Chapter 968: The Unwanted Third Wheel
Chapter 968: The Unwanted Third Wheel
In the early morning, soft sunlight crept quietly into the room, falling on the bed in the bedroom. The sleeping girl on the bed twitched her eyelids slightly, and she would soon open her eyes and wake up.
Katrina gazed perplexedly at the unfamiliar ceiling, turned her head to survey her strange surroundings, and her thoughts came to a brief halt.
She bolted upright, the unfamiliar surroundings reminding her that she was not at home.
Where am I?
She suddenly recalled the events of the previous night and rubbed her sleepy cheeks before lying back down.
This was Albert and Isabel's new home. The night before, Katrina had been ordered by her mother to stay here to avoid potential danger.
To be honest, if Albert were an ordinary person, showing up at someone's house and spouting a bunch of incomprehensible things like he did the night before would, at the very least, be considered extremely rude, if not insane, and he would definitely be accused of crying wolf and spreading rumors.
But Albert's words bore weight, especially considering he was a prophecy master who could foresee the future. That was something to ponder seriously.
No one was a fool. If they didn't truly sense danger, they certainly wouldn't want a meddlesome third party in their lives.
At least, she knew she wouldn't want that.
Yes, a meddlesome third party.
That was how Katrina saw herself.
While her relationship with Albert was decent, living here made her feel like she was intruding, especially since she had once liked him, and his lover was her sister. Living together under the same roof was incredibly awkward.
Katrina didn't want to be here, but Mrs. McDougall obviously wasn't going to let her refuse Albert and Isabel's arrangement.
On many occasions, Katrina found herself unable to refuse Mrs. McDougall's plans, and even if she did, Isabel would most likely find another way to make her comply.
It was a wonder how these two overly confident individuals ended up together. It was hard to imagine what it would be like when their opinions clashed.
As for Mrs. McDougall's safety, Katrina wasn't too concerned. Given Isabel's personality, if push came to shove, she would probably tie her up to keep her safe if necessary. Plus, there was the omnipotent Albert. She knew he had somehow gotten his hands on a Time-Turner.
Prophecy plus a Time-Turner could sometimes change a lot of things.
Katrina, clad in a light pink sleeping dress, got out of bed, stretched her arms, and inhaled the floral scent wafting in through the window, her mood brightening as she gazed out at the courtyard.
Don't be fooled by the modest appearance of this house from the outside. The interior had been frantically altered by someone, completely transformed and expanded countless times over.
The night before, Isabel had given her a rough introduction, and she finally understood why this place was called the Rose Manor.
Katrina would bet all her allowance that if the Ministry of Magic saw this place, they would be more than happy to slap Albert with a hefty fine and a few months in Azkaban.
The girl's gaze fell on the sunroom, where two familiar figures sat. For some reason, her initially good mood suddenly soured.
Having to witness their lovey-dovey display first thing in the morning and being force-fed dog food was not a pleasant feeling. Katrina drew the curtains shut and stuck her tongue out before heading off to change her clothes.
To prevent her from meddling, Katrina's room was located far from the master bedroom.
As she prepared to go downstairs after changing, she noticed a piece of parchment on the table with instructions to the bathroom and the main hall.
Without guidance, she might have gotten lost at the beginning.
The main reason was that the manor was not yet completely finished, and there were still many rooms with unknown purposes that weren't ready.
Or, to be more precise, Albert had only prepared a few livable rooms, and this place was far less comfortable than the house in Hogsmeade.
Albert had left his house-elf, Bitte, there to tend to the greenhouse, creating an impenetrable cross-protection.
As long as the secret-keepers stayed inside the safe house protected by the Fidelius Charm, not even Voldemort would be able to touch them.
After a quick wash, Katrina, who had just planned to go downstairs for breakfast, was called over by Isabel as she passed through the courtyard.
Reluctantly, she joined them.
The sunroom was quite comfortable, and it was said that these things were acquired from Muggles. Compared to wizards, Muggles were indeed better at enjoying life. She just felt that her presence here was intruding on their time together, and not everyone welcomed a meddlesome third wheel.
Well, there were already other meddlesome creatures here.
Albert's very fat cat and a plump owl, which made her doubt if the owl could even carry out its duty of delivering letters.
"What's the matter?" Katrina asked, stealing glances at Isabel. She noticed that Isabel seemed to be wearing very light makeup, enhancing her beauty and making her look radiant.
