Chapter 219: Coincidence or Fate?
Chapter 219: Coincidence or Fate?
Before returning to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade, Fred and the others were reluctant to head back quietly. They suggested visiting Hagrid to see his new pet, but unfortunately, they were bluntly refused. To prevent the group from wandering off again, the gamekeeper personally escorted Albert and the others back to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"Don't let me catch you sneaking off to Hogsmeade again, or I'll tell Professor McGonagall about this," Hagrid said before turning and leaving.
"Next time we go to Hogsmeade, we should probably cast a Disguise Charm on ourselves," Lee Jordan murmured, watching Hagrid's retreating back.
However, Lee Jordan lacked the confidence as he had not yet mastered the Disguise Charm, a relatively complex spell. If he wanted to cast it on himself, he would need Albert's help.
"I need to step up my efforts," he thought to himself. "Otherwise, Albert will leave me behind."
"That's a good idea," George said regretfully. It was a rare opportunity to visit Hogsmeade, and they had returned without truly enjoying themselves.
"Where do you plan to put this?" Fred asked, referring to the bag of salt he was carrying.
"The Room of Requirement," Albert replied.
"I guess so," Fred agreed.
"I suggest you head to the kitchen now and see if there's anything we can grill. We'll use the fireplace in the common room later," Albert said as he took out the barrel of butterbeer from his pocket and handed it to Fred. "Remember to undo the spell before opening the barrel."
"I don't know how to undo spells," Fred admitted, shaking his head as he took the barrel. Even the simplest spell-breaking charms were too advanced for second-year students like him.
"Then wait for me here. I'll be back soon," Albert said, taking the Marauder's Map from Fred as they passed through the entrance hall, intending to part ways temporarily.
"What if there's no food in the kitchen?" Lee Jordan suddenly asked.
"Then we'll get something from the lake," Albert replied without hesitation.
"How? Do you plan to go fishing at this hour?" Fred looked at Albert in disbelief. They had just returned from Hogsmeade, their faces flushed from the cold winter wind.
"No, fishing is a hobby, and I don't usually fish in the winter. But we can try using the Accio spell," Albert said, noticing the strange expressions on the others' faces. He furrowed his brows slightly before realizing something. "Oh, I almost forgot. Brits rarely eat freshwater fish."
"Are you not British yourself?" The trio couldn't help but tease him. "Or are you trying to say you actually eat freshwater fish?"
"See you later. Remember to bring more food," Albert said with a smile as he walked away.
Foreigners who don't know how to use chopsticks rarely eat freshwater fish with lots of bones. Well, it's mostly because they don't know how to deal with the bones using cutlery.
Albert shook his head helplessly at the thought. This was probably only possible because there were fewer people and more resources. If it were the other way around, they might not even have freshwater fish to eat.
"Most students are probably on their way to Hogsmeade at this time," Albert mused.
As he reached the seventh floor, he carefully checked the Marauder's Map to assess the situation. He spotted a familiar name—Professor Rowena Smith.
"Coincidence, or is she planning to visit the Room of Requirement as well?" Albert wondered aloud.
Upon reaching the Room of Requirement, Albert found that he couldn't enter, and the door remained closed.
"Is there really someone inside?" Albert wondered, gazing at the entrance to the Room of Requirement as he made his way toward the Gryffindor common room.
"Professor Trelawney or Professor Smith?"
"Last year, Professor Blodger also seemed to know about the Room of Requirement... The latter is more likely, but why would Professor Smith come here? What secret is hidden inside?"
What secret could the Room of Requirement hold?
"The Ravenclaw Repository of Knowledge?" Albert wondered if he had guessed the answer.
After all, both Professor Smith and Professor Blodger were from Ravenclaw. If they had discovered the Room of Requirement and uncovered its secrets, it wouldn't be difficult for them to access the Ravenclaw Repository of Knowledge.
"The password, are you going to give it or not?" The Fat Lady was growing impatient, glaring at Albert irritably.
"Oh, sorry, the password is cream cake," Albert said, noticing the Fat Lady's displeased expression. He quickly entered the common room and left the salt in his dormitory. When he returned to the common room, he found that Fred and the others had already returned with sausages, meat pies, potato chips, and a small bottle of sliced beef. As for the shrunken barrel of butterbeer he had bought for one galleon, they had placed it on the table next to the fireplace.
"Look what we got from the kitchen!" Fred exclaimed happily, holding up the beef and placing it over the fire to grill.
"Let's skewer the rest of the food," Albert suggested, drawing out his wand and waving it at the bamboo skewers to double their quantity.
George and the others quickly helped to skewer the food.
Albert waved his wand again, returning the barrel of butterbeer to its original size, and then he conjured cups and poured drinks for everyone. Finally, unable to resist any longer, Sandra and Angelina joined them.
"Where did you get that huge barrel of beer?" Sandra asked curiously.
"We got a little help from the Marauder's Map," Fred said with a wink at Angelina.
"A barbecue with beer, you know how to enjoy yourself!" Sandra exclaimed as she took the butterbeer that Albert offered.
"Thanks," Angelina said, taking the butterbeer from Fred and sipping it cautiously.
"The taste is a bit strange. I still prefer the taste of cola and soda," Sandra whispered after taking a sip.
"I wasn't used to it at first either," Albert admitted as he distributed the butterbeer among the group and clinked cups with them.
The aroma of grilled meat and sausages filled the air, and several younger students watched with wide eyes, unable to resist drooling.
Unfortunately, they hadn't been invited to join.
"It feels nice to have a barbecue in the winter," Albert said, taking a bite of the grilled beef. The seasoning was a bit mild for his taste, as house-elves tended to underspice their food. "It would be even better if we had some vegetables to grill."
"You're asking for a lot," George grumbled.
"It would be even better if we could heat up the butterbeer," Fred said, looking at Albert. "Do you know how to do that?"
"I'm not omnipotent," Albert replied, rolling his eyes.
"I was just asking," Fred said with a smile. "You might actually know how to do it."
No one knew how many spells Albert had mastered. After all, in their eyes, this guy seemed to know an awful lot.
(End of Chapter)
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