Chapter 947: Settling Down
Chapter 947: Settling Down
Even though Albert had claimed his task rewards and upgraded his Wizard Dueling and Flitwick Dueling Techniques to Level 3, he still didn't feel confident. At the very least, he didn't think he could reliably win against Professor Flitwick, even with the two new duel-related skills that significantly boosted his strength. Albert felt that his lack of actual combat experience was a major drawback.
His victory in their previous encounter was solely due to wearing Professor Flitwick down. If his opponent had been a Dark Wizard, the duel would have had to end swiftly, either in a quick victory or defeat. Most likely, the battle wouldn't have lasted more than five minutes, especially if one of them was fleeing and the other pursuing; there would be no need for prolonged engagement if the gap in skill was that wide.
Professor Dumbledore, on the other hand, always managed to defeat his enemies with ease. Almost all Death Eaters seemed like helpless infants before the Transfiguration Master.
Albert was curious about how he measured up to the Headmaster.
Well, he admitted to himself that he was being a bit ambitious, wanting to duel Dumbledore and see firsthand how the legendary wizard fought.
After all, Dumbledore was the pinnacle of power in this world, and Albert wouldn't mind acquiring a 'Dumbledore Dueling Technique' if such a thing existed.
Humans! They were always greedy, wanting more even after obtaining so much.
But what could he do? Voldemort was still out there, breathing.
Albert made an excuse for his greed.
As long as the threat of Voldemort loomed, Albert felt it necessary to strengthen himself further to ensure his safety. He believed in relying on himself rather than others.
In his opinion, Voldemort's strength was almost on par with Dumbledore's, and the only reason he always lost to the Headmaster was mostly due to the Elder Wand.
In terms of magical power, Albert believed he might even surpass Voldemort, but against the Elder Wand, he suspected he would be at a disadvantage or even be overwhelmed.
Until he reached a level comparable to Dumbledore, he dared not face Voldemort directly. His plan was to gain combat experience by hunting down Voldemort's followers, which would also be a service to the wizarding world.
After all, there would be plenty of Death Eaters to deal with later on, and for the more radical ones, there was always the "Voldemort Suicide Squad" option.
As long as he didn't claim responsibility, the threat level would be drastically reduced.
There would always be suitable candidates to shoulder that heavy burden.
In truth, Albert didn't want to take unnecessary risks, but he desperately needed combat experience. His lack of it could become a fatal weakness. Dueling Professor Flitwick might seem dangerous, but Albert was well aware that he was never truly in peril, nor did he need to worry about an unexpected Avada Kedavra.
Mad-Eye Moody would have been a great choice, if only the current one wasn't an imposter.
After he exposed the fake Moody, he wondered if he could appeal to the real Mad-Eye's sense of camaraderie and convince him to spare some time to teach him.
Albert realized that he truly enjoyed absorbing knowledge and experience from various sources. It made sense, given that this was the golden period for him to grow and improve rapidly, spurred on by the looming threat.
Without a doubt, this was the fastest and easiest way to become stronger.
Otherwise, once the wizarding world settled down, people would become complacent and lose the motivation to learn new things.
"What are you thinking about?"
A familiar, sweet fragrance wafted from behind as Isabelle, clad in a sleepwear, wrapped her arms around Albert's neck from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder, a happy smile on her face.
"Do you like that house?"
Albert craned his neck to glance at his girlfriend's profile as he pointed to the photos spread out on the table.
The photos were of old rural houses in remote locations, but they looked decent overall.
"Are you planning to buy a house directly?"
Isabelle released her hold and walked around the sofa to sit beside Albert. She picked up the photos, clearly of Muggle houses.
"Won't it be expensive?"
"No," Albert explained, "I had someone specifically filter these out. The owners are willing to sell, and most of the houses are in remote areas with inconvenient transportation. Some don't even have water or electricity, or they might be abandoned, so the prices are quite cheap."
"Which one do you think is suitable?"
Isabelle trusted that Albert had already made up his mind. She flipped over the photos and saw the address, contact information, and estimated cost written on the back.
Luke had someone help them acquire these photos.
