Chapter 852: No Such Thing as Coincidence
Chapter 852: No Such Thing as Coincidence
"So, we'll be heading to the Far East next summer?" Luke asked, hands on the steering wheel as he kept his eyes on the road ahead, chatting with Albert in the back seat.
"Yes, by next summer, it won't be safe here in Britain anymore. It's best to leave early and avoid any trouble," Albert replied, propping his head with his hand as he gazed out at the pouring rain. He turned to Nia, who was grooming her cat, Tom, and said, "Make sure you study the languages seriously. You'll be going to school there, and Herbert will be buying a house for us all to live in."
"I thought we'd be immigrating as a family after your wedding with Isabelle," Sansa interjected from the front passenger seat. "What about the wedding plans?"
"We can always come back for that," Nia said casually as she scratched Tom's ears. "How long do you think we'll be staying overseas?"
"Around four years, give or take. Think of it as an extended study abroad trip," Albert estimated. He believed that as long as nothing unexpected happened, Harry Potter should be able to follow through with his mission to defeat Voldemort, especially with Albert's help from the shadows. Without the Horcruxes, Voldemort would be a much lesser threat.
"So, I really will be going to Hogwarts next year?" Nia asked again, her eyes sparkling at the thought. This was the question that had been occupying her mind the most lately.
"Yes, I've divined it," Albert reassured her, patting her head gently. "If Herbert and Daisy don't make it back, Isabelle will come to fetch you."
"How will I get to Hogwarts? Do I take a train?" Nia inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"I'm not sure yet, but I'll find out for you," Albert promised.
"I always found it fascinating that witches and wizards take steam trains to school. You don't see many of those in Britain these days," Sansa remarked, her eyes wide with wonder.
"It is quite magical," Albert agreed, continuing the conversation. "In fact, there are several trains at King's Cross Station that go to different countries in Europe."
"Trains that go to other countries? I thought you'd just apparate or something," Luke said, a bit taken aback.
"How do they cross the ocean, then?"
"Wizards have ways to make the trains pass through the sea," Albert explained. "I've taken one of those trains once. It's quite an experience, although it's slow and can take a long time if you're planning to travel around Europe by train. It's also expensive and rather boring."
As the rain continued to pour outside, the conversation inside the car turned to the wizarding world, with occasional laughter punctuating the steady rhythm of the windshield wipers.
Time passed, and eventually, the car pulled up outside King's Cross Station. The rain had intensified, and Nia held the umbrella high, trying to shield Albert from the downpour as he unloaded the luggage. However, their efforts were mostly in vain, and they ended up with soaked clothes.
"Keep in touch," Luke said, giving Albert a brotherly hug. Sansa kissed him gently on the forehead.
"Take care on your way back, and remember to take the cough potion I left for you if you catch a cold. It's labeled and has instructions, so don't mix it up," Albert instructed, taking the cat carrier from Nia and placing it on the luggage cart. After one last hug, he held the umbrella with one hand and pushed the cart with the other, heading into the station.
The bustling crowd at King's Cross Station hurried along, but Albert strolled casually toward the wall. When no one was looking, he walked through the barrier, disappearing from view.
The Hogwarts Express was already at the platform, its engine puffing out thick clouds of steam. The platform was abuzz with students and their families, along with the cacophony of various pets, creating a chaotic din that filled Albert's ears like a muffliato charm had been cast upon him.
As Albert pushed his luggage cart through the crowd, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder from behind. A familiar voice then spoke into his ear.
Albert turned to find Lee Jordan and his father standing beside him, having appeared out of thin air.
"Ludo Bagman gave us a bunch of fake Galleons," Mr. Jordan said, leading Albert toward the train entrance. "I took them to Gringotts to have the goblins appraise them, and it turns out only a dozen or so were real. The rest were all counterfeit."
"Fred and George are in the same situation," Lee added.
"Have you tried confronting Ludo Bagman?" Albert asked, keeping his voice low as he noticed several people staring at him. Sometimes, being too famous could be a nuisance.
"We have," Mr. Jordan said through gritted teeth. "But it was useless. He denied everything and was very dismissive."
"He's probably broke," Albert speculated.
"Are you saying we should just let it go?" Mr. Jordan asked, incredulous.
