Chapter 866: Protective Magic
Chapter 866: Protective Magic
After concluding his prophecy about Horcruxes, Albert didn't rush to leave the Headmaster's office. Instead, he chatted leisurely with Dumbledore as if catching up with an old friend. However, Albert soon steered the conversation in a different direction, turning it into an academic exchange and then a Q&A session with Dumbledore happily providing answers.
Although Dumbledore hadn't paid much attention to academic matters in recent years, he had once been a professor at Hogwarts and was more than happy to clarify any doubts for the diligent and eager-to-learn Albert.
However, when Albert pulled out a quill and started taking notes, Dumbledore wondered if the Sorting Hat had made a mistake in placing him in Gryffindor.
The conversation between the two was pleasant enough, albeit a bit dull, causing the portraits in the office to close their eyes in boredom.
An hour later, Albert had finished asking Dumbledore about the questions he had prepared beforehand.
Half an hour after that, Albert left the Headmaster's office, content and carrying a borrowed ancient runic notebook containing Dumbledore's research on the subject.
Tonight's gains were indeed plentiful, thanks to the thick skin he had cultivated over the years. Albert had expressed his intention to write a book on ancient runes and requested Dumbledore's assistance, offering to discuss the topic with him occasionally.
Thus, Dumbledore generously lent him his old notebooks.
In the entire British wizarding community, there were very few experts in ancient runes, and these notebooks would likely gather dust or be forgotten if not shared with someone like Albert, who might actually make use of them and produce a meaningful guide.
Whether or not this hypothetical book on runes would benefit others, Dumbledore didn't know, but he understood the value of having reliable friends. Moreover, Albert was a kindred spirit, and fostering a good relationship could lead to inviting him to join the Order of the Phoenix in the future.
Although Dumbledore was reluctant to admit it, the various occurrences seemed to be signaling that something terrible was about to happen.
He had heard rumors of a second wizarding war long ago and had even consulted the centaur Magorian in the Forbidden Forest, renowned for his divination skills. Magorian had told him that the fiery spark that brings war was shining brightly in the sky, indicating that peace was only temporary and that conflict would inevitably reignite.
To be honest, Dumbledore wasn't much of a believer in prophecies; they involved too many variables and were often inaccurate. But now, he had to concede that the centaur's prediction seemed to be coming true, as Albert also seemed to foresee impending turmoil, hence his early invitation to his wedding.
After all, it was customary to send out invitations a month or two before the wedding, not two years in advance.
Albert had a good idea of what Dumbledore was thinking, but he didn't pay it much mind.
Join the Order of the Phoenix? That was out of the question. Aside from his own self-preservation, he didn't trust Snape, and at most, he would only offer some minor assistance and nudge things along to ensure Voldemort's timely demise.
As for not causing further trouble for young Barty, while he felt a bit disappointed, Albert could see that Dumbledore still held on to a basic level of trust for his old friend. So, he knew he had to be patient. Once Harry became the fourth champion, he believed Dumbledore would remember his old friend and pay special attention, subtly influencing Dumbledore's judgment—that was Albert's plan.
After all, someone like Dumbledore wouldn't easily believe the word of others; he would trust his own instincts first and foremost.
...
Becoming a substitute for Wizenagamot did bring about some changes in Albert's life.
At least for those few days, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan seemed a bit awkward and restrained around him, apparently unable to adjust to the idea of their friend suddenly becoming a "big shot."
However, this situation didn't last long. Realizing that Albert was still the same old Albert and that his attitude towards them hadn't changed just because of his new status, they gradually returned to normal. The three of them even started practicing the protective magic mentioned in the latest issue of The Practical Defense Manual with Albert's guidance.
After spending two weeks teaching them the intricacies of protective magic, Albert decided to take Fred, George, and Lee Jordan into the Forbidden Forest on a sunny weekend to test their skills and gather some intelligence for his future survival guide.
Hagrid, spotting the four of them heading towards the forest from his cabin window, waved and called out, "Hey, what are you lot up to in the forest?"
"We're going to test out some magic," Albert replied without hesitation.
Hagrid was momentarily speechless, unsure how Albert could so blatantly declare their intention to break school rules.
