"Who is there? Come out!"
Harry, who was on night watch, suddenly closed "The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore" and raised his wand to point in a certain direction. Although he didn't see anyone and there was no response on the detection pocket watch, Harry did hear a noise and his intuition told him that there was someone there.
“It’s a big improvement compared to before.”
A voice suddenly sounded from behind him, and Harry felt a wand against his neck.
"Harry, what's wrong?"
Ron came out of the tent and was shocked by the scene outside.
"Albert!"
Hermione's voice suddenly rang out, breaking the awkward confrontation.
"Why are you here?"
After Albert moved the wand away, Harry reached out and touched the place blocked by the wand and couldn't help asking.
"Everyone is looking for you, worried that you have been murdered by a mysterious person."
Albert was stunned for a moment, then he reached out and patted Hermione's shoulder, then turned to Harry and said, "Hermione said you wanted to go to Hogwarts?"
"Isn't there a communication bookmark?"
Ron stared at Hermione, who had just let go of Albert, and muttered, "Did you tell Albert we're here?"
"Hogsmeade has been controlled by Death Eaters. We can't get in by ordinary means." Hermione explained to her two colleagues, "Instead of trying to attract the attention of the Death Eaters, it is better to ask Albert for help. He will definitely find a way to take us in."
Harry cast an expectant look at Albert.
"What are you going to Hogwarts for?" Albert asked knowingly.
"In addition to Hufflepuff's gold cup, Ravenclaw's diadem is also likely to be suspected. I need to go back to Hogwarts to collect information about the diadem." Harry paused and continued, "Also, I suspect that Voldemort may have hidden a Horcrux in Hogwarts."
"Don't use that name Harry," Hermione screamed.
The next moment, there was a deafening explosion outside, followed by five red dots appearing on the detection pocket watch, and a standard search team appeared in the abandoned apartment.
"You really... haven't learned your lesson, or do you want to use me to take revenge on those dark wizards." Albert looked at Harry Potter, who had just said Voldemort's name, with a strange expression.
There were voices outside, and the sound was getting closer and closer. The four of them could hear the rude and excited tones of the group of dark wizards.
"Isn't this place protected by the Fidelius Charm?" Harry asked puzzled.
"I'm the secret keeper here." Albert reminded: "Let's deal with them first. Do you need some practice?"
The three of them exchanged glances tacitly, then used the Disillusionment Charm on themselves, and then Hermione summoned the Patronus to attract the members of the search team. The three took the opportunity to leave the shelter and directly used the Stunning Charm on the five dark wizards.
The sneak attack went smoothly and successfully knocked down two dark wizards.
The corridor suddenly fell into chaos.
What followed was a mutual confrontation.
The two knocked out dark wizards were then awakened, and Harry's side was at a disadvantage.
After eight minutes of confrontation, Hermione finally broke the stalemate by throwing two stun bombs.
"It took longer than I expected," said Albert, closing his pocket watch.
"That's pretty good. They have two more people than us," Ron argued. "If there were only three of them, we would definitely be able to deal with them quickly."
"You are in the upper hand. What are you going to do with them?" Albert raised his hand to refuse the wand that Hermione handed over. "Keep the wand for yourself first. If you have a handy one, use it as a backup. Although the wands used by most dark wizards may not be very compatible with you."
"Great, what a great harvest."
When Ron reached into the pockets of several dark wizards and took out a handful of Galleons, his eyes were full of excitement.
"Ron."
Hermione wanted to cover her face. She felt that Ron's behavior was really embarrassing.
"It doesn't matter. They are all enemies anyway. You don't have to be too polite to them. Even if you kill them, it's normal, not to mention taking the spoils." Albert smiled and looked at Ron who picked up the gold, and reminded him: "However, I suggest that you wear dragon leather gloves when you search for spoils. That way it will be safer."
"Ahem, what are you going to do with them?" Harry turned his head to ask Albert for advice.
"You are the ones who defeated them."
"Can they be sent to a Muggle prison?"
"Of course." Albert glanced at Hermione and said, "But I'm afraid we don't have much time, so I suggest you tamper with their memories."
"I thought you were going to kill him."
Ron put the valuable loot into the bag, somewhat surprised that Albert had let them go.
"To be honest, I don't like killing people. If I can avoid it, I'd better not do it."
"I remember you said that being kind to your enemies is the greatest cruelty to yourself."
"That's not kindness, but I don't like it myself. It's easy to become indifferent to life." Albert shook his head and explained.
Ron was speechless for a moment. He felt that Albert was the least qualified to say that. A large number of Death Eaters and Dark Wizards were killed by him. Although those people were killed by the Ministry of Magic, if one was to count, the man in front of him should bear at least half of the responsibility.
"Then I will erase their memories now." Hermione raised her wand and prepared to cast the Oblivion Charm.
"Let me come so that they won't continue to do evil in the future."
Albert raised his wand and pointed it at a dark wizard's head. From then on, there were five more homeless people in the British wizarding world.
"What did you do?"
