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Chapter 961: An Invitation from the Order of the Phoenix
Chapter 961: An Invitation from the Order of the Phoenix
As night fell, Albert and Isabelle made their way to London Airport to bid farewell to Albert's family.
"You're truly not planning to leave with us?" Herbert asked, though he already knew the answer.
"No, we're not planning to leave Britain just yet. Take care on your journey," Albert replied, embracing his family in a heartfelt goodbye.
"Keep an eye on Albert and stop him from causing any more trouble," Daisy whispered to Isabelle as she held her hand. "Also, make sure to have a child when you can. After all, you don't have much pressure, and there will be help with childcare."
"I'm the one who never causes any worry in this family," Albert complained. He was the most dependable one, yet they dared to slander him so.
"It's exactly because you're usually so dependable that we worry about you," Nia added, not forgetting the events of that evening.
"Don't listen to him all the time. Deep down, Albert is still a big child," Daisy whispered to Isabelle. "Sometimes, you just need to humor him like a kid."
"Ahem, ignore their nonsense," Albert interjected.
"I know," Isabelle said, covering her mouth and giggling softly.
Albert pulled out a box from somewhere and handed it to Nia. "Here, I have something for you. The key is the silver card I gave you last time. Just place it on the box and it will open."
"Be careful not to let anyone see it. I've included the instructions inside," Albert continued. "There's a gift for you, as well as beauty potions for you and Mom. The supply should last you a good few years."
"Thank you," Nia said, giving Albert a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I knew you were the best to me."
As the Anderson family made their way toward the check-in counter with their luggage, Albert didn't leave immediately. Instead, he found a place to eat nearby and chatted with his family on his phone until they boarded the plane and departed from Britain.
Isabelle rested her head on Albert's shoulder, gazing at the plane flying overhead. "They're gone."
"Yes, they're gone," Albert said, turning his head to look at Isabelle. "Let's head back. It's been a tiring day."
"Yes, home it is."
The two quietly made their way into an alley, disappearing without a trace.
While Albert and Isabelle enjoyed a moment of peace at home, Hogwarts School was still in chaos.
An enraged Fudge arrived with Aurors and Dementors to reclaim control.
However, he was met with disappointment as no one knew where Albert was, and Dumbledore was also missing. According to Snape, Dumbledore had gone to rescue Harry.
The entire school was in disarray. Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress, was still recuperating in the hospital wing, along with Professor Flitwick and two other champions who had been controlled by the Imperius Curse. Even the barely alive Professor Moody had been found and was now under Madam Pomfrey's care.
Fudge also received a shocking piece of news: the fake Moody was none other than Barty Crouch Jr., and under the influence of Veritaserum, he had revealed everything. The plan to take Harry was part of an attempt to resurrect Lord Voldemort, and it seemed that they had succeeded.
Resurrect Voldemort?
This was like a huge joke to Fudge. It would undo all his efforts over the years, and he couldn't accept or acknowledge it.
He was well aware of the consequences if he did.
Of course, Fudge also understood that no one could lie under the influence of Veritaserum. Once Barty Crouch Jr. was brought to trial at the Wizengamot, Fudge dreaded to think what would happen.
This situation had to be stopped.
Fortunately, it wouldn't be difficult.
Taking advantage of Dumbledore's absence, Fudge had the Dementors search the castle and locate Barty Crouch Jr., who was being guarded by Hagrid.
The next step was simple. Fudge ordered the Dementors to give Barty Crouch Jr. the Dementor's Kiss, ensuring he would never again be a threat to the wizarding world.
As long as Barty Crouch Jr. couldn't stand trial at the Wizengamot, Dumbledore would have no proof of Voldemort's resurrection.
However, just as Fudge was about to pat himself on the back for his cleverness, he received news of Harry Potter's return. The famous savior seemed to have endured terrible torture.
Not long after, Dumbledore brought back the news of Voldemort's resurrection and provided Scrimgeour with the location, leaving Fudge fuming.
That night, the two sides clashed unpleasantly, and in the end, an exasperated Madam Pomfrey kicked both Fudge and Dumbledore out of the hospital wing.
But what did all this have to do with Albert Anderson?
