This One's in the Bag

As eleven o'clock approached, the teachers and students of Hogwarts headed to the Quidditch Pitch to watch the game between Gryffindor Team and Ravenclaw Team.

Albert and Lee Jordan followed the crowd to the Quidditch Pitch. Although they had binoculars with them, they chose to go to the highest tier of stands, where they could get a better view of the game.

However, many people shared this idea. Albert ran into a few acquaintances in the stands, greeted them with a smile, and then joined the discussion about the possibility of Gryffindor Team winning the Quidditch Cup.

In fact, most Gryffindor students still have a sense of house honor, and they also hope to see their house break Slytherin's monopoly on the House Cup and Quidditch Cup.

This is undoubtedly the best opportunity.

If Gryffindor Team wins this match, they will win the Quidditch Cup with a perfect record. Furthermore, Gryffindor's points will surpass Slytherin's, giving them the top spot.

The actual situation is often different from what people expect. Ravenclaw Team is quite strong, and surprisingly, they were able to take a slight lead over Gryffindor Team at the start of the game.

Of course, this situation is only temporary.

Charlie's pursuit of the Quidditch Cup was almost obsessive, and his grueling training of his players paid off. The Gryffindor Team began to show their strength, quickly leveling the score and then taking the lead.

However, Ravenclaw Team's performance was even more impressive than expected, allowing Gryffindor to lead for only ten minutes before regaining the advantage.

The two teams were neck and neck in scoring, neither willing to back down, and the game eventually turned into a tug-of-war.

Watching the intense battle on the field, the cheers from the spectators in the stands continued unabated, and even Albert could feel the unique charm of Quidditch Match.

Although Albert himself only had a so-so opinion of Quidditch, it did not prevent him from being caught up in the tense atmosphere of the game.

"The match is very exciting. The current score is 100:110, with Ravenclaw temporarily in the lead." As the commentator is a student of Ravenclaw, his words were filled with pride when Ravenclaw Team took the lead.

"Right now, whoever catches the Golden Snitch first will win the final victory!" the commentator shouted. "The two Seeker are locked in a fierce battle, neither of them wanting to give their opponent a free rein to search for the Golden Snitch."

High-intensity, high-stakes matches mean that players' stamina is depleted quickly. It's halftime now, and Charlie clearly wants to take this opportunity to adjust the formation and tactics.

"Cough cough, my throat hurts a little." Lee Jordan turned his head and asked in a hoarse voice, "Did you bring any water?"

"No water, but we have candy, want some?" Albert looked at his roommate speechlessly; the other guy had even managed to shout himself hoarse.

"No, eating candy will make me feel even worse," Lee Jordan shook his head and refused.

"I thought so too." Albert unwrapped the candy, popped the chocolate into his mouth, and mumbled, "You won't have a sore throat if you don't yell."

"What do you mean by yelling at the top of your lungs? I'm cheering for the team." Lee Jordan stared at Albert in shock. "Such a great game, and you're not even moved?"

"I'm just not as excited as you are." Albert sighed softly. He knew that some people liked to shout during football matches to make the atmosphere more exciting, but Albert obviously didn't have that habit. At most, he would clap along with everyone else when Gryffindor Team scored a goal.

Lee Jordan: "..."

That sounds reasonable, but what a load of rubbish! When watching a game, the most important thing is to cheer loudly for your team.

"This match was truly exciting."

Albert noticed that Lee Jordan seemed to want to say something more, so he changed the subject, "If Fred and George knew that they missed a great game, they'd probably skip their detention and come over to watch it."

"Those two are probably going to be furious." Lee Jordan also felt sorry for his roommates. This game was really too exciting. It truly deserved to be a competition for the final championship.

Whether it's the battle for the Bludger, the control of the Bludger, or the chase for the Golden Snitch, it's all very exciting, with both sides adept at using unexpected tactics.

"It won't start here for a while. If you're thirsty, go back to the castle for a drink and then come back." Albert was Binoculars. The most agitated of all were the Slytherin spectators.

Most Slytherin students hoped that Gryffindor would lose the match, because only if Gryffindor lost could Slytherin defeat Gryffindor Team in total points and win the Quidditch Match championship.

