Chapter 348: The Humble Abode
Chapter 348: The Humble Abode
The trio went downstairs and into the garden, where several plump brown chickens were pecking at the ground.
The Weasley family's garden was quite spacious, and if one included the surrounding area, it was overgrown with weeds and untended flower beds. There was also a large green pond nearby, teeming with frogs.
Fred walked over to the flower bed and bent down to peer into it. In a moment, he pulled out a garden gnome.
"Let go of me! Let go!" The gnome shrieked, kicking at Fred's hand.
"It can talk!" Albert drew closer, fascinated by the creature, which he found quite extraordinary.
The gnome was small, with a large, bald, potato-like head and rough, resilient skin.
"Hmm, garden gnomes can talk, but they're not very bright," Fred said, holding the gnome by its ankle and dangling it upside down. "If you spin them around, they won't be able to find their way back to their gnome homes." He smiled at Albert and continued, "Let's go somewhere else. We don't want Mom to see this. You know she prefers us to focus on our future careers in the Ministry of Magic. That place is like a prison."
Albert couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you guys up to?"
Just as the three of them were about to change locations, Ginny appeared out of nowhere, eyeing Fred suspiciously as he held the gnome. "We're about to perform an interesting experiment!" George winked at Ginny and added, "Don't tell Mom, okay?"
"Okay!" Ginny nodded vigorously.
The four of them moved to another spot, and as Fred put the gnome down, George pulled out a toffee from his pocket. He unwrapped the candy and forcibly stuffed it into the gnome's mouth.
This wasn't an easy task, as the gnome bit George's finger, but eventually, it chewed and swallowed the candy.
"You're feeding toffee to a gnome?" Ginny asked, blinking her beautiful eyes in confusion.
"Looks like it didn't work," Albert said. "Maybe you should try dripping a few drops of Engorgio solution directly into its mouth and see if the potion has any effect on gnomes."
"Are you the devil?" Fred teased, but he actually did as Albert suggested.
As George pried open the gnome's mouth, Fred poured a bit of the Engorgio potion into it.
"It doesn't seem to be doing anything," Fred observed.
Just then, the gnome in front of them suddenly expanded, like a balloon that had been inflated.
"It's working, but not very noticeably," Albert speculated. "It's probably because the Engorgio potion you made isn't very potent. Or it could be that gnomes have a certain resistance to magic potions."
"We worked on it all summer," Fred said glumly, "and this is the lousy result."
"Why don't you try enlarging it?" Albert suggested. "Using magic here shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"No problem at all. The Ministry of Magic can't tell who's casting spells in a wizarding household."
"That's so enviable. I can't practice magic at home." Albert waved his wand, returning the inflated gnome to its original size.
Changing the subject, he asked, "By the way, how did you come up with the Lip-Plumping Relish last time?"
"Who knows?" Albert casually consoled, "Things won't go as smoothly as you imagine, especially when it comes to inventions. You need enough knowledge and patience for that."
The twins scoffed, well aware that someone had created quite a few interesting magical gadgets.
"Anyway, let's not dwell on that. Tell me about the wizarding world. I'm curious—what's life like for wizards?"
Albert gazed at the Weasley home, which had an artistic flair. Aside from the four or five chimneys on the roof, the haphazard way the house was stacked together, crooked yet standing, seemed to rely entirely on magic.
Unlike Brood's manor, the Weasleys lived in a remote rural area with their own vegetable garden. They not only kept chickens but also had a pigsty farther away, leading a self-sufficient smallholding life.
"It's pretty boring," Fred said, seeming reluctant to talk about it. "We usually help out with chores and occasionally play Quidditch together." "Maybe we should promote Wizarding Cards sooner rather than later."
"Wizarding Cards? What are those?" Ginny asked curiously.
"It's a card game invented by Albert, which we're trying to popularize. Last semester, we even held the first Wizarding Card tournament at Hogwarts..." Fred proudly recounted their achievements at school, exaggerating wildly until George kicked him to shut him up.
Perhaps to welcome Albert, the Weasleys prepared an especially sumptuous lunch.
During the meal, Mr. Weasley had Albert sit next to him and bombarded him with questions about Muggles.
Albert shared a lot of Muggle information and also asked Mr. Weasley about the wizarding world. He was particularly interested in the wizarding radio, but Mr. Weasley couldn't provide many details, only saying that wizards modified Muggle radios with magic.
