After the final exams, Hogwarts was filled with a cheerful atmosphere again, and the students who finished the exams were enjoying the last few days of leisure before the holidays. At this time, the news that the Wizard Card Club was going to hold a party quickly spread among the students.
However, at this point in time, most students are not very interested in joining clubs.
After finally getting through the final exams, everyone would rather enjoy the relaxation and comfort after the exams in a sunny field. Many students plan to go to the Quidditch field to play, enjoying the leisure time while venting the stress accumulated during the exams.
There are very few students willing to join the Wizard Card Club, at least compared to the original members of the Wizard Card Club, but there is nothing that can be done about it.
Albert was not surprised by this. At least there were still twenty or so people willing to attend, so there was no embarrassing situation of no one attending the party.
Students who are willing to participate in the wizard card gathering are all relatively enthusiastic about wizard cards, and Albert will naturally not let them down. After officially completing the ceremony of Luna taking over the club, Luna took the lead in organizing a relaxed competition with extremely rich prizes, which can be regarded as a promotion for the products of "Happy Home".
Originally, Fred and Lee Jordan wanted to use "Flag Joke Shop" as the store name, but Albert and George thought the name was strange, so they eventually changed it to "Fun House," a metaphor for a store that brings joy.
Everyone had a great time at the party. Not only did they enjoy ice-cold butterbeer and a variety of delicious sweets, they could also win lottery tickets through competitions, including Albert's newly published "Self-Defense Guide" or the Defense Against the Dark Arts props and joke props made by Fred and George.
"Does this thing really work?" Hermione took the pocket watch she had drawn and looked up and down at the magical thing in front of her curiously.
"Of course it works. This is the latest product," Fred introduced enthusiastically. "It was invented by Albert. As long as there is danger nearby, the pocket watch will heat up to alert the user. It's a bit like a looking glass, but the looking glass is too unreliable. Once it makes a sound, doesn't it tell others, 'I'm here'?"
"Once there are dark wizards or dark creatures around, it can tell the user which direction the enemy is coming from, so as to avoid running into them head-on. Isn't it very useful?" George took out a similar pocket watch and said, "The only drawback is that the effect can only last for about half a year."
"Of course, this is the mass-produced version. If you want a more perfect black magic early warning device, you can only ask Albert to customize it, but the price will be so expensive that you will question your life." Fred shrugged and reminded.
"Are you sure you're running a joke shop, not a Defense Against the Dark Arts shop?" Ron had just tested the Defense Badge, and it turned out that it could actually bounce back Harry's Obstacle Curse.
Although Harry had used similar things before, only by trying them out himself could he truly appreciate the magic of these defensive props.
"Since the resurrection of the mysterious man, the entire magic world has been unsafe, so Albert took the initiative to share his research results with everyone." George introduced, "By the way, where is Albert?"
Everyone looked around for Albert, and finally found him talking to Luna in the corner.
Soon Albert was pulled back by Lee Jordan to introduce these magical defense against the dark arts props.
"As we all know, the wizarding world is not peaceful right now, and everyone..." Albert was actually very surprised why these people liked to listen to him so much, but he still restrained his thoughts and briefly described the current situation.
The simple summary is:
The wizarding world is going to be in chaos, the Ministry of Magic is unreliable, and wizards born in Muggle families will be in big trouble. It is recommended to learn some self-protection methods. Most vendors selling amulets are scammers, don't believe them, and Fred and George's defense against the dark arts props are not as magical as imagined, so they need to be used reasonably.
"Mr. Anderson, can you make an amulet to resist dark magic?" asked a Hufflepuff girl curiously.
"No, most black magic is hard to resist with spells." Albert shook his head. "Talismans can only deal with some minor magic and curses. Of course, they can weaken the power of black magic to some extent, but don't expect too much."
"But you are the champion of the dueling tournament and have defeated many dark wizards. I think you must know how to deal with those evil villains."
