Chapter 558: Under Surveillance
Chapter 558: Under Surveillance
The October rain clouds showed no signs of dispersing, and a constant downpour continued, with a faint musty smell wafting from the corners of the castle.
In preparation for the upcoming Halloween feast, Hagrid had to spend a significant amount of time rescuing the large pumpkins in his patch from the flooding. Otherwise, they would surely be ruined by the relentless rain.
On a rare sunny weekend, Albert paid a visit to Hagrid's hut for afternoon tea. Hagrid casually mentioned the incident of Professor Kettleburn being hospitalized.
"When did this happen?" Albert asked, scratching the head of his pet dog, Ya Ya.
"Yesterday," Hagrid sighed. "Professor Kettleburn bought a house in Hogsmeade and planned to settle there with his beloved magical creatures. While he was unpacking, he was tripped by a mischievous Sniffler. Fortunately, a house-elf who was delivering food discovered him in time. He's now recuperating at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries."
"I suppose Professor Kettleburn will have to retire early," Albert remarked, unsurprised as the professor's health had never been robust. "If you're considering applying for the position of Care of Magical Creatures professor, you should start thinking about what you'd like to teach the students. Don't underestimate the risks associated with handling magical creatures. The students don't have your thick skin; they can't afford to be tossed around."
Hagrid stared at Albert, surprised by his direct implication that he would be filling Professor Kettleburn's position as the new Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts.
"You should take the time to visit Professor Kettleburn in the hospital and seek his advice on teaching techniques," Albert suggested. "And please, whatever you do, don't bring any strange creatures to class, especially those that might harm the students."
Albert wasn't sure if his words would have any effect, but he felt it was his duty as a friend to offer a warning.
As he left Hagrid's hut, he noticed that the half-giant was still staring after him, deep in thought about Albert's words.
There was no denying that Albert's prediction might very well come true—he could indeed become the next Care of Magical Creatures professor.
However, Hagrid felt it prudent to first sound out Madame Grubbly-Plank and gauge her interest in the position.
On his way back to the castle, Albert encountered Ginny Weasley. There was something peculiar about the red-haired girl walking towards him that he couldn't quite put his finger on. As their eyes met, Albert noticed a strange emptiness in Ginny's eyes, devoid of the spark that children her age should possess, causing his pupils to dilate slightly.
"Is she under Voldemort's control?" Albert wondered as he walked away, glancing back at Ginny's retreating figure. He hesitated briefly.
"If I were to take her down now, I could surely find Tom Riddle's diary on her person. Destroying the Horcrux would prevent the future attacks, but it would also likely ruin all my panel tasks, and explaining this to Dumbledore would be challenging," he thought to himself.
Albert was under no illusions about Dumbledore's perceptiveness; he knew the Headmaster would see through any deception.
Once could be a coincidence, but two coincidences would certainly raise Dumbledore's suspicions.
"Never mind, I'll just be more cautious myself and let the rest play out naturally," Albert decided, pushing up his glasses as he continued walking towards the castle.
It wasn't difficult to guess what Ginny Weasley, or rather, Tom Riddle, was up to.
Cock-a-doodle-doo was deadly to a Basilisk.
Tom Riddle was undoubtedly aware of this, and he would never want there to be roosters lurking around the castle.
"Should I get a rooster as a pet?" Albert muttered to himself. The thought was quickly dismissed as too troublesome. "Maybe I could get a toy that makes rooster sounds instead. I wonder if that would work against a Basilisk."
"The 'Screaming Chicken' from my previous life was a bestseller," Albert mused. "It doesn't have to scream; it could make other sounds too. It could even be turned into a joke product later on."
As for selling the 'Screaming Chicken' as a talisman after the Basilisk attack, that thought hadn't crossed Albert's mind. He knew it would draw unwanted attention, and he doubted anyone would buy such a thing as a protective charm anyway.
After Albert walked away, Tom Riddle turned and watched his retreating back, feeling a sudden surge of inexplicable restlessness.
Tom had no idea how close he had come to being exposed. If Albert had acted on his impulse and subdued Ginny, the Horcrux within her could have been swiftly dealt with.
Tom had heard Ginny mention this Albert Anderson, a Muggle-born wizard who was rumored to be a genius and had recently won the International Wizard Chess Championship.
However, to Tom, Albert Anderson was of little consequence. His focus was on Harry Potter, and he was curious to understand how a mere child had managed to defeat Voldemort. Thus, he didn't pay much attention to Albert, even though he was known as a genius within Hogwarts.
After all, Tom Riddle had always been a genius himself, and he held little interest in other so-called geniuses. However, considering them potential prey was another matter entirely.
The death of such a genius at the hands of a Basilisk would surely cause a stir.
Suddenly, Tom found himself looking forward to it! Upon discovering that Hagrid was home, Tom refrained from causing any mischief with the roosters in the coop. He wandered around Hagrid's hut for a while before returning to the castle.
As Albert returned to the castle, he noticed that he had received a new task. Just then, Hermione rushed towards him, breathless, wanting to discuss the previous incident.
Hermione explained how she had proposed the idea of forming a Dark Arts Defense Club and inviting Gilderoy Lockhart to be their instructor, which had garnered support from a group of Lockhart fans. However, it turned out that the club wasn't actually her idea, but rather the initiative of an older student who idolized Lockhart and had founded a club called "The Gilderoy Lockhart Fan Club."
Hermione soon realized that this club wasn't what she had envisioned, so she sought Albert's help in establishing their own Dark Arts Defense Club.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't," Albert declined, shaking his head.
He was already stretched thin with twelve classes to attend and several clubs to participate in; he simply didn't have the time to commit to yet another club.
Nonetheless, Albert offered Hermione some advice. "Why don't you invite Harry Potter to join the club?" he suggested.
"Do you really think that will work?" Hermione asked, unsure.
"Haven't you noticed that Professor Lockhart seems particularly interested in Harry Potter?" Albert pointed out. "If you want your club to succeed, you need to get Harry involved. Lockhart is only interested in Harry. Trust me, if Harry joins the Dark Arts Defense Club, Lockhart will be more than willing to come and guide all of you."
"But why would Professor Lockhart be so interested in Harry?" Hermione wondered, perplexed.
"I don't know," Albert replied casually, "Maybe he's curious about how Harry defeated the Dark Wizard? That's just my guess." In truth, he knew that a club focused on learning Dark Arts Defense held no appeal for Lockhart.
Only Harry could capture Lockhart's attention.
Although Hermione still didn't fully understand Albert's reasoning, she was aware of Harry's aversion to Lockhart and knew that he would never willingly join such a club unless... Her eyes lit up as she thought of a solution.
(End of Chapter)
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