Chapter 1303: Giving and Receiving
Chapter 1303: Giving and Receiving
As Albert disappeared amidst the crowd in the blink of an eye, Fred and his gang couldn't help but revel in the complaining voices emanating from the room nearby. It was about time Albert got to experience this firsthand.
"Do you think Albert will be able to calm them down?"
Cedric whispered to his companions as he watched the crowd cramming into the room. To be honest, he hoped that Albert could truly resolve the issue and make life less difficult for everyone.
"It's unlikely," Shan'na replied pessimistically, clearly not a fan of the clueless bunch inside. In her opinion, they should be left to their own devices; why bother with such an ungrateful task?
"Either way, don't expect us to donate any more Galleons," George quickly put an end to the idea of donating money. "The Galleons we have didn't just appear out of thin air."
"That bunch is like a bunch of three-year-olds, whining all day long without a hint of gratitude," Fred grumbled, feeling a level of disdain he had never experienced before.
Just maintaining the normal operations of the Defense Association was troublesome enough, as the supplies within the association also needed funding.
"Perhaps they've been living like dogs for the past few years," Lee Jordan quipped sarcastically. He, too, couldn't fathom why Albert had set up this place. They couldn't possibly help everyone, and he was sure Albert knew that and had anticipated this situation.
That was why he hadn't wanted to come here in the first place.
"At the very least, Albert saved them," Cedric voiced his admiration for Albert, who had rescued these people. Otherwise, many Muggle-born students would have ended up in Azkaban. No one dared bet on their chances of making it out of Azkaban alive.
Cedric was well aware of the immense pressure Albert was shouldering.
Most members of the Defense Association felt that what Albert was doing was a thankless task and that he should focus on running the association and gradually expanding its membership. The association was already united, and there was no need to pay any heed to these ungrateful people, nor waste their limited energy on them.
Yes, everyone felt indignant about this situation.
They had even conveyed this sentiment to Albert through Shan'na, believing that he was well aware of it: They could only provide limited help and couldn't truly satisfy everyone. Even though their actions had indeed saved many lives, there were hardly any who were truly grateful, because all they could remember was that someone had made their lives difficult.
"At least they're still alive, and that's enough. I suppose that's Albert's greatest mercy," Shan'na said, looking at the silhouette who was listening intently and trying to solve everyone's problems.
"After all, as long as people are alive, there is hope."
"I never thought they could escape the capture squads, especially without the use of magic."
"If they had been thrown into Azkaban, who knows how many would have survived?"
If they could truly blend in with Muggles, there wouldn't be so many people here.
Ultimately, it was because they had no better choice that they had sought refuge with Kingsley here. They had been told about the situation from the start, but that group of people never wanted to make an effort to improve their situation. They complained day after day, hoping that someone would help them alleviate their difficult circumstances. They were like children crying for milk, and this was why everyone disliked them so much. They were no longer children, and they had wands in their hands; they could have used magic to do something.
"Anderson is indeed an extraordinary person."
Ted Tonks had to admit this. Perhaps it wasn't appropriate to say that he had saved these people, but most of them should be grateful to him.
However, those children clearly lacked gratitude, and Albert didn't seem to mind, which was one of the reasons Ted admired him. He had only seen this kind of character in Dumbledore.
"I believe Anderson will become an extraordinary person like Dumbledore one day," Ted said with conviction.
"He already is!" Shan'na corrected him.
Ted looked at the noisy room and nodded, "You're right, he already is."
The group didn't stay to watch the show any longer but instead headed directly to Ted's room to avoid anyone losing control of their dislike and hurling nasty curses into the room.
Ted was different from the other refugees. He had been entrusted by the Order of the Phoenix to look after the students, so he wasn't here to endure hardship with them. Naturally, he had come prepared and was living in a magical tent inside his room.
Although it was strange to pitch a tent inside a room, it was undoubtedly much more comfortable than what the others had.
However, Ted hadn't let the other students know about this, as he knew that those with unbalanced minds might explode with jealousy. Who knew what outrageous things they might do?
"Do you think Albert will succeed?"
"It's probably difficult."
"He will. That guy never does anything he's not sure of."
About half an hour later, there was a knock on the door, and Albert came to invite them to a gathering.