In fact, wizards were quite adept at such adaptations. The Hogwarts Express was a prime example—the British Ministry of Magic had directly requisitioned a Muggle train and extensively modified it.
"Thanks, but I'm full."
Albert politely declined as Mrs. Weasley enthusiastically offered him a third serving.
After lunch, everyone remained seated, chatting at the table. Albert asked Mr. Weasley if he would get into trouble if he practiced Divination at home.
"Not likely, as long as you don't use magic," Mr. Weasley replied offhandedly, clearly not believing that Albert could teach himself Divination.
"Divination classes don't really teach you anything useful," Percy, who rarely returned to his room, chimed in. "At most, you'll learn some common-sense things. Very few wizards truly understand prophecies."
"Hmm," Albert murmured noncommittally. With his skill panel, he was confident that investing some skill points would allow him to master prophecies, so he wasn't concerned about his ability to learn.
Percy seemed to have opened a floodgate, as he proceeded to impart his experiences and advice on time management to ensure Albert wouldn't fall behind with the twelve subjects.
Much of Percy's wisdom was derived from Bill.
"I think your concerns are completely unnecessary," Fred finally interrupted, unable to hold back any longer.
"Don't forget, Albert grew up in the Muggle world, so his knowledge of Muggles is probably better than most wizards, even without studying," George bluntly pointed out, feeling that while he might struggle with the overwhelming amount of homework, Albert certainly wouldn't.
"His expertise in Ancient Runes far surpasses yours," Fred continued, driving the point home. "I doubt you're as capable as Albert."
"Ahem, let's get back to the topic of Divination. I'm quite interested in it," Albert interjected, steering the conversation back on track. "But the Divination professor doesn't seem very reliable."
"Indeed, she's not very reliable," Percy whispered. "But you can still learn some basic knowledge."
In the afternoon, the group gathered to play Wizarding Cards.
Ron and Ginny joined in as well.
However, Ron found the card game dull and devoid of special effects, earning him ridicule from Fred and George.
Ginny, on the other hand, was intrigued by the painted portraits on the cards. After learning the rules, she quickly picked up the game and played alongside Fred.
"Why isn't there a card for Percy?" Ginny asked after their first game.
"Because we didn't get Percy's permission," Albert casually explained. "If he gave us the go-ahead, we wouldn't mind making a card for him. Hmm, perhaps 'Prefect Percy'?"
"Forget it, I doubt anyone will use it."
As the sun began its descent in the evening sky, the oppressive heat finally abated. Fred and George suggested that everyone go play Quidditch in the nearby woods.
Ron and Ginny joined in, taking turns using Charlie's broomstick.
"Wood definitely won't let you slack off anymore," Fred said, watching the few people flying in the sky. Turning to Albert, he added, "After all, you lost so badly last time."
"Never mind, I have a ton of classes this semester, it's too busy," Albert replied.
"Why are you taking so many classes? Are you like Percy, always thinking about the Ministry of Magic? I don't think you're interested in working there," George said, puzzled.
"No, I'm not interested, but knowledge is never a bad thing. It's good to have a reserve so you're not caught unprepared," Albert said, steering the conversation in a different direction. "Your sister's a pretty good flyer. She might become an excellent Quidditch player in the future."
"She used to sneak out and fly with a broomstick," George said, making a face. Of course, both he and Fred pretended not to know about this.
"I remember you have a sister too," Albert said.
"Yeah, but she doesn't have any magical talent," George replied.
"No magical talent? That's hard to believe. Your family's magical talent is just so astonishing," George said, genuinely surprised.
"There's nothing we can do about it," Albert said helplessly. "Some things can't be forced."
Just then, an owl flew towards them.
"You sure get a lot of letters. I always see you receiving mail. Who's it from this time?" Fred asked curiously.
"Mr. Brood," Albert said, glancing at the sender's name on the envelope. He opened the letter and began reading, his eyebrows knitting together as he absorbed its contents. Mr. Brood informed him that someone would come to pick him up before dinner.
"He said someone will come to get me and take me to his place later," Albert explained.
"You're leaving? I thought you'd be staying with us for a few days. If you don't stay for dinner, Mom will be disappointed," Fred said, his eyes widening as he had just landed.
"I'll write him a letter," Albert said, putting away the letter and stroking the owl's head. "I'll ask him to come after dinner instead."
Albert was curious about the surprise Isabelle had mentioned in her previous letter. She seemed confident that he would accept the fact that he was the heir.
(End of Chapter)
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