The next day, after a good night's rest and feeling rejuvenated, Albert returned to Hogwarts to clean up the mess. As soon as he appeared in the castle, he was met with admiring gazes from countless students. It wasn't because he had won the Triwizard Tournament for Hogwarts, but because he had not only seen through Barty Crouch Jr.'s disguise but also boldly counterattacked and turned the tables on his assailants in the face of their ambush.
Those assailants included notorious Death Eaters and two professors and two champions from the school. Ordinarily, anyone in such a situation would have been doomed. Just look at Harry Potter, who had been abducted without putting up much of a fight.
Everyone was eager to know how Albert had turned defeat into victory and single-handedly taken down five individuals.
"As we all know, there were questions about Potter becoming the fourth champion," Albert said nonchalantly in response to the students' inquiries. "Someone wanted to harm Potter, and the third task was their last chance. Knowing that there might be a Dark Wizard in the maze, anyone who wasn't careful deserved whatever they got."
"After entering the maze, I stopped trusting anyone, at least for the duration of the task," Albert explained. "Because I knew that whoever took Potter wouldn't want the third task to end quickly, they would target the other champions."
"Then I encountered Miss Delacour's ambush. She used a Disillusionment Charm to hide and try to sneak up on me, but I discovered and subdued her," Albert continued.
"Later, Mr. Krum saw me and immediately threw an Avada Kedavra curse at me, which made me realize that they intended to kill me," he said.
Facing the shocked expressions of the students, Albert said calmly, "The two failed ambushes made me realize that Moody was suspicious. Only his magical eye could locate me, and the fact that he dared to act against me meant that he had dealt with the other patrolling professors."
"In fact, he was trying to surround me, but I progressed through the maze faster than he anticipated, creating a gap in his plan," Albert continued, the students' awe-filled gazes fixed upon him. "I was aware of this, so I took the initiative to turn back and mess with his plans, catching him off guard. It was a successful strategy."
"How did you find the fake Professor Moody?" a Hufflepuff girl asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
"If you knew how to cast a Tracking Charm, you wouldn't need to ask that question," Albert shrugged. "The impostor obviously forgot to cast a Counter-Charm on himself. I found him, disrupted his rhythm, and completely overpowered him. To be honest, that guy was pretty dangerous, always throwing Avada Kedavra curses around."
Although Albert spoke casually, the students couldn't bring themselves to laugh. They remembered Albert's intense demeanor as he had exited the maze the night before, an aura that had unnerved quite a few people, even causing the Minister of Magic and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to be disarmed.
Albert's formidable strength, intelligent mind, and bold, decisive manner commanded awe and respect.
Before Albert could finish recounting the story of what happened in the maze, someone passed him a note. Under the resentful gazes of the students, Albert headed towards the headmaster's office.
After knocking on the wooden door, Albert was surprised to find that it was opened by none other than Sirius Black.
"Thank you for saving Harry," Sirius said, grateful for Albert's suggestion. No one could have anticipated that the socks Black gave to Harry were actually the key.
"No, it was Professor Dumbledore who saved Harry," Albert replied.
"You're always so humble," Dumbledore said, appearing out of thin air.
"I heard you had a falling out with Fudge?" Albert asked, changing the subject.
"Fudge refuses to acknowledge Voldemort's return. He's too attached to his position of power," Dumbledore shook his head. "I couldn't convince him."
"Sometimes, even when you know something is wrong, you have to act as if it's right. That's politics," Albert said indifferently. "Fudge is a spineless man; he can't bear the truth of the Dark Lord's resurrection, and neither can the rest of the Ministry. No one wants to believe it or accept that their comfortable lives will be turned upside down. So, it's up to you to tell them?"
"You always see things so clearly," Dumbledore said with a smile as he handed a bag of galleons to Albert. "By the way, your prize money. I'm afraid the champion's award ceremony is out of the question now."
Albert didn't mind and casually stuffed the bag of coins into his pocket, then asked a question that was on his mind: "Where was the Dark Lord resurrected? Near Tom Riddle's old grave?"
"No, I hid near Riddle's grave last night, but he never showed up," Sirius replied. "It was in a very secluded location. I suspect he wanted to avoid any mishaps, so he had Peter retrieve Riddle's bones long ago."
"Is that so?" Dumbledore suddenly asked, "You seem particularly interested in this matter."
