Chapter 862: A Letter
Chapter 862: A Letter
Dear Mr. Anderson, By the time you receive this letter, we would have successfully cornered Bagman and forced him to sign the magical contract you gave me. Everything turned out just as you predicted; Bagman didn't seem to care about the contract at all. To be frank, I highly doubt that Bagman believes in the power of contracts, and he probably never intended to pay us back from the start.
However, I think Bagman will come to regret his decision.
Wishing you all the best! Dallis Jordan
After reading the contents of the letter, Albert casually set it ablaze. Tom, who had been crouched on the table licking his fur, curiously watched the burning piece of parchment. He yawned, exposing his plump belly as he settled himself comfortably on top of Albert's stack of envelopes, showing no signs of moving anytime soon.
Witnessing this scene, Li Jordan asked with a smile, "Who's the letter from?"
Based on his understanding of Albert, letters that ended up being burned usually contained important information that Albert didn't want others to see.
"It's from Mr. Jordan," Albert replied. "They went to find Ludo Bagman to collect the debt, but as expected, that guy is broke. After some negotiation, they managed to get him to sign a contract."
"What kind of contract?" Li Jordan inquired, his hand itching to reach out and rub Tom's belly.
"Ludo Bagman will set aside 20 galleons from his monthly income to repay his debt. In ten years, he will be free of his debt to them," Albert explained as he scratched Tom's belly and casually pulled out a letter that had been hidden under the cat's rear.
"Ten years, I bet that was your idea. Bagman is probably cursing you and calling you a devil behind your back," Li Jordan said, feeling a twinge of sympathy for Bagman.
"Ludo Bagman is not one to rest on his laurels. He's always been a cunning opportunist," Albert said as he tore open the envelope. "And I'd wager that he never intended to pay back the money anyway."
"Then why did you agree to those terms?" Li Jordan's confusion deepened. "Did you tamper with the contract in some way?"
"It's been enchanted with a Tracking Charm and a curse," Albert revealed.
"That guy's really out of luck," Li Jordan commented.
"Ludo Bagman has made quite a few enemies. This was less about debt collection and more about a group of people teaching him a lesson," Albert said with a smile. "As for the ten-year repayment period, that's not the key point. The important thing is that Bagman can't escape his obligations for the next ten years. If he really doesn't intend to pay back the debt, we can reveal his whereabouts to the goblins, and they can cause trouble for him. The bottom line is that we can't let him off too easily."
"Well, you're right about that," Li Jordan agreed, feeling no sympathy for Bagman given his atrocious attitude.
Albert's gaze shifted to behind Li Jordan, and he asked curiously, "Are Fred and George in the kitchen preparing a midnight snack?"
"They're busy working on the Aging Potion," Li Jordan shrugged. "After you told them you couldn't help last time, they're still not giving up."
"I thought they didn't plan on participating in the Triwizard Tournament?" Albert said, perplexed. "Do they intend to make money by selling the potion to students who want to enter the tournament?"
"Yes, they do plan to sell the Aging Potion to students who are trying to enter the tournament. After all, there are quite a few students who are just a few months shy of the age requirement," Li Jordan said, gesturing to the pile of gift boxes on the bed. "Your birthday gifts this year are as impressive as always. Just how many presents did you receive?"
"I didn't count, but most of them are probably books," Albert said, handing the Truth Seeker to Li Jordan along with a pair of dragon-hide gloves.
"You're still very suspicious of these gifts, aren't you?" Li Jordan didn't refuse, as helping Albert open his birthday presents had become one of their favorite pastimes.
"With my newfound fame, there are plenty of people who don't wish me well. It's better to be safe than sorry," Albert admitted candidly. "Being too famous can attract unwanted attention, especially from pure-blood wizards who don't approve of me. After the incident at the Quidditch World Cup, where someone infiltrated our tent during the chaos, I've become extra vigilant. Who knows, someone might try to send me a cursed gift."
After all, if it were up to Albert, he'd be more than happy to send someone a copy of 'A Wizard's Ode' and curse them to speak only in awkward pentameter for the rest of their life.