Having monopolized the Quidditch Cup for so long, Slytherin has come to regard the House Cup and Quidditch Cup as mere possessions and is unwilling to House Points.

"Do you think those Slytherin students who keep muttering about who knows what might be cursing us and hoping we lose this game?" Albert looked at the Slytherin players and suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

"Slytherin? Curse? Where? Let me see." Lee Jordan moved his binoculars over and, seeing the Slytherin students whispering amongst themselves, couldn't help but laugh. "This year's Quidditch champion is Gryffindor, isn't he?"

"Yes, victory belongs to Gryffindor."

"That's good, does that mean we've got this in the bag?"

"What's certain?" Angelina, sitting above them, asked curiously.

"Gryffindor will win!" Lee Jordan was full of confidence in Albert. "That guy's mouth is always open, whatever he says comes true. If he says Gryffindor will win, they'll probably win."

Albert: "..." Classmate, you have to believe in science... cough cough, you have to believe in magic.

Everyone in the stands stared at Albert, curious as to why Lee Jordan would think that way. Could Albert's words really...?

"I said... you don't need to look at me like that." Albert couldn't help but roll his eyes and said self-deprecatingly, "If talking nonsense really worked, then why would I bother with all this effort? I might as well just say that when I graduated from school, I had Twelve Subjects OWL certificates and seven NEWT certificates, and all of them were awarded excellent grades."

Everyone looked at each other, but Albert continued, "Then, well, have two or three girlfriends, publish two or three books, win two or three Championship Trophy. After graduation, you can make a lot of money without working and finally live a happy life."

Albert's words made everyone burst out laughing. Someone asked, "What are you doing, making a wish?"

"Yeah, I'm just making a wish. Didn't Lee Jordan say I'm very accurate?" Albert said seriously. "Then of course I'm going to give myself a boost now. If I accidentally come true, I'll be the one who benefits."

Everyone was speechless. Suddenly, they felt that Albert's way of thinking was quite unique. It couldn't be said that his idea was wrong; no, it should be said that it was quite correct.

"Speaking of which, you actually want to get Twelve Subjects OWL certificates and seven NEWT certificates?" Shanna sensed that Albert was very ambitious. "And you even plan to get excellent grades in all of them?"

Actually, Shanna felt that with Albert's talent and ability, obtaining Twelve Subjects OWL certificates and seven NEWT certificates wouldn't be too difficult, but wasn't it a bit excessive to aim for excellence in all of them? "You're also planning to publish three books?" Aylia looked Albert up and down. "And before graduation? By the way, what books are you planning to publish?"

"Don't you guys think it's even more outrageous to want to win three Championship Trophy?" Lee Jordan couldn't help but complain.

"I think that's more likely. When he Gryffindor Team next year, he might actually help Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup."

"Ahem, I was just saying those things offhand, and you guys actually took them seriously?" Albert was speechless. He was just making a comment to prevent Lee Jordan from always saying that his words were very accurate.

If it were really that accurate, I'd just jinx myself and say I'd win the lottery.

When the time comes, I'll become an overnight millionaire, why bother with the hard work in finance?

"Is there something you need, Katrina?" Albert greeted the red-haired girl who was looking at him with disdain with a smile.

"I've discovered you're quite greedy. You want three girlfriends, that's one thing," Katrina said, sizing Albert up. "But you also want to make a fortune without working?"

Albert didn't pay much attention to Katrina's words and said jokingly, "Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to come here? Are you planning to defect to the enemy?"

"Someone wants to see you," Katrina suddenly said.

"Who?"

"Mr. Smith, he is a friend of Professor Broad and also a good friend of my father. He has probably heard about you and would like to meet you," Katrina said, explaining her purpose.

"Smith?" Albert frowned slightly.

"He's at the east exit of the stadium. Come with me." Katrina turned and left, just as Albert had said, it really wasn't a good place for her to stay.

"Oh!" Albert responded. Every time he heard the surname Smith, he couldn't help but think of something unpleasant.

Leaving the stands, Albert walked toward the exit. He noticed two people standing there: one was Isobel McDougal, an old acquaintance of Albert's, and the other was probably Mr. Smith.

