Chapter 231: A Bad Egg Spoils the Bunch
Chapter 231: A Bad Egg Spoils the Bunch
Albert felt frustrated. Not only had he failed to get answers to his questions, but he also couldn't get a signature slip for the restricted section from Professor Flitwick. On top of that, the professor's comment about the essence of curses being charms intrigued him.
What exactly were charms?
Charms were magical actions that harnessed the magical power of the wizarding world to achieve effects beyond the capability of ordinary people.
However, Albert didn't delve further into the matter. He recognized that his understanding of the magical world was still very limited, and digging too deep into such topics might not be a wise idea. It could potentially cause more confusion than enlightenment.
Perhaps, in time, he would come to understand these things.
As he was leaving, Professor Flitwick said to him, "It's alright if you don't understand now. You'll figure it out eventually."
With the help of the panel, Albert had gained some knowledge, but his exposure to the magical community was still very brief. He realized that he had been too eager and that sometimes, slowing down could be beneficial.
Of course, there was another reason why Albert didn't dwell on this issue. His roommates were in trouble.
According to Lee Jordan, Fred and George had an unpleasant confrontation with Lucian Bole, a Seeker from Slytherin, in the second-floor corridor of the castle.
During the scuffle, George was hit by an unknown jinx, causing him to grow chives in his ears. Bole, on the other hand, was hit by a hair-loss jinx, resulting in a bushy growth of nose hair.
Both parties had been sent to the school hospital.
"How are you feeling?" Albert asked as he and Lee Jordan visited George at the hospital, finding him chatting and laughing with Fred.
"Not great," George replied.
"It's hilarious!" Fred popped a candy into his mouth and winked at Albert.
"By the way, how did you end up fighting with a Slytherin student?" Albert asked curiously. He knew that the twins had wanted to stir up trouble with Slytherin students, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon.
"Just our bad luck, I guess!" Fred muttered. "We were passing by the second-floor corridor, near that abandoned girls' bathroom. Some older Gryffindor students seemed to be planning to recreate last year's nasty incidents and teach the Slytherins a lesson. We got caught in the crossfire."
"And then..." Fred shrugged helplessly, "...I saw George get hit by a jinx, so I took out my wand and knocked him out."
Albert glanced at Lee Jordan, speechless. "Can you be more reliable? I thought something serious had happened."
Lee Jordan looked innocently back at him.
"What about Professor McGonagall? What was her reaction?" Albert continued. "Did she give you a detention?"
"Professor McGonagall was furious, but she didn't give us a detention," George said, spreading his hands innocently. "After all, we were just innocent bystanders who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Innocent bystanders? In reality, they were far from innocent. The trio had overheard the older students' plan to play a prank on the Slytherin players, so they sneaked over to take advantage of the situation. As a result, they ended up being the "innocent bystanders" who conveniently drew their wands and helped deal with the two Slytherin students.
Of course, in a public place like the school hospital, they had to put on an act of innocence.
"These guys are getting more cunning," Albert thought to himself. "I guess it's true what they say—'a bad egg spoils the bunch'!"
The incident caused quite a stir.
Unfortunately, the antics of the four troublemakers in the previous semester had already created a tense atmosphere between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Many people believed that the students involved in those incidents were from Gryffindor, but without any evidence and with no one in Gryffindor owning up to it, the matter had been dropped.
This time, however, things were different. Those older Gryffindor students had been caught red-handed, and with the previous incidents still fresh in everyone's minds, the relationship between Gryffindor and Slytherin houses quickly became strained, with hints of animosity creeping in.
What left Albert dumbfounded was that those older Gryffindor students had become the focal point of anger, taking the heat off of Fred and his friends.
As for Fred, George, and Lee, they were quickly forgotten, dismissed as innocent bystanders who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"This really has nothing to do with us," Fred said to Albert, spreading his hands in a gesture of innocence. "You know how arrogant those Slytherins have been lately. A lot of people want to take them down a notch, but they can't do it without getting caught. So, this is the result."
"What are you guys talking about?" Angelina and Alicia approached them.
"Nothing," George said, changing the subject.
"I heard that those older students were given a week's detention. Apparently, Snape wanted to give them a month, thinking they were involved in last semester's incidents, but Professor McGonagall didn't agree," Angelina said, glancing at Albert, who was focused on his homework. "I'm surprised to see you doing your homework so diligently."
"No, he's working on a plan," Fred explained, shaking his head.
"What kind of plan?" Alicia asked.
"A planning for a Wizarding Card competition. Our club already has nearly forty members, and Albert wants to host a tournament," Fred replied.
"Are there prizes?" Alicia asked curiously.
"Yes," Lee Jordan nodded.
"What are they?" Angelina inquired, surprised that they were planning a competition.
"We haven't decided yet. It could be galleons, notebooks, or something else. Probably just symbolic rewards," Fred said.
"Or maybe a barrel of butterbeer," Fred added.
"Albert wants to make Wizarding Cards a Hogwarts tradition, and I think it's a great idea," Lee Jordan said excitedly. He would be the commentator for the competition.
"When will it start?" Angelina asked, intrigued. She felt that it could be a fun addition to the school, aside from the Quidditch matches.
"There will be a selection process, and then the final four will compete. The top three will receive rewards," Albert explained. "We'll provide the wizard cards, and participants can freely assemble their decks, but they'll only have one chance."
"You're quite generous, aren't you?" Angelina remarked.
Who would provide the prizes?
Naturally, the organizers would.
In fact, if Wizarding Cards became popular, this small investment would pale in comparison to the potential future gains.
Building a reputation took time, and the students of Hogwarts would soon become the primary consumer group for Wizarding Cards.
(End of Chapter)
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