Chapter 821: The Performer
Chapter 821: The Performer
The array of magic displayed on stage left Albert awe-struck. The Barnabas Finkley Exceptional Wand Control competition felt like a circus with its varied and entertaining acts.
However, it was undeniable that the witches and wizards who dared to participate in the competition were mostly skilled. At the very least, those who took the stage had a decent level of proficiency in magic.
Some conjured flocks of birds, presenting an impressive "Hundred Birds Paying Homage". Others directed puppets with their wands, creating graceful dances, and there was even a performer who breathed fire from his mouth.
But the one who drew the most attention was a middle-aged wizard in his forties. He used the Animagus transformation to turn himself into an owl and flew a circle above the stage before reverting to his human form, earning astonished gasps and applause from the audience.
Of course, with a large number of participants, there were bound to be some less impressive performances as well.
Especially among the group of young men, whose magic displays were rather mediocre. One of them, a man in his early twenties, was so nervous that he made mistake after mistake, becoming the center of attention for all the wrong reasons.
He eventually left the stage with his head down and promptly exited the pub, likely feeling too embarrassed to stay and risk becoming a laughing stock.
The queue progressed quickly, and it was soon Albert's turn.
The youth before him stumbled his way onto the stage and attempted to transform a paper bird into a real one, but it flew around for a bit before crashing onto the stage, eliciting scattered laughter.
Albert noticed the judges, not too far away, subtly shaking their heads and making notes on their papers.
"Let's welcome contestant number 17," Diana read out from the registration list, and this time, she added more than just the contestant number. "It's worth mentioning that contestant 17 is the youngest participant in the Barnabas Finkley Exceptional Wand Control competition. He is only sixteen years old and is currently a student at Hogwarts. Let's see what he has in store for us."
Albert took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage.
As he ascended the platform, he could feel all eyes on him, but being the center of attention didn't seem to affect his performance.
Albert focused his mind and banished all distractions.
Then, he raised his wand and gave it a slight flick. A worn, old armchair materialized in front of him.
With a second gentle wave of his wand, the armchair transformed into a majestic lion. It stood up, its coarse mane brushing against Albert like a docile house cat. The lion circled Albert once, as if displeased by the stares from the audience, and let out a heart-shaking roar towards the crowd below the stage.
The witches and wizards closest to the stage instinctively tightened their grips on their wands, ready to react if the lion pounced.
However, their worries were unfounded as Albert casually waved his wand twice, making the lion disappear.
After showcasing his transfiguration magic, Albert descended the stage under the gaze of many.
Undoubtedly, he had just performed an impressive transfiguration spell, and what surprised them even more was Albert's innate talent for transfiguration. To achieve such a level of mastery at his age was extraordinary, and his composure further added to their impression of him. Even Diana, acting as one of the judges, was highly satisfied with Albert's performance, and she noticed that the other five judges nodded their agreement.
"That was an impressive transfiguration spell," Lordlis admitted, conceding that Bard was right about Albert's genius.
Generally, the larger the object, the more difficult it was to transfigure, and yet the lion had been perfect, without any flaws. It had been a truly remarkable display of magic.
The competition continued, and Albert noticed that most of the young participants had ulterior motives for joining. They were often the most nervous, and that nervousness tended to be contagious, affecting the performance of most contestants. As a result, the prizes, trophies, medals, and even the chance to impress the young lady they admired seemed out of their reach.
Thus, many contestants who knew they would be eliminated looked at Albert with a mixture of envy and admiration.
After all, Albert was currently the most promising candidate for the championship, and most importantly, he was only sixteen years old—the same age as Miss Yanira. They seemed like a match made in heaven.
A thick air of jealousy permeated the pub.
"I wonder why they even bothered to participate," Albert mused, guessing the reason for their envious glances. He ignored their stares and chatted with Lordlis about the magical performances on stage.
"You'll have no problem passing the first round of selections," Bard said, flipping through today's issue of the Daily Bull. He explained the competition process to Albert. "After the first round, sixteen contestants will be chosen from all the participants."
"The second round is where the truly exceptional wand control is filtered out, and usually, the top few will advance to the third round."
"The third round consists of two parts. The first part is a gathering similar to a discussion panel with the five judges, where they will talk to you about wand control and ask you to demonstrate your skills for them individually, determining if you are qualified for the gold award." Bard was quite pleased with Albert's performance.
Albert wasn't surprised by the step-by-step selection process.
After all, the energy of the elderly judges was limited, and it would be impossible for them to directly select a champion from countless participants. It would require a lot of energy, and the credibility of the results would be questionable.
After completing the first round, he relaxed and watched the performances on stage, occasionally discussing the skill level of the contestants with the two elderly gentlemen beside him, as if the competition had nothing to do with him.
The competition went on until 8:30 in the evening, but no one grew impatient. For them, it was an entertaining and enjoyable show. There were also plenty of amusing moments, like when a young man fainted even before his turn due to nerves, or when a contestant transfigured a bouquet of roses and presented them to Miss Yanira, who accepted them gracefully.
The man's face turned bright red with excitement, as if her acceptance of the flowers was also an acceptance of his confession of love.
This earned him a chorus of boos from the audience. Later, while having dinner, Albert heard that the man had gotten into a fight with someone.
As for Albert's other schoolmate, Terrence Higgs, his performance was better than most of the young witches and wizards, but he, too, was eliminated in the first round.
Terence wasn't surprised by this outcome, but Old Higgs was so furious his nose looked crooked. Initially, he hadn't expected his grandson to win the championship; he had only brought him along to introduce him to everyone.