She regretted not dolling herself up a bit to look less disheveled.
However, the fact that they didn't seem concerned about these issues made her feel relieved yet a little disappointed.
"We're going to Spain in a bit." Isabelle pulled Tom away from the roses and placed them in a flower pot, lifting her head to address Katrina.
"What are we doing in Spain?" Katrina asked, puzzled.
"We're going to participate in the International Wizarding Duelling Competition," Albert explained, setting down the letter in his hand.
In the past, Britain had its own All-Britain Wizarding Duelling Competition, but it had quickly become a joke and was abolished after the enactment of the International Anti-Duelling Law.
With the law in place, organizing a successful dueling competition would require more skilled participants, so the only remaining event in Europe was the International Wizarding Duelling Competition. It was more appropriately called the European Wizarding Duelling Competition, as many wizards believed that Europe was the center of the world.
"You're not worried about..."
Katrina couldn't comprehend Albert's line of thought. "Aren't you saying that it's dangerous out there? Why are you still running around everywhere? And now you want to participate in the International Wizarding Duelling Competition. With your abilities, you'll most likely attract a lot of attention, and it's not impossible for you to even win the championship. What if you end up leading the enemy to us?"
"They won't be able to keep their eyes on me forever," Albert replied confidently. "Moreover, we'll be using different identities in Spain, and I have this." He wasn't relying solely on the Polyjuice Potion; he had already inquired with Bard, and they had two safe houses in Spain that he could use. Although they might not be very comfortable, he could always stay in a portable case! Additionally, Albert planned to create a time difference. He was certain that Voldemort wouldn't have the time to pay attention to matters in Spain. Even if he, Albert, gained fame and attracted Voldemort's attention, by the time Voldemort hastily gathered his forces and rushed over, the competition would likely be over, and he would have already claimed the dueling championship and left Spain.
After all, Voldemort wouldn't be foolish enough to think that just one or two people could pose a threat to him, especially after Barty had failed in his attempt. Voldemort probably wouldn't expect to target him effectively with limited resources. Even in a direct confrontation, Albert wasn't intimidated. He didn't believe Voldemort would give up his advantage of hiding in the shadows and expose himself just to block Albert's path.
Voldemort had only recently returned, and he was busy rallying giants and werewolves. He didn't have the spare capacity to deal with Albert.
Even if they encountered Voldemort, Albert had a plan to deal with him.
If they came across Death Eaters, then it would serve them right, and Albert wouldn't mind sending them on a one-way trip. Who knew, it might even trigger other tasks.
After all, these were the cruel and vicious Death Eaters, and the task rewards for dealing with them wouldn't be meager.
Most importantly, Albert had already prophesied that he would win the dueling championship and return safely, which was why he was planning to participate in the International Wizarding Duelling Competition.
On top of that, he had received a message from Bard that morning, indicating an unfinished task on the task panel, which might provide skills related to dueling.
Professor Flitwick also had dueling skills to offer, and one of the rewards for the "Pentakill" task he had completed earlier was Professor McGonagall's "Animagus" skill.
Instead of undergoing the complex process of becoming an Animagus, Albert had chosen to acquire the skill directly through the task reward, thus completing the task.
As for the form his Animagus would take, Albert discovered that it was the same as his Patronus—a griffin.
To be honest, this outcome surprised Albert, as there were no known cases of wizards turning into magical beasts in the magical world. Of course, it could also be due to the rarity of Animagi.
Nevertheless, Albert decided not to attempt transforming into his Animagus form just yet, not because he didn't want to experience it, but because he felt the skill level was too low to be safe.
Although having Isabelle by his side to supervise might mitigate the risks, Albert ultimately chose to wait until he had gained more experience and knowledge before investing skill points in it. He wanted to thoroughly study the details about Animagi before making a decision.
"What are you thinking about?"
Isabelle noticed Albert's brief moment of distraction and knew that he was deep in thought about something.
"It's nothing," Albert replied gently. "I plan to pay a smooth visit to Professor Flamel. Their time is probably limited. I'm afraid it will be a bit inconvenient for you, Katrina."
"It's not inconvenient. I can stay at home," Katrina offered.
"No, I mean you can stay in the case," Albert said with an apologetic smile. "Perhaps, the professor wouldn't appreciate being disturbed by others."
"I'll accompany you," Isabelle said.
"Do I have to come along as well?" Katrina asked, her expression neutral.
"Yes."
