Chapter 401: Who's the Big Loser?
Chapter 401: Who's the Big Loser?
As November arrived, the weather turned bitterly cold.
Every morning, through the frost-covered windows of the dormitory, one could see Hagrid, bundled up in his moleskin overcoat, sweeping snow off the Quidditch pitch with a large broom, preparing for the upcoming Quidditch match.
"Albert," Fred asked anxiously, poking his head out of his sweater, "do you think we can beat Slytherin today?"
George and Lee Jordan, who had been minding their own business, also turned to look at their friend, awaiting his response with bated breath.
Albert feigned deep thought before slowly answering, "We will win. Harry Potter should be able to catch the Golden Snitch and secure our victory. As you know, I have high regards for Potter's skills."
Hearing Albert's prediction, the trio heaved a sigh of relief. That single statement had just increased Gryffindor's chances of winning by at least thirty percent in their minds.
"Ha! I knew it!" George exclaimed, excitedly patting Albert on the back, only to earn a stern glare that made him quickly withdraw his hand.
"I can't wait to see the look on Slytherin's faces when they lose, especially since it will be at the hands of Harry Potter. That will be priceless!" Lee Jordan added, not forgetting how the Slytherins had ridiculed Harry when he was first selected for the Quidditch team.
As the group left their dormitory and headed towards the common room, they spotted Angelina, Alicia, and Katie huddled together, presumably on their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.
"Ladies," Lee Jordan greeted them with a smile, "I've got some good news for you. Albert here believes our Seeker will catch the Snitch, and if I weren't commentating on the match, I'd definitely be setting up a betting pool to make a nice profit."
"Why didn't you include me? I'm heartbroken."
A voice piped up from a short distance away, and Kenneth Towler strode towards them, enthusiastically throwing an arm around Albert's neck. "You're saying Harry Potter will catch the Golden Snitch, right? Want to set up a betting pool with me? We can split the profits fifty-fifty."
"I'm more interested in placing bets myself, as you know," Albert said, removing Kenneth's arm from his shoulders.
"Of course, if you want to set up a betting pool, I don't mind placing a bet with you."
"Oh, dear Albert, aren't you aware that no one in Hogwarts wants to take your bets anymore?" Kenneth Towler said, unfazed. "Unless, of course, you give up that lucky title of yours."
"I can find people to bet with."
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan snickered at this.
"Oh no, please don't do that. You'll just mess everything up," Kenneth Towler said, a little deflated. Though he hated to admit it, that blasted Albert had never lost money on a bet, and he couldn't fathom how the guy did it.
If Albert placed bets with him, he'd surely end up losing all the Galleons in his pockets.
"I can pitch in five Galleons to share the risk."
"Alright, I agree to your damn idea. I'll give you thirty percent of the profits, as long as you don't place any bets with me. Also, give me some tips, and we can all make some money together."
Kenneth Towler agreed and casually took the Galleon from Albert's hand.
"You can go to the Slytherins," Albert suggested. "You know my prediction—Harry will catch the Golden Snitch and win it for Gryffindor. The Slytherins will definitely think their team will win, and at the very least, they'll be willing to bet some Galleons to support their own house.
"That's not a bad idea," Kenneth Towler nodded, then shamelessly asked, "Can you predict when Harry might catch the Snitch?"
Albert ignored the cheeky bugger and headed to the Great Hall with the others.
The aroma of roasted sausages filled the Great Hall, and every student was eagerly anticipating the upcoming Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin.
One of the favorite topics of discussion was how many players would end up in the hospital wing and in what creative ways they would get there.
Of course, the famous Harry Potter was also a hot topic of conversation.
As Albert ate his sausage, he noticed Kenneth Towler carrying a pre-made box, approaching the Slytherin table and asking if anyone was interested in placing bets.
He was offering much higher odds for Slytherin's victory, which successfully enraged a group of Slytherin students, some of whom were already planning to make him pay with his underwear.
When Kenneth Towler circled back, he shared some good news with Albert—most people didn't think highly of Harry, and there were quite a few bets being placed on the Slytherin Seeker catching the Snitch first.
"But are you sure Potter will be alright?" Kenneth Towler asked quietly, stealing a glance at Harry Potter's seat, a hint of anxiety in his eyes.
He couldn't help but feel a bit worried, as the savior of the wizarding world didn't exactly exude confidence at the moment.
Of course, Kenneth Towler had successfully drawn some hatred towards Harry.
