Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Garlic Cross
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Albert picked up the package Hagrid had sent and returned to the common lounge with his roommates.
As soon as Li Jordan crawled out of the hole, he reached out to take the package Albert handed him and asked, puzzled, "What are you going to do with these things?"
"Garlic crosses," Albert replied, planning to go back to the dormitory first.
"You can make those?" Li Jordan asked.
"Fool, Albert even managed to create protective wristbands," Fred looked at the two with a look of disdain, "why would you think he couldn't make garlic crosses?"
"Of course, I know," muttered George.
No one wanted to admit they were fools.
After the four hurried back to the dormitory, Li Jordan immediately took down the garlic hanging by the window.
"First, we need to peel the garlic, then crush it into a paste and soak it in alcohol, so that the allicin in the garlic mixes with the alcohol," Albert recalled the method and continued, "in the meantime, throw the cross made by the tree guardian into it, the process will take... about a day."
"You said it, so we'll do it," Fred started helping to peel the garlic.
George took out the mortar used in Potion class to prepare for crushing the peeled garlic.
"No, I have a better way," Albert quickly stopped George and, under the gaze of the three, used his wand to transform a newspaper into a simple garlic press.
The three gathered around, looking in amazement at the contraption Albert had made with Transfiguration, and asked in unison, "What is this?"
"A garlic press," Albert explained casually. He put the peeled garlic into the press and pressed it directly into a paste, then put the paste into a wide-mouthed glass bottle.
"Good stuff," George's eyes lit up, and he quickly took the garlic press from Albert, indicating that he was willing to help with pressing the paste.
After the three fiddled for ten minutes, they finally turned all the garlic into a paste.
"What should we do next?" Li Jordan asked, looking at the garlic paste in the wide-mouthed glass bottle.
"Pour alcohol into the garlic paste," Albert stirred with a glass rod, thoroughly mixing the alcohol and garlic paste, then sealed the wide-mouthed glass bottle.
"That's it?" The three felt somewhat incredulous, as if it was easier than they had imagined.
"Yeah, next, we wait until tomorrow to continue," Albert smelled the strong garlic odor in the air and frowned slightly, "next time, remind me not to mess with these things in the dormitory."
"I'm suddenly looking forward to what kind of alchemical item will be made this time," George said excitedly. It was his first time participating in the making of alchemical items.
"Alchemical... item?"
In the end, Albert didn't tell them that the so-called garlic cross was not an alchemical item at all.
Indeed, it was better not to shatter the innocent dreams of children.
The next steps were more cumbersome. They needed to melt beeswax in warm water, add alcohol separated from the garlic into a beaker, and add a suitable amount of olive oil. They also threw the cross soaked in alcohol for a day into it for cooking.
Of course, they dared not do these things in their own dormitory. If the entire dormitory smelled strongly of garlic, how could they sleep in the future?
The next day, Albert and the others moved the crucible to the lakeside. The strong smell of garlic emitted during the cooking made several curious students keep their distance.
"Anyone who wears this thing probably won't be able to find a girlfriend in this lifetime," Albert pinched his nose and used tongs to take out the cross from the beaker, emitting a strong garlic smell.
"Will anyone really want to wear such a weird thing?" Li Jordan was the first to express doubt.
"I'm more curious if this thing is really effective," Fred also didn't want to get too close.
"I guess it's meant to repel enemies with the smell," George also backed away a bit and muttered, "I didn't expect the smell to be so overpowering."
There was no other way. After Albert repeated the process several times, they concentrated all the essence of the garlic they grew and brought into the cross.
"You know, if you want to get back at Flich," Fred suggested, "you can smear the remaining beeswax, which still has a strong garlic smell, in the corners of Flich's office. I'm sure it will give him a surprising experience."
"Fred, I don't think Flich deserves that," Albert directly vetoed Fred's proposal. Giving such a thing to Flich would just make him throw it away, completely wasting everyone's efforts.
"If you want to get back at Flich, that is," Albert pointed to another small bottle and whispered, "the remaining beeswax also has a strong garlic smell. You can smear it in the corners of Flich's office. I'm sure it will give him an unexpected surprise."
"This is a good idea!" The twins' eyes lit up, and they quickly picked up the bottle and opened it, only to be overwhelmed by the smell of beeswax.
"Let's do it after the end-of-year feast," Albert reminded them.
"We know what to do," the twins looked at each other, smiling mischievously.
"Alright, let's pack up and go find Hagrid."
"What are you going to do with Hagrid?" Fred and George asked cautiously.
"Of course, we're going to experiment and see if the talismans we made can effectively repel dark creatures," Albert said confidently, "Hagrid surely knows where we can find dark creatures that aren't too dangerous."
"Oh, I see," the three of them understood.
After all, once the talismans were completed, they naturally needed to find a subject to test their effectiveness.
Albert took out a rope made of unicorn tail hair and threaded it through the hole in the cross, turning it into a necklace. "Which one of you wants to wear it and give it a try?"
"Forget it!" George shook his head repeatedly.
"Do you want to suffocate us?" Fred rolled his eyes at Albert.
Li Jordan pretended not to hear.
