Chapter 1040: Time for Medicine
Chapter 1040: Time for Medicine
"I heard that old Toadface has been inviting students for tea?"
Seana discreetly glanced at Albert as she copied the notes from the blackboard, casually bringing up the recent occurrences.
Ever since the announcement that "students must submit to questioning regarding alleged illicit activities" was made, Umbridge had taken a keen interest in inviting students to her office for tea, creating an atmosphere of unease throughout the school.
After the Cedric incident, everyone knew that the toad would lace the tea with Veritaserum, and no one wanted to endure an interrogation through potion.
"Not surprising," Albert replied, propping his chin up with his hand as he listened to Professor McGonagall lecture about Transfiguration spells, drawing comparisons with the Transfiguration knowledge he already possessed.
Summoning from thin air, banishing, human transfiguration, and revealing hidden objects were all fairly common topics in N.E.W.T. classes. Additionally, there was the matter of undoing transfigurations.
In fact, there were even more advanced transfiguration spells, such as transfiguring and controlling water, fire, and other more ethereal substances. Like how Albert had used mist to create chains to entangle the Hungarian Horntail, but Professor McGonagall didn't seem inclined to cover these topics in the advanced transfiguration class, perhaps because they were beyond the scope of the curriculum.
No, to be precise, the content of the N.E.W.T. exams was challenging for most students, and achieving excellent grades was even more daunting. Otherwise, the Aurors' requirement wouldn't be to pass five N.E.W.T. subjects with grades no lower than E (Exceeds Expectations), but rather O (Outstanding).
When the dismissal bell rang, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After Professor McGonagall assigned homework on practicing transfiguration spells, the students gathered their belongings and left the classroom.
"You look a bit tired," Seana commented as she walked alongside Albert toward the Great Hall, with Fred chatting casually with Angelina on the side.
"I slept a bit late yesterday," Albert admitted.
Despite using the Time-Turner to catch up on sleep, staying up late still left him feeling weary. But it had all been worth it—the knowledge he gained from the centaurs about astronomy and divination was invaluable.
The previous night, Albert had quietly paid a visit to Firenze and, after a few hours of discussion, successfully grasped the centaurs' divination skills.
Firenze's proficiency in divination was remarkable, and every time Albert conversed with him, his understanding of astronomy and divination improved significantly.
What excited Albert even more was the discovery that by simply switching his wand with a special wand made from white stag horn, he could truly perform centaur healing magic. This revelation had kept him thrilled and awake for most of the night.
It was an entirely different healing approach from that of wizards. Centaur healing magic was more effective in healing wounds, purging toxins, and improving overall physical condition. Albert felt that Isabelle's beauty spells might find a new direction in centaur magic.
On the other hand, wizard healing spells tended to focus more on treating various hexes and curses, which could be attributed to the environment they lived in. Centaurs, dwelling in the forests, rarely encountered such curses.
Unfortunately, Firenze didn't elaborate on healing magic, either because he didn't intend to teach Albert or because he believed wizards couldn't grasp centaur magic.
As such, Albert never revealed that he had already mastered centaur healing magic.
Of course, perhaps the magical panel had something to do with it as well.
This train of thought gave Albert an idea: Could he learn the magic of fairies and house-elves as well? Although their magical systems were quite different, perhaps he could give it a try...
"Albert, do you still have any complex potions left?"
On their way back to the Gryffindor common room, Hermione caught up with them from behind and inquired about the complex potions.
"I think there's still some left," Albert replied, stopping in his tracks and turning to face the slightly out-of-breath Hermione. "How much do you need?"
"One portion should be enough," Hermione said.
She noticed that Albert didn't ask what she intended to do with the complex potions, and for some reason, she felt a slight twinge of disappointment.
"I'll look for it when I get back and give it to you tonight," Albert said.
"That's wonderful. Thank you, Albert," Hermione said gratefully before turning around and heading back toward the Great Hall, presumably to share this good news with her friends.
"Aren't you curious about what Hermione plans to do with the complex potions?" Fred asked, winking.
"What do you mean, 'what bad things'?" Albert tilted his head in confusion.
"Don't be daft, Fred. You really think Albert doesn't know?" George chimed in. He even suspected that Albert had subtly suggested the idea to Hermione.
"I think it has something to do with the time Hermione accidentally misused the complex potions," Albert admitted, having indeed guessed what Hermione wanted the potions for.
George's guess was only half-right; it wasn't that Albert had suggested it to Hermione, but rather that he had given a hint to the trio, who then passed it on to Hermione.
It wasn't surprising that George would think that way, considering Albert was at least partly responsible for the toad's current predicament.
After all, it was Albert who had suggested that they help Harry form the "Defense Association" and that Hermione use _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6_ to teach everyone about dark magic defense.
