George and Fred both agreed with Albert's proposal.
Much like when Albert had first used the spell, the light could not be sustained for long, and Lee Jordan hadn't even managed to light his wand yet.
"You're still not focused enough; concentrate all your attention on the wand," Albert said, putting the box back by his bedside and watching the three practicing the Wand-Lighting Charm. "Don't hesitate when you wave your wand, articulate the incantation clearly and accurately, and beginners need to keep their willpower concentrated."
"I keep feeling like your tone sounds a bit like a professor; maybe you should consider pursuing that career path in the future," Fred joked.
"I think I'll pass!"
"Why?" George asked, thoroughly puzzled.
"Because being a professor is too exhausting, especially having to deal with a bunch of annoying brats. My patience isn't really that great, particularly with strangers outside of my family and friends." Albert sat on his bed and picked up the Rubik's cube on the table to fidget with.
"What is this?" Fred's attention was instantly captured by the Rubik's cube.
"A Rubik's cube, a Muggle toy used to train spatial thinking, memory, and reaction time," Albert replied casually. He was playing with it purely out of boredom.
Of course, it was also a way to incidentally improve quick memory and rapid reactions; even though the experience gained was minimal, it was better than nothing, and it helped pass the time.
The three of them mastered the Wand-Lighting Charm in a single evening.
As long as they were willing to put in the effort, simple spells could be mastered fairly quickly, even if their execution of the Wand-Lighting Charm was still a bit clumsy.
Chapter 32: Albert's Bamboozling Arts
Sunday's weather was not very good, and it was still raining outside the castle.
At seven in the morning, just as the sky was growing faintly bright, Albert, having just finished washing up, stifled a yawn as his overly excited roommates hauled him toward the Great Hall for breakfast.
"I really don't get what there is to be so excited about," Albert said, shaking off the twins' grip and straightening his robes.
"That's Hogsmeade Village, the most fun place in all of Britain," Lee Jordan said with exaggeration.
"In all of Britain?" Albert let out a soft sigh, feeling that his train of thought was on a completely different channel from the three next to him.
On the way to the Great Hall, the twins practiced the Wand-Lighting Charm as they walked. Unfortunately, they ran right into Filch.
And so, the unlucky George was nabbed by Filch and hauled off to the caretaker's office.
Filch cheerfully pulled a large roll of parchment from his desk drawer, spread it out in front of him, and picked up a long black quill, dipping it into the inkwell:
Name... George Weasley.
Offense... Randomly using spells in the corridors.
Recommendation... Recommended punishment...
"Ahem, I only used the Wand-Lighting Charm because the visibility was poor. You know, it's still very early, and the corridor..." George spun a blatant lie; the corridor they had just passed through had plenty of torches.
"...Scrubbing the chamber pots in the hospital wing," Filch said, glancing at George with a malicious smile on his lips. "Perfect timing—the chamber pots in the Hospital Wing haven't been washed all summer."
George's expression froze.
"You can go now. Best not let me catch you using magic in the corridors again." Filch wore a victor's smile as he shooed George out of the caretaker's office.
"Pfft!" Hearing George's account, Albert couldn't help laughing out loud. He reached out and gently patted George's shoulder in consolation, saying, "Don't worry, I can teach you a very simple Scouring Charm; cleaning chamber pots and things like that can be finished in no time. Besides, Filch only makes punishment recommendations; he can't actually punish you directly."
"That bloke is so annoying." George glanced at the door to Filch's office, looking thoroughly miserable. Nobody wanted to wash chamber pots.
"Don't mope. I'll treat you to a Butterbeer later," Albert said, struggling to hold back his laughter as he hurriedly changed the subject. "By the way, tell me what you saw in Filch's office just now?"
"What did I see? There were loads of drawers in there, and hand cuffs and leg irons hanging on the wall behind the desk." George complained after thinking hard about it. "That old man—no, that old pervert definitely has some weird fetishes."
Actually, Albert felt that "old windbag" might suit Filch better, seeing as he was a Squib and about as useful as a windbag.
However, he didn't voice that thought; after all, giving people insulting nicknames like that wasn't very nice.
"What else?" Albert asked. "He must have confiscated plenty of stuff!"
"Right, I actually saw a filing cabinet drawer that said: Confiscated Items, Highly Dangerous."
