Chapter 776: Unhuman
Chapter 776: Unhuman
At the Defense Association party, the news of Harry Potter's Boggart turning into the mysterious man spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the school.
Students who attended the party recalled the incident with mixed expressions on their faces, as Harry Potter had dressed the mysterious man in an Irish skirt.
A mix of awe and excitement filled the students, and many wanted to witness this bizarre scene for themselves.
For a moment, Albert's Defense Association gained some notoriety among the student body.
When students learned that Albert wasn't opposed to others joining the gatherings, many became curious about the Defense Association.
The next day, rumors surfaced in the black market that for just one Galleon, one could behold a photo of the mysterious man in an Irish skirt.
One Galleon for one photo.
It was blatant robbery.
Several students, upon learning of this, sought out Albert to protest.
Albert helplessly expressed his ignorance of the matter, explaining that Potter had taken the photo after the gathering, so he didn't have it anymore.
Yes, he really didn't have the photo anymore, only the film roll.
Others wanted to view the photo for free from Albert, but he refused, expressing his reluctance to be locked up by Professor McGonagall for spreading images of the mysterious man.
There was no way he would let them freeload off him.
If they wanted to witness the mysterious man in an Irish skirt, they would have to pay a hefty viewing fee, which was unacceptable to them.
They decided to confront Harry, but he claimed he didn't have the photo either.
The angry crowd, refusing to be scammed by greedy merchants, reported the matter to Professor McGonagall.
Upon hearing that someone was spreading photos of the mysterious man, Professor McGonagall was genuinely startled and prepared to summon Kenneth for an inquiry.
However, to her surprise, she found Kenneth in the school hospital, receiving treatment from Madam Pomfrey because someone had put Bulbadox powder in his pajamas, causing him to break out in boils all over his body.
Regarding the photo incident, Kenneth vehemently denied the accusation, insisting that it was a slanderous attempt to frame him, and that someone had put the Bulbadox powder in his pajamas.
Professor McGonagall had no choice but to warn Kenneth against spreading photos of the mysterious man before leaving the school hospital.
Many students took pleasure in Kenneth's misfortune, but he had already made a substantial profit from a few wealthy and curious individuals who had paid to see the photo.
Before long, an image of the mysterious man without a nose, with blurred features, and clad in an Irish skirt spread like wildfire throughout Hogwarts School.
Everyone knew that it was the savior, Harry Potter, who had dressed the mysterious man in a skirt.
Although many students gasped in shock upon hearing this news, the image of the mysterious man in a skirt only became more ingrained in their minds as the story spread.
"That idiot Kenneth," Lee Jordan grumbled in discontent, "if he had just lowered the price, he could have made a fortune."
If it weren't for Albert's refusal to let him spread the photo of the mysterious man, Lee Jordan would have loved to share the joy with everyone.
The claim that he didn't have the photo anymore was obviously a lie to deceive others.
"No, Kenneth did the right thing," Albert said, placing a reference book in front of Lee Jordan. Noticing the confused looks on the trio's faces, he continued, "Even if there are quite a few students willing to pay one Sickle, don't forget that one Galleon is equivalent to seventeen people paying. Moreover, if this spreads on a large scale, it could easily attract trouble. Making it a rare item and enticing those curious and wealthy spendthrifts to pay for a viewing is actually the best option. Even if someone reports it to Professor McGonagall, Kenneth can always claim that he's being slandered."
"Anyway, the fact that he's making money off your photo irritates me. You should get a cut," Fred grumbled, turning away.
"So, you're the one who put Bulbadox powder in his pajamas?"
"No evidence, no accusations. Be careful, or I'll sue you for slander," Fred warned with a smile, admitting to his mischief.
"Actually, Kenneth originally wanted to give me a share, but I refused," Albert suddenly said.
"You refused?"
The trio was taken aback by Albert's proactive refusal.
"I don't want to be associated with this," Albert stated.
"That guy has some guts. Even after you refused, he still went ahead with it," George admired Kenneth's courage.
"You're right, Kenneth dug his own grave," Albert shook his head.
"How so?"
"The mysterious man isn't truly dead yet. Who knows, he might crawl out of his coffin one day. If he finds out about this, what do you think he'll do?" Albert could assure them with a clear conscience that he hadn't set Kenneth up; the guy had walked straight into his own trap.
"What would he do?" Fred asked without hesitation, "He'd definitely hit Kenneth with an Avada Kedavra."
"Then we..." Lee Jordan realized the implication. As the photographer, Albert would also be a target of the mysterious man's revenge.
"If the mysterious man ever crawls out of his coffin, I'll immediately hide so he can't find me," Albert said, having anticipated this scenario.
After all, his bold decision to photograph the mysterious man meant he had considered the potential consequences.
"However, you don't have to worry about that for now. Even if he does crawl out of his coffin one day, the first thing he'll do is not to come after us. By the time he learns about this from someone else, we would have already gone into hiding."
"Will that noseless guy really crawl out of his coffin?" Fred asked, unable to suppress his curiosity.
In fact, even without asking, they could guess the answer.
Albert's prophecy seemed to be related to this incident.
"The mysterious man isn't as terrifying as he seems," Albert reassured them with a smile, "Don't forget, we have a savior on our side."
"Harry isn't as reliable as they say," George commented.
"Harry will grow into his role," Albert said calmly, "As long as we take advantage of the panic caused by the mysterious man in the magical world, we can easily make a fortune and gain fame in the field of Dark Magic Defense."
"Hey, I've noticed that in your eyes, the mysterious man is just a tool for making money," George remarked, impressed by Albert's boldness and abilities. He believed that Albert could achieve the future he envisioned.
