Chapter 298: The First Wizarding Card Tournament

As the end of the month approached, Albert's preparations for the Wizarding Card Tournament were nearly complete.

Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hadn't had much time to cause mischief lately; they had all been conscripted by Albert to help create the improved wizarding cards.

The three of them had invested a lot of effort into this card game and naturally hoped that the Wizarding Card game could be popularized and enjoyed by everyone.

On the weekend, Albert was awakened early in the morning by his excited roommates. Rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn, he couldn't help but complain, "I have no idea what you all are so excited about. And aren't you cold?"

Although the weather was starting to warm up, there was still no sign of the snow outside the castle melting. What were they doing bouncing around in thin pajamas?

"Do you think everyone still remembers the Wizarding Card Tournament?" Lee Jordan asked again on the way to the Great Hall for breakfast, this being the third time he had brought it up.

Despite having experience as a Quidditch commentator, he still looked quite nervous, probably worried that no one would come to the Wizarding Card Tournament and the four of them would become the laughingstock of the entire school.

"If no one shows up, then we've made a nice profit from the entry fees," George jokingly said, pretending to be greedy.

Albert could tell that George was also quite nervous, likely fearing that no one would ultimately participate in the tournament.

In reality, everyone understood that the popularity of the Wizarding Cards was waning over time. Most students participated out of a passing interest, and as the trend faded, there wouldn't be many left. The decreasing number of students attending the monthly Wizarding Card Club meetings was a clear sign of the problem.

"It's an initial attempt. Even if it fails, it doesn't matter. You'll encounter failures a few times in life," Albert sat at the dining table, poured himself a glass of hot milk, took a sip, and said to his roommates, "And, you should have confidence in our Wizarding Card game."

"I don't want to hear you spout nonsense," Fred said grumpily, not quite understanding where Albert's confidence was coming from.

"Well, if you paid two Sickles for the entry fee, would you not show up?" Albert shook his head and, casually taking out a Sickle from his pocket, spun it on his fingertip. He spoke in a low voice, "If the entry was free, they might not bother to come. But now that they've paid, even if they regret entering, we won't refund the fee. After all, you wouldn't want your Sickles to go to waste, right? They'll grit their teeth and come to the tournament."

"No one likes to feel cheated!"

"Once you've invested, very few will back out halfway. Besides, the winner gets ten Galleons."

While British parents did give their children pocket money, it wasn't usually a large sum. Someone like Albert, who had a considerable number of Galleons in his pocket, was definitely an exception.

"I see now!"

All three of them suddenly realized, no wonder Albert had been so serious and adamant about the entry fees at the beginning, asking everyone to think it over repeatedly, because once they confirmed their entry, they couldn't get a refund.

So that was the reason behind it!

What a cunning and crafty guy.

"You're quite shrewd."

Shanna walked over, having heard this conversation and smiled as she inquired, "When does the Wizarding Card Tournament start?"

"It begins at ten o'clock, starting with the first round of eliminations. Anyway, there are only 32 people, so it shouldn't take too long."

Albert had planned out the details of the Wizarding Card Tournament well in advance.

"Will we determine the champion today?" Shanna asked.

"Of course not. There's only one round of us being referees," Albert raised his finger, pointing at Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, then pointed at himself. "Four matches in one round, plus those who don't want to participate. We should be able to determine the Sweet 16 before noon." Albert estimated the time and continued, "If we still have plenty of time, we'll select the Elite 8, and then we'll decide the champion next month."

"You seem quite familiar with the tournament format!" Angelina and Alicia approached, walking side by side. They were also preparing to participate in the Wizarding Card Tournament.

"I heard you've prepared a whole new set of Wizarding Cards?" Angelina asked curiously.

"Who told you that?" Albert looked at his three roommates, and both of them pointed at Fred.

"Cough cough, it's not a secret anyway. The new cards are already ready," Fred pointed at Albert, indicating that the new Wizarding Cards were with him.

"You and your big mouth."

"I have to build up some anticipation, otherwise, nobody will show up for the tournament," Fred had already thought of an excuse.

Albert took out the cards from an exquisite box and handed them to Angelina.

Angelina carefully examined the new Wizarding Cards, which were completely different from the rough ones they had before. The cards in their hands appeared more refined and standardized, with even the effects of the wizarding cards written in beautiful calligraphy.

Shanna picked up a spell card, which depicted the wand movement and incantation of the spell, along with its effects.

"When can we have our own cards?" Ernie Macmillan originally came over to inquire about the specific time of the tournament. But upon seeing Angelina holding the Wizarding Cards, he was immediately drawn to these brand new cards.

"It's not time yet."

"These Wizarding Cards require a lot of time and improvement. This time, I'm just showing you what the future Wizarding Cards will be like."

For now, Albert didn't plan to popularize the Wizarding Cards. At least, until he could mass-produce them, he wasn't planning to sell the wizard cards.

"Earlier, I was worried that the Wizarding Cards wouldn't be well received, but now I'm not worried anymore," Ernie Macmillan carefully observed the new Wizarding Cards and couldn't help but sigh.

"Will future Wizarding Cards have to be purchased?"

"For official sales, we still need to wait a while." Albert had never intended to give away Wizarding Cards for free.

The new Wizarding Cards did indeed capture the attention of many. Compared to the original Wizarding Cards, they were in a completely different league. Many Wizarding Card enthusiasts were practically itching to snatch these cards from their hands.

"Can a set of cards be the prize for this tournament?"

"We can consider that next year. The prizes for this year won't change." Albert took out his pocket watch, checked the time, and then cleared a space at the end of the dining table. He began to call out the names of the registered participants.

Two students who hadn't intended to participate were directly announced as losers by Albert. Angelina and another lucky contestant proceeded to the next round of eliminations before the tournament even officially began.

"Now, I announce that the First Wizarding Card Tournament has officially begun!"

Albert waved his wand to conjure sparks and created a fireworks-like effect, leaving everyone staring in astonishment.

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(End of this chapter)