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Chapter 1483: Cooperation
Chapter 1483: Cooperation
"You really won't lend a hand?"
Isobel walked over, straightened Albert's clothes, and took the specially made cloak from Katrina to drape over his shoulders.
"No, I'm not a Healer, so there's not much use in me going."
Albert had no interest in voluntarily helping a group of troublemakers who enjoyed putting themselves in harm's way.
"Mom might be able to help."
Indeed, when it came to treating symptoms of magical ailments, Madam McDougal was more knowledgeable than most Healers.
"Now that I've extricated myself, there's no need to get involved again."
Albert gently kissed his wife's cheek and pulled up his hood. "Those guys got themselves into that situation. Besides, Madam Pomfrey will definitely be able to heal their injuries."
"Be careful, and... come back soon."
With Isobel's reminders ringing in his ears, Albert Disapparated.
When he reappeared, he was standing on a secluded path.
Before him was a run-down town illuminated by flickering lights, and even from a distance, the foul stench hanging in the air was palpable.
"It's a wonder he managed to find such a place."
Albert wrinkled his nose as his gaze swept over the garbage and sewage lining the streets, suspecting that Bagman had chosen this location purely to disgust those who came looking for him, hoping that the stench permeating the town would drive away any unwanted visitors.
He seamlessly blended into the shadows cast by the buildings, causing the passersby on the street to instinctually overlook his presence.
Soon enough, Albert deliberately veered off the main path and ventured down a secluded alleyway. A decrepit old house with boarded-up windows materialized before him.
With wand at the ready, Albert approached the dilapidated house and gently knocked on the wooden door.
Before long, the door creaked open.
"How did you find this place?"
Bagman stared at Albert, his expression devoid of surprise, as if he had anticipated Albert's visit.
"I thought you'd invite me in first. Standing outside isn't wise," Albert said with a smile.
The other man seemed to snap out of his daze and, after a brief invitation, stepped aside to allow Albert to enter.
"I'm a Divination expert. Finding your Secret-Keeper wasn't exactly difficult."
Albert surveyed the hall, now understanding why Bagman hadn't been too keen on letting him inside.
There were no signs of anyone living here long-term, indicating that Bagman didn't reside in this place.
Evidently, it was merely a decoy to mislead others.
Albert appraised the International Confederation of Wizards' president before him, his gaze making the other man squirm.
"He actually told you."
"Convincing him wasn't difficult," Albert said, withdrawing his scrutinizing gaze. "Especially when you wanted to meet with me, and blackmailing others isn't a good habit."
"That wasn't my intention," Bagman shook his head. "I never thought he'd do something like that."
"I'm more curious about how you convinced him to be your Secret-Keeper," Albert inquired.
"I merely asked him for a favor, and the reward was this old house."
"If the mysterious person really wanted to pry your location from your friend's mouth, it wouldn't be particularly difficult. Even though you don't live here, once they obtain the two-way mirror, misleading you wouldn't be hard."
"So, you came to me specifically about the communication bookmark?"
When Bagman had left the communication bookmark, he had anticipated this day, though he hadn't expected it to come so soon.
"Yes, don't you want to explain?"
Albert sat in the worn armchair and, with a casual wave of his wand, conjured two cups of butterbeer from thin air.
"It's hard to imagine you'd offer me this," Bagman commented as he picked up a cup and took a sip.
"Because I intend to add a few drops of Veritaserum," Albert said, shocking the other man. "I'm not sure if alcohol will cause the potion to lose its effectiveness."
Of course, this was all nonsense, but the message was clear.
If he didn't want to taste Veritaserum, it was best to tell the truth.
"They think it's because of you that we've completely clashed with the mysterious person."
Bagman paid no heed to Albert's threat and took a small sip of butterbeer before continuing, "They investigated your deeds and believe that you can cause significant trouble for the mysterious person." Bagman felt helpless about the situation. In truth, he hadn't wanted to meet Albert in person, but his intuition told him that if he kept avoiding this encounter, things might turn out worse.
To be frank, Bagman was a little afraid of this man.
Albert was never one with a generous heart.
However, unless absolutely necessary, Bagman didn't want to make an enemy of Albert.
Otherwise, he doubted his safety even within a house protected by the Fidelius Charm. Moreover, he didn't plan to hide in such a godforsaken place forever.
Thus, instead of becoming enemies, it was wiser to become friends—the most prudent choice.
At the very least, Albert treated his friends well.
"I see," Albert murmured. "But they ended up digging their own graves."
Initially, when the mysterious person controlled the International Confederation of Wizards, they flew into a rage and killed several of the confederation's officials.
Upon hearing this, Bagman's face twitched. He didn't share that view and instead suspected that those officials had met their end due to Albert's subtle schemes.
After all, no matter how one looked at it, they were more useful alive than dead. Otherwise, how could Voldemort control the International Confederation of Wizards?
This guy was indeed petty.
Bagman seemed to think of something else and abruptly asked, "You didn't come here just for this matter, did you?"
"To propose a collaboration."
"Alright, what do I need to do?" Bagman agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"I thought you'd consider it for a moment."
Albert examined Bagman with interest. It was no fluke that this man had become the president of the International Confederation of Wizards.
Indeed, he was decisive.
"I'm a smart man, and so are you. Collaborations between smart people don't require excessive words."
"This war will come to a complete end within the year," Albert said. "Wait here for the war to end, and we'll discuss the specifics of our collaboration then."
"Can Divination really predict to such an extent?"
Bagman's mouth hung open, and he felt an even stronger sense of foreboding about this man.
"Who knows?" Albert suddenly asked, "By the way, I need a way to enter Nurmengard."
Ever since Grindelwald was imprisoned in the Nurmengard prison of his own making, the facility had been under strict surveillance by European countries, making it challenging to infiltrate by conventional means.
Albert certainly had a way in, but he didn't want to create too much of a ruckus.
"What business do you have in Nurmengard?"
"To pay a visit to an old friend on behalf of another friend."
Intuition told Albert that it would be best to meet Grindelwald as soon as possible, or he might never get the chance again.
"That's not a problem," Bagman said. "But, well... regarding the method of entering Nurmengard." Bagman had guessed something, but he still felt it was better not to know too much.
(End of Chapter)
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