Chapter 955: Wishes Fulfilled
Chapter 955: Wishes Fulfilled
Having found solace in Isabelle's company, Albert no longer felt anxious about the potential dangers of the third task. He knew that failure was not an option, and if anyone should be anxious, it shouldn't be him but Fake Moody, or rather, Barty Crouch Jr.
"Looks like you've been doing well these days," Fred, George, and Lee Jordan all noticed the calm aura that Albert exuded. This was the Albert they knew, confident and composed, as if everything was under his control. The reassuring Albert was back.
"How are your exams going?" Albert sat down in the empty seat next to the trio and prepared himself some breakfast, casually starting a conversation.
"Those two next to you have completely given up," Lee Jordan grumbled with disdain. "I bet they'll fail all their final exams. And they have the nerve to mock others for being nervous. Professor McGonagall should make them repeat a year."
"It's rare for students to repeat a year at Hogwarts," Fred and George exchanged a glance, appearing unconcerned about the matter.
"At worst, we won't get our Ultimate Wizarding Exam certificates. Anyway, we already have our O.W.L.s," the Weasley brothers added arrogantly.
However, their arrogance was short-lived as Professor McGonagall glared at them disapprovingly, causing the surrounding girls to cover their mouths and giggle.
"Anderson, the champions' relatives have arrived and are waiting in the conference room next to the Great Hall. After breakfast, meet them there," Professor McGonagall informed Albert about the arrival of his relatives, who would be watching the final task.
"Did they Apparate here?" Albert furrowed his brows and asked, "I hope the wizarding method of travel didn't make them uncomfortable."
"Rest assured, they're fine," Professor McGonagall reassured him.
"I'll be there after I finish eating," Albert said.
After Professor McGonagall walked away, Albert turned to Fred, George, and Lee Jordan and said, "I have to go first. See you later."
Then, he began to wolf down his food. After finishing his meal under the watchful eyes of the trio, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief from his robe pocket and got up to make his way toward the temporary conference room, leaving the Great Hall behind.
As the door to the conference room opened from the outside, everyone inside turned their heads to look.
Gabrielle, Fleur's little sister, waved at Albert as she held her mother's hand, and Albert waved back.
Krum's parents were conversing rapidly in Bulgarian, seemingly unconcerned about being overheard, unaware that Albert understood Bulgarian.
Harry's relatives were Mrs. Weasley and her eldest son, Bill, who both smiled and nodded politely at Albert.
Albert shifted his gaze to Nia, who was talking to Isabelle, and walked directly toward them.
"Are you the only ones here to watch the tournament?" Albert asked, expecting Daisy and Herb to join them at Hogwarts.
Nia stepped forward and gave Albert a hug, smiling as she explained, "They're busy, so Isabelle brought me here."
After several years, Albert finally kept his promise and gave her the opportunity to visit the long-awaited Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"Thank you, Isabelle," Albert looked into the red-haired girl's eyes and smiled. "Let's go, I'll show you around the castle."
Before leaving, Albert greeted Mrs. Weasley.
As they passed by the Great Hall, he didn't forget to remind the 'savior', "Potter, they're waiting for you in the conference room!"
Harry looked confused. Sirius had written to him the day before, saying that he wouldn't be able to make it to the final task that evening, which had left Harry grumbling for quite some time.
If it wasn't Sirius, then who could it be?
Harry didn't think the Dursleys would bother to show up.
The trio walked out of the Great Hall, attracting the gazes of countless students.
"Who's the beautiful girl next to Albert?"
Beautiful girls always caught the attention of boys, and a handsome couple was bound to spark gossip. As the three of them exited the Great Hall, whispers filled the air.
"That's McDougal, his girlfriend!"
"No, I mean the other one."
"Don't know."
"I bet she's not a student here."
"Must be one of his relatives."
The girls who had overheard Professor McGonagall's conversation earlier were filled with envy. They envied not Nia, but the fact that Isabelle was here as Albert's relative.
Nia turned back to look at the source of the whispers and then said to Albert, "You're quite popular here."
"What do you think of the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Albert asked with a smile. "By the way, here."
Albert took out a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it to Nia.
"What's this?" Nia unfolded the parchment and asked curiously, "A Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry tourist map?"
"Yes, if there's anywhere else you'd like to visit, just let me know," Albert nodded in confirmation.
