Chapter 135: If Self-Awareness is Useful, Then...
Chapter 135: If Self-Awareness is Useful, Then...
Ever since getting to know McDougal, Albert couldn't believe how his school life had undergone a drastic transformation.
Delving too deeply into the secrets of Ancient Runes had taken a toll on Albert's brain, and the direct consequence was that he had been feeling somewhat listless lately.
However, there were some benefits to this high-load situation.
Albert's Ancient Runes skill experience was increasing at an incredible speed; in less than half a month, it had skyrocketed by almost 1,000 points.
Most importantly, Albert felt that he was getting closer to what he desired—the true method of utilizing Ancient Runes as described by McDougal.
If he were to raise his Ancient Runes skill to Level 3, he might be able to grasp that knowledge in a short time. Still, Albert preferred to take his time with it; even if he directly upgraded the skill to Level 3, the knowledge gained would still require a long time to digest.
Moreover, upgrading a skill level with too much experience at once would burden the experience pool, and Albert wasn't willing to take that risk.
For him, upgrading a skill directly to Level 2 was currently within his manageable range, and he would only do so for practical skills.
The experience in the experience pool was not just reserved for upgrading Economics and Finance; it was also Albert's biggest backup plan and assurance.
It was undoubtedly unwise to only spend experience without earning any.
"What's up with you lately? You seem rather exhausted," George remarked.
"It's nothing; I just have a lot on my mind. Hey, pass me that marmalade over there," Albert said as he placed two sausages, a fried egg, and half a sliced, pan-fried tomato onto his plate.
"Here," George replied, giving Albert a curious glance but not pressing further.
Albert took the marmalade from George and spread a thick layer on his bread before taking a big bite. Casually pulling out his diary from his pocket, he began flipping through his previous notes to check if he had forgotten anything.
While Albert indeed had a sharp memory, he tended to neglect other matters once he focused on a task.
"Looking at your little notebook again?" Fred smiled and asked, "By the way, there's an Illusionary Appearance class this afternoon. Are you going to watch?"
"I remember during the last Illusionary Appearance class, a Hufflepuff boy was torn limb from limb," Lee Jordan chuckled as he recalled the incident.
"It was limb separation, not tearing limb from limb," Angelina corrected disdainfully from across the table, "Don't misuse such gruesome terms."
"I think his name was Fig," Lee Jordan said.
"It's Figo," Albert corrected tiredly as he took a bite of his fried egg.
"How do you know?" Lee Jordan asked, a little unconvinced. "I remember..."
"Last time, I met a Hufflepuff friend in the library..." Albert coughed and gulped down some pumpkin juice, eyeing the fried egg on his fork before deciding to leave it for later.
"You have friends in Hufflepuff?" Alicia was surprised that Albert knew students from another house; this guy sure had a wide social circle! "Who doesn't have a few friends?" Albert brushed it off nonchalantly.
"I remember it was... that tough guy who knocked the Ravenclaw prefect out with a punch last time. I think his name was..."
"...Truman," Fred supplied, "I've noticed your memory is pretty awful."
"Who would bother to remember such things?" Lee Jordan argued.
As Truman was mentioned, the Weasley brothers turned to Albert simultaneously and whispered, "By the way, was it your idea to suggest that to Truman last time?"
Albert ignored them, pretending not to hear, and continued browsing through his notebook. His gaze landed on a particular entry, and he looked up at George and asked, "About that biography of Eureka that I couldn't repair. Did you guys take the book back after all?"
"We didn't repair it, but we returned it, and Madam Pince didn't notice," George replied, his face a little uncomfortable.
"We made a bold decision," Fred explained. "We tore that page out completely. As long as no one turns to that page, it won't be discovered."
"You two are lucky," Albert said flatly, surprised that the twins had simply torn out the page instead of repairing the book as he had expected. "As long as Madam Pince doesn't find out, it's fine."
"I wonder who will end up taking the fall for this," he added, a wry smile on his face.
"Ahem, that's none of our business now," the twins said almost in unison, their faces turning slightly awkward.
George quickly changed the subject. "By the way, are you going to watch the Apparition class this afternoon?"
"Yes, it's always good to listen in on a lesson. You can always pick up something new," Albert nodded. He wanted to see if by observing the class, he could somehow add Apparition to his skill list.
Whenever Professor Viripin came to Hogwarts to teach Apparition, Albert would be there to watch and take notes. In his notebook, he had jotted down the three D's that Professor Viripin had mentioned—the three key things to keep in mind.
He wished he could try it out for himself. Unfortunately, first-year students couldn't sign up for the class, which was a shame because practicing Apparition under the guidance of a teacher would undoubtedly improve safety and learning efficiency.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Shan asked, interrupting his train of thought.
"Probably brooding over why first-years can't sign up for Apparition class," George said, as if he could read Albert's mind.
"It's a rare opportunity, but Apparition is too advanced for younger students. We don't have enough magical power yet to perform the spell successfully," Albert said, a hint of frustration in his voice. Unlike his peers, he didn't have to worry about not having enough magical power. With his system, he could immediately master Apparition by spending experience points as soon as he understood the skill.
"You can use a Disillusionment Charm!" Fred suggested in a hushed tone.
"Don't be ridiculous," Albert rolled his eyes at Fred. "Do you really think that would fool Professor McGonagall?"
"Even if you learned it, you still wouldn't be able to use it during the summer holidays. The use of magic outside of school is prohibited," George said seriously.
"Why?" Shan asked, confused.
"That's just the way it is according to the Ministry of Magic," George replied. "They say you get a stern warning the first time, and the next time, you might get expelled. Even if you're lucky enough not to get expelled, you'll still be hit with a hefty fine."
"How do you know all this?" Shan frowned, curious. "I used magic during the Christmas holidays and didn't receive any warning."
"That's because you haven't received the official notice yet," Percy, who had sat down next to George, interjected. "Once you get the Ministry's letter during the summer, you're not allowed to use magic outside of school until you turn seventeen."
"As far as I know, you won't get a warning if you use magic in Diagon Alley or other wizarding areas where there's a high concentration of witches and wizards. Pure-blood families should be fine using magic at home, too. The Ministry can't pinpoint who cast the spell in those cases," Albert said quietly.
"How do you know all this?" Shan asked, her eyes fixed on Albert with curiosity, while Percy shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Ever since that unlucky incident with Truman, I've been paying close attention to this issue," Albert said with a dismissive shrug. "I even asked some of the older students, and they told me that the Ministry uses something called 'trace' to locate and monitor us. If you use magic in a Muggle area, the Ministry will send you a warning letter within minutes."
"So, if I use magic in Diagon Alley or in a wizarding neighborhood, the Ministry won't be able to tell who did it?" Shan asked tentatively.
"That's right," Albert nodded.
"That's so unfair!" Shan exclaimed indignantly.
"Wizarding families are expected to self-regulate," Percy coughed, offering an explanation.
"If self-regulation worked, why would the Ministry bother making so many laws?" Shan retorted with a cold laugh.
"I like the way you think," Albert chuckled, unable to hold back his amusement. "So philosophical! What do you guys think?"
(End of Chapter)
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