Chapter Twenty-One – The End-of-Term Feast
A warm ray of sunshine washed over the little desk in a secluded section of the library. This was by far Albus' favourite spot in the entire castle. It was peaceful and private here with a spectacular view of the lake and grounds. Even at the height of exams period barely anybody had frequented this spot, much less on the last day of term. Over a month had passed since the big breach of the castle and the battle against the Dementors. The rumour of Albus' role in the defeat of the Death Eaters in the dungeons – as rumours often do at Hogwarts – had spread like wildfire. This led to Albus experiencing an unexpected rise in popularity over the past several weeks. Even Drake, McLaggen, and Gordon could not think of anything mean enough to demoralise him. Random students had stopped him in the corridors to congratulate him and ask copious questions about that night. So much so that Albus – unlike his brother James who'd relished this kind of attention – now had to go hide in the library for a whole different reason than before. He didn't mind it. Albus enjoyed his little getaways with Scorpius. He wanted to spend as much time with his friend before the summer, seeing as their parents would most likely refuse to meet up. At least he would meet him at the Quidditch World Cup final in July.
'Bishop to B6,' muttered Scorpius.
The little chess piece advanced as he commanded, taking Albus' knight.
Albus couldn't focus on the game. He had too many questions brewing in his mind. Today – of all days – was the day Madam Longbottom had decided to graciously grant him the right to visit Rasmi at the Hospital Wing.
Following the encounter with the Carrows, Albus had about a billion questions for Rasmi. The young man, however, had been at a worse state than he had appeared that night. It seemed that the curse he'd used against the Dementors had drained every bit of magical power out of him. Madam Longbottom, however, had assured that he would make a full recovery after about a month of uninterrupted rest.
'Checkmate. Are you even paying attention?' Asked Scorpius.
'Hmmm?'
'Al, is everything okay? You seem… distracted.'
'Oh yeah, yeah. I'm just thinking about what I wanna ask Rasmi at the Hospital Wing.'
'You've got to be there soon, right? It's almost six.'
'I've still got a few minutes before I have to go. Do you think he'll tell me what that spell was?'
'Unlikely, but it wouldn't hurt to ask… Are you sure I can't come?' Asked his friend.
Ever since the night at the dungeons, Scorpius had been a little bitter with Albus and the attention he was getting. He'd been upset for being excluded from Albus' venture with Rose and James and was clearly feeling left out.
'Yeah, sorry about that…' replied Albus. 'Madam Longbottom said that he can only have one visitor at a time, and she'll probably skin me alive if I tried to sneak you in…'
'Fine. Just let me know everything he tells you, alright? Oh, and don't forget to ask him about that thing we talked about.'
'Of course.'
After a few moments of staring out onto the lake in silence, Albus decided it was time to leave. He bid his friend farewell and marched out of the library – under the watchful gaze of Madam Pince – and onto the first-floor corridor.
Travelling through the corridors of the castle, Albus ran the year he had had through his mind. It had been so full of twists and turns and unexpected developments…
'WOOOOOOOOOOO!' Screamed James as he zoomed outside of a nearby window on his brand-new Nimbus 3003.
Albus smiled to himself. Despite all the challenges, all the pain and the ridicule he had endured, he couldn't help but understand now why his father had been so fond of the place. Hogwarts was truly one of a kind. A home away from home in its own magical way. He would miss it over the summer. More than he cared to admit.
As Albus approached the doors of the Hospital Wing he heard faint sounds of speech coming from within. Pushing open the right door and entering the brightly lit room, he spotted Rasmi on a bed on the left side of the wing. Next to him stood a mocha skinned girl in her sixth year that Albus recognised as Riya, his cousin Molly's friend.
'Here, that should help you with your nightmares,' said Rasmi softly as he pulled some slivery substance out of Riya's temple with his wand. He placed it in a small glass vial before placing it on his bedside table. 'Ah Albus, you brave boy!' He called when he spotted him walking towards his bed. 'Nice of you to come visit. How's your last day of school treating you?'
'It's okay. How are you doing? You can do magic again?'
'Indeed, I can. I have been for about a week now. Though I'm afraid dear Hannah insists that I am still too "fragile" to be released,' he replied with a weary smile.
Albus smiled at him. Rasmi gave him a piercing, though not unfriendly, glance in return.
