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Chapter 727: Jinx
Chapter 727: Jinx
Rita Skeeter worked with astonishing efficiency, and the very next morning, the Daily Prophet's headline featured the interview article about Albert.
In the newspaper, Albert was portrayed as a gifted and talented genius who could overcome unfair competition and emerge as a champion, leaving a favorable impression on people.
However, the highlight of this issue of the Daily Prophet was not Albert but the inadvertently mentioned Professor Snape. The story of the Potions Master's failed attempt at cheating became a source of amusement for the British magical community, destined to be the joke of the season.
It's embarrassing to even lose when cheating.
Of course, the article did bring some unwanted attention to Albert's otherwise peaceful school life.
The girls in the school seemed to rediscover this young and handsome Hogwarts genius, and whenever Albert walked through the corridors, groups of giggling girls would stare and giggle, and some even went out of their way to strike up a conversation with him, buzzing around like bees and driving him crazy.
In Isabelle's words: "You've never been more popular. You're like sweet honey, attracting flies and bees that want a taste."
This didn't last long, however, as everyone's attention soon turned to the Quidditch match, much to Albert's relief.
Speaking of Quidditch, it was the perfect opportunity to witness two famous scenes: Harry Potter falling from the sky and Dumbledore casting the Patronus Charm to ward off the Dementors.
Albert certainly didn't want to miss this, especially with the possibility of triggering a task related to the Dementors.
He never turned down extra experience and rewards.
What disappointed the Weasley twins a little was that Slytherin pulled out of the upcoming Quidditch match at the last moment, citing Draco Malfoy's injured arm as an excuse to postpone the game.
At that moment, the twins were grumbling beside Albert, seemingly regretting that they couldn't test out a new trick they had learned on the Slytherins.
The weather had been terrible lately, and with Madam Hooch unlikely to spot their pranks, it would have been the perfect opportunity.
In truth, everyone could guess why Slytherin didn't want to play against Gryffindor. The recent weather had been atrocious, and no one wanted to play in such conditions. However, a little thunderstorm wasn't enough to cancel a Quidditch match.
Oh well! Albert maliciously speculated that throughout history, no unlucky soul had probably been struck by lightning and turned into charcoal to serve as a warning that flying in a thunderstorm was dangerous.
On the day of the match, the wind howled fiercely, and a violent storm raged outside. But even this terrible weather couldn't dampen the enthusiasm for Quidditch, as the entire school poured out as usual, making their way to the Quidditch stadium to watch the game.
"I thought you'd skip the match."
Isabelle knew Albert's personality well; he disliked going out in bad weather and wasn't particularly passionate about Quidditch.
If given a choice, Albert would never willingly brave such harsh conditions to watch a match.
"Of course, it's because of you. You wanted to watch the Quidditch match, so here I am, fulfilling my duty as your boyfriend."
As he spoke, Albert lowered his umbrella to shield himself from the strong winds blowing in his face.
As they crossed the lawn towards the Quidditch pitch, they spotted Harry Potter hurrying with his head down towards the changing rooms. Not far away, a burst of laughter rang out, and one could guess who was laughing without even looking.
Soon after entering the pitch, the match began, accompanied by a whistle.
"Who do you think will win?"
"Unless something unexpected happens, Gryffindor will win," Albert said, raising his rain-soaked telescope and looking up at the thunderous sky.
"Do you think something unexpected will happen?"
Isabelle caught the underlying meaning in Albert's words as she, too, held her telescope and observed the pitch.
The downpour obscured everyone's vision, and it was difficult to make out what was happening in the match.
Many students struggled to hold onto their umbrellas, as a gust of wind sent them flying into the air.
The thick cloaks didn't provide much protection from the rain, and most students were soaked, shivering in the rain but still cheering passionately, their enthusiasm unfazed by the weather.
The sky grew darker, as if night had come early.
The rumbling thunder roared, and lightning bolts streaked through the dark clouds, causing concern for the safety of the players in the match.
Flying amid the thunderclouds in the pouring rain increased the risk of being struck by lightning. Albert's worry was justified. Not long after the game started, someone's broomstick tail burst into flames, and a piercing scream accompanied the trail of black smoke as the unfortunate player fell from the sky.
"Can't you say something more reassuring?" Isabelle lowered her binoculars and looked at her boyfriend, who seemed to have the potential for a jinx-like ability with his ill-omened words. She reminded him, "It's a Gryffindor student. Maybe you should go as a substitute."
"I'm a Seeker substitute." Albert corrected her, "But let's go and check on them. I hope she's alright."
When Albert arrived at the changing room, he found that the fallen player was Angelina, a poor girl who seemed to have been quite startled.
"Are you alright?" Albert glanced at the smoking broomstick on the ground.
"I'm fine, thanks to Harry pulling me back in time." Angelina looked at her burnt broomstick tail helplessly and said, "But my broomstick is ruined."
"Don't worry, you can use mine!" Albert said nonchalantly.
"That's what I was hoping you'd say." Angelina grinned.
"Are you okay?" Wood hurried over and, seeing that Angelina was unharmed, heaved a sigh of relief.
"I'm fine, but my broomstick is damaged. Luckily, Albert lent me his, so it won't affect the rest of the game." Angelina reassured him.
"Thanks, Albert." Wood glanced at the girl beside Albert and raised an eyebrow slightly. "But you shouldn't have brought your girlfriend here."
"Oh, come on, Wood. Do you think Ravenclaw needs to snoop around for any secret information from us?" Fred rolled his eyes and teased, "Are you jealous because you heard he broke up with his girlfriend?"
"I'm not jealous, and we didn't break up; we just took some time apart!" Wood snapped irritably.
"Wow, Fred was right. You really did break up?" George exclaimed, feigning surprise.
"Shut up, this isn't the time for that." Wood glared at the twins and then turned to his star Seeker. "Harry, we need to end this game quickly, or it might drag on forever."
"I'd like that too, but the rain is messing with my vision. My glasses are useless in this weather." Harry was also frustrated, not because of a lack of effort but due to the challenging conditions affecting his performance. The heavy rain had become a significant problem for him.
"Is there any way we can help Harry with this problem?" Wood looked around at his teammates, knowing that ensuring Harry caught the Snitch was their top priority.
"Usually, in this situation, we'd turn to Albert." Fred reminded them.
"Where is he?" Wood scanned the area but couldn't spot Albert.
Unbeknownst to them, Albert had quietly slipped away with his girlfriend.
"You scared him off with your shouting." George commented.
"I didn't shout at him!" Wood protested.
"Oh, come on, Wood. Don't be jealous. They're the most loving couple in school." Alicia teased, "There are even rumors that they're planning to get married soon."
"I'm not jealous, and stop wasting time on these matters." Wood was annoyed at his teammates' relaxed attitude.
"You're too uptight. We're still leading Hufflepuff, so relax." Katie consoled him.
As Madam Hooch approached to ask if they wanted to continue the game, a cloaked Hermione appeared out of nowhere and smiled at Harry, saying, "I have an idea, Harry. Give me your glasses."
A while later, Albert saw Hermione walking out of the changing room.
"I just helped Harry with a little problem." Hermione noticed Albert's gaze and smiled as she explained, "The Impervius Charm!"
"That's a handy spell. But..." Albert said softly, "...it might not be a good thing for Potter."
(End of Chapter)
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