A Slip of the Tongue

In the Seventh Floor corridor of the castle, behind the tapestry depicting the Troll Bashing Barnabus, faint groans of pain could be heard. Moments later, a door appeared in the wall, and Albert and his roommates stepped out.

"Next time, if you want to beat up Albert, don't call me."

In the hallway, Fred was rubbing his wrists and couldn't help but complain to his companions that the three of them had been easily taken down by Albert.

"I told you before, I used to train so well that even adults might not be able to beat me in hand-to-hand combat," Albert said with a smile, patting Fred on the shoulder.

He thought to himself, "My skills are not to be underestimated. I could easily take down one or two adults now."

Why are you practicing this?

"Of course, it's to protect yourself." Albert's tone was natural. "Only if your fists are strong enough will you not be bullied!"

The three of them suddenly realized that Albert's words made a lot of sense.

That said, there really aren't many people in Hogwarts who dare to mess with Albert. Just look at those unlucky Slytherin kids last year; quite a few of them ended up with their heads shoved into the toilet.

Is the Muggle World dangerous?

"It's safer than the Wizarding World, but there will always be some clueless guys, like the one who yelled that he wanted to beat me up just now." Albert said with a malicious smile on his face.

"Who shouted that just now?" Lee Jordan asked.

"It's you, you bastard!" Fred and George exclaimed in unison. "Really? I don't remember!" Lee Jordan quickly feigned ignorance.

"Do you need us to help you remember?" Fred and George approached Lee Jordan.

"No need, I've already remembered," Lee Jordan muttered, eliciting smug laughter from Fred and George.

"Wizards aren't Muggle, why should they solve problems with their fists? We oppose violence!"

"If you don't have a wand, what's the difference between you and Muggle!" Albert curled his lip, reminding him, "None of you can guarantee that your wand will always be in your hand."

"Isn't there still Wandless Magic?" Lee Jordan retorted.

"You know how to use it?" Albert asked back.

"No, what about you?"

"Wandless Magic is difficult. I will only start practicing it after my Magical Power has completely stabilized." Albert had no intention of mastering Wandless Magic now.

Wandless Magic allows you to cast spells without a wand, but it also presents a host of problems.

Without a wand, it's difficult to control magic precisely, usually requiring a lot of practice. Furthermore, the Charms used will be weaker, typically limiting one to using less complex spells like Lumos without a wand...

"Even without a wand, wizards usually instinctively use magic to protect themselves when they are in danger, such as when they fall from a great height..." Lee Jordan continued to argue.

"Don't be silly. I guarantee that if you fell from the top of the castle right now, even with a magic wand in your hand, you'd be smashed to pieces." Albert couldn't help but roll his eyes at Lee Jordan.

The magic in this world always feels a bit mysterious.

Most wizards rely solely on their wands in combat; magical artifacts are rarely seen, and wizards don't depend on them. In battle, ordinary spells can be countered, interrupted, or deflected by chanting incantations. Dangerous spells, however, can only be dodged through reflexes.

To be honest, Albert had always thought Felix Felicis was pretty reliable. At least, in battle, it made him less likely to be hit by enemy spells, effectively protecting his safety.

Of course, it probably won't be very effective against powerful wizards.

As for Lee Jordan's claim of instinctively using magic for self-defense, that's even less plausible. To put it bluntly, it's simply a wizard's unconscious use of magic in an emergency—a desperate act where the magic is out of control, similar to Wandless Magic. However, in terms of both power and effect, it's far inferior to casting spells with a wand.

If this thing is really that effective, what do wizards need wands for? "What if you fall off the castle?" Fred retorted.

"I don't usually do stupid things like jumping off buildings," Albert continued. "Of course, if I fall from a height, I just need to cast a Shock Absorption Charm on myself. I remember Charlie once said that."

"Is there?"

"The first time we went to the Quidditch Pitch, Charlie kept a close eye on us, afraid we'd fall off the broom."

"Well, your memory is better than ours." Fred couldn't help but roll his eyes. Of course they remembered, but without Albert's reminder, they really couldn't recall it for a while.

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

"Oh!" Albert raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this and asked, "Did he say anything?"

"He asked Fred and George if they had encountered the Acromantula in the Forbidden Forest, and I told him I didn't know," Lee Jordan said, shaking his head. "Later... Professor Smith remarked that even you can have moments of impulsiveness."

"Brainstorming?" Albert's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but correct him, "I prefer you to describe it as courage."

"I also think courage is a more appropriate word."

"Is Professor Smith thinking of getting his hands on the Acromantula?" Fred suddenly interjected. "After all, the eggs and venom of those big guys are quite valuable."

"Perhaps he's planning to get revenge on those giant spiders," George guessed. "Don't forget, he was attacked by the Acromantula."

"Don't be silly, you actually believed that nonsense? I was right next to them back then, and we weren't attacked by the Acromantula at all," Albert couldn't help but retort. He spoke quickly, and by the time he realized what he meant, it was too late.

"You tricked us again!" Fred realized what had happened and glared angrily at Albert, annoyed that they had actually believed his lies last time.

"Ahem, I promised Dumbledore and Hagrid I would keep it a secret." Albert hadn't expected to let it slip so easily, and after making sure no one was around, he explained in a low voice.

But why did Professor Smith ask Lee Jordan about this? Was he interested in Gryffindor's treasure? "What is a monster?"

"Hagrid's pet, remember that pet named Fluffy from last time? It was a dangerous Magical Creature, Hagrid kept it in the Forbidden Forest. Later, Fluffy ran away on its own... I can't say anything about the rest, I promise." Albert noticed the distrustful looks in their eyes and helplessly spread his hands, saying, "I really did promise, and it wouldn't matter to you even if you knew, Dumbledore should have already sent it back to Greece."

Albert knew, of course, that Fluffy was still hiding somewhere in the Forbidden Forest.

After all, next semester I'll be the watchdog for the Philosopher's Stone level.

Fred and his two companions knew they wouldn't get any more information, so they stopped pressing him. Even if they had continued, Albert would probably have just given them something unverified to try and fool them.