"I reckon all the items he's confiscated are kept in there." Fred's eyes gleamed, apparently very interested in what was inside the drawer.
"If it were truly highly dangerous, it wouldn't be kept in a place like that." Albert thought of a fine item—the Marauder's Map at Hogwarts ought to be kept in there.
"Right, that's what we think too." The twins exchanged glances and couldn't help laughing.
"You lot aren't thinking of... Don't get caught leaving clues," Albert warned. "Otherwise, you're bound to be in trouble."
The twins protested in unison: "You're slandering us! How could we ever do something like that?"
British breakfasts were always the most bountiful. Albert served himself a bowl of milk and oatmeal, placed a fried egg, two rashers of bacon, two slices of toast, a sausage, and a small side of vegetable salad on his plate.
"Hi, good morning!" A boy greeted the twins as he walked past.
"I remember you're in Hufflepuff, aren't you..." Lee Jordan couldn't recall the boy's name for a moment and looked to Albert for help.
"Cedric Diggory," the boy introduced himself.
"Hello, Cedric," the twins greeted their neighbor. "We didn't expect you to end up in Hufflepuff."
"I don't think there's anything wrong with Hufflepuff," Cedric said, disliking anyone speaking ill of his house.
"We didn't say it was bad."
"It's just that Gryffindor is better."
The Weasley twins chimed in one after the other.
"Long time no see, Albert." Another person walked over to greet Albert. "I never expected you to end up in Gryffindor; it really gave me a start."
"Long time no see, Gabriel," Albert smiled and greeted his pen pal.
"You know each other?" Cedric Diggory asked, puzzled. He had a fairly good relationship with this senior student.
"Of course we do, we met during the summer holidays." Gabriel flashed Diggory a mysterious smile. "That person I mentioned to you..."
Cedric Diggory looked at Albert with extreme surprise. He had heard Gabriel mention that matter in person, but Gabriel had never mentioned the person's name.
After Gabriel walked away, the twins exchanged glances and said in unison: "Could it be..."
"What is it?" Lee Jordan hadn't caught on yet.
The twins looked at each other and said, "That business!"
"What business?" This fellow still hadn't figured it out.
"Ahem, knowing is enough, remember to keep it a secret!" Albert gave a light cough, adding silently: otherwise, I won't send you a Christmas gift this winter break.
"We'll keep it a secret," the twins said meaningfully, holding up their index fingers in an "X" shape over their lips to indicate they would keep it strictly confidential.
"Hey, don't leave me out, you three bastards." Lee Jordan was very displeased, feeling excluded from this little circle.
"Ahem, the newspaper. Remember what we talked about on the train when we first came to Hogwarts?" Fred reminded him.
"Fifty Galleons," George prompted.
"Blimey, that business!" Lee Jordan instantly understood what was going on. "How on earth did you manage that..."
"I don't want the whole school knowing about this," Albert raised a finger to his lips, signaling the three of them to shut up.
"Alright. Still, you're brilliant!" The Weasley brothers still admired Albert's methods; if only they could easily earn twenty-five Galleons.
"No wonder you were willing to wager all the Galleons you won," Lee Jordan said with a hint of jealousy.
"It wasn't guaranteed to lose." Albert curled his lip and spun a yarn. "Do you know why wands made of redwood are so popular among wizards?"
"Do they bring you luck?" George guessed uncertainly.
"Right," Albert continued bluffing. "At the time, I had a hunch that if I placed a bet, I might make a killing, so I bet."
Chapter 33: Hogsmeade Village
"Who's going first?"
Having finished breakfast, the group stood before the mirror passage entrance on the fifth floor.
"Need you ask? Obviously, pick one among you three!" Albert said matter-of-factly. "You've already been in once, so naturally you have the experience."
"Fine, I'll go first." Fred carefully stepped down the ladder, and the other three immediately followed. The mirror shifted back into place once all four had entered the passage.
This passage was a bit cramped and very steep, pitch black all around, and the four of them slowly made their way down the steps.
Albert raised his wand and muttered, "Lumos!"
"I hate this narrow, dark sort of place," Lee Jordan muttered under his breath.
"Stop complaining and keep up." Fred was concentrating on maintaining the Wand-Lighting Charm as he slowly descended the stairs.
