"With a bad grace, Filch turned and walked away, leaving a parting shot behind him: 'You'd better not let me catch you...'"
Albert didn't catch the last few words, but it couldn't have been anything important anyway.
Does Filch really harbor that much hostility toward the students?
It was as if he couldn't wait to throw them all in detention.
Pushing open the door to the Great Hall, he found it dim and gloomy. The floating candles were all extinguished, and yesterday's lively scene was gone.
Albert turned and left, planning to take the opportunity to explore the Castle's kitchens right now.
Chapter 24: Enthusiastic House-Elves
Near the entrance hall on the ground floor, there was a door leading down to the Hufflepuff common room and the kitchens.
Albert spent some time wandering around the entrance hall, finding two doors by the marble staircase as well as Filch's office. Filch's cat was glaring right at him with wide eyes.
"What's its name?" Albert asked.
Filch didn't answer; he scooped up his cat and retreated into his office.
"It must be jealousy!" Albert muttered to himself. If he remembered correctly, Filch was a Squib. In his opinion, since the man was a Squib, he should have abandoned the wizarding world and smoothly integrated into the Muggle world instead of staying behind to invite trouble and misery for himself.
Well, the unpleasant fellow was gone. Which door should he choose?
"Where would the kitchen be?" Albert pulled a coin from his pocket and tossed it onto the stone floor. It landed heads up, so he chose to head toward the left side of the stairs.
Behind the door lay another flight of stone steps—a wide stone corridor. As Albert walked, the torches along the walls automatically ignited to illuminate his surroundings. Albert noticed that the walls were decorated with various paintings of food.
"Not bad, pretty lucky." Albert found a large painting featuring a colossal silver bowl brimming with fruit; the kitchen was rumored to be hidden right behind that very canvas.
The secret to entering the kitchen lay in the pear.
Albert lightly brushed the large, bright green pear. To his astonishment, the pear began to wiggle and giggle, suddenly transforming into a large green doorknob.
"It really is here. Looks like my luck's not bad at all." Albert felt quite pleased. Having already found the Room of Requirement, he had now successfully located the kitchen as well.
He reached out, grabbed the handle, and pulled. The kitchen was as massive as the Great Hall above it. Cupboards lined the surrounding walls, filled with countless pieces of tableware. Four long wooden tables sat on the floor, arranged in the exact same positions as the four house tables in the Great Hall upstairs.
Some food had already been laid out on the tables, presumably for the students' breakfast. When mealtime arrived, the house-elves would use magic to transport the food directly to the corresponding tables above.
"Sir, is there something you need?" A house-elf spotted Albert and scurried over to him.
"Breakfast hasn't started yet, so I thought I'd come down to the kitchen to take a look," Albert said, offering them a polite smile.
"Please come with me, sir." The house-elf grabbed Albert's hand, pulled him over to seat him by a table, and six other house-elves scurried up carrying a massive silver tray loaded with a pot of milk, ham, fried eggs, toast, salad, and pumpkin porridge.
"Thank you, little fellows." Albert poured himself half a cup of milk. Although he hadn't had the habit of drinking milk in his past life, he had picked it up over the years. Thanks to that, he had grown much stronger than in his previous life.
"It is our honor, sir." Hearing someone thank them, the house-elves beamed with smiles and bowed deeply toward him.
Albert ate a portion of ham, fried eggs, two slices of toast, and finished a small bowl of pumpkin porridge, instantly filling his stomach.
As he polished off the final portion of fruit salad, he took a closer look at the house-elves. They were all wearing—no, rather, they were wrapped in tea towels stamped with the Hogwarts crest.
"I suppose I should be going. Thank you for the breakfast." Albert noticed that his exploration progress had reached 7.3%.
"It is only our duty, sir." The house-elf replied in a squeaky voice. Before Albert could leave, many of the surrounding elves crowded around him, offering him numerous pastries to take back with him.
"That's quite enough. Goodbye, little ones." Albert stuffed four meat pies into a brown paper bag and tucked it inside his robes; these were for George and the others.
The house-elves crowded all the way to the door, watching Albert go. They loved that simple "thank you," which made them feel respected and appreciated.
Tracing his steps from the previous day, Albert took just a few minutes to return to the common room.
