Chapter 229: Gaining Fame, Again
Chapter 229: Gaining Fame, Again
The loss in the Quidditch match had left Gryffindor in low spirits. The enthusiasm to vie for the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup had all but vanished. It was only because the match had been protracted and closely contested against Ravenclaw that some of the discontent and doubts about the new players had been quelled.
The Weasley twins were in a sour mood, but they still persevered with their Quidditch training, braving the snow and wind each week.
These developments had little impact on Albert, and his life at Hogwarts remained largely unchanged.
In the days following the match, new happenings unfolded at the school. Professor Pomona Sprout finally discovered that a Mandrake had gone missing from Greenhouse Three.
However, no one knew who had taken it, and some suspected Peeves, thinking he intended to throw it into the Great Hall to create a ruckus.
Filch, the caretaker, was diligently investigating the incident, hoping to catch Peeves red-handed and expel him from the castle.
No one connected this incident with the crying that had been heard in the castle half a month ago, except for Severus Snape, the Potions master, whose temper remained as foul as ever. He had spent a great deal of effort but failed to find the culprit. Moreover, on one occasion while preparing potions, Snape discovered that three precious ingredients were missing from his storeroom.
"Someone's planning to brew a complex potion?"
From the unicorn horn and fragments of Boomslang skin, Snape could immediately deduce what the thief intended to brew. As for the missing Runespoor egg, he didn't suspect anyone was planning to brew a Pepper-Up Potion, and he wouldn't have stopped them if they wanted to turn their brains into those of a giant.
Albert, on the other hand, had been considering stocking up on complex potions. With these, it would be much easier for him to disguise himself as someone else in the future, especially when venturing into the black market, without worrying about being found out.
However, brewing complex potions was time-consuming, and he felt that Snape might be keeping an eye on this matter. After all, he had intended to divert Snape's attention in this direction in the first place.
Time flew by, and towards the end of November, another Quidditch match was held.
The situation did not bode well. Slytherin had overwhelmingly defeated Hufflepuff. Despite the valiant efforts of Hufflepuff's new Seeker, Cedric Diggory, he had been as helpless as a kitten in a blizzard when faced with Slytherin's onslaught.
Slytherin's victory was undoubtedly bad news for Gryffindor, as most students would have preferred to see Hufflepuff emerge triumphant.
Alas, their cheers could not change the outcome of the match.
With Slytherin now leading in both House points and Quidditch, they had regained the confidence they had lost the previous year, and they did not hold back in their ridicule of Gryffindor.
"This is infuriating!" Fred's quill was bent out of shape from his grip.
"What if we..." George made a banging gesture, eager to teach those Slytherins who had been gloating a lesson they wouldn't forget.
"That's a great idea," Lee Jordan chimed in eagerly, his eyes narrowing with anticipation.
"Let's just ignore them," Albert said nonchalantly.
"Don't be like that," Fred urged.
"Old Bat is keeping a close eye," Albert reminded them. "It'll be more troublesome if we get caught, and it's already snowing."
"Snowy Mushrooms," he added, referring to the potion ingredient.
"Oh, alright then."
Seeing that Albert wasn't keen on helping, the Fred twins and Lee felt a bit helpless. Without Albert's brains, it would be difficult to pull off a stealthy prank on those Slytherins.
While they loved causing mischief and wanted to get back at those guys, they definitely didn't want to end up on Snape's radar.
"I just overheard them discussing something," Fred said after they had left. Sana sat down across from Albert and placed a magazine called "Practical Potioneer" in front of him, a smile playing on her lips. "Congratulations."
"For what?" Albert was taken aback, looking at Sana in confusion.
"Your article," Sana reminded him. "It's in 'Practical Potioneer'."
"Oh, I think I haven't submitted anything to them yet," Albert said after a moment's thought. He had written an article, but he hadn't sent it out yet.
"It's definitely your name, Albert Anderson," Sana said, her eyes narrowing as she studied Albert. She opened the magazine and pointed to his article.
"Oh, I think I know what happened," Albert said, flipping through "Practical Potioneer". It immediately became clear to him that someone had helped him out behind the scenes, as the article seemed to be a revised version of a letter he had written.
He did vaguely recall mentioning this to someone.
However, Albert didn't really care much about these things anymore. After all, when it came to fame, he already had more than enough.
If "Practical Potioneer" offered royalties, he might have been more enthusiastic.
Unfortunately, they didn't.
This magazine was a joint effort by a group of potioneers aiming to expand their influence. In essence, it was a self-serving endeavor by a small circle to boost their own reputations.
Nevertheless, it held a certain level of authority in the field of potions.
The potions featured in "Practical Potioneer" were indeed quite useful, and as a result, the contributors tended to gain a good deal of recognition.
However, Albert had no intention of delving deeply into this field, so he remained indifferent to such accolades.
This attitude, however, impressed Sana. She felt that it was rare for someone to remain so calm and unaffected by such accomplishments.
Just then, someone else approached and placed a magazine on their table.
Albert and Sana, who had been chatting casually, looked up at the newcomer.
"Your article was selected," Katrina said, pointing to the copy of "Charms and Innovations" on the table.
"Has the new issue come out?" Albert asked in surprise. He recalled that he had subscribed to this magazine as well.
"It came out the day before yesterday," Katrina informed him. "Congratulations. With this, you've successfully published articles in 'Today's Transfiguration' and 'Charms and Innovations', two academic journals. I dare say this is unprecedented in Hogwarts' history."
Sana stared at Katrina in astonishment for a long moment before managing a smile. "In fact, you might not know this, but Anderson also had an article published in 'Practical Potioneer'. The magazine is right here."
"Perhaps you'll surpass Headmaster Dumbledore and become another legend," Katrina murmured. "Isabella said that the Headmaster used to be an incredibly talented genius as well."
"You're making me blush with all these compliments," Albert said, though his expression betrayed no hint of embarrassment.
"Anyway, congratulations," Katrina said, rolling her eyes at Albert before turning to leave. "Oh, and by the way, Professor Flitwick is looking for you. It's probably about this matter."
Chapter end
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