Chapter 398: All Hallows' Eve
Chapter 398: All Hallows' Eve
Albert's eyes snapped open abruptly. He had just had a terrible nightmare—a bizarre and risque dream where he nearly suffocated while getting intimate with Hermione Granger.
Alright, he admitted, this steamy and bizarre nightmare was utterly absurd.
When Albert woke up, he realized the culprit behind this nightmare was sleeping right beside him. At some point, Tom the cat's tail had flicked onto Albert's face, covering his nose.
As he had expected, allowing Tom to sleep on the bed after his bath was a big mistake.
"Never again," Albert muttered as he brushed Tom's tail aside. He sat up, picked up the chubby cat, and said seriously, "Go back to your cat bed."
With his eyes closed, Tom yawned and continued sleeping.
It was winter, and this guy was even more lethargic than Albert himself.
By the way, today seemed to be All Hallows' Eve.
The giant event would occur.
The friendship of the Golden Trio would begin today.
Albert suddenly realized why he had such a nightmare.
He had indeed been overthinking things! After all, the story had just begun, and if this little butterfly's wings created a gentle flutter that caused the trio's relationship to fall apart, then things would become troublesome.
Although Albert was a transmigrator with the system and knowledge of the plot, many things were within his control, but that didn't mean he wanted to meddle and become a vanguard against Voldemort. It would be perfectly fine to lay low and reap the benefits by the grand finale.
Hence, Harry 'Lightning Rod' Potter was still very important.
There was no harm in letting the story unfold as it was meant to, and Hermione and Ron, as members of the Golden Trio, were naturally indispensable. At the very least, Hermione was essential with her intellectual support; without her, Harry Potter's courage might truly turn into recklessness.
"What's wrong?"
George was woken up by Albert's movements and yawned as he turned to ask.
"Nothing," Albert said casually. "Just a nightmare."
"You have nightmares too?" Fred climbed out of bed and teased.
"Why are you guys making such a ruckus early in the morning?" Lee Jordan mumbled, covering his face with his hands as he yawned. He turned over, intending to continue sleeping, but a pillow from Fred hit him on the head, causing him to sit up angrily and glare at Fred.
Fred turned away and pointedly raised his finger in Albert's direction.
"You jerk, do you think I'm that easy to fool?" The two of them started bickering, and pillows soon flew across the room.
"Be careful not to catch a cold," Albert muttered as he got dressed and walked to the window, gazing outside. A layer of mist had formed on the glass, blurring the view. He pushed the window open, letting the cold breeze rush in. It had started snowing outside.
The commotion in the room paused as everyone shivered simultaneously. A pillow flew and hit Albert on the back.
"You jerk, close the window!"
Soon enough, everyone was up and getting dressed.
"What are you planning to offer as a prize for this year's second Wizarding Duel?" Lee Jordan asked with a smile.
"Ten galleons, or..." Albert thought for a moment. "How about an exquisite communication bookmark?"
"That doesn't feel very novel." Fred was putting on his socks as he spoke. "How about a finely crafted set of wizarding cards?"
"If you're the one making them, I have no objections." Albert turned to Fred and smiled.
"I hope tonight's performance will be interesting," Fred quickly changed the subject, eliciting laughter from his companions.
Tom was woken up by the laughter and looked at the room's occupants with bewilderment. After giving them a once-over, he started rubbing against Albert's hand, asking for food.
"All you do is eat and sleep. You're turning into a pig," Albert complained, poking Tom's head with his finger.
Before long, the group headed down to the Great Hall, where the air was filled with the sweet and enticing aroma of roasted pumpkin.
For breakfast, they were treated to pumpkin pancakes and honey-glazed pumpkin.
It was fantastic.
However, the four friends' good mood didn't last long. Wood delivered a letter, informing them that Mario, Danny, and Jack might not be able to come to Hogwarts for the performance.
A few days ago, the trio had a disagreement with some wizards during a show, and Danny and Jack were hit by dark curses. They were now hospitalized at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
What terrible news.
Everyone fell silent, unsure of what to say.
"I have a feeling this year's Halloween feast won't go smoothly," Albert mumbled, drizzling honey onto his roasted pumpkin.
