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Chapter 570: A Farce
Chapter 570: A Farce
"What's going on?"
Katrina looked up in confusion, hearing the commotion by the door, wondering what Albert and Isabelle were up to as they hastily returned to the Room of Requirement.
Ignoring Katrina, Albert pulled out a piece of parchment from his robe's pocket to pinpoint Ginny Weasley's exact location.
If the Basilisk had been released from the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny would surely be near it.
However, things weren't as Albert had expected. Ginny was currently in the Gryffindor common room instead of wandering the corridors of Hogwarts Castle.
So, was it all just a farce?
Albert breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the detection ball was still a prototype, and it wasn't surprising if it had a few hiccups.
Isabelle stared at the ink blot and footprints on the map in Albert's hand, deep in thought.
Then, she noticed Albert taking out another, more detailed map—the live-feed map she had seen before. He spread it out and carefully examined the corridors around the Room of Requirement, finding no traces of any living creatures.
The absence of footprints didn't necessarily mean there were no creatures nearby.
At least, as far as Albert knew, unnamed animals didn't seem to appear on the map. Spiders, rats, and cockroaches without names were invisible on the live-feed map.
Only creatures with names, like Filch's cat or other students' named pets, would show up.
Albert wasn't sure if the Basilisk had a name.
However, one thing was certain—Voldemort's diary wouldn't show up on the map. In a sense, Tom's current state was even less substantial than that of a ghost or the lowest form of a wraith.
Albert didn't know if the Basilisk had a name, but seeing Ginny in the common room was reassuring, indicating that the earlier alert was likely a false alarm.
But why had the detection ball reacted earlier?
Albert's gaze returned to the detection ball, which had gone silent since they entered the Room of Requirement.
"As expected, was it a false alarm?"
It was said that the range of the Spyglass was a mile in radius. The pocket-sized version Albert had should have a smaller range. The detection ball in his hand was a crude imitation of the Spyglass, and while it might not cover a mile, it should be more than enough to cover the castle, hence the earlier reaction.
Well, if that was the case, then it made sense.
Although Albert felt he was just consoling himself, he couldn't find any other reasonable explanation at the moment.
Nevertheless, he was relieved that Ginny wasn't wandering around.
Of course, there were other possibilities. Perhaps the Hogwarts Castle had an extensive network of pipes, and the Basilisk had been moving through them, appearing near Albert and triggering the detection ball.
The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets wasn't limited to the second-floor bathroom.
To be honest, that possibility was low.
Otherwise, Tom wouldn't have controlled Ginny to enter the Chamber of Secrets through the second-floor girls' bathroom, where Moaning Myrtle frequently lingered. He would have chosen a time when Myrtle wasn't around.
"Are you alright?" Isabelle asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," Albert shook his head. "It was probably a false alarm. This thing still needs some improvement."
"What are you two up to?" Katrina asked, eyeing the pair whispering to each other.
"It's nothing. Let's head back," Albert took a deep breath and held Isabelle's soft hand, cautioning, "And it's best not to wander around."
As Albert and Isabelle left the Room of Requirement, the detection ball began to heat up again and eventually cracked open, completely ruined.
Albert was speechless.
He could understand why he hadn't received the Skill Panel's certification for this creation.
"We need to resolve the Basilisk issue as soon as possible."
Albert envied the ignorant; sometimes, ignorance was bliss.
“Indeed, it was all Tom's fault.”
As soon as they returned to the common room, they saw Kenneth Towler hurrying over to inquire about the amulet.
"I've made a sample, so don't sell this one," said Albert, taking out the bracelet and handing it to Kenneth. The latter inspected it carefully after paying for it. Although its style was a bit out of place with European fashion, it was actually quite well-made.
"Just wearing it can deflect the Dark Curse, similar to wandless magic. It should also have an exorcism effect on most dark creatures, but don't expect it to be too powerful. And..." Albert lowered his voice, "...I don't think it will work on the monster in the Chamber of Secrets."
"No, if it can do what you say, it's already amazing," said an excited Kenneth Towler, eager to test the amulet's effects.
"Can I find someone to test it?"
"Sure, but don't sell it for less than 10 Galleons, or you'll definitely be making a loss," said Albert, giving Kenneth some tips before he started looking around for Ginny Weasley.
Ron's sister was sitting alone in a corner of the common room, seemingly lost in her thoughts.
Albert sat down in the empty seat next to Ginny and, seeing the startled look on the red-haired girl's face, asked gently, "Are you alright?"
As he spoke, he took out a piece of chocolate and placed it in front of Ginny, saying to the hesitant girl, "Have some sweets, it'll make you feel better."
"Thanks."
Ginny's hand was trembling slightly as she took the chocolate, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. "Thank you," she said again.
"If you often have nightmares, go see Madam Pomfrey. Some medicine will help you feel better," Albert said calmly, his gaze falling on the blank diary on the table before quickly shifting away.
In the spacious common room, Kenneth Towler was attracting the attention of the students as he tested the bracelet's ability to deflect the Dark Curse.
Soon, Kenneth became the center of attention.
"Look at Kenneth showing off," Fred, George, and Lee Jordan said as they approached Albert. They seemed a bit disdainful, as these were tricks they had already played out.
"Are you alright, Ginny? You don't look so well," Fred asked.
"Percy said you've been having nightmares," George added.
"I'm fine," Ginny said hastily, closing her notebook. Albert's sharp eyes noticed that the first page had the blurry ink marks: Tom Riddle.
"I wonder how much he'll sell it for," George asked curiously.
"This thing is expensive. I don't think he'll sell many," said Fred.
"Actually, this would probably be worth more if it could be sold outside of Hogwarts," Albert suddenly said. "After all, most students here aren't exactly rolling in Galleons."
"Aren't you afraid he'll copy it?" George asked suddenly. "That guy has a shady past."
"Not at all," Albert replied nonchalantly. "Even if he really gets someone to replicate it successfully, it'll probably be an inferior product."
Albert was not at all concerned. The bracelet was a culmination of his knowledge, incorporating various fields. The more he interacted with Nicolas Flamel, the more he realized the depth and complexity of alchemy.
When Kenneth finished his demonstration and came to find Albert, he placed an order for two amulets at 15 Galleons each.
"Easy money. But do you think people will really be willing to spend money on these?" Ron muttered, having overheard their conversation.
George looked at the dumbfounded Ron and patted his shoulder. "That's the power of knowledge, my friend."
"Albert is truly amazing," Hermione said. She had also witnessed the Dark Curse being deflected and couldn't help but be impressed. "But will it really work against the monster in the Chamber of Secrets?"
"I've ordered one too," Harry suddenly spoke up.
"Harry, why would you buy that?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Next time, if Malfoy tries anything with his Dark Curses, I can use the amulet to deflect it and then teach him a lesson," Harry said, feeling rather proud of his foresight.
(End of Chapter)
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