"If you are in big trouble, my advice is to calm yourself down first. If you can't calm down, it's best to take some tranquilizers. It's important to deal with it calmly.
Moreover, it is best to find the enemy's traces in advance, and then use the Disillusionment Charm or the Invisibility Cloak to hide yourself. If you can avoid direct confrontation, it is best not to confront them head-on. If you have to fight back, it is best to hide yourself first, and then use the Stun Charm to sneak attack the enemy. "Albert suggested.
"A Stunning Spell?"
"Yes, the Stunning Spell. This spell is actually more practical than most spells. Of course, it can also be a Freezing Spell or a Full Body Binding Spell." Albert explained, "As long as we can subdue the enemy, we win, so there is no need to deliberately pursue those seemingly powerful magics."
"Don't go head-to-head with dark wizards. To be honest, it's hard to beat them unless you use a sneak attack. Knocking the enemy down in one go is your best option. After knocking the enemy down, remember to cast a few more spells to ensure that the enemy is completely subdued. If the situation is unavoidable, remember to use the Sling Spell to take away the opponent's wand. Remember, without a wand, most wizards will lose their deterrent power."
"These things are not in the self-defense manual." Cedric said with a smile, "It seems that you have hidden a lot of good things in private."
"If I write it down, I won't be able to publish it." Albert said helplessly, "There are some things that the Ministry of Magic doesn't allow to appear in books, so I can only teach you secretly now."
"So how do we deal with the dark arts?"
"My suggestion is to turn around and run away if you encounter danger. Use the Disillusionment Charm to hide, or Apparate and escape." Albert said, "Running away is never a shameful thing. I never recommend that you, who are inexperienced, confront dark wizards. It will put you in danger."
The second half of the Wizard Card Club turned into Albert's Defense Against the Dark Arts lecture, where he taught everyone what to do, how to use the Defense Against the Dark Arts items sold in Fred and George's store, and how to protect themselves in the upcoming turmoil.
Everyone listened very carefully, and many people were eager to pick up a quill to take notes, because what Albert said was very practical.
It was not until dinner time in the evening that everyone let Albert go reluctantly.
"I think you should summarize these things and include them in the Self-Defense Guide." Cedric felt like he had really learned something new.
“There are always many frustrating things in this world.”
The news of the Wizarding Card Club soon spread throughout Hogwarts, and many members of the Wizarding Card Club regretted not attending the party. In particular, after what Albert said spread among the students, many students felt that Dumbledore should hire Albert as the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Everyone hoped that Albert could give them a few more lessons on Defense Against the Dark Arts, but they soon discovered that Albert was missing again.
In the end, this important task was handed over to Harry. Harry, Hermione and Cedric gathered everyone together to organize Albert's lecture content.
Fred and George's defensive props also began to circulate among students, especially the protective props that could rebound magic and curses, which were widely welcomed. They believed that the cash cow of Defense Against the Dark Arts would quickly make them rich.
At the year-end party, Dumbledore made a rare half-hour long solemn speech, reminding everyone again that Voldemort had been resurrected.
What surprised everyone the most was that Gryffindor won the house cup this year.
Although all the gems in the hourglasses of the other houses except Slytherin had been deducted, Dumbledore still gave extra points to the other houses, in the name of reminding everyone that the mysterious man was back.
It was just that Gryffindor gained the most points because of Harry, which directly led to Slytherin House, which had originally been sure of winning, becoming a laughing stock.
Snape was very unhappy about this and had a stiff face all evening, as if someone owed him a lot of Galleons.
On the day of leaving school, Albert became very busy. He needed to personally distribute silver cards to the invited friends and explain the risks involved to them.
Everyone was shocked to learn that Albert was about to get married.
"Due to some reasons, the wedding has been moved forward to next month." Albert reminded them again to prevent them from spreading the news and attracting Death Eaters.