"By the way, do you know who the impartial judge is, the one who will decide who becomes a champion?" Li Jordan asked as he began using the Truth Seeker to sort through the gifts, separating those that contained hidden charms or dark artifacts.
"I heard it's a magical cup, called the 'Goblet of Fire'," Albert replied, emphasizing his point by repeating himself, "Yes, I believe it's called the Goblet of Fire."
"Goblet of Fire, huh? What's that about?" Li Jordan was now intrigued, never expecting Albert to have access to such insider information. Albert truly had friends in all corners of the European wizarding world.
"I'm not entirely sure," Albert admitted. "There are rumors that it was created jointly, or commissioned, by the headmasters of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang over seven hundred years ago when the first Triwizard Tournament was held. It was meant to be a fair way to select champions for the tournament, which was seen as a wonderful opportunity for young witches and wizards from different countries to forge friendships."
"A magical cup, huh?" Li Jordan mused. "I'm starting to think the Aging Potion isn't such a sure bet after all."
"The Sorting Hat at Hogwarts is just as magical," Albert pointed out as he took the letters that Li Jordan handed to him. He glanced at the sender's name and saw that it was from Truman, along with a birthday gift—a notebook purchased from a Muggle supermarket.
"So, how do they use this Goblet of Fire to select the champions? Do they have the participants touch the goblet or something?" Li Jordan asked.
"We'll find out soon enough," Albert said as he opened Truman's envelope. Inside were two pieces of parchment—one wishing him a happy birthday, and the other, a piece of parchment, detailing two recent occurrences in the Ministry of Magic:
The disappearance of Bertha Jorkins while vacationing in Albania.
And the news of Ludo Bagman losing a large sum of money and being hounded by his creditors.
"It seems that a lot of people like to send you books as gifts," Li Jordan remarked as he continued to unwrap birthday presents, most of which were indeed books, including some valuable magazines.
"That's fine by me," Albert said, happy to receive books as gifts. "It's a simple and practical choice, and even if I don't need them, they can always decorate my bookshelf. Besides, the books I receive from my foreign friends often provide a unique reading experience."
Li Jordan placed the books one by one into Albert's small bookshelf, then suddenly looked up and asked, "By the way, do you know how to make an antidote for Amorentia?"
"Amorentia?" Albert suddenly recalled someone accidentally ingesting the love potion and couldn't help but tease, "Are you planning to use a love potion on Angelina?"
"Angelina? No, I've temporarily given up on that." A wry smile appeared on Li Jordan's face. "She doesn't seem to have any feelings for me."
"Don't be discouraged. You'll definitely find someone more suitable." Albert offered words of comfort, knowing that Li Jordan had been pursuing Angelina for years to no avail.
"You're right." Li Jordan's spirits lifted as he reminded Albert, "Fred and George heard that the school will be holding a Christmas ball during the holidays, and you know, many girls want to be your dance partner. So, they've come up with a plan."
"A love potion?"
"Yes, they plan to sell Amorentia to those girls who want to be your dance partners. So, you'd better be careful from now on. It would be even better if you could carry an antidote with you."
"I've already found a dance partner in advance," Albert shrugged. "So, Fred and George's plan will likely come to nothing."
"Oh, you've found a partner already? Who is it? Let me guess." Li Jordan's interest was piqued, and his curiosity ignited. He even set aside the packages he was unwrapping as he probed further: "Your girlfriend has already graduated from school, so you'll definitely choose someone you're familiar with as a decoy. Is it Sandra? Or Granger?"
"No, it's a secret for now!"
"Impossible. With your personality, you'll definitely choose someone you know. Are you thinking of bringing your girlfriend to the school ball? That's not a bad idea." Noticing a letter from France on the table, Li Jordan added, "Oh, by the way, I almost forgot about one possibility. Is it Katrina from Ravenclaw? Don't tell me you're planning to woo both the McGonagall sisters? Let me tell you, wooing both sisters is no easy task, even for you. You'd better be careful."
"Can't you say something more pleasant?"
