https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1567-A-War-Without-Victors-Seventeen-/12528608/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1569-A-War-Without-Victors-Nineteen-/12528616/
Chapter 1568: A War Without Victors (Part Eighteen)
Chapter 1568: A War Without Victors (Part Eighteen)
The next day, Albert opened his eyes early and awoke from his slumber. He turned his head to glance at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, then reached for the pocket watch on the bedside table. After checking the hour hand, he closed his eyes again, intending to catch a few more winks.
However, for some reason, Albert couldn't fall back asleep. He carefully climbed out of bed, glanced at the still-sleeping Isabelle, and tiptoed towards the living room.
The house-elf had diligently gotten up early to prepare breakfast, and upon noticing that Albert was awake, promptly brought him a freshly cooked meal: milk, fried eggs, tender chicken cutlets, and a large serving of chive pancakes.
"It's quite rare to see you up so early," remarked Katrina as she passed by the corridor on her way to the courtyard for her morning practice. She noticed the light on in the living room and decided to take a detour to check on Albert.
"Yes, it has been a while since I woke up this early," Albert admitted. He recalled that he used to have a very disciplined lifestyle, but wondered when he had become so fond of sleeping in. Well, it was probably soon after he got married.
With an active nightlife, it became challenging to get up early.
"Even though you're still young, you should pay more attention to exercising. Otherwise, your physical condition will decline rapidly," Katrina said intimately as she kissed Albert's cheek and whispered in his ear, "Who knows, you might need to cater to other girls besides me and my sister someday, and good stamina is essential for that."
Katrina felt that Isabelle's words rang true—their sisterly duo didn't need to worry, as one person's energy and physical abilities were limited.
"It feels like you've changed quite a bit," Albert remarked, slightly surprised as he looked at his young aunt-in-law.
"To gain something, one must pay a price," Katrina replied. "Speaking of which, would you like to join me for morning practice?" After they parted ways, Katrina stretched lazily and decided to find time to ask Albert to help her improve her kissing technique.
"Maybe another day," Albert said, looking at his half-eaten breakfast and inwardly marveling at the changes in Katrina.
Was this the power of love?
"What about me?" Albert asked, picking up a silver spoon and gazing at his reflection on its surface.
He didn't seem to have changed much.
That was the conclusion Albert eventually drew.
After finishing his breakfast, Albert lazily leaned back in the armchair by the fireplace. Using the Prophet as a cover, he opened the task panel and browsed through the results of his hard work over the years: there was a long list of completed tasks waiting to be claimed.
Unlike before, when he had desperately wanted to complete tasks to become stronger, now that Voldemort was vanquished, Albert no longer felt the same urgency to gain power.
How decadent! he thought to himself.
He scanned through the completed tasks on the task panel once more and proceeded to claim them one by one.
These tasks were originally meant to be his trump card against Voldemort, but unfortunately, he hadn't gotten the chance to use them before Voldemort met his end.
There were still quite a few remaining tasks, but completing them seemed like a distant prospect.
Aside from the recently triggered task of building a village, there was also the task of helping Nelson Tobin take his revenge. However, that task was a bit peculiar, as it couldn't be completed for some reason. Another available task was "Death Eater's Lament," which had already reached a 73% completion rate, but he intended to wait and see how the situation progressed before taking further action.
Looking at his nearly overflowing experience pool, Albert mused, "Should I max out the Sorcerer's Stone skill and create another stone?"
He was quite curious about the question mark reward of the Sorcerer's Stone.
With his current accumulation of experience and skill points, maxing out the skill was definitely feasible.
However, after much consideration, Albert decided against it.
It would be a waste, he thought. I'm still young and don't need a Sorcerer's Stone yet. Investing this vast amount of experience into learning more skills is clearly a better option, and I might need to learn new skills in the near future.
Closing the panel in front of him, Albert slowly closed his eyes, shedding the slight sense of unreality that clung to him.
Sometimes he feared that when he woke up, the world would have reverted, and everything before him would be nothing but a fleeting dream—Isabelle a mere fantasy, and no one playing such a cruel joke on him.
Everything before him felt so real, just like the voice that rang in his ear.
"You're holding the newspaper upside down," Isabelle said, curious about what Albert was thinking as he spaced out.
When an ordinary person zoned out, they were probably just daydreaming, but when a genius did it, they were often deep in thought, focusing on a problem.
"I'm not going back to sleep," Albert said, putting down the newspaper and patting his knee for Isabelle to sit on.
"No thanks, I can't sleep without a certain someone," she teased, kissing Albert's cheek and straddling his lap.
"How about I accompany you for a nap, then?" Albert suggested, wrapping his arms around Isabelle's slender waist and asking gently.
"Never mind, you probably have things to do today, and we can't afford to be too lazy. Remember to come back for dinner. I've asked Kara to cook you a chicken soup," Isabelle whispered in Albert's ear. "Also, you should take a good rest for the next few days and give Katrina some unforgettable memories."
