Milk and Sugar Cubes

The snow had stopped overnight, and the landscape was covered in a blanket of white, the snow Winky in the sunlight. The House-elf Noel was using magic to clear a path through the snow.

Inside the villa, Albert changed into a formal wizard's robe and sat in an armchair in the library, casually flipping through a book while waiting for the other wizards to arrive. It would be a lie to say he wasn't curious about the alchemy gathering.

Albert's patience didn't last long. An elderly wizard, supported by House-elf, slowly made his way to the villa's hall.

"... Those guys have no sense of time anymore." Albert vaguely heard the old wizard's grumbling and complaints.

"No, old friend, I dare say your pocket watch is a few minutes ahead of everyone else's." Another, younger old wizard glanced at his own pocket watch and greeted the other with a smile, "The appointed time has just arrived."

Before long, as if they had arranged it in advance, everyone appeared one after another outside the villa and entered the villa hall under the guidance of the House-elf.

Albert closed the book, tidied himself up, and walked towards the villa's hall.

As soon as Albert stepped outside the villa's hall, the noisy conversation inside reached his ears.

"There are far fewer familiar faces than last time."

"Why didn't Nicholas come? I remember he was living in seclusion in Devon."

"You mean Nicholas? I remember the last time, Dumbledore invited him to a party."

"Forget about it. Nicholas hasn't been to a party in years, and he probably doesn't want to come anymore."

Why hasn't Dumbledore come this year?

Who knows?

"I wrote to Dumbledore, and he said he had something to do this year and wouldn't be able to attend."

The wizards spoke one after another without lowering their voices, and the hall was filled with noise. Albert did not go in immediately, but leaned against the wall to listen to the people inside.

"Where's Ge Bo Smith? Why didn't he come this year?" a loud voice asked.

"It's probably still on its way."

"If this continues, we probably won't even be able to gather five people for the next gathering," another wizard with a low voice complained.

"It's not as exaggerated as you say."

"We haven't had any fresh blood joining us for a long time."

"It is very difficult for wizards nowadays to learn proper alchemy."

"How about having Dumbledore teach alchemy at Hogwarts School?"

"You'll teach it?"

"Nobody's going back to teach. Most of them are semi-retired. Didn't Bard say he'd invite a newcomer to this gathering? Has anyone here seen them before?"

A middle-aged wizard quickly changed the subject. He had encountered a similar situation at the last gathering, and if he didn't say something, he would have to listen to these old people nagging for ages.

"Never seen him before. Bard said he'd give us an unexpected surprise," said another thin old man wearing a monocle and gloves. He was a Metal Craftsman named Yeron Bard.

"Last time, the Ge Bo Smith Family was barely there. But I heard he's not coming this year either. Don't invite me to the next gathering; it's not fun if nobody comes," complained another bald, short old man in his seventies. This was the famous Gubalot, a Potions Master, skilled at concocting antidotes or extracting Potions ingredients using alchemy. Anyone skilled in Potions would certainly know Gubalot, or rather, know Golpalott's Third Law.

"Alright, old friend, let's just consider this a get-together. Who knows, one of us might be gone someday," another old wizard said optimistically.

"Come on, Tofty. You're way older than us," someone couldn't help but mutter.

"Don't invite me next time either. This trip has been exhausting; my bones feel like they're about to fall apart," another old wizard complained.

"You're not even as old as me. Besides, you're not Nicholas, who has osteoporosis at such a young age?"

Tofty shook his head and said, "Remember to drink some milk every day."

"By the way, didn't you say a long time ago that you weren't going to come to the party?"

"Bard told me there will be a new talent this year, supposedly a genius, and I definitely have to come and see." Professor Tofty wasn't particularly skilled in alchemy, but he was interested in the genius Bard Brood was talking about. Besides, their supposed lack of skill was only compared to the people present.

A moment later, the House-elf appeared in the hall carrying drinks, serving everyone their favorite beverages.

"Tors, if you don't like it, you can add some sugar cubes to the milk," Professor Tofty suggested with a smile.

"Only Dumbledore would do that. At my age, I can't eat too much sweet food," the old wizard Tors couldn't help but complain.

"Dumbledore never considered himself old."

Several elderly people didn't hold back in teasing Dumbledore, who wasn't planning to attend the gathering. Most of them had known each other for years and didn't really care about such things.

Perhaps because they are all a bit old and their hearing is not very good, they speak very loudly.

The famous Nicolas Flamel was actually mocked for having osteoporosis? And Dumbledore often ate sweets but wasn't afraid of having diabetes.

Albert's face twitched slightly. He had heard everything clearly from outside the hall, and he really didn't know what to say.

"Why don't you go in?" Professor Broad asked with a smile.

"It's interesting to listen to them chat," Albert casually explained. "If I go inside, I'll probably become the center of attention and won't hear any of the interesting things."

Only nine people came in total, most of them very old wizards, with only a few relatively young middle-aged male wizard. As expected, Albert became the focus of everyone's attention after entering the hall, and the wizards in the hall all turned their heads to look at him.

"Albert, sit over there!" Professor Broad pointed to the seat next to him.

"Bard, is this the Mr. Anderson you mentioned?" Everyone looked at Albert with curiosity. Fortunately, he was trained and calmly sat down next to Professor Broad, nodding to the elderly people who were looking at him as a greeting.

Then, turning to the two elderly people who were speaking French, he said, "I admit that I am indeed relatively young, but knowledge knows no age, doesn't it!"

The two elderly people looked at each other, not embarrassed that their whispers had been overheard, but rather surprised that Albert could speak French so fluently.

"France?"

"Britain."

This time, Albert used English.

"He is indeed a genius," the old man said to Professor Broad. "At least, he certainly is in the field of languages."