Chapter 877: Leaked Information
Chapter 877: Leaked Information
"You went to the Prefect's bathroom earlier?" Hermione's gaze shifted from Crookshanks to Albert, having noticed a faint fragrance on him since he returned.
"You know about the Prefect's bathroom?" Albert was surprised that Hermione was aware of such a place.
"Percy mentioned it to me once. He said being a Prefect has its perks," Hermione quickly explained.
"I rarely go to the Prefect's bathroom. Madam Pince, or perhaps you know her as the Gray Lady, has a penchant for spying on people bathing there," Albert said helplessly. "And sometimes, you might stumble upon couples on a date."
"Dating?" Hermione's cheeks reddened instantly, and she stuttered, "Dating in the Prefect's bathroom?"
"It's indeed a great place for a private date. At least, you don't have to worry about interruptions," Albert agreed, nodding. "Usually, not many Prefects go there to bathe, and Filch can't enter either. It's perfect for evening dates. As far as I know, Percy often takes his girlfriend there."
"Percy and his girlfriend?" Harry perked up his ears, curious about the gossip regarding Percy.
"You can take your girlfriend there too in the future." Albert's eyes shifted between Harry and Hermione as he spoke with conviction. "You'll definitely be able to use it. Even if you don't become a Prefect, you should be able to become a Quidditch Captain."
"No, no, we're just good friends," Harry denied hastily, noticing Albert's appraising look.
"Maybe one day you'll become a couple. These things are often unpredictable," Albert said, not pressing the issue further. Instead, he asked, "What about Ron? I thought the three of you were always together."
Speaking of Ron, both Harry and Hermione felt a bit awkward.
"We had a falling out because of Harry becoming a Triwizard Champion?" Albert took out some fish treats from his pocket and started playing with Crookshanks. "I still think cats look better with a little chub."
"Crookshanks is already quite chubby," Hermione said. "I don't want him to become a fat cat."
"Don't worry. After Ron watches the first task, I think he'll get over his jealousy of you being a champion. Not everyone has the courage to face those fierce magical creatures," Albert said calmly.
"You've divined the specifics of the first task?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.
"I don't have a prophecy, but I can make an educated guess. That's the beauty of Arithmancy," Albert said, turning to Hermione. "Trust me, there will be someone willing to help us cheat."
"You mean Professor Moody?" Harry had also heard about the professor's exploits.
"It's Hagrid. He loves those fierce magical creatures. As soon as those monsters arrive near Hogwarts, Hagrid will surely be the first to know. Believe me, he'll be more than happy to tell us what we're up against in the first task," Albert assured them.
"Do you really think we'll encounter Acromantulas?" Harry pressed.
"I think it will be a creature classified as 'XXXXX'. To be honest, Acromantulas aren't that scary. They only pose a threat to wizards when they're in large numbers. If the Ministry of Magic brings a bunch of them from the Forbidden Forest for us to face, that would be wonderful. I've dealt with them plenty of times before," Albert corrected.
"What do you think it could be?" Hermione asked, unable to contain her curiosity. She felt that Harry needed to do something during this time, or he might struggle to get through the first task.
"Most likely a dragon. After all, every champion needs one. Many 'XXXXX'-class magical creatures are actually quite hard to find. There are tons of Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest, but they're better at ambushing. In a direct confrontation with a champion, they might be easily dealt with," Albert speculated.
"Dragon?"
Harry couldn't help but gasp, unable to imagine facing a terrifying dragon.
"It's just a guess, Harry," Hermione comforted him. "They can't possibly make champions fight dragons. Even adult wizards would need a large group to take down a dragon."
"No, I actually think the possibility of dragons is quite high. They are indeed difficult to deal with and truly test the champion's courage and wisdom. Plus, there are quite a few dragons around, making them one of the more easily accessible 'XXXXX'-class magical creatures I know of. I recall that Charlie's job involves dragon breeding. It could also be a cockatrice, if they dare use one after what happened last time. Anyway, as long as it's not a basilisk or a Sphinx, I can handle it."
"No matter what it is, I'll have a hard time accepting it," Harry mumbled, unsure if he would be scared stiff when facing those monsters.
"Don't worry. You can have Black and Lupin train your combat skills. There are plenty of giants and Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest—they'll make excellent training partners to help you gain battle experience. That way, you won't freeze up during the task," Albert reassured him.
Albert's nonchalant attitude made it seem like venturing into the forest to fight giants and kill spiders was an everyday occurrence.
"How did you do that? Crookshanks looks so comfortable," Hermione changed the subject, noticing two younger students trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Haven't you petted a cat before?" Albert pointed to Crookshanks' ears and began to demonstrate for Hermione. "Like this, use your thumb and index finger to gently rub the cat's ears, from the inside out, following the direction of the cat's ear. It will make the cat feel especially good."
Hermione observed Albert's movements with great interest.
"Most cats also like it when you rub their chins. When they rub their chins against your hand, you should use your fingers to scratch the cat's chin. Some cats like it gentle, while others prefer a bit more force. It varies from cat to cat. If you scratch it right, the cat will feel very comfortable, like this." Albert gave Hermione another demonstration, and Crookshanks purred contentedly, looking thoroughly pleased.
Cats made that sound when they felt very relaxed.
"Then there's the neck area, which you can massage a little harder. As for the back, you can use your palm to gently stroke it or use a cat comb to groom its fur. My Tom loves to lie down and let me comb his fur. You can prepare a comb as well."
"So, you've spoiled your cat." Harry finally couldn't help but interject.
"What, do you keep a cat to catch mice for you?"