'But it seems that your visit isn't purely out of concern for me. You're looking for answers to some of your most burning questions, aren't you? Please take a seat,' he summoned a nearby chair next to his bed with a flick of his wand and a warm smile. 'I'll do my best to answer your questions as honestly as I can – though please forgive me for omitting some facts in order to shield you from certain sad realities.'
Albus felt a little uncomfortable. Rasmi had almost given him the impression that he could read his mind with a single penetrating glance.
'Well…' started Albus. 'I was th – '
'Oh no. Absolutely not!' Came Madam Longbottom's voice from the matron's office nearby. 'Only one visitor at a time, I said. One of you must leave,' she gestured at Riya and Albus.
'I can – ' started Riya.
'Please Hannah,' said Rasmi softly. 'I'm in great shape now and very much capable of entertaining more than a single guest. Riya has a few queries of her own for me and I feel it would be rude to ask her to leave and lose her last chance of posing them.'
Madam Longbottom looked at him through narrowed eyes. 'Fine,' she exhaled. 'But not for long. You still have to rest properly and these two have an End-of-Term Feast to attend soon.'
'Of course, Hannah. We'll make it quick,' he replied with a thankful smile. 'Please Albus, you were about to speak…'
'I – er – well I just wanted to see if you know who made the Carrows… you know…'
Rasmi's expression turned sad. He glanced at his bedside table where an edition of the Daily Prophet from about a month prior lay. It read: 'MURDEROUS CARROW SIBLINGS COMMIT DOUBLE SUICIDE ORDERED BY A NEW DARK LORD?'
'Just as I expected,' Rasmi replied with a heavy sigh. 'I'm afraid this is one of the exact questions where I will have to omit a few crucial details in order to preserve your precious innocence…'
'I don't care about my innocence,' muttered Albus.
'Oh, but I do,' countered Rasmi with that same sad expression. 'Innocence is not something one should be so keen to lose, Albus. Many of us – including myself – are so eager in our younger age to expose ourselves to knowledge that prematurely robs us of our youth, we forget how much of a privilege it really is. Your father, I believe, will agree with me. He is a man who has been robbed of a normal childhood, of his innocence, since before he could even walk or talk, before he could even comprehend his loss. You may be tempted to follow the same path on your own terms, Albus, but I assure you, you will live to regret it.'
Albus looked at him with a befuddled expression. What was he talking about?
'But to answer your question, I do have a few theories that I am not yet ready to share. But it seems that the Carrows had preferred to drink vials of poison – which they kept hidden in their robes – rather than spend time in Azkaban or assist your father in capturing the real instigator of this plot. Of course, the Daily Prophet is blaming the secret "Lost Child" as expected. Never mind factual reports or common sense…'
'You don't seem to think the Child is real? What about Montgomery? Are we sure he was innocent?' Asked Riya.
'I believe – and Harry agrees with me – that the Carrows were fed some stories and lies in order to make them commit certain acts of terrorism. I don't think that the true reasoning behind these acts was ever privy to them. As for Montgomery, well, innocent of being the Child and cooperating with the Death Eaters willingly? Yes, I'm quite certain. Innocent in the complete sense of the word? Not really.'
'What do you mean?'
'I've done some digging – well I should say I had some of my associates do some digging – and it turns out that, as you found out Albus, Leviticus Montgomery was indeed not the biological son of the man who'd raised him. And he'd indeed gone AWOL for the period in which the Second Wizarding War took place. Luckily, we managed to find an acquaintance of his from that period. It was revealed that he left the country for Germany in search of his real father – a wandering wizard who had a short fling with his mother. From then on, your father's Aurors took over the investigation. Your father recently told me that they tracked down the village he'd resided in. When they sent a delegation there, they discovered that on old wandering wizard of dubious morals – by the name of Julian Marx – had died in an altercation with a young man back in nineteen ninety-eight. It seems that – much like the man we'd believed to be his father – Leviticus had "done in" his own biological father as revenge for his abandonment as a child. So, thinking about it that way, Montgomery was not really an "innocent" co-conspirator, even if he was indeed an unwilling one.'
'But then who is actually behind it all?' Asked Riya.
'That person – or group – they call themselves "Progressive Echo" right?' Queried Albus.
'Correct,' said Rasmi beaming at him. 'Very good, you remember. Yes, that seems to be the name they chose for themselves. Your father wishes for it to remain a secret, however, so I must ask you to refrain from spreading that information.'
'Do you think they'll try to strike again?'