"I'm just curious to see if the future I saw will change," Albert explained.
"To be honest, seeing Harry suddenly disappear right under our noses shocked both Voldemort and me. Who would have thought that the socks he was wearing were the key?" Dumbledore said jokingly, his train of thought moving too quickly for Sirius to follow.
"Even if he is the Dark Lord, I doubt he would think to check Potter's socks or underwear for a key!"
"I'd say no one has ever done that before."
"After all, he is the savior. His luck isn't too bad," Albert suddenly said. "By the way, I plan to go into hiding, and I don't suppose you'd mind if I took a house-elf from the Hogwarts kitchen with me?"
"Dobby?"
"No, another one."
"If you can get its consent, I have no objections. But it's not a good example to set," Dumbledore said, a little disappointed that Albert had explicitly refused his invitation.
"By the way, Albert, would you like to join the Order of the Phoenix?" Sirius asked, seeing that Dumbledore hadn't invited Albert yet.
"The secret organization dedicated to fighting Voldemort?" Albert asked in return.
"Yes," Sirius nodded. "Founded by Dumbledore."
"And you're a member, too?" Albert continued.
"Yes."
Sirius felt that having Albert join would give them a significant advantage.
"I won't join a strange organization that I know nothing about, no matter how good it seems," Albert replied.
"You should trust Dumbledore," Sirius said, taken aback by Albert's refusal.
"Of course, I trust Professor Dumbledore, but I trust my own judgment even more. I know what's going to happen next, and I can offer you some help. But... to be blunt, where is your headquarters?" Albert suddenly asked.
"12 Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore, you're welcome to use it. I don't mind," Sirius said, realizing that the Order didn't even have a headquarters yet, and turned to Dumbledore.
"It seems you haven't even prepared a place for gatherings. A hastily formed organization is unreliable; it's like a sieve, incapable of keeping secrets," Albert shook his head.
He raised his hand to interrupt Sirius and continued, "I know the Order of the Phoenix existed in the past, but as it stands now, especially with an opponent like the Dark Lord, it's even more dangerous. Without tight security, your members are as fragile as paper. The Dark Mark could float above their homes at any moment, and don't count on the Dark Lord's mercy. His greatest act of mercy is probably using the Avada Kedavra curse to send people away."
An eerie silence fell upon the headmaster's office.
"Wormtail was once a member of your Order, wasn't he?" Albert suddenly asked.
"Yes."
Sirius almost gritted his teeth as he said this.
"When his loved ones' lives were in the Dark Lord's hands, he would betray his dearest friend to ensure their survival," Albert reminded them kindly. "What if there's another Wormtail? You haven't prepared anything, and you've messed up a lot of things."
"This is a war, not a child's game."
"We know it's a war," Sirius said irritably.
"No, you don't. Don't underestimate your opponent, and don't become a fool like Fudge, bringing political thinking into this. The Dark Lord is no politician; he's a dark wizard who reveres power, and his style is to kill off the Minister of Magic if they don't obey and replace them with obedient puppets."
"I won't let that happen," Dumbledore said firmly.
"The trouble that Cornelius Fudge has caused is no less than that of Voldemort's puppet," Albert said meaningfully. "If I were you, I'd find a way to get rid of him and put Amelia Bones in his place. I recall that she has a grudge against Voldemort, and it's a big one. She'd be a better fit than anyone else."
Sirius was stunned by Albert's words. He never expected that Albert would suggest removing Fudge and installing a new minister in his place.
"That's difficult," Dumbledore shook his head.
"No, it's not," Albert said, looking intently at Dumbledore. "At the latest, Fudge will be gone by next year, but you can make it happen sooner, before he causes even more trouble."
"You don't seem to like Fudge very much," Sirius said curiously.
"He's a liability. Believe me, no one likes him," Albert said as he turned to leave. He took out a two-way mirror from his pocket and handed it to Dumbledore.
"If you need anything, you can contact me through this. I can help you with some small matters, but forget about others."
"Did you know he wouldn't join?" Sirius asked, picking up the two-way mirror and looking at Dumbledore.
"No, I didn't, but it's worth a try. Usually, if you're willing to give something, you'll get a return. Mr. Anderson is an easy-to-understand man," Dumbledore said meaningfully.
(End of Chapter)
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