However, it was still empty, and the ghost lady had already departed.
When Albert returned to the room, the twins were still asleep, but Lee Jordan was already awake. He looked at Albert, who was appearing outside the door, with a puzzled expression and couldn't help asking, "Where on earth did you go?"
"For a walk, and grabbed some breakfast along the way!" Albert grinned. "I brought you back a present."
"What present?" The Weasley on the right side climbed out of bed, scratching his head with his right hand, looking as though he hadn't fully woken up yet.
"I thought you guys were still sleeping." Lee Jordan climbed out of bed, stretched lazily, and asked, "What present?"
"Pies." Albert took the paper bag from his pocket, took a bite out of a pie, and handed the bag to Lee Jordan. "One for each of you."
"Where'd you get these?" Fred asked curiously.
"The kitchen."
"Whoa, you actually found the kitchen."
"Speaking of which, you snuck out on your own and didn't even bother to wake us up." Fred was fully awake now. If not for the bed positions, Albert wouldn't have been able to tell which twin was which at all.
"Don't you need to brush your teeth first?"
"Oh, almost forgot about that." George put down the pie in his hand and asked curiously, "How on earth did you find the kitchen?"
"Just wandered around and happened to stumble upon it." Albert then recounted his encounter with Filch. "That cat of his is very clever; it'll go fetch its master. Still, I figure Filch was probably looking to give me a hard time."
"I bet he's choking with frustration right now!" Fred couldn't help laughing either, getting dressed to go out and look around—the Hogwarts Castle was genuinely fascinating.
All three of them got dressed, washed up, and headed down to the Gryffindor common room. It was still empty, so Albert lit the fireplace and sat in a nearby armchair. The rain outside had finally stopped.
"Bill and Charlie said there are tons of secret passages in the castle," Fred told the others while eating a pie.
"But they never tell us where any of them are," George complained, sounding slightly bitter toward his older brothers.
"Perhaps they wanted you to discover the castle's secrets yourselves—that's much more interesting," Albert recalled Nick's words and casually comforted the pair.
"I suppose that's true," Lee Jordan chimed in.
"Right, almost forgot about this." Albert walked over to the entrance. Taking advantage of the empty common room, he snapped a few photos, remembering to take one of the Fat Lady as well.
"Taking pictures again?"
"I'm planning to send a letter home. To Muggles, everything in the wizarding world is utterly fascinating." Albert checked the photo; he had previously discovered that he had unlocked another photography-related skill.
"I heard Charlie say that Filch loves making trouble for students, always wanting to string up rule-breakers by their wrists and whip them," George said after finishing his pie. "Filch also knows loads of the school's secret passages and will always pop out of nowhere without a sound."
"Most students who roam about at night get caught by Filch," Fred added, "and then get heavily docked points and thrown into detention."
Chapter 25: Future Players
"You make Filch sound like some kind of dark lord." Albert found the twins' assessment of Filch quite amusing, reminiscent of how former students used to view a strict dorm supervisor as an old witch.
"No, everyone hates him," Fred said with a deadpan look. "Even someone like Percy says so, and I can't think of any other reason not to believe it."
"What do you mean 'someone like Percy'? Isn't he your brother? Is it really okay to talk about your own family like that?" Albert fought down the urge to roll his eyes, pulled a pocket watch from his pocket to check the time, and turned to the three of them. "Well, time to get moving. Let's head down to the Great Hall for breakfast first, and then wander around the castle."
This time, they took the route Albert had walked that morning, and the twins showed immense interest in the secret passages. Passing the moving staircases without having to wait, they smoothly arrived at the entrance hall.
When they stepped into the Great Hall for breakfast, the four long tables were mostly empty, and the enchanted ceiling was an overcast gray, looking as though it might rain at any moment.
"We must be among the first batch up," George Weasley said, using his dining knife to slice a potato on his plate. He glanced around the empty hall and added with a resigned tone, "I can't even remember the last time I woke up this early."
"Three years ago," Fred blurted out.
"You actually remember that?" George looked at his brother in disbelief. "You're just guessing, aren't you?"
"Of course I'm guessing," Fred burst out laughing. "And you actually fell for it?"
"Figures."
"What are you drawing?" Lee asked, leaning over.
