Since Albert had shown talent in Potions, Snape no longer bothered him; in fact, he seemed to completely ignore him.
That morning, after Potions, Albert and George used the free time before lunch to return Simple Alchemy to the library and borrow another book on Alchemy.
Its title was Extraction, Separation, and Potion.
At first, Albert assumed it was related to Potions, but after flipping through its pages he was surprised to discover it was an Alchemy text, exploring the relationship between Alchemy and Potion-making.
Although Potions and Alchemy are not the same discipline, they share a common origin and overlap in many ways.
Some potion ingredients require Alchemical processing, and some potions are even produced directly through Alchemical methods.
The most representative example was essence of dittany.
Essence of dittany is obtained by extracting the herb dittany. It is a powerful agent for healing wounds, far more effective than simply using dittany raw or brewing it into a potion.
The book contained detailed instructions on how to extract dittany, which reminded Albert of the garlic crosses in Simple Alchemy. He quickly shook off the thought and refocused on the text.
Meanwhile, Fred and Lee Jordan returned from the kitchens empty-handed. They slumped into chairs beside George, shrugging helplessly.
As Albert had expected, the house-elves had refused to give them garlic.
The twins' plan had collapsed before it even began.
"I warned you," Albert said, glancing at the discouraged trio. "Perhaps you could send a letter home and ask for garlic."
"Are you mad?" Fred stared at him incredulously, his voice rising. "If we did that, we'd be beaten with a broom when we got home for Christmas."
"No, I think Mum would just tell you to stay home and plant garlic instead of coming back to school," George retorted.
Getting garlic from home was clearly impossible, even for research in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Do you have any better ideas?" the three asked in unison, eyes fixed on Albert as if he were their only hope.
"Give up," Albert said, spreading his hands. "Of course, if you refuse to give up, you could order garlic by owl post from Diagon Alley."
The three immediately wilted. If they had Galleons, they wouldn't be worrying about this in the first place.
"So just give up," Albert said indifferently, flipping through his book. "Potions and Alchemy are both money-burning pursuits."
"What's wrong with them?" Sanna asked, glancing at the listless trio.
"Nothing. Just a bit depressed. Best to ignore them," Albert replied.
"Don't ignore us—unless you can get us garlic," George muttered, waving at her.
Sanna looked puzzled, then turned back to Albert, asking when he would be free to go to the library with her to work on their essay about wolfsbane.
The hardest part of essays was finding information; searching together was faster. Writing the essay itself depended on each student's skill.
Albert pulled out the assignment sheet, agreed on a time with Sanna, and returned to his book.
He hoped to find instructions for developing solution and magical photographs in Extraction, Separation, and Potion.
In his opinion, wizarding photographs were undoubtedly linked to Alchemy. To his delight, the table of contents confirmed it.
As he searched for the recipe for developing solution, a new panel task suddenly appeared:
Moving Magic Photographs You have discovered the secret of moving photographs and are trying to learn how to make them. Why not give it a try? Task: Make three magic photographs. Reward: 500 experience, gain Alchemy skill.
All through lunch, Albert debated whether to attempt it. The reward wasn't much, but gaining the Alchemy skill directly would be useful—especially since the magic lamp task required it.
Later, passing through the hall, Albert heard someone calling him. He turned and asked the three, "What is it? I didn't hear clearly."
"We plan to try our luck in the next village," they said. They had decided to go to Hogsmeade to buy garlic and plant it themselves.
"Oh, good luck," Albert said, patting Fred's shoulder. "Actually, Hagrid probably has some, if you ask him…"
"Has what?" a sudden voice interrupted.
"Nothing," Fred said quickly, embarrassed. They weren't close to Hagrid and had no intention of bothering him.
Their earlier talk of borrowing his vegetable patch had been a joke. Hogwarts was large enough that finding a hidden spot to plant garlic wouldn't be difficult.
"Garlic. We want to test if it repels Dark creatures," Albert explained smoothly, then asked, "Is something wrong? It's rare to see you in the castle."
"I've business with Dumbledore," Hagrid said, eyeing them suspiciously. As he walked toward the Headmaster's office, he added, "If you need garlic, I can give you some."
The three exchanged astonished glances. While they had been racking their brains, Albert's casual remark had solved their problem.
"Is this really alright?" George asked hesitantly.
"Hagrid cooks for himself and has a vegetable garden. He won't lack garlic," Albert said, glancing at their embarrassed faces. "Just help me think of a Christmas gift for him."
They nodded eagerly, promising to help.
"Still, that little bit of garlic won't be enough," Albert warned. "You should plant your own. Garlic is easy to grow."
That had been their plan all along. They had already decided not to use Hagrid's garden, but to plant at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, farther from his cabin.
Albert fell silent at their scheme.
For a little garlic, they could simply plant it in a vase. Fireplace ash made excellent fertilizer.
But Albert had no intention of telling them. He would let them figure it out themselves.