Chapter 1445: Growing Pains
Chapter 1445: Growing Pains
"I hate this place."
"No wonder Albert didn't choose this place as the headquarters for the Defense Association before."
On the rooftop of the hotel, several members of the Defense Association were setting up a vegetable garden. Ever since they were forced to leave the village, they had to spend a significant amount of time renovating their new headquarters to make it more comfortable.
"Stop complaining and get it done. It's almost lunchtime."
"I heard that Sanna went out for supplies again today."
"I guess it's going to be a menu of fries, Coke, hamburgers, chicken legs, and pizza again."
"I think it tastes pretty good when it's hot."
They waved their wands, arranging the soil boxes neatly. In a while, when the weather gets warmer, they will plant some short-term vegetables to enrich their daily menu.
After all, they couldn't eat Muggle fast food all the time. Even though Albert had a small amount of pounds, eating out all the time would still be a strain on their finances.
"Actually, I've always been curious. Why don't we plant in Albert's trunk instead?"
Finally, someone couldn't help but bring up this question after finishing the soil preparation and composting.
"That trunk is Albert's personal item, and there's no space for us to plant vegetables. You can't just dig up what's already in there and replace it with vegetables." Cedric glanced at him and said indifferently.
He also knew that the person was complaining because he didn't want to do this work, but some things shouldn't be pushed too far. He was well aware that Albert would never want anyone to use a noble cause to coerce him into doing something.
"I was just saying."
The person realized he had gone too far when Cedric looked at him.
"Do you remember the bean sprouts? I heard that there's a large area in the trunk dedicated to growing them."
Someone changed the subject, sensing the tense atmosphere.
"I heard that George tried to grow them using the same method, but it didn't work. He said the temperature was too low for sprouts to grow."
"That dish was quite refreshing."
Damn those Death Eaters for burning down our vegetable garden! Amidst the complaints, everyone finally finished their tasks and washed their hands in a basin. They dried their hands on a clean towel and slowly made their way to the temporary dining area.
"I wonder when we'll be able to solve the water supply problem."
"Probably in a few more days. Fred and George are working on it," Cedric reassured them.
"If not, let's just dig a well somewhere!" someone suggested.
That was how Albert had solved the water supply problem in the village.
Without a stable water supply, life would be extremely inconvenient, and this was the main reason why most of the members who had just moved were constantly complaining.
Of course, they weren't blaming Albert. All their dissatisfaction was directed at the culprits who had put them in this predicament.
In this situation, only the delicious food on the table could temporarily ease their discontent.
When they entered the dining room, they found it full of people.
"I heard things are getting chaotic out there."
As he distributed the food, Fred suddenly brought up some news he had received from the Order of the Phoenix.
"What happened?"
Cedric took a bite of his hamburger and chewed slowly as he spoke.
"Those Dark Wizards..." Lee Jordan, his mouth full, mumbled inarticulate, "They're..."
"Can't you swallow your food first?"
Cedric looked at Lee Jordan, who was stuffing pizza into his mouth like a starving ghost.
"...using the title of the 'Mysterious One' to commit all sorts of evil deeds in the wizarding world. Even the Ministry of Magic dares not interfere, and The Prophet doesn't dare mention a word," Fred continued, handing Lee Jordan a glass of iced Coke. "I heard that the 'Mysterious One' is very dissatisfied with the current Death Eaters and plans to replace them with new recruits from the Dark Wizards. Although Voldemort didn't say it directly, that's probably what he means."
"Those Dark Wizards are so eager to jump onto the 'Mysterious One's' sinking ship?"
The eavesdropping crowd was taken aback. No matter how they looked at it, the 'Mysterious One's' ship seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
"It's normal. Most Dark Wizards just want to use Voldemort's name to do their dirty work. They're probably the type to grab what they can and run at the first sign of trouble. When things get tough, they'll be the first to flee," Kenneth said, knowing more about wizards who operated in the gray areas than most.
"And to many Dark Wizards, the 'Mysterious One' is far from a sinking ship."
Noticing the confused looks on their faces, Kenneth took a sip of his Coke and explained calmly, "The core of the Death Eaters has always been the 'Mysterious One' himself, and in this regard, the Order of the Phoenix and the Defense Association are quite similar."
"Take the Order of the Phoenix, for example. You should have noticed that after Dumbledore's death, the Order's situation became very awkward, and they no longer have the strength to stand against the 'Mysterious One'."
Kenneth was aware of the recent rumors within the association and wanted to use this opportunity to remind them not to cause any trouble.
"It seems the 'Mysterious One' has been hit hard. Otherwise, he wouldn't be making such a move."
It was common knowledge that qualified Death Eaters were mostly from well-known pure-blood families in Britain. This was Voldemort's way of gaining support from those families, and now he seemed to be giving up on them?
It was highly unusual.
The reason, of course, was the failed ambush.
"I say, if you have the time to worry about all this, why not focus on when we can have proper meals again?" Alicia waved her fried chicken leg. "I admit this food tastes good, but we can't eat it every day. And buying food must be expensive!"
"Probably a few more days. Once the water supply is back to normal, we can cook properly again," Sanna, the housekeeper, reassured them.
The hotel actually had a well, but it hadn't been used for a long time. Before they could use it, they had to make sure the water was potable.
So, following Albert's instructions, they cleaned the well, pumped out the water, and repeated the process several times. Only then would they be able to determine if the well water was safe to drink.
Sanna's words were reassuring. She always managed to keep the association running smoothly, and everyone trusted her abilities.
Once the water supply was restored, the discomfort of moving to a new place would be greatly alleviated.
"By the way, has anyone seen Albert? He hasn't shown up for several days." They changed the subject.
"Albert? He's been teaching Harry a powerful spell lately," Fred said, knowing about this.
He also knew that Albert hadn't come to face their difficulties with them, which had led to some grumbling.
"What kind of powerful spell?"
The topic immediately piqued the others' curiosity.
"I heard it's a dangerous and powerful Dark spell, probably meant to be used against the 'Mysterious One'," Fred said, without directly mentioning that Albert was teaching Harry the Cruciatus Curse. He didn't want others to hear and want to learn it as well.
In fact, Fred was right. Some members did want to learn it, but he had dissuaded them by saying, "Do I look like I know how to cast it?"
(End of Chapter)
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