Recently, night activities in Hogwarts Castle had temporarily disappeared thanks to the unremitting efforts of the caretaker, Filch.
Fred and George had no intention of testing his patience.
Of course, the main reason was that they were simply too busy and couldn't spare the energy for midnight excursions.
Nearly a month into the school year, the first-year courses were gradually settling into rhythm. Although there weren't many classes each week, the combined homework was considerable, and they also had to make time for Gryffindor's Quidditch training.
There was no other way—Fred and George's speed in completing homework was nowhere near Albert's. Besides assignments, they also had to memorize theoretical knowledge and practice spells.
Transfiguration was particularly difficult.
Albert's three roommates had spent a week mastering the trick of turning a match into a needle, finally passing Professor McGonagall's small test.
Compared to the busy and exhausting lives of the Weasley twins, Albert's daily routine was far more comfortable.
He always finished his weekly homework on time, memorization was never a challenge, and even Transfiguration—the bane of most first-years—caused him no trouble.
Ever since joining the Transfiguration Club, Albert's skill had grown steadily.
Just recently, Professor McGonagall had taught them how to turn a stone into a teacup. Albert mastered it completely after only a few attempts.
Of course, he always claimed to others that it had taken him several days of practice.
As for Quidditch training, Albert participated only once a week—not for drills, but to play with fellow enthusiasts, enjoying the game while strengthening his understanding of the rules.
Time slipped quietly by, and Albert gradually grew to love his school life at Hogwarts. It reminded him of his university days in his previous life: doing what he enjoyed, planning his future at a leisurely pace.
Aside from the lack of electricity, internet, mobile phones, music, movies, and computer games, everything else was quite interesting.
Especially after mastering the basics of magic, his spellwork became increasingly proficient.
On a side note, Albert had just managed the Summoning Charm. Though he only summoned a blooming chrysanthemum, he succeeded in making it blossom at the tip of his wand.
"Finally successful!" Fred exclaimed, reaching out to sniff the flower. "Can you conjure other flowers?"
"Of course—orchids bloom." Albert quickly conjured several orchids onto the table and murmured, "With more practice, I should be able to summon large bouquets."
"Amazing." Lee Jordan admired him sincerely, knowing the Summoning Charm was notoriously difficult.
"Look, your package," George suddenly said.
Albert looked up to see an owl flying toward them. Fred and Lee Jordan quickly cleared space on the table for it to land.
"Thank you for your hard work." Albert stroked Shera's back, opened the parcel, and found two thick books inside. Another gift was securely taped to the package.
Both books were on economics. His grandfather, Luke, had likely heard from Herb that Albert was interested in finance, so he sent Principles of Economics as a birthday gift. The other, The Essence of Finance, was from Herb himself.
Albert barely glanced at the books before shifting his attention to the smaller square package. Inside was an exquisitely wrapped box containing a miniature cake.
"Wow, who sent you a cake? It's so tiny." Angelina's eyes lit up.
"From home." Albert picked up the card, smiling. Even without reading it, he could guess the birthday wishes inside.
The card was written by Nia. Besides the usual blessings, she had emphasized that she helped make the cake.
"Happy birthday," Sanna said warmly.
"Thank you." Albert cut the chocolate cake into six slices and shared it with the familiar faces around him.
Birthday wishes echoed in his ears.
It was better to enjoy something with others than alone.
Besides, they had class soon, and carrying the cake would be inconvenient. If it got squashed in his bag, it would waste his family's effort—and Albert had already eaten his fill.
"Wow, another year older," George chuckled as he ate. "If you'd been born twenty-something days earlier, you could've started school a year sooner."
"Yes," Albert replied indifferently. "But starting later isn't bad either."
No one present understood the meaning behind his words.
"By the way, these two books aren't your birthday gifts, are they?" Angelina asked, peeking into the package and spotting Principles of Economics on top.
"Is something wrong?" Albert asked, puzzled by her expression.
Angelina's mouth twitched. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Why was this boy in Gryffindor?
"Can I see them?"
"Sure, just don't damage them." Albert didn't mind. He knew they wouldn't understand or be interested anyway.
As expected, Angelina flipped through a few pages and quickly felt dizzy. She understood each word, but together they made no sense.
"I really don't understand why your family would send you this stuff," George grumbled.
"Out of interest." Albert didn't elaborate. Instead, he changed the subject. "Don't be nervous—a flying broom is easy to learn."
"Am I the only one who can't ride a broom?" Sanna murmured.
"Does the cake not suit your taste?" Albert asked, sidestepping her worry.
"No, I love chocolate cake." Sanna closed Quidditch Through the Ages and finished her slice.
Still, she couldn't shake her nerves. Among the Gryffindor first-years, she felt she might be the only one who still couldn't ride a broom—and that was a terrible feeling.