Chapter 130: Overwhelming Pressure
********
In the novel's synopsis, there is a YouTube link of my channel provided.
if we reach 50 subs i will upload 10 extra chapters
*********
"I never expected Professor Brode to give you such high praise." Katrina's expression was complicated, or rather, she was feeling quite dissatisfied.
At home, her sister Isabelle had always been treated well, but Isabelle was an undisputed magical genius. Growing up under Isabelle's brilliance, Katrina felt immense pressure.
Later, Katrina finally came to Hogwarts, thinking that here she could showcase her own talents and break free from Isabelle's genius aura.
Katrina's magical talent was actually very high, and she always studied hard, excelling in various aspects. If it weren't for Albert, Katrina would undoubtedly be one of the outstanding students of their year. She had talent and was willing to work hard, enough to outshine her peers. Even Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff couldn't match her.
However, there were no "ifs."
Albert burst onto the scene, overshadowing all of Katrina's brilliance. Even Isabelle, whom Katrina admired and who was hailed as the most talented wizard in Ravenclaw for a century, fell far behind.
Suddenly, Katrina, who had been very confident in herself, felt depressed.
In terms of talent, the other person was stronger.
In terms of effort, the other person's dedication was no less than her own.
What made it even more frustrating was that Katrina had thought that even if she lost, she wouldn't lose by much. After all, she had always been studying hard and preparing to surpass the other person.
But the reality far exceeded Katrina's expectations.
When Albert Anderson was invited by Professor McGonagall to join the Transfiguration Club, Katrina consoled herself that she would surely be invited to join the club next year.
Later, Albert displayed extraordinary flying talent on the Quidditch pitch, helping Gryffindor defeat Slytherin. Since Katrina was not good at sports, she consoled herself by thinking that as long as she could surpass him in other aspects, it would be enough.
However, Katrina found that even Isabelle held an unusual admiration for Albert, believing that he had great talent in Transfiguration.
At that time, Katrina was reluctant to admit it. However, the latest article in "Today's Transfiguration" dealt her a heavy blow, confirming Albert's exceptional talent in Transfiguration.
But what about today?
What's the deal with ancient magical writings?
This was clearly a third-year elective course, yet Albert Anderson had learned it on his own?
Self-taught?
Such a show-stopping move left Katrina dumbfounded. Moreover, judging from Professor Brode's changing expression, it was not hard to imagine Albert's high level of proficiency in ancient magical writings, which was simply unimaginable to Katrina.
"Could it be that I've chosen the wrong opponent?" Such thoughts surged in Katrina's mind. Although she had grown accustomed to being overshadowed by her sister in many aspects, this girl from Ravenclaw was not ready to admit defeat like this.
Yes, she hadn't lost yet.
Since Albert was also good at Wizard's Chess, then...
"Play Wizard's Chess with me." Katrina suddenly spoke up.
"Wizard's Chess?" Albert was very surprised why this Ravenclaw girl next to him wanted to play chess with him. Although they knew each other, it was only on a surface level.
"You and me?" Albert pointed to both of them, asking.
"Yes, let's decide the winner through a game of chess!" Katrina needed to regain some confidence from Albert, and chess was a good way. Professor Brode said Albert was good at Wizard's Chess, and it was one of the few things Katrina could beat her sister Isabelle at.
Albert suddenly felt inexplicable.
Moreover, what made him even more confused was the task on the panel:
Overwhelm in all aspects.
"Somebody sees you as a rival, attempting to challenge and defeat you in the realm of Wizard's Chess, to make her understand that she will never be your match."
Reward: 200 experience points, Katrina MacDougal's affinity +1, Isabelle MacDougal's affinity +5.
The experience reward for this task is pitifully low, and the affinity points are strange. Why does Katrina's affinity increase less than Isabelle's? Only 200 experience points—it doesn't really interest Albert. After all, there are already experience packages like Voldemort in the task panel.
Of course, if he could obtain it, he wouldn't let it go. Albert had done similar tasks before.
"Play Wizard's Chess?" Albert deliberately showed a surprised expression. "In the Great Hall?"
"Yes, in the Great Hall, three games." Katrina nodded.
"Alright, if you want to, I don't mind." Albert felt that the red-haired girl in front of him was quite pitiful.
After all, the name of the task was "Overwhelm in all aspects," which meant that he would completely overwhelm her in all aspects.
Competing with someone who was overpowering, she had completely chosen the wrong target.
"By the way, is that notebook in your hand something to be handed over to Professor Brode?" Albert suddenly asked.
After all, he had an appointment with Professor Brode, and Katrina's appearance clearly indicated that she had something else.
"Ah, I almost forgot about this." Katrina exclaimed when she noticed the notebook in her hand. "This is a notebook that Professor Bathilda asked me to give to Professor Brode."
Saying that, Katrina quickly walked toward the office of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Albert watched Katrina's figure as she left and couldn't help but shake his head.
Actually, he couldn't quite understand Katrina's persistence. She had actually borrowed Wizard's Chess from Professor Brode.
The two of them then engaged in a contest in the Great Hall, attracting a few onlookers who were quite invested.
In the first game, Albert lost.
Katrina's Wizard's Chess skills were indeed impressive, and Albert was caught off guard and swiftly defeated by her.
However, Albert didn't really mind. He wasn't concerned about winning or losing; he simply enjoyed playing chess. Even if he lost, the task wouldn't suddenly fail. It would just be temporarily incomplete, hanging on the task panel and could be completed at any time.
In the second game, Albert won, but it was a close victory.
He deliberately played quickly, speeding up Katrina's pace as well. Perhaps the easy victory in the first game led her to make a wrong judgment, and Albert took advantage of the opening.
In the third game, they ended in a draw.
This time, Katrina clearly wouldn't give her opponent any openings, and Albert chose a symmetrical opening from the beginning. In the end, both sides eliminated each other's pieces, resulting in a draw.
As for the fourth game, there was no fourth game.
Because they had agreed to only play three games, and Katrina originally wanted to determine the winner. However, Albert simply stated that she won the fourth game.
Although Albert didn't know why Katrina wanted to win against him, for him, if they had started the fourth game, he might have been defeated. So he simply admitted defeat.
Katrina was dissatisfied, but in the end, she chose to settle for a draw and said that she would find time to continue improving her chess skills with Albert another day.
"What's wrong with your sister?" Albert, watching Katrina leave, asked Isabelle, who had been standing there from the beginning.
"She's under a lot of pressure, but she has a strong desire to win." Isabelle calmly said, "She probably realized that she can't catch up to you in magical accomplishments, so she wanted to rely on her strengths to defeat you."
"I think it's definitely because you've put too much pressure on her." Albert murmured, "It's quite tough being the sister of a genius."
Speaking of which, Albert suddenly fell silent because he remembered Nia.
You can read +90 advanced chapters on my P@treon page for just 4$ !!
P@treon.com/young_sunlight
Check out my Other Projects Too:-(Advanced chapter on P@treon)
=> Sailing with Whitebeard: Starting with a Question
=> Marvel: All the famous scenes were exposed by me
(End of this chapter)