The trouble Peeves had been causing for Umbridge was also instigated by none other than Albert, even though most of the dealings with the poltergeist were handled by the Weasley twins. Still, the galleons funding the operation came from Albert, directly making Umbridge the laughingstock of Hogwarts.
And the whole debacle with the old fraud, Professor Trelawney's prophecy, was yet another pit dug by Albert himself, one from which the toad had yet to recover. Professor Trelawney's prophecy still hung over Umbridge's head like a dark cloud.
"Her situation at school is getting worse, and it's all because of that prophecy that she'll drive out Dumbledore and become the new principal of Hogwarts, as well as the prophecy that she'll be gone by the end of the semester."
"A detestable person who is destined to not stay at school for long is bound to arouse the dissatisfaction and resistance of some students. Anyway, she'll be gone soon, so there's no need to worry about being targeted by her."
As for Fred and George testing Umbridge with toads and promoting their joke products, the Galleons and suggestions all came from Albert. They even planned to use the toad to make a name for their joke shop.
Lee Jordan's rumor-spreading was also initially Albert's idea. As for the birth of the Anti-Umbridge Alliance, he hasn't forgotten about it. The Witch's Outlook Station and the 'Defense Courier' magazine were also related to Albert, and the fact that the professors chose to lie flat was even more so related to Albert's prophecy.
Sometimes, George would break into a cold sweat just thinking about how many pits Albert had dug for Umbridge to jump into.
However, George did not sympathize with Umbridge, because he truly despised her, not only for the Educational Decree on the bulletin board and her actions at Hogwarts over the past six months, but also because of Albert's prophecy.
"I think we'll soon be able to receive the good news that Umbridge has been hospitalized," George said cheerfully. They had been causing quite a bit of trouble for Umbridge's inspections lately.
"I wonder what will happen if the complex potion is used incorrectly," Fred asked curiously.
"It's probably like... the canary biscuit turning into a canary that can't shed its feathers to return to its original state," Albert replied with a simple and understandable analogy.
"That would be terrible. It would be great if they could really turn Umbridge into a toad," Fred said excitedly, eager to witness Umbridge's misfortune.
"How long do you think she'll need to stay in the hospital?" George asked, more concerned about this issue.
"Probably after the Christmas holidays!" Albert answered without hesitation, "About two months."
"What are you talking about?"
Lee Jordan was completely clueless about what this group of people were hinting at. Lately, even Fred and George had been influenced by Albert.
He hated the Sphinx.
......
......
"Where did you go just now?"
Harry looked at Hermione, who was walking towards them, and asked curiously.
"I just went to look for Albert. He still has some complex potions left," Hermione said in a lowered voice.
"Complex potions, who do you plan to turn into, Umbridge?" Ron asked, confused.
"Yes, Umbridge," Hermione nodded.
"Why would you want to turn into Umbridge?" Ron became even more perplexed.
"I meant turning Umbridge into a toad," Hermione corrected.
"Do you think the complex potion can solve the trouble Umbridge is causing?" Harry felt that what Hermione was planning had something to do with this matter, as they had just been discussing how to deal with Umbridge.
"Do you remember the symptoms I had when I took the complex potion in our second year?" Hermione reminded them, "Complex potions can't be used to turn into animals, otherwise..."
"...otherwise, it would be a disaster," Harry understood what Hermione wanted to do and said excitedly, "If we can make Umbridge drink the complex potion with toad added to it, I think it will be quite a spectacle."
"I think she won't be able to teach for about two months, and we can blame it on a curse related to the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, saying that she was turned into a toad by a curse," Ron also thought it was a good idea. By the time Umbridge recovered, they would already be on their Christmas break.
"Neville will definitely be willing to contribute some of Trevor's skin. We should get Umbridge into the hospital in the next couple of days," Harry said with a smile. While Fred and George's approach was effective, it also required a lot of effort, and they couldn't keep their eyes on Umbridge at all times.
"We need to distance ourselves from this," Hermione said in a low voice, "Just in case Umbridge finds out about this someday. We must take precautions."
That evening, Harry, Ron, and Hermione knocked on Albert's dormitory door.
When they were invited into the room, Albert's roommates were all there, chatting about something. They stopped when the trio entered the room.
"What do you plan to turn Umbridge into?"
Albert opened his potion storage box and took out a bottle of black, viscous mud-like potion, handing it to Hermione and asking casually.
"A toad. We got some of Trevor's skin from Neville," Hermione said as she took out a small bottle and pinched a small piece of Umbridge's skin, adding it to the complex potion. The potion in the bottle began to boil, emitting bubbles and turning into an ugly brownish-black color.