'Oh, I'm almost certain of it. We'll all have to be on our toes from now on. I am sure that stunt with the Carrows was not the last. Nor the first, for that matter…'
'So…' mumbled Albus, trying to think of all the questions he had run through his mind earlier. 'Can you tell us what that curse was?'
'What curse – oh the one you saw from Gryffindor Tower. The one I used against the Dementors.'
'Yes – er – that one…' How did Rasmi know he'd been watching them from Gryffindor Tower?
'That… is a terrible curse neither of you should ever attempt. I'm not sure I should even tell you what it is. It's awful, dangerous, uncontrollable for the inexperienced hand, and also incredibly powerful.'
'Was it really that scary?' Asked Riya.
'It was terrifying,' answered Albus. 'Like a lightning storm that was condensed into a giant ball.'
'Many people would describe it that way, yes,' agreed Rasmi. 'It is a curse I learned to perform at Sensei Haruto Yamamoto's Magical Dojo during my time in Japan. It's called "Hakaikyu" meaning – loosely – rapid destruction. The curse drains your magical powers in order to create an unstoppable, all destroying, immense concentration of force capable of obliterating anything – and anyone – in its path. Yes, even the notoriously unkillable Dementors. The vast majority of people who try to conjure it die. It only so happens that I am one of the lucky few who are strong enough to perform this spell and survive. Albeit with severe consequences…'
'So, are all the Dementors dead now?' Inquired Riya.
'Most of them. I believe some remain in small, scattered clans. Though they are certainly no longer a threat. Any Dementor that had been unlucky enough to be lured here by the Carrows is definitely gone,' replied Rasmi with a smile.
Once again Albus had a bit of an uncomfortable feeling around Rasmi. He was both reassuring and terrifying at once. He, Albus, grew up learning how Dementors are some of the most horrible creatures that roam the earth. How they could never be destroyed nor tamed, only repelled by a Patronus. Yet here sat a man, a wizard, so incredibly powerful he could wipe out thousands of them with a single spell. He observed the young man's face, looking for a glint in those green eyes, a sign that he would always use that power to protect rather than destroy. For if he chose the latter, they were all doomed.
'Anything else you would like to know?' Queried Rasmi.
'Er… yes,' replied Albus, remembering what Scorpius had wanted him to ask. He was feeling curious about it too, he had to admit. Though there was very little chance Rasmi would know anything about it. 'This may be a strange question, but when Scorpius and I were looking for the Resurrection Stone in the Forbidden Forest – '
'An interesting choice of inquiry direction I must add,' interrupted Rasmi with a chuckle.
'Two gits…' added Riya with a weary smile.
'Yes,' agreed Albus. He could feel his face reddening with embarrassment. 'Well… one of the spiders there said the stone was stolen a few years back by some "boy" and I know you've been a student here a few years ago. I know it's a long shot, but did you notice anything? Do you know who it might be?'
Albus was surprised to see Rasmi beam at him.
'I'm going to share a little secret with you,' he said slyly.
'What do you mean?' Asked Riya.
'I happen to know exactly who that "boy" was,' explained Rasmi with a satisfied smile.
'You do?' Replied Albus enthusiastically.
'Why yes of course I do. You see that "boy"…' he put his hand in a hidden pocket of his pyjamas to pull out a small dark stone with a jagged crack down its centre, along the famous symbol of the Deathly Hallows, '…is me.'
Albus was stunned. He couldn't think of anything to say. Of course, it was Rasmi. In his ever-growing magnificence – even as a teenager Albus was sure – he had figured out where the stone was and claimed it for himself. But what for? And how did he even learn that it was in the forest? To Albus' knowledge, his father had never revealed that particular detail to anyone but his own family.
'I can see you're wondering how and why I went into the forest and acquired the stone,' said Rasmi giving Albus another one of his piercing looks. 'I managed to figure out where the stone was in my third year. I was summoned to Professor McGonagall's office after a particularly explosive experiment in the Charms classroom. As I was waiting there, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it had contained a variety of portraits of old Headmasters and Headmistresses. Among them were your two namesakes, Albus Severus. We had a pleasant chat about the history of the school and, of course, your dad. I learned that he had been given the Resurrection Stone in a clever way so he could remain brave in the face of – what he believed – would be his death. I also learned that he'd abandoned it, with the intention that it would be lost in the forest forever. As for why I decided to go search for it, well, curiosity really. I was always fascinated by the Deathly Hallows. Not to become the "Master of Death" as the simple minded would call it, but as mere impressive feats of magical engineering. So, after about three weeks of detention, I tried figuring out the possible location of the stone and venture into the forest to grab it. It took me – and three of my mates – over a year of excursions to find it in the Acromantula colony deep in the woods. It took us several more months to figure out how to use it. From then on it had proved an incredibly useful tool for my work. Just imagine, all the great minds from wizarding history – at least the ones I had managed to summon, mind you, it isn't very easy – all of them at my disposal. Albus Dumbledore, my godfather, has been especially helpful these past few years. I've learned more with this stone than I had ever learned at Hogwarts, though I am still very fond of this school of course.'
