In the days that followed, Albert immersed himself in learning every kind of magical knowledge he could get his hands on, determined to elevate his academic level.
What brought him the most joy, however, was discovering an old book written by a former student of the school—an advanced tome on potions.
It quickly became apparent that this book would be of immense help in Potions class. As anyone who had studied the subject knew, the three key elements of potion-making were: magical energy, a deep understanding of how magic interacts with ingredients, and precise control over the properties of different substances. By studying the exact proportions of ingredients and how to combine them effectively, Albert was able to craft potions with astonishing accuracy, even earning a substantial number of points for Gryffindor along the way.
Perhaps because of how busy he'd become—with piles of homework from various subjects and Quidditch practice sessions, especially with the upcoming match—Albert had little time to rest. As the Seeker for the Gryffindor team, his role was crucial.
One morning, as he awoke, a delicious scent of fried pumpkin drifted through the castle's ancient corridors. The unmistakable aroma meant Halloween was fast approaching.
Albert muttered to himself, "Seems the troll is about to be let out of its cage. I should stay alert over the next few days."
As he pondered how best to handle the incident he suspected would soon unfold, Albert tucked his Charms book under his arm and made his way to class.
Professor Flitwick seemed particularly cheerful that morning—perhaps carried away by the approaching festivities and the general buzz of excitement.
At the end of the lecture, the professor announced that they would begin practicing levitation. The students, having previously seen him levitate Neville's toad around the classroom, were eager to try the spell for themselves.
Flitwick divided them into pairs. Harry was partnered with Seamus Finnigan, while Ron found himself working with Hermione Granger.
Harry seemed quite pleased. Neville had been pestering him to switch partners with Seamus, which meant Albert—who had no partner of his own—watched them from a distance, quietly disheartened. After all, no one liked being the odd one out.
Ron and Hermione, still bitter from the broomstick incident, weren't speaking. It wasn't long ago that they barely tolerated each other, but at least then they nodded politely in passing. Now, they acted as though the other didn't exist.
This growing tension made it difficult for Albert and Hermione to spend time with Harry or Ron after their usual library study sessions.
"Remember the wrist movement we practiced!" Professor Flitwick called out sharply from atop his usual stack of books. "Swish and flick! And don't forget to pronounce the spell correctly. Let me remind you about Baruffio—he said an 'f' instead of an 's' and ended up lying unconscious on the floor. Dead!"
As instructed, Albert drew his wand and began practicing. Already adept with both simple and advanced spells, he flicked his wand at the feather in front of him. It lifted smoothly into the air and floated across the room—landing right on Professor Flitwick's desk.
"Oh, marvelous! Look, everyone!" Flitwick exclaimed. "Albert has done it! Clearly, he's been practicing diligently. For such a fine display, I award five points to Gryffindor."
With time, Albert began helping Neville with the spell. Contrary to expectations, Neville wasn't all that bad—so long as he stayed calm and trusted himself. After several attempts and watching Albert's demonstration closely, Neville managed to lift his feather, even if only slightly.
Meanwhile, Harry and Seamus were having less luck. No matter how often they waved their wands, their feather remained stubbornly on the table. Eventually, a flustered Seamus jabbed at it with his wand, setting it ablaze.
Quick-thinking Harry managed to put it out, but the smell of scorched feathers had the surrounding students waving frantically to disperse the stench.
On the other side of the room, Ron wasn't doing much better.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, flailing his arms like a windmill.
"You're doing it wrong," Hermione corrected calmly. "It's Win-gar-dium Levi-o-sa. You need to make the 'o' long and clear."
Rolling his eyes, Ron snapped, "Well, if you're so clever, you try it."
Hermione rolled up her sleeves, gave her wand a graceful wave, and declared, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Her feather rose gracefully, hovering nearly four feet above their heads.
"Excellent work!" Professor Flitwick clapped his hands. "Miss Granger's done it too! You see, it's not a difficult spell. Just take your time, and you'll get there."
After class, Albert hurried over to the professor's desk with a question on his mind.
"Professor, I was wondering—can a wizard use this spell to levitate more than one object at the same time?"
Surprised but clearly thrilled by such a thoughtful question, Flitwick replied, "Well, for beginners, even levitating a single feather is a challenge. But experienced adult wizards—such as myself—can indeed lift multiple objects at once. You'll learn more about that in your fifth year."
"Thank you, Professor," Albert said with a respectful nod.
Flitwick smiled proudly, pleased to have such a curious and diligent student in his class.
As Albert stepped out into the corridor, he found the hallway packed with students pouring out of classrooms. The crowd moved slowly.
He overheard Ron's voice somewhere ahead: "No wonder nobody can stand her. Honestly, she's just so annoying."
As Ron finished speaking, a girl with bushy brown hair walked past them, her head bowed. She brushed against Ron without saying a word.
Albert instantly recognized her—it was Hermione. She looked like she had been crying.
He slipped in beside Harry and Ron just in time to hear Ron mutter, "I bet she finally realized that, apart from Albert, she doesn't have any real friends. I don't know how he puts up with her."
Albert shook his head and gently patted both boys on the shoulder.
"Where did you come from?" Ron jumped. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Albert said quietly, "You two really lack the spirit of friendship—speaking badly of someone behind their back isn't the way to treat a friend. That kind of behavior only drives people away."
Harry lowered his head, clearly ashamed. Ron frowned and asked, "What do you mean by the spirit of friendship?"
Only then did Albert realize something: Magic had largely equalized the roles of men and women in the wizarding world. Unlike the Muggle world, gender roles here weren't as rigid, and as a result, many social customs—like what he would call the 'spirit of friendship'—weren't as developed among young wizards.
"What I mean is, speaking badly of someone when they're not around is wrong—especially if they're supposed to be your friend. You owe Hermione an apology."
Harry and Ron both nodded. Though Ron mumbled, "Fine, I'll apologize… but seriously, how do you tolerate a friend like her?"
The three of them made their way to the next class together.
Later, Albert was surprised to see that Hermione hadn't shown up for the lesson. For someone so dedicated, her absence was unusual—and worrying. He couldn't help but think of the troll. A creature like that was certainly no match for a first-year student.
Luckily, it seemed the lesson had kept Professor Quirrell from acting. Whatever Voldemort had planned, it would have to wait. For now, the castle remained calm and peaceful.
That evening in the Gryffindor common room, Albert asked around for Hermione. Parvati Patil, a fellow first-year witch, told him she'd seen Hermione crying in the girls' bathroom and refusing to let anyone comfort her.
After thanking Parvati, Albert hurried down to the first floor, passing beneath floating jack-o'-lanterns and Halloween streamers. He made his way directly to the public restroom where he suspected she would be.
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