Chapter 661: A Few Incidents Before the Holidays
Chapter 661: A Few Incidents Before the Holidays
Due to the outstanding performance of the Gryffindor team in the Quidditch matches and the crucial role played by Harry and Albert in resolving the Chamber of Secrets incident, the school earned a substantial amount of points, leading to an unprecedented high-score victory for Gryffindor in the House Cup.
At the year-end banquet, the Great Hall was adorned with scarlet and gold decorations, and the Gryffindor table was particularly lively as everyone celebrated their triumph.
Only the Slytherins, along with their Head of House, sat with sullen faces. Draco Malfoy glared at Harry Potter with malicious intent, plotting some mischief in his mind.
On the last day of term, the school announced the exam results.
Once again, Albert emerged as the undisputed top student of the year. Fred and George, after their diligent studying, had passed all their exams successfully.
As Albert had anticipated, the journey back home on the Hogwarts Express was not without incident.
Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle could barely contain their impatience to teach Harry a lesson.
However, they were unaware that Fred and George were lying in wait. As Malfoy and his cronies ambushed Harry when he emerged from the bathroom, the twins, concealed by a Disillusionment Charm, conveniently "stumbled" upon the scene.
They immediately cast a spell they had recently learned from Albert, directing it at the trio.
The spell emitted a dazzling light, causing even Harry to squint.
When the light faded, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were lying unconscious in the corridor outside the bathroom.
"What happened to them?" Ron asked, deliberately stepping on Malfoy's body as he crouched down next to Goyle, intrigued by the small tentacles that had sprouted on his face.
"Looks like Albert was right," George said solemnly. "Some spells shouldn't be mixed. But the effect is quite interesting."
"We shouldn't leave them here, though," Ron said, eyeing the disheveled Malfoy and then glancing malevolently at the toilet. It was clear what he wanted to do with Malfoy's head.
"No, if we put Mr. Malfoy's head in the toilet, he might drown," Fred said, using his wand to make the three stand up. Together with George, they positioned them in a loving embrace.
"I bet whoever comes in next will be amazed by their relationship beyond friendship," George said, holding up the camera he had borrowed from Albert and taking several photos. "Look, now we even have proof of their friendship."
"Don't forget to obliviate them," Lee Jordan reminded them. "Who knows the Obliviate spell?"
The twins looked at each other; neither had cast that spell before.
"Obliviate?" Harry asked.
"It makes them forget what just happened," Fred explained, wand in hand.
"Be careful not to turn them into simpletons," Harry warned.
"Wouldn't that be better?" Fred asked.
"No, it'll bring you trouble. Now, hurry up, you're blocking the bathroom." With that, Lee Jordan turned and left.
"Obliviate," Fred muttered, pointing his wand at Malfoy's head.
After casting the Obliviate spell, the trio's expressions became even more confused.
"Excellent, brilliant!" Fred was pleased with the effect of the spell.
"What happened to them?" Hermione asked, approaching and looking puzzled at the three in the bathroom.
"Nothing, let's go. We shouldn't disturb their intimate moment," Ron said, and they all left the bathroom, closing the door and hanging a sign that read "Out of Order."
"I bet old Malfoy will be in for an unexpected surprise when he finds his precious son," George said.
"Anyone for a game of Wizard Chess?"
"I need to return the camera."
"Maybe they're kissing in the compartment right now."
"Then we should definitely go and see."
Hermione watched the trio walk away together, unsure what to make of their behavior.
Taking the camera from Fred, Albert asked, "Taken care of?"
"Yes, and I have some great photos. Want to see?" Fred reached into his pocket to pull out the photos, intending to hand them to Albert.
"Never mind, that's between you and them," Albert said, putting away the camera. He wanted to dismiss Fred so he could chat with Harry in peace.
After closing the compartment door, Albert resumed their previous conversation.
"So, when the mysterious person returns, the entire British wizarding community will be in a panic, and Dark Arts defense items will be in high demand. I plan to make a fortune from that. Plus, with the lottery winnings my family got from the Muggle world, we'll have a substantial amount of money. Oh, the Muggle lottery winnings are more than you'd expect—at least a million pounds. If we convert it all to galleons, we'll have at least 200,000 galleons."
