Chapter 818: Scheming
Chapter 818: Scheming
To help Albert win the Barnabus Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Award, Bard immediately began an intensive crash course for Albert as soon as they arrived in Spain.
In Bard's opinion, Albert's spellcasting technique was already exceptional. The real obstacle to him winning the award was his lack of knowledge about the competition itself.
So, Bard shared a lot of information with Albert about the Barnabus Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Competition, trying to help him gain a deeper understanding of the event and guide him to showcase his strengths.
"Your spellcasting technique is already impressive," Bard encouraged Albert. "Now, it's all about how you present it. While most of the judges are discerning, it's crucial that you take the initiative to demonstrate your superior spellcasting explicitly." Bard had high hopes for Albert; otherwise, he wouldn't have recommended him for this competition so strongly.
However, what Bard didn't know was that Albert's current spellcasting technique was derived from Voldemort, the infamous Dark Lord. Naturally, Voldemort's understanding of spellcasting far surpassed that of ordinary wizards, and he had developed his unique style.
Albert, though, usually refrained from overtly displaying Voldemort's distinctive techniques when using magic.
As Dumbledore, the person who knew Voldemort best, was always around, Albert didn't want to draw undue attention by being too flashy with his magic. That was the last thing he wanted.
Besides, Dumbledore would be gone in a few years, and after Voldemort was defeated by Harry, the Dark Lord's unique spellcasting style would truly become Albert's to claim.
While plagiarism was shameful, Albert felt no guilt when it came to borrowing from Voldemort.
As evening approached, there was a knock on Bard's door. A middle-aged woman, seemingly an acquaintance of Bard's, had come to visit.
After a brief chat in the corridor, Bard invited Albert downstairs for dinner.
The tavern hall buzzed with lively chatter, a melange of various languages as the competitors hailed from all over Europe, including several from the UK.
Among them was someone familiar to Albert—Terence Higgs, the former Slytherin prefect and Seeker from the previous year.
However, their encounter was less than pleasant.
The elderly wizard who had accompanied Terence Higgs to the competition disliked any association with Albert, so after a brief greeting, the two groups kept their distance.
"Oh, stop it, Higgs. Don't make me lose respect for you," Bard said to the elderly wizard. "Your prejudices are as repulsive as ever."
"It's none of your business, Broad," the elderly Higgs retorted, equally disdainful of Bard as he walked away with his grandson.
"Pureblood prejudices," Bard scoffed. "They even intend to pass on these biases to their descendants."
"I think it's more of a matter of interests," Albert offered his perspective. "These prejudices allow them to fit into that exclusive circle. As of now, those stubborn purebloods still hold considerable influence in the Ministry of Magic. If, one day, these prejudices no longer benefit them, they may choose to abandon them."
"You seem to have a clear understanding of the situation," Bard remarked, a contemptuous smirk playing at his lips as he watched the retreating figure of Old Higgs. "I know of quite a few similar cases in the wizarding world."
Albert smiled, feigning eagerness to hear more.
"Take the Malfoy family, for instance," Bard began. "A long time ago, the Malfoys were actually pro-Muggle. They had deep connections with Muggle nobility, but due to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, they faced ostracism from the Ministry of Magic, and their interests were affected. So, the Malfoys transformed from pro-Muggle to loyal supporters of pureblood supremacy. The Higgs family also used to be pro-Muggle, and there were even cases of intermarriage with Muggles in their family history. But later, they altered their family tree to conceal that part of their past."
Many pureblood families in the wizarding world had similar stories to tell.
With a few casual remarks, Bard exposed the hypocrisies of the pureblood elite, and it was no wonder that he despised them.
The conversation didn't linger on the topic for long, and Bard quickly steered it back to the Barnabus Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Award, sharing with Albert the origins of the award.
"The award actually originated from a book called 'Finkley's Tricks'," Bard explained. "Barnabus Finkley was a wizard with exceptional magical talent, and he wrote the book to share his unique insights on spellcasting." He took a sip of his whiskey, a faraway look in his eye as he reminisced. "As you might expect, the book became an instant hit, garnering immense popularity among witches and wizards. It catapulted Barnabus Finkley to fame and fortune."
"Wizards back then didn't pay much attention to such matters," Bard continued. "And most of them performed poorly when it came to casting spells or dueling."
"As far as I know, even the Aurors in the Ministry of Magic studied this book to improve their spellcasting. They sought to make their spells more fluid, elegant, and effortless, and they discovered that their spells could be enhanced to some extent due to certain techniques described in the book."
Later, in his old age, Barnabus Finkley used the wealth he had accumulated from the sales of 'Finkley's Tricks' to establish the Barnabus Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Award.
The International Confederation of Wizards found the award to be of great significance and decided to preserve it. Additionally, some witches and wizards who had benefited from Barnabus Finkley's spellcasting techniques sponsored the competition, hoping to learn even more exceptional spellcasting methods from other participants.
What began as 'Finkley's Tricks' evolved into the modern-day 'Barnabus Finkley Spellcasting,' and the book has since gone through several revisions. Many extraordinary witches and wizards have used this book to perfect their spellcasting abilities.
Albert listened intently to Bard's story, impressed by the older man's extensive knowledge. He seemed to know all the intricate details about the award's history.
However, their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a middle-aged witch, who still retained her allure. She carried a quill and a piece of parchment, presumably to register participants for the competition. Albert recognized her as the same woman who had knocked on Bard's door earlier.
"This is Albert, the one I mentioned to you," Bard introduced, gesturing to Albert. "He'll be participating in tomorrow's selection as well."
"Please sign your name here," the middle-aged witch said, placing the parchment and quill in front of Albert. "Write down your name, age, and where you're from."
Albert glanced at the parchment and quickly filled in his details.
"Sixteen?" The witch raised an eyebrow upon seeing Albert's age, clearly surprised that Bard had brought such a young wizard to the competition.
"Please keep this badge safe," she said, handing Albert a badge with the number 17 on it.
"That's Diana, the owner of this pub," Bard explained after the witch had left. "She has one-quarter vampire blood."
Albert noted the name—Diana. That didn't sound like a typical Spanish name; it was more reminiscent of a British name.
And the whole "vampire bar" thing was obviously just a gimmick.
"She doesn't really look like a vampire, aside from her pale skin," Albert commented.
He added that if the bar had actually been run by vampires, it would have gone out of business long ago.
"Well, she doesn't seem too different from ordinary people," Bard agreed.
"You seem to know her well," Albert said, testing the waters.
"Not really. I've just met her a few times before," Bard replied, signaling a passing waiter. "Bring me a whiskey, please. What about you, Albert?"
"I don't drink alcohol," Albert shook his head, continuing to eat.
To be honest, Albert suspected that Miss Diana might be Bard's lover.
However, given their age difference, she could also be Bard's daughter.
It wasn't unreasonable for Albert to have such suspicions. There seemed to be an unspoken familiarity between Bard and Diana, suggesting some sort of relationship.
(End of Chapter)
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