"Won't that be very inconvenient?"
"So, for now, you'll stay in the case, and you and Isabelle can research things that girls care about." Albert thought for a moment before suggesting.
"Things that girls care about?"
Katrina felt a little bewildered, her attention momentarily distracted by the elaborate breakfast that the house-elf had prepared and brought over.
"Do you eat like this every morning?" Katrina asked, stealing a glance at Isabelle's figure, noticing that she didn't seem to have gained any weight.
"Doing some light exercises in the morning helps, and Muggles have their own ways of staying fit, like this thing called yoga, I think?" Isabelle enjoyed this activity and was curious as to how Albert knew about it.
Of course, she had no idea that he could allocate points to his abilities.
"Muggle exercises?" Katrina was intrigued and a little surprised, but she genuinely wanted to learn, as she noticed that Isabelle's figure had improved.
"I'll teach you after you're done eating and have some rest." Isabelle seemed to know what Katrina was thinking and offered to teach her.
"Okay," Katrina replied instinctively.
"Take a look at this first."
Albert handed a letter to Katrina.
"Why are you giving this to me?"
Katrina took the letter curiously, wondering why Albert was giving it to her. Upon seeing the Hogwarts mark on the envelope, she asked, "Is this the booklist?"
"Yes, it's from Hogwarts."
"So early in the year? I remember we used to receive the letters in early August," Katrina recalled.
"I asked Kara to get it from Professor McGonagall," Albert explained.
"Kara?"
"The house-elf you saw just now," Isabelle explained.
"I told Professor McGonagall that we're lying low for a while, and since the owls from Hogwarts can't find our exact location, I asked her to send us the letters early." Albert opened the letter, and as expected, there was a Head Boy badge inside.
In fact, aside from Albert, no male student in Hogwarts would dare to take on this role, unless they wanted to become the object of scorn for the entire student body.
"A house-elf? It's not the same one from last summer, is it?" Katrina remembered that the house-elf who accompanied them to Hogsmeade last year was named Bitte.
"Bitte is the Secret-Keeper for this house, and he's lying low for now," Albert explained.
"Secret-Keeper?"
"The Fidelius Charm, the highest level of protective magic. The Secret-Keeper is the only way to find this place."
"What about the card you gave me? Won't that work?"
"The card signifies that the house-elf has agreed to share this secret with you. Others may see it, but they still won't be able to find this place." Albert explained further.
"So, you've actually set up two houses protected by the Fidelius Charm?" Katrina suddenly realized why Albert was telling her all this, and her expression became complex.
"Yes, that's right, so I'm not worried about others knowing these secrets."
"Where did you get these house-elves from?" Katrina found that Albert was full of mysteries, and she wasn't a fool. She could tell that both house-elves were loyal to him.
"Hogwarts."
"Did Dumbledore agree to that?" She felt that there must be some shady deal between them.
"If Kara doesn't like it here, she's allowed to go back to Hogwarts. In fact, she's doing very well here," Albert said calmly.
"Why don't you open it and see?" Isabelle suggested.
Katrina found that her envelope also contained a Head Girl badge.
"Mom will be so proud." Isabelle smiled.
"I don't think she really cares about these things, just like she doesn't really care about herself." Katrina mumbled, "I think you shouldn't let someone be so reckless."
As she said this, she glanced at Albert, "It's not good."
"I value my life more than anyone else," Albert corrected her.
"Isn't there a new book from the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" Katrina stiffly changed the subject, feeling that Gryffindors like adventures and excitement, and Albert was no exception. In fact, he took more risks than anyone else.
"The position hasn't been finalized yet, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor will probably be appointed by the Ministry of Magic." Albert quickly scanned the items on the booklist and recalled what else needed to be purchased before writing them down on a piece of parchment.
"Do you need anything? I can ask the house-elf to buy them for you."
"You really rely on house-elves for everything, don't you?" Katrina looked at Albert with a strange expression.
"Yes, because no one would suspect that I have house-elves, so they can move about safely." Albert handed the parchment and quill to Katrina, "Take your time to think if there's anything else you need."
Katrina glanced at the parchment and compared it to her own booklist. She started writing down the things she needed, which were mostly parchment and quills, as well as some potion ingredients. She didn't need to buy anything else, and definitely not a new robe, as she had stopped growing taller after reaching adulthood. However, what made her the proudest was that she was slightly taller than Isabelle.
Happy New Year! (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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