"If the mysterious man finds out, he'll be so angry his nose will twist, oh wait, he doesn't have a nose," Fred said, not overly concerned about the mysterious man's reaction.
Albert's calm demeanor and intention to capitalize on the panic caused by the mysterious man clearly indicated that he had foreseen the latter's fate through divination.
At the very least, Albert was confident in his ability to handle any trouble the mysterious man might bring.
This newfound confidence in Albert sparked enthusiasm in the trio, who were now eager to follow him on the path to riches.
"Before that, you'd better finish your holiday homework first." Albert opened his notebook, glanced at the calendar, and reminded them, "Half of the Easter holiday has passed, and you haven't even taken the time to review for your exams."
"Aren't you slacking off too?" Fred asked.
"Of course not." Albert corrected, "I've almost finished."
"You don't mean to say you've completed all your holiday assignments, do you?" George eyed Albert skeptically, for he remembered Albert barely spending any time on holiday homework or revision.
"Almost. Just this last one left."
"When did you finish all that?"
The trio stared at Albert in unison. "You've spent less time in the library than we have."
"I have more assignments than you... I mean, my efficiency is higher," Albert said, refocusing on the parchment in front of him.
To be honest, this essay on the Existence Charm was not challenging for him; what was slowing him down was his writing speed.
"You were about to say you had fewer assignments than us, weren't you? It's ridiculous; you have assignments for twelve courses, yet you claim to have fewer?"
"I didn't mean it that way..." Albert tried to explain, though he indeed had that thought.
"Yes, you absolutely meant to say that."
"I think it's pointless to argue about this. It would be better to focus your energy on your assignments."
Just then, Hermione hurried over to them.
"There's been an incident."
She anxiously addressed Albert, "Something's happened with Hagrid."
"What's going on?" Albert frowned, feeling that his Easter break was somehow cursed, as something always seemed to happen during this time of year.
"The Ministry of Magic just sent an owl, stating that they've decided to change Buckbeak's appeal venue to Hogwarts." Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing, "Hagrid suspects that the Ministry plans to bring the executioner straight to Hogwarts to kill Buckbeak."
"When is this supposed to happen?" Albert asked.
"The day after tomorrow."
"There's still plenty of time." Albert's tone remained calm, as if all problems were trivial to him.
"But, speaking of which, didn't the Ministry say that the next appeal would still be held at the Ministry? Why the sudden change of heart?"
Albert suspected this might be a case of the butterfly effect.
"I don't know. Hagrid hopes that you..."
Albert raised his hand to interrupt Hermione.
"I'm free this afternoon. I can go and have tea with Hagrid!"
Hermione opened her mouth, but upon seeing Albert's calm demeanor, her anxious mood eased, and she believed that Albert already had a plan to save Buckbeak.
"Albert sure is calm." Harry whispered to Ron, "I hope he can save Buckbeak."
"Harry."
Hermione glanced anxiously at Malfoy, who had just walked past them, and gave Harry a reproachful look.
"He probably didn't hear that." Harry said, worriedly watching Malfoy's retreating back.
"Don't be naive, Harry."
"What should we do now?" Ron asked anxiously, "Should I go and beat up Malfoy...?"
"Don't be stupid. You two shouldn't be causing trouble." Hermione looked at her two friends in despair, feeling that she should inform Albert about this matter.
Upon hearing this, Albert fell silent for a moment.
If this incident continued to develop, perhaps Buckbeak could be saved! However, Albert did not want to take that gamble. He did not possess the protagonist's halo like Harry Potter, and if Buckbeak lost his head because of this, the task involving Hagrid would be completely ruined.
Moreover, what was going on with Potter?
Was he turning into a liability due to Albert's influence?
In Albert's opinion, it wasn't a problem for Malfoy to know about this, as he could always make the other forget about it.
However, Harry Potter was the savior, the chosen one favored by the world.
If Potter truly became a liability, Albert felt it would be better to keep his distance.
"Others are still so unreliable!" Albert muttered.
He did not feel disappointed, as he knew that with people like them around, the future would inevitably undergo some changes.
Although Albert had tried his best not to alter certain events, he had to admit that some things had changed because of him.
"Potter, don't let me down." Albert murmured.
If Potter proved to be unreliable, Albert would not hesitate to sacrifice him and send Voldemort on his way.
...
"What did he say?" Harry asked anxiously.
"He said he'll take care of it." Hermione reassured them, "But how does he plan to deal with Malfoy?"
"I think it's the Forgetfulness Charm!" Hermione considered a possibility, as Albert also had a time-turner and could easily ambush Malfoy on his way out, casting the charm to make him forget everything Harry had said.
It was only when she saw Albert checking the time on his pocket watch that Hermione realized this.
"Maybe we should learn the Forgetfulness Charm too." Ron said softly, "We can use it on Malfoy."
"Don't be silly. If the Forgetfulness Charm is not used properly, it could turn someone into an idiot." Hermione frowned, "If I were you, I'd focus on doing my holiday homework instead of worrying about useless things."
"I didn't mean to." Harry said.
"I know you didn't mean to. Don't be discouraged, Harry." Hermione whispered comfortingly, "Albert is different from us."
"I don't see how he's any different." Ron grumbled.
"Don't you think Albert is becoming less and less like a human?" Hermione forced a bitter smile, "In every aspect, I doubt young Dumbledore was as terrifying as Albert. You can't see his shortcomings; he's flawless in every way and effortlessly solves most problems. He's practically omnipotent. I even heard that he plans to capture Black and hand him over to the Ministry for a reward. Think about it, Sirius Black, infamous in the Ministry, is nothing but a cash bag to him."
"Is it too late for me to sign up now?" Ron suddenly asked.
(End of Chapter)
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