Chapter 124: Protective Bracelet
Chapter 124: Protective Bracelet
"Do you know what's inside this box?" Jordan Lee pointed to a square box on the table. "I smelled something delicious as soon as I walked in."
"No idea, but it sure smells good. Should we open it and take a look?" George immediately leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the box in front of him, which was emitting a mouthwatering aroma.
"Do you think... could this be a midnight snack that Albert brought us from the kitchen?" Fred guessed, his eyes glued to the box in front of him.
"Where is he, by the way?" George asked. "We can just ask him."
"He's taking a hot shower in the bathroom," Jordan reminded them.
"Let's open it and see!" The three boys looked at each other and said in unison.
The next second, they all burst into laughter.
George was the quickest. He immediately reached out and opened the box, releasing a strong aroma that filled the room.
The three boys leaned in closer, curious to see what was inside.
A plate of... vegetables?
Indeed, it was a plate of vegetables, but a strange one that none of them had seen before. Yet, it smelled absolutely delicious.
"I'll try it first." George picked up a piece with his hand, popped it into his mouth, and chewed a few times. "Tastes like eggs, and those green things might be... garlic?"
"You idiot, don't use your hands! There's a fork right here." Fred shouted in annoyance. "Let me try. I bet Albert has cooked up something weird again."
"Speaking of which, did he make this himself?" Jordan asked curiously.
"Most likely the work of the house-elves in the kitchen," the twins said together, revealing the truth.
"It tastes good," Jordan said as he put the food from his fork into his mouth. Suddenly, he asked, "Do you think we should save some for him?"
Before they knew it, the food on all three of their plates was gone.
"Looks like... it's too late," George muttered softly.
Just then, the door to their dormitory opened, and the three boys turned their heads in unison, their eyes falling on the open box. Their faces twitched slightly as they put down their forks.
"What's going on?" Albert looked at them in confusion, his eyes moving down to the open box. "You finished it all?"
"We couldn't help ourselves," Fred said awkwardly.
"What's this dish called? It tastes amazing," Jordan tried to change the subject, but George clamped his hand over his mouth.
"Sorry," they said in unison.
"Scrambled eggs with garlic," Albert said calmly.
"Garlic..."
"...and eggs?"
The mention of garlic made Fred glance at the pot of garlic on the windowsill, and his expression froze.
My garlic is bald! "Garlic... could this be it?" Fred asked, pointing to the plate of garlic with its leaves cut off.
"Yes."
"You turned it into a dish?" George stared at the bare pot, at a loss for words.
"I can see you're enjoying it," Albert said with a hint of annoyance. "Don't worry, spring is here. The garlic will soon sprout new shoots."
The three boys were left speechless.
This dish... it's truly amazing! Jordan cleared his throat softly and asked curiously, "Did you make it yourself?"
"I had the house-elves in the kitchen help me with the frying," Albert said thoughtfully. "Those little guys are quite skilled. I wonder if I can convince one of them to come back with me after I graduate to help with the housework."
"Mom has always wanted a house-elf to help with cooking, laundry, and chores," George mumbled. "Too bad we don't have one."
"Don't even think about it," Fred explained. "Only ancient and wealthy wizarding families have house-elves."
"My family doesn't have one either," Jordan shook his head.
"Maybe if we offer enough galleons...?"
"House-elves must come from somewhere. I'll make a note of this." Albert took out his small notebook and jotted down the thought.
"You're not thinking of..." The three friends eyed him suspiciously.
"With enough galleons, most problems can be solved." Albert explained, "Anyway, let's move on. Help me with an experiment."
"What kind of experiment?" George asked.
"Throw pillows at me." Albert raised his wrist, which bore the wooden bracelet.
"Are you sure?" In unison, the three boys grabbed their pillows and hurled them at Albert. Strangely, the pillows seemed to hit an invisible barrier and fell harmlessly to the ground.
"How did you do that?" The trio crowded around Albert, curious about the mysterious bracelet that had deflected their pillows.
"This..." Albert removed the wooden bracelet and said, "is a unique protective charm I crafted myself. It's imbued with an Ironskin Curse that can resist hexes and objects, and it's also effective at repelling Dark creatures."
"I have a feeling you're pulling our legs again." Fred took the bracelet from Albert to examine it more closely. "But there's no denying it's a remarkable trinket. Could it be the effect of those odd symbols on the bracelet?"
"I can't be sure yet." Albert shook his head. "This needs to be tested further."
"My turn." Fred interjected, "How does it work?"
"Wear it on your wrist or hold it in your hand." Albert said, somewhat uncertain. "It should work either way."
"Here goes." George threw a pillow at Fred, and once again, the effect was triggered, causing the pillow to bounce off.
"That's amazing! You've created something truly remarkable." Lee Jordan exclaimed, "I bet a lot of people would want one of these. Imagine... when someone tries to curse you, you just raise your hand and deflect their hex. That's so cool!"
"My turn now!" George exclaimed excitedly. "Let's try a jinx and see if it really bounces hexes back." He took out his wand and shouted, "Impedimenta!"
"Impedimenta!" Albert waved his wand, indicating for the others to stand back. The jinx seemed to hit an invisible barrier in front of George, deflecting it to the side and knocking Lee Jordan off his feet. He crashed into the bed, clutching his back in pain.
"You jerk! That hurt!" Lee Jordan glared at George, accusing him of deliberately deflecting the jinx his way.
"That's so cool! Amazing!"
"Unbelievable!"
The twins looked at each other and exclaimed in unison, "This thing is worth a fortune! We could sell it for loads of galleons!"
"You jerks, help me up!" Lee Jordan complained.
"Sorry, I got too excited." George apologized, his face full of remorse. "Are you okay? I really didn't mean to hit you that time."
"Now it's my turn to test it." Lee Jordan scrambled to his feet, eagerly taking the wooden bracelet from Albert.
"Stupefy!" Albert, eager to test the limits of the Ironskin Curse on the bracelet, did not refuse.
Unfortunately for Lee Jordan, his luck seemed to have run out. The Stunning Spell hit him squarely, and the bracelet failed to protect him. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious, still clutching the bracelet.
"Did the bracelet's protection fail?" Fred asked curiously.
"Perhaps it has its limits." Albert knelt beside Lee Jordan and speculated, "After all, it's just a prototype. It's normal to encounter such issues."
"I think Lee Jordan's just having a run of bad luck today." Fred grinned at his unconscious friend.
"What do we do now?" George asked, "Can you wake him up?"
"I think it's best to let him sleep it off until morning." Albert suggested.
"I agree."
(End of Chapter)
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