ministry has placed another order with us for Dark Magic defense gadgets."
"How's Bubaji doing?" Albert inquired.
"She's not dead, but the Cruciatus Curse has driven her insane." George believed that the Death Eaters had intentionally kept her alive to use as bait, knowing that killing her would make it harder for Albert to locate her through divination.
After a moment of silence, Albert took down a two-way mirror from the shelf and softly called out Scrimgeour's name. He needed to have a talk with the man.
Happy New Year (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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