"Your plan is quite detailed," Nia smiled happily. Albert was always so considerate.
The three of them first visited the moving portraits in the corridors and tried to communicate with them, which was definitely a novel experience. Even though Albert had shown Nia many moving photos before, this was different.
"It's not as magical as I imagined," Nia commented as she looked at the moving staircase.
She wasn't Harry's Aunt Penny. Long ago, Albert had told her about the wonders of Hogwarts, and she had seen countless photos he had taken here. She already had a good understanding of this magical wizarding school, and the places Albert was taking her to were simply locations she had seen in those photos.
"This is the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room," Albert pointed to the tap above the girl's bathroom and introduced it to them. "There's a snake mark there, and you can open the entrance to the Common Room by speaking Parseltongue. Below is the body of a Basilisk. But it's quite dirty down there, so we won't go in."
"Can you open the Common Room?" Isabelle asked curiously.
"I know a few phrases of Parseltongue, so opening it isn't a problem," Albert explained before they left. "You can often see the Grey Lady here, but she doesn't seem to be around today."
"Do you often sneak into the girls' bathroom?" Nia raised an eyebrow.
"That's an exception, and since we're at Hogwarts, there are some places we shouldn't miss," Albert explained gently. "Many people don't even know the exact location of the Common Room."
After that, Albert took Nia to visit many other places.
From the Great Hall where everyone ate, to the classrooms where lessons were held, they even took many shortcuts and used several hidden passages along the way, and they also met Peeves, the mischievous poltergeist.
"What's the 'Special Contribution Award'?"
As Nia looked at the three 'Special Contribution Awards' medals that Albert had received, she asked curiously.
"It's the school's way of rewarding students for keeping quiet about certain things," Albert explained.
"It seems like you know a lot," Isabelle looked deeply into Albert's eyes. She had no idea that Albert had received the 'Special Contribution Award' three times. It was rare for a student to receive this kind of award.
"There are some things I've promised to keep secret," Albert said.
Albert cleared his throat softly and led them to the Armor Corridor, where they witnessed the self-moving armor.
"Wizards have enchanted these suits of armor," Albert explained to Nia, "and when necessary, the armor and statues throughout the castle will become a protective barrier for Hogwarts."
"You seem to know a lot about it," Nia remarked, impressed.
"It's because I know the spell that does it," Albert said mysteriously.
"So, are all the suits of armor and statues here the castle's guardians?" Nia was surprised, as there were quite a few suits of armor and statues scattered throughout Hogwarts.
Afterward, they went up to the library on the fifth floor and browsed through the so-called magic books. However, Nia wasn't very interested in them, as Albert already had a vast collection of such books, and she couldn't perform magic herself anyway.
The sixth-floor prefect's bathroom left Nia astonished due to its grand and luxurious bath.
The three of them continued their tour, exploring each floor of the castle.
Sometimes, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
Perhaps only those who knew nothing about Hogwarts could truly experience the novelty of the school upon their first visit! "This is the Room of Requirement," Albert said, pointing to an entrance that had just appeared. "It can transform into whatever room you need, and it's probably my favorite place in all of Hogwarts."
They pushed open the door and found a comfortable sitting room inside.
"Not many people know about the existence of the Room of Requirement," Albert told Nia, "and it's a great place to do just about anything because once someone enters, no one else can get in."
"It's indeed a fantastic place," Nia agreed, imagining that Albert and Isabelle must have spent a lot of time here on their secret dates.
"You must be tired from all the walking," Albert said as he waved his wand, conjuring three cups of milk tea and three slices of cake. "Magic is indeed a convenient thing."
"It sure is," Nia said sourly, still a little bitter about her inability to use magic.
"It's convenient, but it has its limitations," Albert said as he closed his eyes. A window appeared on the wall opposite them, and a gentle breeze blew into the room through the open window.
"I want to go outside and ride a broomstick," Nia said to Albert, gazing longingly at the sky.
"Of course," Albert agreed, "but let's finish visiting the other places first, and we can go flying this afternoon."
Albert didn't want to disrupt the original itinerary he had planned.
"Okay, let's follow your plan," Nia nodded obediently.
The Fat Lady was displeased that he had brought strangers into the Gryffindor common room, but they didn't stay long and soon left.
Next, they visited the Ravenclaw common room, and Nia even got to try her hand at the eagle-shaped doorknocker's riddle.
