Chapter 799: Professor Anderson
Chapter 799: Professor Anderson
The news of Professor Lupin being a werewolf caused quite a stir in Hogwarts, giving rise to much gossip among the students until... a week later, when the curious crowd at Hogwarts had to pay the price for their interest.
Yes, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were temporarily discontinued.
The reason given was that Headmaster Dumbledore was unable to find a suitable teacher, and no one else was willing to take on the role of a substitute teacher for the students.
This development dealt a severe blow to the students of Hogwarts who were facing their end-of-term exams, especially those in their fifth and seventh years who were preparing for their O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts.
Professor Lupin had not had the opportunity to cover the exam topics or provide any insights into the potential exam questions before his abrupt resignation.
The already challenging subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts had now become even more daunting for the students in their crucial examination years.
Consequently, the Defense Association, which was the only group with some relevance to Defense Against the Dark Arts and aimed at providing supplementary lessons for fifth-year students, gained unprecedented popularity.
Some students with a strong will to survive even boldly suggested that Albert should take over the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Much to everyone's surprise, Professor McGonagall actually approached Albert to seek his opinion on the matter.
While others might not have been qualified for such a role, Albert, being the genius that he was, was an exception. The only other person to receive similar treatment was the brilliant and beautiful soon-to-be graduate, Isabelle.
Both Albert and Isabelle declined to take on the responsibility of teaching the students full-time, but they kindly offered to use their free time to hold a few exam-focused sessions in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, essentially providing supplementary lessons for their peers.
As for whether or not to attend these study sessions, that was left to the discretion of the other students.
The news spread like wildfire across the school, with some students expressing disdain while others breathed a sigh of relief, particularly those in their fifth and seventh years. After all, students in other grades did not have to worry about taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, but for the fifth and seventh years, it was an important examination they could not afford to neglect.
The results of the O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts would be a reflection of their own abilities, and no one wanted to sabotage their chances. Even a majority of the Slytherin students in their fifth year grudgingly attended the study sessions, holding their noses as if they were enduring a foul smell. Any troublemakers who intended to disrupt the gatherings were met with hostility from their peers, and without Albert having to say a word, they would be swiftly removed from the premises.
"Goodbye, Professor Anderson," a group of girls called out cheerfully to him after one such study session.
It had started as a playful tease by a Ravenclaw student, but somehow, many fifth-year students had picked up on the nickname, leaving Albert feeling as if he had aged several years overnight.
Perhaps the only consolation was that he had successfully triggered and completed a task related to the title of "teacher," earning himself some experience and reputation within the magical world.
"I wish this term would just end already," Fred said, running his hands through his hair in exasperation and turning to his twin, George, who was working on their homework beside him. "We have our O.W.L exams coming up, yet the professors are still piling on the homework. I feel like I'm going crazy."
"Albert probably wouldn't approve of you neglecting your studies at this point," George replied, understanding Fred's subtle hint. He, too, longed to cast aside their tedious homework and take a break from school to open their joke shop in Diagon Alley, but he knew that Albert would not support such a decision.
The Weasley twins' little musings about dropping out stemmed from a recent unexpected windfall.
Although they had missed out on the 10,000-Galleon reward for capturing Black, Albert had still managed to secure a substantial sum of money from the whole affair, and the three of them had each received a ten percent cut.
But where had that money come from?
This was something Lee Jordan had overheard from Harry—apparently, Albert had secretly taken on a portrait commission to clear Black's name, and for this service, he had been handsomely rewarded with 5,000 Galleons.
Ten percent of that amounted to 500 Galleons for each of them! Five hundred Galleons!
The trio was astounded by Albert's generosity, as that night they had not done much to contribute.
With a thousand Galleons in hand, the twins now had enough starting capital to open their shop. Lately, they had been grinning in their sleep, earning curious glances from Lee Jordan.
"You're not thinking of dropping out to open the shop, are you?" Lee Jordan asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
The four of them had been planning to open a shop together for a while now, and he suspected that Fred and George might be considering bringing that plan forward.
"We'd love to, but Albert probably won't give his blessing," Fred shrugged, glancing at Albert who was writing a letter.