"That's exploiting a loophole in the Ministry of Magic's laws." Isabelle had never imagined that Albert would make money in such a way. "You should know that you can only get away with something like this once."
"Of course, I'm well aware of that." Albert said nonchalantly, "But who really pays attention to the Ministry's laws? They won't know about this, especially since the Ministry is busy with other matters this year."
"What do you think will happen?"
Albert gently placed his hand on the crystal ball, his gaze fixed on it for nearly a minute. Suddenly, a portrait of Sirius Black appeared before the two of them.
"What is this?" Isabelle asked, frowning at the wanted poster in the crystal ball.
"It's a wanted poster for Sirius Black." Albert replied without hesitation, "As far as I know, Black is imprisoned in Azkaban, and the fact that his wanted poster has appeared means he must have escaped. You know, no one has ever escaped from Azkaban, and the Ministry will be in an uproar. No one will pay attention to me using divination to earn a large sum of pounds. In fact, they can't notice it because there's no evidence, and the Ministry rarely concerns itself with matters in the Muggle world."
"So, your prophecies are all based on what you see in the crystal ball?" Isabelle finally understood what Albert meant by his prophecies, and she felt that calling him a fraud was not an exaggeration.
These so-called prophecies were merely his predictions.
"What I see in the crystal ball is limited," Albert explained with a smile, "Just like scrying with a crystal ball, it requires interpreting the information and drawing conclusions. Professor Trelawney is quite envious of me because her divination abilities aren't as convenient as mine."
"I always thought she was a fraud."
"Most of the time, she is."
Listening to Albert speak so confidently, one might believe he was a fraud if they didn't know any better. But in certain matters, Albert possessed an intuition that others lacked. Perhaps his prophetic abilities and natural talent had given him this self-assurance, and it did make him quite charming.
Albert valued his life, which pleased Isabelle, as she wouldn't have to worry about her safety in the midst of the impending chaos.
The two chatted about France, Nicolas Flamel, the Elixir of Life, and other topics that interested them as time passed unknowingly. Soon, the Hogwarts Express began to slow down, and they disembarked together, making their way back to the Muggle world through the platform.
As they reached the station, they parted ways, with Isabelle staying behind to wait for Katrina while Albert walked out of the station alone. Outside King's Cross Station, he spotted Herb talking to someone else.
Upon seeing Albert, Herb waved cheerfully and took the suitcase, placing it in the trunk.
As soon as he opened the car door, Fat Cat Tom rushed towards him like a furry projectile.
"Long time no see, Tom." Albert picked up Tom and settled into the back seat, then closed the door and commented, "As I thought, you still need to lose weight."
"You've said that a few times already."
"Are you wearing makeup?" Albert asked in surprise, noticing Nia's delicate features. Nia had changed a lot and become even more beautiful, like a porcelain doll—a common trait among European girls who tended to mature early and exuded youth and vitality.
"Is there a problem?" Nia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Albert frowned, "Applying makeup at such a young age will make you age faster. You should exercise more; it will improve your skin naturally, and you won't need makeup. Isabelle rarely wears any."
"Are there any potions in the wizarding world that can improve skin quality?" Daisy asked suddenly.
"I suggest you stay away from those strange concoctions," Herb interjected, "especially if you knew what some of those so-called potions were made of."
"There are some, but their effects are mediocre." Albert recalled, "I can keep an eye out for you girls, as women always want to look more beautiful."
"Really?"
"Of course." Albert assured, "If there are potions that can grant immortality, why shouldn't there be ones that preserve youth? At the very least, delaying aging should be achievable."
"Magic is truly amazing," Daisy exclaimed, sounding a little excited, "If the rich knew about this, they'd go crazy."
"They won't," Albert said as he held Tom high in the air, "because these potions haven't been discovered yet. However, there are wizards who open beauty salons, and Isabelle has some knowledge in this area too. I'll ask her about it, and if there's anything effective, I'll let you know."
"Women!"
Herb shook his head lightly and restarted the car, driving towards the distant highway.
"Let's go home!"
(End of Volume) (End of Chapter)
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