The cheapest house was only a few tens of thousands of pounds—a village that had been completely deserted, without water or electricity, the kind of place that hadn't seen a resident in a long time.
The more expensive ones would cost a couple of hundred thousand pounds.
Of course, the low prices might also be due to the economic downturn this year.
Isabelle was unaware that Albert intended to buy most of the houses in the photos.
As for the money, he could just win another lottery prize.
After all, in times of chaos, who would pay attention to such things?
It didn't matter who won the prize, as long as someone did, and these houses would eventually be hidden away with magic.
"Why don't you pick a few, and we'll go take a look together tomorrow? After all, we want to make sure we'll be comfortable living there," Albert said as he wrapped his arms around Isabelle, pulling her onto his lap, and breathed in her scent. Life was indeed full of color with a beauty in his arms.
"How about these three?" Isabelle chose three photos that looked quite pleasant.
"Then let's make time to go there tomorrow." Albert waved his hand, and the remaining photos flew back into the envelope. The house-elves would take care of the three photos Isabelle had chosen.
"So soon?" Isabelle raised an eyebrow, surprised at the swiftness of his actions.
"We're just going to check out the specifics. I'll have Bitt go ahead and scout the locations for us first." Albert's hands around Isabelle's waist began to wander.
"You're always so lazy." Isabelle's cheeks reddened as she snuggled into Albert's embrace, and they could feel each other's heartbeats.
There was no other way around it. Without knowing the exact location, they couldn't use the Disapparition spell.
Having the house-elves scout ahead was the best option. They could then lead the way using Disapparition, saving them a lot of time and energy.
"Actually, I'd rather build a house on the beach we went to before." Isabelle spoke softly.
"It seems you really like that place." Albert liked it there as well.
"It's a beach full of memories." Isabelle reminisced.
"It is indeed a nice place, but it's a bit troublesome. I'm not good at building houses, and a hastily built one would definitely be uncomfortable to live in, especially if we're going to be there for a couple of years." Albert had thought about building a house there but eventually gave up on the idea temporarily. He didn't have the skill, and going there now would only ruin the environment.
"Yes, living there for a couple of years." Isabelle murmured.
"Once things settle down, we'll go back and claim that spot. We'll build a beautiful villa there, and with the Fidelius Charm, even the Ministry of Magic won't be able to do anything about it." Albert kissed the girl's cheek and said reassuringly, as if comforting a child.
“You sound like a bandit.” Isabelle said with a laugh.
“Not a bandit, a pirate.” Albert corrected her.
“A pirate?” “Yeah, this country used to be full of pirates.” Albert said with a straight face.
Staying within the confines of the Fidelius Charm was a necessary precaution, and no one enjoyed living like they were in prison. However, for the sake of safety, they couldn't easily leave, nor could they reveal their exact location.
Albert thought about finding someone to keep Isabelle company and keep her spirits up. Her family would be a good choice, but some things were not that simple.
Aside from whether her family would be willing, even if they were, it wouldn't be convenient to live with them.
“Don't worry about it. We're lucky to be prepared, and at least we don't have to worry like everyone else.” Isabelle gently stroked Albert's face. She knew that he was considering her feelings, and she felt both touched and resigned.
Did she really need someone to worry about her so much?
Isabelle was also a very decisive person.
“It's getting late. Let's get some rest.” “Late at night? Don't your admirers know about your playful ways?” Isabelle turned to look out the window, where the sky was just beginning to darken.
“They definitely don't.” Albert said proudly, “My public image is impeccable.” “You're such a liar.” Isabelle teased.
“And, I rarely lie.” Albert said seriously.
“You like to mislead people with truthful information.” “Actually, I think most girls wouldn't mind, and you know, most girls are even more open than me.” Albert didn't think there was anything wrong with his behavior.
After all, humans had their physical needs! “And, we're just purely exchanging emotions. Love needs to be carefully nurtured.” Albert continued, “I suspect most girls prefer bad boys because honest men lack romance, and without romance, it's easy for girls to grow to dislike them.”
Albert, in his previous life, had been an honest man without any romance. He didn't know why he had become like this, perhaps the environment had changed him.
