After the Thanksgiving show, Alexander didn't meet the group in their usual spot.
Instead, Lee helped him sneak into the Gryffindor Common Room.
The moment Alexander stepped inside, a group of Gryffindor students cheered.
"Great show!"
"That was amazing!"
"The animals were incredible!"
Alexander laughed and waved.
"I'm glad everyone liked it."
A familiar cackling voice echoed through the room.
Peeves appeared floating near the ceiling.
Without warning, he dumped several huge stacks of photos onto the tables.
Then he vanished again while laughing loudly.
Alexander looked at the stacks and shook his head.
"That poltergeist really enjoys taking pictures."
He opened his briefcase and began pulling out potion bottles.
At the same time, Silver and Copper climbed out to help.
The Gryffindor students froze.
"House elves?!"
Many of them stared in shock.
Alexander waved casually.
"They're helping."
Silver and Copper bowed respectfully and immediately began organizing the photos and potions.
After a moment, the Gryffindor students quickly recovered and began helping as well.
The entire common room was working together.
Students sorted photos while Alexander and the twins handled the finishing enchantments.
Occasionally, someone would discover a picture of Alexander and Cho Chang together.
Whenever that happened, the student would quickly pass it to Alexander.
He laughed while receiving the pictures. This method spared him the need to search through thousands of pictures himself.
At one point, Alexander leaned toward the twins and whispered,
"Are you paying all of them?"
The twins grinned.
"Nope."
"They volunteered."
"We only paid a few students. The rest just wanted to help."
Alexander looked around the room.
"There are a lot more helpers this year than last year."
The twins laughed.
"The more helpers we have…"
"The faster everything gets done!"
And they were right.
Thanks to the many students helping, the work finished far earlier than usual.
Alexander made his copies, packed everything away, and returned to his dormitory for a good night's sleep.
The next morning, Hogwarts Castle felt completely different.
The tension that had filled the school earlier in the year was gone.
Students were no longer whispering in fear.
Instead, everyone was still talking excitedly about the Thanksgiving show.
When Alexander walked into the Great Hall, many students waved at him.
He waved back casually and sat down.
Beside him, Cho immediately leaned forward.
"Hurry!"
"Give me the photos!"
Alexander laughed and pulled out a large stack of enchanted photographs.
Cho eagerly began flipping through them.
She picked out the ones she liked the most while Alexander helped make copies.
Meanwhile, across the hall, chaos was already starting.
At the Gryffindor table, the twins were loudly advertising.
"Come buy your memories!"
"Look at this one!"
"Perfect gift for your girlfriend!"
Another student stepped forward.
George shouted,
"Hey! This one shows what you're thankful for!"
"Send it to your parents!"
Fred waved his hands dramatically.
"One at a time! One at a time!"
Alexander glanced over at the chaotic table and burst out laughing.
While eating and enjoying the photos together, he and Cho finished writing letters.
They selected the photos to be sent with the letters.
After finishing their meal, they stood up and began leaving the Great Hall.
By the doors of the Great Hall, they heard someone call out Alexander.
They looked over and saw Harry running over.
"Hey, Alex—can we talk?"
Alexander turned to Cho.
"Go ahead. I'll meet you at the Owlery."
Cho nodded and walked ahead.
Alexander turned back to Harry.
"What can I help you with, Harry?"
Harry hesitated for a moment before asking,
"How do you deal with it?"
Alexander raised an eyebrow.
"Deal with what?"
"All the stares," Harry said. "And people treating you differently."
Alexander laughed.
"I'm used to people treating me differently."
He shrugged confidently.
"And I accept people staring at me."
Harry looked confused.
"Why?"
Alexander grinned.
"Because they're jealous."
He gestured dramatically toward himself.
"Look at me."
"I'm handsome, rich, a strong wizard, and a star student."
He spread his arms.
"Who wouldn't want to stare at someone this awesome?!"
Harry burst out laughing.
Alexander smiled.
"Are you having a hard time?"
Harry nodded slightly.
"I'm still getting used to all the attention."
Alexander placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Fame isn't a bad thing."
"If you ever need something, let me know."
Then he gave a quick wink at Harry,
"I might only be one year older than you… But I am a star student."
Alexander laughed and walked toward the Owlery.
Harry stood there thinking.
I want to be like Alex.
I need to become more confident in myself.