The passage here was so narrow that it was difficult for two people to walk side by side. Surrounded by darkness, they walked a very long way down the stairs. Halfway through, Fred's wand went out several times.
"I think you really ought to practice the Wand-Lighting Charm properly; it's the most basic of spells." Albert poked his wand forward and reminded him.
"I hate this feeling," Fred mumbled under his desk, trying to get his wand to light up again.
"Once we finish this flight of stairs, the space ahead opens up a bit. Albert, you take the lead!" George suggested, having had enough of stopping every few minutes.
"Will do!"
After finishing the stairs, they entered a gloomy passage. The ground was somewhat damp and made of hard earth, with water droplets occasionally falling from the ceiling. One such drop landed right on Albert's face, making him shiver and quickly wipe the moisture away with his hand before pressing onward.
Along the way, Albert walked very slow to avoid accidentally tripping. The others kept silent, focusing all their attention on navigating the uneven ground of the passage.
The four stumbled forward. This passage twisted and turned endlessly—heaven knows who had dug it out in the first place.
Come to think of it, it was rather strange that they hadn't suffocated down here.
Albert raised his wand toward the ceiling to inspect the upper part of the passage.
"What are you looking at?" Fred asked.
"Uh, are there ventilation shafts overhead?"
"Where?" All three looked up simultaneously, failing to find the ventilation shafts Albert mentioned.
"Right where we just walked."
After walking for a full hour and twenty minutes, the passage began to slant upward, meaning the exit was very close. Out of breath, the four picked up their pace.
Five minutes later, they could feel the cold wind blowing in from outside.
The passage entrance was hidden beneath a very secluded large boulder, and the opening was so narrow that a plump person might well get stuck.
It was still raining outside, though not very heavily.
As soon as Albert stepped out of the passage, he took out an umbrella and opened it to block the rain overhead.
The three Weasleys hurriedly crowded underneath.
"You lot didn't bring umbrellas?" Albert asked, bewildered.
"Nope." All three shook their heads in unison.
Albert used a Duplication Charm to conjure three umbrellas for them.
"You're as reliable as ever." The three praised him shamelessly.
"Say, this umbrella is awfully strange?" Lee Jordan curiously examined the umbrella in his hand. It actually telescoped?
"This is a new invention by Germans from a few years ago; it's convenient and easy to carry." Albert cast a waterproof and fireproof spell on himself to ensure his clothes and boots wouldn't get soaked while walking through the tall grass.
"Careful!" Hearing George's cry of surprise, Albert turned his head to see Lee Jordan sprawled on the ground, completely drenched.
"You alright?" Fred quickly reached out to pull him up.
"Such bad luck, my clothes are soaked through," Lee Jordan grumbled quietly.
The twins both turned to look at Albert.
"Why are you looking at me like that? It's not like I caused him to trip." Albert felt somewhat baffled.
"Have you mastered the Drying Charm?"
"What makes you think I know household magic like that?" Albert retorted sharply.
"Ahem, we were just asking. It just feels like you know every spell under the sun," Fred gave a dry cough to ease the awkward atmosphere.
"I'm telling you three, can we get out of here first?" Lee Jordan, soaked to the skin, was in a foul mood. "I hate rain the most—times three."
They waded through the tall grass toward the village of Hogsmeade ahead.
Probably because of the rain, the streets of Hogsmeade were deserted. Teeth chattering, Lee Jordan suggested heading to The Three Broomsticks first, as he wanted a glass of Butterbeer to warm his body.
The other three had no objections.
They walked along a road, and a few minutes later, easily found the pub the three had mentioned.
Well, this pub had three broomsticks hanging above the door, arranged in a triangle.
What made Albert want to complain was that the pointed triangular roof above the door was actually crooked. Should he say this was typical of wizard-built houses?
Completely ignoring the laws of physics and common visual aesthetics.
Of course, there was also a sign in front of the pub with the words: The Three Broomsticks.
The pub was very quiet today; when Albert walked in, he only saw a wizard sitting at the counter chatting with the proprietorship.
A roaring fire burned in the fireplace, and Lee Jordan hurried over, peeling off his robes to dry them by the hearth.
"I'll go order the drinks," Albert said, walking toward the counter while the twins exchanged glances and took seats at the table opposite Lee Jordan.
