Chapter 1344: Rescuing Hagrid
Chapter 1344: Rescuing Hagrid
After leaving the headquarters of the Defense Association, Albert went directly to the shelter. He had arranged to meet with members of the Order of the Phoenix there to discuss their plan to rescue Hagrid.
"I wonder how this whole situation will eventually play out."
While the matter with Hagrid did provide him with a decent panel task, Albert wished that none of it had ever happened.
Perhaps it was due to his recent marriage, but he found himself increasingly averse to unknown risks.
"If Nelson doesn't mind, I'd like to have a chat with him before the members of the Order arrive." Albert casually surveyed the changes in the shelter as he spoke to Hannah, who was by his side. "Don't worry, I just want to offer him some guidance."
"What he did... it's just so..." Hannah trailed off.
"Frightening?" Albert asked, knowing full well what she was thinking. "And what about you?"
"If it were me, I probably would have done the same." Hannah had joined the Defense Association precisely to seek revenge on Death Eaters.
"They're still young, and this is indeed too cruel for them. But such is war." Albert gave an ambiguous response.
The two turned into the second-to-last room on the second floor. The room was relatively clean. Soon enough, Hannah returned with Nelson Tobin in tow.
"Take a seat, and relax. I'm not here to blame you for anything." Albert's tone was calm as he looked at the anxious young man before him, making it seem as though they were merely chatting about trivial matters.
At least, for Albert, it truly wasn't a matter of great importance.
"You don't disapprove of my revenge?"
Nelson Tobin looked up sharply, his eyes wide as he stared at Albert.
"I don't support it, but neither do I oppose it. Everyone has the right to seek revenge." Albert interlaced his fingers on the table and regarded the youth before him gently. "The reason I wanted to talk to you is that revenge should only occupy a small part of your life, not consume your entire existence. You should think about what you want to do after you've avenged your family—that's what truly matters."
"After my revenge is complete?"
Nelson Tobin's eyes clouded with confusion. He had never considered this question before. He vaguely remembered Albert saying something similar to him that night.
"Yes, once everything is over." Albert suggested tentatively, "You could become an Auror who fights against Dark Wizards, or you could go out and see the world."
"I don't want to be an Auror. Look at what the Aurors at the Ministry have done!" Nelson Tobin's anger flared at the mention of the Ministry, and he trembled with rage. "It was the Ministry that betrayed me and my family."
"While you're not wrong about that, it would be more accurate to say that your misfortune, and that of the students hiding here, was caused by Umbridge and Yaxley." Albert regarded Nelson calmly, guiding him, "You should be well aware of what kind of person Umbridge is. As far as I know, she has been trying her best to obtain the addresses of Muggle-born wizards, and Yaxley has been the one executing their plans. They are attempting to gain the trust of the mysterious person by capturing and killing Muggle-born wizards through the Snatchers."
"Umbridge and Yaxley."
Nelson repeated the two names, his face twisting with hatred.
"I understand your eagerness for revenge, but your current abilities are insufficient. Any reckless action could cost you your life."
"Can I join the Defense Association?"
Nelson asked eagerly, his face full of hope. He had heard from Hannah and Bones that by joining the Defense Association, he would be able to learn more advanced magic and become stronger.
"Not for now." Albert shook his head. "There are still traces of magic on you that could expose our location. If you want to join the Association, you'll have to wait until you're an adult."
"I'm turning seventeen soon." Nelson Tobin said expectantly.
"Then we'll talk about it when you're an adult. For now, I suggest you focus on building a solid foundation and improving your magic. Don't let hatred cloud your judgment." Albert was still somewhat surprised by Nelson Tobin's intense hatred for Dark Wizards.
"Remember, there's no need to rush. There will be plenty of opportunities for revenge, and even if you want to take revenge on Dark Wizards, you must first ensure your own survival." Albert's gaze shifted towards the door as he reminded Nelson once more.
"Remember my words. Hatred isn't everything. If you still can't let go even after your revenge, consider my suggestion to become an Auror who fights for peace and against evildoers."
