Two days later, the Andersons drove to Charles Street. Albert's grandfather and grandmother lived at 21 Charles Street.
The Andersons made it a point to visit the elderly couple every year. During summer vacation, Albert always stayed there for a few days.
"Grandpa, I'm here to see you."
"Albert, come here, let me have a look!" Luke completely ignored his son and walked over to stare at his grandson. "Herb told me you received your letter from Hogwarts. That's wonderful! If there's anything you want to buy, just let me know..."
"Dad, I already took Albert to Diagon Alley in London to buy his supplies," Herb said with a helpless look, clearing his throat. "I even brought you a gift."
"I'm not a child who needs presents," Luke said, glancing at his son. He took Albert's small hand and said, "Let's go inside. Tell me what magic you've learned."
"Luke has been excited for days, like a little boy," Sansa said to Herb and his wife. "He never told me about this before. I only found out a few days ago. It's been a while, Nia. Have you missed me?"
"Brother won't let me touch his wand," Nia immediately tattled to her grandmother. "He always acts like he's guarding it from a thief."
"Herb, keep an eye on Tom," Daisy said, picking up the packages from the car. "Don't let him run off. Herb, carry the cat carrier. If we let him out, he'll disappear in a flash."
"Can Albert really do magic?" Sansa found this all quite amusing. She never imagined her grandson was a legendary wizard.
"Yes, he can make his wand glow," Nia said, holding her grandmother's hand and listing Albert's faults. "He practices secretly in his room every night. He even said that if I touched his wand, I'd blow up the whole house!"
"Mom, you have no idea how dangerous that wand really is. Let me tell you..." Herb, carrying the cat carrier, trailed behind them, recounting his experiences in Diagon Alley.
"Albert believes experimenting recklessly with magic is dangerous," Daisy added. Having read History of Magic, she knew some of what went on in the magical world and had a basic understanding of it.
"Alright, Daisy, it's not as bad as you think."
"No, Mom, actually, even in the Wizarding World, they don't let children handle wands so easily," Daisy said, fully siding with Albert. Their son had always been reliable.
"How do you know?" Herb asked curiously.
"If you'd read those books, you'd know," Daisy scolded her husband. "Can't you pay a little more attention to Albert? He's our precious son."
"Don't worry, Albert has never needed us to worry about him," Herb said, knowing his son's character well. Albert had always been a worry-free child.
"Even so, you should still be more careful," Daisy said, entering with the packages and closing the door behind her.
After being cooped up in a cat carrier all day, Tom was finally released and immediately began running around wildly. Sansa and Daisy went to the kitchen to prepare dessert and red tea, while Luke listened to his son and grandson recount their adventures in Diagon Alley, filling in the gaps for each other.
Of course, Luke knew that wizard portraits moved and had some knowledge of Dumbledore.
He placed the Chocolate Frogs Herb had brought in a large glass jar and set it on the living room mantel as a decoration.
"I even wrote to Dumbledore back then, asking why I hadn't received an invitation," Luke said, having long since come to terms with it. "Because I had no magical ability—what they call a Squib—my family sent me away when I was eleven. I was given to a distant relative to raise."
"How could they do that?" Herb asked, bewildered and angry. He thought his father's family had gone too far.
"A Squib is a disgrace to a wizarding family," Luke whispered. "They'll do anything to hide the secret, even pretend the person never existed."
"Don't be sad, don't be sad," Nia comforted him.
"I've let it go after all these years. I've completely cut ties with that family," Luke said, lifting Nia onto his knee and smiling. "But Albert becoming a wizard was a bit of a surprise. When Herb didn't receive an invitation, I'd completely given up hope."
During their casual conversation, Albert demonstrated his new spells: the Lumos charm, the Mending charm, the Cleaning charm, and the Alohomora charm. These were the four spells he currently knew, thanks to his level 2 Wizard Bloodline.
Though his control was still clumsy, it was quite astonishing to watch the cracked teacup slowly mend itself and the spilled tea on the table vanish without a trace.
"I want to do it too!" Nia pleaded, gazing at her grandfather with a pout. "I want to learn magic! Albert's being so sly."
Luke turned to his grandson, seeking his opinion. He knew Albert had his own mind and wouldn't make decisions lightly.
"You'll have to do exactly as I say," Albert said, looking at his sister. He was genuinely curious to see if Nia had any magical talent.
"I will! I promise!" Nia nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at grain.
"You agreed too quickly. Forget it. You weren't even listening to me," Albert said, staring at his sister intently.
"No, I was listening carefully!" Nia protested.
"First, repeat after me: Fluorescent Flash."
"Fluorescent Flash," Nia repeated immediately, knowing it was a spell.
"Now, say it slowly a few more times, without making any mistakes. Otherwise, no one knows what might happen," Albert warned. "I'll lend you my wand later, but don't poke it around randomly, don't point it at people, don't cast spells carelessly, and don't throw a tantrum if you can't perform magic."
"Understood," Nia said impatiently.
"What did I just say?" Albert suddenly asked.
"Don't poke around with your wand, don't..." Nia trailed off, pouting. "I'm not you, how am I supposed to remember all that?"
"If you can't remember, I can't give you my wand," Albert said sternly.
"But..." Nia relented. "Alright, say it again."
Watching Albert have Nia completely under his thumb, the Andersons couldn't help but chuckle. Children, after all, loved to be mischievous, and Nia was no exception.
But Albert knew how to handle her mischief.
Only after Nia had memorized his instructions did Albert hand her his wand.
Nia eagerly snatched the wand, but a stern glare from Albert made her settle down. She obediently recited the incantation and tried to cast Lumos, but the spell failed.
"Take a deep breath, focus your mind, and try again," Albert said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Lumos was one of the simplest spells. If she couldn't cast it, it might mean Nia lacked the aptitude to become a wizard.
"Lumos!" Nia tried several more times, but none of her attempts succeeded.
"You're getting anxious, Nia. Don't be. The more anxious you are, the more likely you are to fail." Albert ruffled his sister's hair and turned to look at his grandfather.
Luke shook his head at him, and Albert knew exactly what that meant.
"Do I not have the talent to become a wizard?" Nia wailed, her face crumpled with sadness.
"I don't know," Albert said soothingly. "Maybe it's just because you're still young."
"Liar! Albert always lies! I must not have the talent to become a wizard!" Nia threw down her wand and ran off.
Albert picked up the wand with a helpless sigh and watched her disappear. He was about to chase after her.
Children are such a hassle.
"I'll go find Nia," Luke said, rising to his feet and heading in the direction his granddaughter had run. He understood exactly how she was feeling right now.