Chapter 375: Wizarding Cards, Version 1.1
Chapter 375: Wizarding Cards, Version 1.1
Wood decided to keep Harry's participation in the Quidditch match a tightly guarded secret within Gryffindor, aiming to unleash him as a secret weapon and catch their opponents off-guard.
Yes, a secret weapon. But secrets have a way of getting out.
The very next day after Harry became Gryffindor's Seeker, the entire school was abuzz with the news of his new role.
Wood was so furious that he chased the twins with his broomstick, convinced that they had let the cat out of the bag.
Some predicted that Harry would excel, while others joked about holding mattresses beneath him during practice in case he fell.
Regardless, the pressure on Harry Potter escalated, especially with the anticipation of a crowd showing up to witness his training session, primarily comprising students from Slytherin.
"Gryffindor House has never been able to keep a secret," Albert consoled the still-irate Wood with a smile. "And congratulations on finding an excellent Seeker."
Wood muttered under his breath about this not being a good thing and how he didn't want to pressure Harry too much.
Albert shook his head, took a seat nearby, and opened a letter from home. Nia was doing well and had made new friends, and the letter also included news about recent happenings at school.
As Albert had anticipated, his sister, though still a bit resentful, was gradually letting go of her obsession with Hogwarts as she settled into her new life and made friends.
"What's the good news?" Sana noticed the smile on Albert's face and asked curiously.
"Just a letter from home," Albert replied, folding the letter and tucking it back into his pocket.
"I thought you might be... disappointed," Sana said carefully, knowing that Wood had previously hoped for Albert to take on the role of Seeker for the team.
"Disappointed? No, not at all," Albert shook his head with a laugh. "I have no interest in playing Quidditch. I'm too busy to spare time for practice every week."
"Are your wizard cards ready?" Angelina's head popped up out of nowhere, interrupting their conversation.
"Yep, right here!"
Albert reached into his Chamo-Leather Bag and pulled out a box of wizard cards, handing them to Angelina.
"They do look much better than the last batch, but they're still not quite there compared to the ones you showed us before," Angelina commented after flipping through the deck.
"Well, there's not much I can do about that," Albert said, pulling out the carefully crafted original card from his bag. "If we want to mass-produce these wizard cards, we have to keep them simple. The refined, improved version will take time."
"Are you selling them?" Alicia appeared behind Angelina, her eyes fixed on the box of wizard cards in Angelina's hands.
"No, these are free, but you'll need to use the Replication Charm to make your own copies. As for this one, it's the original prototype that still needs further improvement," Albert explained as he casually handed one of the original wizard cards to Sana. "But everything is still tentative until the wizard cards are perfected. After all, my current abilities only allow me to take it this far."
"You cast a Transfiguration Charm on the cards?"
Percy suddenly appeared, eyeing the wizard card in Sana's hand. "This is beyond N.E.w.T.s level transfiguration!"
Percy sounded a bit dejected. Although he considered himself a genius with top-notch grades, his skill with Transfiguration Charms paled in comparison to Albert's.
In that moment, Percy understood why Isabelle never compared herself to Albert. Perhaps it was a lack of interest, or maybe she had known from the start how things would turn out.
"I just saw Percy, and he looked upset. What happened?" Fred asked, spotting Percy's retreating figure and walking over.
"Probably just a bit deflated," Albert said helplessly.
"Deflated?" George squeezed in next to his brother. "What a useless guy. If he gets discouraged this easily, what about us, Albert's roommates? Are we supposed to feel discouraged every day?"
"Never mind Percy," Fred said, waving him off. "Are those new wizard cards you're holding?"
"I thought you guys were helping with the wizard card production," Angelina said in surprise.
"Our skills aren't up to par. Albert can do the work of a whole team by himself.
"Li Jordan said helplessly, it's not that they're unwilling to help, it's that they really can't.
"Now, you can help. Make a few more copies, and if any members of the Wizarding Cards Club want them, just distribute them!" Albert pointed to the box of wizard cards in Angelina's hand and said.
"No charge?" George asked in confusion. "I thought you mentioned charging for them last time?"
"No charge for now," Albert explained. "The club is just starting, and we can't afford any setbacks. Once our wizard cards are more complete, we can start selling them, or even offer them as gifts with purchases, just like with other products. There will be plenty of opportunities to make money in the future, so don't be shortsighted. Slow and steady wins the race, just like with the Floo Powder."
"Your call," Fred and George replied.
Since it was Albert's suggestion, they had no objections. Besides, they didn't think their ideas were better than his. If he said so, he probably already had a plan in mind.
"Oh, right, have you seen Potter? I plan to make a wizard card for him as well."
"Harry? No idea. Have you seen him?"
"Why are you asking me? How would I know?"
"What about you?"
"I've been with you guys the whole time," Jordan snapped.
"Never mind, let's start collecting now. Whoever wants a wizard card, we'll make one for them," Albert said, reaching for a piece of parchment nearby and writing an announcement about the wizard card recruitment.
He then took out his wand and tapped it on the parchment, creating four copies. One of them was handed to Fred, who said, "I'll put it on the bulletin board."
"Okay, I'll do it now."
"I wonder how many first-years will want to join the Wizarding Cards Club?" Angelina asked.
If the club didn't recruit any new students, their numbers would gradually dwindle.
"I don't know," Albert replied. "All I can say is that this is a rare opportunity, and they need to seize it. Once the wizard cards gain fame, it'll be hard to come by such a chance. So, make the most of this opportunity now."
Soon enough, Fred and George returned with a young, black-haired boy in tow.
"Look, we found Harry," they said with mischievous grins.
"I think you two are going a bit too far!" Albert chided the Weasley twins before turning to Harry with a straightforward offer. "Harry Potter, we want to make a wizard card for you, just like these."
As he spoke, Albert handed George's card to Harry.
"A wizard card?" Harry asked, his face filled with confusion as he examined the card in his hand. It was a very intricate card, and the person on it, riding a broomstick and wearing Quidditch robes, was none other than George Weasley.
"You're in Gryffindor too, so I assume you wouldn't want to miss out!"
"Do the others have them too?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Of course! Everyone will have one!" Angelina nodded. "I'm a Chaser on the team, and so is Alicia."
"Oh... alright!" Harry thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement.
"If any of you want to make your own wizard card, take a look at this," Albert continued, noticing Ron's envious expression. "Ron, if you want to sign up later, feel free to do so. But, making these wizard cards takes time, so don't expect it to be quick."
"Can I do it too?" Ron asked excitedly.
"Sure, if you want to," Albert replied. "But, if you want to get your hands on other wizard cards, you'll need to join the Wizarding Cards Club. We'll be giving out new wizard cards for free to our members, like this one." Albert gave Lee Jordan a subtle signal, indicating that he should handle the rest.
Lee Jordan began attending to the students who wanted to join the club, explaining the rules of the wizard cards and the meeting times.
"He's perfect for this," Sana commented.
"Yeah, he is," Albert agreed.
(End of Chapter)
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