“You always find excuses for yourself.” Isabelle didn't mind, and if he truly didn't have feelings for her, how could he let her joke around and be so intimate with him?
Did people really think British gentlemen were so gentlemanly?
Just look at the Unforgivable Curses, which were anything but civilized. There were plenty of cases of people using them to smash others' skulls. Only the uncivilized needed such spells to prove their civility.
“Do you want me to carry you back to your room?” Albert asked with a smile.
“Mhm.” Isabelle smiled and reached out to hug Albert's neck, and he picked her up in a princess carry.
“You've gained some weight.” “Maybe I haven't been exercising much lately, staying here.”
“That's not a good habit.” Albert felt he wasn't really in a position to say that, “After the summer holidays, I'll exercise with you.” “Men always prefer beautiful women.” Isabelle pouted, “When I get old, will you dislike me?”
“Aren't you guys always researching ways to stay young? And you already have preliminary results!” Albert kissed Isabelle's cheek and said, “There will always be a way, and besides, you're still young, so don't worry about it.” The two of them fooled around all night, and when Albert woke up, the house-elf Bitt had already returned and was humming a tune as he prepared a nutritious breakfast for them.
“Go get some rest first. We can go check out the houses later, it's not urgent.” Albert wasn't in a rush, and he wanted to let the house-elf, who had been busy all night, get some rest first. After all, they only intended to quietly observe the houses and wouldn't be spending much time there.
After a quick and healthy breakfast, Albert flipped through the Prophet, but aside from a few pretentious articles, there wasn't much of value.
“What are you planning to do today?” Isabelle lazily ate her soft egg custard, having tasted a variety of cuisines from different countries since staying with him.
“Deal with that sailboat.” Albert said without hesitation, “I plan to take it out for a test sail sometime soon to see if there are any problems, so we don't end up capsizing.” The interior of the sailboat had been greatly expanded, and it was now almost as big as Hogsmeade. This was all thanks to the Level 5 Non-Trace Extension Charm, which had stabilized the space and prevented any issues from arising due to the expansion.
Inside was a large field of crops, with all sorts of fruits and vegetables growing, and the tomatoes they had for breakfast had been picked from there. In addition, there were also chickens running around, and the fried eggs they had eaten had come from those chickens.
Once it was completely finished, and stocked with a large amount of food, it would become a mobile and hidden fortress, where they could stay for a long time.
It was Albert's backup plan.
Although he felt it wouldn't be necessary, he had to leave himself an escape route.
In the afternoon, the two of them went to see the houses.
The village was deserted, and they quietly toured the houses, finally settling on a villa with a sunroom.
The house was large and located in a remote area, with no other residents nearby, which would save them a lot of trouble. Otherwise, if the house suddenly disappeared, they would have to modify the memories of the entire village, and then just give the goblin the money and use a spell to modify his memory as well. With the Fidelius Charm in place, no one, not even the Ministry of Magic, would be able to do anything about it.
That evening, Albert wrote a letter to Grandpa Luke, asking him to help with the house purchase.
On the third morning, Albert received a reply, and the transaction was completed. The owner was happy to sell the house that no one wanted.
That same day, Isabelle paid a visit and muddled the owner's memory, so he only remembered that he had sold a house.
“It was easier than I thought.” Isabelle murmured as she looked at the old villa in front of her.
“It's normal.” Albert surveyed the surroundings and found it to be a beautiful place, with a lake nearby. It was just a bit remote, and he planned to have the house-elf Bitt slowly work on the place. After all, it would need to be renovated before they could move in, but Albert had experience with that.
“I just don't understand why they would give up such a nice place.” “It's too remote, and there's no running water or electricity, which makes it uncomfortable for ordinary people to live here. They aren't wizards, so they can't easily do without those amenities.” Albert could understand why the owner wanted to sell the villa.
In fact, there used to be water and electricity, but after a certain incident, the population of the entire village decreased sharply, and the cost of maintaining the infrastructure became too high, so they gave up on it. This directly led to the remaining villagers moving away as well, leaving the village in its current state.
However, the environment was perfect for them to settle down.
If possible, Albert even wanted to buy the entire village.
(End of Chapter)
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