"We're doomed!" Fred exclaimed, covering his face with his hand.
"Doomed," George echoed, doing the same.
"We're screwed," Lee Jordan added, also covering his face.
Their synchronized actions amused the rest of the group.
"You guys are something else," Albert said, shaking his head.
"Don't worry," said Nearly Headless Nick as he passed by, overhearing their conversation. "Even if the circus troupe can't make it, there's still the performance by the Headless Hunt."
"What's the Headless Hunt?" George asked curiously.
"A group of ghosts with their heads and bodies separated," Nick explained. "I'm considering joining the Hunt myself."
"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," Albert said. Of course, he didn't really care much about the Headless Hunt. In his vague memory of the original story, he didn't recall anything significant about it.
Hmm, there was a ghost gathering during Harry's second year... Perhaps...
He couldn't quite remember, and it was probably not that important anyway.
As they continued getting ready, the conversation turned to the performance of the Headless Hunt and the prospect of seeing ghosts, which they had never encountered before. They made their way to the Potions classroom, still deep in discussion.
The Potions class was not particularly enjoyable, as Snape always seemed to relish making things difficult for Gryffindor students, especially when the Slytherins and Gryffindors had class together.
However, Snape rarely targeted Albert these days, as it was challenging to find an excuse. Unfortunately, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan weren't so lucky, and they were often called upon to answer questions, deliberately set up to embarrass them.
The three of them had developed a thick skin about it and would candidly admit their lack of knowledge, letting Professor Snape say a few words before deducting points from Gryffindor.
Amidst the Slytherins' laughter, Fred narrowed his eyes dangerously, as if contemplating how to get back at them.
After class, the trio cursed the 'old bat' as usual.
"Hey, don't be upset. That guy might run into some bad luck today," Albert said.
"What kind of bad luck?"
"He might see some blood," Albert replied, raising his eyebrows. "A bloodlight disaster."
"That would be brilliant."
"If I were you, I wouldn't pretend to be a Seer and spout nonsense," Snape's cold voice suddenly said from behind them.
"Good morning, Professor," Albert said with a smile.
"Ten points from Gryffindor. Whispering behind people's backs is not a good habit, Weasley," Snape said, glancing at Fred and George before his eyes landed on Albert. He then quickly strode away.
"When did he even get here? He's as quiet as a bat," Lee Jordan suddenly asked.
"He must've just arrived," Albert said.
"Why didn't you warn us?" Fred complained.
"I wanted him to hear about his bad luck," Albert replied.
Albert narrowed his eyes, speaking with a hint of pleasure. He vaguely recalled that Snape had once been bitten by a dog, and it was very likely that it happened today.
Hearing Albert mention that Snape would be unlucky today, the trio's initially dismal mood instantly vanished, and they sincerely hoped that the old bat would encounter even more misfortune.
The afternoon's Dark Arts Defense class was canceled in advance due to the All Hallow's Eve festivities. The group took advantage of the extra time to head to the library and finish their Potions homework.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan had initially wanted to put off going to the library, but they eventually conceded to Albert, accompanying him to get their homework done efficiently.
"What's going on between you and her?" Lee Jordan whispered to Albert, glancing at Katrina.
The Ravenclaw genius used to frequently join Albert to work on their homework together. However, ever since their last trip to Hogsmeade, their relationship seemed to have hit a snag.
"It's nothing," Albert shrugged, continuing to browse through the fig research papers.
When the group left the library, it was already 5:30 in the evening, and Fred and George were surprised to find that they had managed to stay focused on their homework for several hours.
As for Lee Jordan, the unlucky fellow had been chased out of the library by Madam Pince for snacking on Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans while studying.
"You didn't do that on purpose, did you?" As Lee Jordan took the completed homework from Fred and George, the two suddenly realized the possibility. How could Lee Jordan possibly do something so foolish?
There was only one likely explanation.
"Hey, don't jump to conclusions, I'm just unlucky like this," Lee Jordan said with a smile, defensively. He stuffed the two parchment sheets into his bag.
"I've misjudged you."
"I never thought you'd be this kind of person."