Seeing the three of them shaking their heads and refusing, Albert was a little disappointed. He put the garlic cross back into the wide-mouthed glass bottle and sealed it, blocking the strong garlic smell.
After organizing their tools, the four of them headed towards Hagrid's hut.
"What are you up to?"
Hagrid, who was processing animal hides in front of the hut, smelled the strong garlic odor emanating from the four of them from afar. He wrinkled his nose and looked at them with disgust.
"Garlic crosses," Albert shook the wide-mouthed glass bottle in his hand and smiled, "we just completed these talismans, and we came here to see if there are any dark creatures that we can test the talismans on."
"Garlic crosses? What on earth is that?" Hagrid took the wide-mouthed glass bottle and opened it, but the strong smell of garlic coming from it made him sneeze several times.
"It's a talisman that emits a strong garlic smell and protects the wearer from being attacked by dark creatures."
"I don't know if it can protect the wearer from dark creatures, but if you wear this thing, I don't think any vampire would want to get within ten paces of you," Hagrid couldn't help but comment. He remembered the alcohol and beeswax he had sent to Albert before and probably guessed what was going on.
"Do vampires really hate the smell of garlic?" Albert asked curiously.
"Yes, garlic is as repulsive to vampires as a dung heap," Hagrid explained dryly, "but even if it's not a vampire, they would stay as far away from this thing as possible because its smell is... absolutely terrible."
"What about dark creatures?" Fred couldn't help but ask.
"You guys aren't thinking of bringing this thing into the forest, are you?" Hagrid stared at the Weasley twins warily. It was quite normal for him to have such thoughts, considering that these two often sneaked into the forest.
"No, we don't want to go into the forest for now. It's too dangerous, and the last incident scared us enough," Fred quickly covered his chest and even kicked George beside him, who immediately understood and quickly echoed, guaranteeing that they wouldn't go into the forest again.
Hagrid looked at Fred and George suspiciously, clearly not fully believing their assurance.
"I don't have any dark creatures here, but I know where to find them. Follow me!" With that, Hagrid led the four of them along the edge of the forest towards Professor Kettleburn's cabin.
Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, the professor of Care of Magical Creatures, currently resided on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, and his well-tended little creatures also lived there.
It was said that the classes on magical creatures' protection would also take place on a patch of open ground near Professor Kettleburn's cabin.
When Hagrid brought Albert and the others over, Professor Kettleburn was feeding the fire crabs with Flobberworms.
"Hagrid, what's up?" Professor Kettleburn looked up and asked.
"Oh, well, there are a few students who have made a talisman and they hope... they hope they can borrow your Grindylows to test the talisman's effectiveness," Hagrid glanced at Albert and the others behind him and spoke up.
"A talisman? You don't mean garlic, do you?"
Professor Kettleburn took a look at the new students from afar and could already smell the strong garlic odor.
"That's exactly the talisman," Albert handed the bottle containing the garlic cross to Professor Kettleburn.
It had to be admitted that it was a delicate work of art.
At least, it didn't look too ugly.
"Oh my goodness!" Professor Kettleburn finally understood what the strong garlic smell on the four of them was about. "Don't open it here, my little creatures don't really like this smell."
"Do you think it can protect me from being attacked by dark creatures?" Albert quickly asked.
"The effect is probably just average," Professor Kettleburn explained. "Some creatures do indeed dislike the smell of garlic and will instinctively stay away from it, but it's not absolute."
"What about using branches from the Whomping Willow?"
"Yes, I suppose that might work against vampires, but... don't have too high expectations for anything else." Although he said that, Professor Kettleburn still lent them a Grindylow. As soon as Albert took the cross out of the bottle, the unfortunate Grindylow began to move away from Albert's garlic cross, clearly overwhelmed by the smell.
"Congratulations, your talisman almost knocked out the Grindylow with its smell," Hagrid pinched his nose and said sarcastically.
"Thank you, I didn't expect that," Albert couldn't help but marvel. He finally understood what the so-called talisman was all about.
"What do you plan to do with this thing?" Fred couldn't help but ask.
"I plan to create a treasure map and hide it inside a book in the library, so that the student who discovers the map can go on a treasure hunt," Albert had already thought about how to deal with this thing.
"Now, this talisman is called 'Vampires Begone'," Albert announced publicly. "It is the legendary talisman that can protect oneself from being harmed by vampires."
The faces of the others couldn't help but twitch.
Albert had the audacity to say such things, although this talisman might actually be able to repel vampires.
"I'm suddenly looking forward to seeing the expression on the face of the person who discovers the treasure map when they crack it and find this necklace that supposedly protects them from vampire disturbance. I wonder what kind of expression they'll have," George suddenly found it amusing.
"I must say, you have a twisted sense of humor," Fred grumbled, "but I like it. I just don't know if that person will be so furious after working hard to find the treasure and discovering this."
"I'll help too," Li Jordan said excitedly, "Let's say it's a treasure hidden by past Hogwarts students. I think many people would be interested in it."
Hagrid stood by, dumbfounded. He never imagined that Albert would actually plan to dig a pit for the students in the school and play such a mean trick on them.
He imagined himself finding a treasure map tucked away while borrowing a book and, even if he didn't fully believe it, he would still try to explore whether he could find the treasure.
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