Chapter 1283: Rescue Mission (Part 2)
Chapter 1283: Rescue Mission (Part 2)
Following George's apparition, the duo appeared in a secluded suburban area surrounded by abandoned houses, among which lay the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
"It's just up ahead," George began, about to disclose the location to Albert, but he was abruptly stopped.
"What is it?" George immediately grew alert, scanning their surroundings.
"Your Animagus form is rather distinctive," Albert explained as he waved his wand, revealing a shadow lurking in the shadows of the dilapidated houses.
"Not every wizard is as perceptive as you," Sirius acknowledged, transforming back into his human form in front of Albert and greeting him.
"I'm sure everyone will be delighted to see you," Albert replied.
"What were you doing just now?" George asked, puzzled.
"As we arrived, we triggered an intrusion spell left by the Order," Albert casually explained, "Sirius probably came to check who it was, and if it was an enemy, he could take the opportunity to ambush them."
"Something like that," Sirius acknowledged, casting an admiring glance at Albert as he took the lead, guiding them towards their destination.
"We're here," Sirius announced after a short walk, and the trio halted in front of an empty lot.
"Welcome to number 19, York Street," George said, and as his words trailed off, a run-down house materialized before Albert.
Albert had anticipated that he would visit the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix one day, but he never imagined it would be under such circumstances.
"Dobby, take George back for now, and come back later," Albert instructed the seemingly empty air beside him after learning the location of the headquarters from George.
The house-elf, Dobby, appeared out of thin air and took George's hand, ready to apparate with him.
"Wait—" Before George could finish his sentence, Dobby had already taken him away with his apparition magic.
"A house-elf?" Sirius stared at the spot where Dobby had disappeared, surprised that Albert had a house-elf in his company.
"Dobby used to be a house-elf for the Malfoy family. Later, I spent some galleons to hire him to work for me," Albert clarified.
"You're probably the only one in the wizarding world who would do that," Sirius remarked, trusting that Albert had his reasons for bringing a house-elf along.
"They are excellent helpers, loyal and reliable," Albert added, expressing his trust in house-elves.
Sirius hesitated, his skepticism influenced by the terrible impression left by Kreacher.
As they approached the headquarters, the wooden door suddenly swung open, and a dark figure leaped into Albert's arms. Hermione's voice rang out, "I knew you wouldn't stand by and do nothing. I knew you would come to help us."
Albert gently patted Hermione's shoulder and said resignedly, "Let's go inside and talk. This place is probably no longer safe."
Behind Hermione, Ron wore a gloomy expression as if someone owed him a large sum of galleons. In contrast, Harry directed a grateful glance at Albert.
"Sorry, I'm just...too happy," Hermione apologized, releasing Albert and pulling him into the headquarters.
As a semi-outsider, Hermione was more aware than most present how challenging it was for Albert to agree to help clean up this mess.
The current predicament was entirely due to their previous refusal to heed Albert's advice, and he had no part in causing it.
Moreover, Albert had already helped them on more than one occasion, going above and beyond what was expected of him.
Yet, he was still willing to assist in resolving the situation, which spoke volumes about his character.
"You should be cautious of your surroundings lately. There's a high probability that the Weasley couple has been captured. If the enemy has any sense, it won't be difficult to extract information about Harry's whereabouts or the approximate location of the headquarters from them," Albert warned Sirius. "That's why I asked Dobby to take George away. It could spell disaster if the Secret-Keeper were discovered here."
"You mean...there might be Dark Wizards watching this place?" Lee Jordan finally grasped the implication of Albert's words, a matter that Albert had been vigilant about.
Only the Fidelius Charm could truly keep enemies at bay; other protective measures were less effective.
"It's obvious," Albert remarked, surveying their surroundings inquisitively. "By the way, where's Fred?"
"Fred's emotions are a bit unstable, so we let him rest for now," Lee explained, feeling slightly awkward as he was the one who had cast the spell on Fred. However, he didn't see any issue with his actions, as impulsive behavior could easily mess things up.
"Go and wake Fred up," Albert suggested, understanding Lee's good intentions.
Ultimately, their journey had been too smooth, and while the Weasley twins had matured under his guidance, the Gryffindor impulsiveness still lingered, especially when it concerned their family.
