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Chapter 337: A Few Happenings Before the Holidays
Chapter 337: A Few Happenings Before the Holidays
Early that morning, Albert and his friends quietly returned to Hogwarts Castle on their broomsticks.
While they may not have acquired any tangible treasures, the exciting adventure they shared would forever be etched in their memories as a cherished keepsake—perhaps this was the true treasure of Gryffindor! In fact, Albert hadn't left empty-handed. After consuming food from the giant Dewinchi's crucible, he gained a unique skill that couldn't be upgraded: Brave Heart.
It was only after the task of uncovering Gryffindor's secret treasure had shifted that Albert became aware of possessing this special skill. Though he hadn't obtained Gryffindor's artifact, acquiring such an ability could still be considered a fair bargain.
As a side note, Brave Heart truly embodied the spirit of Gryffindor, as its effect was to grant the user the courage and calmness to face challenges head-on.
Albert wondered if Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who had also partaken of the giant's food, had gained this skill as well.
Of course, the trio had no concept of skills.
Unlike Albert, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan felt a sense of regret that they couldn't bring the Gryffindor sword back to school, as they had hoped to use it to bring glory to Gryffindor and win the House Cup.
Perhaps this was a land that bred heroes.
In the end, Gryffindor's points were surpassed by Slytherin, which left many Gryffindor students feeling disappointed. However, few of them considered taking it upon themselves to earn points for the House Cup.
Even if they had taken the sword, one day, the Gryffindor sword would have disappeared without a trace.
This magically enchanted silver sword belonged solely to Gryffindor.
When a Gryffindor student truly needed it, the sword would reappear, falling out of the Gryffindor-emblazoned hat.
Thus, Albert never entertained the thought of taking the sword, nor did he plan to share this speculation with his roommates.
With the end-of-term exams finally over and a few days left before the school holidays, students poured out of the stifling castle in small groups, relaxing and chatting on the grass.
Albert and his friends were no exception. They had procured some chilled pumpkin juice from the kitchen and were now seated on a picnic blanket that Albert had conjured, playing a game of Wizarding Chess and discussing their plans for the summer break.
"I'm starting to miss my cat, Tom," Albert said, scratching Aria's black cat and sharing photos of Tom with the group.
"He's huge!" exclaimed Aria, taking the photo from Albert and teasing, "I certainly don't want Vinnie to end up like that."
Just moments ago, she had been sulking about how easily Albert had coaxed her cat with treats from his pocket.
"Why didn't you bring him to school?" Angelina asked, curious after losing a game. "Also, are you sure that's a cat you're taking care of?"
"It seems... he lacks exercise." Hannah commented after studying the photo for a moment.
"Well, I tried to help him lose weight, but to no avail," Albert replied, glancing in the direction where a crowd of students was rushing towards the castle, as if something had happened.
"Looks like something's going on. I'll go check it out." Lee Jordan ran towards the castle, leaving the others to exchange puzzled looks. They decided to wait for Lee to return with news.
About fifteen minutes later, Lee Jordan came back with an update.
"Kenneth Towle was found passed out on the toilet, looking like a mess. It was the work of a Slytherin student," Lee Jordan explained. "Remember the Baruffio's Brain Elixir incident? Apparently, it was that Slytherin student who ended up in the hospital after drinking the potion."
"Kenneth Towle had it coming," Albert shook his head. "He was just too greedy.
"Who knows who sold the recipe for Baruffio's Brain Elixir to Kenneth Towle," Fred and George said, rolling their eyes at Albert.
"I did warn him," Albert said calmly.
"I remember that bottle of Baruffio's Brain Elixir you had seemed to be drunk. How did it go?" Hannah asked curiously.
"It wasn't drunk. Albert pulled a fast one on everyone. He had given us a bottle of Cerebrum Enhancer instead. That guy sold it off the same day and made a killing," Fred ratted Albert out.
"That bottle of Brain Elixir was the real deal. That Ravenclaw boy would probably pass out in the bathroom if he knew," George added.
"You won't be mistaken for mute if you don't speak," Albert retorted good-naturedly.
The group burst into laughter, admiring Albert's money-making skills. No wonder he had the funds to host a Wizarding Card competition.
In the following days, Albert spent a considerable amount of time writing letters, and with Isabelle's help, he managed to clear the backlog of correspondence.
Once he returned home, he didn't have as many owls to help deliver his messages, and he didn't want to tire out his own owl, Chela.
At the year-end banquet, Slytherin House reclaimed the House Cup, much to the dismay of Fred, George, and Lee Jordan. After the banquet concluded, Dumbledore made a somber announcement regarding the disappearance of Rowena Smith. Of course, if it weren't for the headmaster bringing it up, perhaps not many students would have paid attention to the matter anymore.
The unfortunate Rowena Smith was slowly fading from people's memories, and even the reward offered by the Prophet no longer attracted as much attention.
On the morning of their departure from school, the exam results were finally announced, and as expected, Albert topped the grade again. Fred, George, and Lee Jordan all passed with high scores.
After receiving their notices prohibiting the use of magic outside of school, everyone dragged their luggage to board the Hogwarts Express.
Albert, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan secured a compartment for themselves, playing several rounds of Wizarding Cards while chatting about the secret base.
"I haven't figured that out yet," Albert admitted honestly, "but I think that place will come in handy."
"Maybe we can lure others there for an adventure," Fred suggested, "though I doubt anyone else would be able to pass Gryffindor's trials."
The trio was well aware that they had largely succeeded due to Albert's assistance.
"Who knows, they might get eaten by the eight-eyed giant spiders before even finding the place," George grumbled.
"We could create some treasure maps," Lee Jordan proposed, "and hide them in a book that people are likely to use..."
The four of them brainstormed the possibilities, and although many of their assumptions were far-fetched, they enjoyed the lively discussion.
Before disembarking, Fred and George invited Albert to their home, and after some thought, he agreed, curious to see what the Weasley household was like.
Coincidentally, he also planned to visit Professor Broad during the summer break.
Upon leaving the station, Albert quickly located his family. Herb was waiting outside the car, while Daisy waved at him from the passenger seat. As Albert approached, a large, squished cat face appeared at the window.
"I'm already eleven," Nia murmured, swaying Tom's tail.
"Meow!"
Tom retracted his tail from Nia's grasp and jumped onto Albert's lap, licking the fur that had been ruffled by her stroking.
"Hmm," Albert said, noticing Daisy's gaze. He sighed, "I wonder if Nia will hate me if she can't go to Hogwarts."
The girl pouted, unwilling to answer the question.
Nia longed to attend Hogwarts and learn magic, but... indications suggested that she might not possess the same magical aptitude.
"Mom, Nia hates me," Albert said to Daisy, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
"I do not!" Nia retorted, displeased.
"That's good," Albert said, reaching over to ruffle Nia's hair affectionately. "Actually, there are a lot of restrictions in the wizarding world, and I'll need Nia's help with a lot of things in the future."
"Hey, don't mess with a lady's hair," the girl grumbled, pouting. "I'm already eleven. Stop treating me like a kid."
"You are a kid," Albert replied.
"And you're acting like an old man," Herb chimed in. "How old are you, anyway?"
"Yeah, how old are you?" Nia quickly added, sticking her tongue out at Albert. "Stop talking to me like that."
"I'm your big brother," Albert said with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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