'Can you…'
'Summon him now? Of course, I can. But I'm afraid it is only the person who physically possesses the stone that would be able to see and communicate with the summoned individual. And I'm afraid you still have quite a bit of magical expertise to acquire before I can give you the stone and have it work properly. In a few years perhaps.'
'Oh…' muttered Albus disappointedly.
Rasmi smiled at him again. Not unlike a kind older brother.
'Er… Rasmi?' Mumbled Riya.
'Yes love, anything else you'd like to know?'
'Er – Yeah. I was wondering, whenever we saw you – Molly and I – strolling about in the castle and looking around, were you just working for Mr Potter the entire time?'
'Oh no,' replied Rasmi with a faint grin, 'that had nothing to do with the investigation. And everything to do with the Minister and the Headmistress.'
'What is it then?' Inquired Albus enthusiastically.
'Oh, but I'm not sure it's such a good idea to tell you. Especially considering Riya's age…'
'My age? What's it got to do with my age?'
Rasmi chuckled and gave them both another one of his penetrating stares. Albus was getting a bit tired of secrets. He expected this sort of behaviour from his parents, sure, but not from Rasmi. The one adult who had always been willing to speak to him as an equal. This new dynamic was not what Albus had in mind when he came down here –
'Oh well,' said Rasmi after a long pause. 'Since I feel like I am not providing you with the honesty promised, I will share this little secret with you both. But you must swear to me you will not disclose this with anyone. Promise me now that you would not tell anybody.'
'Promise,' they said jointly. Albus would have to make Scorpius keep the secret too –
'Not even with your closest friends, Albus.'
'Oh, er – yes of course, promise.'
'So,' started Rasmi, 'I'm sure you're aware of what used to be known as the Triwizard Tournament – '
'It's bigger now though, isn't it?' Added Riya. 'They have like seven schools participating in it, and it's got five tasks instead of three... What's it called again?'
'The Septwizard Series – terrible name for it…'
'Right,' said Riya with a smile. 'But does that mean – is it – '
'Indeed. Next year Hogwarts will be hosting the tournament.'
Riya let out an excited squeak.
Albus remembered the stories his father had told him about his fourth year at Hogwarts. He was reminded of the tournament that ended with the death of a student and the return of Voldemort.
'How do you know it'll be safer this time?' He asked. 'Especially now with Progressive Echo…'
'Well, I will make sure of it myself,' answered Rasmi. 'I've been tasked by the minister to inspect the castle and its surroundings and design the tasks for the tournament. I will also serve as host and commentator. So, I'm afraid you'll see me around here quite a bit more next year. As per usual, participation will only be available for students that will be of age by this Hallowe'en – and trust me, I will make sure the Goblet of Fire is much more heavily guarded this time,' he added with a wink.
'Oh my god that is SO cool!' Called Riya. 'But what will the tasks be?'
'I'm afraid this is as far as I'll go,' replied Rasmi. 'I can't have you know the tasks on the – quite likely – chance that you will be picked as Hogwarts' champion. That would give you an unfair advantage.'
'Fair enough,' retorted Riya with a cheeky grin.
After a moment or so Rasmi peeked at the clock on the opposite wall. 'You should probably get going now,' he told the two of them.
Riya glanced at her wristwatch in a panic. 'Oh no, I've got to be at the common room to get everyone for the feast in five minutes!'
'Have a great summer!' Rasmi called after her as she sped out of the Hospital Wing.
'Thanks-you-too!' Her voice quickly faded away in the distance.
Rasmi chuckled and turned to Albus. 'It's truly been lovely chatting with you this evening.'
