Chapter 548: A Different Art Style
Chapter 548: A Different Art Style
Crack! A flash of light suddenly lit up in front of Albert's eyes, causing him to raise his hand to shield his face. He turned towards the source of the sound and saw a first-year student holding a camera.
"Anderson, could I get your autograph?" The boy with the camera asked anxiously after catching a glimpse from Albert.
"Sorry, I don't like being photographed, nor do I enjoy signing autographs," Albert replied.
Reaching out, he took the photo from the boy, and flames suddenly erupted from his fingertips, engulfing the picture. The scent of burning paper began to fill the common room, but it was soon whisked out the window by a gust of wind.
The boy clearly hadn't expected his freshly taken photo to be incinerated on the spot, and he stared at Albert in bewilderment. He had never seen anyone capable of such a feat, and his eyes lit up as he considered asking something else. But before he could speak, Albert continued, "If you want to take photos, I suggest you seek out Professor Lockhart. He relishes having his photo taken, and you might even get him to autograph a few pictures for you. I'm sure there would be girls willing to pay good money for those. Of course, the famous Harry Potter would also be a great choice. He's far more well-known than I am."
The boy nodded blankly, his mind drawing a blank as to what to say next. So, he simply walked away, still looking a bit dazed.
"If Harry found out, he'd be furious," Angelina commented as she walked over. She pointed at Albert's glasses and asked, "When did you start wearing those?"
"Just now. They were a gift from a friend," Albert replied as he adjusted his glasses. "What do you think?"
"You look more mature, and there's a strange aura about you now," Alicia giggled. "Very handsome, don't you think so, Katie?"
"Hmm. How did you do that, by the way?" Katie asked curiously, and many other students nearby were also eavesdropping with interest.
Albert shifted the topic, "How's Quidditch practice going?"
"Not good," Fred replied on behalf of the girls. "Wood's driving us crazy with his training regimen."
"Can we borrow your Divination homework for reference?" George asked lazily as he slumped into an armchair.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any homework for that subject," Albert said with a smile.
As the only wizard in Hogwarts who could actually divine using a crystal ball, he had negotiated with Professor Trelawney to be exempt from homework. Now, he only needed to acquire knowledge about divination from her, broadening his understanding of the subject.
The same went for Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies—most of the homework for those subjects had been waived, which sounded absurd, but it was indeed a privilege afforded to exceptional students. For Albert, those assignments held little value, and they would only waste his time.
"That's not fair!" Fred complained, though he knew about Albert's abilities and was merely venting.
"Speaking of that," Albert steered the conversation in a different direction, gesturing for Fred and George to look at Ginny Weasley, who was doing her homework not too far away. Her face looked a bit pale, and she seemed unwell.
"What's wrong with Ginny?" George asked with concern.
"She might have caught the flu. You should take her to see Madam Pomfrey," Albert suggested without hesitation. "You two aren't very good older brothers, are you?"
"How did you notice that?" Angelina asked curiously. "You didn't..."
"I saw it when I bumped into her earlier," Albert said irritably, not wanting to admit that he had been secretly observing Ginny Weasley.
Indeed, the possession of a Horcrux did have a negative impact on its owner, and while Ginny's situation wasn't as dire as Quirrell's, she had become weaker.
"Ginny, are you alright?" Fred and George felt a bit guilty. They had indeed been neglecting their little sister, and Ginny didn't look very energetic.
Ginny insisted that she was fine and didn't want to go to the school hospital, leaving Fred and George unsure of what to do.
"You can ask Harry for help!" Albert suggested casually. "I recall your sister admires him a lot. Perhaps Ron should take Harry with him to see her."
"You're really something else!" Lee Jordan walked over, shaking a greaseproof paper bag in his hand. "By the way, do you guys want some? How's training going?"
"Don't mention it," Fred grabbed a potato and egg pancake from the bag and took a bite while it was still hot. "Wood is a maniac when it comes to training."
"I don't think there are any new players this year, are there?" Alicia asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, what about it?" Lee Jordan handed out the potato and egg pancakes to everyone and said, "On my way back, I heard McLaggen complaining about it. He said Wood only lets his friends play and doesn't even bother with tryouts."
"He hasn't shown up for the last few practices," George said irritably.
"Team tryouts are still necessary," Albert shook his head. "At least it gives everyone a chance to hope for a spot on the team. Otherwise, how many people would be willing to stay on as reserve players?"
Some things required a bit of superficial effort. Just because Albert didn't mind, it didn't mean others felt the same.
In fact, the current batch of players was also very young, which directly led to Wood's decision to forgo team tryouts.
"By the way, Albert, it seems like the house-elves really like you." Lee Jordan smiled mischievously. "When I was in the kitchen, I heard them discussing what to get you for Christmas."
"They want to give me a Christmas present?" Albert raised an eyebrow.
"I've never heard of house-elves giving gifts to students before," Alicia was intrigued. "How did you manage that?"
"That guy was just teasing me," Albert brushed it off.
"No, no," Lee Jordan raised his hand, his expression serious. "I assure you, every word I said is true."
"Your assurance is worthless," Fred and George teased in unison.
"Hey, when did you start wearing glasses?" Fred reached out and took Albert's glasses, putting them on himself. "And they're even half-moon spectacles!"
"Be careful not to break them. They were a gift from a friend, and they're worth quite a few Galleons," Albert took back his glasses and put them on again. "Don't you think wearing glasses makes you look more mature?"
"You're already plenty mature," Lee Jordan couldn't help but tease. His words echoed the thoughts of everyone present. Indeed, Albert was very mature, and sometimes it felt like they didn't quite belong in the same artistic style.
(End of Chapter)
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