https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1569-A-War-Without-Victors-Nineteen-/12528616/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1571-A-War-with-No-Victors-Twenty-One-/12528624/
Chapter 1570: A War Without Victors (Part 20)
Chapter 1570: A War Without Victors (Part 20)
At the appointed time, Albert arrived at Hogwarts and found Hermione waiting by the monument, her watch in hand.
"Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Albert said with a smile as he raised his hand in greeting.
"I just got here myself," Hermione replied.
Hermione tucked her watch back into her Undetectable Extension Charm bag and offered Albert a gentle smile. "Then, it's all up to you."
"I promised you I'd help," Albert assured her.
Looking at the vibrant young woman before him, Albert offered a sincere compliment, "That outfit suits you well."
"Thank you," Hermione said, spinning around with a smile. "I thought that if we're going abroad, I should dress more conventionally."
"Indeed, the fashion sense of most wizards leaves much to be desired," Albert agreed, bringing their small talk to a close. "Now, did you bring that item?"
"What item?" Hermione asked, momentarily taken aback, before she seemed to realize what Albert was referring to. She reached into her Undetectable Extension Charm handbag and rummaged around for a moment, only to eventually lower her hand in dismay.
"I seem to have... misplaced it," Hermione said, a hint of panic in her voice.
Albert regarded Hermione for a moment before sighing inwardly. "If you've lost the tracking device, it might take some effort to locate your family."
"Sorry, it's my fault for misplacing it. I should have..." Hermione trailed off, unable to meet Albert's gaze.
"It's alright, it wasn't intentional. Let's head to Australia first, and I'll figure out another way to find them," Albert said softly, comforting her.
"How will we get to Australia?" Hermione asked, relieved that Albert still seemed confident about finding her family. "Will we use a Portkey or the International Floo Network?"
"I asked Percy about this earlier, and apparently, the Ministry of Magic doesn't have an International Floo Network connection to Australia," Albert explained, noting Hermione's slightly raised eyebrows. "The distance between Britain and Australia is vast, spanning half the globe. Establishing an International Floo Network connection would be incredibly costly, and the distance would also introduce certain risks during travel."
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, taken aback. "Then... should we take a plane to Australia instead?"
"That would take about a day," Albert said, recalling his own investigations into his parents' affairs.
"That's not too bad," Hermione said, looking at Albert expectantly. "Do you have a better idea?"
"How's your Apparition?" Albert asked suddenly.
"You can't be serious..." Hermione stared at Albert, her eyes wide with shock.
"I plan to Apparate directly to Australia with you," Albert said matter-of-factly.
Albert pulled out a map and traced a line on it, sharing his seemingly crazy plan with Hermione. "We'll Apparate all the way from Britain to Australia."
"Apparate from Britain to Australia?" Hermione gaped at Albert, unable to fathom the rationale behind such a wild idea.
"With a bit of luck, it should only take half an hour," Albert said, confident that it might even take less time. While it was true that regular wizards risked 'splinching' when Apparating over long distances, Albert's Apparition skills were highly advanced, and he was certain he wouldn't have that problem. In his personal experience, the sensation of long-distance Apparition was only slightly better than using a Portkey.
Hermione stared at Albert, her mouth opening and closing silently, before she finally nodded in acceptance of his seemingly insane proposal.
"However, I've never attempted long-distance Apparition before," she said softly.
"Don't worry, just leave the traveling to me. You can get into my trunk first, and I'll call you out once we reach our destination," Albert said, feigning ignorance of Hermione's disappointed expression.
"No, I want to experience long-distance Apparition for myself," Hermione said after a moment's hesitation. "If I feel unwell, I'll get into the trunk to rest." Despite knowing that this might not be the wisest choice, she was determined to give it a try.
"Alright, then remember to hold my hand tightly and don't let go. Long-distance Apparition is a bit like using a Portkey," Albert instructed.
As he spoke, Albert unconsciously lowered his head to look at Hermione, who was holding his hand, and then at her hand, which had let go as if she'd been electrocuted. "Let's go now. We'll leave from the direction of the Forbidden Forest, and our first stop will be France."
"Have you tried this before?" Hermione asked, certain that Albert wouldn't make such a decision without reason. She also knew that Apparition required one to have previously visited the destination.
"I told you that my family lives in the Far East," Albert explained to Hermione. "When I got married, I flew over and visited each place along the way. It turns out that it's useful now."
At the mention of "marriage," Hermione's expression darkened, and she seemed to lose interest in the conversation.
As they walked silently toward the Forbidden Forest, they spotted a group of Aurors practicing with the Inferi in the distance.
"It looks like the number of Aurors has increased," Albert said, attempting to divert Hermione's attention.
"Hmm," Hermione murmured, seeming uninterested and disinclined to discuss the topic further.
When the two of them entered the Forbidden Forest, Albert reached out and took Hermione's hand, and they disappeared in a swish of Apparition.
When they reappeared, they found themselves on a remote beach cliff in France.
Before Hermione could react, the howling sea wind in her ears faded as Albert took her and Disapparated once more.
No sooner had they vanished than others Apparated to the same spot, carefully examining the area where Albert had just disappeared. They seemed intent on capturing the two fugitives by following their trail.
"Ugh!"
Hermione made a retching motion toward the ground, feeling nauseous from the repeated long-distance Apparition.
"You should rest in the trunk," Albert said, gently patting Hermione's back to ease her discomfort. He then opened the trunk for her to step inside and rest.
"What just happened?" Hermione asked, taking a moment to gather herself.
"We were being watched, so I had to Apparate us away," Albert explained, noting Hermione's pale face and urging her to rest inside the trunk.
The ability to Apparate consecutively was one of the benefits of upgrading his skill, allowing him to instantly kill surrounding enemies even if they surrounded him. As for any potential side effects, Albert was confident that he could overcome them.
"Watched?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening in confusion.
"It's probably to prevent smuggling or to stop some Dark wizards from sneaking back into France from Britain," Albert speculated. "That group of Aurors will likely follow our trail!" Ever since Voldemort's coffin had been permanently sealed, the Dark wizards who had gathered in Britain had scattered.
"Sorry, it's my fault for causing you trouble."
Hermione's expression was complex, and she knew that she shouldn't have caused trouble for Albert. Without another word, she walked into the trunk to rest, as she couldn't handle such intense Apparition.
With Hermione's well-being no longer a concern, Albert began to Apparate at a shocking speed, leaping from one location to the next.
From France to Italy, from Greece to Turkey, in the blink of an eye, he crossed the Caspian Sea and followed the route he had once taken to bring his family home. In the blink of an eye, he crossed half the globe and arrived in his beloved Australia.
(End of Chapter)
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