Chapter 233: The Dangers of Subpar Products
Chapter 233: The Dangers of Subpar Products
Galleons, the ultimate temptation! Its allure was as strong as its value.
When Truman announced that the grand prize for the upcoming Wizarding Card tournament might include ten galleons, it immediately caught the attention of many students. Initially skeptical, they questioned the authenticity of the news, but their interest was piqued by the Wizarding Card Club hosting the tournament. Soon, they were astonished to discover that the club boasted an impressive forty-five members.
However, what truly left them bewildered was the revelation that the Wizarding Card Club was founded by none other than Albert Anderson, the prodigious wizard. In other words, the galleons were coming straight from the pocket of this wealthy genius.
The students of Hogwarts had a succinct description for their initial impression of Albert Anderson: genius, lucky, and rich.
Undoubtedly, Albert could afford this generous prize.
Enticed by the promise of galleons, students began to explore the world of Wizarding Cards, finding the game to be simple, fun, and highly customizable.
Before long, the upcoming Wizarding Card tournament became a popular topic of discussion among the students of Hogwarts.
Even though the game was still in its infancy and the cards were of crude quality, anyone who had seen the prototype cards knew that this game had the potential to become something much bigger.
What particularly intrigued the students were the character cards used in the game, which featured students from various houses. Some members of the Wizarding Card Club even had their own personalized cards, each with unique effects and signatures.
"I can hardly believe it! The number of sign-ups has skyrocketed!" exclaimed Lee Jordan as he stared at the list in amazement.
On the third day after the announcement, club members started approaching Lee Jordan to register and inquire about the grand prize.
Following Albert's instructions, Lee Jordan began the preliminary registration process, informing the participants that once the ten-Galleon grand prize was confirmed, a registration fee of two Sickles would be required, and only thirty-two spots were available for the tournament.
Those who were willing to pay the fee to continue participating in the tournament would be given priority in the final list of competitors.
"The allure of Galleons is even more formidable than I imagined," Albert couldn't help but remark.
Even students who had previously shown no interest in Wizarding Cards were now eager to learn how to play, and many approached him to sign up, expressing their desire to join the Wizarding Card Club.
After all, it was just a casual club that met only once a month, and one could choose not to attend the gatherings without any repercussions.
"Is tomorrow's gathering still going to be in the Great Hall?" George suddenly asked.
"Yes, we can occupy the tables at the end of the hall," Albert replied after a moment's thought.
"I thought you'd ask for a classroom instead," Fred said, sounding surprised. He felt that holding their meetings in the Great Hall all the time didn't give a good impression of the club.
If Albert knew what they were thinking, he would have certainly wanted to point out that the reason for meeting in the Great Hall was to attract more attention. The larger the club grew, the more students would become interested in Wizarding Cards and take the initiative to learn about them.
If there came a day when most Hogwarts students were enthusiastic about playing Wizarding Cards, their monthly gatherings would become lively events—a true celebration of the game.
"The game is more fun when more people play it," Albert smiled and added, "Hogwarts is just the beginning for us."
The brief conversation came to an end as breakfast did, and today was the day they would visit Hogsmeade. As always, they planned to leave early to avoid running into other students.
"Oh, by the way, can we come with you later..." Fred trailed off, scratching his forehead awkwardly.
"We're also interested in brewing the Pepper-Up Potion," George quickly added.
"Hmm... I suppose that should be fine. Mr. Dagworth didn't mention anything about not bringing guests in his letter," Albert considered and then cautioned, "But I must warn you, it won't be a pleasant process, and given your limited knowledge of Potions, you might not learn anything useful by the end of it."
Despite Albert's warning, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan still decided to accompany Albert on his visit to the master potion maker, Dagworth.
Dagworth's house was located in a secluded corner of Hogsmeade, a place rarely disturbed by visitors. As they approached, they felt a strange sensation, as if the house had been uninhabited for a long time.
To their surprise, it was a house-elf who answered the door when Albert knocked.
"Please come in, Mr. Anderson, and gentlemen," the house-elf greeted them warmly and led them into a cozy parlor, where a fireplace was blazing, and soon they were served hot beverages and cakes.
"Where is Mr. Dagworth?" Albert inquired as he sipped his steaming hot tea and then set the cup down.
"Master will be here shortly. He instructed me to make sure you were well attended to," the house-elf said, bowing slightly to Albert before exiting the room.
The three boys were astonished by the special treatment Albert was receiving.
"I can kind of understand now why Albert enjoys having tea with Professor Flitwick so much," Lee Jordan said as he took a bite of the delicious cake, the best Honeyduke had to offer. "This treatment is really something."
"You wouldn't get this treatment. You'd probably be locked up if you went," Fred and George teased.
"Hmph, the two of you have been locked up way more times than I have," Lee Jordan retorted.
Not long after, emerald green flames erupted in the fireplace, and out stepped Hector Dagworth, greeting Albert with a smile. He didn't seem surprised to see that Albert had brought company.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Dagworth said.
"You have excellent tea here," Albert commented, while Fred and the others felt a bit awkward, unsure of what to say.
"Follow me, please. This laboratory hasn't been used in a long time. To be honest, ever since I moved out of Hogsmeade, I rarely stay here," Dagworth led them to the laboratory door and warned seriously, "There's nothing dangerous left in the lab, but I must remind you not to touch anything, especially when I'm brewing potions. Otherwise, I'll have to ask you to leave."
Of course, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan understood that this was Dagworth's way of warning them.
The laboratory was quite different from what the four of them had imagined. They had expected to see something similar to the Potions classroom, but instead, there were only rows of empty cabinets.
"To be honest, I really don't understand why you want to brew the Pepper-Up Potion. It's one of the potions that the Ministry of Magic prohibits from being brewed privately. And those who attempt to make it are usually fools," Dagworth fiddled with a crucible and muttered.
"Why do you say that?" Fred asked curiously.
"Because those people often end up brewing defective potions and poisoning themselves half to death. Some unlucky ones even turn into idiots," Dagworth coldly laughed. "As far as I know, there are several such idiots at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. They drank poorly brewed Pepper-Up Potions and damaged their brains, and now they have to stay at the hospital indefinitely."
(End of Chapter)
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