"Thank you."
Nelson Tobin was a bit impatient, but he still expressed his gratitude to Albert.
There were three reasons for this:
Albert had saved him.
Albert didn't stop him from seeking revenge and even offered to help.
Albert wanted him to find his own path in life after his revenge was complete.
He was a good man, just like Dumbledore.
Although Nelson Tobin, like most Slytherins, didn't like Dumbledore and thought he was a hypocrite, he couldn't deny that the man was good.
Albert, however, had no idea that he had just been labeled a "good man." As he rose to leave, he saw Harry and the others waiting for him in the corridor outside. It was clear that they had been eavesdropping on his conversation with Nelson.
"This isn't a good habit to develop."
Albert looked at Hermione, who seemed hesitant to speak, and said, "You want to ask me why I didn't stop him from seeking revenge, don't you?"
"I heard..."
Hermione paused for a moment before continuing.
"Harry, would you give up your hatred for Voldemort?" Albert stopped and turned to face Harry, who was standing behind him.
"No," Harry replied firmly. "Never. It has to be one of us."
"Then you understand," Albert said calmly. "If I were in your position, I'd go mad too. It's not easy to let go of hatred, Hermione."
"But didn't you just give him the opportunity to take revenge himself?" Hermione asked, having heard about this from Fred.
On the night Nelson Tobin was rescued, Albert had allowed him to kill the two Death Eaters who had been knocked down, thus avenging his family.
"In fact, the root cause of all this is Umbridge and Yaxley. Perhaps once he has truly avenged his family, he will be able to let go of his hatred."
Albert wasn't arrogant enough to think that he could convince someone to let go of their hatred, and he certainly wasn't going to let Umbridge, that toad, off the hook.
If Nelson truly couldn't let go of his hatred for Dark Wizards, Albert wouldn't mind offering him some assistance.
Someone had to do it.
If someone was willing to take on the task, he wouldn't stand in their way and would even be happy to help.
Although these were his true thoughts, Albert didn't voice them aloud.
"I just hope that after Nelson has completed his revenge, he will be able to do what he truly wants to do.
Albert smiled at Harry and asked, "After you get your revenge on the mysterious person, what do you plan to do next?"
"I haven't decided yet," Harry replied.
"Then think carefully about it, it's important. Hatred should never be the entirety of your life," Albert reminded him in a big-brotherly tone. Sometimes he felt a bit hypocritical, but that was just how people were.
"Do you think he'll go after Umbridge and Yaxley for revenge?" Ron suddenly asked.
"I don't know, maybe he will, maybe he won't. But I'm certain Nelson will cause trouble for the Dark Wizards," Albert said as he opened the door and walked into the room. He nodded slightly towards Moody and the others who were already inside, waiting for him. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
"We just got here ourselves," Sirius said with a nod.
"Let's get straight to the point," Moody said, taking a sip from his bottle. He pointed to the Prophet lying in the center of the table. "You must have seen today's newspaper as well."
"This is a planned trap, and a retaliation against us," Albert said as he sat down across from Moody.
"According to reliable information I received from the Ministry, Yaxley sent the Aurors into the Forbidden Forest last night to capture Hagrid's half-brother, Grawp," Kingsley said, handing a piece of parchment to Albert.
"Why Hagrid?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Because Hagrid is your good friend," Albert reminded him. "They want to not only take revenge on us but also lure you out to deal with you. So don't act rashly."
"He's right, we'll handle this. And you, Padfoot, will be in charge of keeping an eye on Harry to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Moody said to Sirius.
Sirius didn't respond to that but gave Albert a bitter smile instead. "We only found out about this recently ourselves."
They had heard that Hagrid had a giant half-brother, but they hadn't paid much attention to it. After all, who would be particularly interested in a giant hiding in the Forbidden Forest?
Moreover, ever since Dumbledore's sacrifice, Hagrid had been on the fringes of the Order of the Phoenix. He couldn't participate in many of their plans, and his presence had been rather low-key.
