Chapter 26: Open Sesame
Chapter 26: Open Sesame
"I think so too," Albert said with a laugh, glancing sideways at a passing ghost and greeting him with a wave. "Good morning, Sir Nicholas."
"Good morning, young man. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Sir Nicholas, would you mind if I took a picture of you?" Albert asked, raising his camera.
"Oh, very well!" Nick considered for a moment. "Should I strike a pose?"
"No need, just look this way," Albert adjusted his angle and snapped a photo of Nick.
"Is that it?"
"Yes, thank you, Sir Nicholas."
"You're welcome. Well, I must be off now!" Nick soon floated away.
Angelina walked over, curious to see what Albert had captured in his photos, but there was nothing in the picture.
"It seems like Muggle cameras can't capture ghosts," Albert mused. "Perhaps a wizarding camera would do the trick." He wrote on the back of the photo, 'Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington.' "I'm impressed you remembered his full name," Angelina remarked, admiring Albert's memory. She knew she wouldn't have been able to recall such a long name.
"It's not an issue with the camera," a voice piped up.
Albert turned to see a pretty red-haired girl entering the Great Hall. Noticing everyone staring at her, she explained, "The photos need to be developed with the correct potion, then the people in them will be able to move. Also, ghosts are spirits, and they can't be captured by cameras."
With that, the girl made her way to the Ravenclaw table.
"Wow, she's certainly a Ravenclaw, knowing so much," George exclaimed dramatically.
"Indeed, she's impressive," Albert agreed, then turned to Angelina. "Would you like to join us for a tour of the school after you're done eating?
"I think I'll pass," Angelina hesitated before declining. "I have plans with someone else."
"That's a shame," Albert said, picking up a piece of fruit and munching on it as he pondered how to get his hands on the developing potion.
The Great Hall gradually filled with more students, mostly first-years. Perhaps due to it being the weekend, the older students were sleeping in, while the newcomers were eager to explore the school.
After bidding farewell to Angelina, the four friends strolled out of the Great Hall, chatting idly. As they passed through the entrance hall, they all noticed Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker, glaring at them while cradling his cat.
Albert paused, noticing a new task prompt on his panel:
Malice from the Administrator You have caught the attention of Filch, the Hogwarts administrator. It's time to strike back. During your night wanderings, shake off Filch's pursuit and make him understand that even if he targets you, he won't find any traces of your activities.
Reward: 1000 experience.
Albert's lips twitched as he read the task. He had noticed that these panel tasks seemed to be triggering more frequently since his arrival at Hogwarts.
"What's wrong?" Fred turned back, puzzled.
"Nothing," Albert quickly caught up with the group. As they crossed the damp stone bridge, he suddenly asked, "Do you guys know the spell for the Disillusionment Charm?"
"What's that?" George asked curiously.
"It's supposedly a stealth magic spell," Albert explained. "I read about it in a book. This charm can make the disguised person or object blend in like a chameleon."
"That sounds cool," George's interest was piqued. "If we could master it, we wouldn't have to worry about getting caught during our night wanderings."
"That's what I was thinking," Albert nodded. "At least we wouldn't have to worry about Filch."
"But how do we get our hands on the spell?" Fred frowned. "Dad might know, but he definitely won't tell us."
"What about asking one of the professors?" Lee suggested.
"For now, we can only search for it in the library," Albert said. "Of course, if we can't find it there, we could ask the professor of Dark Arts, but I doubt he'd be willing to teach us this spell. He might associate it with our night wanderings."
The four friends exchanged glances, all letting out a sigh of resignation. Mastering this magic would make their lives so much easier.
Albert stopped by the side of the bridge, resting his hands on the railing as he gazed downward. He remembered how, in the final book, Harry Potter had broken the Elder Wand here and thrown it off the bridge.
That good-for-nothing.
The Elder Wand was a valuable artifact, and even if he didn't want to use it, he could have hidden it away somewhere secret.
It was a true treasure from the Harry Potter series, along with the Philosopher's Stone, and now both of them were destroyed.
"Anyway, let's find the library first," Albert said.
"Even if we find it, we probably won't be able to learn it right away, will we?" Lee asked glumly, remembering his struggle with even the simplest of spells.
"Don't be so pessimistic," Albert scoffed, giving Lee a sidelong glance. "How do you think I learned the other spells?"
"How did you do it?" The twins asked together.
"Of course, it takes a lot of practice," Albert huffed. "What, did you expect to learn it instantly?"
The four of them continued their conversation about the Disillusionment Charm as they wandered through the first floor of the castle. They explored several empty classrooms filled with junk and a possible secret passage, but they couldn't open any of the passages, which left them feeling frustrated.
"Most secret passages require specific passwords or a unique rhythm to open," Albert explained as they walked. "Finding them is a matter of luck or asking someone who knows, but I doubt they'd tell us easily."
"The Transfiguration classroom," George reminded them. "I remember Professor McGonagall teaches that subject."
"I heard that class is super hard to learn," Lee Jordan whispered.
"It does have its challenges," Albert agreed, recalling his own struggles with self-study. It had taken him the longest time to turn a match into a needle, but once he mastered that, most other transfigurations became easier.
Of course, his panel skill might have also played a part.
On the second floor of the castle, the four friends located the classroom for History of Magic, and they were grateful for the signage, or they might have gotten lost.
"There's a wooden door here; I bet it leads to a secret passage," Lee Jordan said excitedly, pointing to a hidden entrance behind a statue.
"Looks locked," Albert said, drawing out his wand and trying to open the door with the Alohomora spell.
"Your spell didn't work," Fred twisted the doorknob, but it remained shut.
"Probably needs a password," Albert muttered.
"What do you think the password might be?" Lee Jordan asked.
"How should I know?" Albert rolled his eyes at Lee. "The most famous password in the Muggle world is 'Open Sesame,' from the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."
As he finished speaking, Albert's wand happened to tap on the wooden door.
The next moment, the wooden panels of the door were ripped off their hinges, threatening to shatter into a pile of firewood.
The four friends stood there with their mouths agape, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. They had no idea what had just happened.
(End of Chapter)
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