Chapter 501: Learning to Enjoy Life
Chapter 501: Learning to Enjoy Life
"Tom, Tom, where are you? It's time for bed."
The door to the second-floor room was gently knocked on, and Nia pushed it open, poking her head in. She spotted Albert sitting at his desk and asked, "Is Tom here?"
"It probably went to the master bedroom to enjoy the air conditioning." Albert replied. Their home had air conditioning in two places—the master bedroom where Daisy and Herb slept, and the living room.
As a cat that knew how to enjoy the good life, Tom naturally opted for the cool air of the master bedroom once the living room's AC was turned off, leaving Albert and Nia's room with just a whirring fan.
"Oh."
Nia took one last glance at Albert before closing the door and heading downstairs. She made her way to the master bedroom and knocked, "Mom, is Tom with you?"
"Tom's here." Daisy pointed to the chubby cat lounging on a chair.
"Tom, it's time to go to sleep."
The girl promptly picked up the hefty Tom and returned to her room.
In the wizarding world, magic that could create ice was rare. As far as Albert knew, there wasn't any magic that could generate ice or cold, not even the Freezing Spell, which froze objects, caused them to actually become icy.
According to Albert's knowledge, the most effective way to create cold was through Dementors. Wherever these creatures lurked, the surrounding temperature would plummet, turning even a cup of hot water into ice within minutes.
If one could somehow seal a Dementor into a container, it might be possible to create a magical refrigerator or air conditioner.
A Dementor-powered air conditioner—now that would be something! "I doubt anyone would buy it, though!" Albert chuckled at his own idea.
After all, wizards tended to steer clear of such dark creatures, and the thought of having one in their home, even contained, would be unappealing to most.
However, Albert knew that Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor used a modified Muggle refrigerator, much like Arthur's flying Ford car.
Magic certainly had its uses at times.
As for the rule against bewitching Muggle artifacts—old Fortescue didn't seem to mind.
Besides, who would know if it was even illegal, and with his connections, no one was likely to cause him trouble over it.
"What are you thinking about?"
Izabel's voice echoed from the two-way mirror.
"I was wondering how wizards coped with hot summers without air conditioning or electric fans." Albert smiled at the girl in the mirror as he shared his thoughts.
"You certainly are bold. I'd wager no one but you would think of capturing Dementors and using them to cool down." Izabel covered her forehead with her hand, both amused and exasperated by Albert's audacity.
But after witnessing his use of the cursed Mandrake as a weapon, she had no doubt that he would one day put this idea into action.
A Dementor cooler—the very idea was laughable.
It would surely become a joke in the wizarding world! "A small number of wizards cast the Basic Movement Spell on leaves to create what you would call a fan." Izabel paused for a moment, then decided to answer Albert's unspoken question.
"Of course, they can also use the Weather-Modifying Spell to create windy conditions."
"What about most wizards, then?"
"In fact, most wizards aren't that afraid of the heat. They're used to it. Especially Dark wizards—they tend to live in gloomy castles and manors, and they give off a chilly aura themselves."
Of course, the last part was said in jest.
But her words held a ring of truth—would Dark wizards even fear the heat?
No, they wouldn't.
That was probably the wizarding world's version of a cold joke! "How's the bubble milk tea?" Albert changed the subject.
Discussing Dementors and Dark wizards in the quiet of the night was certainly not very romantic.
"She really likes those chewy black pearls," Izabel said, cradling her chin in her hands as she gazed at Albert through the two-way mirror. "But I've tried making it a few times with the tapioca starch you sent, and it hasn't been successful."
"Is bubble tea a drink from your world?" Albert asked, and then added, "It's usually served with ice cubes to keep it cool." His tone turned curious as he inquired further, "I'm more interested in how wizards get their ice. Don't they need to keep their food fresh?"
"I'm not really sure about that..." Izabel shook her head.
"Most wizards don't seem to care much about making their lives more comfortable," Albert said with a hint of exasperation. "They don't even utilize magic to improve their living environment, unlike Tom, who knows how to enjoy the finer things in life."
"It's evident that you're someone who appreciates life's pleasures," Izabel remarked casually.
"No one wants to freeze in the cold winter or swelter in the warm weather," Albert grumbled. "The wizards in Britain seem a bit old-fashioned. I've heard that wizards in America are more familiar with Muggle lifestyles and know how to make their lives better."
"I'm not very familiar with the magical community in America," Izabel admitted.
"Could you help me look into some related magic? You can teach me when we go back to school. It's really frustrating not being able to use magic." Albert couldn't help but complain again. "I'm even hesitant to use my wand now. Hektor mentioned Dolores Umbridge to me, and I really don't want to deal with the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. That woman is pure trouble."
"Sure, but don't get your hopes up too high," Izabel said, stifling a yawn.
Just then, an owl flew into the room through the window. Albert thought it was Shella returning, but it turned out to be a gray nocturnal owl.
It dropped a letter on the table and helped itself to some owl treats in Shella's trough before flying off again.
Fortunately, Shella wasn't there, or else there might have been a scuffle between the two birds.
Shella seemed to be busy today, as she had flown off on some errand and hadn't returned yet.
"Katrina has arrived, so I'll take my leave. Goodnight!"
Izabel wrapped the two-way mirror in a cloth and placed it in the drawer next to her bed.
"Goodnight," Albert replied.
As Albert put away his two-way mirror, intending to open Sera's letter, another owl flew into the room, signaling Shella's return with a letter in tow.
To his surprise, the letter was from Hermione.
In her letter, Hermione mentioned that she had lost contact with Harry, and Ron hadn't been able to reach him either.
Albert, of course, knew about Harry's predicament—all his letters were being intercepted by the Malfoy family house-elf.
"He might be facing some troubles," Albert wrote back to Hermione. "Harry's family doesn't seem too fond of wizards, and they may be preventing him from replying or even keeping his owl locked up. As you know, underage wizards aren't allowed to use magic." He offered some suggestions: "If you still can't get in touch with Harry, you could pay a visit to his home. I think Hagrid would know where he lives."
"You can contact Hagrid and tell him that Harry has run into some trouble. I'm sure Hagrid would be more than happy to pay them a visit."
After finishing the letter, Albert didn't immediately give it to Shella. He decided to wait for his owl to regain its strength before sending it off.
Just then, another owl flew into the room and dropped a letter on his desk.
Albert's expression turned curious as he picked up the letter, surprised to see that it had come all the way from across the ocean in America.
He didn't recall having any friends in America.
(End of Chapter)
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