"No problem," Albert said, munching on his roasted sausage.
"What do you mean no problem? Don't get me into trouble," Kenneth Towler said lightly, tapping the numbers in the box. More than twenty people had bet that Potter wouldn't catch the Golden Snitch, and the bets already totaled over twenty Galleons.
"Just trust me and believe in Potter. We will definitely win against Slytherin today," Albert said confidently.
"Really?" Shan'na looked at Albert doubtfully and took out a Sickle from her pocket. She handed it to Kenneth Towler and said, "Then I'll bet on Gryffindor winning. It's my way of supporting the Gryffindor team."
"Alright, alright, but as you know, I'm offering low odds for Gryffindor's victory." Kenneth Towler mumbled as he made a quick note on a slip of paper. He tore it in half, gave one piece to Shan'na, and then continued to look for more bettors.
"I'm counting on you to make me rich." Shan'na waved the slip of paper in her hand and smiled.
"If you want to make money, you should put out more Galleons." Albert looked at Kenneth with a bit of disdain. That guy was only offering a 0.7 payout for Gryffindor's win.
However, most of the Gryffindor students didn't seem to mind, considering it as Kenneth's way of supporting their house.
"Someone from Slytherin is also taking bets." Truman walked up to Albert, slung an arm around his neck, and handed him a slip of paper with the odds listed. With a smile, he asked, "So, who do you think will win?"
"Harry Potter," Albert replied after a moment's thought. He then reached into his pocket and took out five Galleons. "How much do you want to bet?"
"Two Galleons. I'm not as rich as you, and... you're going to make it hard for people to pay up if they lose," Truman said as he took the two Galleons.
"I think five Galleons is still within their capacity," Albert considered. "They'll probably think you're an easy mark."
"I don't mind being that easy mark," Truman said with a smile. "But tell me, how sure are you? I'm really counting on this to make a fortune."
"I'm willing to bet five Galleons myself."
"You're betting that Harry Potter will catch the Golden Snitch, right?" Truman repeated.
"Yes," Albert nodded.
"Okay, I'll wait for your good news then." Before leaving, Truman casually pocketed the three Galleons that Albert had left on the table.
"You're quite generous," Shan'na said with a smile, a little regretful that she hadn't joined in the bet.
"Why not make some money when we can, especially when it's at the expense of Slytherin?" Lee Jordan chimed in, feeling great. He had also placed a bet with a Galleon.
However, he wasn't as generous as Albert.
There was no helping it, as that jerk Kenneth Towler refused to take their bets, claiming that they were obviously acting on Albert's instructions. The two of them had no choice but to comply. Unexpectedly, someone from Slytherin was willing to take bets, and Fred and George were more than happy to wager on their own team's victory.
The Slytherins were quite welcoming of their bets.
"Who's taking bets over there?" Albert asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch captain. He's a dumb idiot. He got a few other Slytherin players to join him in taking bets," Fred replied, shrugging at Albert's questioning glance. "I just placed a bet myself, one Galleon."
"Is the Flint family rich?"
"The Flints definitely have money," Alicia chimed in. She had also gone with the twins to place their bets.
"I thought you two would bet more," Albert commented.
"What if he doesn't pay up?" George mumbled. If it were him, he would deliberately drag his feet and not pay up.
"We can always knock him out and take it back if he doesn't want to pay," Albert said without hesitation. "If he's unwilling, that is."
"You actually bet two Galleons." Ron had been eavesdropping on their conversation, and he looked at Fred and George with disbelief. He couldn't imagine the two of them spending a large sum of money on a bet.
"Ron, if you're short on money, you can join us in the bet. It's a way to support Harry," Fred said, noticing Ron's incredulous expression.
"If I had the money, I wouldn't mind," Ron said dryly. He really didn't have much money, and he wasn't keen on gambling.
"It's your loss if you don't take this opportunity to make some money." George shrugged and turned to Harry. "You should have some confidence in yourself. Albert predicted that you'll catch the Golden Snitch and secure our victory."
"Alright, I'll bet on myself winning too." Harry mumbled and took out a Galleon from his pocket, handing it to George.
"Harry," Hermione chided, giving Harry a disapproving look. She didn't think gambling was a good habit.
"You won't lose. Albert has never lost a bet before, and Lucky Albert isn't a nickname for nothing." Fred snatched the Galleon and walked towards the Slytherin table.
At that moment, Ron had a strange feeling, as if something was slipping away from him.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
