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Chapter 557: Pits All Around
Chapter 557: Pits All Around
"Are you really planning to make this book the grand prize for the Wizarding Chess tournament?" Lee Jordan looked at the copy of Magical Me that Albert had handed him, and asked incredulously, "I dare say, this has got to be the most unpopular grand prize in history."
"It's valuable, with Lockhart's autograph!" Albert reminded him with a smile.
"Autograph? Lockhart would sign any book he's written," Fred scoffed, "I think the champion would rather take ten Galleons than this worthless book."
"Are you only making this the prize because you don't want the book yourself?" George gave Albert a strange look, "I remember you got this book as a prize after writing a poem for Lockhart, right?"
At that moment, the three of them looked at Albert with curious gazes.
"No, this is a gift from Professor Lockhart after he found out I intended to use his book as the grand prize," Albert said with a grin, "So this time, the champion will not only receive ten Galleons, but also a personally autographed copy of Magical Me by Professor Lockhart himself."
The corners of the three boys' mouths twitched. So, the book was essentially freeloaded from Lockhart. It was so like Albert! The three of them were speechless. Perhaps those girls would be interested in Lockhart's book?
"By the way, how's your side of things going?" Albert casually changed the subject.
"Dad has helped us make the connection, as you know, there's a way, but the price might be high. We should get a reply within the next few days," Fred and George said in unison after a quick glance at each other.
"But is this really a good idea? It's going to cost a lot of Galleons, and there's no way we can make a profit if we start production now," Lee Jordan said irritably. It was a good thing that the Wizarding Chess set was about to go into official production, but if they couldn't sell it, they would definitely be making a loss, and they didn't have much funds to spare.
"Do I look like someone who likes losing money to you?" Albert said with a reassuring smile, "We will definitely make money, don't worry. After all, it's a unique business, and we're just asking for a price quote, not starting production immediately."
Although Albert was confident, and they trusted him, they still couldn't help but feel a little uncertain.
In the end, they could only believe in Albert's arrangements, even though the Weasley twins would rather he spent the limited Galleons on developing joke items.
After finishing this conversation, the three of them returned to their dormitory to get their homework and prepare to head to the library together.
Hermione suddenly came over and started discussing with Albert about the curses Lockhart had used in Travels with Trolls.
"Haven't you gone to consult Professor Lockhart?" Albert looked at Hermione in confusion.
"Professor Lockhart thinks I should try to..."
"No, no. Professor Lockhart may be right, but it will waste a lot of your time," Albert interrupted, "I think you should still go and consult Professor Lockhart properly. After all, it's more appropriate to ask him than me, isn't it?"
Hermione thought Albert made sense. That part of the book would be difficult to understand without someone explaining it.
"You can go with the other girls," Albert suggested kindly, "It's best to form a Dark Arts Defense Club and invite Professor Lockhart to give you professional guidance. From the book, it's not hard to tell that the professor is very skilled in dealing with Dark Arts and dark creatures. Even if it's just verbal guidance, it will benefit you greatly."
"That's a good idea," Hermione nodded, and then heard Albert continue, "If Lockhart is unwilling, just invite Harry into the club, and Lockhart will definitely be happy to help you."
"Okay, thank you, Albert," Hermione said as she quickly ran off.
"You shouldn't have done that."
After Hermione left, Harry came over with Ron by his side. However, his expression looked rather gloomy.
Harry had no desire to be pulled into a "Lockhart Fan Club" by Hermione.
"Professor Lockhart has accomplished many great feats. He must be very experienced in dealing with Dark Arts and dark creatures. Even if he shares just a bit of his experience, it will benefit you immensely," Albert said with a smile.
Harry's expression froze as he listened to Albert praising Lockhart. While it sounded reasonable, it all felt rather unreliable.
Harry had gotten a good sense of Lockhart's character over the past month, and to be honest, he doubted those so-called great feats of Lockhart's. After all, most of what was written in Muggle books was fictional, and who knew if Lockhart's impressive books were also products of his own imagination?
"Harry, do you want to join us too?" Hermione hurried back, holding a notebook in her hand. She looked at her two friends, "We're going to..."
Just as Albert was thinking of how to extricate himself from the situation, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan arrived with their homework, providing him with the perfect distraction.
"I have something else to do, so I'll leave first. You guys continue chatting," Albert said to Hermione, "If you need the badges, you can find us. We can give them to you at cost price."
With that, Albert and his roommates headed to the library.
"I always feel like that guy has ulterior motives," Harry muttered as he watched Albert's retreating back.
"I heard from Fred that Albert is really good at Dark Arts defense. He taught them dueling techniques with wands," Ron suddenly said, "I witnessed their wand dueling during the summer holidays, and it was truly impressive."
"Aren't we not supposed to use magic outside of school?" Harry recalled the warning letter he had received from the Ministry of Magic, which had caused him no small amount of trouble.
"As long as we're in the wizarding world, in areas with other wizards, the Ministry can't pinpoint who exactly is using magic," Ron reminded him, "I remember telling you about this before."
"Oh, that's right. I remember now," Harry felt even more depressed. He didn't want to chat with Hermione about Lockhart, and now he was doing his best to avoid Lockhart. How could he possibly want to actively seek him out? That would just be asking for trouble.
"Is Albert really that amazing?" Hermione looked at Ron curiously, hoping for an answer.
"He's incredible," Ron said softly, "Remember last semester when Albert scared Malfoy into peeing his pants with just a few words?"
"I remember Albert made a prophecy to Malfoy back then, what was it again?" Harry was glad that the topic had shifted to Malfoy.
"Right, did that prophecy come true in the end?"
"I don't know."
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward as none of the three could remember what Albert had said to Malfoy, and the topic came to an abrupt end.
(End of Chapter)
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