"A record of the places we just walked through. I'm planning to draw a map of Hogwarts." Albert flipped a piece of parchment over to show them the contents.
"I'm more curious about what you've got in your hand," Fred said, staring at Albert's fountain pen. He noticed Albert kept drawing without ever dipping it into an inkwell, which was highly abnormal.
"You mean this? A fountain pen. Muggles use it to write. Quill pens are impossible to carry around and use on the go, and they're not very convenient." Albert handed his fountain pen to Fred. It was a birthday gift from Herb; while not particularly fancy, he had used it for many years.
"Feels a bit like a quill," Fred said, examining the nib.
"Naturally, the mechanics of a fountain pen are similar to a quill's. Its advantage is that it can store ink and be used continuously for a long time." Albert handed the parchment back to the three of them. "Our current location is the Great Hall. If we go outside, that's the entrance hall. Heading up the marble steps leads to the moving staircases. Filch's office is right around here, and there are two doors leading down to the dungeons. The door on the left leads to the kitchen—coming down the stairs, it's on the left—while I haven't been through the door on the right yet. The kitchen is roughly around here, and the entrance is a massive silver bowl overflowing with fruit. Touching the large pear makes a doorknob appear."
"You've recorded this in incredible detail." Lee took the parchment and checked the location of the kitchen, figuring he'd probably be able to find it himself if he went looking. He handed the parchment to one of the twins and asked, "Where are we heading next?"
"I'm planning to locate the classrooms first, so we don't get lost next time we have a class," Albert said, taking back the parchment George handed him. "Then, we'll see if we can spot any secret passages along the way. Those passages are usually hidden behind tapestries, stone statues, stone walls, or even behind paintings."
"Based on what you're saying, finding a secret passage shouldn't be too hard." Fred had finished his roasted potatoes and was practically itching to try.
"No, the catch is that some secret passages require specific passwords or touching certain special spots," Albert shook his head. "When I found the kitchen earlier, it was only because I touched every inch of that painting until I accidentally found the entrance."
"Why did you think there was a secret behind that painting in the first place?" A girl's voice chimed in from nearby. Albert turned his head and saw Angelina, a fellow first-year whom he had exchanged a few words with the previous night.
"Because it was far too suspicious, of course. The size of that fruit painting is roughly identical to the Fat Lady's portrait, as if it's practically shouting to everyone that there's a secret passage here," Albert said matter-of-factly.
"Oh!" The four of them stared, struggling slightly to wrap their minds around Albert's train of logic.
Yet, as it turned out, Albert's deduction had been spot on.
Honestly, this guy's brain worked brilliantly.
"Johnson, are you by yourself?" Albert asked curiously. "Where are your roommates?"
"You actually remembered my surname?" Angelina looked startled. In fact, even her own roommates hadn't managed to learn her full name yet.
After all, they had only just met and hadn't even spoken much; it was only natural not to remember.
"My memory has always been quite good," Albert said with a smile, introducing his companions. "This is Lee, and these twins are George and Fred. Of course, don't ask me which is which, because I can't tell them apart either."
"I'm George, George Weasley."
"No, no, no, I'm George, he's Fred," the other twin countered.
"A lot of twins love pulling that trick. They like wearing identical clothes and styling themselves the same way just to keep people guessing who is who." Albert suddenly glanced up at an owl flying toward them.
"You forgot to introduce yourself, Albert," Lee Jordan reminded him.
"Oh, sorry, I spotted my owl." Albert picked up a piece of bread, tore it into small pieces, and fed it to Shera, who had just landed on the table.
"My name is Albert Anderson."
"Anderson, aren't you going to eat?" Angelina asked, looking puzzled as she made herself a sandwich.
"I just ate down in the kitchen. You can just call me Albert." Albert stroked his owl's feathers. "I've got things to send home this weekend, so remember to drop by the Great Hall in the morning."
Shera let out a hoot to show she understood.
Another owl swooped into the Great Hall and dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet onto Albert's table. Its aim was a bit off, nearly knocking over George's bowl of pumpkin porridge; if not for Fred's quick reflexes, the paper would have taken a dive straight into the porridge, at which point it would have been ready to eat with a dollop of jam.
"Can I borrow this?" Angelina asked, picking up the paper. "I want to check the Quidditch column."
"Oh, of course," Albert said.
