The shadow of Albert's "A.A." pharmaceutical empire was still cast over the castle, but the man himself was currently busy with a much more refined form of gluttony.
"You really are a greedy man, aren't you?"
Isabelle MacDougal delivered the verdict with a slight tilt of her head as they stepped out of the Charms Club meeting. The golden light of the late afternoon lanterns flickered against the stone walls of the corridor, catching the silver embroidery on her robes.
"Greedy?" Albert repeated, sounding genuinely perplexed. He adjusted the strap of his bag, which was noticeably heavier than it had been an hour ago. "That's a bit harsh, don't you think? In what sense? I don't recall taking more than my fair share of the tea and biscuits Flitwick put out."
"In every sense," Isabelle said, her voice calm and melodic, though there was a sharp edge of observation beneath it. "Materially, intellectually, and perhaps even spiritually. You're never quite finished, are you?"
"I've always considered myself a man of simple tastes, easily satisfied by the little things," Albert countered, offering a small, disarming smile. He knew Isabelle wasn't insulting him; it was the kind of blunt assessment shared between two people who operated on a level far above their peers. It was almost a compliment in their world—a recognition of his relentless drive.
"That," Isabelle noted, "is a classic delusion born of your own self-satisfaction. You aren't satisfied, Albert. You're a void. You're currently devouring every scrap of magical theory this school has to offer, and you still look hungry."
They strolled down the hallway, their footsteps echoing in the quiet spaces between classes. Albert didn't bother to deny it. To most, he was the brilliant Gryffindor who could do anything; to Isabelle, he was a bottomless pit of ambition. He enjoyed these walks; the gossip-mongers usually stayed clear of them, deterred by their combined aura of "do not disturb," though he knew the rumor mill would be grinding away by dinner time.
"I just felt I had a few pertinent questions for Professor Flitwick," Albert argued, patting the pocket where he'd tucked a freshly signed permission slip.
The "Forbidden Magic Zone" quest was screaming for completion in the back of his mind. He was chasing that Level 5 Wizard Bloodline upgrade with a fervor that bordered on obsession. The higher his raw magical power, the easier it would be to manipulate the reality-warping spells he was currently eyeing. Every level was a step closer to the kind of freedom most wizards couldn't even dream of.
"Pertinent? Albert, you didn't ask 'a few questions.' You produced a scroll of parchment that hit the floor when you unrolled it," Isabelle pointed out, her lips twitching with amusement. "Even Flitwick looked like he wanted to hide under his desk for a moment. I've never seen a Professor look so intimidated by a student's curiosity."
"Knowledge is the only currency that doesn't depreciate," Albert said, adopting a mock-pious tone. "Besides, isn't that the whole point of your House? 'Wit beyond measure is humanity's greatest treasure.' I'm just trying to be a good honorary Ravenclaw."
"The motto is about wisdom, not hoarding information like a dragon hoards gold," she corrected him. "But I suppose the meaning is lost on a Gryffindor who treats the library like an all-you-can-eat buffet."
Albert chuckled. "A buffet where everything is free? That's the dream, Isabelle."
After a few moments of silent walking, Albert decided to pivot to a topic that had been bothering him. "Tell me something. Do you know the Undetectable Extension Charm? Not just the theory, but the actual execution."
Isabelle slowed her pace, looking at him warily. "Why? Planning on fitting a whole library into your pocket? Or perhaps a small house?"
"If you know it, I'm willing to pay for the instruction," Albert said, his tone turning serious. "Galleons, rare components, or perhaps a favor of equal value. Your choice."
"You really are wealthy, aren't you?" she asked, eyeing him. "I heard about the 'A.A.' potion bottles. You've basically turned a school-wide prank into a private business venture."
"I prefer to call it a 'niche market intervention,'" Albert shrugged. "The profit was... acceptable."
"I'm afraid I can't help you with the Extension Charm," Isabelle said, her expression softening. "It's advanced magic, highly regulated by the Ministry. If they catch a student performing it on their own belongings, the fines are astronomical. They don't like people carrying around hidden spaces; it makes smuggling too easy."
