Chapter 837: My Foolish Little Sister
Chapter 837: My Foolish Little Sister
After dinner, Albert spent time with his family in the living room, watching the news and casually chatting in a foreign language about mundane daily matters.
Nia, freshly out of the shower, quietly emerged from the bathroom and sneaked up behind Albert, who was flipping through a newspaper and chatting with Luke about Eastern cuisine. She reached over the sofa and wrapped her arms around Albert's neck from behind.
"My dear brother, when will you take me to a Quidditch match?"
"My dear sister, do you want to strangle me?" Albert patted Nia's pale arm, signaling for her to let go.
"No, I'm just asking about the timing," the girl pouted discontentedly. "You know how much I've been looking forward to a Quidditch game."
"Nia, you need to be patient," Luke said to his granddaughter. "No one knows how long a Quidditch match will last. It could be over in a few hours, or it might take days, or even longer."
"I heard that the longest Quidditch match lasted for about three months," Albert said, flipping through the newspaper and addressing Nia. "So, don't worry. Just make sure you're prepared and have everything you need."
"Three months? Are they crazy?" Nia exclaimed in disbelief. She found it unimaginable that a Quidditch match could last for three months, and she wondered how the players endured for such a lengthy period.
"Maybe they are," Albert conceded, "because I can't quite understand it either. But some matches truly do go on for a long time." In truth, Albert couldn't comprehend it either. He turned the newspaper to the Quidditch column and pointed to the sixteen-strong battle chart, explaining to Nia, "It'll be a few more days anyway. The sixteen-strong competition isn't over yet, and if we go now, we won't be able to watch the match without tickets. We'd just be waiting idly in the camp."
"We can go camping first!" Nia blurted out without thinking. However, she quickly seemed to realize something and hastily added, "England lost to Transylvania 10-390. That's a terrible loss!"
In reality, Nia wasn't necessarily a fan of Quidditch; she just wanted to experience the wizarding festival.
"Okay, first take your hands off my neck. If you strangle me, there won't be anyone to take you to the Quidditch World Cup," Albert said helplessly. Ever since the summer break when he'd promised Nia that he would take her to a Quidditch World Cup match, his once-estranged sister had reverted to her former self—a clingy little girl.
However, that little girl was now gradually growing up.
Nia let go and sat down next to Albert.
"I can probably guess what you're planning to do over there," Albert said calmly, looking at Nia's expression. "But I have to regretfully inform you that most of the time, you'll have to stay in the tent and not go anywhere."
"Okay, I understand," the girl said, looking dejected.
Ever since Albert had mentioned taking her to the Quidditch World Cup, Nia had been a little too excited, forgetting all the warnings and reminders he had given her beforehand.
"Just remember what I said. If you dare to sneak out, I'll have no choice but to ask Isabelle to send you straight home," Albert warned.
"But didn't you say the tickets were expensive?" Nia asked.
"They are, but they were given to me as a gift, so it doesn't hurt to give them away. It's not like it's my money anyway," Albert countered, once again deploying his ultimate argument. "Don't forget what I said. If you behave, I might even take you to visit Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry next year."
"Hogwarts?" Luke perked up at the mention of Hogwarts and looked a little dazed.
"Yes, Hogwarts," Albert confirmed. "This year, the school will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament. If I can successfully become a Hogwarts champion, before the third task, the champions' relatives will be invited to the school to watch the final. That's when you and Grandpa can go to Hogwarts."
"Never mind, forget about it," Luke said, shaking his head and retiring to his room for the night.
Albert watched Luke's retreating back and then turned to his sister with a soft sigh. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing.
"What did I do wrong?" Nia persisted.
"About taking you to a Quidditch World Cup match?"
"So, do you regret it?" Nia stared intently at Albert.
"It's not exactly regret. I want to take you to the World Cup, I want to take you to Hogwarts, I just don't want you to have any regrets, but I am still a little worried..." Albert didn't want Nia to end up like Harry's Aunt Petunia.
"What are you worried about?"
"That you'll become obsessed with a world that doesn't belong to you."
"Am I that unreliable in your eyes?" Nia's expression turned odd.
"Yes." Albert didn't mince his words, "Because you are my sister."
"So, should I be glad that I'm your sister?"
"If you were a stranger, I wouldn't even bother with you." Turning off the television, Albert said to Nia, "Be patient, the sixteen-strong competition is almost over. It won't be a long wait."
"Okay." Nia pouted.
Back in his room, Albert began scrying with his crystal ball, trying to foresee what would happen at the Quidditch World Cup.
Just as he saw the Dark Mark in his crystal ball, there was a knock on the door. Nia walked in, followed by Fat Tom the cat.
"Are you making a prophecy?" Nia curiously peered into the crystal ball, seeing the strange symbol within. "What is that? It looks kind of gross."
"The Dark Mark."
"The Dark Mark?"
"Several decades ago, there was an extremely evil wizard who, after every murder, would release this mark over the houses of his victims." Albert picked up Tom and calmly explained, "He enjoyed spreading fear in this manner."
"Will there be deaths at the Quidditch World Cup?" Nia suddenly felt uneasy. "Will that evil wizard show up at the match?"
"He's supposed to be dead, or at least half-dead." Albert scratched Tom's ears and said, "However, his followers enjoy torturing ordinary people."
As he spoke, the crystal ball showed several ordinary people floating in mid-air, panic-stricken.
Soon after, the image changed to a group of hooded and masked individuals.
"Each of them has the blood of countless innocents on their hands."
"You're scaring me again." Nia pouted in complaint.
"Scaring you? You think too much, my dear Nia. Why do you think I asked everyone to leave England and seek refuge in the East?" Albert gently tapped the crystal ball, and the white mist once again obscured the image, only to be replaced by a short, bald man.
Albert certainly recognized the 5000 Galleon man. It was his little push that had landed this man in Azkaban, and apparently, the 5000 Galleon man had met his end in the prison.
"Who is he?" Nia asked, curious about the man in the crystal ball.
"The instigator of this chaos." Albert stated calmly, "He will aid the evil wizard's return and bring terrible turmoil to the entire British wizarding community."
"Why don't we stop him then?" Nia was perplexed. If they could prevent this man from helping the evil wizard's return, then they wouldn't have to leave England.
However, before she could finish her sentence, Albert rapped her on the head, causing her to cover her head and crouch down in pain.
"I wonder if it's because you're too foolish or if you just want me dead." Albert stared at the figure in the crystal ball, stroking the cat as he muttered, "We're not novel protagonists, nor are we so-called saviors, and we don't have the luck to always escape danger. So, don't try to court death, because you really will die. Besides, defeating the Dark Lord and saving the world is the job of the chosen one, the savior, don't you agree, Tom?"
"Is there really a savior?" Nia couldn't help but ask.
"Of course." Albert gazed into the crystal ball and said, "The savior, Harry Potter. This Christmas, you'll see news about him in the papers."
(End of Chapter)
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