Daily Life at Hogwarts - Chapter 15

“You… you really placed a bet?” George Weasley gulped, “That’s 25 Galleons, what if… what if…”

He never dared to finish the thought, fearing it would become a reality.

“I trust my luck and intuition,” Albert replied calmly, “Why don’t you guys give it a shot? If you guess right, it’s a decent earning.”

“We don’t have money,” the twins exchanged a glance and shook their heads. The Weasley family wasn’t wealthy, and even if the twins had saved up, they wouldn’t waste it on betting.

“Don’t look at me; I want to save for other things,” Lee Jordan shook his head as well. He felt Albert’s move was daring, and even if he had the money, he wouldn’t take such a risk.

As their conversation flowed, the train sped away from London, gliding through meadows and fields.

Albert browsed the newspaper, while the other three chatted about Quidditch. In that realm, he couldn’t join in the conversation, even though he knew the rules, he had to pretend otherwise. After all, being from the Muggle world, he wasn’t supposed to be familiar with Quidditch.

“By the way, did you hear about Gabriel Drummond’s incident?” George suddenly brought up recent events.

“Nottley nearly got expelled by the Ministry,” Fred whispered, “Only after he personally apologized to Drummond did the issue resolve.”

“I heard about it. But mom says not to trust Rita Skeeter’s articles,” Lee said, “She tends to exaggerate.”

“Most papers do, but there’s always a grain of truth,” Albert commented, folding the newspaper. Being a central figure in the whole debacle, he knew exactly what had happened.

“Earlier, I passed Drummond’s compartment and heard him discussing the event. He mentioned an incident during the holidays when he saw a Hogwarts newbie practicing magic. Later, he mysteriously received a letter stating he was expelled from Hogwarts,” Fred suddenly shared, “At the time, Dumbledore and a ministry official came over. The official was rude, not even offering an apology. So he…”

Albert raised an eyebrow. He had advised Drummond to keep things secret, but it seemed he had forgotten. At least he didn’t reveal Albert’s part in the story.

“By the way, do you guys know how the sorting is done at school?” Albert changed the topic.

“I don’t know; our family never told us,” Lee shook his head.

“Percy said it’s a test of some sort,” George replied, a tad irritated, “They never tell us, thinking it’s a fun surprise.”

“What’s life like as a wizard? Is it fun?” Albert asked, “When I first received the letter, my family was shocked. My mother wasn’t too pleased with Professor McGonagall. She was worried I might struggle to find a job after graduating.”

“Our oldest brother graduated,” the twins chimed in together.

“Bill works for Gringotts in Africa.”

“What about your father?” Albert asked, even though he knew.

“He works at the Ministry of Magic,” the twins said in unison.

“After I graduate, I think I’ll remain in the Muggle world.”

“Why?” The three questioned in unison, finding the concept perplexing.

“I came to Hogwarts mainly to learn magic, to master its use. Professor McGonagall said if I don’t study magic, it could get out of control in the future.”

“But in the Muggle world, we can’t freely use magic. Plus, we can’t let Muggles know about magic; it would cause trouble,” they replied.

“So, what do you guys want to do in the future?”

“I don’t want to work for the Ministry of Magic.”

“Same here.” The twins exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

“Being a Quidditch player would be nice. Charlie became the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year. Sadly, you need to be in the second year to join.” George said with a hint of regret.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Lee Jordan remarked.

“And you?” All three turned their attention to Albert.

“Me? Find a job that’s simple, relaxed, and easy money.”

“Is there such a job?” Their faces met in mutual bewilderment. If such a job existed, they’d want it too!

“There should be. I’m looking,” Albert chuckled. He was curious as to when the twins came up with the idea to open a joke shop.

“If you find it, let me know.” Lee patted Albert on the shoulder, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Do you mind if I take a picture of you guys?” Albert pulled out a camera.

“A picture?”

“Yes, my family wants to know about the wizarding world.” Albert positioned the three together and snapped a few photos.

“Why doesn’t the picture move?” Lee prodded the picture, probably hoping to animate it.

“Muggle photos don’t move,” Albert explained, glancing at the shot, “It seems my photography skills have improved.”

“What’s the point of a still photo?” The three quickly lost interest in the photograph.

Around noon, noise echoed through the train corridor.

A witch soon poked her head into the compartment, “Would you like to buy some food, dear?”

“I’ll take a pack of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans,” said Lee, who had his own food. The twins had brought sandwiches but were low on funds, so they didn’t order.

“I’ll take one of everything,” Albert told the amiable witch.

After witnessing Albert’s splurge earlier, the three were numb to his lavish spending.

For this, Albert handed over a Galleon and got a heap of treats in return.

“I bet your family’s loaded,” Lee mumbled.

“Not really rich,” Albert popped an Every Flavor Bean into his mouth— it tasted like sprouts, “They’re lawyers.”

“What’s that?” The three were unfamiliar with Muggle terminology.

“People who fight legal battles for others, you might think of them as legal loophole exploiters,” Albert pondered and explained.

“Legal loophole exploiters?” The term baffled the three. How can exploiting loopholes be legal? What kind of strategy is that?

“Introduce me to these,” Albert gestured to the food, not wanting to unknowingly eat something strange. Wizards indeed had peculiar tastes. Plus, it was an opportunity— friendship needed nurturing and maintenance.