"Or is it someone from another school who's participating in the Triwizard Tournament? Like the beautiful Louise Dracule?" Li Jordan teased as he handed over the letter on the table to Albert. They both knew that Albert had a very beautiful female pen pal from France.
"Go back to unwrapping your packages!" Albert took the letter from him.
"I've guessed it right." Li Jordan patted Albert on the shoulder and earnestly reminded him, "If you're too flirtatious, be careful of getting dumped by all the girls."
"You should find yourself a girlfriend before lecturing me." Albert glanced at the letter in his hand. Ever since they met Louise in France and he mentioned his engagement to Isabelle, their correspondence had lessened.
"You're such an enviable guy." Li Jordan stuck out his tongue and, donning the dragon-hide gloves, resumed unwrapping the packages that had shown magical reactions.
Albert unfolded the letter and began reading its contents, his expression suddenly turning strange. Louise had mentioned her cousin, Fleur, in the letter, saying that she might become a champion in the Triwizard Tournament and hoping that Albert could take care of her. She also mentioned that she planned to open a witch beauty shop with the help of her new friends from America.
Albert suspected that Louise's new friends might be Catherine and Valeria.
For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this, as if beauty potions might become a big problem in the future.
"Women, they're always trouble, and you can't afford to mess with them."
Albert suddenly felt his knee sink as a furry head popped out. Tom, curious about what Albert was reading, jumped onto his lap and used his front paws to peer at the letter on the table.
"You're such a clingy little guy." Albert chuckled and ruffled Tom's head affectionately before putting him down on the floor.
Meanwhile, far away from Hogwarts, the Crouch family residence received a rare owl. Ever since Bartemius Crouch Sr. was controlled by Voldemort's Imperius Curse, hardly anyone visited their home, and much of the work was handled by their diligent helper, "Wethersby."
Old Crouch retrieved the letter from the mailbox and handed it to the diminutive Peter Pettigrew, who was standing by his side. Pettigrew took the letter, opened it, and glanced at the gibberish within. He raised his wand and gently tapped the letter, causing the letters to rearrange themselves into a coherent message.
Pettigrew walked into the hall, intending to deliver the letter to the resting Voldemort.
"Master, young Crouch has sent a letter." Pettigrew respectfully handed the letter to Voldemort, who had been regaining his strength since his return. Pettigrew's attitude towards Voldemort had become more deferential, as he now realized how naive his previous thoughts had been; he knew that Voldemort might no longer need him.
Voldemort, who had been resting to restore his vitality, opened his eyes and asked, "What is it?"
"Young Crouch seems to be in trouble. That Mudblood is more troublesome than we anticipated," Pettigrew quickly scanned the content of the letter.
"Give it to me." Voldemort demanded sternly, not willing to tolerate any failure in his plan.
Pettigrew respectfully handed the letter to Voldemort, who swiftly read through the contents of Barty Jr.'s letter. He then instructed Pettigrew, "He needs your help to deal with the Mudblood."
"Master, killing that Mudblood under Dumbledore's nose won't be easy, and it may even arouse Dumbledore's suspicion," Pettigrew frowned, clearly disagreeing with Barty Jr.'s idea.
"Kill him? Of course not, at least not now." Voldemort glanced at Wormtail, his tone indifferent. "Barty Jr. holds that Mudblood in high regard, believing that the other champions stand no chance against him. We must ensure that the Mudblood does not become a champion."
Although there was no concrete evidence, Barty Jr. had mentioned in his letter that Dumbledore seemed to be secretly observing him. Thus, he needed help dealing with the Mudblood to prevent him from participating in the Triwizard Tournament.
"You can read it yourself." Voldemort handed the letter to Pettigrew. It contained Barty Jr.'s rough plan to deal with Albert, which Voldemort knew could be perfected to make Dumbledore believe that the Mudblood's failure to be selected as a champion was merely an accident.
Pettigrew took the letter and read the second page, carefully studying Barty Jr.'s plan. He was left stunned by the younger wizard's idea.
"Is this even possible?" Pettigrew muttered, "Won't this be too cheap?"
(End of Chapter)
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