Albert has a way to ensure the secrecy and safety of the wedding, but if he is targeted by Death Eaters due to rumors, he can only wish for the best.
"You're getting married!" Hermione's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes, this is the invitation card, and the time will be on it." Albert reminded Hermione as he handed the silver card to her, "However, you'd better keep this secret, because I have offended the mysterious man and the Death Eaters, and they may find out the specific time and place through the inviter."
"Oh, congratulations!"
Hermione took the card and said worriedly, "But is it really okay?"
"Of course, I also invited Dumbledore, so don't worry too much." Albert added before leaving, "Due to Potter's situation, I didn't invite him."
Albert would not be so foolish as to invite Harry Potter, such a troublemaker.
After Albert left, Hermione looked at the silver card in her hand, feeling indescribable emotions.
"Get married!"
She really didn't expect that Albert was planning to get married so early, and almost right after graduating from school.
Although Albert wanted others to keep it a secret, the news still spread among the girls.
"I've said it before, you can't keep this kind of thing secret. Maybe you should wait until after the holidays to send the card to them, then there won't be this problem."
On the way to crossing the lake, Lee Jordan said with an innocent look on his face that this matter had nothing to do with him.
"Keeping secrets is actually more of a protection for them. I'm just worried that they might leak the secrets and be visited by Death Eaters, and thus lose their lives." Albert's tone was filled with helplessness.
If someone gets into trouble because of this, there's nothing he can do about it.
"No way, I thought you would be more worried..." Lee Jordan raised his eyebrows slightly, obviously a little surprised that Albert would say such a thing.
"I have carried out the most rigorous screening. Even if I use the Imperius Curse or even the Compound Potion, I have a way to screen them out. As for the specific location, no one except those who are invited can enter." Albert prepared for this for a long time and took the most rigorous protective measures to ensure that there would be no accidents during the entire wedding.
"Everyone get on board, everyone get on board. A small boat can only hold two people. Get ready to cross the lake." Hagrid stood on the shore and made sure that everyone was on board. He took a boat alone and shouted, "Go ahead!"
A fleet of small boats sailed across the lake in the cool breeze, and everyone turned back to look at the huge castle that was gradually disappearing into the distance.
"Dow your heads!" Hagrid shouted.
As the boat approached the cliff, everyone lowered their heads. The gradually receding Hogwarts Castle made everyone feel complicated.
They have been in Hogwarts for seven years, but today they are officially leaving.
The lake crossing ceremony did not last too long, and everyone got off the boat with mixed feelings. They then had to go to the train station and leave on the Hogwarts Express.
"Aren't you leaving?" Angelina asked in confusion.
"No, you guys go first, we still have to wait for people, we'll Apparate and leave later." Albert smiled and waved goodbye to everyone.
A beautiful figure walked over here and gave Albert and Katrina a warm hug.
Many boys whistled, and the girls felt jealous.
"Goodbye Albert." Hagrid waved to Albert and led the seventh-year graduates who crossed the lake to the train station.
"What are you looking at?" Yin Zebel asked.
"Looking at Hogwarts."
Albert looked at the ancient castle in the distance and whispered, "What a magical place."
Just now, Albert confirmed that he had completed the task of "Millennium Ancient School: Hogwarts". Although the final progress was stuck at 81.5%, the completion progress was actually very high, and it also allowed Albert to gain a lot of experience and skill points.
"Are you reluctant to leave now?" Katrina was a little surprised at Albert's sentimentality.
"I am still very grateful for the owl letter I received. That letter changed my life. Otherwise, I would probably still be struggling for money like most Muggles." Albert retracted his gaze, looked at Yin Zebel, and said with a smile, "Let's go back too."
"Let's go."
Yin Zebel reached out to Katrina, and Katrina held down her hair that was blown by the breeze, and put her hand on him with a helpless look on her face.
A leaf fell on the Black Lake, creating ripples, but the three people who were originally standing by the lake had long disappeared.
(End of this volume)