Chapter 210: All Hallows' Eve Approaches
Chapter 210: All Hallows' Eve Approaches
In the morning, Albert rubbed his drowsy eyes and tilted his head towards the window. It was raining outside Hogwarts Castle, the raindrops tapping on the glass panes in a steady rhythm.
"Rain again," he muttered, rolling over lazily and pulling the covers back over his head. He intended to linger in bed for a while longer before getting up.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Albert finally roused himself from bed, stretching his arms above his head. He got dressed and proceeded to wake up the others so they could head downstairs for breakfast together.
Every year on the eve of All Hallows' Eve, the Great Hall of Hogwarts would undergo a magical transformation. Of course, the ever-present bats and pumpkins added an essential festive touch.
After greeting some familiar faces at the table, Albert found an empty seat. He sipped his milk tea and browsed the day's issue of the Prophet, occasionally snatching a pumpkin pastry from the plate and engaging in small talk with Angelina, who sat beside him.
The topic of their conversation drifted to broomsticks, as there was an advertisement for the Nimbus Racing Broom Company in that day's paper. The company would be releasing a new model, the Nimbus 2000, the following year—the same model that had been Harry Potter's first broomstick.
"I've heard great things about Nimbus brooms," Albert said with a smile. "Any regrets about buying yours early?"
"Not at all," Angelina shook her head, knowing he was joking.
Their brief exchange was interrupted by a burst of laughter, and Albert looked up to see a swarm of magically animated bats circling above Lee Jordan's head. Lee was dodging and swatting at them to no avail, growing increasingly frustrated. Finally, he threw his piece of toast at the bats in exasperation.
"Oh, leave it be, it's fine," Albert said nonchalantly as he yawned, earning him a glare from Lee Jordan.
Lee Jordan sat there, sulking and eating his breakfast, but before long, the bats mysteriously flew away.
The first class of the day was Herbology, and no one particularly enjoyed having it in the rain. The lesson took place outside in the greenhouses, and working in the rain-soaked beds soon left everyone feeling miserable, as if they had been dredged from the muddy waters.
Fortunately, that morning's task was simply to repot Mandrake plants.
Mandrake was a magical plant with potent magical properties. Like the White Tree sap they had encountered the previous year, Mandrake had numerous applications, especially once mature, as it could be used to create a powerful restorative.
In fact, many irreversible curses could only be countered using a restorative made from Mandrake.
Since they had repotted Mandrakes before, everyone was familiar with the process, and they managed to finish before the end of class.
As Albert replanted the last Mandrake, he checked his task panel, only to find that the task was not yet completed. Although he had expected as much, he still felt a twinge of disappointment. Completing the task fully would require him to obtain a Mandrake of his own.
Before the end of class, they were informed of the content of their next lesson: caring for the Wrackspurt Fig.
This was another magical plant with potent magical properties and a certain degree of danger.
"Let's go to Transfiguration," Fred said, vigorously shaking the dirt off his work robes before using a Scouring Charm to clean them. He then changed back into his regular robes, ready for Professor McGonagall's class.
"Take your time," Albert mumbled, trying to dispel his irritability as he made his way to Transfiguration, one of his best subjects.
Perhaps due to the proximity of All Hallows' Eve, Professor McGonagall could tell that the students' hearts weren't in the lesson, so she decided to make it a review session. She helped them revise transfiguration spells they had learned previously and even shared a few cautionary tales of tragedies caused by reckless use of transfiguration magic.
By the end of her stories, everyone was covered in goosebumps. Professor McGonagall's narratives were truly spine-chilling, especially the tale of the five-legged monster.
The legend of the five-legged monster originated from the island of Drear, which was now shrouded in mystery. It was said that the creature had once been a wizard, and the thought of a person transforming into a terrifying monster, their mind utterly warped and unable to return to their original form, was truly horrifying.
Although Albert couldn't confirm the veracity of the story, he believed it was likely true. In this world, many ancient tales turned out to be based on facts, and he suspected this one had its roots in truth as well.
"Professor McGonagall, hasn't the Ministry of Magic tried to reverse the transformations of those creatures?" Katrina spoke up, voicing the question on everyone's mind. They knew that even the most powerful transfiguration spells could sometimes be undone with potions, such as the potent restorative made from Mandrake.
"They refused," Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Rumor has it that people from the Beast Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures attempted to restore them, but the five-legged monsters vehemently resisted any attempts to change them back."
"Professor, do the transformed creatures return to their original form after death?" Albert asked suddenly, although he already had a vague idea of the answer.
He had, after all, seen the skeleton of a five-legged monster.
"No," Professor McGonagall replied.
The Transfiguration class concluded with the eerie stories still lingering in the air.
After class, Albert stopped Katrina to discuss the bet they had made some time ago. It had been so long that they had nearly forgotten about it.
"The first Quidditch match will be held in mid-November," Albert said as he walked alongside Katrina in the corridor. "That's when our bet will be decided."
Katrina gave him a strange look and said in a peculiar tone, "I thought you might have forgotten about it."
"Not at all," Albert goaded her. "Time's running out. Are you ready?"
"Time is running out," Katrina acknowledged with a glance at Albert. "Winning or losing doesn't seem as important now."
"Well, it looks like I'll be saving ten Galleons," Albert remarked.
"Saving ten Galleons," Katrina repeated, her tone growing even more peculiar. "I don't think you're lacking in money. I heard from Isabelle that you generously gave her ten Galleons for a lesson. Why don't you just admit defeat and give me ten Galleons instead?"
Albert's face darkened at the mention of Isabelle. "Did Isabelle tell you that?"
"So, it was ten Galleons?" Katrina's tone became complex. "No wonder she bought me that expensive birthday present a while back."
Albert's face darkened further as he realized he had been manipulated. "What did she teach you?" he asked, curious despite himself.
"You can ask her yourself," Albert said irritably.
"She won't tell me, so I'm asking you," Katrina persisted.
Albert swallowed, realizing that Katrina was trying to get him to divulge information. He decided not to take the bait.
Chapter end
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