Chapter 45: Evening Self-Study?
Chapter 45: Evening Self-Study?
During dinner that evening, Charlie sat beside Albert, chatting about Quidditch rules between bites of food and suggesting that Albert read up on Quidditch Through the Ages in his free time.
"How long was the longest Quidditch game at Hogwarts?" Albert asked curiously. If catching the Golden Snitch ended the game, what would happen if it was lost?
"Three days, supposedly," Charlie replied after a moment's thought. "And if they really couldn't find it, they'd call off the game early and award victory to the team with the most points."
Their conversation about Quidditch was interrupted by a sudden female voice.
"Albert, Professor McGonagall asked me to give this to you," Angelina said, handing him a folded piece of parchment.
"Thanks, Angelina," Albert replied, taking the parchment. He opened it to find the following message:
Thursday, 7 p.m., Sixth Floor, Classroom 21. Remember, basic transfiguration principles according to Gamp. "What's this?" Fred asked, abandoning his potato to lean in closer.
"It's a notice from Professor McGonagall about the next meeting of the Transfiguration Club," Albert explained, handing the parchment to Fred.
The twins and Lee Jordan immediately crowded around to read the parchment.
"Transfiguration Club? What's that?" Charlie asked, pausing in his explanation of Quidditch tactics and looking at Albert in confusion.
"A club formed by Professor McGonagall," Albert clarified.
"What does 'Remember, basic transfiguration principles according to Gamp' mean?" George asked, puzzled.
"It's probably the password to get into the classroom," Albert speculated.
"Sorry, Charlie," he continued, "but if there's a conflict between Quidditch practice and the Transfiguration Club, I'm afraid I'll have to prioritize the club."
"Oh, I almost forgot about that," Lee Jordan chimed in, remembering. The twins exchanged glances, clearly aware of this as well.
All four of them could tell that Charlie had been hoping to mold Albert into a Seeker or Chaser, but it seemed that dream was already over before it began.
What they didn't know was that Albert had no intention of joining the Quidditch team. To him, flying on a broomstick was enjoyable, and Quidditch seemed interesting, but he didn't want to undergo rigorous Quidditch training or become a Quidditch player.
As for joining a Quidditch team after graduation—no way! Charlie felt a bit stunned. What about the secret weapon they had discussed?
Before he'd even had a chance to test him out, Albert had slipped away without a trace. Charlie decided he needed to find out what was going on.
"Charlie's determined to win one last Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor before he leaves," Fred commented, shaking his head as he watched Charlie's retreating back.
After dinner, the four returned to the Gryffindor common room, which was bustling with activity and noise that made Albert's head spin.
It was probably because school had just started, and the young lions of Gryffindor were still adjusting from their summer break. Give them a few more days of revelry, pile on the homework, and they'd soon lose the energy for such antics.
"Let's go to the Great Hall," Albert suggested, deciding that reading a book in the hall while practicing magic on the side would be a better option.
The hall was much quieter, and Albert found himself a peaceful spot.
Sana, sitting by the hall's entrance, noticed Albert and walked over to him as she began practicing the Lumos spell.
After watching her fail several attempts, Albert offered some advice. "You need to believe in yourself and focus. When casting the spell, imagine your wand lighting up."
Sana's face reddened slightly from the effort, but she still couldn't get it right.
"Your mindset is all wrong," Albert pointed out. "It's affecting your success rate. If you keep doubting yourself, your chances of failure increase threefold at least." He pointed to a small box nearby. "Why don't you try one of these? Don't worry; they're chocolate beans."
"How do you know all this?" Sana asked between mouthfuls of chocolate beans. "I mean, how do you know these things help with spellcasting?"
"Do you want me to guess?" Albert asked with a smile.
"No."
"Well, to be honest, it's a conclusion I drew after failing at transfiguration too many times," Albert admitted. "A wizard's emotions can influence their spellcasting."
"I'll try again," Sana said, her mouth still sweet from the chocolate beans. She took a deep breath and, after a few more attempts, finally succeeded in lighting up her wand. Her tense expression softened into a smile of excitement.
However, the light on her wand soon flickered and went out.
"You need to focus and keep practicing," Albert encouraged her. "You'll get it."
"I thought you'd be in the library," Lee Jordan said as he sat down beside Albert, eyeing Sana with suspicion. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Where are the other two?" Albert asked.
"No idea," George replied, pulling out his wand to practice Lumos as well. His success with the spell was still inconsistent.
"What's going on with me?"
"You're probably not focusing enough!"
"What do you mean 'probably'?" Lee Jordan grumbled, but he began to concentrate harder. Although their next Charms class was a while away, it was always good to get a head start on spells.
"How do you know when you've really mastered it?"
"When you can keep your wand lit without focusing on it, I suppose," Albert answered, pausing in his book-flipping.
With some effort, Lee Jordan managed to maintain the light for longer.
Of course, that was when he was focusing on his wand. Sana was slower, but her progress was still impressive.
As it turned out, most spells were manageable with enough practice.
"Where have you two been?"
Around half-past eight, the twins finally appeared in the Great Hall, their faces stormy.
"Filch just confiscated most of our Dungbombs," Fred said through gritted teeth.
"What happened?" Albert asked, eyeing them suspiciously. "Did he catch you throwing Dungbombs?"
Here's what had transpired... The usually level-headed George recounted the story.
Not long ago, the two had been pranked by Peeves, so they had gone back to their dorm to grab some Dungbombs to get their revenge. However, just as they were about to strike, Filch had caught them and confiscated most of their Dungbombs, claiming they were prohibited items.
The twins were fuming.
Albert was left speechless after hearing their tale.
What a mess! (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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