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Chapter 734: Preparations
Chapter 734: Preparations
As December drew near, the weather around Hogwarts turned harsh and unforgiving. The castle was often enveloped in blizzards, with biting cold winds stinging the faces of those who dared to venture outside. Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures quickly became the least favorite classes for everyone.
The corridors of the castle were damp and chilly, with icy gusts of wind blowing through the ill-fitting window panes. People hurried along, eager to reach their destinations without lingering in the corridors. Even the common rooms offered little respite from the cold, and the spots closest to the fireplace became highly coveted.
Albert had to bundle up in thick sweaters, scarves, and gloves, and he kept specially made warmers and hot drinks in his pockets. He suspected that the severe weather was a chain reaction caused by the large number of Dementors lurking around Hogwarts.
If he had to pick someone who hated this weather the most in the dormitory, it would undoubtedly be Fred and George.
At the end of November, when Ravenclaw beat Hufflepuff, it meant that Gryffindor still had a chance to win. The elated Wood transformed once again into a training maniac, driving his team to practice tirelessly in the snow and wind.
After all, they couldn't afford to lose another game.
The Weasley twins were also forced to train in the bitterly cold blizzards, and they looked particularly miserable after each training session.
Albert and Lee Jordan deeply sympathized with Fred and George.
Not joining the Quidditch team had indeed been the right decision; otherwise, they would have had to suffer alongside the twins on the pitch.
Albert couldn't handle such rigorous training, nor did he have the energy to spare for Quidditch practices. He had a plethora of tasks to juggle each week—homework, club meetings, magic practice, letter writing, and dating his girlfriend, to name a few.
Maintaining friendships and relationships required time and dedication.
Recently, Albert had added another task to his list.
Some time ago, Albert had hinted to Lee Jordan about an architect skilled in renovation work, a tip he had gotten from Lee's father.
To be honest, such professions were not well-regarded by wizards in the magical world, and there were very few of them in the entire British wizarding community.
The number of wizards in Britain was quite limited, and most wizarding residences were inherited. A large portion of Muggle-born wizards settled in the Muggle world, and if they needed to build a new house, a significant number of wizards would choose to construct it themselves, as was the case with the Weasley family.
After all, magic allowed wizards to assemble houses like stacking blocks, creating structures that defied the laws of science.
However, there were always some who needed the help of wizards to build their homes, and despite the rarity of such requests, corresponding professions emerged to meet those needs.
Inigo Jones was one such wizard, and it was worth mentioning that architecture was only his side job; his main occupation was as an employee in a certain shop on Diagon Alley.
Albert had asked the house-elf, Bitte, to contact Inigo Jones and arrange for him to help with the renovation of the house in Hogsmeade.
The fee for the job was one hundred galleons.
Yes, it was that cheap.
According to the house-elf, the house had been thoroughly inspected, and all necessary items had been replaced and magically reinforced. Aside from the exterior shell, the interior had undergone a significant transformation, and Bitte had even taken several photos for Albert, with results that were quite satisfactory.
After the house-elf left, having reported on the progress of the house renovations, Isabelle, who had been poring over the house designs for a long while, finally spoke up.
"Sometimes, I really don't understand what you're trying to do."
"That place will be our workplace in the future. After graduation, you won't want to just stay cooped up at home, will you?" Albert poured himself a cup of hot tea and looked up at Isabelle, who was examining the photos. "Having a place to work makes it feel more official."
He did intend to set up a laboratory. After graduation, he wouldn't have access to a place like the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts, so he needed a workshop for brewing potions and crafting magical items.
Moreover, in Hogsmeade Village, he wouldn't have to worry about being reprimanded by the Ministry of Magic for underage magic.
Of course, once the renovations were complete, Albert planned to modify the house further and turn it into a safe house—a preliminary attempt at creating such a space.
Isabelle was somewhat aware of his plans, and she also knew that Albert's motives weren't entirely pure. It seemed that he intended to turn the house into a place for their future dates.
After all, Albert still had a few years left at Hogwarts, while Isabelle worked in Hogsmeade Village, so they could meet up frequently without anyone disturbing them.