"You can write him a letter or send a Howler to pressure him for repayment, but getting your Galleons back from Ludo Bagman is unlikely," Albert advised as he stopped walking and turned to face Mr. Jordan. "However, you could join forces with other wizards who have been scammed by Bagman and form a group to negotiate with him. You might be able to get him to agree to a repayment plan, even if it's a small amount each year. It's better than him defaulting entirely."
"What if he still can't pay?"
"In that case, the debt will hang over his head until he dies," Albert replied matter-of-factly.
"You certainly know how to handle these situations," Lee said, impressed, giving Albert a thumbs-up.
"It's the best we can do," Mr. Jordan conceded, realizing there were no better options. Before taking his leave, he reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a letter, which he handed to Albert. "Your share is already in your Gringotts vault. This is a letter from the goblins, and you can also inquire about the details at Gringotts."
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you," Albert said with a smile, extending his hand.
Mr. Jordan shook his hand warmly and said sincerely, "I hope we can do it again sometime."
"I think we will," Albert replied confidently.
Albert loaded his luggage onto the train and joined Lee Jordan in one of the compartments. Their journey to the compartment did not go unnoticed, as they attracted countless curious stares along the way. Some people even pressed their faces against the glass windows of the compartments, making Albert feel like an exotic animal in a zoo.
Once inside the compartment, Albert immediately closed the door and drew the curtains, blocking out the prying eyes. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"You're quite the celebrity," Lee commented, not envying the attention Albert was receiving. The stares from the girls, in particular, made him feel a bit intimidated, as if they were ready to devour Albert alive! "Not everyone enjoys being in the spotlight like Lockhart," Albert said with a wave of his wand. He pointed it at his clothes, and the excess moisture quickly evaporated, carried away by a gentle gust of wind that left him feeling comfortably dry.
"Fred and George must be fuming. They lost a lot of Galleons," Lee said as he took a seat across from Albert and opened the cat carrier to let Tom out.
"It's just bad luck," Albert shrugged. "If they had come to me before placing their bets, I would have advised them against betting with Bagman."
"Then why didn't you warn us?" Lee asked, a hint of accusation in his voice.
"The portion you bet was already lost," Albert explained, scratching Tom's head as his eyes gazed out the window at the bustling platform. "So, whether you placed the bet or not made no difference.
"You're certainly being generous, giving up such a large sum of Galleons just like that."
"A person shouldn't be too greedy."
Albert noticed Lee Jordan picking up a copy of the Daily Prophet and seemed to remember something. "By the way, Sirius Black's 'Defensive Guide' magazine has gone on sale, and sales should be pretty good."
"The Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup caused quite a panic." Lee Jordan waved to Fred and George on the platform. "A lot of people think it's a bad omen, and I think this may be related to what you said about turmoil in the British wizarding world."
"It is indeed related. You'll know the reason by next summer."
"Can't you tell me now?"
"You probably wouldn't want to know now."
"Who says?"
"Are you sure?" Albert said softly. "Many people wouldn't want to believe it."
"You mean He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?" Lee Jordan couldn't help swallowing, feeling that he had indeed asked a terrible question.
"Are you regretting it?" Albert opened the compartment door.
"What's there to regret?" Fred and George, soaked to the bone, walked in.
"That He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back," Lee Jordan said.
"That's not funny." Fred and George shuddered in unison.
The compartment suddenly fell silent.
"Albert, do you know what's going to happen at Hogwarts this year?" George asked, changing the subject.
"I heard there's going to be a tournament of some sort, called the Triwizard Tournament." It was Lee Jordan who answered, though he didn't seem to know much about it.
"The Triwizard Tournament, jointly hosted by three schools, is mentioned in 'Hogwarts: A History'. Each school selects a champion to compete in three magical tasks. Many people died in the past, so the tournament was discontinued." Albert raised his wand and pointed it at the twins, and they began to steam as water evaporated from their clothes. Lee Jordan quickly opened the window to let the steam out.
"Death?" The three of them looked at each other.
"Death in the literal sense."
"It sounds quite dangerous. Do you plan on participating?"
All three of them believed that the Hogwarts champion could be none other than Albert, unless he chose not to enter. Otherwise, no other student stood a chance.
"I'll probably sign up. The Triwizard Tournament sounds interesting." Albert smiled.
