Chapter 1818: Inheritance
Chapter 1818: Inheritance
"Are you getting used to school life?"
Albert moved a chess piece and looked at his daughter, repeating the question he asked every year.
"It's okay, just a bit boring!" Alice stroked the fat cat Tom's head and, for once, continued the conversation. "Was it the same for you back then?"
"Not really, I actually had a pretty good time at school."
Albert's eyes sparkled with memories. "In the beginning, I often explored the castle with my friends, then we ventured into the Forbidden Forest. Later on... Harry Potter came to school. He was like a protagonist from a novel, bringing a lot of trouble to Hogwarts right from the start, but it was also quite exciting."
"I think you're more like..." Alice looked at her father's face and spoke her mind, "...the protagonist in a novel."
"I used to think so too, but being the protagonist isn't easy. The author constantly puts the protagonist through trials for the sake of the plot." Seeing his daughter's surprised expression, Albert chuckled and changed the subject. "Have you ever been to the Forbidden Forest?"
"I'm not you, and I'm not a Gryffindor student. I have no interest in dangerous places like that." Alice couldn't help rolling her eyes at Albert.
"That's good. Given your current knowledge and defensive magic skills, it's not the right time for you to venture into the Forbidden Forest." Albert conjured a piece of parchment and handed it to her. "This is for you."
"For me?"
Alice glanced at the parchment and asked, "You buried it?"
"Once you come of age, if you still find Hogwarts too boring, go find this treasure. I remember you have a friend who's pretty close to you. You can bring her along. I think her name is..."
"Daphne, Daphne Montbatten."
"The Muggle Montbatten?" Albert asked with interest.
"Right, she's a clever and pretty girl!" Alice added, "And she really admires you, she's a big fan. Should I introduce her to you?"
"She admires strength, not me. That's how the world works." Albert corrected her.
"Was Mom like that too?"
"Not really, we just got along well." Albert smiled at his daughter. "Aren't you the same?"
"You're right, but she's a bit too calculating. It makes me want to learn Legilimency." Alice had mixed feelings about her "best friend" of a few years.
"Peering into others' minds will leave you without friends." Albert warned her kindly.
"Oh, that's why Mom..." Alice paused, as if she had realized something, and changed the subject. "She said she wants to come over and see the legendary Albert."
"You can decide for yourself." Albert moved a knight and checkmated Alice's king. "As for whether it's worth deepening your friendship, I trust your judgment."
"Maybe not." Alice pouted and teased her father, who looked too young. "I think Daphne will be completely smitten if she sees you. I'll be the one dealing with her constant fussing."
"Sometimes having too much charm isn't a good thing!"
Albert often encountered similar situations when he went out with his family.
"What do you think Daphne wants?" Alice suddenly asked. "Don't tell me she just wants to cling to someone powerful."
"People in the Muggle world are different from ordinary folks and nobles. You can't judge Muggle nobles by normal standards. They are more pragmatic."
"So she's like Valeria, but I think she could do well even if she didn't become a witch." Alice still couldn't quite figure it out.
"You're making it easy for Alice to lose the joy of her childhood!" Isabella scolded her husband, her eyes filled with blame. "I think childhood should be a time of happiness, not a time for scheming and plotting."
After saying this, she patted Alice's head and said, "Your friends surely just want to be friends with you. At least, you two get along well, don't you?"
"If you were willing to spend more time with us, I think we would all have a much happier childhood!" Alice looked at the somewhat irresponsible couple and said with a sigh.
"I knew Alice would say that." Katrina couldn't help but laugh. "Well, dinner is ready!"
"We have always made time to be with you, haven't we?"
"A childhood without playmates is incomplete."
"They are all just immature kids, and I always have to help take care of them."
"That shows Alice is a very kind person."
Dinner was a feast, with the house-elves preparing a wide array of delicious foods that the children loved. After eating their fill, everyone gathered on the sofa to watch a movie, chatting and laughing through the late hours of the night.
During this time, Alice mentioned something to Albert.
"Oh, they approached you."
Albert wasn't surprised. As a prodigy, Alice was undoubtedly the best candidate at the moment.
Moreover, Alice was Albert's daughter and could carry on the legacy seamlessly.
Yes, Bade and the others wanted Alice to replace Albert.
"I refused!" Alice said calmly.
"Oh, it seems you convinced them!" Albert smiled with relief.
"I don't see the point. I don't need Galleons, knowledge, or any additional influence. Why should I bear such a surname?"
Alice never denied that Bade's offer was one most witches couldn't refuse, but those things held no appeal for her now.
"Besides, if such a situation concentrates in a single witch family, it would only take three generations for the entire Wilder-Smith clan to change its nature. A family that has lasted for nearly a thousand years shouldn't just disappear into history."
"I'll convince them to leave you alone." Albert smiled and asked, "Want to come with me?"
"No, I think it's about time I get some rest." Alice made up an excuse to decline.
"Good night, dear."
"Good night!"
As Alice picked up Tom and walked out of the screening room, she turned back and said, "I plan to invite Daphne over to play for a couple of days."
"She's growing up", Isabella said softly.
"Yes", Albert replied with a touch of sentiment in his voice. "The kids are finally growing up, it's very reassuring."
"What do you plan to do next?"
Walking out on them mid-way was indeed a bit of a letdown.
"Let's wait and see."
Albert glanced at Isabella's belly and said softly, "There will always be a suitable candidate, and we still have Ian, don't we?"
"Ian isn't as outstanding as Alice."
"All they need is a suitable candidate to inherit the political legacy."
After Albert went into hiding and stopped attending Wizengamot meetings, they couldn't find a suitable successor for his position in the Ministry of Magic, so the requirements for Albert's proxy were not high.
As for Alice's "concerns", everyone knew they were just an excuse to decline. (End of Chapter)
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