Albert asked with a strange expression, "Harry, it seems you've misunderstood the purpose of keeping cats. Many people keep cats to relieve stress and anxiety and improve their mood. Hogwarts allows students to keep cats mainly to provide them with companionship, comfort, and emotional satisfaction while they're away from home. I'm sure you've sensed that from Filch."
"So, that's why you warned others not to mess with Filch's Mrs. Norris?" Harry suddenly fell silent. He had thought that Albert liked cats, which was why he stopped students from harming Filch's cat. It seemed he had misunderstood the situation.
"If you were to harm or injure Filch's cat, believe me, Filch will make your life miserable for as long as you remain at Hogwarts," Albert said, a quirky smile playing on his lips.
Harry shuddered involuntarily as he recalled the miserable state Filch had been in when Mrs. Norris was petrified.
After hearing Albert's words, Hermione suddenly felt a twinge of regret. During the busy school term last year, Albert had told her that she could relieve her stress by spending time with a cat, but she hadn't paid much attention to his suggestion, or perhaps she had never really cared about it at all.
As the three of them discussed cat-petting techniques, the other students lost interest in eavesdropping.
After eleven o'clock, there were hardly any students left in the Gryffindor common room.
The trio moved their seats closer to the fireplace, and Harry felt a bit silly as he watched Hermione learn from Albert how to properly pet Crookshanks.
"Why do you always keep Tom locked up in the dormitory?" Hermione gently stroked Crookshanks' back and asked.
"Because Tom is a bit dumb," Albert replied. "At least, compared to your Crookshanks, he's not very smart. Also, some people don't like me, and since they can't directly take it out on me, they might target my cat instead. It wouldn't be a big deal for them to harm or even kill a cat."
"I don't think they would go that far..." Hermione trailed off.
"No, Hermione, I think you're missing something here," Albert interrupted impatiently. "Kids can be crueler than you imagine. They are perfectly capable of killing a cat without any psychological burden. I don't want to wait until Tom gets hurt and then regret not being more careful."
"Do you really think they would do that?" Hermione asked, skeptical.
"They would," Harry said with a cold smile, clearly agreeing with Albert's viewpoint. "The Slytherins are rotten to the core."
"It's not that Slytherins are rotten to the core," Albert corrected. "It's the offspring of Dark wizards who are often twisted and vicious, and it has a lot to do with their family upbringing."
"I think you're prejudiced against them," Hermione said. While she didn't like the Slytherins either, she felt that Albert's view of them was biased.
"Do you know what Dark magic is?" Albert's face, hidden in the shadows, took on a sinister cast as he spoke. "To truly harm someone with Dark magic, you must have the determination and power to kill. Otherwise, even if you pointed the Killing Curse at a rabbit, you wouldn't be able to kill it. That's why Hogwarts doesn't teach Dark magic. Practitioners of Dark magic are often twisted, violent madmen, and their offspring are easily influenced by extreme emotions and may become madmen themselves."
Harry and Hermione gaped at Albert, surprised by his words.
"I have a few acquaintances in Slytherin, and we're on good terms," Albert said, his expression odd. "But their families are... well, let's just say they're a bunch of difficult people."
"But I don't think they would kill an innocent cat just because they don't like you," Hermione argued.
"They don't dislike me," Albert corrected. "They hate me. There's a difference."
"How...?"
"Because I, as a Muggle-born wizard, have thoroughly disgraced the purebloods," Albert explained impatiently.
"What?"
"Think about it," Albert continued. "A Muggle-born wizard achieving numerous international awards is an absolute humiliation for most British pureblood wizards. It's like someone stepping on their faces, rubbing their feet back and forth a few times, and then spitting on them for good measure."
"I like your analogy," Harry chuckled.
"Purebloods always boast about their superiority over Muggle-born wizards," Albert interrupted, raising his hand. "And my existence may be seen as proof that purebloods are inferior to Muggle-borns, so they would rather I hadn't won those awards. That's the reality of the British wizarding world. The status of Muggle-born wizards is quite awkward. They rarely hold high positions in the Ministry of Magic, so if you plan to work for the Ministry, you'd better hope that the environment improves by then, or you'll be in for a lot of trouble and mistreatment."
"I think Albert is right," Harry agreed. "Maybe others won't be as extreme as Malfoy, but..."
"But Percy said that the Ministry of Magic..." Hermione started to say.
"The reason Percy has that job is that I helped him choose it," Albert cut in.
"You helped him choose it?" Hermione's eyes widened in surprise.
Just then, the three of them fell silent as they heard an unfamiliar voice coming from the two-way mirror.
"Is that Sirius?" Harry asked excitedly, picking up the mirror.
"Harry?"
Sirius Black's voice came through the mirror again, and soon his face appeared in the mirror.
"Harry, didn't you give the note to Anderson?" Sirius asked.
"He's right here," Harry said, handing the mirror to Albert.
"Long time no see, Sirius," Albert greeted him, then asked, "How's the sales of the Defense Guide going?"
"We followed your suggestion and cooperated with other shops," Sirius replied with a smile. "The sales of the Defense Guide are gradually increasing, but the profits aren't as high as we imagined. We're still operating at a loss."
"It will definitely not close down for the time being," Albert said. "Remember to ask Mr. Lupin to make a financial report. I will adjust the magazine according to the situation. By the way, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Lupin is right here, and he has heard what you said. He will send you what you need in a couple of days," Sirius said.
"By the way, what did you want to talk to me about?" Albert asked.
"It's about Harry becoming a Triwizard Champion," Sirius said, his smile fading as he turned serious.
"Maybe you should talk to Professor Dumbledore about this," Albert said without hesitation. "In this regard, Headmaster Dumbledore definitely knows more than I do."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
