Daily Life at Hogwarts - Chapter 26

“I thought as much,” Albert said, trying to stifle a laugh. He caught sight of a passing ghost from the corner of his eye and greeted him, “Good morning, Sir Nicholas.”

“Good morning, young man. How can I help you?”

“Sir, might I take a photograph of you?” Albert raised his camera to ask.

“Oh, very well!” Nearly Headless Nick pondered for a moment. “Should I strike a pose?”

“No need, just look over here,” Albert adjusted his angle, taking a snap of Nick.

“Is that it?”

“Yes, that will do. Thank you, Sir Nicholas.”

“You’re welcome, then off I go!” And with that, Nick floated away swiftly.

Angelina leaned over, curious to see what Albert had captured, but the photograph showed nothing.

“It seems that Muggle cameras can’t capture ghosts. Perhaps a wizard’s camera might do the trick,” Albert mused, writing ‘Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington’ on the back of the blank photo.

“It’s impressive how you remember his full name,” Angelina admired, “I certainly can’t.”

“It’s not the camera’s fault,” a voice chimed in.

Albert turned to find a lovely red-haired girl entering the Great Hall. Noticing their stares, she explained, “For the photograph to work, you must use the correct developing potion, then the figures inside can move. Moreover, ghosts, being ethereal, can’t be captured by cameras.”

With that, she walked over to the Ravenclaw table.

“Typical Ravenclaw, so knowledgeable,” George exaggerated.

“Quite impressive indeed,” Albert mused, then turned to Angelina, “Would you like to join us for a walk around the school once you’re done?”

“I’d rather not,” Angelina hesitated before declining, “I have an appointment.”

“That’s a shame,” Albert munched on a fruit, wondering how he could get his hands on the proper developing potion.

As the Great Hall started filling with mostly first-year students, perhaps because it was the weekend, the older students chose to sleep in. After saying their farewells to Angelina, the group was leaving when they noticed Filch, clutching his cat, watching them intently.

Albert paused, noticing a new task prompt on his interface:

Malice from the Caretaker

You’ve drawn the attention of Hogwarts’ caretaker, Filch. Time to retaliate. Evade him during your nocturnal wanderings and let him know that even if he’s watching, he won’t find anything amiss.

Reward: 1000 experience points.

Upon reading the task, Albert couldn’t help but smirk, realizing these challenges seemed more frequent since arriving at Hogwarts.

“What is it?” Fred turned with a puzzled look.

“Nothing,” Albert replied, hurrying to catch up with the group. As they crossed the damp bridge, he asked, “Do any of you know the incantation for the Disguise Charm?”

“What’s that?” George inquired.

“It’s said to be an invisibility spell,” Albert explained, “I read about it in a book. It can make the person or object it’s cast upon blend in like a chameleon.”

“That sounds cool,” George was intrigued, “If we master it, we won’t have to worry about getting caught during our nighttime escapades.”

“I was thinking the same, especially not having to worry about Filch,” Albert nodded, planning to learn the charm before his next night adventure.

“But how do we find the incantation?” Fred was a bit frustrated, “Dad might know, but he definitely won’t tell us.”

“How about asking a professor?” Lee suggested.

“For now, we’ll try the library,” Albert concluded, “Of course, if we can’t find it there, we could ask the Charms professor. But I doubt he’d teach us, considering he might connect it to our night wanderings.”

The group exchanged glances, all sighing in frustration. If they could master this magic, many tasks would become much easier in the future.

Albert stopped by the high bridge, leaning over the railing. He recalled the end of the novel where Harry Potter had snapped the Elder Wand and thrown it off this very bridge.

What a waste.

The Elder Wand was a treasure. Even if one didn’t use it, it could be hidden in a secret place.

It was indeed a sacred object in the Harry Potter series, the other being the Sorcerer’s Stone. Yet, both treasures were destroyed.

“For now, let’s head to the library.”

“Even if we find it, we probably won’t be able to learn it right away, right?” Lee remarked with a hint of disappointment, remembering that he hadn’t yet mastered even the simplest of spells.

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Albert said, casting a disdainful glance at Lee. “How do you think I learned the other spells?”

“How did you do it?” the twins asked curiously.

“Of course, by spending a lot of time practicing. Do you think you can just pick things up instantly?” Albert replied irritably.

As they wandered, they discussed the Disguise Charm. They spent a long time on the first floor of the castle, discovering a few empty classrooms filled with clutter and some potential secret passages. However, they couldn’t open any, much to their frustration.

“Most of the secret passages require specific passwords or knocking in a special rhythm to open,” Albert explained as they walked. “We either have to be lucky or ask someone who knows about the passages, but I bet they won’t easily tell us.”

“The Transfiguration classroom,” George reminded, “Professor McGonagall teaches there.”

Lee Jordan whispered, “I’ve heard that subject is super hard.”

“It is a bit challenging,” Albert acknowledged, recalling his self-study experience. He had taken the longest time turning a matchstick into a needle, but once mastered, most transfigurations weren’t that difficult.

Of course, it might also have something to do with his unique skills interface.

On the second floor of the castle, they found the History of Magic classroom. Thankfully, classrooms were labeled; otherwise, they’d be completely lost.

“There’s a wooden door here. I think it might be a secret passage,” Lee Jordan pointed out excitedly, indicating an entrance hidden behind a statue.

“It seems to be locked,” Albert drew his wand, aiming it at the door and casting an unlocking spell.

“Your spell didn’t work,” Fred tried the door, but it remained closed.

“It probably needs a password,” Albert mused.

“What do you think the password might be?” Lee Jordan countered.

“How would I know?” Albert gave Lee an exasperated look, then added, “In the Muggle world, the most famous secret password is ‘Open Sesame,’ from the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.”

As he mentioned this, the tip of Albert’s wand accidentally tapped on the wooden door.

The next moment, the wooden panels of the door were yanked from their hinges, threatening to splinter into a pile of firewood.

All four of them gaped, their eyes bulging out in shock, trying to process what had just happened.