"Four Butterbeers, warmed up," Albert told the pub's proprietorship.
That wizard seemed displeased at having his conversation interrupted, turning his head to glare at Albert.
Albert gave him a blank, expressionless stare, ignored him entirely, and sat right down next to the wizard.
"Where'd this brat come from?" the wizard muttered under his feet, but after receiving a fierce glare from Madam Rosmerta, he shut his mouth obediently.
"You're Hogwarts students?" Madam Rosmerta looked quite surprised at the four young wizards who had entered her establishment, unable to fathom how these four little scallywags had managed to sneak out of Hogwarts.
"How much?" Albert asked expressionlessly.
"Eight Sickles." Madam Rosmerta went into the back room to warm their Butterbeers.
Albert used the spare time to look around the pub.
To be honest, this place was much nicer than the Leaky Cauldron.
The great hall of the pub was bright, with several tables neatly arranged and kept very clean. There was no heavy smell of beer; rather, the decor resembled a medieval tavern from a video game in his memory.
After waiting about five minutes, four mugs of Butterbeer were placed before Albert, and he hurriedly called the others over to help carry them.
"Eight Sickles." Albert pulled out eight Sickles and placed them on the table, carrying a mug toward the table by the fireplace.
The Butterbeer gave off a rich, buttery aroma. Albert took a sip and found it tasted somewhat like a less cloying butterscotch candy; it went down smoothly, contained virtually no alcohol, and felt more like a soft drink.
"How is it?" All three stared expectantly at Albert.
"Pretty average, just a soft drink," Albert said, blinking at them. "Kind of like the carbonated drinks Muggles have—not bad, but takes some getting used to."
The three exchanged glances and couldn't help laughing, looking as though they had expected nothing less than such a review from him.
Chapter 34: Zonko's Joke Shop
By the time the four finished their Butterbeers and stepped out of The Three Broomsticks, the rain had lessened.
"Let's go to Zonko's Joke Shop first!" Fred suggested, worrying that once the four of them visited Honeydukes Sweetshop, they would spend their remaining pocket money.
"Fine." Albert shifted his gaze away from the sweetshop, though he was also a bit curious about what kind of merchandise was sold in the joke shop the three wouldn't stop talking about.
Zonko's Joke Shop was right next to Honeydukes, separated only by a residential house. Like the sweetshop next door, this establishment had large glass display windows showcasing various prank items.
As the four pushed open the door, the bell behind it jingled.
"Welcome," Zonko put down his newspaper, rose from behind the counter, and greeted the four young customers with a smile. He was a wizard in his forties with an approachable grin.
There was quite a variety of goods inside the joke shop. Albert put away his umbrella and walked over to the window display to examine the merchandise.
"Auto-Answer Quill," Albert softly read the name of the feather.
"This is a quill prepared to help you cope with subjects you hate; it can help you write out most of the answers," Zonko introduced the quill's functions to Albert in a humorous tone, acting like a qualified salesman.
"Certainly a good item," Albert replied casually while dismissing it inwardly. Trying to sell this to him was like giving reference answers to an honor student.
He obviously didn't need it.
Next to it was a broomstick; Albert checked its description: The Runaway Broom.
When a wizard attempted to fly it into mid-air, the broom would flip over, leaving the rider upside-down, and feature five modes including crazy spinning and emergency braking to throw the rider off.
Maximum flight height: 3 meters.
It was essentially a toy broomstick priced at 15 Galleons.
Albert's cheek twitched. He turned his head to look at Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were browsing items at a counter on the other side. He walked over and saw a row of bars of soap in the cabinet, dotted with black specks.
Frog Spawn Soap.
That was the description of the prank item: using it made you get dirtier the more you washed.
Beside these bars of soap were several teacups. Albert didn't reach out to touch them because a label noted: Nose-Biting Teacups.
Once someone used the cup to drink tea, it would suddenly bite the drinker's nose and splash hot tea from the cup.
Well!
One careless moment, and even a wizard would fall for it.
"What are you lot planning to buy?" Albert asked.
"Dungbombs," the twins said in unison.
"Hiccup Sweets and Squeaking Gums." Feeling bad about not buying anything at all, Albert casually picked up a few candies.