That evening, Albert showed his new Hogwarts school uniform to his family. It was a plain black work robe and a black pointed hat, nothing particularly special.
If you had to say something about it, it looked silly, especially that darn pointed hat. Albert believed that wearing it and going out for a stroll would definitely attract attention, at the very least.
Nia, on the other hand, was very pleased with her gift. She draped herself in a cloak much larger than herself and wore the black pointed hat on her head. She struck poses in the living room while Herbert took pictures of the two of them.
Daisy sat on the couch, silently flipping through Albert's book on magical history. She wanted to understand more about where her son was about to go.
"Mom, look, it's a live chocolate frog!" Nia opened the packaging of the chocolate frog and saw it hopping around, unable to help but giggle.
Herbert, already experienced, quickly reached out and caught the chocolate frog that landed on the table, handing it to Nia.
Then, Herbert opened another package, and inside was another chocolate frog. He quickly caught it and handed it to Daisy, who was carefully reading the book.
"Can we really eat this?" Daisy raised an eyebrow, skeptically examining the seemingly alive chocolate frog in front of her, expressing doubt about its edibility.
"Mom, chocolate frogs are edible, and they taste really good!" Nia had already bitten off the head of the chocolate frog and was happily eating it, her face covered in melted chocolate.
"Alright, wipe your face clean, just like a little kitty!" Albert handed his handkerchief to Nia, then turned his head to look at Tom, who was confronting the owl. He picked it up, placed it on the edge of the couch, and patted its chin, instructing, "Tom, don't bully it."
Albert took out owl treats from the package and poured some onto a plate in the cage, murmuring, "What should I name it?"
"Jerry."
Albert thought for a moment and gave this name to the snowy owl.
Tom and Jerry.
Although there was no animated series about the cat and mouse in this world, Albert found the name quite amusing.
The owl seemed to sense its owner's ill intentions and showed no reaction to Jerry.
"Albert, you picked such an awful name!" Nia reached out and picked up the owl, rubbing her face against it. She said, "It should be called Snowy, that's a good name."
"Why not Snowy-bee?" Albert thought mischievously.
"Albert, the person in the photo suddenly disappeared!" Herbert exclaimed in surprise, realizing that the person in the chocolate frog card had vanished.
"A photo?" Albert looked at his father, who was holding a chocolate frog card.
"Perhaps wizarding photos are meant to move? If chocolate frogs can move, why can't the people in the photos?"
"That makes sense!" Herbert accepted this explanation, flipping the card over and reading the text on the back. "Albus Dumbledore... Current Headmaster of Hogwarts, recognized as the greatest wizard of our time."
English Translation:
"Oh, the old man who sent the letter to Albert," Daisy took the Chocolate Frog card from her husband's hand and wanted to see who sent the invitation to their son.
Unfortunately, the card was empty inside.
Daisy flipped the Chocolate Frog card over and continued reading the remaining part, "Dumbledore's well-known contributions include defeating the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, discovering twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his effective collaboration with partner Nicolas Flamel in alchemy. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling."
"Dragon's blood?" Daisy widened her eyes, incredulous. "There are dragons in this world? And Nicolas Flamel, I remember he was..."
"A famous alchemist from the 14th century," Albert added. "He is said to have created the legendary Philosopher's Stone, which can turn lead into gold and grant immortality. If he is still alive, it means the Philosopher's Stone has granted Nicolas Flamel immortality."
"Come on, Daisy, cheer up," Herbert reached out and embraced his wife, comforting her softly. "The situation is not as bad as you think, especially when we don't understand the magical world yet. It's best not to make hasty judgments. And you should trust our son. He's a genius and can showcase his talent wherever he goes."
"Oh, Albert, can you use magic?" Nia rushed towards Albert, grabbed his hand, and shook it gently while looking at Albert with anticipation. "I want to see you do magic."
"Well... let me study it first. I don't know how to use it yet," Albert said, ruffling Nia's hair with his hand.
"Meanie." Nia covered her head and ran to Daisy's side, sharing a pumpkin pie with her.
Albert began to flip through Miranda Gosak's "Standard Spells, Beginner's Edition," then took out his wand from the box, preparing for his first attempt at spellcasting.
