After the banquet, everyone bid their farewells and left.
"Thank you for the invitation, Professor Brode," Albert expressed his gratitude to Professor Brode as they saw off all the guests.
"It seems you made quite a harvest," Professor Brode smiled and gestured for Albert to come inside.
"Yes."
Albert took a seat on an armchair opposite Professor Brode and looked at the old man in front of him. "Alchemy is even more profound than I imagined. It's truly fascinating."
"Alchemy is a profound field of study," Professor Brode said gently, "It encompasses many things, as you may have noticed. Knowledge limits your capabilities."
"Yes, I've noticed that," Albert said somewhat helplessly. His time in the magical world was still relatively short.
"Don't worry. For most wizards, alchemy only begins to unfold during their adulthood. However, unfortunately, very few wizards can progress far in this field," Professor Brode shook his head. "Leaving school, how many can truly dedicate themselves to the study of magic and alchemy?"
Indeed, many wizards' magical skills continue to improve after leaving school, but they often reach a plateau.
"What about the Silent Ones?" Albert raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't expect you to know about the Silent Ones," Professor Brode was quite surprised.
"After receiving the warning letter last time, I specifically researched the Ministry of Magic," Albert smirked with a hint of malicious intent. "Know your enemy."
"The affairs of the Department of Mysteries are absolutely confidential. No one knows exactly what they are up to," Professor Brode looked at Albert and asked, "Disappointed?"
"Not exactly disappointed. After all, I never had any expectations to begin with, so how could I be disappointed?" Albert's tone was quite plain.
"That's good. I don't agree with you getting involved with the Department of Mysteries," Professor Brode didn't hold a favorable view of the Department of Mysteries. Although it was the largest research institute in the British magical community, it hadn't produced many substantial results. They were indeed researching some high-level topics, but they weren't of much help to the magical world.
"You can have a basic understanding, but don't invest too much energy in researching it. That would only waste your time and talents."
Seeing Albert's confusion, Professor Brode explained, "Dumbledore also spent a short time there. With your talent and abilities, sooner or later, you will come into contact with this field. It's just a matter of time."
"Oh," Albert replied noncommittally. He had known about what the Department of Mysteries held for a while. He wasn't interested in those things; after all, he wasn't a research enthusiast. Creating magical artifacts was purely for his own benefit.
That's right, Albert had always been a selfish person.
Selfless?
What is that?
In his previous life's worldview, he had long kicked it to some corner.
"I know you want to specialize extensively, but this is actually a big problem," Professor Brode had to give Albert a preemptive warning. "Nicolas is a special case. His life is incredibly long, which gave him enough time to learn and master many things."
He continued, "Most wizards are like me or the other wizards who came today—experts in only one field. After all, human energy is limited. I hope you understand that this will help you navigate your future path more smoothly."
"I will keep that in mind," Albert nodded. He wasn't overly concerned about these issues; after all, he had the Panel to learn skills, which allowed him to learn things faster than others.
"Actually, Rowena had quite a bit of accomplishment in alchemy as well," Professor Brode sighed lightly, "But later, due to certain circumstances, she let it go."
Albert didn't understand why Professor Brode brought the topic to Professor Smith. He felt like the old man in front of him had a lot to say but couldn't say it directly, so he subtly reminded him.
Because of that incident?
He felt it was better to pretend not to know. Some things are better left unsaid, as revealing them might ruin their beauty.
"Do you remember the ancient magical texts I had you translate last time?" Professor Brode redirected the conversation elsewhere. "At Hogwarts School, there's a magical room. It's located on the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle, opposite the tapestry of the one-eyed witch. Some call it the Room of Requirement or the Come and Go Room... It was designed and built by Rowena Ravenclaw. Inside, there's Ravenclaw's... treasure."
Professor Brode told Albert the location of the Room of Requirement and how to enter it. Albert listened quietly, his expression growing even more curious.
"It seems you already know about those things," Professor Brode noted that Albert's reaction wasn't particularly strong and guessed the reason, but he wasn't surprised. He continued, "This is also one of the reasons why Rowena came to teach at Hogwarts. If you can unlock the secrets there that day, remember to tell me."
"What's inside?" Albert asked with curiosity. "And, I think with Mr. MacDougal's proficiency in ancient magical texts, it shouldn't be difficult for him to unravel the secrets there."
"He failed," Professor Brode said.
"Failed?" Albert was stunned. He knew Mr. MacDougal's level of expertise in magical texts better than Professor Brode did.
"I hope you can do something for me," Professor Brode didn't pay much attention to Albert's changing expression and continued.
"Is Professor Smith also involved in this matter?" Albert asked in return.
"He doesn't know, and it's better not to tell him," Professor Brode sighed, "Rowena is the type with a more radical personality."
An Assignment.
It seems Baud Brode has something he needs your help with. Before that, you need to complete the second challenge of the Ravenclaw Knowledge Vault.
Reward: 3000 experience points.
"Prerequisite task?"
Albert glanced at the task panel, a bit taken aback because the task was already marked as completed.
"Should I accept it?"
After careful consideration, Albert decided to set it aside for now.
After all, this wasn't a game, and furthermore, given Professor Brode's assessment of Professor Smith, things didn't seem particularly favorable.
"Is it something important?" Albert asked again.
"For now, it's classified," Professor Brode mysteriously smiled, "You'll know when the time comes. Remember not to tell anyone, especially Rowena."
Albert was a bit puzzled, what did this mean?
Am I supposed to be on guard against Professor Smith?
"I understand!" Albert nodded, indicating that he wouldn't tell anyone.
"By the way, before the end of the Christmas break, do you plan to stay here, or should I arrange for someone to send you back home?" Professor Brode brought up another matter.
"Could you please arrange for someone to send me back?" After some consideration, Albert chose to return home and spend the remaining Christmas break with his family.
"You can borrow a few books from here, and you can return them to me after you've finished reading them," Professor Brode added, "Tomorrow morning, I'll have someone send you back."
During the rest of the Christmas break, Albert stayed at home. While it was regrettable that he couldn't use magic, he enjoyed the leisurely feeling. Occasionally, he would play with his chubby cat, Tom, and snuggle on the couch with his family, eating and watching television. He cherished the warm feeling he had rediscovered.
That's the feeling of home.
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(End of this chapter)