Bab 291: Chapter 291: Be Tough on Yourself
Cold wind mixed with sleet swept against the window glass, tapping and rattling. The chill pervaded the castle's surroundings, seeping into the building itself, causing many students to catch colds.
If this cold front had arrived a week earlier, there probably wouldn't have been as many incidents surrounding the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Quidditch match.
Even in such weather, the Quidditch match wouldn't be canceled. The outcome was predictable: all the players would shiver in the cold, leaving little room for anyone to cause trouble.
In the chilly corridor, three figures hurried along, glancing around cautiously. Once they were certain that no one was around, they quickly passed through a hidden door that appeared in the wall after being pushed three times.
As they stepped inside, a warm, faintly milky scent greeted them. On the other side of the door was a bright, cozy room with thick carpets covering the floor and a roaring fire in the fireplace.
Seated by the fireplace was a familiar figure, and on the small round table in front of him was a steaming cup of milk tea.
"Aren't you sick?" Fred looked at his rosy-cheeked roommate, puzzled. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why aren't you sick?"
"Well, Madam Pomfrey just cured me," Albert, who had been a patient earlier, replied while keeping his eyes fixed on the parchment in his hand. "Anyway, whether or not I attend History of Magic doesn't really matter. As long as I don't do terribly on the exams."
"Why couldn't I be the one who got sick?" George was envious of Albert's special treatment. He wanted to be sick too, just to have an excuse to skip class.
Honestly, History of Magic was widely considered the most boring subject at Hogwarts. Professor Binns, the ghost who taught it, had probably been alive for too long, causing his teaching style to become extremely monotonous. His lectures were so dull that they bordered on hypnotic, lulling students to sleep.
"You could think of a good excuse to legally skip class," Albert suggested without hesitation.
"Like faking a stomachache?" Lee Jordan suggested several symptoms of illness: "Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, nosebleed, fever, or a cold?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Who would deliberately make themselves sick just to skip class?" George shook his head, rejecting the idea. He wasn't that ruthless to harm himself just to avoid class.
"Unless you could find a quick-acting antidote to resolve the symptoms in a short time," Fred mused, suddenly lighting up and jotting down the idea with a quill. "If that were possible, I think it would sell well. There's probably a big market for it at Hogwarts."
"Oh, by the way, almost forgot to mention something."
"What's that?" Albert asked.
"Kenneth Toole got detention from Filch!" Fred and George exchanged glances and simultaneously announced, "He got caught by Filch using dungbombs in the school. Now that poor guy is cleaning up the dung splatter marks in the corridors with a mop under Filch's orders."
"You guys did that?" Albert raised an eyebrow, not even needing to think to guess the reason.
"Of course! We've been practicing the Disguise Charm, and now we won't be easily recognized," George smirked, taking a dig at Kenneth Toole secretly. He was in an exceptionally cheerful mood.
"I think they might have a hunch about who did it," Albert pointed out, reminding them, "If he's attentive enough."
"We think Kenneth Toole doesn't have a brain like yours," the twins were not worried at all about being discovered as the culprits.
"What are you doing?" Lee Jordan stared at the silver components on the table and couldn't help but ask. He had been curious since a while ago. It seemed like Albert was up to creating some interesting magical items again.
"A self-defense magical item. Its effect is to stun the opponent when they least expect it," Albert explained while assembling the three-tier mechanism. The device looked quite a bit like a lighter. With a gentle push, it would open up, revealing a strange honeycomb-shaped cylinder. The inside of the cylinder would be expanded by the Traceless Extension Charm to hold preserved Mandrake roots.
Of course, for now, it was just a shell.
Albert tested it again to make sure it wouldn't jam, then dismantled the components and placed them back into the box.
He called this Dark Magic item the "Banshee's Howl". There was one final step remaining: to insert the salt-preserved Mandrake roots into the device. As long as he could ensure that the device could contain and control the Mandrake roots, it would be a successful and practical tool.
Of course, using it would be quite troublesome. He would have to wear earplugs in advance, or else he would fall victim to the effects as well.
After all, the wail of the Mandrake roots was a non-discriminatory attack.
"Stunning others?" George asked in confusion. "Can it shoot Stunning Spells at people?"
"No, I call it the Banshee's Howl."
"You're not hiding an actual banshee in there, are you?" Lee Jordan joked.
"Close enough."
"You really intend to put a banshee in there?"
"The principle is similar. It uses sound to make others faint."
"When you're done, remember to let me give it a try."
"Are you sure?" Albert's expression suddenly turned somewhat peculiar. "Well, since you're eager to be the first to try, I don't mind. Originally, I planned to test its power myself, but if you're willing to make the sacrifice..."
"Sacrifice? It won't be dangerous, will it?" George was taken aback by Albert's words.
"It shouldn't be. At most, you'll just be unconscious for a few hours," Albert replied with some uncertainty.
"Your explanation doesn't sound very reliable. I feel like you've created something dangerous," Fred grumbled. "By the way, do you have any good suggestions for a potion to skip class?"
"Find some potions that, when consumed, cause stomachaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, nosebleeds, fever, or cold symptoms, and then figure out how to counteract the symptoms using antidotes," Albert suggested.
"Are you talking about poisoning?"
Albert's boldness surprised all three of them. Was he really willing to go as far as sacrificing his life just to skip class?
"Of course, you'd dilute the poison. You guys just want various symptoms," Albert reassured them as he put the box into the pouch of a Transfigured lizard skin. He was getting ready to create the Banshee's Howl when he had the chance.
"Such as?"
"How would I know? You can look it up in Herbology books. There are many dangerous plants there, and the Hogwarts greenhouse has quite a few plants. Find the corresponding symptoms, discover the antidotes, and then try making a potion to skip class yourselves."
The twins exchanged glances, somehow feeling that Albert's suggestion made sense.
However, achieving this wouldn't be as easy as it sounded. It meant they would need to put a lot of effort into both Herbology and the disliked Potions class.
Furthermore, even after creating the potion, the process wouldn't be complete. They'd still need to test the effectiveness of the potion, and they'd definitely have to consume it themselves first. Just thinking about it sent shivers down their spines.
"For dreams, for Galleons, some sacrifice is necessary," Albert patted their shoulders. "Just close your eyes and think about it. By then, you'll be able to earn plenty of Galleons with this.
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(End of this chapter)
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