"No, Albert, don't try it here!" Herbert's face twitched, recalling what happened earlier in the wand shop.
"You should have some faith in your own son!" Albert raised his wand and lightly tapped it while softly chanting, "Lumos."
The tip of the wand suddenly flickered and then went out.
"Just now, the tip of the wand flickered, right?" Daisy said uncertainly.
"Yes, it flickered. Truly my son!" Herbert discovered that Albert could immediately use magic and couldn't hide his pride.
"Albert, what was that just now?" Nia asked excitedly.
"Well, it's the Lumos spell. It should be one of the easier spells to learn. Let me give it another try." Albert secretly checked his skill panel and indeed found the Lumos spell listed.
The spell was at level 0 but had already gained 7 points of experience.
Only when it reaches level 1 is it considered truly mastered. It only takes 100 points of experience to go from level 0 to level 1, but Albert didn't plan to use his precious stored experience to level up Lumos. Even 100 points of experience were quite valuable.
"Let me try again." Albert cleared his throat and chanted the spell once more. The tip of the wand emitted a pale light once again.
Albert tried a total of five times before barely mastering the spell. By concentrating a little, the light on the wand wouldn't easily disappear.
Witnessing this scene, the other three couldn't help but applaud. Although it was just a simple light spell, it was quite remarkable in the eyes of the Anderson family.
"Albert, Albert, let me try. I want to try too," Nia excitedly pounced on her brother.
"No," Albert
quickly put away his wand. "At least not here. You know why? The last time I tried the wand, I almost blew up the counter of that wand shop."
"Spoilsport."
"It's not about being a spoilsport. The wand itself is dangerous, and I don't know anything about it. What if something dangerous happens?" Albert immediately put on a serious face and played his trump card. "If you keep being willful like this, I won't teach you magic anymore."
"Albert is right," Herbert hurriedly added, "You should wait for him to become familiar with magic before he teaches you."
"Fine!" Nia pouted discontentedly, compromising. But she looked a little disappointed. She envied Albert's ability to use magic.
"Your grandparents are planning to come over in a couple of days. But I think it's better if we all go visit them together to save us from having to make another trip," Herbert left some magical candies and gifts. He knew his father might not eat them, but he would be pleased to see these things.
(End of this chapter)
Late at night, on Tibey Avenue, the light from the second-floor window of residence number 19 was still on.
Albert was rapidly reading through the contents of a book, effortlessly increasing his speed reading skill to level 2. His memory had significantly improved as well. Ordinary people didn't possess this ability, and Albert was undoubtedly stronger in terms of memory.
Just a moment ago, Albert discovered another unfamiliar skill: Wizard's Bloodline, level 0.
Ordinary experience couldn't level up this skill; it could only be upgraded using skill points.
This was the first time Albert had encountered such a situation. He hesitated for a moment but decided to raise the Wizard's Bloodline to level 1.
After upgrading the skill, Albert noticed that his efficiency in learning magic had increased. His magical power seemed stronger, and he grasped the Light Spell faster. With just a few minutes of practice, he managed to raise the skill to level 1.
It meant that Albert had achieved a basic understanding of this spell. Even without consciously focusing, he could easily use it.
Should he invest all his skill points into it? Albert hesitated. Skill points were difficult to obtain, and he needed to reserve some for himself.
However, after much contemplation, he still used the remaining 2 skill points, only to find out that it could only raise the skill by one level. What a disappointment!
After upgrading the Wizard's Bloodline to level 2, Albert didn't feel any other changes.
Could it be a passive skill? Albert felt a bit frustrated, but he didn't regret it. He walked out of his room and began to try the Unlocking Spell.
With a wand in one hand and the book "Standard Spells for Beginners" in the other, Albert followed the gestures taught in the book. He waved it lightly twice, resembling a reversed S shape, which felt quite awkward.
After a few more attempts, Albert locked the door with a flick of his wrist, using the Alohomora spell.
Albert reached out and twisted the lock a few times, but it didn't open.
He failed.
Although the failure was expected, there was still good news. Another unlocking spell appeared on the panel, but this time, there was no experience gained.
"Albert, what are you doing?" A girl's voice sounded from behind. Nia, dressed in her pajamas, appeared at the end of the hallway.
