Chapter 29: Marmite
Chapter 29: Marmite
As noon approached, the once quiet Hogwarts castle was brimming with new life after a night of tranquility.
Albert occasionally ran into other students in the corridors and passageways. It was safe to say that sleeping in was a common trait among most people, especially on weekends when there was no need to wake up early. Given the choice, many would opt for a few extra hours of sleep.
Outside, a light rain continued to fall, keeping most students in the Great Hall, chatting away. There were also a handful of unfortunate souls who had failed to finish their summer assignments on time, frantically scribbling away to meet their deadlines.
During their exploration of the castle, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan had reached their limit and sneaked away first.
Nevertheless, Albert spent the entire morning wandering the vast castle, capturing numerous intriguing photos with his camera. By the time he returned to the Great Hall, his legs were slightly aching.
It had been a fruitful journey, as Albert relied on his memory to sketch out a rough map of the castle.
Although he had heard that some staircases in Hogwarts Castle changed locations every Friday, that was something to worry about next week. Albert wasn't too concerned, believing that a solution would present itself when the time came.
It was worth mentioning that the progress of his exploration task had reached 26.7%.
"Why are you here alone? Where are your friends?" Angelina asked as she approached with another girl, sitting down opposite Albert and greeting him.
"They snuck off halfway through our castle tour," Albert replied, picking up a slice of bread from the plate as he prepared to make himself a sandwich. "Those three probably found something interesting. Could you pass me the blueberry jam, please?"
"How's your castle map coming along? Can I take a look?" Angelina pushed the bottle of blueberry jam towards him and pointed at the parchment on his left with her finger.
"I still think it's best to explore the castle yourself. It's one of the joys of being a new student," Albert said, handing the parchment to the girl opposite him and grabbing the bottle of jam.
"What's that?" Alicia leaned in, furrowing her brows as she studied the simple sketch. It was a bit hard to make out, but she could discern markings for secret passages and classrooms, as well as instructions on which stairs to cross and how many steps to take.
"Oh, and here's our class schedule," Albert said, making two more copies and handing them to the girls across from him.
"What kind of magic is that?" Angelina asked curiously.
"It's a Replication Charm. It can turn one item into two," said Alicia, who came from a wizarding family and instantly recognized the spell Albert had used.
Not all wizarding families adopted the hands-off approach of the Weasleys. Alicia, for instance, had received a solid wizarding education from a young age and was more advanced than most of her peers.
"That's a handy little trick, isn't it?" Albert winked at the two girls and continued, "With this, you don't need to take notes. Just 'borrow' someone else's copy."
Alicia gave Albert a strange look, feeling that his way of thinking was somewhat unusual.
"Can you make one for me? That way, I won't have to worry about getting lost trying to find my classrooms," she asked.
"Aren't you worried about the map being incorrect?" Albert countered.
"Of course, I'll double-check it myself," Alicia said matter-of-factly.
"Do you want one as well?" Albert asked, turning to Angelina.
"Yes, please," she said with a smile.
Hogwarts Castle was indeed massive, and it was easy for newcomers to get lost. With Albert's map, at least they would know where they were headed.
Being late on the first day of school was not a good sign.
"By the way, I recall you're from a Muggle family, right?" Alicia folded up the map and asked, "How come you know so many spells? I dare say you know more than most new students."
"I learned them while practicing spells before the start of the term. Most of them are pretty simple," Albert replied, spreading blueberry jam on his bread before taking a big bite. Although it tasted good, he couldn't imagine eating these things all day.
"Simple?" The two girls exchanged glances, suddenly feeling a strange pressure.
After receiving their own magic wands, most new students would attempt to use the spells from their books. Angelina and Alicia were no exception, and they had both learned some basic magic. However, it didn't come as easily to them as Albert made it sound, and his casual tone made it seem like learning magic was as effortless as eating a piece of bread.
After finishing the blueberry jam-covered bread, Albert made himself a ham sandwich.
The British lunch, as always, left much to be desired, and Hogwarts was no exception. Bread and potatoes were the staples here.
For lunch, there were bread slices, boiled potatoes, a fresh vegetable salad, and salted ham. Of course, there was also a large pot of milk tea or pumpkin juice to wash it all down.
After polishing off his ham sandwich, Albert added two more potatoes to his plate. Wandering around the castle all morning had left him famished.
Come to think of it, those three friends of his were nowhere to be seen during mealtime. He wondered where they had run off to.
"I really miss rice and noodles," Albert muttered under his breath as he continued to devour the potatoes on his plate.
Potatoes were one of the British staples, and he had been eating them almost daily for years. The people of this country were so fond of potatoes that they had created a hundred different recipes, each unique.
While potatoes weren't unpleasant, eating them at every meal was a bit much.
"Pasta is delicious," Angelina agreed. "I've had it several times, and the taste is quite memorable."
"British cuisine is always a letdown, and the variety is lacking," Albert complained as he poured himself a cup of milk tea. He took a sip and continued, "I remember having a dish of sea salt and herb-crusted whole fish with breadcrumb crust not long ago."
The two girls looked at each other, intrigued as they listened to Albert's critique of various peculiar British dishes, such as his father's favorite, the chip butty (a sandwich filled with French fries), and Marmite, a spread that only his grandmother seemed to enjoy...
Albert would never forget his first taste of Marmite—it was... hellish. The taste was so unique that it would be forever etched in his memory.
If he had to describe it, it would be a potent mix of soy sauce and various bodily odors.
From that day on, Albert stayed far away from Marmite.
"If any of you are interested, I can send you a jar for Christmas," he offered.
"Ugh," Alicia immediately lost her appetite. "No, thank you. I'd rather stick to normal food so that I don't end up gagging every time I see jam."
After finishing their milk tea, lunch was over.
Albert sat at the table, reviewing the photos he had taken earlier: photos of knights in armor, scenic views of the castle, portraits, and some over-the-top sculptures... Each photo unveiled a piece of Hogwarts.
However, as Albert sifted through his photos, Angelina wanted to point out, "You know, you don't really seem like a student here to study. You're more like a tourist visiting Hogwarts Castle."
(End of Chapter)
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