Chapter 377: A Splendid Idea
Chapter 377: A Splendid Idea
"Found the cat?"
George looked up as he heard the door, turning to face Albert who had just entered the room.
"Yep."
Albert pulled a towel from his seat and wiped Tom's paws clean before setting him down. He then began contemplating the idea of getting a cat tree for his furry friend.
It was something they didn't have at home, and while it would be simple to craft one using magic at school, he wondered if it would be able to support Tom's weight.
"By the way, there's something else."
As Albert stroked the cat's head, he filled his roommates in on Harry and Ron's plan to duel Malfoy.
"That nasty little git from the Malfoy family?"
Fred and George exchanged a glance, each knowing what the other was thinking—this was a perfect opportunity to teach Malfoy a lesson.
"A duel? They're not like you." Lee Jordan said with interest, "They're just first-years. The most they can do is shoot sparks from their wands at each other."
"I bet that if they don't get a reaction when they wave their wands, they'll throw them aside and start swinging their fists. Just like in Truman's duel the other day—they'll knock each other flat first." Lee Jordan was quite interested in witnessing this showdown.
"We can't just let them be, especially not let Harry and Ron suffer a loss." Fred and George said righteously, "We should give Harry some support and teach Malfoy a lesson."
"Don't be foolish. This is probably a trap. Malfoy will likely stand Harry and Ron up." Albert yawned and rolled his eyes at his eager roommates, "They'll probably get caught by Filch and put in detention, which is exactly what Malfoy wants."
"You're not going, then?" The three turned to Albert.
"No, I'm tired. Good night." Albert was ready to call it a day.
As for his mischievous roommates and their plans, he didn't feel like getting involved in another game of hide-and-seek with Filch.
"Alright then, I guess it's just us." Fred said, a little disappointed.
"Good night."
Albert picked up Tom, who was about to climb onto the bed, and placed him back in his cat bed.
The next morning, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan had dark circles under their eyes. Though they looked exhausted, their faces were beaming with smiles.
As soon as they woke up, they began recounting their heroic deeds from the previous night to Albert. Not only had they helped Gryffindor House avoid a massive point deduction, but they had also played a game of hide-and-seek with Filch, using the Screaming Yo-yo from Zonko's Joke Shop to prank him once again.
The events of last night were a glorious victory for Fred, George, and Lee Jordan.
Yes, a glorious victory.
The only slight regret was that they hadn't been able to pull a prank on Malfoy. They had just been discussing this very topic—how to teach that scheming fellow a lesson.
And so, they turned to the more cunning and intelligent Albert for advice.
Dragging Malfoy into the bathroom for a beating and dunking his head in the toilet was out of the question.
Finally, Albert suggested a targeted blast to the toilet while Malfoy was using it.
This idea was met with enthusiastic approval from the Weasley twins, who had already been contemplating blowing up a toilet. It was a perfect match for their plans.
They imagined Malfoy's reaction if one day, the toilet he was using suddenly exploded—it would be absolutely hilarious.
As for how to put this plan into action, that was still up for discussion and required careful planning.
The four of them weren't in a rush, as they had plenty of time to devise their scheme.
...
"I suspect Filch knows it was us." Albert was spreading jam on his toast as he spoke, noting how Filch had eyed them intently as they entered the Great Hall. Harry and Ron seemed to be receiving similar attention from the caretaker.
It was clear that Filch knew who had been roaming the castle last night, but since he hadn't caught them in the act, he was in a foul mood.
"He's got no proof, so he can't do anything to us." George said to Lee Jordan beside him, "Pass the peanut butter."
The latter wasn't paying attention, as he was eavesdropping on Harry and Ron's conversation. He had a penchant for listening in on juicy gossip.
"It's either something really valuable or really dangerous." Ron mumbled absentmindedly as he ate, oblivious to the fact that someone was listening in on their conversation.
"Or maybe both." Harry added.
"What sort of thing is really valuable and really dangerous?" Fred asked, covering a yawn.
"What's that you've got there?" Ron changed the subject.
"New Wizarding Cards." Fred glanced at the fruits of their labor from last night—three sets of cards meant for the other houses, "Want one?"
"Can you give us a set, Harry?" Harry also wanted to see the cards of the other members in the Wizarding Cards.
"Sorry, Harry. These are for club members only. Unless you want to join the Wizarding Card Club." George slathered a thick layer of peanut butter on his toast and took a bite before continuing, "Of course, you can always sign up with Lee Jordan here."
"Want to join? We hold activities during the weekend of the last week of every month." Lee Jordan smiled as he explained, "This year, we'll be hosting the second Wizarding Card Competition. The prize hasn't been decided yet, but it'll definitely be better than last year's grand prize of ten galleons."
"Wow, you guys are loaded!" Ron exclaimed, his mouth hanging open in surprise.