Ron looked at the dark wizards whose appearances had been changed and who were now wearing tattered clothes.
"They have forgotten their identities as wizards. They will continue to live as homeless people in the future and will no longer threaten the lives and safety of others." Albert smiled and made a shushing gesture to the three people, reminding them, "Remember to keep it a secret."
"That's good." Harry nodded. "At least they're still alive and have a chance to start over."
Ron's face twitched slightly, and he felt deep malice as he looked at the unconscious people.
Instead of living in a muddle, it would be better to just die.
After throwing a few people elsewhere, Albert turned around and said to the three people: "Are you going to Hogwarts now?"
"Can you come with us?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Do you need someone to protect you?" Albert asked with a strange expression.
Harry expressed his suspicion.
"That makes sense. There's nothing wrong with your idea." Albert nodded. "I can go with you. If Snape is in school, I can help you subdue him depending on the situation."
"How do we get back to school?" Ron asked. "Through the secret passage?"
"House elves have different magic than wizards, and can Apparate freely in Hogwarts."
Albert waved his wand and summoned Dobby, the house-elf, who was at the Defense Association headquarters.
"Mr. Anderson, Dobby is happy to serve you." The house-elf bowed respectfully to Albert as soon as he appeared.
"Harry, Hermione and Ron are planning to go to Hogwarts," Albert said to Dobby, "I want you to take us there."
"Ah, Harry Potter, Dobby is glad to be of assistance to Harry Potter."
Dobby turned around and saw Harry, and gave him a hug excitedly.
"Dobby, long time no see."
Harry looked Dobby up and down at his attire, his face full of unconcealed surprise. The house-elf in front of him, wearing a cloth cover, looked cleaner, more respectable, and more energetic than before.
"How have you been lately?" Hermione was happy about Dobby's changes.
"Dobby likes his current job very much." Dobby said excitedly.
"Did Albert give you that dress?"
"Miss Granger, this is not a dress." Dobby pulled the fabric on his body and said sharply, "It's just a piece of cloth."
"A piece of cloth?" Hermione asked doubtfully.
"Yes, a piece of cloth," Dobby repeated.
"I think it would be a lot better if all house-elves changed to this," said Hermione.
"I'm afraid it's difficult." The house-elf was a little embarrassed.
"Well, I think we should go," Albert interrupted.
The house-elf raised his arm and said pointedly, "Everyone please hold on to Dobby."
The next moment, the four people disappeared.
"Why Apparate twice?"
At the entrance to the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor of Hogwarts, Ron held onto the wall and pretended to retch.
"For a wizard of extraordinary strength, it is not difficult to follow the traces left by the opponent's Apparition. The You-Know-Who obviously has that ability." Albert opened the entrance to the Room of Requirement and said to the three people, "Go in and rest first."
"Can you do it, too?" Hermione walked into the Room of Requirement, looked around the lounge area, sat down on the sofa, took a breath, and asked, "What's the principle?"
"That also involves the use of advanced tracking spells." Albert explained, "So, if you don't want to be tracked, using the area where Apparition is prohibited as a springboard is the best option."
"You can't Apparate at Hogwarts, right?"
Harry sat down opposite Hermione, took out the Marauder's Map and began to examine the situation at Hogwarts Castle.
"I know, but we must keep it in the habit, lest we forget it, and that would bring us into great trouble."
Albert waved his wand and conjured up a few drinks out of thin air.
"Thanks."
Hermione took a sip of the milk tea, and suddenly asked, as if she had thought of something, "By the way, what happened just now? Did the Fidelius Charm lose its effect?"
"I'm glad you asked about it."
"You remind me of Dumbledore," Harry muttered, but he also wanted to know why.
"The Fidelius Charm uses magic to hide a secret forever in the soul of a living person." Albert explained to the three people, "You can compare that shelter to a box, and that box is hidden in my mind. Entering there with my permission is equivalent to hiding in my mind. Others naturally can't find you because you are hiding in my mind at that time. But I can't hide in my own mind, so once I appear in the protection area of the Fidelius Charm, there will be a risk of exposure there."
"So, the best way is for the two secret keepers to keep each other's secrets. As long as they hide in the depths of each other's souls, they cannot be found."
"So that's how it is."
Ron thought of George, the secret keeper at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, who was under Albert's protection.
"Snape isn't at Hogwarts." Harry looked a little disappointed. "Lucky for him."
"Where's Professor McGonagall?" Albert asked.
"Professor McGonagall is in her office." Harry looked up and asked, "Aren't you going to go with us to find the Ravenclaw diadem?"
"No, I'm going to find Professor McGonagall and we'll meet here later." Albert got up and left.
"Harry, where are we going to find the crown?" Ron looked away and asked Harry.
"Let's go find Professor Flitwick first." Harry took out the Felicity Potion and drank it. He really needed luck now.
"It would be best to get help from the Ravenclaw ghosts. Maybe they will have information about the crown." Hermione reminded.
"I know, so let's go find Professor Flitwick first. He's in his office." After confirming that there were no Death Eaters in Hogwarts, Harry dared to take bold action.