"Actually, I'm more curious about who told Yaxley about Grawp. Under normal circumstances, the Death Eaters wouldn't pay much attention to Hagrid, let alone know about his giant half-brother?" Albert looked at Kingsley, who shook his head. "It must be someone who holds a grudge against Harry and is also an acquaintance."
"It must be a Slytherin student, maybe Malfoy, Goyle, or Crabbe. I bet they've all joined the Death Eaters," Ron asserted, certain that this incident was related to those three.
"The most important thing right now is to rescue Hagrid," Hermione interrupted. "Albert, do you have a plan?"
"My suggestion is to use the Imperius Curse to control a Death Eater and have them send Hagrid a Portkey so he can escape from Azkaban," Albert said casually, analyzing the situation as he spoke. "Right now, all of Azkaban is a trap. I believe the mysterious person is keeping a close eye on it, so a direct jailbreak is definitely not an option."
"And it won't work to try and rescue him during the execution, as they will surely have made thorough preparations. So I think the best option right now is to send Hagrid away using a Portkey."
"What if the plan fails?"
Harry felt that the plan was a bit unreliable. If they wanted to rescue Hagrid, it would be best for Albert to go to Azkaban himself and get Hagrid out of the prison.
"We can send multiple Portkeys," Albert said without hesitation. "If it still fails, then I don't have a better solution. I don't support a direct confrontation, nor do I agree with letting others pay the price for Hagrid's choices."
"You think Hagrid deserves this," Ron said, feeling that Albert was being cold-hearted. He didn't believe that Albert didn't have a better plan.
"I've advised Hagrid many times, and I'm sure you all have too. Staying at Hogwarts was Hagrid's own choice," Albert said, his voice carrying a hint of coldness. "If Hagrid hadn't been so stubborn and had listened to our advice to find a place to hide, things might have turned out differently, and his half-brother Grawp might not have died. But there's no point in talking about this now. Some things can't be undone."
"I agree with Anderson's plan. Those Death Eaters probably wouldn't expect someone to do that," Moody said, cutting off the others. "But we need your help."
"You need to find a wizard who will go to Azkaban, otherwise, any other Death Eater going there would be too conspicuous. Even if you can't find such a person, you'll need to choose a suitable candidate," Albert provided them with a direction to work in.
"Finding a suitable candidate in a short time will be challenging," Kingsley said, looking at Albert. There was no doubt that using Divination would be the fastest way to find someone.
"Who will be executing Hagrid?" Albert asked suddenly.
"The current Head of the Auror Office, Walton McNeil," Moody said, knowing what Albert was getting at. However, the problem was that it would be rather difficult to manipulate Walton McNeil.
"I heard he volunteered for the job himself," Kingsley said, frowning slightly. "That guy used to be an executioner for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, and he has a peculiar interest in that sort of thing."
"Harry, do you remember in our third year when he almost chopped off Buckbeak's head?" Hermione reminded him.
"That guy's a maniac," Harry muttered.
"Most Death Eaters are," Albert said as he took out a prophecy orb from his bag and narrowed his eyes at the images within the crystal ball. "Walton McNeil is indeed a good candidate. You'll be able to find him at his home tonight."
"Aren't you coming with us?"
"You can't rely on me for everything," Albert said, a bit exasperated. "That's not good, as it's easy to form a dependency."
"But this concerns Hagrid's life," Ron reminded him, and anyone who didn't know better would think that Ron and Hagrid were close friends.
"People are relying on the Savior for everything these days," Albert said, looking around at the group before his gaze settled back on Ron. "That's not only a sign of weakness but also extremely irresponsible to put the burden of defeating the mysterious person solely on Harry."
"And I have my own matters to attend to," Albert added.
"What matters?" Harry asked.
"Attracting the mysterious person's attention directly, so they don't keep their eyes fixed on Azkaban. It's easy for them to see through our plans that way," Albert corrected once again. "Let me say this again: this has never been a direct confrontation. Our only goal is to rescue Hagrid."
(End of Chapter)
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