Chapter 204: Failed Experiment
Chapter 204: Failed Experiment
The night was deep, and quiet footsteps echoed in the corridor.
Around a dark corner, a pale light suddenly appeared, but strangely, there was no one to be seen, as if a ghost were floating in the air.
Soon, the light stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, who was just about to retire for the night. Clearly annoyed at the disturbance, she opened her eyes, ready to ask for the password, only to be surprised as the door behind her swung open from the inside.
"Perfect timing," came Lee Jordan's voice from the dark passage.
The light floated into the passage, and the Fat Lady's portrait swung shut, blocking the entrance to the Gryffindor common room once more.
The lady guardian was still looking rather spooked.
In fact, it had been Fred and George in the corridor, under the effects of a Disillusionment Charm, which was why they seemed invisible. The Lumos spell they had cast gave the impression of a ghostly presence floating in the air.
As for the sudden opening of the Gryffindor door, it was because the twins had arranged a meeting time with Lee Jordan. When they returned on time, he opened the door from the inside, letting them in and thus bypassing the Fat Lady.
"What treats did you get?" Lee Jordan asked eagerly, rubbing his hands together.
"Buttered biscuits," Fred replied, taking out a greaseproof paper bag and shooting a reproachful glance at Lee Jordan, who was reaching for it. "We'll eat them back in the dorm."
"You must have already had some in the kitchen," Lee Jordan mumbled through a mouthful of biscuit.
That was a given! Soon, the common room returned to its quiet state, and the three boys' footsteps gradually faded away.
Without warning, the door to a certain dormitory was pushed open.
A dark shadow was stealthily approaching the figure sitting in the armchair.
"What's for supper?" the figure in the armchair suddenly asked.
"Buttered biscuits," one of them replied.
"Want some?" the other asked between mouthfuls.
"He's almost finished them all," the third person said.
"Save some for me," Albert sighed, lifting the Disillusionment Charm from the other two before taking a sip from his now-cold milk tea. He then turned his attention to the Transfiguration essay he had just finished.
"You look tired," Fred commented, handing Albert a freshly brewed cup of milk tea and glancing at the essay beside him. "Why do you give yourself so much work? It's just asking for trouble."
"Thanks," Albert said, taking the cup but not drinking from it. He turned to Fred and said, "I'd be even more grateful if you'd make me milk tea without using the Biting Teacup."
Fred was taken aback.
George, on the other hand, sniggered quietly, as he had been the one to give Fred the cursed teacup.
Albert shot George a glance before turning to Lee Jordan, who was focused on finishing his supper, and said, "Save me some buttered biscuits. I'm feeling a bit hungry, and don't think I don't know you're trying to save the last one for me."
Lee Jordan opened his mouth, surprised that Albert had seen through his intentions.
Not long ago, Albert had upgraded Legilimency to Level 2 and Occlumency to Level 3, an experience-consuming process that he knew was necessary.
Occlumency served as a protective shield for his thoughts, ensuring that his ideas and intentions remained hidden from others.
If he had had more skill points, Albert would have liked to upgrade Occlumency to Level 4.
This form of protection was of utmost importance to Albert as a time-traveler; he would do whatever it took to keep his secrets safe.
Moreover, if he were to disclose the matter of the Ravenclaw Diadem to Dumbledore, he would need to invest even more experience and skill points in this area.
Of course, it would be worth it, as Tom's Horcrux mission would provide him with ample experience afterward! "How's the progress with the wizard cards from the other houses?" Albert asked, reaching for the greaseproof paper bag that Lee Jordan passed to him and taking out a buttered biscuit, which he popped into his mouth.
"We've confirmed over twenty cards for Ravenclaw and eighteen for Hufflepuff," Lee Jordan replied after a moment's thought. "Oh, and today, two more people expressed interest in joining our club, and they both want their own cards too."
"Hmm," Albert acknowledged noncommittally.
"The three of us have started practicing the Replication Charm, so that should lessen your burden.
In fact, constantly replicating wizard cards has had its benefits, as Albert's Replication Charm had already reached Level 2.
"Speaking of which, I've always been curious about what's inside that box," Fred said, pointing at a box on Albert's bedside cabinet.
"Feel free to take a look if you're interested," Albert replied, indicating that he had no intention of keeping secrets from them.
With Albert's permission, George quickly grabbed the box, intrigued by its contents. The last time he had seen Albert put something in it, it was the protective ring.
