Chapter 294: Letting Slip

On the eighth-floor corridor of the castle, across from the tapestry of a giant club-wielding Hagrid, faint moans of pain could be heard emanating from within the wall. After a moment, a door appeared on the wall, and Albert and his roommates walked out.

"Next time, if you guys want to beat up Albert, don't drag me into it," Fred complained to his companions on the corridor, rubbing his wrist.

"I told you before, the skills I practiced in the past, even against adults, they might not necessarily beat me barehanded." Albert patted Fred's shoulder and consoled him with a smile.

He thought to himself, my skills aren't just for show; now, it's no problem for him to knock down one or two adults.

"Why did you practice this?" 

"Of course, for self-protection." Albert's tone was casual. "Only with strong fists won't people dare to bully you!"

Suddenly, the three of them felt that what Albert said made a lot of sense.

On second thought, in Hogwarts, not many people dared to provoke Albert. Just look at those poor souls from Slytherin last year; quite a few ended up with their heads stuffed in toilets.

"Is the Muggle world very dangerous?"

"It's safer than the wizarding world, but there are always some ignorant folks, just like someone who was shouting that they wanted to beat me up earlier." Albert's face showed a mischievous smile.

"Who was shouting?" Lee Jordan asked.

"It's you, asshole!" Fred and George said in unison.

"Really? I don't remember!" Lee Jordan quickly feigned innocence.

"Do you need us to remind you?" Fred and George approached Lee Jordan menacingly.

"No need, I've already remembered," Lee Jordan muttered softly, earning triumphant laughter from Fred and George.

"Wizards are not Muggles. Why use your fists to solve problems? I'm against violence!"

"If you don't have a wand, what's the difference between you and Muggles!" Albert rolled his eyes and reminded them, "You can't guarantee that the wand will always be in your hands, can you?"

"Don't we have wandless magic?" Lee Jordan argued cunningly.

"Can you use it?" Albert countered.

"No, can you?"

"Wandless magic is difficult. I'll start practicing it only when my magical power is completely stable," Albert admitted that he hadn't thought about mastering wandless magic right now.

Wandless magic allowed spellcasting without a wand, but it also came with a host of problems. Because it lacked the focus of a wand, precise control over magic was challenging. Usually, a lot of time and effort were required to practice. Additionally, the spells cast through wandless magic tended to be weaker and were usually limited to simpler spells, such as Lumos...

"Even if you don't have a wand, when a wizard encounters danger, they usually instinctively use magic for self-preservation. For instance, when falling from a great height..." Lee Jordan continued to argue.

"Don't be silly. I can guarantee that if you were to fall from the top of the castle right now, even if you had a wand in your hand, you'd definitely end up as a pile of minced meat." Albert couldn't help but roll his eyes at Lee Jordan.

The magic in this world always felt a bit extraordinary.

Most wizards rely solely on wands for combat, and magical items are rarely seen. Wizards don't depend on those things. During battles, ordinary spells can be countered, interrupted, or deflected through incantations. For dangerous spells, one can only rely on reflexes to dodge.

To be honest, Albert always felt that the Cushioning Charm was quite reliable. At least, in battle, it made it less likely to be hit by enemy spells and effectively protected oneself.

Of course, its effectiveness against powerful wizards would probably be limited.

As for what Lee Jordan mentioned about instinctively using magic for self-preservation, that was even less reliable. Essentially, wizards unconsciously use magic in emergencies, a phenomenon known as a "back against the wall" situation. In these cases, magic was already out of control, similar to wandless magic. However, in terms of both power and effectiveness, casting spells using a wand was far superior.

If this technique were so effective, then why would wizards even need wands?

"What if you fell off the castle?" Fred retorted.

"I usually don't do anything reckless like jumping off a building," Albert continued, "Of course, if you fall from a great height, you just need to cast a Cushioning Charm on yourself. I remember Charlie saying that."

"Really?"

"The first time we went to the Quidditch pitch, Charlie kept an eye on us, afraid you guys might fall off your brooms."

"Alright, your memory is better than ours," Fred couldn't help but roll his eyes. They remembered, of course, but without Albert's reminder, it would have taken them a while to recall.

"By the way, there's something," Lee Jordan changed the topic, "Professor Smith seems to know about your venture into the Forbidden Forest last year to rescue Fred and George. I think it's because of the Acromantulas."

"Oh!" Albert raised an eyebrow at the mention and asked, "Did he say anything?"

"He asked if Fred and George encountered Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest. I told him I didn't know." Lee Jordan shook his head. "Later... Professor Smith sighed and said you also have moments of impulsive bravery."

"Impulsive bravery?" Albert's mouth twitched slightly, unable to resist correcting, "I prefer you describe it as courage."

"I think 'courage' is more fitting."

"Is Professor Smith planning to deal with the Acromantulas?" Fred suddenly interjected, "After all, the eggs and venom of those big creatures are quite valuable."

"Perhaps, he might be planning to take revenge on those big spiders," George speculated, "Don't forget, he was attacked by an Acromantula before."

"Don't be ridiculous, you actually believe that nonsense? At that time, I was right there with them, and we were never ambushed by Acromantulas." Albert couldn't help but comment. He spoke too quickly, and by the time he realized it, it was too late.

"You really tricked us again." Fred also realized it and glared at Albert, displeased. They actually believed his nonsense again.

"Cough, I promised Dumbledore and Hagrid to keep it a secret." Albert also hadn't expected to accidentally blurt it out. After making sure there was no one around, he explained in a low voice, "But, why did Professor Smith ask you about this?"

Could it be that he's interested in Gryffindor's treasure?

"What's an Acromantula?"

"A pet of Hagrid's. Remember that pet named Aragog last time? It's a dangerous magical creature, and Hagrid kept it in the Forbidden Forest. But I can't say more; I promised." Albert noticed their skeptical looks and helplessly spread his hands. "I really promised, and even if you know, it's useless. Dumbledore should have sent it back to Greece already."

Albert naturally knew that Aragog was still hidden somewhere in the Forbidden Forest.

After all, next term, it would become the guard dog for the Philosopher's Stone challenge.

Fred and the others knew they couldn't get any more information, so they didn't continue questioning. Even if they did, Albert would probably continue to play with them, mixing truths and falsehoods.

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(End of this chapter)