Chapter 875: Framed
Chapter 875: Framed
Albert had greatly underestimated the enthusiasm of the Hogwarts students. The next morning, as soon as he appeared in the common room, he was immediately surrounded by a group of Gryffindors who bombarded him with questions. Albert felt like a flock of chattering birds was buzzing incessantly in his ears, and he quickly grew irritated.
After finally managing to escape the common room, he saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan emerge, their faces filled with schadenfreude.
"You can't hide from everyone forever," said Lee, looking at Albert's disgruntled expression and struggling to hold back his laughter.
George patted Albert on the shoulder consolingly. "Give it a few days. Once the initial fervor dies down, they won't bother you as much."
"You were already popular before, but now you're even more famous," Fred said nonchalantly. "I think we should take advantage of this and make some money. If you agree to sign some autographs, I bet there'll be a bunch of girls willing to pay for them."
"If you're going to sell photos, remember to save one for me," said a voice from behind them.
The four of them turned to see Angelina smiling and raising her hand in greeting to Albert. "Good morning. It hasn't been easy trying to catch a glimpse of you, the hero. I heard you just came out."
As she spoke, Angelina reached into her pocket and fumbled around. "Drat, I forgot to bring a quill. Remind me to get your autograph some other time."
"No problem, I have a pen here," said Albert, pulling a pen out of his pocket and waving it in front of Angelina. The trio couldn't help but laugh at her flustered expression.
"Actually, you should get Viktor Krum's autograph instead. Mine is worthless," Albert said, putting the pen away.
"Didn't you go back to the dormitory last night? I heard someone waited for you in the common room all night, but you never showed up," said Angelina, her curiosity piqued.
"I did go back, with Harry," Albert explained. "It's normal that no one noticed me with everyone crowding around him."
"No, it's not normal. You're even more popular than Harry. If you had returned to the common room, someone would have seen you," Angelina insisted, unconvinced.
"Don't be silly," Fred chimed in, knowing Albert's character all too well. "If Albert didn't want to be seen, do you really think you'd be able to spot him? He probably used Harry as a distraction and sneaked back to the dormitory, only to face the consequences the next day. I can't wait to see what happens when he enters the Great Hall."
As they entered the Great Hall, Albert once again became the center of attention, just as Fred had predicted. Fortunately, the students' enthusiasm was short-lived, or else Albert would have been driven mad by their incessant curiosity.
However, Albert knew he couldn't avoid them forever. As George had said, he couldn't hide from everyone forever.
This was the price of accepting a high-quality task.
This was the price of becoming a hero! Albert suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy towards Gilderoy Lockhart, who seemed to revel in being the center of attention.
"Sorry, but I'm hungry now. If you have other questions, we can talk after I've eaten," Albert said, growing impatient with the crowd and starting to shoo them away.
He knew that their curiosity was getting the better of them, and they didn't seem to care how much of a nuisance they were being.
Albert began to think that Fred's idea wasn't so bad after all. Perhaps he should sign some autographs and make some money off these curious students. They certainly didn't deserve his sympathy.
In the end, Albert decided against it. Instead, he planned to shift his focus and gather the other champions for a photo, which would then be made into limited-edition Wizard Cards.
Lee Jordan immediately agreed with the idea, knowing that it would bring even more attention to the Wizard Card Club.
"It seems you really dislike those people," George remarked, noticing the frown on Albert's face as he walked and ate.
"I don't like them. They're annoying," Albert said disdainfully. "They're just curious about something new, like animals at the zoo."
"Your descriptions are as vivid as always," Fred said with a laugh. "What are you planning to do today? Are you still going to practice dueling in the woods?"
"Let's skip it for today. We have some unwanted company," Albert said, glancing at the girls who were stealthily trailing them at a distance.
"If they heard you say that, they'd be heartbroken. They really admire you," said Lee.
"Please, do you think I can't see that they're just trying to figure out my secrets so they can brag about it to other girls?" Albert said contemptuously.
"I... I guess not," Lee said, somewhat uncertain.
"What else would it be?" Albert asked suddenly. "Want to make a bet?"
"Let's not. We'd only lose," the trio shook their heads in unison, knowing better than to bet against Albert, who seemed to have an uncanny streak of luck.
"Then go talk to them," Albert said, finding a spot to sit down in the courtyard. "Ask them if they're following us because they want to uncover my secrets, and then tell them that it was Professor Moody who signed me up for the Triwizard Tournament."
"Was it really Professor Moody who signed you up?"
The trio exchanged doubtful glances. The more Albert said it, the more they suspected something was amiss.
Was he trying to frame Professor Moody?
"That's what everyone is saying, so others will believe it too," Albert said seriously. "I believe it was Professor Moody who signed me up."
Lee Jordan approached the girls and spoke to them briefly. Soon after, the girls left.
As it turned out, Albert was right; the girls had been hoping to uncover some secrets about him.
Now they knew.
"So, you signed yourself up?"
George would bet his wand that Albert had indeed signed himself up, and his disappearance was his own doing.
"I was just going with the flow," Albert said, feeling no remorse for potentially framing Professor Moody. "Someone was planning to attack me and prevent me from participating in the Tournament, so I pretended to disappear to avoid further trouble. And by the way, that imposter is definitely suspicious. I remember him using the Imperius Curse on students not long ago to test if Katie could resist its control."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
