Chapter 607: News
Chapter 607: News
After drinking, people tend to become chatty.
Louise completely ignored Isabelle and sat down beside Albert, chatting away without regard for anyone else.
At first, the two discussed famous places in the French magical community or where to go shopping. Later, their conversation turned to the beautiful fountain at the French wizarding school, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
Isabelle was intrigued by the fountain's rumored beautifying effects, and Louise did not hesitate to burst her bubble. She took a small sip of champagne and said with a quirky expression, "That's just a legend from who knows when. Even if it did have some effect, it would be extremely mild or non-existent. And the girls of Beauxbatons don't actually drink the water from the fountain."
Isabelle had already guessed as much, but she still felt a twinge of disappointment.
As the three of them introduced their respective schools to each other, Hibiscus (Fu Rong) approached with her younger sister in tow.
The eldest daughter of the Drakuls was exasperated. Even after learning that Albert already had a girlfriend, her father still insisted that she should get to know this Mr. Anderson.
To be honest, Hibiscus wasn't particularly fond of her cousin Louise or the red-haired girl by Albert's side. Perhaps there was an inherent barrier between beautiful women that was difficult to breach.
Nonetheless, Hibiscus walked over to exchange a few words with Albert. This proud young lady quickly realized that Albert was no ordinary boy.
His fluent French surprised her, as she had not noticed it during their previous encounter.
Hibiscus was well aware of the challenges of learning a foreign language. One would have to live in France for several years to attain such proficiency.
The presence of a group of pretty girls naturally drew the attention of the other young men, and Albert, being amidst them, stood out like a sore thumb. Under the influence of alcohol, these young gentlemen began to inquire discreetly about Albert.
However, Anderson did not appear to be a surname from any well-known wizarding family, and surprisingly, not many people seemed to know who he was.
All they knew was that Albert was British, yet he spoke French exceptionally well and was acquainted with quite a few famous potion experts who were present at the wedding.
This information was graciously provided by Adam.
As for Mr. Drakuls, who was privy to some of Albert's background, he naturally refrained from divulging any sensitive information.
Thus, most of the wizards in attendance only knew Albert as the youngest International Wizard Chess Champion who also happened to be skilled in potion-making.
After all, to be accepted in a circle of potion experts, one's proficiency in potions must be considerable.
Before long, Louise finally persuaded Albert to dance with her, and she also dragged Hibiscus along.
The two French girls were excellent dancers, far surpassing Isabelle. Albert even felt like a puppet being manipulated by them as they danced a lively waltz.
Albert suspected that they were taking revenge on him. Louise had asked him, "Who's more beautiful, me or Isabelle?" The answer was obvious. Although Albert found Louise, with her Veela ancestry, more attractive, he naturally had to say that his girlfriend was the most beautiful.
Was there even a need to ask?
The French girl was clearly dissatisfied with this answer and stepped on Albert's foot hard enough to make him want to jump. Thankfully, the song ended soon after.
"I shouldn't have agreed to this," Albert muttered through gritted teeth. It seemed that keeping his distance from them was indeed the best course of action.
"What were you two talking about?" Isabelle had been watching them intently during the dance and noticed their quiet conversation.
"She asked me who's more beautiful, you or her," Albert confessed honestly. "I said you are."
"No, she's more beautiful," Isabelle said, her face devoid of any emotion, but her heart was actually quite pleased. "The Veela blood grants them their captivating beauty."
"Yes, she's indeed very beautiful, but looks aren't everything," Albert breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that discussing which woman was more attractive was a dangerous topic, so he quickly changed the subject. "We should go find Mr. Hectork. Otherwise, he might drink too much and leave us stranded here."
"I wouldn't do such a thing, and I haven't drunk that much either," Hectork said, appearing out of nowhere and causing Albert some embarrassment. Ignoring Albert's discomfort, Hectork sat down beside him and said, "The decision has been made regarding the garden. They plan to hold the Magic School Potion Championship next year, and I think you have a high chance of winning."
"The Magic School Potion Championship?"
Albert was aware of this competition, having heard that it had been held many times already.
He had learned about it through the achievements of a potion genius named Zygmunt Budge.
It was said that when Zygmunt was fourteen, he wanted to participate in the Magic School Potion Championship, but the Headmaster of Hogwarts at the time refused, citing that the tournament would be too dangerous for someone his age.
Enraged, Zygmunt dropped out of school and went on to create the famous "Book of Potions." Albert recalled the last page of that book, which read:
"Let it be known that some people believe I have gone mad with disappointment.
This is nonsense! I love a long and busy life... alone, on Hermetray, devoted to my masterpiece, my legacy – the Book of Potions.
I have always dreamed that one day this book would accompany a great Potioneer to victory in the Championship, and now I believe it is happening!"
Back then, Zygmunt Budge had wanted to rely on his own abilities to win the championship. However, only representatives of the schools were eligible to participate, and having left Hogwarts, he no longer qualified.
In fact, even if Zygmunt hadn't left the school, he still wouldn't have had the chance. The Magic School Potion Championship was a rare event, and one could easily miss their opportunity if they weren't careful.
"I'm not an adult yet!" Albert reminded him. "I might just be the next unlucky person to be turned away because of my age. However, I think Isabelle has a good chance of winning the Golden Cauldron."
"I can help you write a letter to Dumbledore," Hectork Dagworth offered without hesitation. "Winning the Magic School Potion Championship will bring you many benefits in this circle. The unfortunate Damocles missed out on the Golden Cauldron because he was too young."
"What about you?" Albert asked.
In fact, he could already guess the answer.
"My luck has always been pretty good," Hectork Dagworth replied with a wide grin. "After you win the Magic School Potion Championship, I'll help you get a membership card for the Extraordinary Potion-Maker's Association. That way, you can become a member of the association right after you graduate."
When Hectork mentioned the Extraordinary Potion-Maker's Association, Albert finally recalled what it was.
He remembered picking up Hectork Dagworth's golden membership card and the subsequent misunderstandings it had caused.
"I'll do my best," Albert nodded.
The Magic School Potion Championship was never mentioned in the Harry Potter series, just like the International Wizard Chess Tournament.
However, Albert was content that Hectork Dagworth could help him trigger the "Golden Cauldron" mission. Well, there was a golden cauldron among the prizes, but whether it was made entirely of gold was questionable.
After all, as everyone knew, gold medals were actually gold-plated.
(End of Chapter)
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