"Without sufficient knowledge and preparation, you'll soon run into all sorts of troubles when it comes to inventing joke items," Albert said without looking up from his letter. "Look at Zonko—he's a prime example of what happens when you don't innovate. He's in his middle age, though you could say it started earlier, and his mind has gone blank. He can't come up with anything interesting anymore, and his shop has stagnated. But once our shop opens, with your creativity and my insights, it won't be long before we push his shop out of business."
"Really?" Fred and George exchanged glances, knowing that Albert's predictions were usually spot on.
"Yes, but don't expect Zonko to just sit there and accept his fate," Albert continued calmly. "He'll likely try to cause trouble for you in other ways."
"You've mentioned something like this before," Lee Jordan said with a smile.
"The time isn't right yet, is it?" George mumbled.
"Now isn't the time to be opening a shop," Albert affirmed. "I think you should make the most of your time at school and focus on building up your knowledge and skills. Once you leave Hogwarts, you'll hardly have any free time to devote to studying."
Of course, even if Fred and George were inclined to drop out and open their joke shop, they didn't have the Galleons to do so, as Albert had not yet given them their share of the money. It remained safely stored in his vault.
"I think Albert's right," Lee Jordan chimed in. "Opening a shop now would be premature. We're not ready yet."
"At the very least, you need to create products that will catch on with students, like the Wizarding Cards. Only then will customers be drawn to our shop in the future. And there's a lot we still need to figure out about running a business and making a profit."
In the HP novels, the Weasley twins' O.W.L. results were less than impressive, and now that they had the starting capital, they were even more inclined to slack off. However, Albert still hoped to guide them back onto the right path.
After all, he couldn't be expected to do everything for them, could he?
That would only result in his own early demise from exhaustion.
Albert's primary motivation for opening a shop with his roommates was to make easy money while lying down, and also to find a way to monetize the knowledge he possessed.
In his opinion, the amount of knowledge one had directly determined the success of a joke shop, the amount of money one could earn, and ultimately, how much one could slack off and still profit.
While he was more than willing to lend a hand to Fred and George, Albert felt it was important for them, along with Lee Jordan, to put in some extra effort themselves.
As for how to persuade them... well, Albert considered himself to be somewhat of an expert in that regard.
After all, he was a semi-pro at being a con artist.
Sometimes, having a dream or a goal to strive for was all the motivation one needed.
And so...
In any case, Albert felt that he had the potential to be a life mentor. He was quite skilled at persuading others, making it easy to convince people.
Ever since May, the exams had been approaching, and the students had to endure the temptations outside the castle, forcing themselves to study hard. Even Fred and George were buckling down in preparation for their O.W.Ls.
As the exams drew nearer, various odd exam-related syndromes became more pronounced.
Head Boy Percy Weasley's temper became increasingly irritable, and he would severely punish anyone who disturbed the peace of the common room in the evenings.
Ravenclaw's Katrina loved to come over and discuss the so-called exam topics with Albert during her free time, and Diggory did the same, as if they believed that whatever Albert said would definitely be on the exams.
Hufflepuff's Patricia Stinson had another breakdown and burst into tears during Transfiguration class, calling herself a fool who couldn't learn anything.
Slytherins, on the other hand, were busy spreading the word about how difficult the O.W.Ls were and talking about who had achieved outstanding results in the O.W.Ls using certain methods.
Those sly snakes, trying to lead others astray! There were also those who became increasingly curious about others' study schedules, which was quite annoying.
Everyone had their own unique way of preparing for the O.W.Ls.
To thoroughly motivate the trio, Albert generously offered to invite them to the Quidditch World Cup during the summer holidays if they did well on their O.W.Ls. They could also help predict the outcome of the World Cup final, which would be a great opportunity to make a fortune.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan understood what he meant—they could all make a killing together.
Albert had a good track record when it came to betting, and with the addition of prophecies, it would be a surefire way to profit.
With these three incentives, the trio's enthusiasm for studying was thoroughly ignited. They each took one of the purple candies Albert had given them and diligently reviewed their lessons every day, even quizzing each other on the important knowledge they needed to memorize in the evenings.
Of course, the three of them were also smart enough to mostly focus on the subjects they excelled at, although there was a strong suspicion of neglecting their weaker subjects. Still, it was much better than facing the O.W.Ls haphazardly.
Recently, Katrina seemed to be on fire, always seeking him out to discuss exam topics. It was as if she wouldn't stop until they had gone through all twelve subjects.