"Can he solve the problem?" Cedric couldn't help but ask.
"I'm working on it." Albert replied calmly.
"How do you plan to do it? Are you going to hand them another bag of Galleons?" Shanna arched an eyebrow, curious about Albert's solution to this dilemma.
"I heard from Hannah that they plan to reorganize Dumbledore's Army (DA), and I think that's a good start." Albert led the group into an empty room where Hannah was waiting for them.
"Take a seat, everyone."
As the others looked on in confusion, Albert waved his wand, conjuring a few cardboard boxes out of thin air. He then transfigured them into stools and gestured for everyone to sit down.
After Shanna closed the door and the Weasley twins illuminated the room with magical candles, the DA meeting officially commenced.
Albert once again waved his wand, this time summoning drinks that appeared on the table. He took a sip of butterbeer before continuing, "It's incredibly challenging to change everyone's mindset all at once, and doing so might even breed resentment and defiance. They might start questioning who you think you are and why they should listen to you."
"People are just ungrateful like that. Once they've endured enough hardship, they'll naturally understand your good intentions." Lee Jordan added, noticing everyone's gaze on him. He shrugged and said, "Don't look at me like that. Those are Kenneth's exact words."
"We know, and we agree." The Weasley twins shared a glance and burst into laughter.
Among the group, only Hannah's expression seemed a bit unnatural.
"What we need is a role model." Albert cleared his throat, "Someone for everyone to emulate and follow."
"You mean recruiting members for the Defense Association?" Cedric raised an eyebrow.
"Dumbledore's Army." Hannah corrected.
"The name doesn't matter; it's just a symbol." Albert interrupted the hesitant group and continued, "Hannah, how many people are currently willing to join the DA?"
"Including me, there are about seven." Hannah was curious about Albert's plan.
"First, you'll need to clear out three rooms. One will be your meeting place, right here. The other two will serve as resting areas." Albert explained, "A comfortable environment and delicious food will foster unity among you."
"We only have flour and potatoes here." Hannah said helplessly.
"Regarding food, I'll have our house-elf, Dobby, teach you how to cook various dishes. We can provide a small amount of meat and eggs, but don't expect too much."
"No problem."
Seeing that Albert was genuinely trying to solve their problems, Hannah breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, you plan to attract people to join the Defense Association by offering them perks?" George realized what Albert was getting at.
"Do you think that will really work?"
"I just hope to change their misguided mindset. It's incredibly difficult to convince them directly; some things they need to figure out for themselves." Albert turned to Hannah and said, "When they realize that following in our footsteps will lead to a better life, they will willingly walk the path we've paved."
"Are you sure they won't explode with resentment? Won't they create conflict due to your differential treatment?" Fred frowned, concerned.
"They're spending their own Galleons, asking Mr. Tonks to help them purchase things." Albert replied without hesitation, "There's obviously no issue with me spending my own money to improve my own lifestyle."
"There's never a shortage of big mouths." George added.
"Exactly, so DA members will need to contribute a symbolic amount, and we'll take care of the rest. Of course, it won't cost much anyway." Albert said calmly.
"Is that really meaningful?" Hannah asked, confused.
"Of course. People only cherish things they've paid for and are less likely to waste them." Albert looked at Hannah, who appeared bewildered, and said, "If you can do this well, I believe you'll surpass others by leaps and bounds when it comes to management. They lack experience, and such opportunities are rare. I hope you'll cherish it."
After saying this, Albert glanced at Shanna, who averted her gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I will."
Hannah hesitated for a moment, realizing that this task was even more challenging than becoming a prefect. Nonetheless, she recognized it as a valuable opportunity for growth.
"Next, we'll discuss the DA gatherings." Albert said to Hannah, "Go and gather the other DA members who are willing to join."
Although Hannah didn't know what Albert was planning, she left to gather the other DA members.
Everyone was curious about what Albert wanted to discuss privately, but they all believed that it couldn't be anything bad.
After all, they supported Harry Potter and were willing to join the DA.
Whether it was called the Defense Association or Dumbledore's Army didn't seem to matter; the goal was the same—to support Harry and resist Voldemort.
They also trusted that Albert would provide additional benefits to them as loyal followers.
Life here was indeed a bit harsh.
(End of Chapter)
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