Chapter 1274: The Wedding
Chapter 1274: The Wedding
Unrequited Love?
Scrimgeour didn't feel that the situation was too dire. Otherwise, given the other party's character, how could he have brought his wife to attend the Weasley wedding? After all, Scrimgeour knew that before the Dark Lord's return, Anderson had quietly hidden his family and the McDougal family, successfully evading the Death Eaters' retaliation.
"You wouldn't mind lending a hand later, would you?"
Scrimgeour turned to Fred, who was leading the guests in, and said, "I recall you have a good relationship with the Weasleys."
"You're becoming more and more like the Minister of Magic," Albert remarked, marveling at how the position had honed Scrimgeour's skills. In just a year, Scrimgeour had transformed into a qualified politician.
Hagrid and Madame Maxime, seated beside them, were thoroughly confused. What did he mean by saying he was becoming more like the Minister of Magic? Wasn't he the Minister of Magic? Moreover, they realized that Albert seemed to be quite familiar with this presumed minister.
"Don't worry, that guy won't show up," Albert said, speaking the words Scrimgeour most wanted to hear. "And haven't you already made arrangements?"
"I was hoping to get some advice from you as well," Scrimgeour said, one of the reasons he had stayed.
"Well, you'd better hurry up then," Albert urged.
"It seems you think I'll fail," Scrimgeour said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I'd prefer if you succeeded; it would save a lot of trouble," Albert replied.
"You're as unpleasant as ever," Scrimgeour said, his tone conveying his dislike.
Scrimgeour gave Albert a deep look, his clenched fists relaxing as he inhaled slowly. Then, he stood and left. He had understood Albert's meaning—that he didn't think highly of his plan and expected him to fail, but he still supported his endeavor.
"Can't you speak in a way that people can understand?" Hagrid finally blurted out, unable to contain his confusion any longer.
"Who was that?" Madame Maxime asked, her curiosity piqued.
Albert's acquaintance with the Minister of Magic didn't surprise her, but the familiarity in their conversation made it seem like they were old friends.
"The Minister of Magic of England," Albert replied.
"Rufus Scrimgeour!" Hagrid exclaimed, only to realize that his voice had mysteriously vanished.
"Shh!"
Albert made a hushing gesture toward Hagrid.
"That guy intentionally disguised himself, obviously not wanting people to know he's here. So now you understand why I wasn't speaking plainly," Albert explained, amused by Madame Maxime's laughter.
Hagrid paused, then lifted a finger to his throat, signaling for Albert to release him from the spell.
"What's wrong, Hagrid?" Harry asked, having approached at some point with Ron and Hermione by his side.
"What's going on, Hagrid?" Ron asked, seeing Hagrid's gestures toward Albert.
"When did you put a spell on me?" Hagrid demanded, his tone conveying his displeasure as he realized he could now speak normally.
"Hagrid, think before you speak or act. The wizarding world today isn't as forgiving as our friends here," Albert said, unperturbed by Hagrid's glare. Turning to Harry, Hermione, and Ron, he continued, "I assume you don't want Hagrid to get into serious trouble either?"
"What kind of trouble?" Hermione asked, her anxiety evident.
Not just her; Harry and Ron shared a similar sense of foreboding.
"As a remnant of Dumbledore's era, you no longer fit in at Hogwarts as it is now. I suggest you disappear for a while," Albert advised.
"What do you mean, 'remnant'?" Hagrid was completely bewildered.
"It means you're one of Dumbledore's people," Albert clarified, turning to Madame Maxime. "If you continue to stay at Hogwarts, you'll eventually bring trouble upon yourself. When the Death Eaters find the time to deal with you, you won't be able to escape, and you know what your fate will be."
Albert, too, hoped that Madame Maxime would help persuade Hagrid.
"Moreover, I'm sure you'd rather stay at Hogwarts with Snape as the headmaster, right?"
"Hagrid, I think you should listen to Albert," Harry said. "If he's bringing this up now, it must be because of a serious prophecy. He wouldn't do this otherwise."
"What about Grawp?" Hagrid worried about his half-brother.
"Grawp isn't a child; he can take care of himself, and you can't watch over him forever." Madame Maxime turned to Albert and asked, "What have you foreseen?"
"Hagrid will be sent to Azkaban and kept company by Dementors," Albert said calmly, watching as Hagrid shuddered involuntarily. "Some of the Dementors will be reinstated by the Death Eaters and returned to that prison to torment the unfortunate Muggle-born wizards imprisoned there."
Yes, in Albert's prophecy, Hagrid did not escape his fate and was sent to Azkaban, where his situation did not look promising.
Hagrid was stunned by Albert's words, and it was clear that he was frightened by what he had heard.
There was no other option.
The only impression Azkaban had left on Hagrid was a terrible one.
"Don't expect the Death Eaters to manage Azkaban as the Ministry of Magic did before; that place will become hell on earth." Albert calmly spoke in a chilling tone: "Maybe for six months, maybe a year, or even longer, and perhaps forever, along with many other Muggle-born wizards."
"Don't ever be complacent."
"Think about what happened to Professor Burbage, Hagrid. If she had heeded my advice from the start, she wouldn't have died."
As Hagrid's friend, Ron also hoped that Hagrid would not come to any harm.
Ever since Professor Burbage's gruesome death, everyone had realized that they should at least consider heeding Albert's advice.
"I thought you would try to persuade him some more."
Isabelle held Albert's hand, suddenly realizing that her husband's attendance at the wedding wasn't just about celebrating with friends. He also knew that Albert didn't want to see his friends in danger, so he took this opportunity, with Hagrid's other friends present, to hope that they could help convince Hagrid together.
"Sometimes, you just have to do your best and let things unfold."
Albert sometimes regretted using his prophetic abilities, but with the power to foresee the future, he often found himself unable to resist using it.
"As Scrimgeour said, everyone has their own ideas, and you can't expect others to always follow your wishes."
Albert seemed to sense something, and he turned to look in a certain direction. He saw a beautiful silver-haired girl staring at him intently.
"The wedding is about to begin," Isabelle whispered.
"Yes, I hope they have a wonderful life together." Albert averted his gaze from the girl and looked toward the entrance.
Mr. Drakul and Fleur were walking down the aisle, and the guests' attention was immediately drawn to the radiant bride.
In that moment, everyone else paled in comparison to Fleur's beauty.
"She's truly stunning," Isabelle remarked.
"Yes, she is. But don't worry too much about it." Albert, noticing Isabelle's slight envy, whispered, "What attracts me to you will always be your wisdom and inner beauty. After all, we're going to spend the rest of our lives together."
A comfortable and happy life was what truly mattered.
"It's a shame their luck isn't too good."
Isabelle watched as Fleur and Bill exchanged rings, standing next to the small wizard, and she couldn't help but feel that the couple was unlucky.
Just like them, their wedding had been targeted by both the mysterious man and the Death Eaters, but while their ceremony had gone smoothly, this place would soon become a battlefield.
No, it wasn't a possibility—it was inevitable.
"Don't worry. We'll give them our gift later, and I'm sure Bill and Fleur will make their own luck." Albert seemed to sense something, and he turned to look at Hagrid, who was sobbing uncontrollably and blowing his nose loudly into a large handkerchief, overcome with emotion by the wedding. He also noticed Hermione doing the same, and he turned to Isabelle.
"What is it?"
"I thought you were crying too, overcome by the wedding like the rest of them."
Isabelle rolled her eyes at Albert, and they joined the rest of the guests in applauding the young couple, wishing them a lifetime of happiness.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