To achieve her goal, she even brought out the big guns, asking Isabelle to persuade Albert to comply.
Albert thought it would be a good idea for Katrina to learn Legilimency from Isabelle, so she wouldn't have to worry about the written exams.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan also wanted to learn Legilimency, but they just couldn't seem to grasp it, which was why they had to rely on rote memorization.
Albert recalled a time when he returned to the dormitory and saw Fred blocking his ears with his fingers, his lips silently moving as he recited from his Transfiguration notes.
George, with his face covered in sticky notes, lay on his bed reciting the definitions of basic spells, while Lee Jordan checked his work against the book "Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5." If George made a mistake, Lee would stick a note to his face.
When the three of them saw Albert return, they stopped their recitation and threw their books aside, reaching for a bottle on the bedside table and asking Albert, "How much more of this stuff do you have?"
"We think this stuff will be really popular," they added.
"Yeah, we should be able to make a killing with this," the three of them chimed in, making Albert's head hurt.
"That's the last bottle," Albert said. "So, I told you guys to use it sparingly at the beginning."
"Can you make more? We can make a ton of money off this," they suggested.
"No, I don't have the time right now," Albert replied.
"How about we try making it ourselves?" George proposed.
"Brewing it requires a certain level of proficiency in Potions, and with your current Potions skills, you won't be able to produce this," Albert said, knowing full well the trio's capabilities in Potions. "Now do you understand why I've been telling you to study hard? Even if I gave you the formula and manufacturing process, you wouldn't be able to make it. And if you somehow managed to succeed, the quality would be significantly inferior to what you've been taking."
"Is it very complex in terms of ingredients?"
"What you've been taking is an improved version of a Cognition Potion," Albert revealed. "It's a mixture of several potions. Haven't you noticed that after taking it, not only does your mind become sharper and your energy more abundant, but your mood also improves, and you feel more cheerful and confident?"
"Yeah, it's kind of like a Felix Felicis, but the effects don't last as long," they replied.
This was indeed a cheaper version of Felix Felicis, the Lucky Potion. While it didn't have the same powerful effects, it did provide a positive boost, although the reason for its short duration was unknown.
"So, you guys finished it all?" Albert asked.
The three of them looked a bit embarrassed and averted their gazes, not daring to meet Albert's eyes.
"Do you know what I call this stuff?" Albert suddenly asked.
"What?" the trio asked curiously.
"IQ Candy," Albert replied. "It's for tricking others. Only people who are foolish and have more money than sense would buy this stuff." Albert sighed and took out a folder from his backpack, waving it in front of them. "Forget about that for now. Come and take a look at this instead."
"What is it?" they asked.
"Exam topics," Albert said, tossing the folder onto the table. "It's said that if you master these, you'll basically be able to score a 'good' on your exams."
"That's our Albert!"
The three of them immediately pounced on the folder, afraid that it would sprout wings and fly away. As George flipped through the contents, his expression turned sour. There were indeed quite a few key topics, and it seemed like it would take forever to memorize them all.
"Are there any super important ones that we should focus on?" Lee Jordan asked quietly.
"Why don't you ask if I have the exam papers?" Albert teased.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you did," Lee Jordan replied.
"I do," Albert said. "They're at the back."
The three of them eagerly flipped to the back and indeed found exam papers, but upon closer inspection, they realized they were from the previous year. Their faces fell.
"Do you think we could sell this stuff?" the trio asked, their eyes lighting up. "We could organize all this information, sell it to other students as exam preparation materials, and charge one Galleon per copy. I bet a lot of people would be willing to pay."
"I think you'll get beaten up if you try that," Albert warned.
"Who would dare to hit us?" Fred asked.
The next moment, a fist appeared in front of Fred, knocking him onto the bed.
"How dare you hit me!" Fred glared at George.
"Stop fooling around and get back to studying," George said, shrugging. "There will be plenty of opportunities to make money later. Don't be so impatient. But wait, this handwriting doesn't look like yours."
"Yeah, it's not. Katrina helped me organize it. You guys should thank me," Fred said.
"Hey, how did Teacher Anderson get together with Katrina?"
"Teacher Anderson, teach me how to get a girlfriend!"
"You don't stand a chance. Teacher Anderson is so charismatic, and you... well, let's just say you don't exactly exude charm."
"Teacher Anderson, I really feel like punching someone."
(End of Chapter)
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