Chapter 1443: Overworked
Chapter 1443: Overworked
The afternoon sun shone through the ceiling overhead, casting its rays into the courtyard of the sea vessel. Katrina, who had been reading her potion-making notes, looked up towards the entrance upon hearing footsteps. A young couple, intimately entwined, strolled towards them, their laughter filling the air. Feeling a twinge of sourness in her heart, the young girl rolled her eyes and quipped, "You two are finally up and about, I see."
"First, prepare us something to eat," Albert instructed the house-elf.
"Where's Alice?" Isabelle inquired.
"I just fed her. Mom is watching the baby for you," Katrina replied, her tone conveying that Isabelle had nearly forgotten about her parental duties.
"Then I'll go check on Alice," Isabelle said.
She kissed Albert's cheek and headed towards the living room.
Albert pulled out a chair and sat down beside Katrina. Picking up the newspaper on the table, he casually asked, "Any juicy gossip in there?"
"If you're referring to last night's incident, the ruckus you caused did make the front page of the Daily Prophet," Katrina closed her notebook and eyed Albert, who was covering a yawn with his hand. She furrowed her brows in concern, "Are you alright? You still look rather tired."
"I'm fine, just a bit overworked," Albert assured her.
He withdrew his wand, gave it a slight flick, and conjured a cup of health-restoring tea for himself. Sipping the tea, he leisurely began to peruse the newspaper.
"Overworked?" Katrina gave him a strange look, her eyes traveling up and down his frame.
"It seems like you..."
"Are you thinking something rude?" Albert interrupted suddenly.
"No," Katrina replied dryly.
"Don't overthink it. My body is in excellent condition, perhaps even stronger and healthier than most wizards. So, you really don't need to worry about my health or entertain any wild thoughts, unless..." Albert stopped himself from finishing the sentence.
"Albert's body is indeed amazing," Isabelle chimed in, winking at her sister. She placed a bowl of warmed seafood rice, prepared by the house-elf, in front of Albert, then leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "But next time, we should exercise some restraint."
Albert, just about to start eating, shot Isabelle a plaintive look.
If I'm this tired, it's because of your high-intensity demands! "Well, how is it? Delicious?" Isabelle asked with a beaming smile.
"Mhm, it's good," Albert replied. "By the way, I might need to make a trip out soon," he said, tapping the newspaper on the table, "but I should be back soon."
He really didn't want to discuss the intimate details of married life in front of Katrina, so he steered the conversation towards his upcoming plans.
"Okay, be careful, and remember to come back early," Isabelle kissed Albert and said gently.
"I will," Albert assured her.
After finishing the meal, he got up to gather his things for the trip back to Britain.
"You two never miss an opportunity to kiss, do you?" Katrina teased.
"It's normal, isn't it? We're a married couple, and it's important to keep things exciting. Otherwise, life would be dull," Isabelle replied nonchalantly as she began to slowly savor her own dinner, even though it was still quite early for supper.
Katrina was left speechless, stumbling over her words, "I-I just think some things should be done in moderation. Albert looks... really tired."
Isabelle put down her spoon and moved closer to Katrina, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "My dearest sister..."
...
Albert had no idea what the McDougal sisters were whispering about.
Right after dinner, he returned to Britain.
He had no choice.
News of the major incident from the previous night—the "Defense Association Headquarters attacked by Voldemort"—had spread like wildfire throughout the British wizarding community, and the situation had escalated far beyond what Albert had anticipated. He realized that he had to return to handle the fallout and tie up loose ends to prevent any potential major issues.
"So, the members of the Order of the Phoenix believe that we were tragically killed by a mysterious person?"
Albert's expression was priceless as he listened to Shana recount how Fred and George had rushed to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters.
To be honest, he wouldn't have found it strange if others had jumped to that conclusion, but for the members of the Order of the Phoenix to assume that the "Defense Association" had been wiped out was a bit much.
Moreover, after the expected attack from the previous night was reported in the Daily Prophet and spread throughout the wizarding community, a ridiculous rumor emerged that everyone from the Defense Association had perished.
Well, the Daily Prophet hadn't reported that he was dead, but that was certainly the impression it gave.
"Yes, I find it odd too," Shana reported, "In fact, it's not just the Order of the Phoenix. The shelter was almost in an uproar as well. The families there heard that their children had died, and they almost..."
"I have no idea what they were thinking," Albert said, deciding that he wouldn't allow those families to remain in the shelter any longer.
It was bad enough that they couldn't be turned into combat assets, but they might even become a source of chaos—something he hadn't anticipated.
However, this wasn't surprising. Such situations were probably quite common, regardless of the location. After all, the Death Eaters were in no better shape.
No, the Death Eaters were in an even worse state.
Albert looked at Shana and asked, "What do you think is the reason for this?"
"I recall you mentioning something about how 'worry causes chaos,'" Shana replied.
"I don't think that's the reason," Albert mumbled, "It's more likely that they subconsciously believed it because the idea that Voldemort cannot be defeated is so deeply ingrained. When faced with that situation, they just..."
Shana also thought they were foolish, but she understood the reason—they didn't trust Albert.
Yes, this whole fiasco was the result of a lack of trust in Albert.
Perhaps it was because Albert was too young, or perhaps it was because they didn't know him well enough. There could be various reasons.
"There's nothing we can do about it," Albert said.
"Indeed, there's no good solution. Let them think what they want," Albert shrugged, indifferent to their opinions. Especially after hearing from Fred and George about Sirius and Harry's reactions to the attack, he found the rumors even more laughable.
Perhaps he should give everyone a big surprise and make a lasting impression.
"You really don't plan on clarifying this matter?" Shana asked.
"Let them think we're dead for now," Albert said nonchalantly, "Once we get things organized here and restore the Wizarding Wireless Network, they'll realize that they've been played for fools by the Daily Prophet, and we'll still be alive. I believe that will make quite an impression."
Albert's suggestion was quickly endorsed by the vast majority of association members. Indeed, the new headquarters was in disarray, and if they wanted to live comfortably in the following days, they needed to tidy up the place.
(End of Chapter)
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