Chapter 360: A Knock on the Door
Chapter 360: A Knock on the Door
As the group chatted, the train departed London, speeding through the fields and leaving a trail of white smoke in its wake.
Inside the compartment, Fred and George were filling Albert in on their summer endeavors. The twins had intended to try reverse-engineering Filibuster's fireworks to create their own unique brand, but their plans were hindered by a lack of funds.
"Your knowledge isn't sufficient yet!" Albert burst their unrealistic bubble. "Many things are easier said than done."
In truth, Fred and George were hoping that Albert would offer to help them with their research. They were well aware of their own limitations, and with Albert's assistance, many problems would become far more manageable.
Just then, a loud crunching noise echoed from the corridor. Albert opened the compartment door and stepped out to purchase some snacks from the passing witch's cart.
Despite Daisy's thoughtful preparation of sandwiches, Albert's enthusiasm for buying snacks remained unabated, especially since he had Galleons to spend! Lee Jordan also bought a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and four bottles of pumpkin juice. As for Fred and George, they planned to save their Galleons for the Hogsmeade shops.
During lunch, Fred produced a bulging paper bag from which he pulled out a stack of sandwiches.
"Beef sandwiches," George announced, taking one and taking a bite. "A bit dry, though," he mumbled.
"Don't look at me; I didn't bring any food. But I have this!"
Lee Jordan distributed the four bottles of pumpkin juice he had bought earlier.
Albert also pulled out his own lunch—a ham and egg sandwich, along with some freshly bought pumpkin and meat pies. They laid out their food on the table and shared a light meal, not wanting to fill up too much before the feast that awaited them at the school.
As they ate, someone knocked on the compartment door.
Fred opened the door to reveal a round-faced boy standing outside.
"Sorry..." The boy said anxiously, "I was wondering if you've seen my toad?"
"No, you can try looking elsewhere," Albert replied, recalling the boy's name. He was Potter's roommate, the one who ultimately slew Voldemort's Horcrux snake with the Gryffindor sword.
"Which house do you think he'll be sorted into?" Fred wondered aloud after closing the door.
"Hufflepuff," Jordan replied without hesitation.
"I think so, too," George agreed.
"Definitely not Slytherin," Albert chimed in. "Probably either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff."
"Gryffindor?" Fred raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't strike me as particularly brave."
"I think you misunderstand the concept of courage," Albert countered, raising an eyebrow. "Despite his nervousness, he's still searching for his toad, compartment by compartment, in this unfamiliar place. Isn't that a form of courage?"
The three friends exchanged glances and ultimately decided against arguing with Albert, knowing from experience that they wouldn't win such a debate.
After lunch, Fred and Jordan played a couple of rounds of Wizarding Chess, while George, ever the mischief-maker, attempted to sneak a stroke of Tom's fur. Albert, meanwhile, was perusing the contents of the Golden Book, contemplating the possibility of creating a two-way mirror.
Just then, there was another knock on the compartment door.
This time, it was a brown-haired girl, accompanied by the round-faced boy who had lost his toad.
"Has anyone seen a toad?" she asked the occupants of the compartment. "Neville Longbottom has lost one."
Hermione Granger? Albert glanced at the final member of the 'Golden Trio' and quietly compared her to his own sister.
Yep, his sister was definitely cuter.
"No," Albert replied. "You can try looking elsewhere. If you really can't find it, seek out the help of the student council president and ask them to summon the toad with the Summoning Charm."
"Oh, thank you." Hermione paused, nodding in gratitude, though she didn't understand what Albert had said.
After the door closed, George suddenly asked, "I thought you would help him."
"Let the student council president handle it; that's what they're there for," Albert replied dismissively, changing the subject. "Which house do you think she'll be in?"
"Ravenclaw," George answered.
"I think so, too," Lee Jordan chimed in. "They say people sorted into Ravenclaw tend to be a bit eccentric. By the way, a lot of people thought you'd end up in Ravenclaw when you first arrived."
"And what do you think?" Albert asked.
"Ravenclaw. Or perhaps Gryffindor," he added casually. "Why do you two want to be in Gryffindor so badly?"
"Because we think it's the best house, and our whole family has been in Gryffindor," George replied thoughtfully.
"Dumbledore was from Gryffindor, too," Lee Jordan added.
"Exactly," Albert agreed. "Dumbledore's legacy makes Gryffindor so desirable. Just like how most people don't want to be in Slytherin because of the reputation the Mysterious Man gave it, making many Slytherins infamous."
The three friends couldn't help but twitch at the mention of the Mysterious Man, feeling the truth of Albert's words.
Changing the subject, an owl delivered that day's issue of the Prophet, and Albert scanned the latest headlines.
Rita Skeeter ridiculed the Ministry of Magic in the paper for their incompetence, which had allowed a habitual smuggler to escape, resulting in multiple injured wizards during the pursuit.
Albert flipped through the pages and noticed that the paper was no longer offering a reward for Rowena Smith's capture, likely having given up.
After all, as a witness, Gerber Smith's reward was more of a statement of intent than anything else.
"Are you done? I want to check the sports section," George said as Albert finished with the paper.
"If we ever need to, we can place an ad in the Daily Prophet, though I wonder how much that would cost," Albert mused, still unfamiliar with many aspects of the wizarding world.
"I know about this. I've asked my dad, and those ads that take up half a page are really expensive," George said, pointing to the ad for the Nimbus 2000. "It costs hundreds of Galleons for one of those, but this kind is much cheaper."
He pointed to an ad that took up only a small corner of the page, with a simple slogan: "Mrs. Scour's All-Purpose Magical Mess-Remover: Cleans Up Any Mess Easily!"
Just then, there was another knock on the compartment door.
Fred opened it to find the same round-faced, chubby boy from before.
The four of them turned their heads, and the boy seemed uneasy.
"We couldn't find Neville's toad...could you..."
"Help find the toad?"
"Yes, using that Summoning Charm you mentioned earlier."
"Why didn't you go to the student council president for help?" Albert raised an eyebrow, and seeing that they had no response, he picked up his wand and cast the spell. "Accio Neville's toad."
Soon enough, a toad flew in through the window.
"Trevor! Thank Merlin!" Neville exclaimed, holding his hands out to catch the toad and hugging it tightly.
"Merlin doesn't have time for this, young man," Albert teased.
"Why did the toad fly in from the window?" Hermione asked, confused.
"It just flew over from another compartment," Albert explained, turning to the round-faced boy. "If you don't want to lose it again, you should keep it in its cage."
(End of Chapter)
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