https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-573-A-Less-Than-Ideal-Experience/12526942/
Chapter 572: Saving Potter
Chapter 572: Saving Potter
On Saturday morning, even before the break of dawn, Albert was awakened by someone in his room. When he opened his eyes, he saw the culprit pacing back and forth.
"Yawn."
As Albert covered his yawn, he reached for the pocket watch on the bedside table and, squinting in the dim light of the lamp, checked the time.
"Hey, what are you doing? It's only 6:30!"
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up."
The door creaked open, and George, who had just finished washing up, gave a sleepy Albert an apologetic look.
Albert yawned again. He could understand Fred, George, and the entire Gryffindor team's anxiety about not wanting to lose, but...
"Being nervous won't help now. You guys should get some rest and conserve your energy for the upcoming Quidditch match later."
"Albert's right; you should have confidence in yourselves," Lee Jordan's voice suddenly piped up from a corner of the room.
"Why aren't you sleeping either?" Albert just then noticed Lee Jordan, who had been lurking in the shadows, unnoticed by Albert's still-groggy consciousness.
"I need to get ready since I'll be commentating on the match today," Lee Jordan said, fussing with his curly hair in front of the mirror.
To be honest, Albert really couldn't understand what was so fuss-worthy about that head of curls.
"Got your eye on someone? Maybe I can give you some tips on winning her over." Albert yawned again and burrowed back into his blanket; the room was a bit chilly, and the temperature had been dropping significantly lately, with signs of snow on the horizon.
"Speaking of which, how did you manage to win over the most beautiful girl in Ravenclaw?" Lee Jordan stiffly changed the subject, obviously embarrassed that Albert had guessed his thoughts.
"I directly asked Isabelle if she wanted to be my girlfriend, and that was that," Albert said bluntly. "You should have more confidence in yourself. Confident guys are more attractive to girls."
"We've already decided on your Christmas gift this year—it's going to be a copy of 'Twelve Winning Strategies to Captivate Witches'," Fred and George said, grinning at each other. "We gave Albert a copy last year, and he easily won over the most beautiful girl in Ravenclaw."
"Really?"
Lee Jordan raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing a word of Fred and George's nonsense.
"The content in the book is quite practical," Albert said, poking his head out of the blanket and closing his eyes as he lied. "Actually, I was planning on giving you that book as a Christmas present, but now it looks like I can only give you a jumbo-sized box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Or would you prefer a signed copy of Lockhart's book instead?"
"I'll take the jumbo-sized box of Every Flavour Beans, thanks," Lee Jordan said irritably, eliciting laughter from Fred and George.
"Don't worry, this year's Christmas gifts will definitely be a pleasant surprise," Albert said, intending to give everyone a bottle of sweet rice wine. The house-elves had attempted to brew it several times and had achieved initial success.
Albert had tasted it, and it was quite delicious.
"We'll look forward to opening our presents on Christmas Day. See you later, then," said the Weasley twins, who were now fully dressed and headed downstairs for an early breakfast to avoid disturbing Albert's rest any further.
"I'll remember to come and cheer you on at the pitch," Albert said, burrowing back into his blanket, intending to catch some more sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already 9:30 in the morning.
After getting dressed and making his way to the Great Hall, he found the Gryffindor team huddled together at the long dining table, silent and tense as if they were prisoners awaiting the gallows.
Albert knew how much the Gryffindor team longed to defeat Slytherin and their state-of-the-art Nimbus 2001 brooms, purchased with the Malfoy family's gold.
Losing this Quidditch match would mean that their efforts and dedication over the past two months had been easily trumped by their opponents' wealth, a cruel reality that would undoubtedly deal a severe blow to the team's morale and confidence.
However, sometimes, money could buy victory, and reality was indeed that harsh.
But what was even crueler was that even with their financial advantage, they still lost the game.
Reality truly was a trash game.
As expected, not even Draco Malfoy could escape the clutches of Harry Potter's protagonist halo and could only shiver in his shadow.
A true protagonist could indeed do as he pleased.
During lunch, Albert discreetly observed Professor Lockhart dining at the teacher's table. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's smile seemed forced, as if he had been troubled by some recent event. Lockhart had discovered that he was starting to lose hair, and this realization had nearly driven him to despair.
If he went bald, how could he ever face his adoring fans again?
Of course, Lockhart didn't know that Albert had sneaked into his room one night and snipped a few strands of hair from his head. The hair on the pillow, which had supposedly come out while he slept, was actually Albert's doing, a "mistake" during his hair collection.
What a sad, unfortunate misunderstanding.
As eleven o'clock approached, Albert and Isabelle made their way to the Quidditch stadium to watch the match as they had planned.
"You look tired," Isabelle remarked, raising an eyebrow at Albert, who was yawning as they walked. "Did you pull another all-nighter?"
"No, I was woken up early by Fred and George. They're so nervous about not wanting to lose to Gryffindor," Albert said, lifting his head to gaze at the sky. The weather didn't look promising, with rumbling thunder and the threat of rain looming.
"It's a bit unfair, but it's all part of the game, and it's within the rules. I probably would've done the same," Isabelle commented.
"I feel the same way," Albert agreed as they took their seats in the stadium, choosing a spot away from the crowds. "If Gryffindor had gotten their hands on the Nimbus 2001 brooms, their perspective would be completely different."
"But they won't lose because they have Potter," Albert added, gazing at the Gryffindor team entering the field with a meaningful look.
"Because they have Potter?" Isabelle didn't quite understand the implication behind Albert's words.
The match began with a whistle, and within minutes, the Slytherin team, with their Nimbus 2001 brooms, took the lead by scoring the first goal.
The Malfoy family's investment in the team had paid off, and the effect was evident as each player's confidence soared.
The Gryffindor team soon found themselves in a tough battle, struggling to keep up with the speed of the Nimbus 2001 brooms. Their score slowly fell behind.
"There's something wrong with that Bludger," Isabelle frowned, pointing towards Harry Potter's direction. "Someone must have put a spell on it."
Just then, Harry Potter had showcased his exceptional dodging skills by leading the rogue Bludger towards the Slytherin stands, causing chaos among the spectators.
"It won't make a difference," Albert said calmly. "Bludgers are meant to careen wildly, and with such a large playing field, it's unlikely that anyone will notice. Moreover, even if they raise suspicions, they will most likely be mocked by the Slytherin team. If they request an investigation, they might even be... disqualified and lose the match. After all, there's no evidence to prove that the Slytherin team tampered with the Bludger."
Albert recalled that the Bludger in question was actually a disguised house-elf whose mission was to knock Harry off his broom and injure him severely enough to send him home, thereby "saving" him from the threat of the serpentine monster.
To avoid being "saved," Harry Potter was desperately evading the Bludger, resulting in a thrilling chase across the stadium.
Through his binoculars, Albert observed the Bludger relentlessly pursuing Harry and thought to himself that he should create something similar one day. If he ever encountered the serpentine monster, he could use it to blind the creature, rendering it harmless. With his confidence in his abilities, he believed he could turn the situation around and defeat it.
However, the house-elves' bizarre way of thinking truly left him speechless. Regardless, no one would appreciate being "saved" in such a manner! (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