"If it turns out well, it'll be a great place for secret rendezvous." Isabelle spoke softly, "If the girls at school find out, I wonder what they'll say. They love digging for your little secrets and spreading gossip about you behind your back."
"Do you plan on spreading our gossip all over the school?" Albert didn't believe Isabelle would do such a thing. "Do you want everyone to know about our engagement so that they'll give up on you?"
"I've noticed you've become rather narcissistic."
"It's not that I'm narcissistic; it's that the girls are making me narcissistic."
Albert was well aware that if this news got out, it would be like dropping a depth charge into the Black Lake.
The relationships between young witches and wizards were not as solid as one might imagine.
In Albert's eyes, it was like "fast food love and assembly line emotions."
Breakups were no longer uncommon among Hogwarts students each semester. Like their previous university lives, they were free, unfettered, and unrestrained. They came together if they liked each other and parted ways at the slightest disagreement.
In the end, very few couples actually stayed together.
"There's been more than one girl who has brought newspaper clippings as proof that you have more than one girlfriend." Isabelle recalled, "The fact that you're two-timing is their favorite gossip."
"Gossip is always popular." Albert said. He had already guessed what those clippings were about.
The last time he went to France for the International Wizard Chess Competition, Louise's greeting kiss and the misunderstanding caused by having Katherine as his tour guide had been sensationalized by unscrupulous reporters.
However, Isabelle felt that she should be more cautious and vigilant, and it had nothing to do with jealousy.
Albert was getting to know more and more beautiful girls.
While Isabelle trusted their relationship, there were always exceptions.
When a male and female couple got too close, forget about a pure friendship.
Even the purest of relationships could sour over time.
Especially since Albert had once mentioned wanting to find two or three girlfriends, which had heightened Isabelle's alertness. The main reason for her concern was Albert's tendency for his words to become reality.
In the past, Isabelle had thought he was just joking.
However, as she got to know Albert better, she felt that this matter couldn't be taken lightly. Who knew if this statement would also come true?
Especially with Albert's rapidly growing reputation and status, he was like a ripe fruit, becoming more and more alluring, attracting countless girls who wanted a taste.
Miss Louise from France, with her Veela blood, was a prime example.
During that wedding, Louise had hinted at wanting to do something fun with Albert.
Isabelle had no doubt that if it weren't for the fact that Albert already had her as his girlfriend, Miss Louise would have had no qualms about pursuing him.
The possibility of them ending up together was not low.
As for Penelope and how she got together with Percy, Isabelle was well aware of the details.
As for her old pen pal, Valeria, if that girl spent enough time with Albert, Isabelle had no doubt that the two of them would end up in bed together one day.
Isabelle had never doubted Valeria's charm and capabilities. It was said that she cultivated numerous excellent pen pals, seemingly with the intention of finding a suitable partner among them.
"What are you thinking about?" Albert asked as he refilled Isabelle's cup with hot tea.
"I'm thinking about how many beautiful girls you know." Isabelle took a sip from her cup and said with a smile.
Albert felt like the word "danger" was hanging over his head.
"You should trust me," he said seriously.
"Of course, I trust you, but I don't trust the other girls." Isabelle poked Albert's chest and complained, "Do you know how the girls in the school look at you? Ah, you have no idea how much pressure there is being your girlfriend."
"Sorry, I've neglected that," Albert said softly.
He felt like he had heard similar words somewhere before.
"...Being your sister is really stressful."
"Just endure it for this term, and we'll graduate."
"Yes, we'll finally graduate from school. I can't believe I'm helping you with this important final wizard exam." Isabelle smiled and asked, "How are you going to thank me?"
"I can satisfy your requests to the best of my ability."
Albert didn't mind making risque jokes in front of Isabelle, and he had been doing so all along. Youth was his greatest asset.
"Do you do this with other girls too?" Isabelle asked.
"Of course not." Albert diverted the topic, "By the way, if you feel that there isn't enough time, we can use a Time-Turner to go back in time."
