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Chapter 224: How Did You Know?
Chapter 224: How Did You Know?
Early Saturday morning, Albert woke up earlier than usual, and the room was still enveloped in darkness. Outside, the stormy weather battered the windows with howling winds and pounding rain.
"Brr, it's cold." Albert curled up in his warm bed, intending to drift back to sleep. After all, it was the weekend, and no one would fault him for sleeping in, even until noon.
Of course, Albert's plans were soon interrupted by the rambunctious Fred and George, who stirred and woke him up around half-past eight.
Despite the early hour, the torrential downpour showed no signs of letting up.
Albert glanced out the window, knowing that the Quidditch match would still go on despite the dismal weather.
As Charlie would say, a little rain never stopped a Quidditch game.
"Thank goodness I'm not playing today," Albert muttered to himself, feeling grateful that he didn't have to brave the rain. While he loved Quidditch, his enthusiasm didn't extend to getting soaked while watching a match.
The corridors and halls of the castle were dimly lit, with torches and candles providing the only illumination. Yet, the inclement weather did nothing to dampen the students' enthusiasm for Quidditch.
In the Great Hall, students chatted excitedly about the upcoming match, their anticipation overriding any concerns about the rain.
At the Gryffindor table, Albert savored a warm breakfast of a toasted sausage sandwich and a steaming cup of corn soup, the perfect remedy for the chilly morning.
In contrast to Albert, the others seemed to have lost their appetite.
"Are you guys so nervous you can't eat?" Albert understood their anxiety, but he didn't think it was necessary to get worked up over the outcome of the match. His nonchalance kept his nerves in check.
"It's easy for you to say; you're not the one playing," Angelina snapped, giving Albert a glare. "Don't rub it in."
"You really should eat something," Albert advised as he finished his soup. "Playing in this weather will drain your energy."
"I don't want anything," Fred and George grumbled.
"I'm not hungry," Angelina admitted, feeling miserable. Despite having played once before, her performance hadn't been impressive. Now, after a year of hard work, she was back on the Quidditch pitch as a proper player, determined to do better. Yet, she couldn't shake her nerves.
"Albert's right; you need to keep your energy up," Lee Jordan said as he slathered ketchup on his sausage. He took a hearty bite and added, "Otherwise, you won't have the strength to knock those Bludgers away."
"Thanks for your concern," Fred said sarcastically.
"You're welcome," Albert replied with a shrug.
"I heard you're trying out for commentator?" Albert asked Lee, testing the waters.
"How did you know that?" Lee Jordan exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise as he stared at Albert. "How did you find out I became a Quidditch commentator?"
This had been one of Lee Jordan's best-kept secrets, and he had intended to surprise everyone. The fact that Albert had guessed correctly annoyed him.
"When did this happen?" George asked, intrigued.
"Not long ago, I passed Professor McGonagall's test," Lee explained. "Last year's commentator, Bagman, became a Ravenclaw player, so I didn't face much opposition and became the Quidditch commentator. But how did you know?"
"You tell me," Albert said with a smile, not offering any further explanation. In truth, he had just taken a wild guess, not knowing the actual situation.
In Albert's memory, Lee Jordan had always been the commentator. Or perhaps it was because the setting required one of the Weasley twins' friends to be the commentator, so he had simply asked on a whim and happened to be right.
Before half-past ten, the Gryffindor team and Lee Jordan headed to the Quidditch pitch to prepare, while the rest of the spectators made their way there by eleven.
"Shall we go together?" Alicia invited Albert.
"You guys go ahead; I need to make a quick trip back to the dormitory," Albert replied, making up an excuse on the spot. He hadn't forgotten his promise to the McDougal sisters, and it wouldn't do to stand them up again.
Quidditch matches, as always, were incredibly popular, even the stormy weather couldn't keep the students and staff from turning out in full force.
Albert stood by the window, watching his fellow students hurrying across the lawn, umbrellas in hand, toward the Quidditch pitch.
"I must be crazy to skip today's Quidditch match for that stupid bet," Katrina McDougal grumbled as she approached Albert. She never missed an opportunity to complain about the situation.
"You should be thanking me. If it weren't for me, you'd be out there getting drenched," Albert said, turning away from the window and looking at the girl beside him. "Where's Isabel?"
"She went back to the common room. She should be joining us soon," Katrina said as they walked. "I can't believe I agreed to this ridiculous bet."
"Of course, you agreed. With a 10-Galleon wager, you can buy a lot of things," Albert pointed out amicably.
They climbed the spiral staircase, winding their way up in dizzying circles. Albert had never been to this part of the tower before, and Katrina led him to a peculiar door.
If one could call it a door—there was no handle, no keyhole, just an ancient wooden panel with a bronze eagle-shaped knocker.
Albert curiously reached out to touch the wood and turned to Katrina, "Is this wood almost a thousand years old?"
"Why do you always focus on the most irrelevant things?" Katrina snapped. She knocked on the door, and in the ensuing silence, the eagle's beak opened, emitting a gentle, musical voice that asked:
"What question can you never answer 'yes' to?"
"That's the first question, then," Albert remarked to the girl beside him.
Katrina replied, "Are you asleep?"
"Makes sense," the voice said, and the door to the Ravenclaw common room swung open.
"Actually, I think 'Are you dead?' also works as an answer," Albert mumbled.
On the other side of the door stood Isabel, her hand raised to knock, surprised to find the door opening on its own.
Then she heard Albert's comment and replied casually, "The eagle door knocker's riddle doesn't have a unique answer."
(End of Chapter)
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