"Can't you enter if you don't guess the riddle?" Nia asked, as she had no idea what the answer could be.
"That's right," Albert confirmed, "anyone who guesses the riddle can enter the Ravenclaw common room."
"But are there really people who can guess the riddle on their first try?" Nia mumbled, skeptical.
"Usually, people have to study and learn the answers," Albert explained.
"So, it's not really about guessing; it's more about memorizing the answers," Nia quipped.
"I used to know the answers to most of the eagle-shaped doorknocker's riddles, probably over a hundred of them," Albert boasted.
"That sounds like you," Nia smiled. "I prefer the style of the Ravenclaw common room. How come you were sorted into Gryffindor? I think you would've liked it here."
"It's because I made some friends there," Albert replied vaguely.
The three of them didn't stay long in the Ravenclaw common room either and soon left amid the curious stares and whispers of the Ravenclaw students.
Everyone was curious about the beautiful girl accompanying Albert.
"Aren't we going to visit the other common rooms?" Nia asked.
"There's no way to get into the Slytherin common room, which is located in the dungeons below," Albert explained, "and you need to use a password on a stone wall to enter. They say you can see the giant squid in the lake from the windows.
The entrance to Hufflepuff is also underground, near the kitchens. To get in, you need to knock on the barrels in a specific rhythm; they say if you get it wrong, you'll be sprayed with vinegar."
"Have you been there?" Nia asked curiously.
"No, it's impossible to get into the Slytherin common room. A lot of people there are into pure-blood discrimination. But if you want to, I can ask a friend to take us to visit Hufflepuff," Albert offered.
"Never mind," Nia shook her head, "I'm already content just being able to visit Hogwarts after all these years. It's enough to fulfill my long-held wish."
Instead of being excited about the tour, Albert was glad that Nia was taking her time to calmly explore the entirety of Hogwarts, making up for the regrets of the past and fulfilling a long-held dream.
After all, Nia was no longer the immature young girl she used to be.
Soon, the trio returned to the castle for lunch and ran into Harry, Bill, and Mrs. Weasley in the entrance hall, who had just finished their own tour of the castle.
After exchanging greetings, they all headed into the Great Hall for lunch.
Nia eyed Bill's long hair and pointed earring with a hint of disdain, but she quickly masked her true feelings.
Influenced by Albert, she had come to prefer handsome, sunny boys who gave off a sense of security—boys like Albert.
During lunch, Harry, the Weasleys, Albert, and his companions, along with Lee Jordan, sat together, chatting and catching up. Albert once again introduced Nia to everyone, although aside from Mrs. Weasley, they had all met her before at the Quidditch World Cup.
The conversation inevitably turned to the recent exams, and Fred and George finally faced the consequences of their lax attitude, receiving a stern lecture from Mrs. Weasley.
Hermione, who had joined them temporarily, faced cold treatment from Mrs. Weasley due to Rita Skeeter's article, but Harry's explanation eventually helped restore their previous relationship.
After lunch, Albert politely declined their invitation to go for a walk, opting instead to take Isabelle and Nia outside to ride brooms.
Albert also took the opportunity to introduce Nia to Hagrid.
However, Hagrid was deep in conversation with Madame Maxime, and they seemed to have patched things up, judging by their amicable interaction.
"They're so tall," Nia commented.
"It's a bloodline thing," Albert explained simply, "but they're generally mild-mannered, even if they can be a bit foolish at times."
"I can see that," Nia agreed.
Under Nia's expectant gaze, Albert produced two broomsticks and handed one to Isabelle.
"I won't let you control the broom," Albert said firmly to Nia, noticing her disappointed expression.
"I won't fall," Nia argued, "and even if I do, you can just catch me with your magic."
"No, this is non-negotiable," Albert shook his head, "you can either ride with me or Isabelle, but you're not flying solo."
In the end, Nia relented and climbed onto the broomstick with Albert, as Isabelle wasn't as skilled at flying—at least, not in Albert's opinion.
As the cool wind rushed past her face, Nia shouted, "Can we go faster?"
Albert leveled out the broom and accelerated, circling the school.
"This is amazing! The feeling of flying is incredible!" Nia exclaimed, hugging Albert tightly around the waist and squinting as the wind whipped past her ears. She was beaming with joy and wished they could continue flying like this forever.
(End of Chapter)
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