'Likewise,' replied Albus. 'I guess I've got to go now…'
Albus thought about the upcoming feast. Only one more dinner with everyone staring at him and whispering. Only one more dinner with Drake and his lot making faces at him. Tomorrow he will go back home for the summer and… be the one and only Slytherin in his entire family again… Thinking about that made his excitement die down a little.
'Thanks for being honest with me – well, as honest as you could be… Even though I'm only twelve…' he added slightly sadly, turning away to walk back to his dorm.
'Well… you don't really strike me as a very typical twelve-year-old Albus,' said Rasmi as Albus turned to leave. 'But then again, us Slytherins rarely are.'
'You were a Slytherin?' Asked Albus in wonder.
'I was and always will be,' said Rasmi, beaming at him.
The low humming of a thousand conversations filled the Great Hall. Albus sat near the end of the Slytherin table, close to the staff table, and across from Scorpius. In the time it took them to get from their common room to the Great Hall Albus had filled Scorpius in on everything Rasmi had told him earlier – omitting the tournament as promised.
'Wow… so he has the stone now huh? That's mental…' whispered Scorpius.
'Yeah, and it's mad useful too,' added Albus.
'Do you think this is how he's been able to invent all this stuff? Taking advice from old dead wizards? That new counter-curse, the Nuntilluds…'
'Possibly. Though it still takes a bit of genius to actually pull it off even with Dumbledore's help… Besides, that Hakai-something curse. You've got to have some serious talent to pull that off.'
'Yeah, that Japanese curse… Merlin's socks that's one horrible spell.'
'Let's just hope James never hears about it or he'll try to learn it too…' replied Albus with a smile and a glance at his brother over at the Gryffindor table. James was whispering and giggling with Fred and Ton. Even more than usual. He spotted Albus looking at him and gave him a wink.
Albus turned back to Scorpius. 'Do you think that Rasmi's right about the Child? After everything that's happened this year, they just don't exist?'
Scorpius considered for a moment before replying. Looking over at the staff table he whispered 'Does it really matter? I don't think that they want anything to do with the Dark Arts, even if they are real. If they did, they would've probably already revealed themselves.'
'But they would be the Heir to – '
'Think about it though. You and I of all people, Al, should know what it's like to be part of a legacy you didn't ask to be born into. Maybe they just want to have a normal life. Something they can't have if they came out as his kid…'
They sat in silence for a moment. Pondering the case of the Lost Child of the Dark Lord.
'I've got to talk to you about something though,' muttered Scorpius so quietly that he won't be heard by anybody nearby.
'What is it?' Asked Albus. He was nervous now. He hadn't seen Scorpius this serious in a while.
'I've been thinking – for a while now – about something... Do you remember that day in May, right before everything happened, when we followed Montgomery down in the dungeons?'
'Yes, why?'
'Well, right before he came out of McGarth's office do you remember what she said to him?'
'Er… not really…'
'She said something like "do what you will but mark my words: if you do, it'll be the end of you".'
Albus paused.
'Do you think she – '
'It would make sense, wouldn't it?'
'But why kill another teacher?'
'What if he threatened to expose her? And wasn't she the one who took the Carrows to your dad? Didn't the papers say they poisoned themselves? She's a Potions Master with specialisation in poisons…'
Albus turned his head to look at his Head of House. She seemed to be quietly observing the hall, with that same slightly bored expression on her face. She had always been firm but fair with him and Scorpius. And a decent teacher. Could she really be…
'We've got to tell Rasmi – ' started Albus.
'No Al, no way,' whispered Scorpius in panic. 'What do you think your dad will do if Rasmi tells him? What do you think she'll do to us if we exposed her? We keep it to ourselves. We can't tell anyone.'
Albus was sweating now. That was it. It had to be. His Potions teacher. His Head of House. The house of Slytherin… But how? Didn't his dad rule her out as a suspect? At least according to Rasmi.
'Ahem,' Professor McGonagall cleared her throat pointedly while tapping her goblet with a spoon. 'Before we tuck in, I would like to say a few words about the year we had.'
Everybody went silent. McGonagall had the unique power of gaining everyone's attention without much effort.
'Though tragedy had struck our halls last month, we must commemorate the brave witches and wizards who fought for our school in the face of mortal peril. Some of which are sitting here with us tonight.'
A round of applause was heard. Albus joined in, still keeping his eyes on Professor McGarth who was clapping politely.