"Using that too often will accelerate the aging process." Isabelle complained, but it was clear that she didn't intend to refuse.
"So, what do you plan to do today?"
"Practice wandless spells."
"Haven't you already become quite adept at using wandless magic?"
"I can only barely use it."
Albert had thought of many ways to deal with werewolves.
Wandless magic was the best backup plan.
As for whether he would actually face a werewolf, Albert wasn't sure, but he felt that it was better to be prepared.
It was better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.
Albert's plan was simple. If given the chance, he would directly use a spell to trap the werewolf and then cast the Human Transfiguration spell to restore its human form.
As for why he wanted to trap it first instead of directly using the Human Transfiguration spell, it was because if the spell didn't work, he would be in deep trouble.
Lycanthropy could spread through saliva and blood contact, which meant that being bitten would essentially spell the end of one's life, unless one could find a way to replace their body like Voldemort had done.
Albert was quite satisfied with his appearance and had no desire to turn himself into a noseless monster.
If he couldn't trap the werewolf, he could use magic to protect himself first and then look for an opportunity to act while ensuring his safety.
Casting the Transformation Spell with a wand to trap an enemy wasn't difficult, but doing so without a wand was a different matter...
"The Transformation Spell is notoriously difficult, and you want to use it wandlessly, which makes it even more challenging." Isabelle examined the two results, the bound table legs, and noted that the spell was quite crude and felt like it would fall apart with a slight tug.
It had taken Albert a long time to achieve this level of proficiency, and the difference between using a wand and not using one was significant.
To be honest, what he had achieved was already quite remarkable. Most sixth-year students would struggle with wandless magic, let alone silent casting, which often felt like trying to pass a bowel movement.
"With enough practice, it should be achievable. Wizards from Africa are quite skilled in wandless magic, and they rarely use wands."
Ever since Albert maxed out his Wizard Bloodline, his magical power should be no weaker than that of Voldemort or Dumbledore in their prime.
The gap between them lay more in their mastery and application of magic, and the age-related experience gap was a disadvantage that Albert found hard to overcome.
"If you're just practicing wandless magic, you probably don't need my help, do you?"
Albert didn't hide anything and told Isabelle about Hagrid's situation. He intended to use the Transformation Spell to create a Buckbeak and, when the time came, have Hagrid stall for time. Then, he would release the spell and create the illusion that Buckbeak had escaped.
This plan to smuggle Buckbeak away was a risky move, and without Harry and Hermione's protagonist aura, there was no guarantee that they would be able to lead Buckbeak away without any issues. If something went wrong during the process, it would be embarrassing.
Using the Human Transfiguration Spell to resolve the issue was clearly a simpler solution.
The only problem was creating a Buckbeak that looked realistic enough to fool others.
Both of them were proficient in the Transformation Spell, and it was not impossible for them to create a winged horse with an eagle's head.
Albert needed Isabelle to help him identify any problems and provide suggestions.
"You're quite bold, but this is a good plan. The question is whether you can successfully create a believable Buckbeak to fool others." Isabelle couldn't help but be amazed at the audacity of Albert's plan.
To be honest, it was extremely difficult, very challenging.
"I will succeed."
This was indeed a very advanced transformation technique, but for Albert, it was not impossible. His transformation abilities were not weak, and with the system's help, anything was possible.
"I think once Professor McGonagall retires, Professor Dumbledore will definitely welcome you to take over as the Transfiguration professor." Isabelle marveled.
"Your wish will probably be disappointed."
"Why?" Isabelle asked in confusion.
"Professor Dumbledore won't make it to Professor McGonagall's retirement."
"Oh right, he's already quite old. Maybe he'll retire first." Isabelle's tone changed as she understood Albert's implication.
"You prophesied Professor Dumbledore's death?"
"Yes, I saw the Dark Mark floating above Hogwarts, and I saw Headmaster Dumbledore falling from the castle to his death. I also saw Harry Potter crying." Albert sighed.
Isabelle suddenly understood why Albert was under so much pressure.
(End of Chapter)
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