Chapter 442: Malice
Chapter 442: Malice
It was finally over! Albert heaved a sigh of relief as he finished asking Quirrell his final question, flashing the professor a benign smile. At last, he could stop wracking his brains for inquiries to pester Quirrell with.
He was glad to have completed the "Good Student" task before Quirrell's demise.
Now they could both rest easy! Feeling jubilant, Albert parted ways with Quirrell and cheerfully beckoned to his waiting roommates to join him for a meal in the Great Hall.
"You seem to be in high spirits," Fred remarked, eyeing Albert's grin. It was indeed a rare sight to see Albert so jubilant.
Even when they had won the lottery, Albert hadn't looked this pleased.
"Yes, I'm feeling rather cheerful," Albert admitted with a wide smile.
"Care to share what has you so happy?" George asked, already slinging an arm around Albert's shoulders. "Don't be shy; we won't mind if you share your joy."
"It's related to Professor Quirrell," Albert replied thoughtfully.
"Professor Quirrell?"
The three boys exchanged glances, perplexed as to why Albert would bring up the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"I don't think Professor Quirrell should have been hired at Hogwarts," Albert began, but was cut off midway by Lee Jordan.
"Come on, Albert, don't try to change the subject now," Lee said, seeing right through Albert's ploy.
"Ahem, I'm just stating the facts. The professor's condition does seem rather dire," Albert said, feigning innocence as he walked alongside them. "If he doesn't resign soon, he might very well become another victim of the curse."
"I think you're right about that," Fred nodded, still persistent. "But you still haven't told us what has you so cheerful."
They knew Albert's tricks too well to be diverted so easily.
"I've asked all the questions I wanted to, so I won't be bothering Professor Quirrell anymore," Albert said with a smile. "From now on, he won't have to dread seeing me and take detours to avoid me."
Of course, Albert wouldn't divulge anything about his tasks to them. However, he wasn't exactly lying; he was just sharing a partial truth.
Sometimes, leaving out parts of the truth was akin to telling a lie, blurring the lines between fact and fiction.
"I'm done asking."
The trio was taken aback. They had enjoyed watching Albert relentlessly question Quirrell during his free time—the bewildered and confused looks on the professor's face, followed by his thoughtful consideration before answering, only to end with an expression of fatigue and despair.
And now, it was coming to an end.
"I think Professor Quirrell's health is deteriorating, and since I've gotten what I wanted, I won't trouble him further," Albert said, feigning concern for the professor's well-being. "I don't want people to blame me for wearing him out and sending him to the hospital, so it's best I leave him be."
The trio quickly honed in on the key part of Albert's statement: "since I've gotten what I wanted."
What exactly did Albert want? They all wondered if it was knowledge.
"Let me tell you a secret," Fred said suddenly.
"What secret?" Albert asked.
"Guess," Fred said with a mischievous grin.
"You guess if I'll guess or not."
"We've made some preliminary progress on blowing up the toilet," George whispered, ensuring no one else was around before continuing.
"Blowing up the toilet?" Albert recalled the incident and nodded. Indeed, Fred and George had intended to blow up Malfoy's toilet. Speaking of Malfoy, Albert's eyes narrowed as he remembered the boy's desire to strike his own cat.
"Using the Exploding Spell?"
"Well, I knew you'd guess it."
"Can you control the Exploding Spell well enough?" Albert asked in return.
"We've managed to do so. We tested it on the toilets in the Room of Requirement, and the results were remarkable," Fred said excitedly, only to be cut off by George and Lee Jordan, who covered his mouth.
"We're not planning to blast Malfoy into the sky," Albert reminded them, patting Fred's shoulder. "We just want to give him an unforgettable surprise."
The trio exchanged embarrassed looks, having forgotten that someone might be sitting on the toilet when it exploded.
Who knew what would happen if they cast the Exploding Spell while Malfoy was using the toilet?
"I remember that obnoxious little brat from the Malfoy family wanting to hit your cat, Tom," Fred said, seeking Albert's assistance in solving a technical issue.
"I know what you're getting at," Albert proposed. "Why don't you try using gunpowder? I recall there's a firework called the 'Blooming in Contact with Water'?"
"Fireworks, huh? That's not a bad idea, although it's a bit of a waste of money," George muttered.
"I was just giving an example to spark some ideas," Albert continued. "Before we do anything, we should spice up Malfoy's food to ensure he gets an upset stomach."
"Oh my, you truly are a genius, Albert."
The trio was instantly intrigued by Albert's suggestion, assuming he knew how to concoct a potion that would induce diarrhea.
"There's a magical plant from Asia mentioned in 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' called the 'Dolichos bean'. It can be used to create a purgative," Albert explained. "If ingested directly, it will cause the consumer to have an upset stomach and effectively treat constipation." He paused before adding, "You should be able to purchase the Dolichos bean or its powder form from Slug & Jiggers Apothecary in Diagon Alley. Send them an owl if you get the chance."
"Dolichos bean," the trio murmured, committing the name to memory.
They soon wore mischievous grins and began searching for parchment and quills to write to the apothecary in Diagon Alley.
Fred planned to revisit "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi" to see if he could find an effective way to suppress the effects of the Dolichos bean. This could be the perfect tool for an extremely nasty prank—the image of someone dashing to the bathroom, clutching their stomach, was simply delightful.
"One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi is truly a treasure trove of endless possibilities," Lee Jordan couldn't help but admire Albert's ingenuity. He always managed to find peculiar ingredients within its pages.
As Albert watched the trio hurry away, he shook his head and made his way into the Great Hall for lunch. Later, he would need to drop by the Room of Requirement to claim his reward for the "Good Student" task.
While Quirrell wasn't particularly powerful, he was still a professor, so the reward should be decent.
(End of Chapter)
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