Chapter 782: The Difference Between People
Chapter 782: The Difference Between People
Obtaining the "Innocent Hound" quest from Phineas was generally satisfying for Albert in regards to his dealings with Sirius Black. Although Albert had been trying to trigger a "Save Black" quest, he knew that Black wouldn't do things for free.
Whether Phineas was casting a wide net or truly believed he could save Black, Albert didn't care. As long as there was a galleon reward on the task board, he wasn't afraid of the other party backing out.
Perhaps asking a painting for money was unreliable, but as long as the task was completed, the board would not shortchange him.
Where would this money come from?
Naturally, the Black family would pay.
"Now that the 'Save the Hippogriff' task is complete," Albert muttered as he checked the tasks on the board, "next is to resolve the grudge between Black and Peter Pettigrew."
Although the original plot had been disrupted by him, Albert was not worried. He had already planned out the next steps, and by sending Crookshanks to Hagrid, he would force Peter to flee.
However, the number and quality of the triggered tasks related to this incident were not impressive.
Besides the earlier "Dead Man" and "Revealing Secrets" quests, there was only the newly triggered "Innocent Hound."
The "Expelling the Dementors" task triggered earlier was somewhat related, but the reward was modest.
It would be great if he could trigger a few more quests related to Black.
Just as Albert lamented the scarcity of tasks and the difficulty of earning experience, footsteps echoed in the corridor outside, followed by the sound of the dormitory door opening. Fred, George, and Lee Jordan strolled in, deep in conversation and laughter.
"Just now, the Malfoy brat encountered an 'attack,'" Fred said proudly.
"No one attacked him. He just had diarrhea," George corrected him. "Unfortunately, there was no more toilet paper in the bathroom."
"That's a sad story," Albert said, knowing exactly who was responsible for this incident.
"I'm sure Mr. Malfoy can handle it. After all, it's not the first time something like this has happened," Lee Jordan said with a wicked smile. "If all else fails, he can always use his hands or even his underwear."
"Not his underwear," Albert chimed in.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot. He soiled his pants this time," George added.
Laughter filled the room.
"Be careful. That guy might go crazy and come after you," Albert warned. "I bet he has a few suspects in mind."
"We were quick and didn't leave any clues," Fred assured him.
They had all learned from Albert to be efficient and leave no evidence, making it difficult to get caught.
"You won't stay undetected forever," Albert said as he bent down to pick up Tom. "It's best to find someone else to take the fall and attract the hatred for you."
"That makes sense. Kenneth has done something similar before," Fred immediately suggested a scapegoat.
"Don't underestimate others, or you'll end up suffering the consequences," Albert advised.
"By the way, did you just get a divination from a painting?" Fred asked, noticing the two bags of galleons on the table as soon as he entered the dormitory.
"It's the payment from the client. A very generous painting," Albert replied.
"I find it a bit odd that you phrase it that way," Fred said, reaching for one of the bags and taking out a galleon to play with. "Divination sure is an easy way to make money."
"Only a minority of wizards seek divination, and even fewer are willing to spend a fortune on it," Albert said, knowing better than to think that diviners could go months without business and then make a killing when they did.
"Once your reputation grows, more people will come to you for divination," Fred said, not seeing any issue with it.
"By the way, what did you do with Hagrid's little pet?"
After Lee Jordan closed the door, he asked, "I heard that right before its head was cut off, the Hippogriff suddenly disappeared. They say the Ministry of Magic had Dementors search the castle grounds, but they couldn't find a trace of the Hippogriff. It's as if it vanished into thin air."
"It probably flew away on its own. Animals aren't stupid, especially those that have lived with humans for a long time," Albert replied casually.
"You were with us the whole time!" Fred interjected, not buying Albert's story for a second. He was curious about how Albert had managed to rescue Buckbeak right under Lucius Malfoy and the Ministry's noses, leaving them with swollen faces.
"Just a little trick," Albert said with a smile. "But Lucius Malfoy must be furious. He spent quite a few galleons on this."
"Are the Malfoys stupid? Spending so much just to get rid of Hagrid's Hippogriff to take revenge for their stupid son? I don't buy it. Their son didn't even die," George said.
To be honest, Lee Jordan couldn't understand the Malfoys' actions either. Did they really have so much money that they didn't know what to do with it?
"He probably wanted to spite Dumbledore!" Albert said without hesitation. "If I hadn't intervened, his plan would have succeeded. He knew that Dumbledore probably wouldn't do that, but he didn't expect..."
"...that someone would directly take the Hippogriff away, turning this serious matter into a joke," George finished his sentence.
"Something like that," Albert shrugged.
"By the way, everyone's been asking when you'll hold another party. The Easter holiday is almost over," Fred said, tossing the galleon back into the bag and asking.
"In a couple of days," Albert replied.
Just then, footsteps approached again, and there was a knock on the dormitory door. The four exchanged glances, and George opened the door to find Harry, Hermione, and Ron standing there.
"Hey, Harry. What's up?" George stepped aside to let them in.
"We're looking for Albert," Harry said, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Albert, who was stroking his fat cat.
"What can I do for you?" Albert asked.
"Can we talk in private?" Harry proposed.
"Oh, of course," Albert said, looking at Fred, George, and Lee Jordan. They shrugged and left the dormitory, closing the door behind them.
Once the door was shut, Harry lowered his voice and asked, "Did you take Buckbeak away?"
"Does it matter?" Albert countered. "And don't you already have the answer?"
Harry opened his mouth, understanding Albert's implication, but...
"Sometimes, it's better to keep certain things to yourself. There's no need to dig deeper," Albert said, glancing at the dormitory door. "And secrets are only meaningful if they're kept."
Harry followed Albert's gaze to the door, not fully grasping his meaning.
"You're still not cautious enough!"
Albert raised his hand and pointed at the door, and it suddenly swung open, causing a group of people to tumble inside, landing in a heap on the floor.
Harry stood there, his eyes wide in astonishment.
(End of Chapter)
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