Upon opening the box, they saw three metallic objects, each about the length of their middle finger, with a beautiful silver exterior resembling cylindrical lighters.
"Failed experiments from a while ago," Albert explained with a hint of frustration.
George picked up one of the objects, studying the sun-like symbol on its surface, and asked, "What is this thing?"
"Open it and you'll find out," Albert replied.
Albert replied expressionlessly, "It's a failed experiment from a while back. I intended to create a magic item that could store light, but it turned out to be both a success and a failure. It became a disposable item; while I can store light orbs inside, it's pretty much useless."
Albert had considered using this invention to create cheaper flashbangs.
"Damn, my eyes!"
"It's alright, your vision will return soon," Albert consoled casually.
"Sneaky, but I like it," Lee Jordan said, unable to hold back his curiosity. "Why did you make this?"
"I already told you, it's a failed experiment," Albert replied.
Speaking of this, Albert felt quite frustrated. This item was actually a failed attempt at creating a light-extinguishing device.
Not long ago, Albert had received assistance from other wizards, but all he managed to create were these failures.
"You guys were planning to open a joke shop, right? You can use this technology to research and develop flashbangs," Albert suggested, intending to repurpose these 'failures' and turn them into something useful.
"I think this is boring," George commented dryly.
"No, no, it can blind people!" Fred chimed in with a smile. "It's especially effective in dark places."
"This thing can be used as a defensive weapon... Hmm, never mind," Albert muttered, stroking his chin.
Most wizards would only focus on their opponent's wand, so throwing this out during a duel would be quite the surprise. After all, wizards typically wouldn't pay attention to such items.
However, Albert was a little worried that one of his creations might backfire on him one day, which would be a real tragedy.
"What about this one?" Lee Jordan asked, pointing to the second item.
"Go ahead and open it, you'll find out," Albert said as he continued sipping his now-cold milk tea and munching on a biscuit.
"Your turn," Lee Jordan said as he passed the item to Fred, who shot a glance at Albert before flipping the switch.
"Go to poop, eat poop, everyone go eat poop!" A startlingly familiar voice boomed from the object, leaving Fred stunned.
The voice was loud, and the fact that it was shouted made it even more shocking.
"The sound will last for about thirty seconds," Albert informed them.
"Aside from startling people, it doesn't seem to have much use," George muttered.
"It can store sound," Albert explained. He had originally intended to use it to store the cries of the Mandrake, but since he hadn't tested it yet, he wasn't sure if it would work.
After all, even Albert didn't know exactly how the Mandrake's cry killed people. Was it through infrasound or some kind of magical curse?
Well, the latter seemed more likely, as it was more 'magical'.
"And this last one?"
"Don't open it. It contains a stink bomb," Albert warned.
"Are you seriously that bored to come up with these things?" George asked, feeling that Albert was a bit odd. He had expected Albert to create some interesting magical items, not these oddities.
"Do you know what you get when you combine these three things?" Albert asked with a peculiar expression.
"What?" The three asked, confused.
"A stun grenade!" Albert declared.
"What's that?"
It's an alchemical device. When thrown, it can knock out people nearby.
However, Albert felt that this invention was a bit useless as well. It might be effective in a surprise attack, though.
If he could turn the Stunning Spell into a mist and store it, he should be able to achieve a similar effect.
The three boys looked at each other, indicating that they had no idea what Albert was talking about.
"What about the second layer?" Lee Jordan probed further.
Albert closed the first layer and opened the second layer of the box, revealing various versions of protective rings and amulets.
"Is this the latest version?" Fred asked, pointing at the most intricately crafted wooden ring.
"No, the latest one is on my hand," Albert replied, lifting his wrist to show them. "This is version 3.0, and this is what it does."
Albert raised his hand and gently pushed it towards George. Before his hand even made contact, an invisible force pushed George back.
"I feel like I bumped into something," George mumbled.
"It must be the Iron-Arm Charm!" Fred's eyes lit up. "It seems really good!"
"My initial idea was to create a simple wand," Albert explained. It would allow me to cast the Iron-Arm Charm without a wand or verbal incantation.
"Did you succeed?" Fred asked excitedly, for he knew the implications of such an invention.
"Well, sort of. But it's actually only half-finished," Albert shook his head, feeling annoyed that this new skill still hadn't appeared on his status panel.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
