Chapter 159
In the world of Muggles…
Albert sat comfortably at the Grangers' dinner table, chatting and laughing while enjoying the delicious dishes Mrs. Sally Granger and her daughter Hermione had prepared together.
The warmth of the house, the aroma of roasted food, and the gentle laughter that filled the air made the evening unexpectedly peaceful.
Between bites, Mr. Granger whose full name was Caesar leaned forward with curiosity and asked, "My daughter tells me you're quite the exceptional student, Albert. Tell me, do you have a tutor helping you with your studies, or do you prefer learning on your own?"
Albert smiled politely, finishing the bite he'd been chewing before answering.
"Well, sir," he began, brushing a crumb from his sleeve, "I don't want to sound arrogant, but no one's ever really helped me with my studies. You could say… my talent is what keeps me ahead. Especially when it comes to charms and spells I'm afraid I even outmatch your daughter a little there. But when it comes to knowledge potions, theory, history that's a different story. I'm still rather weak in that area."
Caesar chuckled, clearly amused by the boy's honesty. "Ha! You remind me of someone who's confident yet humblequite the balance!"
The two continued to talk, occasionally laughing as the conversation drifted from Hogwarts life to curious Muggle inventions that fascinated Albert.
Meanwhile, across the table, Sally leaned toward her daughter and whispered softly, "No wonder you talk about him so often. He's quite handsome, isn't he?"
Hermione's eyes widened in embarrassment, and she quickly pressed a finger to her mother's lips. "Mum, shh! He'll hear you!" she hissed under her breath.
Sally giggled quietly. Hermione blushed even harder, whispering, "Well… you're not wrong, though."
Time passed more quickly than any of them realized.
Soon, it was time for Albert to head home.
He stood, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small card decorated in deep red and green glimmering faintly under the light. Strange symbols and numbers ran across it, unintelligible to any Muggle eye.
He held it out to Hermione, looking a little bashful. "Here… this is a ticket to the Quidditch World Cup final VIP access. Only if you'd like to come, of course."
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and delight. She took the card eagerly, her smile radiant. "Thank you, Albert! That's… that's wonderful!"
Seeing her joy, Albert couldn't help but smile too.
He thanked the Grangers once more for the wonderful evening. "It was an honor to be here, truly. Thank you for the meal and the kindness."
Sally replied warmly, "The pleasure was ours, dear. You're welcome anytime."
And with that, Albert bid the family farewell and disappeared into the night, the faint pop of Apparition echoing faintly behind him.
Meanwhile, somewhere in London's backstreets…
In the dim light of a narrow alleyway, two figures appeared in a swirl of black smoke the aftereffect of the Dark Mark's magic.
Barty Crouch Jr. and Peter Pettigrew materialized out of the shadows, both breathing heavily from their escape.
The alley was silent save for the distant hum of the city. Crouch glanced left and right, ensuring there were no Ministry Aurors nearby before turning sharply to Pettigrew.
Peter clutched Barty's arm nervously. "What's the plan, Barty? What now?!"
Barty lowered his voice, eyes burning with intensity. "The Dark Lord isn't dead, Wormtail."
The words hit Peter like lightning. He froze terror flashing in his eyes.
Crouch frowned. "What's wrong with you?"
Peter quickly tried to hide his fear, forcing a trembling smile. "N-nothing! I just ha! I'm glad, that's all! Glad the Dark Lord still lives…"
He was lying, of course. Peter's betrayal of the Order of the Phoenix had come from pure fear, not loyalty. Voldemort terrified him more than anything else in the world.
"Where is he now?" Peter asked, feigning excitement. "Where's the Dark Lord?"
"I don't know exactly," Barty muttered, running a hand through his hair. "But I know he lives weak, but alive. He'll rise again soon enough."
Peter's eyes darted nervously. "And how can you be so sure?"
Barty's expression hardened. "Before the night he fell when he went after the Potters I overheard him speaking to Nagini. He said he had created six Horcruxes."
Peter blinked. "Horcruxes… those are "
"A form of dark magic," Barty interrupted. "The kind that tears a soul apart, sealing fragments of it into physical objects. As long as even one Horcrux remains, the wizard can never truly die."
Peter's breathing grew shallow. "Then… when the boy Harry Potter destroyed his body… Voldemort's soul must have survived through one of those pieces."
Barty nodded grimly. "Exactly. And one of those fragments resides inside the serpent, Nagini."
For a moment, silence hung between them, the air heavy with the gravity of what they discussed.
Then Barty spoke again. "We have to find him before he weakens further. You search every place you think he might have hidden. I'll do the same. Once one of us finds him we'll send the signal."
Peter swallowed hard but nodded in agreement. "Y-yes… agreed."
"Good."
And just like that, both men vanished two dark wraiths dissolving into
the night, leaving nothing but a faint whisper of smoke behind.
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To be continued …