Chapter 271: Witnessing History
Chapter 271: Witnessing History
Albert never thought that Katrina needed his help, nor did he think that she would accept his goodwill. Having known her for over a year, he believed he had a good understanding of Katrina's personality.
The McDougal sisters, including Isabelle, were known for their stubbornness, and Isabelle herself probably knew this very well. Her previous suggestion to Albert about helping Katrina was most likely just a passing comment, without any real expectation that he could make a significant difference.
Albert didn't pay much attention to it either. He had plenty of things to keep him busy, so he didn't have the time to focus on Katrina.
However, he did find himself visiting Professor Snape more often. The Potions Master politely refused to teach Albert the Trace-less Extension Charm, which was expected, but Albert still felt a bit disappointed, especially with the excuse that Professor Snape used, which left him speechless.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher believed that Albert should concentrate his limited energy on the study of ancient runes and even assured him that he would undoubtedly become a renowned Runemaster when he came of age.
While Albert trusted Professor Snape's words and was even more confident in his own abilities, becoming a Runemaster was not his life goal.
As for learning the Trace-less Extension Charm?
Professor Snape subtly hinted to Albert that if he could help open the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room, he would teach him the charm.
Don't ask how Albert knew; the panel task popped up, and he couldn't help but understand the implication.
For some reason, Albert always felt that there was something off about Professor Snape, perhaps due to some psychological suggestion. Nonetheless, he became more cautious around the professor, whom he had once considered a good acquaintance.
He always felt that the professor was up to something big.
Of course, this didn't stop Albert from continuing to seek magical advice from Professor Snape.
The man was exceptional in certain areas, which was why Katrina had sought his guidance, and Albert hoped to learn more from him as well.
Everyone had a bit of a competitive spirit, and Katrina was no exception. She believed that she was no less talented than anyone else. However, Katrina's timing in life was unfortunate, and the reality of being outclassed by her sister and Albert from the same year was a bitter pill to swallow.
Her new goal was to keep up with their pace and not be left too far behind, at least not to the point where she couldn't even see their backs.
Katrina started seeking Albert's advice more frequently.
Having never been a tutor in his previous life, Albert wasn't the best teacher, so Katrina often only received answers to her questions.
However, for a genius like Katrina, having the answers was enough. Geniuses always knew how to discard what they didn't need and find what suited them best.
Katrina's progress was rapid, and she had already surpassed all their peers except Albert.
Time crawled by like a snail.
Finally, the latter half of January arrived, and the monthly gathering of the Wizarding Card Club commenced.
This time, the number of students attending the gathering had decreased significantly, and only 34 members remained to sign up for the tournament.
Lee Jordan was muttering something, feeling that the club had missed its best window for development.
But Albert didn't share the same sentiment. The club had already passed its initial craze, and most people had joined out of fleeting interest. It wasn't surprising that the numbers were dwindling, especially since it wasn't an exclusive club to begin with.
"I bet in a few more months, the club will be deserted," Lee Jordan worriedly remarked, having invested a lot of energy into the first Wizarding Card tournament.
However, the progress of improving the cards was also slow, and it seemed unlikely that they would satisfy everyone's expectations anytime soon.
"No matter how anxious you are, it won't help. As a new game for students, Wizarding Cards need to stand the test of time," Albert calmly replied.
Recently, he had spent a lot of time reading "Ultimate Transformation" and "Extraordinary Transfiguration," but he hadn't gained much from them. The only noticeable change was a slight increase in his experience with the Transfiguration skill.
After finishing the books, Albert used his experience to upgrade the skill to Level 2 and then attempted to create a new batch of Wizarding Cards. However, the results were unsatisfactory.
He couldn't achieve precise transformations, especially when it came to the images on the cards, which turned out to be a mess. This issue bothered Albert for a long time, and he even suspected that his lack of proficiency in Transfiguration was the cause.
Professor McGonagall thought that Albert was aiming too high.
Although she said that, the Transfiguration professor was still very pleased with her student's talent.
"These are the latest improved Wizarding Cards," Albert said as he distributed the newly crafted Lee Jordan cards and pointed to the content description on them. "I've cast a Transfiguration Charm on the cards, so whenever there's a change to the main card in my possession, the cards in your hands will also be updated."
As he spoke, Albert performed a simple demonstration. "The Wizarding Cards will become more and more exquisite, but it takes time. We are witnessing their growth and transformation."
"You can cast Transfiguration Charms?" Several upperclassmen were shocked to hear that Albert had cast a Transfiguration Charm on the Wizarding Cards.
"But that's... N.E.W.T.s level magic!"
Someone voiced the thoughts of the group.
Albert was only in his second year. He was still just a second-year student! Damn it, was it okay for a genius to do whatever they wanted?
Fildwrn observed the shocked expressions on the faces of those around her with interest. She was the first to know that Albert had learned the Transfiguration Charm, as she had been the one to help him understand and practice it initially.
To be honest, the speed at which Albert grasped Transfiguration in a short period had shocked her as well.
However, due to their frequent participation in the Transfiguration Club together, Fildwrn was more aware of Albert's proficiency in Transfiguration than the people currently gaping at him.
Among the crowd, Truman's expression was complex. He realized that his former friend had completely surpassed him in magical prowess.
No wonder the frequency of their correspondence had decreased significantly last year, and they hardly discussed academic matters anymore.
So, he no longer needed guidance?
Truman would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous at all, but he still admired Albert's abilities and was prepared to switch their positions, becoming the one seeking advice from Albert.
"Ahem!"
Albert cleared his throat softly, signaling for everyone to maintain some quiet. Then, he explained the rules of the tournament and mentioned that only 32 players were needed. He asked if anyone wanted to withdraw voluntarily.
However, the students' interest in Albert himself far exceeded their curiosity about the Wizarding Card tournament, and they started whispering among themselves, speculating about Albert's magical prowess.
"Is it true that you and Isabelle are in a romantic relationship?" Fildwrn asked, purely intending to stir up trouble.
Albert rolled his eyes at her and coughed lightly. "Let's finalize the list of participants for the Wizarding Card tournament first. If we have time afterward, I'll answer your question."
The initially sluggish progress suddenly sped up, and two girls even volunteered to drop out on the spot, seemingly more interested in juicy gossip than the tournament.
"We're just ordinary friends," Albert said as he handed the registration notebook to Lee Jordan beside him and smiled at the group. "Well, I'll be going now."
Before anyone could react, Albert had disappeared.
(End of Chapter)
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