THE ALCHEMIST OF HARRY POTTER

"I think so." Albert grinned, squinting as Nearly Headless Nick drifted past. He raised a hand in greeting. "Good morning, Sir Nicholas."

"Ah, good morning, my boy. Something on your mind?"

"Would you mind if I took a photo?" Albert held up a Muggle camera.

Nick considered this for a moment before straightening his ruffled ruff. "Oh, alright. Would you like me to pose?"

"No need. Just look here." Albert adjusted the angle and clicked the shutter.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, thank you, Sir Nicholas."

"You're welcome. I must be off." Nick floated away toward the staff table.

Angelina leaned over to peer at the photograph, frowning when she saw the blank paper.

"Muggle cameras can't capture ghosts. Maybe a wizarding camera would work." Albert turned the photo over and neatly wrote Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington on the back.

"You actually remember his full name?" Angelina raised an eyebrow, impressed. "I can never keep it straight."

"It's not about the camera." A voice interrupted.

Albert turned to see a red-haired girl—Ginny Weasley—who had just entered the Great Hall. She glanced at their confused faces and explained, "You need the right developing potion. Wizard photos move because of the potion's reaction with the film. But ghosts don't have a physical presence, so they won't show up at all."

Then she headed toward the Ravenclaw table.

"Wow, classic Ravenclaw." George shook his head. "Knows everything."

"Impressive," Albert admitted. Then he turned to Angelina. "Want to explore the castle after breakfast?"

Angelina hesitated but shook her head. "I have plans."

"Pity." Albert bit into an apple, already thinking about where to get the right developing potion.

As more students trickled into the Great Hall—mostly first-years eager to explore the castle—Albert and his friends finished their meal and strolled out.

As they crossed the Entrance Hall, they spotted Argus Filch, the caretaker, clutching Mrs. Norris and glaring at them suspiciously.

Albert paused. A new task flashed across the notification panel in his mind:

Malicious Intent from the Caretaker

Filch has set his sights on you. Prove that even with his constant vigilance, he can't catch you. Avoid capture during a nighttime excursion.

Reward: 1000 experience points.

Albert's lips twitched. Since arriving at Hogwarts, these quests had been cropping up everywhere.

"What is it?" Fred asked, noticing his distraction.

"Nothing." Albert quickly caught up with the group. As they crossed the damp viaduct, he suddenly asked, "Do you know the Disillusionment Charm?"

George looked puzzled. "What's that?"

"A form of invisibility magic," Albert explained. "It makes you blend in like a chameleon. I read about it in A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration."

"That sounds brilliant!" George said excitedly. "If we mastered that, we could sneak around without worrying about Filch or Peeves."

"I was thinking the same thing," Albert nodded. "It would make nighttime adventures a lot easier."

"But how do we learn it?" Fred frowned. "Dad might know, but he'd never teach us."

"We could ask a professor," Lee suggested.

Albert shook his head. "For now, we'll have to check the library. Even if we find the spell, though, learning it won't be easy. I doubt Professor Flitwick would willingly teach us something he knows we'd use for rule-breaking."

The four of them exchanged glances and sighed.

Albert stopped by the viaduct's railing, gazing down at the chasm below. He remembered how, at the end of Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter had snapped the Elder Wand in half and thrown it away.

What a waste.

The Elder Wand was a legendary artifact. Even if he didn't want to use it, hiding it somewhere safe would've been the smart thing to do. Then there was the Philosopher's Stone—another magical treasure destroyed.

"Anyway, let's get to the library," Albert said, shaking off his thoughts.

"Even if we find the spell, it's not like we'll master it right away," Lee muttered. "Some of us are still struggling with basic spells."

"Don't be so negative," Albert shot him a look. "How do you think I learned magic?"

The twins looked curious. "How?"

"Practice," Albert said bluntly. "Lots of it."

They continued wandering the castle, searching for secret passages. They checked several empty classrooms filled with dusty furniture and even found what looked like a hidden tunnel—though none of them could figure out how to open it.

"Most secret passages need a password or a specific action to activate them," Albert explained. "If we want to find one, we either need to get lucky or ask someone who already knows."

"Like the Weasley twins," George suggested.

"Or the Marauder's Map," Fred added wistfully.

They passed the Transfiguration classroom, where Professor McGonagall taught.

"I heard Transfiguration is tough," Lee muttered.

"It is," Albert agreed. "Turning a matchstick into a needle was tricky at first. But once you get the basics, it's not too bad."

They eventually found the History of Magic classroom on the second floor. Luckily, the rooms were labeled, or they would've been completely lost.

"There's a wooden door here!" Lee whispered excitedly, pointing to an entrance hidden behind a stone statue.

"Looks locked." Albert pulled out his wand. "Alohomora!"

Nothing happened.

Fred twisted the handle. "Still locked."

"It probably needs a password." Albert frowned. "Secret tunnels always have some kind of riddle or phrase."

"How do we figure it out?" Lee asked.

Albert smirked. "In Muggle stories, the classic secret password is Open Sesame—it comes from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."

As he spoke, he absentmindedly tapped the wooden door with his wand.

With a deafening crack, the door's hinges snapped, and the entire wooden panel collapsed inward, nearly turning into firewood.

The four of them stood frozen, mouths agape.

"…Well," George finally said, "that's one way to open it."