"Hello, Mr. Anderson." Mr. Smith stepped forward with a smile and greeted Albert. "I am Rowena, Rowena Smith. You may not have heard of me, but I have often heard about you from Morg and Bard and have always wanted to meet you, the youngest Runes Master in history."

"Runes Master?"

Albert's expression was a little stiff, but he still managed a polite smile and reminded him, "I never considered myself a Runes Master; I only have a little knowledge of Ancient Runes."

"Humility is not a bad thing, but excessive humility can make you seem hypocritical," Smith reminded with a smile.

These words struck a chord with the two girls. Yes, he was a hypocrite.

"It's hypocritical, isn't it?" Albert wasn't angry, but turned around and asked in return, "Have you ever seen anyone call a twelve-year-old child Runes Master?"

"Haha, Mr. Anderson is quite an interesting person. Indeed, as you said, no one would call a twelve-year-old Runes Master." Rowena looked at Albert with interest. "I think we'll have a lot to talk about. Let's chat as we walk."

What exactly is this person trying to do? Albert was a little puzzled, but there was no doubt that Rowena Smith was an expert.

It's actually quite normal for an expert to have another expert as a friend.

"Do so-called experts and masters all like to flatter each other when they meet?" Isobel's lips twitched slightly.

The two were unaware of Isobel's thoughts. As they walked and talked, they discovered that they actually had quite a few topics they could discuss.

To Smith's surprise, Albert had actually been sorted into Gryffindor by the Sorting Hat. "Gryffindor isn't just about recklessness," Albert remarked nonchalantly, adding, "Dumbledore was sorted into Gryffindor too, wasn't he?"

"That's true." Smith didn't dwell on the issue too much, and his conversation with Albert gradually drifted to other topics.

Albert was surprised by the breadth of Smith's knowledge, but little did he know that Smith was even more surprised that Albert had unique insights in various fields.

Keep in mind, Albert hadn't even completed his first year at Hogwarts yet. Besides genius, Smith really didn't know what else to use to describe the person in front of him.

Albert's prediction about the Quidditch Match turned out perfectly; the back-and-forth battle between the two sides continued, and it looked very likely to drag on into the evening.

"Why does Uncle Rowena want to see that guy?" Katrina was puzzled. She had thought Smith was there for the information her father had left behind, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

"I don't know, don't worry about them, let's go back to the stands and continue watching the game." Isobel glanced at the two people's backs, then pulled his sister away.

To be honest, the interaction between Albert and Smith wasn't very friendly to most people.

In the eyes of the McDougal sisters, the two of them started talking incessantly as soon as they met, giving the two of them, who couldn't understand a headache.

The competition lasted until 8 p. m., when a exhausted Charlie finally managed to catch the Golden Snitch.

No one expected that Albert's Prophecy would actually come true. Back then, he said something like, "Maybe the competition won't be over by the time your confinement ends."

Victory belongs to Gryffindor.

In fact, these two statements really came true.

Fred and George's confinement lasted only until 7 p. m. They rushed over to watch the game without even having dinner, and just happened to catch the end of the match.

"That was a great game," Smith said to Albert with a smile. "Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"I'm leaving now." Before turning to leave, Smith turned back and said, "We'll meet again soon, and I look forward to your letter."

Yes, it will.

Albert watched Smith's departing figure, then turned his gaze to the center of the field, where the Gryffindor Team members were all embracing each other. Charlie took the trophy and raised it high, announcing to everyone that Gryffindor had won this year's Quidditch Cup.

Albert saw Professor McGonagall looking pleased, the Ravenclaw students looking disappointed, and the Slytherin students looking gloomy.

He started walking towards the court.

Outside the stadium, Smith was strolling on the lawn when a figure suddenly appeared beside him— Dumbledore.

"How is it?" Dumbledore smile.

"A fantastic Quidditch Match." Smith didn't hold back his praise. "I agree to that."

"That would be wonderful," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Would you like to join us for dinner in the Great Hall?"

"No, I don't think there's any need to rush. I should head back." Smith bid farewell to Dumbledore and walked towards Hogsmeade.