"Let's see how she dares to continue being arrogant and forcing students to take Veritaserum after we turn her into a human-toad," Lee Jordan said excitedly, "Albert, you must lend me your camera. I want to take a few pictures of her and maybe even make them into Witch Cards in the future."
"Are you really going to do that?"
Albert ignored the excited Lee Jordan and looked at the trio, asking casually.
"Is there a problem?"
"What?" Harry asked, perplexed.
"If you turn Umbridge into a toad, I think she'll go even more crazy and try desperately to find out who's behind it," Albert reminded them kindly, "and that will probably disrupt the peace of Hogwarts!"
"Things are already pretty chaotic," the trio said, exchanging glances. "It can't get any worse."
"That's true." Albert appraised Harry and Hermione, feeling quite satisfied.
The two had undoubtedly grown a lot, and although this growth stemmed from dealing with Umbridge, it was still progress, and their innate abilities had also strengthened.
Their plan to send Umbridge to the hospital wing was a testament to their development.
There was no other choice; the original plotline had already been disrupted by Albert, and who knew how the future would unfold. To deal with Voldemort, he felt that the trio needed a boost. Otherwise, who knew if the savior, molded by Dumbledore's methods in the original story, and his friends would be able to withstand the changes in the plot? If they were accidentally written off, that would be a huge loss.
Undoubtedly, the results were evident, and Harry and Hermione had indeed leveled up significantly.
However, Ron's mediocre performance left Albert unsure about his progress. Was it just his imagination?
"When do you plan to make your move?" Fred asked.
"We'll do it soon, but we need someone to help cover for us." Hermione looked at the group as they said, "to prevent others from noticing that we left the common room at this time."
"Use this, then." Albert took out the 'Book of Origins' from his box and handed it to George.
Creating an alibi was simple; they just had to pretend they were in their dormitory.
And as for witnesses, everyone here could vouch for them.
"Ron." Albert called out to Ron as he was about to enter with the others.
"Yeah?" Ron was curious as to why Albert was singling him out.
"Here, take this." Albert handed him a bottle of pills. "Eat one when you're training for Quidditch. It should help you perform at your normal level."
"Thanks." Ron looked at the bottle of pills with a bewildered expression but still thanked Albert.
The trio, along with Lee Jordan, entered the 'Book of Origins', and George sent them out of the common room. Later, they would use the book to sneak them back in.
"What did Albert give you?" Fred and George were curious about the pills Albert had given Ron.
"It's quite useful, but it's more of a psychological thing." Albert explained, "His skills aren't actually that bad, but his mindset is terrible, so he's been unable to perform up to par. That pill will give him confidence, and as he gradually builds it up through practice, he won't perform as miserably on the field."
"I see."
The twins understood and were amazed by this clever tactic.
"What did Albert want with you?" Harry asked curiously.
"He gave me this, saying it would help me perform at my normal Quidditch level." Ron took out the bottle of pills Albert had given him and explained to the group.
"That's great." Harry could relate, and he patted Ron's shoulder, saying, "Those weird potions are always quite effective."
Ron pocketed the bottle, then turned to stare at the complex potion in Hermione's hands, changing the subject. "How are we going to make her drink it? I bet Umbridge won't willingly drink the complex potion."
"We can use the Stunning Spell and then pour it into her mouth."
Harry had already figured out a plan, and he had confirmed through the Marauder's Map that Umbridge was in her office.
After leaving the common room, the group cast Disillusionment Charms on themselves and quietly made their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. Ron took out a round ball, pulled its lid, and tossed it into the office. Soon, they heard coughing and cursing, and they quickly rushed in, subdued the stunned Umbridge, and forced the complex potion down her throat. Hermione immediately modified her memories, and their actions were swift and seamless.
This was indeed thanks to their previous training sessions.
The complex potion took effect quickly, and Umbridge's skin began to turn rough, resembling more of a toad's skin, with webbed hands that looked just like a toad's. Her head, too, took on a toad-like appearance, and she was now a true toad-human hybrid.
"Gross."
Lee Jordan looked at the unconscious Umbridge and pretended to retch.
Then, he took out the camera he had borrowed from Albert and snapped a bunch of photos of Umbridge before reluctantly leaving the office.
"Do you think Umbridge will be able to guess who did this to her?" Harry turned to ask Lee Jordan.
"As long as you have an alibi, you'll be fine." Lee Jordan shrugged. "Get some Veritaserum antidote from Albert, and even if they suspect you, it won't matter."
"I really want to see what Umbridge's reaction will be when she realizes she's turned into a toad." Ron mumbled.
"You'll get your chance soon enough."
Lee Jordan stared at the unconscious toad-like Umbridge and said meaningfully.
Before leaving, they didn't forget to cast spells to erase any traces of their presence.
(End of Chapter)
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