Daily Life at Hogwarts - Chapter 16

“This is called Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans,” Lee Jordan shook his box and offered it to the trio, “Every flavor you can think of is inside. Try it.”

“Be careful with these,” George warned, “When he says ‘every flavor’, it really does mean every flavor.”

“Not only common flavors like chocolate, mint, marmalade, and orange, but also spinach, liver, and tripe. And watch out, you might get an earwax one.” Fred grabbed one and tossed it into his mouth, “This one tastes like pumpkin.”

“What flavor is this gray one?” Albert asked, picking up a bean.

“Pepper. If I were you, I wouldn’t touch it,” George kindly advised, “Mine, for instance, tastes like chicken.”

“What about this?” Albert picked up something resembling bubblegum.

“That’s Blowing Bubble Super Bubble Gum.”

“I know this one, a Chocolate Frog. I had one last time,” Albert said, pointing at a chocolate frog.

“Pumpkin pies, cauldron cakes, Licorice Wands,” George began listing other peculiar candies, some of which change the color of your tongue, while others let you make various sounds.

“Animal Voice Changer Candy, lets you imitate various animal sounds.”

Albert unwrapped one and asked, “What sound does this make?”

“I don’t know.”

“How long will it last?”

“A few seconds, maybe.”

Albert threw the candy into his mouth and suddenly let out a roar like a lion, making everyone burst into laughter.

“Wanna try?”

George got a baboon, Fred a kitty, and Lee Jordan was the unlucky one with an elephant sound. His cheeks reddened and steam burst out of his ears, making everyone roar with laughter.

“Ah, I bought too few,” Albert found the candy amusing, so he went to another compartment to buy more from the witch.

“It’s for my little sister,” Albert explained, noticing the curious looks.

Of course, Albert didn’t plan to fill up on just these treats. He also took out the sandwiches Daisy prepared for him and began eating them, much to the surprise of the others.

“You brought food? Why buy so much?” Lee Jordan was puzzled.

“Because it’s novel. If I find something interesting, I’ll send a piece home to my family,” Albert said, picking up a peach-flavored soda, “Want a taste?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a drink. You might not have had this before.” Albert bought a pumpkin juice. Its taste was a bit special, somewhat like soy milk.

“How do you open this?” The twins curiously examined the canned soda.

“There’s a pull-tab on top. Don’t shake it, or it might spray,” Albert warned, but it was too late. Fred got sprayed in the face as he opened it.

“I did warn you not to shake it,” Albert said, suppressing a chuckle, and took the half-empty peach soda from Fred.

Using his wand, he cleaned up the spilled drink and asked, “Want to try some?”

With a wave of his wand, he transformed the candy bag into plastic cups.

“Wow!” The twins exclaimed.

“What’s the matter?” Albert asked, perplexed, then chanted, “Gemino.”

Using the duplication charm, he made three identical cups.

“You just used magic, right?”

“Oh, just a little trick I learned from the spellbook. Very useful,” Albert nonchalantly replied, “Any issues?”

“Any issues?” Lee Jordan echoed incredulously, “Of course! If I recall correctly, you’re a muggle-born wizard, right?”

“And?” Albert raised an eyebrow.

“I bet no other first-year can use magic as proficiently as you.”

“Are you all exaggerating a bit?” Albert tried to change the subject, “Do you want a drink?” He poured a small amount into each of their cups.

“The taste is a bit strange, but not bad.”

“It feels a bit like beer, but different.”

“You’ve had beer before?” Albert inquired curiously.

“George sneaked a taste once.”

“So did you.”

“It makes sense if you’re not used to muggle beverages,” Albert reasoned, thinking of his own experience with pumpkin juice.

“That’s not the point. How did you manage it? I heard Transfiguration is really hard,” Lee Jordan exclaimed dramatically.

“Really hard?” Albert pondered. Was it as difficult as they said? He’d asked Drummond about the trick to turning a matchstick into a needle. After practicing for a week and mastering the first level of Transfiguration, he could easily change small objects.

“It was somewhat challenging. Took me half a day to get the matchstick to needle right. But once you’re familiar, it’s quite simple.”

“Half a day?” The trio exchanged glances, suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed and disinclined to speak.

Showboating like that might cost you friends.

“Is it really simple?”

“How many spells have you mastered?” George hesitated before asking.

“I tried all the ones in the textbook… Didn’t you all practice magic during the summer holidays?” Albert looked at them suspiciously.

“Our parents wouldn’t let us touch our wands.”

“You could’ve tried secretly. And didn’t you buy wands?” Albert was dumbfounded.

“So, you succeeded in all of them?” Fred asked weakly.

“I managed most of them. During the summer, I even met a Hogwarts student. We exchanged letters, and he gave me many pointers about…”

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning split the sky, interrupting Albert. The rain outside intensified.

Is even the weather protesting?

Lee Jordan got up to close the window, preventing the rain from splashing inside.

“I hope it stops raining by the time we reach school,” Albert said, popping a piece of chocolate into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

The journey on the train felt endlessly dull.

“What’s with you guys?” Albert asked, looking at the silent trio.

“It’s nothing!” Fred managed, “I just feel you’re going to be someone remarkable in the future.”

“I think so too,” Albert suddenly remarked, catching the three off-guard.

“Haha, just joking. Who knows what the future holds?”

For the rest of the journey, they snacked and discussed the magical world. Mostly the trio did the talking, and Albert listened.

When the topic shifted to Quidditch, Albert listened with interest as the trio enthusiastically explained the four balls and how seven players play a match.

It was evident the twins dreamt of owning a good broomstick and participating in an exciting match.

“I’d love to try flying,” Albert said, “Though riding a broomstick seems a bit odd.”