Chapter 382: A Genius Among Geniuses
Chapter 382: A Genius Among Geniuses
Over the past month, Albert had minimal interactions with Harry Potter. In his impression, the savior of the wizarding world possessed exceptional talent in flying, but in other aspects, he seemed no different from any other student.
Nowadays, Harry no longer attracted curious stares or crowds eager to catch a glimpse of the famous lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Those who knew him now treated him like an ordinary person.
Towards the end of September, as Harry and Ron entered the Great Hall for breakfast, they were immediately drawn to the lively atmosphere that filled the room. After a quick meal, they hurried off to join the gathering of the Wizarding Card Club.
"Wow, it's bustling in here!" Harry exclaimed as he surveyed the crowd flipping through their Wizarding cards. He and Ron weaved their way through the students, curious to see what everyone was up to.
Some students were exchanging ideas, while others were helping each other replicate the cards they needed. A small group of new members stood around, curious and eager to explore.
"Well, what do you think, Harry?" Fred asked with a smile. "Isn't the Wizarding Card Club quite the happening place?"
"It certainly is," Harry replied. "It's hard to believe this club was only recently established."
"People need something fun to spice up their lives, you know, like Wizard Chess," Fred continued. "But that's a tougher nut to crack, and with these cards, they can learn something useful while having a good time."
"What do you mean, useful?" Ron asked, not quite following Fred's train of thought.
Fred handed Harry a card that read "Tactical Foul" with a picture of a broomstick and a hand pulling on it. "For instance, the rules of Quidditch."
"Tactical Foul?" Harry repeated, intrigued.
"It's a tactic you can use when necessary," George chimed in, winking at Harry. "It might be a bit underhanded, but it works. Sometimes it's better to take a penalty than to lose the game, don't you think?"
Harry stood there, his mouth slightly agape, staring at George.
"Don't be so surprised," George added. "You might not need it, but there will always be someone who will."
Fred then handed Harry another card, this one featuring the Disarming Charm. "And this one's a spell card. It teaches you how to cast the spell depicted on it."
"Expelliarmus?" Harry asked, recognizing the familiar spell.
"Indeed, a very useful spell in duels, to disarm your opponent's wand," Fred explained briefly.
Ron, meanwhile, pointed to the card's illustration of wavy lines and asked, "What's this supposed to be?"
"The correct way to wave your wand, of course," George replied disdainfully.
"These Wizarding cards are more than just cards," Lee Jordan chimed in thoughtfully. "They're becoming educational gaming cards for witches and wizards. Not only do they provide entertainment, but they also help us learn more about the wizarding world. I must say, Albert's a genius."
"Flatter me all you want," Albert said, suddenly appearing behind them, "but don't think you can shirk your duties. Get back to helping others replicate their cards so that everyone can have their own deck soon."
Fred, George, and Lee had grown rather tired of this task, having spent a considerable amount of time on it already. Without any payment in Galleons, the trio felt less than motivated to continue.
If they were to charge, even just 1 Knut per card, it would be better than working for free.
Unfortunately, that wasn't an option.
Albert, however, was playing the long game. He knew that once this game became an integral part of wizarding life, the profits would be enormous.
So, he sent his three housemates back to work and continued browsing the room. In a quiet corner, he spotted Hermione Granger poring over the game rules by herself.
As always, she was something of a loner.
Just as Albert was about to approach her, he heard Katrina's voice from behind.
"There you are!" she exclaimed. "I was hoping you could help me change the photo on my card. It's just so ugly." Katrina held up her card, and sure enough, the girls were concerned about their appearances on these cards.
Several other girls joined her, all of them unhappy about being captured in unflattering poses, especially since these cards would be circulating among their peers.
Albert was momentarily at a loss for words, surrounded by these girls. "Okay, okay," he said soothingly, "I admit you all have a point. But if you think you don't look good on your cards, you can take a photo that you like and give it to me."
He promised to replace the photos on their cards with more flattering ones.
The girls exchanged glances, not quite sure how to respond.
While it was true that they felt the photos on the Wizarding cards didn't do them justice, they hadn't really considered any other issues. They had simply come to voice their complaints and perhaps chat with Albert for a bit.
"I already have a photo ready!" Katrina declared, thrusting a picture into Albert's hand. "Remember to change it for me."
Albert looked down at the photo Katrina had given him, then back up at her. In the photo, a young girl sat reading a book, and at that moment, she happened to glance up in his direction.
Hmm, she reminded him a bit of Isabelle.
"What are you looking at?" she asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"Your... photo?" Albert replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?" Katrina challenged, her eyebrow arched in a way that reminded him of her sister.
"No, you're right. I did make you look ugly," Albert conceded with a nod.
The two sisters did resemble each other, but their auras were quite different. Isabelle exuded elegance and carried herself with a calm and steady demeanor.
Katrina, satisfied, turned and walked away.
As Albert watched her go, he tucked the photo into his pocket, intending to turn back towards Hermione. But to his surprise, she had disappeared.
"Thank you for inviting me to this gathering," Hermione said, suddenly appearing at his side.
"You're welcome," Albert replied warmly. "What do you think of it?"
"It's wonderful," Hermione said, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "Um, could I also get a Wizarding card made?"
"Oh, so you want one too?" Albert asked.
Hermione nodded slightly.
"Sure, but it will have to go at the back of the queue, and I'll need to take your photo. If you don't like how it turns out, you can give me another photo," Albert said kindly.
"That's fine," Hermione replied. "By the way, congratulations on your achievement with the 'Today's Transfiguration' issue. I couldn't understand it, but it's impressive."
"Go and join the others," Albert said, gently urging her to mingle.
As Albert watched Hermione walk away, a voice piped up beside him. "So, you're keeping an eye on a first-year?"
Albert turned to see Truman, who seemed to have a knack for popping up unexpectedly.
"She's a genius," Albert replied simply.
"And so are you," Truman retorted, rolling his eyes. "Don't give me that nonsense theory again."
"Geniuses tend to find common ground with other geniuses," Albert murmured, ignoring the eye-rolling from Truman, who soon wandered off in search of more interesting company.
(End of Chapter)
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