Somehow, the once spacious corridor suddenly became crowded. Many members of the Order of the Phoenix rushed to see Albert, as if he were some rare and exotic creature.
"Move along, move along! No crowding here," Mad-Eye Moody finally lost his patience and bellowed at the crowd.
The group poured into the living room, eager to hear Albert's opinion. At this point, they were truly out of ideas.
Especially after their hasty escape from the safe house, no one dared to venture back and risk their lives.
"I've just performed a divination," Albert announced, unconcerned by the stares of the others. "The Weasley couple will most likely end up in Azkaban. However, the situation is not as dire as it could be."
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how to respond.
If this was considered "not too bad," they dreaded to think what would qualify as terrible.
"Does anyone know the current situation at the safe house?" Albert inquired.
"Kingsley just went to gather information. He should be back with news soon," Sirius quickly explained. "Others with connections are also helping to gather intelligence from within the Ministry."
At that moment, Bill walked into the living room with a tearful Fleur. The wedding had turned into a disaster, and the whereabouts of the Delacours were still unknown.
"Does anyone know how many people Scrimgeour killed before he died? I'm referring to the number of Dark Wizards he took down," Albert scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on Mad-Eye Moody.
"The Death Eaters were all slain by that guy, and quite a few Dark Wizards perished in the previous battle," Moody replied with a bitter smile. "As you know, Scrimgeour has authorized the Aurors to directly eliminate any resisting Dark Wizards."
As he finished speaking, everyone suddenly understood why Albert considered the situation not too dire.
With Scrimgeour's actions, it was only natural that Voldemort would take his anger out on the captives.
After all, Scrimgeour would likely perish in his duel with Voldemort, and if that didn't appease the Dark Lord's wrath, then those who hadn't escaped in time would surely face dire consequences.
"I warned them," Albert suddenly interjected. "They are all adults and must take responsibility for their actions. Those who chose to stay despite the circumstances have likely made their peace with the potential outcome."
His words left everyone speechless.
"According to my divination," Albert steered the conversation back on track, "The Weasley couple will likely undergo harsh interrogation and then be sent to Azkaban to serve as bait to lure you out."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"However, the situation is not hopeless as long as they're alive. There's still a chance," Albert glanced at Fred, who had just rushed into the meeting room, and said to Sirius, "Give Fred a calming draught. Impulsive behavior will never solve anything."
"So, are we going to stage a prison break?" Bill asked abruptly. "Are we going to rescue them from Azkaban?"
"That place is likely a trap, and anyone who falls for it will probably perish. The best course of action would be to intercept them on their way to Azkaban and take them back by force," Albert asked Moody directly, "Do you know where Azkaban is? Do you know how the Ministry transports prisoners there? Surely they don't just Apparate or use Floo powder?"
"There's a special port in the wizarding world," Moody replied. "If the Ministry hasn't changed their methods, the Aurors usually transport prisoners to Azkaban by way of a self-cruising ship. As for the exact location, no one knows for sure, but it's likely on a small island in the cold waters of the North Sea. Finding it often relies on luck."
"In that case, intercepting them midway could be tricky," Albert waved his wand, summoning a piece of parchment and a quill, which he then handed to Fred. "I need you to sketch a simple map of the area near the safe house."
Fred, who had just taken a calming draught, couldn't help but ask, "What do you need that for?"
"I need to confirm if they're still at the safe house and understand the situation over there," Albert replied.
The group exchanged confused glances, unsure what Albert was planning, but Fred complied and began drawing the map with Ginny's help to fill in the details.
"The Human-presence Spell is quite a useful charm," Albert took the parchment and tapped it lightly with his wand. "If the Death Eaters are still lingering at the safe house, we might consider going there to rescue them directly, as long as the mysterious person has already left."
"That doesn't sound like you," Fred mumbled. They couldn't fathom why Albert would be afraid of Voldemort.
As for the reason, Albert never gave a clear explanation, only telling them that the time wasn't right.
The map began to change, and a spot of ink appeared out of thin air, marked with Kingsley's name.
The group of Death Eaters who had not shown up in person had left, apparently deciding not to interrogate the captured witches and wizards on-site.
(End of Chapter)
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