"The law has a very interesting loophole," Albert noted, his eyes gleaming. "My parents—who have a very particular way of looking at Muggle regulations—always taught me that a law only exists if there's an observer to enforce it. If nobody sees the expanded space, is it truly illegal?"
Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Spoken like a true criminal. If you're desperate, talk to Professor Smith. He's obsessed with 'space and boundaries.' He likely knows it. But as for that other thing you asked about—the magic to freeze objects—I've found nothing."
Albert felt a pang of genuine disappointment. He'd spent the last week researching the 'Freezing Charm,' thinking it would be his ticket to a comfortable summer. He had visions of ice cream that never melted and a bedroom that stayed at a crisp twenty degrees while the English summer sweltered outside.
But the Book of Spells had crushed his dreams. The 'Freezing Charm' (Immobulus) didn't actually lower temperature; it just stopped motion. It was great for stopping a runaway clock or freezing a Cornish Pixie mid-air, but useless for making a cold drink.
Even worse, the system had mocked him by generating a new quest: [Summer's Regret].
The requirements were clear: Create a magical item capable of lowering ambient temperature to provide comfort during the heat. The reward was 1000 experience and a +1 to the "Freezing Charm" skill—a skill Albert realized didn't actually exist in the modern curriculum. He had to invent it.
"I've asked Flitwick, and he just gave me a lecture on the laws of thermodynamics in magic," Albert sighed. "Apparently, 'creating' cold is much harder than creating heat because cold is just the absence of energy. You have to move the heat somewhere else, and that requires a level of precision that most spells don't account for."
"You're trying to invent a refrigerator," Isabelle summarized. "Only you would treat a summer heatwave as a personal challenge to the laws of magic."
"I hate being hot, Isabelle. It makes my brain sluggish," he grumbled. "I need a cooling charm. Something that pulls the heat out of the air and locks it into a crystal or disperses it. If I can build a cooling box, I can win this... I mean, I can be comfortable."
"I can help you look into it," Isabelle said, stopping at the junction that led toward the Ravenclaw tower. "I have a few older texts at home that discuss environmental manipulation. But I want a favor in return."
Albert raised an eyebrow. "Fairness in all things. What do you need? Another amulet? A distraction for a Professor?"
"It's Katrina," Isabelle said, her voice dropping and losing its teasing edge. "She's been spending a lot of time with Professor Smith lately. She's trying too hard, Albert. She sees me getting ahead, she sees you performing at an elite level, and she's pushing herself to the breaking point to keep up."
"She's talented," Albert said carefully. "But she's prickly."
"She's my sister," Isabelle sighed. "And she's drowning in the pressure she's put on herself. Smith is... he's encouraging her, but I don't like the look in his eyes when he discusses 'potential.' I want you to keep an eye on her. Help her where you can, but mostly, just make sure she doesn't do anything reckless in her pursuit of power."
"You want me to be her shadow?" Albert asked. "She'll hex me the moment she realizes I'm 'babysitting' her."
"Don't let her realize it, then. You're supposed to be a genius; figure out a way to be supportive without being patronizing," Isabelle said. "Think of it as a transaction. I help you with your 'refrigerator,' and you help me keep my sister from burning out."
"And the gift you mentioned?"
"You'll receive it soon," Isabelle promised with a cryptic smile. "It's something a 'greedy man' like you will find quite useful."
Albert watched her walk away, her cloak swirling around her ankles. He couldn't help but feel that he was getting the short end of the stick. Monitoring a 'tsundere' younger sister who hated being treated like a child while simultaneously trying to rewrite the laws of thermal magic?
"I really am greedy," he muttered to himself, heading back toward the Gryffindor common room. "But at least life isn't boring."
As he walked, he checked the quest panel one last time. [Summer's Regret] flickered in the darkness. He had a feeling that inventing a new spell was going to require more than just a few "pertinent questions." It was going to require him to be the very thing Isabelle accused him of being: a man who wouldn't stop until he had it all. ❄️📖