Chapter 75: The Source of Confidence

As the night grew late, the number of people in the Gryffindor common room gradually decreased. Most of the remaining students were busy with their homework.

"Finally finished." Jordan stood up from the sofa, stretched lazily, and put away the parchment with the summary of Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. Based on their previous experience, the three of them no longer borrowed homework from Albert for comparison, as it would only make them anxious.

"How's your Transfiguration practice going?"

"Not great. I can only do this much for now." Fred sighed softly and showed his practice attempt to the others. The needle he transformed from a matchstick... well, it was quite thick. It barely resembled a needle.

If he couldn't turn a matchstick into a fine needle, he wouldn't pass Professor McGonagall's test.

"Come on, it's already good enough. If learning Transfiguration were easy for you, what would be the point of other people's efforts?" Albert said sarcastically without looking up from his book. He was reading "Selected Charms of the 19th Century," and he was down to the last few pages.

"Can you at least take a look and give me some feedback?" Fred waved the "needle" in front of Albert and complained.

"By the way, you haven't finished reading that book yet!"

"Just a few pages left." Albert glanced up and took a quick look at Fred's practice results for the evening. That "needle" was indeed unusually thick.

"How do we solve this?" Fred handed the "needle" to Albert.

"Practice for a few more days, and you'll definitely succeed." Albert replied without hesitation.

"Isn't that obvious?" George rolled his eyes. His needle was slightly thinner than Fred's, but it could barely be considered a needle, more like a pointed little iron rod.

Fred's creation from the matchstick could hardly pass as a nail.

"I've been in a similar situation before." Albert picked up his wand and transformed it into a large sewing needle. "First, you need to get the basic shape of a needle right, and then you can work on refining it and adding more intricate changes."

"Why are you giving this to us?" George asked, puzzled, as he took the large needle from Albert.

"Of course, it's for reference. You need to transform into a needle, but it doesn't have to be the same. Just a regular needle," Albert looked at the three of them and said, "Give it another try."

"A needle?" George muttered. He raised his wand and tapped on a matchstick, reciting the incantation. Afterward, a not-so-well-shaped sewing needle appeared in front of them.

"Did it work?" Fred picked up the sewing needle and examined it, feeling amazed.

"After failing so many times, your confidence is lacking," Albert explained. "You should have a little confidence in yourself and believe that you will succeed."

"Then what's the point of giving me this needle?" George became even more puzzled.

"To distract your attention, so that you won't keep thinking about your failures and also to provide a point of comparison for you," Albert casually made up an explanation.

"Oh, by the way, how's your Disillusionment Charm coming along?" George asked abruptly.

"It should be ready by next week," Albert unwrapped a chocolate and popped it into his mouth. He asked, "Why do you ask? Don't tell me you're thinking..."

"Yeah, tonight, are you up for it?" Fred spilled the beans. "I heard Fletch has caught a cold. It's a perfect opportunity."

"Don't get caught," Albert closed his book, glanced at his task list, and indeed, the progress of the reading maniac had turned into 1/100.

"Aren't you going?" George asked.

"I'm not going."

"We misjudged you," Fred and George wore expressions of disbelief. They turned to look at Jordan, but before they could speak, she had already made her decision.

"Don't look at me," Jordan shrugged her shoulders. Obviously, she didn't want to go either.

"Well, then," the Weasley twins exchanged glances, looking helpless. "It seems that only the two of us will go for a night stroll."

"If you want to go for a night stroll, choose Friday. After all, there are no classes the next day," Albert kindly reminded them. If they didn't rest at night, how could they attend classes the next day?

Sleeping in class, is that what they want?

"That makes sense. Let's go on Friday," Fred nodded in agreement.

"Why go on Friday?" a voice sounded coldly, and Fred felt a shadow in front of him. When he looked up, he saw Percy standing right in front of him.

"What are you planning for Friday?" Percy asked sternly.

"Practicing Transfiguration!" George blurted out without thinking.

"Don't think I didn't hear that," Percy glared at the twin brothers with dissatisfaction and said coldly, "Night strolling. Do you know how many points will be deducted if you get caught?"

George blinked innocently at Percy and said, "I heard Gryffindor hasn't won the House Cup in years."

"I've been keeping an eye on the two of you, so don't stir up trouble," Percy was infuriated, and he could naturally sense the underlying meaning in George's words.

Look, nobody cares about the points, otherwise, how could they not make an effort to earn points and bring honor to Gryffindor by winning the House Cup?

Gryffindor students don't care about honor?

No, of course, they care.

However, in reality, no one takes earning points for the House seriously, so naturally, they have no chance of winning the House Cup.

After all, points don't magically appear.

And with multiple Quidditch defeats, things only get worse.

"Percy is so annoying."

"I feel the same!"

"I'm telling you, next time we discuss important matters, let's find a place where no one is around to talk!" Albert shook his head as a reminder. "By talking here, everyone heard that you want to go night strolling."

"I seem to have heard someone planning to go night strolling?" Mark walked over, placing his hand on Fred's shoulder, and said with a meaningful tone, "It's a good habit. How can you call yourselves Gryffindor students if you've never gone night strolling?"

Listening to Mark boasting about his glorious achievements, the muscles at the corner of Albert's mouth couldn't help but twitch, and he couldn't help but interject, "Got caught by Fletch?" "N-No."

"I heard Fletch knows most of the secret passageways, and he has a clever cat helping him keep an eye out," Albert revealed a harsh reality. "Unless you're more familiar with the castle's secret passageways than Fletch, it's hard to escape from him. Or did you curse Fletch?"

"Well, Confundus Charm works well," Mark casually said.

"Don't listen to Mark's nonsense." Eileen walked over and pulled Mark away, but before leaving, she told them, "We have Quidditch practice on Wednesday afternoon."

"I bet Mark definitely went out on a date at night and got caught by Fletch," Jordan brought up the topic again when they returned to the dormitory.

"Are you really not going with us?" Fred asked again.

"Even if we were to go night strolling, it wouldn't be now," Jordan said irritably. They had been at Hogwarts for a short time, and their knowledge of the castle was limited. They simply didn't understand Fred and George's reckless behavior.

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(End of this chapter)