Chapter 460: Deviation
Chapter 460: Deviation
Following the conclusion of the Wizarding Chess tournament, a new trending topic emerged at Hogwarts: the apparent closeness between the geniuses of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, Lee Jordan and Albert. In an interview, many girls picked up on their subtle connection. Rumors began circulating that they were either good friends or something more. Once again, Albert found himself the subject of whispered conversations among the young ladies of Hogwarts.
"Recently, there's been an increase in members of the Wizarding Chess Club!" Lee Jordan happily shared the good news with Albert, a common occurrence after a tournament.
"That's wonderful," Albert nodded in agreement.
"By the way, quite a few girls have been inquiring about you," Lee Jordan added.
"They've been asking about me?" Albert questioned, intrigued.
"They seem curious about whether or not you already have a girlfriend," Lee Jordan replied, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Don't you know how popular you are?"
Albert was rendered speechless by the comment, choosing to ignore Fred and George's grinning faces. Instead, he turned to Lee Jordan and asked, "How did you respond?"
"I told them you probably have a girlfriend, but no one knows who she is," came the reply.
For some reason, Albert got the distinct impression that these guys were taking delight in his predicament.
"Your answer is quite misleading," Albert remarked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Everyone is curious about your girlfriend's identity," Lee Jordan said with a wink. "Don't be shy, tell me secretly. Is it Katrina, or Sana? Could it possibly be Isabelle?"
"Well, it's Isabelle," Albert stated calmly.
Not only was Lee Jordan stunned, but Fred and George were also left speechless, unsure how to respond.
"Is that so strange?" Albert asked nonchalantly. "Geniuses tend to be drawn to each other."
"No, not at all," Lee Jordan shook his head vigorously.
Hearing those words from Albert's mouth, however, made him feel like he might have been teased.
"Ahem, when do you plan to perfect the Wizarding Chess set completely?" Lee Jordan quickly changed the subject, hoping to avoid a punch. He knew Albert disliked discussing such matters.
"There's no rush, we have plenty of time to work on it," Albert reassured him casually.
Just as Lee Jordan was about to say something more, they heard a retching sound from Fred, who was leaning over a trash can, emptying the contents of his stomach.
"It's quite potent, and I only added a little..." George picked up a quill and quickly jotted down Fred's reaction to the potion in a notebook.
"Alright, take Fred to the school hospital. I bet you haven't made an antidote yet!" Albert shook his head at the sight of Fred's relentless vomiting.
Such dedication to their cause, even at a young age.
"We're still testing its effects, and we haven't had time to make an antidote yet. This is just a minor setback, and we should be able to stop it soon," George explained, though he still asked Lee Jordan to take Fred to see Madam Pomfrey to get a suitable antidote. Fred and George's little scheme was no match for Albert's perceptiveness.
He simply chose not to expose them.
"Here, take a look at this when you have time. It would be great if you could help us improve it," George said as he handed over his notebook to Albert before leaving. Without even glancing at it, Albert tucked the notebook into his pocket and exited the 'All You Need' shop with the trio.
Instead of accompanying them to the hospital, Albert headed straight for the library, needing to find some information.
As he entered the library, Albert spotted Hermione helping Ron and Harry with their revision plans. For some reason, he felt that Harry was looking at him strangely, but Albert didn't pay it much mind. Just as he turned into the stacks to search for the books he needed, Harry approached him and whispered something.
"Do you want some of that stuff from last time?" Harry asked quietly.
Albert gave Harry a disbelieving look. "Am I addicted?" he asked, shaking his head in refusal. "I don't plan to sell that stuff anytime soon. It's too much of a hassle to make."
Harry looked disappointed but didn't press the issue further, leaving Albert to his task.
After locating the books he needed, Albert sat down next to Katrina, a clever Ravenclaw witch who had just finished memorizing the theory behind the Cheering Charm. She looked up at him and asked in a hushed tone, "You were in the 'All You Need' shop, weren't you? I tried to go in, but it was closed."
Albert didn't answer, as Isabelle approached them at that moment.
"Here's your letter," she said, handing it to Albert. "Mr. Blod asked me to give it to you. It should contain what you're looking for."
"Why would Mr. Blod ask you to deliver it?" Albert questioned, intrigued.
"Who knows?" Isabelle replied with a shrug, turning to leave. Her group of girlfriends whispered among themselves as she rejoined them.
Albert soon guessed the reason behind this arrangement and couldn't help but find it amusing. Their intentions were good, even if the method was a bit awkward.
He opened the parchment to find three more parchments inside.
One of them contained research on the Patronus Charm. The Wilde-Smith family library had extensive records on the charm, which predated the founding of Hogwarts. Over the following centuries, advanced applications of the Patronus Charm had been invented.
While the parchment didn't detail how to create a speaking Patronus like Dumbledore's, it did provide insights into more advanced uses, such as hiding the Patronus' form, summoning multiple Patronuses at once, and increasing their power.
Another parchment contained information about the Goblet of Fire, a topic he had wanted to research for a long time, as he had not found detailed records about it at Hogwarts.
Albert could understand the content written on the parchment, but he doubted his ability to create the Goblet of Fire. It was an extremely advanced form of magic, and only a handful of wizards were capable of achieving it.
If only the Goblet of Fire would appear on the skill panel...
Albert hoped to use the technology of the Goblet of Fire to perfect his magic lamp. While the skill for the magic lamp had appeared on the panel and he had even upgraded it to level two, the lamp he crafted fell short of his expectations for durability.
This made Albert realize that even if he obtained the recipe for the Philosopher's Stone and upgraded the skill, he might still be unable to create it.
While Albert didn't yearn for eternal life, he felt that with the assistance of his system, he should be able to create the Philosopher's Stone. Failure to do so would be a significant disappointment.
The ability to control one's mortality was a desire even Voldemort couldn't hide, and it was something Albert had considered as well.
To claim he hadn't thought about it would be a lie.
After all, who wouldn't want to live a long and healthy life?
(End of Chapter)
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