THE ALCHEMIST OF HARRY POTTER

"This is called Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans," Lee Jordan said, shaking the colorful box and handing it to the others. "There are all sorts of flavors in here—go on, try one."

"You'll want to be careful with these," George warned. "When they say every flavor, they really mean every flavor."

"Yeah, not just normal ones like chocolate, mint, or orange marmalade," Fred added. "There are also disgusting ones—spinach, liver, even tripe. Oh, and watch out for earwax!" He grabbed a bean and tossed it into his mouth. "Pumpkin! Lucky me."

Albert picked up a grayish one. "What about this?"

"Pepper," George said. "I wouldn't eat that if I were you. Trust me, I had one once—it tasted like burnt chicken."

Albert put it down and instead picked up something pink and round. "And this?"

"That's a Drooble's Best Blowing Gum," Fred said. "It lets you blow enormous bubbles that last for hours."

Albert nodded, then spotted something familiar. "I recognize this—Chocolate Frogs. I tried one last time."

"Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, and Licorice Wands," George said, pointing to the other sweets. "Some change your tongue color, and some make weird sounds when you eat them."

"Yeah, and these—Animal Sound Sweets," Fred added, shaking a box. "They make you roar like a beast for a few seconds."

Curious, Albert unwrapped one and held it up. "What sound does this make?"

"Dunno," Lee said.

"How long does it last?"

"Just a few seconds."

Albert popped the candy into his mouth—and suddenly let out a loud lion's roar. The others burst into laughter.

"Try one!" Albert urged.

George's candy made him screech like a baboon, Fred's made him meow like a cat, and Lee Jordan was the unlucky one—his made him trumpet like an elephant. His face turned red as his ears let out two puffs of smoke, making the others howl with laughter.

"I should've bought more," Albert mused. He got up, found the trolley witch again, and returned with another pack.

"For my sister," he said with a grin when the others gave him questioning looks.

But he wasn't about to eat sweets for lunch. He pulled out the sandwich his cousin Daisy had packed for him and took a bite, ignoring the confused stares of the others.

"You brought food, so why did you buy so much?" Lee asked.

"Because it's interesting," Albert replied. "If I find something cool, I send some home." He picked up a small can. "Want to try this?"

"What's that?"

"A drink—probably one you haven't had before." Albert had also bought a glass of pumpkin juice, but he found its taste odd—almost like unsweetened soy milk.

The twins curiously inspected the can. "How do you open it?"

"There's a pull-tab on top. Just don't shake it," Albert warned. But it was too late—Fred yanked the tab, and the soda sprayed everywhere.

"I told you not to shake it," Albert said, laughing as he took the half-empty can from Fred.

He pulled out his wand and casually cleaned the spilled drink from the table and The Daily Prophet. "Want to taste it?"

Then, with a flick of his wand, he tapped the candy wrapper on the table, transforming it into a plastic cup.

"Whoa!" the twins gasped dramatically.

"What?" Albert asked, puzzled by their reaction. He tapped the cup again, making three identical copies. "Engorgio duplicem."

"You just used magic!" Fred gawked.

"Yeah," Albert said nonchalantly. "It's useful to know a few tricks."

"'Useful'?!" Lee Jordan groaned. "You do realize you're a Muggle-born, right?"

"So?" Albert raised an eyebrow.

"There's no way a first-year should be able to do that already!"

"You're exaggerating," Albert said, brushing it off. "Anyway, try the soda." He poured some into the cups.

"It's… different."

"Tastes a little like butterbeer, but not quite."

"You've had butterbeer?" Albert asked, intrigued.

"George snuck some once."

"You drank it too!"

"Well, you're not Muggles, so it makes sense if you're not used to soda," Albert reasoned. It was the same for him with pumpkin juice.

"That's not the point," Lee said. "How did you do that? Transfiguration is supposed to be really hard!"

Albert frowned. "Is it? Doesn't seem that hard." He remembered practicing the match-to-needle transformation all summer. After a week, he had been able to transfigure small objects with ease.

"Changing a match into a needle took a while, but once you get the hang of it, it's simple."

"A while?" The three exchanged looks.

They suddenly felt like failures.

"Are you sure it's that easy?"

"Well, how much magic do you know?" George asked weakly.

"I've tried everything in our textbooks," Albert said, puzzled. "Didn't you practice over the summer?"

"Our parents wouldn't let us use our wands."

"You could've sneaked in some practice," Albert said, baffled. "Didn't you buy a wand?"

Fred hesitated. "Wait… you actually succeeded?"

"Mostly," Albert said. "I even met another Hogwarts student over the summer—we exchanged letters, and he taught me a few spells."

A sudden crack of thunder shook the train. Rain pounded against the windows, growing heavier by the second.

"Even the weather's shocked," Fred muttered.

Lee quickly shut the window to keep the rain out.

"Hope it stops before we reach Hogwarts," Albert said, tossing a Chocolate Frog into his mouth. Long train rides were so dull.

The others had gone oddly quiet.

"What's up with you three?" Albert asked, puzzled.

"Nothing," Fred finally said. "It's just… I get the feeling you're going to be somebody one day."

Albert smirked. "I feel the same way."

The three choked on their snacks.

Albert laughed. "Just kidding. No one knows the future."

The rest of the trip was spent eating snacks and talking about the wizarding world. Albert mostly listened as the others animatedly discussed Quidditch—the four balls, the seven players, and the strategy of the game.

The twins were eager to join the Gryffindor team, but they had to wait until their second year.

"I just want to know what flying feels like," Albert mused. "Though riding a broom sounds… strange."