"You should know students are forbidden from entering the forest," Hagrid said, poking Albert's chest with his finger in warning. "And you, being a prefect, should set an example, not lead them astray. I'll take house points from Gryffindor if you lot get into trouble."
'We're going to test out some magic?' Was that a blatant declaration of their intention to break the rules?
"Oh, come off it, Hagrid," Albert said with a smile. "I'm sure you wouldn't want Slytherin to win the House Cup, would you? We're just testing some magic in the nearby woods, and if you're worried, you can come along and keep an eye on us. Bring Fang, too."
"Alright, I want to see what you lot are up to!" Hagrid still seemed a bit hesitant, concerned that they might get into trouble.
When they reached a clearing, Albert pulled out a disc-like object from his pocket.
"What's that?" Hagrid asked, curious.
"I call this a Danger Alert," Albert said, handing it to George.
"Danger Alert?" Hagrid eyed the small palm-sized device skeptically.
"Yes, it alerts us if any witches or wizards are approaching, and if they have ill intentions, it will sound a red alarm."
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan could immediately see the usefulness of such a device, especially when out in the wild.
"And what's this?"
Hagrid's attention was drawn to the four engraved metal pillars that Albert handed to Fred. This guy always had interesting gadgets on him.
"These prolong the duration of spells," Albert explained. "There are similar ones embedded in the walls of Hogwarts."
"Are there?" Hagrid sounded unconvinced.
"Of course, they're just hidden. They're part of Hogwarts' defense system," Albert said matter-of-factly. "That's why I say ancient runes are important; most people just don't know how to decipher them."
This device was actually one of Dumbledore's research results.
"Let's go, Hagrid. We'll come back and check on them later once they're done setting up."
"What's the point of all this?"
Hagrid followed Albert, perplexed and still unsure what they were up to.
"Of course, it has a point," Albert explained. "It's to figure out how to create a safe temporary campsite for ordinary wizards within a short time.
"A temporary campsite... you mean like camping?" Hagrid asked, his voice filled with confusion.
"You could say that," Albert replied, not lying. While it was technically camping, the nature of their endeavor was quite different.
His main goal was to make Fred, George, and Lee Jordan understand that creating a safe temporary campsite wasn't about layering on as many protective spells as possible. True safety lay in concealment—in not being found or known. That was the essence of a secure encampment, as most protective spells could be easily broken.
This was also one of the topics Albert wanted to discuss with Dumbledore, but he wasn't in a hurry. He believed that Dumbledore would seek him out again, and when he did, Albert could slowly extract more insights from him, like digging for treasure.
"You think something bad might happen in the future," Hagrid whispered, his voice filled with concern.
"Yes, I have a feeling, especially after the Dark Mark appeared during the Quidditch World Cup. That feeling has only grown stronger. I believe turmoil will come to the wizarding world, and I recall the centaurs mentioning a similar prophecy."
"A prophecy from the centaurs?" Hagrid's eyes widened further.
"They believe that the people of the wizarding world are merely experiencing a brief period of peace between two wars," Albert said calmly. "To be honest, I agree with them."
"Two wars?" Hagrid's heart sank as he realized Albert wasn't trying to scare him.
"Yes, I have a feeling that in due time, you'll sense the approaching war as well." Albert took out his pocket watch to check the time. "When that happens, Hogwarts will no longer be a safe place."
"Hogwarts unsafe? This is the safest place in all of Britain! We have Dumbledore here, and even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wouldn't dare come near Hogwarts!" Hagrid found the idea absurd.
"Let's go, Hagrid. We'll head back and see how they're doing." Albert and Hagrid retraced their steps back to the clearing, but when they arrived, it was no longer there. Instead, lush foliage greeted them.
"What's going on?" Hagrid was even more perplexed. "I could have sworn this was a clearing just a moment ago."
"It's a Disillusionment Charm," Albert explained.
Albert took out a pair of dragon-hide gloves from his pocket and put them on. He then reached out and waved his hand in front of him, as if touching something invisible.
Hagrid watched as Albert's hand seemed to touch something intangible, tapping it lightly twice.
