The magical world, Albert had long realized, was a strange place where fame was a capricious thing—one moment, a wizard was utterly renowned; the next, completely forgotten. Given his status as a first-year student, he hadn't truly expected any of his unsolicited theoretical submissions to garner a professional response.
Yet, a reply had come.
The correspondent was a wizard named Ed Fusco. The letter was surprisingly concise and polite, expressing a willingness to enter into a theoretical correspondence with Albert. Mr. Fusco concluded with a simple, foundational question: he sought Albert's insights on Gamp's Five Principal Exceptions to the Law of Elemental Transfiguration.
The question itself wasn't overly complex; in fact, it was so elementary that Albert immediately suspected Mr. Fusco had already discerned his young age. The question served as a gentle, academic filter.
Albert, however, wasn't concerned with the apparent simplicity of the query. His attention was immediately and wholly captured by something far more interesting: a newly materialized entry on his internal Quest Panel.
Quest: The Architect's Network
Objective: Befriend five renowned wizards in the magical world and maintain correspondence with them. You will reap unexpected rewards.
Wizards Befriended: 1/5
Reward: 5,000 Experience Points, +500 Reputation in the Magical World
I never expected a task panel to materialize from simple correspondence, Albert thought with an internal flash of satisfaction. The reward, especially the Experience Points, was substantial and highly motivating.
Even if he couldn't complete the objective immediately, having a new long-term goal tied to academic networking was exciting. Albert never saw a limit to the amount of experience he could gain.
Feeling exceptionally focused, he spent a good portion of his breakfast time composing a detailed, insightful reply to Mr. Fusco, carefully structuring his thoughts on Gamp's Law with both academic rigor and a touch of the innovative perspective that had earned his Transfiguration Today publication.
He sealed the letter and handed it to Shera. He watched his owl launch into the air before turning back to his breakfast, only to discover that while he was writing, Shera had systematically and aggressively pecked his toast slices into a chaotic pile of crumbs.
Albert shook his head slightly, used a quick Scouring Charm to clear his plate, retrieved a fresh piece of bread, and resumed his meal.
"You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood this morning. Did you receive a substantial allowance increase?" Angelina Johnson, sitting next to him, asked curiously.
"Mr. Fusco replied to me," Albert said casually, keeping his new Quest Panel a secret.
"Mr. Fusco? Should we know that name?"
"Honestly, I don't know him well either. I simply received a response to one of my submissions, and I replied to him," Albert explained. "It doesn't hurt to exchange letters. At worst, it's only a few minutes wasted."
He kept quiet about his deeper cynicism. Famous wizards were inherently busy; they wouldn't have endless time to correspond with a student. The only creatures with unlimited time seemed to be his own pets, like Tom, who specialized in sunbathing and sleeping.
"Have you guys heard the incredible news?" Lee Jordan arrived at the table, his face alight with an air of theatrical mystery, leaning in conspiratorially.
"We haven't heard anything, Lee. Just get to the point," Albert said, looking up from his breakfast. "What's the big announcement?"
"Apparition Classes!" Lee Jordan announced with exaggerated excitement.
"Wasn't that mentioned right after we returned from the Christmas holidays?" Albert asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Has the Ministry finally decided to allow younger students to enroll in the course?"
"Do you actually want to sign up, Albert?" Fred asked lazily, buttering a crumpet.
"Absolutely. Apparition is arguably one of the most convenient and essential spells in a wizard's arsenal. It dramatically simplifies travel and logistics," Albert nodded. "You should both learn it as soon as possible."
"Keep dreaming, Albert, because you need to be seventeen to Apparate legally," Lee Jordan said, deflating slightly. "The instruction starts this afternoon. We're allowed to go and watch the sixth and seventh-year students practice their first attempts."
"Wait, I read a history of Hogwarts," Shanna interrupted, frowning thoughtfully. "Doesn't the castle have extremely powerful wards that prevent Apparition inside the grounds? Are they going to practice outside the school?"
