Chapter 207: Well, It's Definitely Magical
Chapter 207: Well, It's Definitely Magical
"Hey, Albert, get down!" Charlie looked up at the dark silhouette soaring and diving high above the Quidditch pitch, feeling a mix of relief and helplessness. He turned to Fred and George, who averted their eyes, making it clear that they had nothing to do with this situation.
"He's coming down," Angelina suddenly said.
In full view of everyone, Albert was descending at an incredible speed, as if he had jumped out of the plane without a parachute. In the blink of an eye, he was just a few feet from the ground.
"Ahh!"
"He's going to crash!"
In the midst of the chaos, someone screamed, and a few people even closed their eyes, not wanting to witness Albert's crash landing.
However, Albert halted his dive just a few feet above the ground and ascended again. The force of the dive, coupled with the strong gusts of wind, caused everyone's hair to flutter wildly.
The next moment, exclamations of surprise and applause rang out simultaneously.
"My word, how did he do that?" Alicia's face turned pale, while the Weasley twins cheered loudly. Cormac McLaggen, another reserve player, clenched his fists in awe.
Whether the players wanted to admit it or not, Albert's flying skills were far superior to most. The daring maneuver he had just performed was something not even Charlie dared to attempt, as it would surely result in a crash. Yet, Albert had pulled it off, treating it like a mere thrilling game.
A few seconds later, Albert slowly descended again, his feet touching the ground. He closed his eyes, savoring the exhilarating feeling of the high-speed flight on his broomstick. The Firebolt Six exceeded his expectations; with just a gentle touch, the broomstick turned smoothly according to his wishes.
Undeniably, the broomstick still had some shortcomings, but Albert was more than satisfied with its performance.
"That dive you just pulled made my heart skip a beat!" Angelina said with a laugh.
"Great flying," Charlie complimented, giving Albert's shoulder a light punch before throwing an arm around his neck. "Since you finally decided to grace us with your presence on the pitch, you're not getting away that easily!"
After a day of exhilarating flying, Albert concluded his training and returned to the Gryffindor common room with the others. Upon entering, they found the room abuzz with excited chatter.
"What's going on?" Albert asked Lee Jordan, who was sitting by the fireplace playing Exploding Snap with Susan.
"First Hogsmeade weekend!" Lee pointed to the notice board, winking at the trio. "It's in early November."
A trip to Hogsmeade! The three friends shared a knowing smile. Hogsmeade wasn't a big deal to them; they could visit whenever they wanted through the secret passageway.
"It doesn't concern us, does it?" Fred shrugged with a smile. After returning to their dormitory and enjoying a relaxing hot shower, they made their way back to the common room, where George had somehow acquired a rat.
"Where did you get that rat from?" Albert asked, his eyes falling on the rodent in George's hands.
"Any guesses?" George replied with a mischievous smile.
"Percy's pet?" Albert reached into his pocket and pulled out a biscuit, unwrapping it and offering it to the rat.
Scabbers happily began to nibble on the treat. It was only natural; even if he had been a rat for a long time, he would still crave decent food.
"This rat has been through a lot," Albert clicked his tongue, examining the rat's front paws, one of which was missing a toe. "I doubt it'll live much longer. Rats usually only live for three to four years at most, and this one is quite old. I'm not sure it'll make it through next summer."
"Well, shall we go?" Fred, uninterested in the rat's lifespan, whispered. "It's best to get this done before Percy realizes it's missing."
"Sure," Albert agreed. He waved his wand, transfiguring the biscuit wrapper into a slender cage and placing Scabbers inside. He left a few more biscuits in the cage before stowing it in his bag.
The four friends hastily departed the Gryffindor common room and made their way to the Room of Requirement.
"All clear, no one's here," Albert murmured, glancing at the Marauder's Map and spotting Peter Pettigrew's name. A pleased smile curved his lips as he noticed the new tasks that had appeared on the task panel.
However, Albert didn't rush to examine the panel tasks. Instead, he entered the Room of Requirement, which had transformed into a spacious room with four walls and a door, each wall illuminated by a burning torch.
"Let's begin!" Albert signaled for the others to put on their earmuffs, then took Scabbers out of his bag.
"Why aren't you wearing any protection?" Albert asked, looking at Lee Jordan in confusion.
"The Mandrake's not fully mature yet, it'll probably just knock me out," Lee shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "Besides, you're not wearing any either."
"I'll plug my ears," Albert said, pulling out a pair of earplugs.
"If I pass out, remember to take me to the hospital wing," Lee said, seemingly willing to test the effects of the Mandrake's cry on himself.
The three friends exchanged glances.
Albert didn't press the issue further, knowing that it would take a few more months for the Mandrake to mature fully. Its current cry, while unpleasant, wasn't lethal.
Once everyone was ready, Albert put on his earplugs as well and pulled out the magical object containing the Mandrake's cry from his pocket.
He raised his hand and counted down from three, then flipped the switch. A piercing shriek filled the room, amplified by the Sonorous Charm. Even with the ear protection, Albert could faintly hear the sound, but he didn't feel like he was about to pass out.
Lee Jordan scrunched up his face and covered his ears, clearly feeling dizzy but remaining conscious.
Unfortunately, Scabbers wasn't so lucky, and he promptly fainted, perhaps due to the amplified volume of the cry.
The Mandrake's cry abruptly ceased, and Albert signaled for the others to remove their earmuffs. "How do you feel?" he asked Lee.
"A bit dizzy," Lee admitted.
"The Mandrake's cry is known to be fatal, likely due to some sort of enchantment within the sound," Albert explained. "However, when I recorded and played back the cry, the enchantment's power was significantly weakened.
It's similar to the effect of a Basilisk's gaze being reflected in a mirror. The gaze can kill, but when reflected, it only has the power to petrify. The Mandrake's cry is indeed magical, and while it's not yet fully mature and thus not at full strength, the fact that it's been recorded and played back has greatly reduced its potency."
It turned out that the Mandrake's cry was indeed magical, rather than some sort of infrasonic effect. That was somewhat reassuring.
"Let's go. It's best to return this poor rat before Percy realizes it's missing," Albert said, not wanting the brothers to have an unpleasant falling out over this.
Speaking of which, Scabbers was, in essence, a wizard, and using him for this experiment had probably been a poor decision on Albert's part. (End of Chapter)
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