Chapter 549: The Harry Potter Fan Club
Chapter 549: The Harry Potter Fan Club
"Harry, what did Professor Lockhart want with you?"
As soon as Harry returned, Hermione eagerly approached him to ask.
"Lockhart said he could give me extra tutoring in Dark Magic Defense, and even teach me how to play Quidditch," Harry said, his face masking his disgust at the thought. "But I turned him down."
"Lockhart knows how to play Quidditch?" Ron blinked, skeptical. "I thought he just signed autographs."
"You shouldn't speak ill of Professor Lockhart like that," Hermione frowned disapprovingly. "Many professors have their own clubs. Perhaps Professor Lockhart simply wanted to invite Harry to join his."
"The Gilderoy Lockhart Admiration Club?" Ron teased with a mocking tone.
Noticing Hermione's disapproving glance, Harry quickly changed the subject. "Hermione, how do you know that professors have their own clubs?"
"Albert told me," Hermione said, stopping at the corner of the corridor and turning to face the two of them. "He said that if your grades are excellent, professors will invite you to join their clubs. Members of Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration Club often publish papers in the academic journal, 'Today's Transfiguration.' Albert has already published several papers there. So, Harry, you shouldn't..."
"I think your admiration for Albert is more reliable than your admiration for Lockhart," Ron interrupted. "At least Albert is truly amazing and a great person."
"He's amazing at Quidditch too," Harry added, recalling how Albert had helped Hogwarts win the Quidditch Cup last semester.
"Hermione, don't tell me you've joined the Gilderoy Lockhart Admiration Club?" Ron teased.
"There's no such club in school," Hermione rebutted.
"How would you know?" Ron mumbled. "I remember you circled Lockhart's classes with heart-shaped marks."
Hermione glared at Ron irritably and stormed off in a huff.
"You shouldn't have upset her," Harry said, shaking his head as he watched Hermione's retreating figure. "It's not rational to discuss this with her."
"I'm just stating facts," Ron continued. "Last time, Fred told me that there's actually a 'Fan Club of Albert Anderson' in school. So, it's not surprising if there's a 'Gilderoy Lockhart Admiration Club.'"
"The Fan Club of Albert Anderson? Are you sure?" Harry asked, his expression one of disbelief.
"It's the Wizarding Card Club that Albert founded," Ron explained in a lowered voice. "I heard that many of Albert's admirers applied to join that club, at least to have their names on the list. Half the students in school are members, and now everyone privately calls it the Fan Club of Albert Anderson."
Harry's mouth twitched as he, Ron, and Hermione were also members of the Wizarding Card Club, although they rarely attended the monthly gatherings anymore.
"Maybe one day, Colin Creevey will take the initiative to form a 'Harry Potter Fan Club' for you," Ron joked.
"Don't be ridiculous," Harry quickly changed the subject. "Do you really not need me to lend you some Galleons to buy a new wand?"
"No, I'll just make do with this old wand. I'm used to it anyway," Ron replied, although he longed for a new wand. Ultimately, he didn't borrow money from Harry because he knew he wouldn't be able to pay it back.
Even the cheapest wand would cost seven or eight Galleons, and an expensive one could exceed ten Galleons. With Ron's empty purse, he might not be able to repay the debt even by the time they graduated.
So, Ron had no choice but to refuse.
The champion of each Wizarding Card Competition received a reward of ten Galleons. It would be great if he could win the competition.
Unfortunately, Ron was terrible at Wizarding Cards.
With no hope for a new wand anytime soon, Ron could only wait until the next semester and hope that his parents would calm down enough to buy him a new wand.
However, Ron didn't know that his father was still under investigation and might not get his old job back.
As the two returned to the common room, they saw Fred and George Weasley hurrying toward them.
"Harry, could you do us a favor?" Fred asked, winking at Harry.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Ginny seems to have caught a cold, but she refuses to go to the school hospital," George explained. "We're hoping that you and Harry can convince her to go see Madam Pomfrey for treatment."
"Ginny's sick?"
"Yeah, haven't you noticed how pale and sickly she's looked lately?" Fred's face showed his disapproval of Ron as an irresponsible older brother.
"Even if you say that..." Harry hesitated, unsure if he could persuade Ginny. He barely knew Ron's sister and didn't understand why Fred and George were asking him for help.
"Just go with Ron," Fred pleaded. "Ginny has admired you since she was little. I'm sure she'll listen to you and obediently go to the school hospital."
Harry opened his mouth, unsure what to say.
In the end, he agreed.
With the simple suggestion that it would be better to go to the school hospital and see Madam Pomfrey if she was sick, Ginny agreed to go for treatment.
"Thank you, Harry," George said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a badge that he slipped into Harry's hand. It was a badge with a lightning symbol on it. "By the way, do you remember Colin Creevey? That first-year student who admires you so much. A few days ago, he spent a few Sickles to have us make some badges. It seems he's trying to start a Harry Potter Fan Club for you."
Harry looked at the lightning badge in his hand in astonishment, then turned to Ron, annoyed. "Thanks to your big mouth."
"I was just speaking casually," Ron took the badge from Harry and examined it carefully. "This badge actually looks... pretty good. Harry, where are you going?"
"To find Colin Creevey," Harry said as he hurried away. He couldn't bear to think of what Lockhart might do if he found out someone was starting a "Harry Potter Fan Club."
Harry had had enough of Lockhart's harassment.
On the other hand, the Weasley twins finally brought their sister to the school hospital. The situation there seemed less than ideal, as many students had caught colds due to the rainy season and cold weather.
"Drink this, and you'll be fine."
Madam Pomfrey scooped a large spoonful of the potion from a crucible and handed it to Ginny Weasley.
"Do I have to?"
Ginny glanced at the unfortunate student next to her, whose ears were still smoking from the effects of the potion, and felt reluctant.
"Drink it, and you'll feel better soon," Fred urged, handing the cup to Ginny. "I'll get you a present afterward. You'll like it."
"What present?"
"It's a badge from the Harry Potter Fan Club," George said, pulling out the lightning badge and placing it in Ginny's hand.
Ginny held the badge and reluctantly drank the potion.
The next moment, her face turned bright red, and steam rose from her like a boiling kettle.
(End of Chapter)
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