Chapter 749: The Informant
Chapter 749: The Informant
"The O.W.Ls seem terrifying. I heard someone else cracked under the pressure of the exams."
Hermione and Albert walked side by side down the corridor leading to the Gryffindor common room, casually chatting about recent events. They had just exited the library.
In truth, Hermione wanted to inquire about the O.W.Ls with Albert. The twelve subjects were weighing heavily on her, and she was concerned about managing the exam pressure, fearing she might break down like others.
"The O.W.Ls aren't that difficult, and achieving excellent grades isn't hard either," Albert reassured Hermione. "As long as you thoroughly grasp the key points mentioned by the professors in class, I think you should be able to breeze through the O.W.L. written and practical tests."
Albert wasn't merely placating her; he had perused past O.W.L. exams and found that most of the content was similar. In other words, mastering this portion of knowledge would be more than sufficient to pass the exams.
"Perhaps this is the biggest difference between a genius and an ordinary person!" Hermione couldn't help but feel a little glum. "For others, these exams are challenging, yet you barely need to review, and you still have ample time to research other things."
"You're intelligent too, no need to belittle yourself," Albert said gently, offering her a few candies. "Even geniuses need to work hard. Besides, you're a genius in your own right. You just haven't fully adjusted yet. Perhaps Percy can offer you some good advice; his methods might suit you better."
"Percy suggested I come to you for help," Hermione whispered. She had indeed sought Percy's advice, but his suggestion was to approach Albert directly for clarification on any knowledge gaps and to master the material before attempting to think further.
Albert's lips twitched. He was indeed busy, with a myriad of tasks to attend to daily, leaving him little time to assist Hermione.
Hermione was aware of Albert's busy schedule, so she hesitated to trouble him.
Of course, there were other reasons as well, but Hermione didn't want to cause trouble for herself or Albert.
A silence fell between them as they approached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, where they noticed Neville Longbottom seemed to be in a spot of trouble.
Sir Cadogan was barring him from entering.
"What's going on?" Albert asked, stepping forward.
"I kept forgetting the passwords, and they all got jumbled up in my head!" Neville's eyes welled up with tears as he explained miserably, "So, I wrote them all down, but then I lost the piece of paper!"
"Sounds like a likely story!" Sir Cadogan bellowed at Neville before turning to Albert and Hermione. "You ought to lock this dolt up in the dungeons with an iron chain! He was trying to force his way into the room!"
"Oddly specific," Albert commented to Sir Cadogan. "I suggest you choose a more reasonable password and change it less frequently. Quite a few people have complained to me about this."
"Longbottom isn't the first to be driven mad by the passwords," Albert remarked to Hermione.
"Speaking the password to enter is the rule for the Gryffindor common room. You can't expect Sir Cadogan to make exceptions," he continued. "And don't plead with a painting; weakness will only earn you contempt and ridicule."
Turning back to Neville, Albert offered a suggestion. "If you often forget things, I recommend keeping a small notebook. Attach it to your belt with a chain. Jot down anything important, and if you forget, just refer back to your notes. There are self-inking quills, or you could use Muggle charcoal, fountain pens, or ballpoint pens."
As he spoke, Albert pulled out a notebook and waved it in front of Neville Longbottom. "This is far more practical than a Remembrall, don't you think, Longbottom?"
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Neville was sincerely grateful to Albert. He felt foolish for relying on a Remembrall in the past, and Albert had provided him with a much better solution to his forgetfulness.
Carrying a notebook and jotting down important matters was Albert's solution to ensuring he didn't forget anything.
"I didn't expect you to carry something like this around." Hermione was surprised, knowing that while Albert didn't possess a photographic memory, his recollection was still better than most.
"It's impossible to remember everything, especially when you're busy. Sometimes, notes are more reliable than memory." Albert smiled as he explained, "Fred and George carry similar notebooks. Whenever they get an idea, they jot it down immediately. Though, they've mentioned that the quills can be a bit inconvenient, so they've started using Muggle ballpoint pens instead."
"Are you two going in or not?" Sir Cadogan complained.
Once inside the common room, the pair parted ways. Albert greeted his three roommates who were huddled together in quiet conversation before heading upstairs to his dormitory to retrieve Tom.
As he climbed the stairs, he heard hurried footsteps approaching from above. The hurried pace soon turned into a full-on sprint, and someone rushed past, their face hidden by a bedsheet.
"Ron?" Albert wondered aloud as he recognized the red-haired boy's face. He couldn't quite place the memory, but he continued on his way. Soon, angry shouts echoed from below.
"Look! Look at what's happened!"
After heading downstairs with Tom, Albert learned from Lee Jordan what had transpired.
Hermione's cat had eaten Ron's rat? And now the two had fallen out?
"I suppose that rat, Scabbers, holds a special significance for Ron, which is why he's so upset," Albert mused, understanding Ron's perspective.
"A special significance? Is it his pet... or his girlfriend?" Fred and George exchanged glances, bursting into giggles as they clearly didn't grasp the concept.
"It's like family," Albert said flatly, rolling his eyes at the twins' teasing. "For some people, pets are considered family."
Albert knew he would be furious if someone harmed or killed Tom.
"Family?" Fred and George fell silent.
"So, Ron sees Scabbers as family? We're like Scabbers to Ron?" Fred sighed heavily, feigning heartbreak.
"I think it's just a figure of speech, meaning something as important as family," Lee Jordan interjected, exasperated.
"Still, we didn't realize Ron valued that rat so much. I thought he'd care more about his friends," George said, having understood but still not quite grasping why Ron would fall out with his friends over it.
"That's Percy's rat, isn't it? It's pretty old, five years or more. I reckon it's near the end of its life; pet rats don't usually live that long. In a way, it's better off dying sooner rather than later, so it doesn't have to suffer through a slow death," Fred muttered.
Only then did Lee Jordan understand why Albert had discouraged them from causing trouble with Filch's cat. He had previously assumed it was because Albert liked cats, but now he saw the deeper reason.
"So, that cat is like family to Filch?" Lee Jordan asked suddenly.
"What?"
The trio was momentarily taken aback.
"I just realized why you didn't want us to mess with Filch's cat," Lee Jordan said, the realization dawning on him.
Fred and George exchanged glances, the implication clear as they thought of Ron's reaction.
"That cat is Filch's family, his emotional support. If you harm or hurt Mrs. Norris, I bet Filch will make your life miserable. Remember how he acted after Mrs. Norris was petrified last year?" George said.
"He was like a mad dog."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
