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Chapter 1632: A War Without Victors (Eighty-Two)
Chapter 1632: A War Without Victors (Eighty-Two)
"That should just about do it."
Professor Sprout wiped her brow with a handkerchief, gazing with satisfaction at the fruits of her labor. She then turned to Hagrid, who had been lending a helping hand.
"You're not planning on building a house here, then?"
"I reckon not," Hagrid replied after a moment's hesitation. "Hogwarts will always be me home."
"Albert just wants you to spend your summers here instead of staying alone at Hogwarts," Professor Sprout said, feeling her colleague was being rather stubborn and inflexible.
As far as she knew, Slughorn had already reserved a house for himself in Avalon long ago. He intended to semi-retire in a couple of years, staying on as a Potions consultant after leaving his teaching position at the school.
"I agree with Professor Sprout, Hagrid. It's worth considering Albert's suggestion, and there are plenty of familiar faces here," Hermione said as she sat on a small bench next to them, cutting up a chilled watermelon she had brought and sharing it with the two.
"I reckon it's best not to. Don't wanna be a bother to Albert," Hagrid mumbled, taking the half watermelon that Hermione offered and biting into it. He then asked, his mouth still full, "Is Professor Sprout considering settling here after retiring from Hogwarts?"
"Albert has mentioned it, but it'll be a long while before I retire from Hogwarts," Professor Sprout replied.
While she had considered returning to her hometown, Professor Sprout had rarely gone back since taking up her position at Hogwarts. She no longer felt much attachment to her old home.
In contrast, staying in Avalon seemed like a more suitable option for retirement. She could continue doing what she loved, surrounded by familiar faces and never feeling lonely.
"Albert will definitely keep a place for you," Hermione assured with a smile.
Changing the subject, Professor Sprout asked, "By the way, I heard Harry Potter's house is almost done?"
"The overall structure of the villa is complete. It should be fully finished in another ten days to half a month," Hermione replied, herself amazed by the speed of the construction. "Harry's been working overtime, leaving Ginny to make most of the decisions about the house. Otherwise, it definitely would have been done sooner..."
"I thought they were getting married?" Hagrid interjected, tossing the watermelon rind onto a nearby table and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "And hasn't he been working nonstop ever since he became an Auror? I swear, he's always busy!"
"There's just no end to the work," Hermione said, though she herself didn't quite understand why the Ministry always seemed to have so much work that Aurors had to work late into the night, sometimes even taking turns staying at the Ministry as if they lived there. Even Ginny had complained about it more than once, suggesting that if Harry was going to be this busy every day, he should give up his Auror job because work wasn't everything.
"Things haven't been peaceful at the Ministry lately," Hagrid mumbled.
"Indeed. I heard Albert is looking for a guard. That's probably one of the reasons he wants you to stay. You're the professional, after all," Hermione said.
Of course, she didn't believe her own words. Albert was indeed looking for a reliable guard, but not quite in the way she made it sound.
Ever since becoming Albert's lover, Hermione found herself lying more and more adeptly.
"Does Albert think it's unsafe here?" Hagrid asked, confused. After all, members of the Defense Association lived in Avalon, and they were all veterans of the Second Wizarding War, their combat prowess no less than that of the Aurors in the Ministry.
"After the werewolf attack, Albert has been beefing up the village's defenses to prevent similar incidents," Hermione explained in a lowered voice. "He's concerned about the safety of everyone here and fears someone might go crazy and target the village."
"What do you mean?" Hagrid didn't quite follow.
"Those pure-bloods who supported Voldemort once used Inferi as leverage against the Ministry. But what if they were to use werewolves instead?" Hermione elaborated on Albert's concern. "While most of the Inferi have been dealt with by Aurors from the Ministry, there are always werewolves. Those fanatics could easily create more werewolves if they wanted to. Even Muggles, if bitten by a werewolf during a full moon, would directly transform into one."
"Is there any evidence of this?" Professor Sprout asked, her face a mask of shock. She hadn't imagined those pure-bloods would go to such extremes.
"Albert says it wouldn't be difficult for them if they were desperate enough. That's why Minister Kingsley hasn't taken any rash actions," Hermione explained.
She didn't think Albert was being alarmist. It was always better to be prepared, and in the event of a werewolf attack, they would be ready. Otherwise, a sudden onslaught of several dozen werewolves could spell disaster for Avalon's residents, no matter how skilled they were, if they were caught off guard.
"What are you all talking about?"
Having finished reinforcing the perimeter alerts, Albert dropped by to check on their progress. Professor Sprout's efficiency far exceeded his expectations.
"Werewolf attacks," Hermione replied, handing the remaining watermelon to Albert.
"It's definitely something to be vigilant about. While they only turn into werewolves during the full moon, werewolves are dangerous creatures, and it's best to avoid any contact with them during that time," Albert said, taking a bite of the watermelon. It was sweet and juicy, though it would have been better chilled.
Suddenly, Professor Sprout remembered something. "Oh, and Millicent asked me to inquire if you've finished writing that book yet?"
"What book?" Hermione was curious as well.
"A Dark Arts Defense textbook, similar to a self-defense guide. It's a book I've been working on based on my understanding of Dark Arts Defense during my seven years at school. The upper-grade portions are complete, and it should be sufficient for now. But to truly perfect it, I'd say it'll take a few more years of refinement," Albert explained.
"We're all eagerly anticipating your new book," Professor Sprout said, her excitement evident. Dark Arts Defense had been in disarray for the fifty years it had been cursed. It would be a welcome change to have a book that standardized the subject, much like the spellbook.
"I dare say that once you finish it, you'll be remembered by countless people, just like Miranda Goshawk," Hermione added, happy for Albert.
"He doesn't need that. After all, he's the one who defeated Voldemort," Hagrid muttered, believing Albert was already famous enough.
(End of Chapter)
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