'We must also remain vigilant. For the individual who's truly behind these crimes has yet to have been caught…'
As McGonagall droned on Albus' mind was racing. It was almost certain that Professor McGarth was the Child everybody's been looking for in the past year. It was more than likely that she had a hand in the deaths of Montgomery, Goyle, and the Carrows. She seemed to be unwilling to embrace her legacy openly – and Albus couldn't blame her. So much so, apparently, that she had been willing to commit murder in order to protect her identity. Albus and Scorpius, lucky in that unlucky way as they always seemed to be, were the only people who had figured it out. Was it really a good idea to keep her secret from his father? From Rasmi? What if she murdered someone else? But then again, the people she killed weren't exactly innocent themselves…
Albus wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. And yet he wanted to forget about it all. He wanted to leave it be and simply focus on his normal life…
"We'll all have to be on our toes from now on…" Rasmi's words rang in his mind.
Why couldn't there be a single normal year in this school?
'…a wise man and colleague once taught me that laughter, in the face of dark times, is the best weapon we could all possess.'
'Couldn't agree more Professor!' Called Fred from, the Gryffindor table. James and Ton lost their composure at that and began laughing.
Albus knew his brother well enough to recognise when he was up to something.
'Thank you, Mr Weasley,' replied McGonagall with a half-frustrated half-amused sigh. 'A toast then! For laughter, for overcoming hardships, and for the reinvigoration that the summer holiday provides us all with!'
With these words jugs appeared on the tables before the students. Albus and Scorpius reached ahead, grabbed a pitcher, and filled their cups to the brim with cold, delicious pumpkin juice.
'Cheers!' They all called, before gulping down the cold liquid.
The sweetness of pumpkin juice enveloped Albus' mouth. It was refreshing and energising. Just what he needed before the large meal ahead. He hadn't realised how hungry he was until now –
Something was wrong. His insides started writhing as though he'd just swallowed a bucket of worms. Before Albus could understand what had happened, a horrible melting feeling overpowered him. The skin all over his body bubbled like hot wax. Around him, Albus heard the terrified screeches of students from nearby seats. His legs twisted and strained, his shoulders stretched painfully, and the sickening sounds of bones breaking and reshaping were heard over the yells and cries of everybody.
'Merlin's – what the – ' was all Scorpius could say before doubling up and disappearing underneath the table. Albus did so as well. His robes ripped as his chest expanded like a barrel bursting its hoops. His feet expanded in agony within his shoes.
Then, as suddenly as it came, the feeling was gone. Albus blinked his eyes and looked at his hands resting on the floor. They looked manly and older. He got up back on his seat looking for Scorpius. Instead, he found –
'Neville?'
His godfather and Herbology Professor was staring at him from the place Scorpius had been sitting at mere seconds before.
'What in the bloody f– '
Albus looked around him to notice about a hundred other Nevilles staring at him with torn robes and befuddled faces. He tore his gaze backwards to the Gryffindor table to see 3 Nevilles in stitches – his brother and his friends – among a sea of confused ones.
He looked at the staff table next to see that, luckily, most of the teachers were spared of being Neville-ified (as most of them probably chose to toast with wine or mead rather than pumpkin juice). The real Herbology Professor stood up and looked at the crowd composed of himself with a shocked expression. McGonagall was speechless.
'Pol-pkin Juice!' Called the Neville that was James. 'Available soon at your nearest branch of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes! We figured we'd all like to be a little more like our favourite professor!'
Neville stared them down with a serious expression… before bursting into hysterical laughter himself. Some students joined him. Then some more. Then the staff. Soon, the entire hall was engulfed in the kind of laughter that was only reserved for special occasions. Albus was laughing too. Laughing so hard that all worries melted away. So hard that his thoughts were torn away from the summer he dreaded. He couldn't be concerned anymore about secrets and plots and murder mysteries. In this hilarious atmosphere, Albus found himself, for a few precious moments, optimistic about the future.
PHEW
That's it. It's done.
I've had such a great time writing this book these past 8 months or so. Thank you so SO much to everybody that gave it a chance and had a read and anybody in the future who decides to check it out!
I love you all! Truly!
So what now?
I will be taking a little break (around a month or two) before beginning to write my next book (yes there will be more books - at least three more!).
I'll be rereading the book series again and maybe fix up a few things in this one.
Also, don't fret! You will see more of my writing in the form of short stories within the coming months!
Thanks again for all the praise and the love over the past few months!
Hope you all enjoyed this one!
Paul
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