"It should be a protective charm, an all-encompassing ward, but it's a bit too obvious. Anyone who discovers this transparent barrier will know something is amiss here." Albert glanced at Hagrid's feet, where Fang was sniffing around. "You forgot to cast a spell to ward off beasts."
Hagrid stood there, mouth agape, as Albert raised his wand and casually flicked it. A Stunning Spell shot out, hitting a spot in front of them. The spell seemed to deviate slightly, peeling off a chunk of bark from an unfortunate tree nearby.
"It's a Peace Ward, but I feel it's useless. Once hit by a barrage of spells, it will surely be shattered." Albert muttered.
"At least it deflected your Stunning Spell."
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan suddenly appeared in front of them.
"But you're right, these protective spells aren't very effective. They can be easily broken through."
"To be honest, I feel like we've been deceived by The Practical Defense Manual."
"Yeah, these spells are pretty useless."
The trio shared a sense of being duped.
"You got it wrong from the start. Remember, no matter how sturdy a safe house is, once it's discovered, it's no longer safe." Albert reminded them, "The primary purpose of these spells is to prevent you from being found, to hide and protect you, not to face off against intruders head-on. Their secondary use is to buy you a few seconds to disapparate, and I dare say you forgot to use a Disillusionment Charm to conceal your presence. Anyone could easily track you down with a simple Tracking Charm or an owl."
The three friends exchanged glances, realizing they had misunderstood the purpose of these protective spells.
However, they felt it wasn't just them; most people probably misunderstood as well.
"You can find another spot nearby, and I'll come by later to check on your progress. At the very least, make sure that ordinary wizards can't find your campsite."
"Ordinary wizards?" The trio directly excluded Albert and turned to Hagrid, asking, "Hagrid didn't find our campsite earlier, did he?"
An hour later, as they were walking back to the castle, Fred asked Albert, "Can you teach us some more useful protective spells?"
"I think the spells Albert taught us are quite useful, and what he said makes sense." George knew that with their current skill level, learning advanced magic was out of the question.
"Can you?" Lee Jordan also looked at Albert expectantly.
"There's an extremely powerful protective spell called Fidelius Charm. With this spell, even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wouldn't be able to get past the Secret-Keeper and break the spell."
"If there's such a powerful protective spell, why do we need to learn those other spells?" Lee Jordan asked, confused.
"Because it's difficult, very difficult."
"Do you know the Fidelius Charm?" The three friends looked at Albert with hopeful eyes.
"Yes, but you won't be able to master it at your current level." Albert shook his head. "It's an extremely complex spell, far more challenging than a Patronus Charm."
"We can take our time and learn it slowly."
The trio clearly had no intention of giving up.
"I'll teach you, but not now." Albert seemed to have an idea. "By the way, do you remember Harry's family? They used this charm on their house, but they were ultimately betrayed by Wormtail and killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
The three fell silent.
Betrayal was indeed a heavy topic.
"Do you know why Wormtail betrayed them?" George asked, unable to resist his curiosity. "To be honest, I can't understand why he would do that."
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named probably threatened Wormtail by holding his family hostage." Albert looked back at them and asked, "What would you do if you were in his position?"
The three fell silent again. It was an extremely difficult question, and they didn't know how to answer.
"I don't know."
"That's the weakness of the charm." Albert said calmly, "James' death could be attributed to choosing the wrong Secret-Keeper. As for me, I certainly wouldn't choose any of you as my Secret-Keeper."
The trio breathed a sigh of relief.
Albert knew they weren't ready, so he wasn't in a rush.
"Moreover, you can't expect those who can't even cast a decent Shield Charm to master such an advanced spell." Albert changed the subject, "The spells we tested earlier are more suitable for ordinary wizards. Believe me, they're not as useless as you think. When used appropriately, they can be quite effective."
"Well, you always know how to convince us."
"When will we start building our secret base?"
"I think the Gryffindor common room would be a great place. We just need to make a few modifications."
"Don't rush it. We'll take it one step at a time." Albert reassured them, "Once I finish writing the wilderness survival guide, we can discuss this further. We'll have time to work on our secret base before we graduate."
(End of Chapter)
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