Chapter 380: Wholesale Prophecies
Chapter 380: Wholesale Prophecies
The pleasant September weather didn't last long. Half a month after arriving at Hogwarts, the skies finally opened up, and it had been raining nonstop since the morning.
But for Albert, curled up comfortably inside the castle, the rain wasn't much of a concern. After all, he had no plans to venture out into it.
At that moment, Albert was sitting contentedly by the window, listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops while sipping on a freshly brewed cup of milk tea and writing a letter to an old friend.
Tom lay beside him, his eyes fixed on his owner. His gaze occasionally drifted to the cup of milk tea, his paw twitching with temptation, but he ultimately refrained from giving in to his desires.
Ever since the last time he had foolishly dipped his paw into the cup and been caught by Albert, resulting in a several-day deduction of his fish snack rations, Tom had learned his lesson and kept his distance from the tempting beverage.
Albert glanced at his cat and then returned his attention to the letter he was writing to Adolpho Fignier. His correspondence with the French man had diminished recently.
Previously, Albert had acquired the technique to create two-way mirrors and had even leveled up his Panel skill. Based on his understanding of the skill, he had revealed some technical insights to Mr. Fignier.
Well...
To be precise, he had slapped the French man across the face with his superior knowledge and expertise, causing Mr. Fignier to eagerly and humbly reinitiate contact with a newfound enthusiasm.
Of course, Mr. Fignier was willing to set aside his pride and become exceedingly passionate in his pursuit of the two-way mirror replication technique. He wrote to Albert every few days, and it was a good thing they didn't always use the same owl for delivery, or else it would have surely exhausted itself flying back and forth between France and the UK.
After all, the distance between the two countries was no small matter.
Both parties had their own agendas.
Albert was after the French man's technical expertise. Adolpho Fignier was skilled in alchemy and had invented several fascinating items, such as the Memory Orb.
The Memory Orb was a magically enhanced glass orb filled with what appeared to be white smoke. It resembled the divination crystals used for fortune-telling, and when held, it would turn red if one forgot something.
In essence, though, the Memory Orb was nothing more than a magical toy, and its effects typically lasted only about half a year. Using similar means, Albert had invented an Intruder Alert for himself.
Well, to be precise, he had cast an Intruder Alert Charm on an object. When carried in one's pocket, it would heat up in the presence of another wizard.
However, the Alert had a rather annoying issue—it would activate whenever there was another wizard nearby, regardless of whether they meant harm or not.
It was a half-useful item, but it had indeed appeared as a skill on the Panel, and he believed it could be very practical. The problem was that it required experience points to level up the skill, and the manufacturing process also demanded a certain level of proficiency in Intruder Alert Charms.
In his letter, Albert discussed ideas about the Magic Lamp with Mr. Fignier.
This task had been lingering on the Panel for quite some time, and he wanted to make some progress, even if it was just determining a direction to head in. As an expert in this field, Mr. Fignier might be able to provide some valuable insights.
As for the two-way mirror technology, Albert didn't mind sharing it with the French man. He wasn't concerned whether Mr. Fignier could replicate Blaisdell Bobble's two-way mirror or not. As long as he gained the skill level, he could develop even better techniques.
He would squeeze every last drop of value out of Mr. Fignier first.
Of course, this was a mutually beneficial arrangement to some extent.
Suddenly, there was a commotion from the side, and Tom turned his head to see two girls giggling and whispering to each other.
"You go!"
"No, you go!"
"Fine, I'll do it!"
Mustering her courage, one of the girls, with brown eyes and golden hair, approached Albert.
"Is there something you need?"
"Albert finished his milk tea and slipped the letter into an envelope, then turned his head to look at the two girls who were nudging each other.
'They say you can do fortune-telling?' one of the girls asked.
'Fortune-telling?' Albert set down his cup and replied gently, 'I did learn a bit about it in Divination class. But you know, those school rumors can't always be trusted.' 'Could you...?'
'See into your future?' Albert finished her sentence.
The two girls nodded like little chicks pecking at their food.
'Knowing that it's just a trick, why do you still want a fortune told?' Albert asked with a smile.
The girls didn't answer, and Albert didn't press the issue further. After a moment's thought, he said, 'This is the first and last time. Who wants to go first?' 'Me, me!'
'What's your name?' Albert asked for confirmation.
'Lavender Brown,' the girl replied nervously.
'Okay, Miss Lavender Brown, remember your prophecy.' Albert remained silent for a long time before speaking in a vague voice, 'You will have your own romantic tale, whether to pursue it depends on you, and how long it lasts depends on him.' 'Does a romantic tale mean falling in love?' Lavender Brown asked curiously.
Albert smiled but didn't answer. Instead, he turned to the other girl and asked, 'And what's your name?' 'Pavarti Patil,' she replied.
'Remember your prophecy, Miss Pavarti Patil,' Albert paused for a long while before continuing in the same vague tone, 'At the ball, you shall dance with your brave warrior.' 'Could you also give me...' The round-faced boy beside them asked, his face reddening.
'And what's your name?' Albert inquired.
'Neville Longbottom,' the boy replied.
'You are a qualified Gryffindor. Bravery is not just what's on the surface. You have a connection with plants, and there will be a place for you in this school,' Albert said after recalling Neville's information.
He suddenly realized that he might have a talent for fortune-telling as well.
'That's it?' Someone asked, confused.
'Yes, that's it. Whether it comes true or not, don't come looking for me,' Albert glanced at the speaker and replied calmly.
The crowd dispersed in disappointment. No matter how they looked at it, Albert seemed to be brushing off those three first-years.
'What about you? Do you want a prophecy as well?' Albert turned to Hermione at his side.
She hesitated for a long time before nodding.
In truth, Hermione didn't quite believe in this stuff. It seemed more like Albert was pulling a fast one on them, but she had also heard that Albert's predictions sometimes came true. After all, the two prophecies about Harry had both been fulfilled, whether they were true prophecies or not.
'Before the arrival of winter, you will no longer be alone. Of course, this depends on the decisions you make,' Albert said.
Hermione froze, as whether or not she found friends indeed depended on the decisions she made.
'Sorry to interrupt your scam with the little girls,' Fred and George, soaked to the bone, walked over.
'Is Quidditch practice over?' Albert asked nonchalantly, ignoring their jibe and looking at the drenched twins.
'Yeah, it was tough.' 'Harry did great. Our names will be on the Quidditch Cup this year.'
Albert shrugged indifferently and murmured, 'There will be obstacles along the way.' 'Shut up!'
'Jerk!' The two of them wanted nothing more than to stuff a sock in Albert's mouth.
'Relax, I'm just saying there will be obstacles,' Albert waved his wand, and white steam rose from the Weasley twins, filling the common room. He waved his wand again, creating a gentle breeze that blew the steam out of the room.
'Is he really that accurate?' Hermione muttered softly, watching the tense Weasley twins who seemed ready to gag Albert."
(End of Chapter)
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