The Triwizard Tournament's main event tasks would definitely be exciting, and he naturally didn't want to miss out.
Moreover, to fulfill Nia's wish, he needed to participate. As for Barty Crouch Jr.'s threat, Albert didn't take it to heart at all.
For true danger lurked in the shadows, unseen.
Someone like Barty Crouch Jr., whose cover had already been blown, could be dealt with in a matter of minutes by Albert.
"I don't understand why Bill and the others won't tell us anything." Fred seemed worried that someone might overhear and kept his voice low. "Do they really think that when we find out, we'll be pleasantly surprised?"
"I think it's just their sick sense of humor. If they really wanted to surprise us, they shouldn't have given us any hints. Finding out about it completely unaware, that's a real surprise." George curled his lip and took a box of biscuits out of his bag, placing it on the table.
"Just like your personalities." After taking a small bite, Lee Jordan suddenly turned into a large golden canary.
Fred and George couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Damn canary biscuits." Lee Jordan mumbled as he finished the biscuit. It seemed that to deflate the Weasley twins' arrogance, he brought up the previous topic again. "Albert thinks that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back, and the Dark Mark is a sign."
The laughter of the Weasley twins abruptly stopped, and they stared stiffly at Albert.
"I never said that." Albert shrugged.
"You didn't say it, but that's what you meant." Lee Jordan continued to needle the twins.
"Actually, we guessed it a long time ago. Albert mentioned a long time ago that the British wizarding world would be in turmoil." Fred and George exchanged glances, putting on a united front as if to say they would face whatever came together.
The atmosphere in the compartment became increasingly bizarre.
"Don't worry, even if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named really is back, we still have the Boy-Who-Lived." Albert spoke up to comfort them.
"Are you serious?" Lee Jordan suddenly felt like laughing but couldn't.
"Of course, I am." Albert nodded. "Harry Potter being called the Boy-Who-Lived is not without reason."
"Okay, we have Potter." The three of them looked at each other and agreed with Albert. To be honest, they trusted Dumbledore more than Harry Potter.
Besides, someone tall would hold up the sky if it fell.
They didn't need to worry at all.
When the time came, they would just follow Albert's lead. Since he had divined this situation long ago, he must have prepared accordingly, and they didn't need to fret about it.
"I don't understand why he came to Hogwarts to steal the Philosopher's Stone back then." Fred seemed worried about being overheard and kept his voice low. "And why did he look so ugly, without a nose?"
"Actually, I'm more curious about why he looked so ugly. He really has no nose." Albert couldn't help but tease, as they had all seen Voldemort's appearance through a Boggart.
The compartment echoed with gasps, as none of them expected Albert to dare to mock He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, though his appearance was indeed hideous.
At that moment, there was a knock on the compartment door.
It was Harry, holding a copy of 'Defensive Guide'.
"Sirius asked me to give this to you." Harry Potter handed the magazine to Albert and seemed to have something else to say.
"What is it?" Albert glanced at the magazine cover, feeling that Black and Lupin's aesthetic sense was lacking.
"Do you know what's going to happen at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked softly.
"You mean the Triwizard Tournament?" Albert asked in surprise. "Sirius didn't tell you?"
"He's been busy with the magazine lately." Harry said helplessly.
"Looks like he really likes this job." Albert told Harry about the Triwizard Tournament and asked with a smile, "So, do you want to participate?"
"No, it sounds too dangerous." Harry shook his head quickly, though he did have similar thoughts. However, he was also aware that with Albert's abilities, he would likely win with ease.
Albert suddenly said, "I have a feeling you might get dragged into it."
"Dragged into it?" Harry was puzzled and didn't understand what Albert meant.
"Ever since you came to Hogwarts, I've summarized two things." Albert raised his index finger and said, "First, something happens at Hogwarts every year, and it's always related to you, at least as a participant."
"Don't deny it, let me finish." He raised his hand to stop Harry from interrupting. "Second, there's always something off about the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts."
Harry was speechless, as it did seem to be the case, just as Albert had said.
"That's just a coincidence." He said dryly.
"Is it really just a coincidence?" Albert narrowed his eyes. "Coincidence can happen once or twice, but when it happens repeatedly, it's no longer a coincidence."
(End of Chapter)
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