On the staircase between the seventh and eighth floors, Professor McGonagall and the others encountered Headmaster Dumbledore, who had just stepped out of his office wearing a formal suit.
"Minerva, what are you and these students doing here? Weren't you looking for the giant that attacked in the bathroom?"
"Albus, the giant is dead. It was Albert who defeated it. I believe he needs to explain everything to you."
"Oh, thank you. Please, leave the rest to me."
After Professor McGonagall and the three students departed, Dumbledore waved his wand.
Two chairs appeared in the office, and two steaming cups of black tea floated gently onto the desk.
"Well then, have a seat," Dumbledore said, his gaze resting on Albert.
"Have some tea and relax. Slaying a giant beast is hardly a pleasant experience."
The moment Albert stepped inside the room, Dumbledore had cast Legilimens—a spell used to delve into a person's mind. He wanted to see what had truly transpired during the encounter with the beast. But to his surprise, he found himself unable to read Albert's thoughts.
Albert had anticipated this. He knew Dumbledore wouldn't let any crucial detail slip by, and that he would undoubtedly use Legilimens. So, before entering the office, Albert had cast Occlumency, the defensive counterpart to Legilimens—a spell that shields the mind and memories from intrusion.
Realizing that Albert's mind was fiercely protected, Dumbledore simply smiled and took a sip of his tea.
Once he was sure Albert had calmed down, Dumbledore spoke again, curious about what had happened.
Albert began recounting the events. He said Hermione had been feeling overwhelmed by academic pressure and found a quiet place to cry alone. Later, he comforted her, and they spent the afternoon studying together.
That was why they missed the Halloween feast and had no idea the giant had escaped. As they were preparing to head upstairs, they heard the beast smashing against the room's door. Thinking quickly, Albert came up with a plan and asked Hermione to leave through the adjacent room to call for help from the professors.
After hearing the full story, Dumbledore praised Albert for his wisdom, courage, and loyalty to his friend. He awarded him ten house points.
"I imagine you must still be hungry," Dumbledore added after jotting down the points. "If you're uninjured, it's best you return to Gryffindor Tower. The students are enjoying what's left of the Halloween feast in their common rooms."
Albert nodded politely, thanked the headmaster, and left the office. Dumbledore lifted his teacup and took a warm sip, a contented smile spreading across his face.
"Hmm… He's so much like you, Sirius," Dumbledore murmured. "Though he possesses traits not found in his father, he's willing to fight for his friends. That's a good thing."
A floor above, Albert reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Same dragon," he said. With the password spoken, the door swung open.
The Gryffindor common room was packed and lively, students feasting and chattering. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having just grabbed some food, looked up to see Albert enter.
Hermione rushed over.
"What did the headmaster say? Did he expel you?"
All three of them were visibly anxious. This time, the fight had happened in a public restroom—a highly dangerous location. They'd also seen the troubled expressions on the professors' faces after learning that Albert had used a powerful spell. There was a real chance he might be expelled.
Albert smiled. "Relax, nothing happened. I just told the headmaster what took place, and he gave me ten points as a reward."
The three friends exhaled in relief, smiles returning to their faces.
Still, all four felt a bit awkward, avoiding each other's eyes and focusing instead on their food.
Yet, Albert and Hermione could tell they were both in better spirits. Harry and Ron had risked their safety to find them, even knowing they were with the giant. That meant something.
For her part, Hermione felt a surge of resolve. Seeing Albert return unharmed made her realize something: she had to become stronger—strong enough never to rely on someone else to fight her battles. If she had been more capable, she wouldn't have let Albert face the giant alone.
As November arrived, the weather turned bitterly cold. The mountains around the school were cloaked in gray ice and snow. The surface of the lake looked as hard and cold as steel.
From the upper-floor windows, one could see Hagrid outside, dressed in a heavy moleskin coat, rabbit-fur gloves, and enormous boots, sweeping ice off the Quidditch brooms.
Quidditch season had begun. After weeks of training with Harry, Albert was preparing for his first official match on Saturday—Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If they won, Gryffindor would rise to second place in the House Cup.
Currently, the standings were:
First place: Ravenclaw (their top students were unstoppable when focused)
Second place: Slytherin (pure-blood families gave their students a natural advantage in magic)
Third place: Hufflepuff (honest, hardworking students who earned small points individually, but many overall)
Last place: Gryffindor (prone to troublemaking, they lost points as quickly as they gained them—on average, they were actually first if you counted deducted points!)
The good news was that the four houses were still close in score. This next match could shift everything.
For this reason, everyone—from Professor McGonagall to the youngest first-years—placed great importance on the upcoming game.
Gryffindor viewed Harry as a star Seeker, and Albert, playing as Chaser, as their secret weapon. Few had seen the two of them train, and even fewer knew the extent of Albert's abilities. He would be a true surprise on the field.
Still, as Hermione once pointed out to Ron in the stands, no matter how secretive a team tried to be, anyone paying close attention in an open-air field would eventually catch on.
Since learning how to better relate to others, Hermione no longer blamed people for their mistakes, nor did she hold so tightly to the school rules. "You're right," she had told Albert one evening during study group. "I think everyone should be responsible for their own choices. As long as I'm not hurting anyone, there's no need to interfere in others' lives."
Hermione and Albert still helped classmates with questions, but they no longer allowed others to copy their homework. That frustrated Harry, who realized that doing well now meant participating in long post-class discussions. But with Quidditch practice taking up so much time, he often had no choice but to sneak a peek at Ron's homework.
Ron, for his part, told Harry that ever since Albert and Hermione began organizing study discussions, everyone's performance had improved. They could answer most questions themselves, and if not, they'd call on Percy for help.
Sometimes, though, Percy would catch Ron looking at his homework and scold him—though for Ron, the trade-off of getting work done quickly was well worth the lecture.
Later, Ron handed Harry a notebook. "Albert asked me to give you this."
Inside were lecture notes, concise explanations of the homework material, and even a few encouraging messages from classmat
es.
Reading them, Harry felt a warmth in his chest.
He had to win this match.
He was determined.