"You're wrong. It's not that we're loaded, it's that Albert here is loaded." Fred pointed at Albert, "He's the one with the money."
"Can we join too?" Ron was tempted; no one could resist the allure of money.
"Sure, the Wizarding Card Competition is open to the entire school. You can participate without being a club member, but those who aren't members usually get eliminated in the first round." Lee Jordan offered a friendly reminder.
"Why is that?" Ron asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Obviously because they lose." Fred stated the obvious.
"Let's join too, Harry."
"But what about Quidditch practice?"
"Don't worry, it won't interfere." Lee Jordan reassured them, knowing that having Harry on board would pique the interest of other students and be great for publicity. "You guys went into the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor last night, didn't you?" Albert asked in a lowered voice. "Last time, Crabbe almost got his leg bitten off, and he's still lying in the hospital wing."
Harry and Ron gaped at Albert, unable to believe what they were hearing.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were equally curious, wondering how Albert had found out about their little adventure.
"What's being guarded so heavily in there is Dumbledore's treasure, not yours." Albert warned them, "Don't joke around with your lives."
"I think he's right." Neville sat down across from Harry with his plate. As one of the participants in last night's events, he now wanted to stay as far away as possible from that massive dog.
"Can I join the Wizarding Card Club too?" he suddenly asked Albert.
"Of course." Lee Jordan was welcoming, beckoning to the boy who had lost his toad. "You'll find Wizarding Cards very interesting, and it's even more fun to play with others."
"How did you know we went to the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"It's either something extremely valuable or extremely dangerous." Albert repeated Ron's earlier words, "Only the most valuable items would be kept in the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor."
At that moment, Harry felt like he had asked a stupid question.
After Neville returned, he also brought back a box of Wizarding Cards.
"Did Fred give that to you?"
Ron's expression turned sour, clearly unhappy that his two older brothers weren't willing to give him a set.
"No, he said this is just a temporary set to get me familiarized with the cards. He said he'll find someone to help make a copy for me later." Neville explained.
"You know him?"
Harry took the cards and looked at Neville, who was sitting next to him with his plate.
"We met on the train, and Mr. Anderson even helped me find Trevor." Neville had a good impression of Albert, and on top of that, Albert's reputation in Gryffindor was stellar—he was talented, friendly, well-mannered, polite, quiet, and thirsty for knowledge. If that wasn't enough, he was also willing to help others when he had free time.
"By the way, Harry, I heard that Mr. Albert had helped Gryffindor win a Quidditch Cup when he was in his first year." Neville was starting to look up to Albert.
"He also made a prophecy about you."
"I thought you weren't going to talk to us anymore." Ron's tone was unfriendly, as he didn't like Hermione's attitude.
"What prophecy?" Harry asked, unable to resist.
"I heard that Mr. Anderson said last year that you would be in Gryffindor and become the Seeker for Gryffindor." Hermione, who had been scowling at Ron, now completely ignored him and spoke directly to Harry.
"Does Albert know how to make prophecies?" Ron looked at Albert, who was talking to the other heads of houses.
"That's true, he did say that. I don't think there's anything to doubt. That man is a genius in every field. I heard he's already published numerous articles in various magazines and even co-authored a book on ancient magical scripts." Hermione was also starting to admire Albert. There was no other way to describe him besides amazing—he was like another Dumbledore in the making.
In school, apart from a small handful who didn't see eye to eye with Albert, almost everyone had a good impression of him. He was a genius, approachable, friendly, polite, quiet, and hungry for knowledge. If that wasn't enough, he was also willing to lend a helping hand to others when he had the time.
Of course, his reputation among Gryffindors was even better, as they all knew that Albert frequently earned points for the house. When compared to the mischievous Weasley twins, Albert's image was even more stellar.
After Albert finished distributing the three sets of Wizarding Cards to the other heads of houses, he turned around as Fred nudged him in the ribs.
At that moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the long, slender packages carried by six long-eared owls. Everyone was curious about what was inside those packages.
The owls finally descended, landing in front of Harry Potter, and dropped off a letter along with the packages. Harry quickly read the letter and hurriedly left with the items.
"What do you think is inside the packages?" Fred turned to Albert and asked.
"It should be a broomstick. You can guess from the shape of the package. I reckon it's Professor McGonagall who bought it for Potter." Albert looked towards the staff table, where Professor McGonagall was looking in their direction.
"What kind of broom do you think it is?" Lee Jordan asked, watching as Harry and Ron's backs disappeared from view.
"Probably the newly released Nimbus 2000. Wanna bet?" Albert looked at his three roommates with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Never mind." Lee Jordan shook his head, refusing the bet as he knew he would lose.
"That's fantastic."
"I want one too."
There might be another chapter tonight, depending on whether I can finish editing it.
The female lead is Isabelle, which I hinted at a long time ago. There's a one-year age gap between the main characters, with Katrina being one year younger than Albert.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