"Give our homework back!"
"Ahem, what are you up to?" Lee Jordan tried to divert Fred and George's attention as he glanced at Albert, who was staring at the Marauder's Map.
"It's nothing," Albert replied, putting away the map.
"That doesn't look like nothing," George said, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't let Lee Jordan distract you," Fred warned.
"Let's go, we're heading to the Great Hall," Albert said, clearly not wanting to discuss the matter further.
Hermione Granger was still in the Gryffindor common room, and he wasn't sure if the upcoming events would unfold according to the original story. While history had a certain inevitability, Albert didn't dare to make assumptions.
Of course, just then, Albert had made a decision—if things didn't progress as they did in the story, he would make sure they did.
After all, it was a simple matter.
At seven o'clock in the evening, Albert, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan made their way through the entrance hall, joining the other students streaming into the Great Hall.
Above their heads, thousands of bats fluttered around the pumpkin lanterns hanging over the tables, like low-hanging clouds.
After a few brief words from Dumbledore, the feast began. Delicious dishes appeared on golden plates, just like previous feasts, but with a few extra exquisite pumpkin dishes to celebrate All Hallow's Eve.
Once the feast started, the Hogwarts ghosts emerged from under the tables, gliding along the length of the tables, causing the candles inside the pumpkin lanterns to flicker with a bluish light.
Following the ghosts' appearance, the Headless Hunt burst into the hall, their ghostly steeds' neighing and the ghosts' wails drowning out the sound of shattering glass.
A group of headless knights tossed their heads like balls back and forth, running above the students' heads and leaving them dazzled.
"Don't you feel dizzy?" Fred asked, staring at the skull that had landed on the table in front of them.
"No," came the reply.
Just then, a headless knight dashed past, snatching his head from the table and riding off with the others.
"That was scary!" Shan Na exclaimed.
There was no helping it; the skull had landed right on top of Shan Na's food, and now she couldn't bring herself to touch it.
"Don't worry, the ghosts passing through the food won't affect it," Nick consoled her.
"What was that?" George asked curiously.
"It's called Head-Tossing, and it looks quite fun. I'm thinking of joining the Headless Hunt next year," Nick explained as he floated by.
"I'm looking forward to it," Albert said. Of course, he didn't really care much about the Headless Hunt. In his vague memory of the original story, he didn't recall anything significant about it.
Hmm, there was a ghost gathering during Harry's second year... Perhaps...
He couldn't quite remember, and it was probably not that important anyway.
As they continued getting ready, the conversation turned to the performance of the Headless Hunt and the prospect of seeing ghosts, which they had never encountered before. They made their way to the Potions classroom, still deep in discussion.
The Potions class was not particularly enjoyable, as Snape always seemed to relish making things difficult for Gryffindor students, especially when the Slytherins and Gryffindors had class together.
However, Snape rarely targeted Albert these days, as it was challenging to find an excuse. Unfortunately, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan weren't so lucky, and they were often called upon to answer questions deliberately set up to embarrass them.
The three of them had developed a thick skin about it and would candidly admit their lack of knowledge, letting Professor Snape say a few words before deducting points from Gryffindor.
Amidst the Slytherins' laughter, Fred narrowed his eyes dangerously, contemplating how to get back at them.
After class, the trio cursed the 'old bat' as usual.
"Hey, don't be upset. That guy might run into some bad luck today," Albert said.
"What kind of bad luck?"
"He might see some blood. A bloodlight disaster," Albert replied, raising his eyebrows.
"That would be brilliant."
"If I were you, I wouldn't pretend to be a Seer and spout nonsense," Snape's cold voice suddenly said from behind them.
"Good morning, Professor," Albert said with a smile.
"Ten points from Gryffindor. Whispering behind people's backs is not a good habit, Weasley," Snape said, glancing at Fred and George before his eyes landed on Albert. He then quickly strode away.
"When did he even get here? He's as quiet as a bat," Lee Jordan suddenly asked.
"He must've just arrived," Albert said.
"Why didn't you warn us?" Fred complained.
"I wanted him to hear about his bad luck," Albert replied.
(End of Chapter)
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