Chapter 232
After six consecutive hours, Albert slowly woke up from his deep sleep. The first sensation he felt was the weight of the bandages covering his forehead, cheeks, and even his hands and feet.
His body was still exhausted, but the agonizing pain he had suffered earlier had receded slightly, as if his body were beginning to slowly reclaim its vitality. He carefully pushed himself up halfway in bed, closing his eyes for a moment due to the dizziness he felt.
When he opened his eyes again, he was surprised to find the room completely empty. There was no one beside him, and he heard no whispers or breaths to indicate anyone's presence. For a moment, he felt a strange loneliness, as if the world around him had evaporated, but he soon noticed something else.
In front of the bed, on a small chair, Hermione was asleep, her head resting on the quilt he was sleeping under. She was sitting uncomfortably, and she looked utterly exhausted, as if she had been fighting off sleep for hours before finally giving in.
Albert watched her in silence, feeling a strange warmth in his heart. It was clear she had stayed here the entire time, perhaps watching over him or waiting for him to wake. He could see the exhaustion etched onto her features; her closed eyelids looked heavy, as if she hadn't slept properly in days.
He tried to move his hand but felt a slight sting of pain, so he exhaled softly before trying to adjust his position slightly without making any noise that might wake her. He didn't want to disturb her.
He looked at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to remember everything that had happened. He remembered the pain, the feeling of being on the brink of death, how his body had begun to collapse gradually, and how convinced he was that he wouldn't make it out of that battle alive. But they hadn't given up on him. They had tried with all their might, even searching for a blood donor throughout the entire castle.
Suddenly, he remembered George Weasley. He remembered the moment George burst into the wing, panting, declaring that he had the same blood type. At that thought, Albert felt an overwhelming gratitude, though he wasn't yet capable of expressing it.
As Albert shifted his body slightly to adapt to the lingering pain, Hermione felt his movement. Her eyelids flickered before she woke from her sleep. She raised her head quickly, surprised to see Albert already awake, his eyes half-open as he tried to move his injured right hand.
She couldn't stop herself from rushing toward him, her eyes filled with worry. But when she noticed that his face was no longer purple and his skin tone had returned to normal, she felt a surge of joy. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder and looked at him intently before saying in a warm voice: "Albert! You're awake! How do you feel now? Does anything hurt?"
Albert looked at her for a moment before offering a faint, weary smile. "I'm fine... much better than I was, at least."
Hermione sighed with relief; it felt as though a mountain had been lifted from her chest. She had been terrified the entire time that Albert might not survive his ordeal, but seeing him now, awake and speaking, made the long hours of waiting and anxiety worth the struggle.
However, silence soon settled between them. Albert wasn't accustomed to such quiet moments and felt a bit embarrassed. He looked around slightly, trying to break the silence, before asking: "What time is it? And where is everyone?"
Hermione turned to her right, where a clock hung on the wall, and answered after a moment's reflection: "It's two in the afternoon. As for the others, I think they are all in their beds sleeping. They stayed here for a long time, but Madam Pomfrey asked them to go back and get some rest."
Albert nodded slowly, processing that everyone had left. He felt grateful to them—especially to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and also Hagrid—who hadn't abandoned him for a second. But he didn't want to occupy anyone more than necessary, especially Hermione, who was clearly drained from staying up by his side.
He looked at her with a small smile and said in a quiet voice: "It's late, Hermione. Why don't you go to the Gryffindor common room to finish your sleep? I'm fine now, no need to worry."
Hermione hesitated for a moment, but she saw in his expression that he was sincere. He had regained consciousness, looked stronger than before, and perhaps needed some time to settle on his own. She gave him a warm smile and said: "Alright, but make sure you rest well, okay? Don't strain yourself too much."
Albert laughed softly and said: "I promise, I won't do anything crazy... at least not tonight."
Hermione laughed as well, then picked up her coat, giving him one last look before heading toward the exit. When she left, she closed the door quietly behind her, feeling a great sense of relief that she had left Albert in a much better state.
As for Albert, he lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling and replaying everything that had happened. It had been a long night, but he was grateful to have survived and to have wonderful friends willing to do anything for him.
