Chapter 665: Journey to France
Chapter 665: Journey to France
A few days later, Albert visited the McDougall residence and picked up Isabelle.
"Where to now?" Isabelle asked as she watched Albert stow his trunk into a bag.
"Diagon Alley," Albert replied without hesitation. "We need to meet up with Professor Bade first. He has access to a private international Floo Network that we can use to discreetly travel to France."
"International Floo Network?" Isabelle walked up to him and linked her arm with his.
"It's almost ten o'clock. We should be off," Albert said, pocketing his watch. He then used Disillusionment to depart from Isabelle's home.
The pair appeared in Diagon Alley and soon spotted Professor Bade chatting with Tom at the Leaky Cauldron bar.
"Hope we didn't keep you waiting," Albert greeted the professor.
"Not at all, I just arrived myself," Professor Bade replied.
After finishing his drink and paying the tab, Professor Bade led Albert and Isabelle out of the pub. They walked along the street and arrived at an old apartment building.
"Wizards usually don't pay attention to the Muggle world," Professor Bade said as he led them inside. "As long as we don't cause any trouble, they often don't notice these things." He greeted an elderly caretaker and then escorted them into a room filled with bookshelves, though it seemed to have been untouched for a long time, with dust covering many surfaces.
"What if the apartment gets demolished?" Albert asked with a smile.
"Don't worry, this building is currently under my watch. No one will tear it down without my consent," Professor Bade assured him as he pulled on a bookshelf equipped with wheels. "Can you spot the hidden chamber now?"
"Yes, I see it. So, the bookshelves are used to conceal magical traces?" Albert guessed the reason for the setup.
"And what about you, Isabelle?" Professor Bade turned to the young girl.
Isabelle scrutinized the wall and ran her hands over it but couldn't discern anything unusual.
"Your progress is even faster than I expected," Professor Bade remarked, offering her comfort. "It's perfectly normal not to notice magical traces. Usually, only a small number of highly skilled wizards would notice such subtle details."
"That doesn't sound very reassuring," Isabelle muttered.
Professor Bade raised his wand and tapped the wall rhythmically three times, whispering an incantation.
Suddenly, a door similar to the one leading to Diagon Alley appeared before them. As the trio stepped through, they found themselves in a room filled with blue flames. There were seven fireplaces along the walls, each marked with the name of a country in English.
"Back when we were building the international Floo Network for the Ministry, we secretly constructed this for ourselves," Professor Bade explained calmly. "You will gradually learn some of the secrets of the Wildsmith family, but they must be kept confidential from the outside world."
"Is it okay if I know about them?" Albert asked.
"You're the heir apparent, so it's fine for you to know, but not for others. And of course, this place requires a password to access, which I will share with you later," Professor Bade said as he pulled out a Muggle matchbox from his pocket and tossed it to Albert. "You know how to use this, right?"
"Oh, that's right, Albert isn't of age yet," Isabelle realized, sounding a bit dejected. "Not being able to use magic is such a hassle."
Albert took some time to light the firewood in the fireplace.
"Your destination is Number 93, Wizarding Street," Professor Bade reminded them. "Please send my regards to Mr. Kennard."
"Let me go first," Albert said as he grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the fireplace. He then stepped into the swirling green flames.
After a long, dizzying spin, Albert stumbled out of the fireplace at the other end.
"I hate that feeling!" he exclaimed, feeling nauseous from the prolonged spinning.
He picked himself up from the floor and moved aside to make room for Isabelle.
While the international Floo Network was indeed convenient, it did come with some unpleasant side effects.
Soon enough, Isabelle tumbled out of the fireplace, looking just as disoriented as Albert despite having already passed her Disillusionment test.
"Are you alright?" Albert asked, reaching out to steady her as he took in their new surroundings. They had arrived in a dimly lit room, likely one of the Wildsmith family's bases in France.
Just then, the door opened, and an elderly, balding wizard walked in. He eyed the young couple before him and greeted them in fluent English: "Welcome to France.
"Mr. Kennard?" Albert asked tentatively.
"Yes, I received a message that someone would be using the international Floo Network to arrive here." The elderly Kennard wizard pointed to the sofa beside him and suggested, "You can sit and rest for a while; traveling via the international Floo Network is not a pleasant experience."
"I completely agree," Albert replied.
"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since anyone has used this place." The elderly bald wizard sized Albert up and down, a suspicious look on his face. "Are you Bade's grandson?"
"I'm his student," Albert thought for a moment and added, "and he's a relative of mine."
"Oh, now I remember. You're Albert Anderson," the bald wizard mumbled. "I never expected you to be related. The newspaper also said you're a Muggle-born wizard. Damn, I knew those papers couldn't be trusted."
It was only after the pair had recovered from their Floo journey that Kennard led them out of the secret chamber, the entrance of which was cleverly disguised as a cabinet. Once they stepped out, the wall returned to its original state, and the cabinet was pushed back to its original position.
"You can use the Floo Network here to travel anywhere in France," Kennard offered, handing a box of Floo powder to Albert. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you headed?"
"Nicola Village!" Albert passed the box to Isabelle and teased, "Don't get the name wrong. If you go missing, I wouldn't know where to start looking for you."
Isabelle rolled her eyes but walked up to the fireplace and tossed the Floo powder into the flames. As the green flames swirled, she stepped into the hearth and shouted, "Nicola Village," disappearing from view.
"I should be off now. Thanks for your help!" Albert nodded slightly at the old wizard, grabbed a handful of Floo powder, and threw it into the fireplace. In the blink of an eye, he vanished.
"What a polite young man," Kennard said to himself as he put away the Floo powder. He then took out his two-way mirror to contact Professor Bade.
As soon as Isabelle stepped out of the fireplace, her attention was captured by the charming town before her.
Not far from where they stood was a square with a statue of a young Lemay couple.
"Welcome to Nicola Village!" Albert smiled at Isabelle. "This is a famous French wizarding town."
"It's lovely here," Isabelle remarked, taking in their surroundings.
"Let's go," Albert said, pulling out a silver card and checking the address on it while scanning the street. He then took Isabelle's hand and led her toward what he remembered to be the Lemay residence.
As they walked down the street, they attracted curious glances, and to Albert's surprise, a young couple even ran up to him and asked for a handshake, claiming to be his fans. He felt a bit embarrassed by the attention.
Noticing Isabelle giggling to herself, Albert said in a slightly annoyed tone, "Stop laughing and keep up!"
They soon arrived at a house, and Albert knocked on the door. When a house-elf answered, he handed the elf a silver card etched with intricate patterns.
"Please come in," the house-elf said, taking the card and opening a hidden door for them.
"No matter how many times I see it, it's still amazing," Albert said, leading Isabelle through the door.
Beyond this hidden door lay the Lemays' true residence.
Albert had decided to seek out Mr. Lemay to learn how to set up a secure home.
"Long time no see, Albert, and this must be the famous Isabelle I've heard so much about!" Nico appeared out of thin air, greeting them with a smile and ushering them into the entryway.
"Those glasses you gave me last time were a great help!" Albert smiled and introduced Isabelle. "This is Mr. Nico Lemay, the greatest alchemist in history."
"It's an honor to meet you," Isabelle nodded slightly at Nico.
"Oh, don't be so formal. Perenelle is preparing your favorite tea," Nico said. He then asked, "You must have brought luggage, right?"
"Yes, I did," Albert replied.
"Good, good. Then stay a while and keep us old folks company. It's been a long time since we've had guests," Nico nodded in satisfaction.
(End of Chapter)
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