Chapter 93: In Search of the Crown
Chapter 93: In Search of the Crown
The dreary rainy days finally gave way to a clear sky, and the temperature around the castle dropped sharply, heralding the sudden arrival of a Scottish winter.
In the dormitory, Fred, humming a tune while holding a small kettle, was watering the garlic sprouts that had finally taken root in their pots.
With everyone's careful tending, the garlic had grown to about the height of a thumb.
"I just don't get why we didn't think of planting garlic in pots earlier," George muttered as he pulled on a handmade sweater, his grumbles continuing under his breath.
"Don't overwater and fertilize the garlic sprouts every day," Albert advised as he fastened the buttons on his robe. "Take advantage of today's rare good weather and bring the pots outside to let them soak up some sun. Plants won't survive long without sunlight."
The weather had been getting colder, and the entire month of October had been plagued by intermittent rain, making clear days a rare treat.
The garlic in the dormitory had barely seen the sun since it sprouted, and one could count on one hand the number of times it had been taken outside.
"What are you lot up to?"
As the group passed through the foyer, they were stopped by Filch.
"There's no rule against keeping potted plants in Hogwarts, is there?" Fred asked, pointing to the pot in his hand. "I don't think we're breaking any rules."
"That's grass, are you taking me for blind?" Filch said, pointing at the garlic sprouts.
"Ahem, garlic was considered a weed before its culinary uses were discovered," Albert reminded him, raising an eyebrow. "And it's certainly not a dangerous plant."
"Hmph, just make sure I don't catch you lot up to no good," Filch said, glaring at the four of them before turning and walking away, cradling his cat.
"That guy's a pain," George said, making a rude gesture at Filch's retreating back.
"You can always give him some garlic once it's grown. Cats hate the pungent smell," Albert said, a mischievous look on his face as if he'd thought of a prank.
During mealtimes, the older students couldn't stop talking about Hogsmeade. Even Charlie had temporarily halted his weekend training regime, giving the official Quidditch team a break.
Percy sat not far from them, chattering incessantly about the village with others.
Little did they know that Albert and his friends had already secretly visited Hogsmeade through the secret passage.
At nine in the morning, students intending to go to Hogsmeade began gathering in the entrance hall.
Filch stood in the middle of the door, holding a long list and checking it against each student who wanted to leave. He squinted at the list, suspiciously eyeing each face to ensure no younger students were trying to sneak out.
The four friends returned to the common room, which was now mostly empty except for the first and second-year students, who were delighted to have the comfortable spots to themselves.
Of course, there were also a few older students who had been to Hogsmeade many times and no longer found it exciting.
"Should we continue with our homework?" George asked. "I still have an inch left on my Transfiguration essay."
"I'm done," Albert said, patting George's shoulder. "You guys carry on. I'm going for a walk and will take some photos."
He lifted the camera in his hand and asked, "Anyone want to come along?"
"I think I'll pass," Fred said, a little glumly. He couldn't fathom how Albert managed to complete the endless piles of homework assigned by the professors.
The others shook their heads as well. They still had their Transfiguration essays due next Monday, and failing to submit them on time could result in detention from Professor McGonagall.
On top of that, they hadn't mastered the Floating Charm from Charms class yet and needed to practice the spell.
"I'll go by myself then," Albert said, as he had expected his roommates' responses.
"Let us copy... I mean, refer to your homework!" Lee Jordan called out before Albert turned to leave.
"Don't even think about it. Do you really think Professor McGonagall won't notice? She'll give you detention," Albert warned, waving at them as he disappeared through the entrance of the common room.
Today, Hogwarts Castle was practically deserted, with most of the older students having gone to Hogsmeade and the newcomers relishing their exclusive use of the common rooms.
For Albert, this was a perfect opportunity. He went to the eighth floor and stood in front of the tapestry of the giant clubbed Barnabas the Barmy, camera in hand. He snapped a photo of the tapestry and, after checking that no one was around, closed his eyes and began pacing in front of the blank wall opposite the tapestry:
I need a place to hide my things... I need a place to hide my things... I need a place to hide my things...
As Albert passed in front of the blank wall for the third time, an intricate design began to emerge, and the door to the Room of Requirement once again opened for him.
After confirming that the coast was clear, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Beyond the door lay a spacious hall, with sunlight streaming through the windows above and falling on the small mountains of discarded furniture. It was clear that these piles were made up of items once used by generations of Hogwarts students and professors.
"Success!" Albert exclaimed, making a 'yes' gesture with his hand. Even though he knew he could find this place, actually entering the storage area of the Room of Requirement still made his heart beat faster.
After all, one of Voldemort's Horcruxes was hidden somewhere within.
Finding the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw was Albert's true reason for coming here.
Every protagonist in a Harry Potter fanfiction would attempt to enter the Room of Requirement to search for Voldemort's Horcruxes and consider it their duty to vanquish the Dark Lord.
Well, Albert's fanfiction protagonist from his past life was no exception.
However, Albert had no intention of burdening himself with such noble sentiments. Going head-to-head with that 'noseless weirdo' who had questionable intelligence was certainly not something a rational person would do.
Besides, defeating the Dark Lord was the hero Potter's job.
Stealing the protagonist's thunder wasn't exactly fair play.
Moreover, hero Potter was born with a protagonist's halo, protecting him from danger. He was always at the forefront of perilous situations, and even when faced with life-threatening crises, he could rely on his protagonist's halo to pull through, hence the nickname 'the boy who lived'.
Nonetheless, Voldemort remained a problem that needed addressing.
In Albert's eyes, the final boss was merely an inconvenience, and he didn't mind giving a push from behind, accelerating the demise of the man people mockingly called 'noseless'.
The prerequisite, of course, was that the death of this Harry Potter novel's big boss would bring him sufficient benefits.
In fact, Albert had never doubted this point.
After all, he was the ultimate boss. No matter what, he could squeeze enough benefits out of him through the system panel.
(End of Chapter)
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