Albert felt helpless about this. He always felt that their recent conversations as a couple had strayed a bit, giving him the illusion that he was the protagonist of a risque comic.
Moreover, while this was something countless men craved, why couldn't he muster the same enthusiasm?
"Ahem, why are the two of you so full of energy early in the morning?" Katrina asked, her expression odd as she wondered how the two of them could still be so passionate even after having children. It was truly enviable and jealousy-inducing! "I was discussing you with Albert. He has something to take care of in the Far East in a couple of days," Isabelle said softly.
"Oh, so you're quite busy indeed. I thought you'd have more free time after the war ended."
Katrina kissed Albert on the lips under Isabelle's curious gaze.
"Your technique is terrible, even though I've practiced with you," Isabelle advised, "You should relax a bit."
"She's serious," Albert thought, suddenly feeling that he should work on his physical fitness and perhaps level up some skills to make himself stronger, although he couldn't seem to find any relevant skills in his list.
The wizards of this world were not known for their physical prowess.
Perhaps, when he started traveling the world, he could pick up some culinary skills along the way.
The slow-turning hour hand finally pulled Albert away from his reverie, forcing him to step out of the house and make his way to Hogwarts School.
As he walked through the entrance hall, many students enthusiastically greeted Albert, even asking for autographs, to which Albert politely declined, explaining that he would be staying on as a staff member at Hogwarts.
"You're as popular as ever," Sirius Black smiled as he greeted Albert, chatting about Mad-Eye Moody's upcoming Auror training for the Ministry of Magic and inviting Albert to sit in and offer some suggestions.
"Maybe another time, I have something to take care of soon," Albert replied, turning to walk towards the Great Hall in search of the Defense Association group.
The Great Hall was still bustling with activity, except for a small number of students who had already departed with their families. Most students were still enjoying a hearty breakfast before boarding the Hogwarts Express to leave the school.
Albert quickly located Fred and his group, reminding them about the meeting at half-past eight.
He also took the opportunity to find Hermione, setting a specific time to meet later.
"What are your plans for the day after tomorrow?" Ron asked, his eyebrows raised in curiosity at the enigmatic exchange between the two.
"Well, I plan to go to Australia to find my parents and help them regain their memories," Hermione explained to the group, seeing their curious glances.
"You should have told us, Hermione. Harry and I would have gladly helped," Ron said, sounding a little upset that she hadn't considered asking them for assistance.
"You and Harry need to attend the Auror training. It's a great opportunity for both of you, and I don't want you to miss out. Besides, Albert promised to help, and with his divination ability, we should be able to locate my family quickly," Hermione reasoned.
"I heard Albert's daughter is called Alice," Harry interjected, reminding them of Albert's marital status.
The two friends fell silent, unsure why Harry had brought this up.
"Hermione is right," Harry continued, steering the conversation back, "It's an opportunity we shouldn't pass up, and even if we wanted to help, we wouldn't know where to start. It's better to leave it to the professionals, who might be able to find them in no time."
"Albert said that if all goes well, we could find them on the same day," Hermione added, looking at a shadowy figure, "It's just uncertain if they would be willing to return to Britain."
Unbeknownst to the trio, Albert was reminding everyone to wrap up breakfast and head to the empty classroom for their meeting.
"It's unbearable that we still have to attend classes even after graduation," one of the students grumbled.
Despite their complaints, everyone followed Albert into the classroom, listening intently as he explained their upcoming tasks and plans for building their future village.
After all, it was their future home, and no one wanted to live in a poorly planned and disorganized environment.
"So, our task for the next few days is to level the land, design the layout according to the village map, and dig out the foundations for future construction..." Albert explained.
He didn't expect everyone to understand all the details, but he wanted them to feel involved in the process as they would be helping with the labor. It was important to keep their morale high.
Albert had already assigned specific work cards to each individual and appointed team leaders. The only challenge was the time-consuming process of coordinating and consulting with everyone, especially those with other commitments. However, this didn't pose a problem for Albert, who efficiently organized everyone's schedules and tasks. He also reminded those who were unwilling to help that they would have to settle for living in Muggle-like apartments if they wanted to reside in the village, successfully deterring a few individuals with such intentions.
As they left the classroom, they noticed the school had become noticeably emptier, with only a handful of students remaining to undergo Auror training under Mad-Eye Moody's guidance, learning to better combat Dementors and the undead.
"Thankfully, I'm not aiming to become an Auror," Fred muttered.
"I think it's more productive to spend time on practical applications rather than sitting in a classroom listening to theories," Fred added.
"That's true, but it's also important to ensure everyone is on the same page and avoid potential mishaps due to reckless experimentation," Albert replied, "While these theories might seem useless, they are the culmination of Aurors' experiences, and absorbing some of it could prove valuable, helping them make the right decisions in critical moments."
(End of Chapter)
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