Albert turned his head to look at his younger sister. He knew how she must be feeling, as if she had caught a thief stealing snacks.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Albert asked.
"I can't sleep!" Nia complained. "You're so sneaky. You're secretly practicing magic, aren't you?"
Albert felt a bit embarrassed, but it was true. It was like being caught stealing... uh, eating sweets. He was being humble.
"I want to play too!" Nia stared fixedly at Albert's wand.
"But this is not a toy!" Albert shook his head. He wouldn't allow his sister to use the wand.
Children are least capable of restraint; they act based on their own preferences, and nobody knows what kind of trouble they might cause.
Of course, the assumption is that Nia is also a wizard.
After all, Albert himself is a wizard, so the probability of Nia being a wizard is high. That's why he wouldn't let Nia easily attempt to use the wand, at least not for now.
"You're so sneaky. Aren't you secretly playing with it yourself?" Nia complained, like a child whose toy had been taken away.
"Why don't you go back to sleep?" Albert changed the subject.
"No, I can't sleep."
"Then let me tell you a story!" Albert took out his keys, reopened the door, and walked inside.
"Albert is so cunning!" Nia muttered, but she still picked up Tom and walked into Albert's room.
As soon as Tom entered the room, he sniffed around as if looking for an owl, showing a strong objection to the birdcage near the window.
"Alright, Tom. Sheila went out to hunt!" Albert picked up the short-haired cat, gave it a belly rub, and didn't forget to put the wand in the drawer, lock it, and put the key in his pocket. It was like protecting against thieves. Albert knew his sister's personality too well.
"Hmph! Is it necessary to be so cautious?" Nia pouted unhappily.
"I don't know you well enough," Albert rolled his eyes at Nia. "If you get hold of the wand, who knows, you might blow up our house? Don't promise me anything. I don't want you suddenly losing an arm one day, or worse, your life."
"I won't," Nia felt a little guilty.
It was indeed a similar situation in the past. It happened not long after Tom arrived at their house. Nia got injured because she treated Tom roughly, and she still remembered how angry Albert scolded her.
That was the first time Nia saw Albert angry.
"Don't forget the lesson," Albert retorted. "Do you still want to listen to the story?"
"Fine!" Nia leaned back on the cushion, stroked Tom's fur, and quietly listened to Albert telling a fairy tale. He had become quite skilled at it, originally practicing for oral proficiency and improving his English level. After all, he wasn't a native English speaker in his core. Despite being influenced by his time travel, he still had some gaps in this area.
It's worth mentioning that he also mastered another foreign language, French, through experience points raised by one level. Albert would be considered a genius, and it wasn't without reason.
"Albert, do you think I'll be able to use magic in the future?" Nia suddenly asked.
"You should be able to. I can use magic, so Nia should be able to as well," Albert reassured her.
"That's because you're a genius. You're quick at learning everything."
"It has nothing to do with being a genius!" Albert sighed. "We're siblings. If I can do it, you should be able to too."
"But Grandfather can't. He says everyone in his family can use magic except him," Nia murmured. "And Dad can't either."
Poor Herbert was innocent but got caught in the crossfire.
"Even if you can't use magic, you can do other things," Albert reassured her.
"You're so cunning. You can already use magic, yet you say such things to comfort others. Tom, attack him!" Nia grabbed Tom's paw and placed it on Albert's face.
As the night grew deeper, Nia fell asleep unknowingly.
The door was pushed open, and Daisy and Herbert, dressed in pajamas, entered the room, looking helpless as they gazed at their sleeping daughter.
"She finally fell asleep," Herbert whispered, picking up Nia and returning her to her own room.
"Goodnight, Albert. Rest early and don't stay up late. You can read your books tomorrow," Daisy kissed Albert's face softly. "Your dad and I won't object to your decision."
"Goodnight." Albert stifled a yawn, pushed Tom away with his hand. The lazy cat just lazily rolled over, seemingly unwilling to move from its spot.
"Never mind. Goodnight, Tom." Albert pushed the cat aside, played with the pillow a bit, and found a comfortable position to rest. He was already quite tired.
But, come to think of it, magic really is a fascinating thing.
(End of this chapter)
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