Chapter 585: Superfluous
Chapter 585: Superfluous
"What are you two up to?"
The door suddenly opened, letting in a chill breeze that disturbed the warm, yellow light of the room. Isabelle, carrying a book, stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She looked up at the pair whispering together by the table and made her way towards the small round table by the fireplace. Leaning over Albert's shoulder, she examined the photo album on the table.
"Photos of Tom," Albert said, glancing sideways at Isabelle, who had rested her chin on his shoulder. He pointed to the recently-developed photos, which depicted the chubby cat being rolled back and forth on a carpet.
"Tom's gotten even fatter!" Isabelle exclaimed, pressing her face closer and causing Albert to shiver.
"Tom was actually quite skinny when he was little," Albert explained, offering his left hand to Isabelle to warm it up. With his right hand, he flipped the album to an earlier page, showing a photo of Tom when he had first adopted him. It was hard to imagine that the tiny British Shorthair kitten would grow up to be so rotund.
"The change is quite remarkable," Isabelle said softly. "It's hard to believe those photos are of the same cat."
As she spoke, she released Albert's hand and withdrew her wand from her pocket, giving it a slight flick to refill the copper kettle by the fireplace and set it boiling.
The Hogwarts castle could be bitterly cold during winter, and the pair often enjoyed warming themselves with a hot cup of tea.
"Are you going home for the Christmas break this year?" Albert asked, pushing the photo album towards Katrina and reaching into his pocket for a letter.
"After what happened this year, I doubt many students will want to stay at school for the holidays," Isabelle remarked as she waved her wand to conjure tea sets, preparing to brew some instant milk tea for the three of them.
"Thanks," Katrina said, closing the album and reaching for the tea cup that Isabelle handed her. She took a small sip of the steaming milk tea and asked, "Uncle Mog sent us an invitation a while back, asking us to spend the Christmas break at his manor. Are you going there too?"
"I haven't decided yet, but I did receive Mr. Mog's invitation earlier," Albert replied.
"Actually, there's something I don't quite understand," Katrina said, eyeing Albert up and down with a puzzled expression. "Why does Uncle Mog invite you to his manor every year? Is he really trying to matchmake you with my sister?"
She had never been able to wrap her head around her uncle's enthusiasm for such endeavors.
Katrina had been genuinely surprised when she first saw Albert at the manor. However, what she didn't know was that the manor was on the verge of becoming the Anderson family's property, and even the house-elves had formally pledged their allegiance to Albert. Isabelle was also in the know about this, leaving Katrina as the only one kept in the dark.
Neither Albert nor Isabelle had revealed the truth to spare Katrina from any potential embarrassment.
After all, what could they do? Katrina was merely an afterthought.
Albert had no plans to spend the Christmas break at the manor. His family had written to him, informing him that they would be spending the winter abroad.
Uncle Charlie's boba tea business was booming, and he had generously shared a substantial portion of the profits with Albert. After consulting with Albert, Daisy decided to use some of the pounds to supplement their travel expenses.
And so, the plan was set for the entire family to spend Christmas in Italy and indulge in the country's renowned cuisine.
Many British folks enjoyed traveling abroad.
Albert considered inviting Isabelle to join them, but with Katrina still around, he decided to bring up the topic another day.
However, whether Isabelle would agree to come along remained uncertain.
Isabelle could tell that Albert wanted to discuss something with her but seemed hesitant due to Katrina's presence. Nonetheless, even if Albert chose not to bring it up at the moment, she had her ways of finding out his thoughts.
As a skilled Legilimens, Isabelle could easily discern Albert's thoughts when his mind was unguarded.
She was delighted by Albert's intention to invite her to the Muggle world and introduce her to his family, but she hesitated to accept immediately.
She was wavering! It wasn't because she was worried about getting along with Albert's family. As a Legilimens, she could effortlessly read people's thoughts and devise ways to maintain harmonious relationships.
Her hesitation stemmed from concerns about her own family.
Mrs. McDougal had been busy as ever, devoting most of her energy to treating patients since the death of her husband, Mr. Breel. This dedication had only intensified after her two daughters started attending Hogwarts.
With Christmas being a rare opportunity for the family to reunite, Isabelle didn't want to miss it.
Albert felt a twinge of disappointment at Isabelle's reluctance, as he had hoped to show her around the Muggle world. For now, he had to put that idea on hold.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere between the lovebirds, Katrina quietly gathered the books and parchment on the table and swiftly exited the Room of Requirement, leaving the two alone.
Unforeseen events often occurred.
That evening, Albert received a weary gray owl carrying an invitation from Miss Louise of France. Or, to be more precise, it was an invitation from Mr. Dracule, whose son, Hebrew, was getting married. Albert was invited to attend the wedding.
To be honest, when Albert realized it was a wedding invitation, he was a bit bewildered. He had only met Mr. Dracule of France a few times, and while they had exchanged a few letters, their acquaintance was tenuous at best, barely qualifying as acquaintances, let alone friends.
His relationship with Louise could be described as pen pals, and with his recent preoccupation with the snake monster, his correspondence with other witches and wizards had lessened.
Moreover, it wasn't easy for an underage wizard to travel abroad alone to attend a wizarding wedding, and finding the exact location could be challenging.
Of course, Mr. Dracule was well aware of this, and among the invited guests, Albert was a unique case. He was still a minor, unable to use magic freely, and had been invited as an acquaintance who would be accompanying other guests.
Thus, Mr. Dracule had made prior arrangements for Albert.
The matter was quite simple, as many of Albert's "old friends" had also received invitations and could accompany him on the journey.
Albert had no intention of attending the wedding, as he was hardly acquainted with the Dracule family, and he had already planned to spend the Christmas break in Italy with his family.
However, Mog and the others seemed to have anticipated his thoughts and encouraged him to attend. Mr. Dracule was a renowned Potion Master with considerable influence in the French wizarding community, and many guests would undoubtedly attend the wedding. It presented an opportunity for Albert to expand his connections, and they intended to gradually push him into the spotlight.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