"Do you like Quidditch too?" the twins asked in unison.
"Of course I do. Too bad first-years aren't allowed to try out for Quidditch," Angelina said, sounding deeply regretful.
"You can, actually. If the Quidditch team is short on players and you can convince Professor McGonagall to agree," Albert said, noticing several pairs of eyes fixed on him, and shrugged helplessly. "They say first-years can't try out, but there are always exceptions, aren't there? Rules are meant to be broken."
"Ah, never mind." Angelina didn't think she could possibly make Professor McGonagall change her mind. "I've already heard that a Gryffindor Chaser is graduating next term, and I'm planning to sign up and give it a shot then. What about you guys?"
The twins spoke in unison: "Beaters suit us better."
Chapter 26: Open Sesame
"I figured as much," Albert chuckled, catching sight of a passing ghost out of the corner of his eye. He raised a hand in greeting, "Good morning, Sir Nicholas."
"Good morning, my boy. Is there something you need?"
"Sir, would you have a moment to let me take a picture?" Albert held up his camera.
"Oh, very well!" Nick thought for a moment before asking, "Do I need to strike a pose?"
"No need, just look right here." Albert adjusted the angle, aimed at Nick, and snapped a photo.
"Is that it?"
"All done, thank you, Sir Nicholas."
"You're very welcome, I must be off!" Nick drifted away briskly.
Angelina hurried over, wanting to see what Albert had captured, but the photograph showed nothing at all.
"Looks like Muggle cameras can't capture ghosts. Perhaps using a wizarding camera would work," Albert muttered, writing *Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington* on the back of the photograph.
"It's amazing that you can remember his full name." Angelina admired Albert's memory; at the very least, she knew she could never recall that mouthful.
"It's not the camera's fault." A voice rang out.
Albert turned his head to see a pretty red-haired girl walking into the Great Hall. Noticing that several people were staring at her, she offered an explanation, "Photographs need the proper developing potion applied before the people inside can move around. Besides, ghosts are spirits—they can't be captured on film by a camera at all."
With that, the girl walked over to the Ravenclaw table.
"Hah, truly worthy of a Ravenclaw student—she knows so much," George exaggeratedly praised.
"Indeed she is brilliant," Albert remarked, before turning to Angelina with an invitation. "When you're finished eating, would you like to join us for a stroll around the rest of the school?"
"I'll pass," Angelina hesitated for a moment before declining. "I have plans with someone."
"That's a pity." Albert picked up a piece of fruit, took a bite, and pondered how to get his hands on some developing potion.
The Great Hall was gradually filling up with students, mostly first-years. Perhaps because it was the weekend, the older students had slept in, while the fresh arrivals were far too eager to tour the school.
Bidding farewell to Angelina, the four of them chatted as they walked out of the Great Hall. Passing through the entrance hall, all four of them noticed Filch glaring at them while cradling his cat.
Albert stopped in his tracks as a notification suddenly popped up in his status panel:
*Malice from the Caretaker.*
*You have caught the attention of Hogwarts caretaker, Filch. It's time to fight back—slip away from caretaker Filch's pursuit during a night excursion, proving to him that even with his eyes on you, he cannot catch a single trace of evidence.*
*Reward: 1000 experience points.*
Reading the quest, Albert couldn't help a twitch of his mouth. He noticed that ever since arriving at Hogwarts, triggering panel quests seemed to have become a bit frequent.
"What's wrong?" Fred looked back and asked, puzzled.
"Nothing." Albert hurried a few steps to catch up with the group. As the four of them crossed the damp viaduct, he suddenly asked, "Do any of you know the incantation for the Disillusionment Charm?"
"What's that?" George asked, looking confused.
"It's said to be a type of invisibility magic," Albert explained. "I read about it in a book. This spell makes the person or object camouflaged, much like a chameleon."
"Sounds cool." George grew interested in the charm. "If we could master that, we wouldn't have to worry about getting caught when we sneak out at night."
"That's what I was thinking—at least we wouldn't have to worry about Filch." Albert nodded. He planned to master the Disillusionment Charm before attempting any night strolls.
"But how on earth are we supposed to get our hands on the spell?" Fred said, sounding somewhat deflated. "Dad probably knows it, but he'd never tell us."