Albert rested his head on the pillow again, trying to relax his body, which was still weary from the ordeal. His eyelids felt heavy, but his mind wasn't ready to surrender to sleep easily. There was a nagging thought, a vague memory that suddenly returned to him, as if it had slipped through the folds of his mind the moment he began to relax.
"That voice..."
He remembered perfectly hearing it while he was in the maze. It wasn't an ordinary voice; it was different from anything he had ever experienced. It was the voice of a woman, but not just any woman. It was warm, strangely soft, carrying a sense of nostalgia, as if it belonged to someone he had known a long time ago but couldn't quite remember.
A slight shiver ran down his body as he recalled the moment he heard that voice for the first time. The maze had surrounded him with darkness and mystery, and everything was terrifying and unpredictable, but amidst all that, that voice had pierced through his fears to grant him an incomprehensible sense of reassurance.
"But... who does that voice belong to? And why did it feel like he knew her, even though he was certain he had never heard it before?"
He tried to search his memory for any old recollection that might explain this feeling, but he found nothing clear. It was like trying to remember an old dream; the more he tried to grasp it, the more it faded.
He felt a slight headache from the deep thinking and exhaled quietly, realizing he wouldn't find the answer tonight. Perhaps it was just an illusion? Or maybe something more? He wasn't sure.
Eventually, Albert finally surrendered to sleep again. But this time, he slept with a mind full of questions, and his dreams were more mysterious than ever.
Five days had passed since the end of the Triwizard Tournament. Albert began to recover, though he still wore bandages on his wounds and used a crutch to help him walk.
Life at Hogwarts School had returned to normal after a long period of tension and fierce competition. With the Beauxbatons students returning to France and the Durmstrang delegation heading to Hungary, the school finally seemed to regain its usual tranquility. The noise of spectators and the challenges of the tournament that had kept everyone on edge for weeks were gone.
But for Albert, these days weren't just a quiet period; they were defining moments in his life. After achieving first place in the tournament, he received a unique reward that was unexpected even for him. Along with the cash prize of 2,000 gold coins (Galleons), the Ministry of Magic awarded him a Ministerial Medal, which served as official recognition of his achievements. Furthermore, it authorized him to be the "Second Man" within the school, meaning he obtained special powers nearly approaching those of the Headmaster himself, Albus Dumbledore.
Albert was happy with this achievement, but he wasn't very interested in the financial reward. To him, there were people who needed this money more than he did. The first people who came to mind were the twins, George and Fred Weasley, who were his assistants in magical inventions and clever pranks. But he didn't want to just support their jokes; he wanted to help them make a real change in the world.
An Invention That Could Change the Future
When he met the twins and told them he would give them all 2,000 gold coins, their reaction was a mix of shock and wild happiness. However, what piqued their curiosity most wasn't the money, but the reason behind his decision. The three sat together in a quiet corner of the library, where Albert began explaining his idea with clear excitement in his voice:
"I've noticed that the wizarding world relies almost entirely on broomsticks and Portkeys for travel. But the non-magical world—or the Muggle world, as we call it—relies on cars, bikes, and trains that heavily pollute the environment due to fuel combustion."
Fred raised an eyebrow in wonder. "And so? What does that have to do with what we do?"
Albert smiled and continued: "I want you to corner the market on clean energy. There is an invention in the Muggle world called a 'Hydrogen Battery.' It can power vehicles without any harmful emissions. If we can develop it using magical techniques, we can create a revolutionary energy source that makes transportation more efficient for both Muggles and our wizarding world. The profits will grow the more we hold the monopoly. Don't you want to be rich?!"
George looked at his brother, then at Albert, and said with an enthusiastic smile: "You want us to become wealthy, don't you?"
Albert laughed, saying: "It's not just about the money; it's about the impact we can make. If we can develop this technology, we will change the rules of the game and perhaps open the door to greater cooperation between the two worlds."
The twins didn't hesitate for a single moment and took the money happily. More importantly, they decided to work hard on developing the invention. Albert himself began helping them with some of the blueprints, using his extensive knowledge of physics learned in his previous life.
He smiled as he looked out the window of the Gryffindor tower toward the distant horizon, then whispered to himself: "This is just the beginning..."
To be continued...