However, comparisons were inevitable.
Albert was simply too dazzling. Not only did he display an extraordinary talent for Transfiguration, but he also breezed through the first round of the competition.
Now, everyone in the pub was talking about Contestant 17, and some had even started taking bets on whether the youngest contestant in history would become the ultimate champion and take home the gold prize.
The youngest contestant, the youngest genius, the youngest champion, and the youngest winner of the Barnabas Finkley Exceptional Wand Control gold award.
These titles were irresistible attention-grabbers, instantly attracting the eyes of countless onlookers.
To encourage more bets, the bookies even revealed Albert's other accolades: the youngest International Wizard Chess Champion and the winner of the Magic School Potions Championship.
Before long, the multi-talented genius, surrounded by a halo of accomplishments, was featured in the Daily Bull, prompting countless witches and wizards to join the frenzy with their wallets.
"They've adjusted your odds; it seems they have some faith in you winning the competition." Lordlis smiled as he handed the Daily Bull to Albert, then turned to ask, "Old friend, do you want to place a bet?"
"I bet 50 Galleons on Albert winning the gold award." Bard smiled at Lordlis. "Care to join me? I guarantee you won't lose."
Lordlis smiled but didn't respond. In truth, he was betting on Albert making it past the second round.
"Is this reliable?" Albert had already found his odds in the newspaper. The odds for him winning the championship had improved from 4 to 1 to 2.5 to 1, while the odds for him winning the gold award were 8 to 1. On the other hand, the odds for him being eliminated were 0.3 to 1, and for him passing the second round were 0.8 to 1.
In most people's eyes, the odds of Albert being eliminated were high. No one expected a sixteen-year-old minor to win the Barnabas Finkley Exceptional Wand Control championship or gold award.
"Is this reliable?" Albert asked again.
"You want to place a bet, too?" Bard frowned at Albert. Normally, contestants weren't allowed to bet, but there were always ways around such rules; for example, they could ask someone else to place the bet for them.
"It's reliable. The Daily Bull set up this gambling event with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Magic."
"The Spanish Ministry of Magic is involved?" Albert was surprised.
"It's technically hosted by the Daily Bull, but the Spanish Ministry of Magic backs it up," Lordlis explained.
"I'll go see how many Galleons I have." Albert mumbled an excuse and headed upstairs.
In the crystal ball, Albert saw Yanira placing the gold award around his neck as he held the winner's cup. A reporter was taking their picture.
Albert was pleased with what he saw in the crystal ball. He would win the gold award, complete his task, and make a hefty sum in the process.
As for not having enough Galleons?
That was no problem for Albert. He took out his two-way mirror and contacted his house-elf, asking it to go to Gringotts and bring back some money.
When Albert returned downstairs, Lordlis had already left, and Bard was chatting with the pub owner, Diana.
"How much do you plan to bet?" Bard asked with a smile.
"I plan to bet on myself winning the gold award." Albert sat down and continued eating.
"You're quite confident, aren't you?" Diana smiled and reminded him, "However, the gold award isn't that easy to obtain. As far as I know, there hasn't been a minor winner yet. The youngest winner we know of is Professor Albus Dumbledore from Hogwarts."
"I've always had good luck." Albert quickly finished his meal and returned to his room to wait for his house-elf to bring the Galleons.
"This has nothing to do with luck." Diana watched Albert's retreating back and asked Bard, "Do you think he can win the gold award?"
"I have faith in him." Bard looked at Albert's back and turned to Diana. "But you should give up on him. Albert is already engaged."
"Engaged? Are you sure? He's not even an adult yet, and he's about to start his sixth year at Hogwarts, right?" Diana frowned, suspecting that Bard was joking.
"Yes, engaged. He plans to get married after graduation. Yanira doesn't stand a chance, so don't get any ideas." Bard nodded.
"But you think so highly of him. Why stop me?" Diana was a little angry. "Why stand in my way?"
"Because I want her to choose her own happiness freely." Bard said calmly, "Over the years, only you know if you've been truly happy or not."
"Then why didn't you stop me back then?" Diana gritted her teeth and walked away.
"Because I couldn't stop you at the time!" Bard looked at Diana's back and sighed softly. "And it was your choice, wasn't it?"
Albert was oblivious to their conversation. He had just received a heavy bag of coins from his house-elf, Bit.
Such opportunities were rare, and Albert intended to make a killing.
As for how much to bet, he would have to discuss it with Bard first.
After taking a shower, Albert knocked on the door of the room next door, holding the bag of coins.
"What's up?"
Bard's gaze fell on the bag of coins in Albert's hand, and he immediately understood.
"I plan to bet on myself winning the gold award." Albert placed the bag of Galleons in front of Bard and stated his intention directly.
"All of it?" Bard looked at the bag of Galleons in front of him and suddenly remembered something.
Albert could make prophecies! "Yes, all of it. But I'm a little worried that they might not be able to afford such a huge loss." Albert expressed his concern. If they went bankrupt or defaulted, it would be a problem. Sometimes, one really couldn't trust people's integrity.
"How much is there?" Bard picked up a coin, weighed it in his hand, and asked.
"1000 Galleons." Albert answered honestly.
"Isn't that a bit too crazy?" Bard muttered to himself. However, he didn't refuse Albert's proposal. "I'll need to find some friends to help place the bets. If we win, we'll have to give each of them 100 Galleons to keep them quiet."
"A win-win situation. I understand." Albert agreed.
(End of Chapter)
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