Daily Life at Hogwarts - Chapter 14

“Is this seat taken?” the African boy, pointing at the seat opposite Albert, inquired.

“No one’s here, have a seat.” Albert replied with a smile, “My name is Albert Anderson.”

“Lee Jordan.” The young black boy flashed a set of pearly whites, his eyes darting to the book on the table before saying earnestly, “You seem like someone who’d be sorted into Ravenclaw. I’ve heard that those who like reading generally end up there.”

“As long as I’m not in Slytherin, I don’t mind the other houses.” Albert took out a few chocolate-flavored candies from his pocket and offered, “Want some candy?”

“Thanks, it tastes good,” Lee Jordan picked one, unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth, “I like the chocolate-flavored ones.”

“Feel free to have more if you want,” Albert said, scattering various flavored candies on the table. Sharing snacks was an effective way to break the ice, a trick he often utilized back in his previous school.

“I hope I get into Gryffindor. They say it’s the best house, and even Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of all time, was from Gryffindor,” Lee, with candy in his mouth, continued his chatter.

But his babble was interrupted by a knock on the door.

A pair of red-haired twins peeked in.

“Do you mind if we join?” one of the twins asked cheekily, “We’re late, and other compartments are full. And the girls aren’t exactly welcoming us.”

Before Albert could respond, the other twin introduced himself, “I’m George, George Weasley.”

“You might want to dry off a bit,” Lee Jordan advised, “I’m Lee Jordan.”

“Albert Anderson,” Albert closed his book and put it back into his trunk, gesturing towards the seat next to Lee.

“See you in a bit, George.” The other twin turned and left.

However, he quickly returned, this time with his own trunk.

The train compartments naturally had enough space for six, so four was comfortable. However, some students preferred to keep compartments exclusive to their own friend groups, making it hard for latecomers like the Weasley twins to find seats.

“This is Fred, my twin,” George introduced.

“Even if you didn’t say, it’s pretty obvious,” Lee remarked. “You two should have some sort of mark to differentiate.”

“Want some candy?” Albert offered again.

“Oh, thanks! Mum doesn’t like us eating too much of this stuff,” each of the twins took a piece, unwrapping and relishing the sweet treat.

“Tastes really good.”

“That’s a beautiful owl you have,” one of the twins remarked, trying to pet Snowy. But a sharp glare from the owl made him retreat. He certainly didn’t want to be pecked.

“She’s not very fond of strangers,” Albert casually remarked, “But you can try feeding her some nuts. Maybe she’ll let you pet her then.”

Lee tried, but without success. Snowy simply ignored him, continuing her nap.

The train started to move, slowly accelerating and departing from the platform.

“What’s the magical world like?” Albert sought a new conversation topic, “You’re all from the magical world, right?”

“How did you know?” Lee inquired, perplexed.

“Your clothes,” Albert pointed out, “Your attire is quite unconventional. Muggles wouldn’t dress like that. It’s clear that only wizards, unfamiliar with Muggle world conventions, would wear such combinations.”

“Impressive,” Lee Jordan gave a thumbs up, “Oh, there seems to be something by the window.”

Turning his head, Albert saw an owl perched by the window. He quickly opened it, allowing the bird to enter. The grey owl shook off the rain, droplets scattering around the compartment.

Snowy, Albert’s owl, hooted in annoyance and hopped onto Albert’s shoulder, clearly unhappy about this uninvited guest potentially feasting on her stash of nuts.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a few nuts. I’ll get more for you later,” Albert, eyeing the departing owl, soothed Snowy, patting her head.

“I’ve got to say, you don’t come across as a Muggle-born wizard,” Lee Jordan murmured, “Muggle-borns wouldn’t know these things. Can I see?”

“Go ahead.” Albert carefully lifted Snowy off his shoulder, not particularly fond of having a weighty owl perched there.

“Any news?”

“Millicent Bagnold, the Minister of Magic, has announced her retirement post-1990,” Lee Jordan spread the newspaper on the table. “Rumors are circulating that Professor Dumbledore might be the next minister.”

“My dad says Dumbledore could’ve been the Minister a long time ago if he wanted,” Fred interjected skeptically.

“Who do you think has the best shot?” George inquired, noticing an ad, “Oh, the ‘Daily Prophet’s Predictions’ is hosting a guessing game.”

“I’m not sure, but I’m kind of interested in this gamble,” Albert knew who the next Minister would be, of course, “How do I participate if I want to?”

Who wouldn’t want to earn some Galleons?

“Gambling isn’t a good idea, Albert,” Lee warned sincerely.

“A little bet wouldn’t hurt.” Albert took out his wand and stood it vertically on the table, letting it naturally tip. “Ollivander said my wand could bring luck. So, I’ll choose… hmm, Cornelius Fudge to be the next Minister, assuming this game is legit.”

The three others in the compartment looked at him, dumbfounded by his quirky method.

“You’re really going to place that bet?” Fred swallowed hard, finding the whole idea ludicrous.

“I haven’t decided yet. After all, I’m not well-acquainted with the wizarding world,” Albert was wary about losing his pocket money.

“No, the Prophet’s bets are generally reliable. Many have won in the past. But there are fifteen potential candidates for the role, and you really want to choose…” George pointed out, “Fudge’s odds are 4:1, not the best.”

“Usually, the favorite rarely succeeds. They’re just a scapegoat, or, hmm, a distraction,” Albert grabbed the paper, thoroughly studying how to participate. He took out a quill, wrote his name on a parchment, selected his bet and the amount. Then, he counted out 25 Galleons and put them in a pouch.

Seeing Albert’s 25 Galleons, the trio’s eyes widened. That was a considerable amount.

They were envious. When had they ever held so many Galleons? Even a single Galleon would have made their day.

It wasn’t until Snowy took off with the pouch and envelope that they snapped back to reality.