In the days following their visit to Charlie Street, Albert and Nia stayed with their grandparents, Luke and Sansa, while Herbert and Daisy returned to their demanding jobs. The cozy house at 21 Charlie Street became a haven of discovery for Albert, who spent hours sharing tidbits from A History of Magic and other textbooks with his grandparents.
Their living room, adorned with faded floral wallpaper and shelves of knickknacks, transformed into a stage for Albert's budding magical skills. He demonstrated Lumos, Reparo, Scourgify, and Alohomora, each spell drawing gasps of wonder from Luke, who relived his childhood dreams through his grandson's talent.
To liven up their stay, Albert ordered a wizard chess set from Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, spending a few Galleons on the enchanted game. Luke, an avid chess player in his youth, was eager to teach Albert the rules, but it was Nia who was utterly captivated.
The pieces, carved from polished ebony and ivory, moved and spoke with a life of their own, brandishing tiny weapons and offering unsolicited advice. "Don't move me there, you fool!" a knight barked when Nia hesitated. "Send the pawn—it's expendable!"
Wizard chess mirrored traditional chess but felt like commanding a miniature army. Each piece required a specific command to move, and their animated nature added a layer of strategy—and comedy.
Nia, initially startled when a bishop jabbed her finger with a tiny mace, soon fell in love with the game's chaos. Albert, however, proved too skilled, his strategic mind outpacing everyone. After a few crushing defeats, Luke and Nia refused to play him, leaving Albert to study the board alone, chuckling at the pieces' grumbled complaints.
During this time, Albert completed a mission on his interface titled Luke's Regret, earning 1,500 experience points. His experience pool swelled to 30,000, a substantial reserve, but he knew higher-level skills demanded exponentially more to upgrade. He was cautious, saving his points for critical moments rather than spending them impulsively.
One sunny afternoon, Albert and Nia visited a nearby park, its swings creaking gently in the breeze. Albert, determined to master the Levitation Charm, practiced on a fallen leaf.
"Wingardium Leviosa," he muttered, mimicking the wand motion described in The Standard Book of Spells. His wrist twisted awkwardly, the reverse-S gesture feeling unnatural. The leaf twitched but stayed grounded.
"Is that leaf supposed to float?" Nia asked, perched on a swing, her tone skeptical.
"My wand movement's off," Albert admitted, frowning. Spellcasting required precision in both incantation and gesture, a fact he'd learned through trial and error.
Without a teacher, he relied on his books and intuition, preferring to master spells naturally rather than burning experience points to jump to Level 1. The Levitation Charm wasn't complex, but it demanded patience.
"Magic's harder than it looks," Nia said, kicking at the dirt. "You're so patient, Albert. I'd have given up by now."
"It's like learning math," Albert replied, giving her swing a gentle push. "Step by step. You don't give up, even when it's tough."
Nia rolled her eyes. "Ugh, stop with the pep talks. I'm tired of them." But her smile betrayed her—she was glad for his encouragement.
After her failed attempt with the wand at their grandparents' house, and Luke's gentle explanation about Squibs, Nia had begun to accept she might not have magical talent. It stung, but she was determined to enjoy Albert's journey.
When the park emptied, Albert tried again. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said, focusing intently. This time, the leaf quivered and rose, hovering a foot above the ground. Albert grinned, feeling the spell click into place on his interface as a new skill.
A rustle in the bushes made him pause. He sensed someone watching and quickly pocketed his wand, scanning the area. A boy, slightly older than Albert, emerged, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at the floating leaf.
"What's up?" Albert asked, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't intimidated—his Level 2 Karate skill, honed since he was eight, gave him confidence. He'd once fended off three older bullies at school, earning a reputation that silenced troublemakers.
That incident had also landed Daisy in the headmaster's office, but she and Herbert, wielding their lawyerly prowess, had defended Albert fiercely, cementing his bond with his new family.
"You're a Hogwarts first-year, right?" the boy said, stepping closer. "You shouldn't use magic here. Muggles might see, and they're scared of it."
"Thanks for the heads-up," Albert said, noting the boy's friendly tone. "I'll be careful."
"I'm Gabriel Truman, Hufflepuff student," the boy said, extending a hand. "I live nearby. Hope you end up in Hufflepuff!"
"Hufflepuff?" Albert echoed, feigning ignorance to draw out more information.
"Oh, you don't know about the houses yet," Gabriel began, but an owl swooped down, dropping a letter at his feet. He picked it up, puzzled. "An owl? Now?"
As Gabriel read the letter, his face paled, then twisted with anger. "Expelled?" he muttered, his voice rising. "Why? I didn't do anything!"
Nia, sensing the tension, slipped behind Albert, clutching his sleeve.
"What's wrong?" Albert asked cautiously.
"I've been expelled for using a Levitation Charm in front of Muggles!" Gabriel's voice trembled with fury. His eyes locked onto Albert, realization dawning.
"It was you, wasn't it?" He lunged, fists clenched, but Albert reacted swiftly. With a practiced move from his karate training, he sidestepped and twisted Gabriel's arm, pinning him to the ground.
Gabriel yelped in pain, struggling. "Let go!"
"Calm down," Albert said evenly. "It's not as bad as you think."
"I didn't cast anything!" Gabriel shouted. "I didn't even bring my wand!"
"I know," Albert said, releasing him but staying alert. "I cast the Levitation Charm. We can fix this. Let's write to Hogwarts and explain. I'll back you up. Do you have an owl?"
Gabriel slumped, his anger fading into dejection. "No."
"Look, it's Shira," Nia said, pointing as Albert's snowy owl glided toward them, landing gracefully on a nearby bench.
Albert nodded, his mind racing. "We'll each write a letter to the headmaster—Dumbledore, right? I'll explain I was the one casting the spell. They won't expel you over a misunderstanding."
Gabriel rubbed his wrist, still shaken but calming down. "You're… awfully calm for a first-year."
"I'm good at keeping my head," Albert said with a shrug. "Let's go to my grandparents' house—it's just down the street. We can use Shira to send the letters."
As they walked, Albert felt a ping from his interface: a new mission, Clear the Misunderstanding, with a reward of 500 experience points. He suppressed a smile. The magical world was full of surprises, but he was ready to navigate it, one spell—and one crisis—at a time.