"Nope, the practice location is the Great Hall itself," Lee Jordan declared, pointing toward the large, echoing doors.
"That is absolutely impossible," Shanna insisted, shaking her head firmly.
"With Dumbledore, nothing is truly impossible. I reckon the Headmaster will temporarily disable or adjust the Apparition-blocking enchantments over the Hall, allowing students to practice there under controlled conditions," Albert theorized. "Speaking of which, does anyone have an owl I can borrow? I need to send off an order immediately."
"You have Shera, don't you?" Lee Jordan looked puzzled.
"Shera just flew off with a letter to Mr. Fusco. I need to write to the apothecary in Diagon Alley to purchase several key ingredients for a specific potion," Albert explained, flipping open his Potions textbook to a recipe page.
He was focused on quickly completing his internal Magic Photograph Quest, which required him to brew a specialized solution, paving the way for the acquisition of the Alchemy skill. Albert had initially hoped that creating the complex Ironclad Amulet would trigger the Alchemy skill, but when it didn't, he decided to revert to a more controlled method—brewing.
"You can use mine, Albert," Arya offered immediately.
"What potion are you planning to brew?" Fred asked, his eyes gleaming with suspicious curiosity. "It's not some kind of black-market Felix Felicis concoction, is it?"
"It's simply Developing Solution," Albert said, pointing to the recipe page in his book. "I require a high-quality batch of this to enchant old photographs, giving the figures within the ability to move and respond, as required by the quest."
"Moving photographs? That sounds highly useful for journalism!" Shanna exclaimed, her interest immediately piqued. "Could I possibly secure a small portion from you later? I'd be happy to assist with the brewing as payment."
"If there are any leftovers after the enchantment process, I'd be happy to share them with you, Shanna," Albert agreed easily.
"Albert, we're heading out for a little reconnaissance walk later," Fred said, nudging his head toward the forbidden forest. "Care to join us?"
"Where exactly are you going?" Angelina asked, concerned. "The Quidditch pitch? Practice is this afternoon, and Charlie is pushing us hard."
"Not the pitch, Angie," the twins chorused.
"An adventure to find treasure!"
They were, in reality, planning a less-than-legal expedition to find valuable medicinal ingredients and unique fungal specimens, having meticulously studied A Thousand Miraculous Herbs and Mushrooms after their last failed scheme.
Lee Jordan, still vividly remembering the severity of his last detention, was more hesitant about the Forbidden Forest. But the twins insisted on bringing Albert, believing his legendary good luck would act as a magical risk-mitigation charm.
"Since Albert is coming along, the risk of this adventure will be greatly diminished," was George's firm reasoning.
"I have an appointment later this afternoon," Albert said, politely declining the offer.
"With whom?" George couldn't help but ask, sensing the dismissal. "You're not ditching us to go into the woods, are you?"
"It's Professor Bardbrod," Albert stated calmly. "I'm scheduled to have a game of Wizard's Chess with him."
"Professor Brod? The International Wizard Chess Champion?!" George's jaw dropped. "Albert, you are going to be utterly annihilated. It's going to be a brutal loss." Not just George, but everyone else looked at Albert with a mix of pity and fascination.
"It's far more enjoyable to play chess against someone truly skilled. A loss is merely a learning opportunity; one must maintain a positive, growth-oriented attitude," Albert countered smoothly. "Besides, don't you think having an International Chess Champion as a casual mentor is a rather excellent opportunity for a student?"
"That reasoning is logical," Fred admitted grudgingly. "However, it still sounds like you are just constructing a highly sophisticated excuse for your imminent, catastrophic defeat."
Albert rolled his eyes at his relentlessly skeptical friends, dismissing their chatter. He returned his focus to the Developing Solution recipe. The ingredients were complex, the brewing process delicate, but the reward—the foundation of Alchemy—was worth the effort.
I am certainly looking forward to unlocking that skill.