Chapter 390: Asking for Trouble
Chapter 390: Asking for Trouble
Albert opened his eyes to the sound of hushed whispers and found his three roommates, usually late risers, engaged in an excited conversation.
"What are you guys up to?" Albert asked, rubbing his eyes and reaching for the silver pocket watch on his bedside table.
"It's only 7:30," he added, puzzled. "We don't need to leave for Hogsmeade this early, do we? Or are you just too excited to sleep?"
"You're really not coming with us to Hogsmeade today?" Lee Jordan prompted. "The girls are counting on you to show them around."
"What about you?" Albert asked as he sat on the edge of his bed and slipped on his slippers. "I'll let you handle the excitement. And stop flirting with Tom. Be careful of his claws."
"Who are you going with?" Fred asked happily as he counted his galleons, while George made a list of the items they needed to buy.
"A pretty girl. Are you satisfied now?" Albert replied irritably.
"Who is this pretty girl?" Fred and George asked in unison.
"Figure it out yourselves!" Albert said as he walked away to brush his teeth.
Suddenly, he heard Lee Jordan's scream from the dormitory. Apparently, he had disturbed the sleeping Tom, and the cat had scratched him.
"Why do you always ask for trouble?" Albert shook his head. After drying his face with a towel, he splashed cold water on it to get rid of the sleepiness that lingered in his mind, fully waking himself up.
When he returned to the room, he saw Lee Jordan grumbling and examining the scratch marks on his arm, while Fred and George looked on with glee, taking the opportunity to tease him.
Tom had left his usual spot and was lying on the enhanced cat tree that Albert had made for him, yawning widely and glancing at the three troublemakers below.
"How can your cat be so agile despite being so fat?" Lee Jordan grumbled. "This is just not normal!"
"Cats are natural hunters, no matter their size," Albert said as he opened the window. The sky was gray, and a cold breeze blew into the room, causing the four boys to shiver.
"It's going to rain!" Albert predicted.
"If you didn't say anything, it wouldn't," Fred complained, wishing for the rain to hold off. "Close the window, will you?"
"Don't be silly," Albert retorted. "Maybe the fresh air will help clear your muddled heads." He bent down to prepare breakfast for Tom.
Despite the food rationing, Tom seemed to be getting chubbier. The only consolation for Albert was that Tom looked much healthier and sturdier than before.
He was gaining muscle, not just fat.
Albert comforted himself by stroking Tom's smooth fur.
"If I don't come back in the afternoon, Cara will come and prepare your lunch," Albert instructed the cat. "No sneaking extra food, and no wandering around the castle. If I find you dirty, you'll be on a dry food diet for a month." Albert rattled off the instructions as he always did, measuring Tom's food with a brass scale. His roommates had teased him about this routine before.
"Meow!"
Tom stared at the brass scale with hostility in his eyes. He had once tried to destroy the scale, which restricted his food intake, but to no avail. His daily meals were still strictly controlled.
"Remember, no wandering off!" Albert reminded Tom once more before heading downstairs with his roommates to the common room.
Tom had become quite the celebrity in the Gryffindor common room. Everyone knew he was Albert's pet, and his chubbiness, coupled with his cuteness, made him a favorite among the girls.
Albert had often suspected that Tom's weight gain was due to the treats he received from the Gryffindor girls, despite his requests for them to refrain from doing so.
On their way to the Great Hall for breakfast, they encountered Professor Quirrell.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher always seemed to be wandering like a ghost on the fourth floor, as if guarding the students from venturing into the forbidden areas.
Albert scoffed at the thought; he knew why Professor Quirrell was always loitering on the fourth floor.
Upon spotting Albert, Professor Quirrell quickly turned the corner to avoid the human question machine. He had grown tired of the endless barrage of tricky inquiries.
"Looks like Professor Quirrell is deliberately avoiding you!" Fred teased, slapping Albert on the shoulder.
"Nonsense," Albert replied.
"Don't deny it," Fred continued.
"He definitely doesn't want to be bombarded with your questions again," George added.
"I wouldn't blame him if he took a different route every time he saw me coming," Albert agreed, playing along.
The group made their way downstairs, their laughter fading as they entered the entrance hall.
It was hard not to be cautious around Filch, the caretaker, especially when he was in a sour mood with a scowl on his face, holding his cat.
Filch was not a happy man, as he disliked students going to Hogsmeade. Every time they returned, there would be a bunch of mischievous students causing trouble, leaving him with more work and headaches.
As they prepared to eat breakfast, the sky outside began to drizzle.
While rain in October was not unusual, the dreary weather dampened everyone's excitement for the trip to Hogsmeade.
After all, the rain would put a damper on their plans to explore the village properly.
"Speaking of which, who's the lucky girl you're meeting? How come none of us even knew you had a girlfriend?" Fred steered the conversation back to Albert.
Lee Jordan wasn't so much envious of Albert having a girlfriend as he was curious and eager to tease him about it.
Several girls nearby stopped eating and turned their heads, equally curious about the situation.
"Katrina?" Fred guessed.
At the sound of her name, Katrina turned to look their way.
To be honest, most students their age were still quite clueless about love and relationships, having crushes but not fully understanding the concept.
"No, eat your toast," Albert glanced at Katrina and then at Lee Jordan, who was eager to gossip. Seeing that he wasn't going to stop, Albert grabbed a piece of toast and stuffed it into Lee's mouth.
Lee Jordan obediently fell silent and continued eating, knowing better than to speak with his mouth full and risk earning Albert's ire.
The girls were disappointed, curious to know who Albert's love interest was.
"You're really not coming with us?" Fred asked again as they finished breakfast.
"I'm still waiting for someone, so you guys go ahead," Albert politely refused.
"See, I told you he was hiding the fact that he has a girlfriend. Humph, no need to keep it a secret. We'll definitely find out who this mysterious beauty is..." Lee Jordan suddenly fell silent, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, unable to speak. Fred and George took this opportunity to lead him away.
As for the girls, they didn't need Lee Jordan to introduce them to Hogsmeade.
Filch and his cat were stationed by the oak front door, making sure that every student leaving the school signed the list.
In a short while, the caretaker had already caught two first-years trying to sneak out to Hogsmeade.
Once most of the students had left, the caretaker rolled up the long parchment and tapped it against his palm, glaring at Albert. He then gave a forceful cough, clearly indicating that Albert should hurry up and sign so he could leave.
Albert pretended not to notice.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
At half past eight, Isabel arrived in the entrance hall, right on time. The beautiful girl had clearly put some effort into her appearance, with her hair styled in a princess-like fashion, making her look even more stunning.
"Perfect timing!" Albert glanced at his pocket watch and said, "Right on the dot."
The two looked at each other for a moment.
Albert smiled and said, "Well then... shall we?"
They signed the list with Filch and made their way towards the school gates.
(End of Chapter)
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