As George had said, getting a pair of ice skates wasn't difficult.
Albert borrowed skates from Sanna, then used the Duplication Charm to produce enough pairs for all four of them.
Unfortunately, Sanna's skates were a general size, and Lee Jordan's feet were far too large. He was left standing on the shore, watching his roommates lace up and prepare to try this new sport.
"Be careful with the blades. Don't slip, and don't hurt yourselves," Albert warned Fred and George loudly. "It's better to practice apart from the crowd."
"Can't you resize them for me?" Lee Jordan asked, frustrated at being left behind.
"Borrow another pair and I'll duplicate them," Albert replied, fastening his brown boots and bending his knees inward, beginning to adjust to the feeling of gliding on ice.
George tried to walk and nearly twisted his ankle. Fred fared worse—he fell flat on the ice, grimacing in pain.
"How annoying. This guy really knows everything," Fred muttered as Lee Jordan helped him up.
"Watch out, don't step on my foot!" Lee Jordan barked.
"Are you two alright?" Sanna skated over and stopped in front of them.
"I warned them," Albert said, shaking his head. "It's normal to fall a few times at the start."
"You really can skate," Sanna exclaimed, impressed by Albert's smooth movements. "You really do know everything!"
"I used to. My family taught me," Albert lied.
In truth, he had no talent for skating. After several falls during practice, he grew so frustrated that he upgraded his ice skating skill to Level 1 using his panel.
"Which of you is going to teach us how to use these things?" George shouted.
"I can't help you," Albert shrugged. "My skating skills are terrible." He nodded again for emphasis. "Yes, terrible."
"Are you here to skate too?" Mario called, gliding up with Danny and Jack. The acrobatic trio were already skating with ease, striking poses as if performing for an audience.
Albert thought they could form a team and compete internationally.
"Mario, can you teach us?" George asked quickly.
"I only started recently myself," Mario admitted.
"That's fine. We can try," Danny added. "But we can't guarantee you'll learn. Skating takes talent."
The Gryffindor boys didn't mind helping—their camaraderie was strong.
Seeing the Weasleys occupied, Albert turned to Sanna. "Want to skate a lap around the Black Lake?"
"I'll pass," Sanna said politely, glancing around.
"See you later." Albert waved and pushed off, skating along the vast Black Lake. Many students were gathered near the castle shore, enjoying the frozen surface.
The lake was smooth, and Albert glided easily, taking in the scenery. The feeling was novel. He thought most students had never truly appreciated Hogwarts from the lake's edge. If only I had a camera, he mused.
After circling the lake, Albert encountered familiar faces—the red-haired MacDougall sisters from Ravenclaw.
Katrina had just let go of Isabelle's hand when she slipped and fell hard.
Albert quickly skated wide to avoid colliding with her. Beginners were dangerous; you never knew when they'd fall—or drag you down with them.
"Are you alright?" Albert asked, seeing Isabelle make no move to help. He reached out and pulled Katrina up.
"Thank you," Katrina said, embarrassed to be seen in such a state.
"You're welcome," Albert replied, wondering if he should let go—she looked ready to topple again.
"Katrina, I don't think you have much talent for this," Isabelle said helplessly.
"Long time no see, Isabelle," Albert said. "I read your thesis—it was excellent. What a shame."
"Thank you," Isabelle nodded. "I never thought I'd be considered for the Transfiguration Today Most Promising Newcomer Award. It's still too early."
"You two know each other?" Katrina asked.
"Yes, we're both in Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration Club," Albert explained.
"Albert is a Transfiguration genius," Isabelle added suddenly.
"Do you two enjoy flattering each other?" Katrina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's not flattery—it's fact," Isabelle said firmly. "By the way, my thesis used part of your theory."
"I don't mind," Albert waved it off. "Professor McGonagall told me, and I agreed. It's all from books anyway."
"See you at the next club meeting," Albert said, handing Katrina's hand back to Isabelle before skating away.
"Albert!" Isabelle called after him. "I heard you're familiar with Professor Broad?"
Albert froze, puzzled. "Not very. I've been to his office a few times to discuss Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"He seems to think highly of you," Isabelle said meaningfully.
"What do you mean?" Albert asked, confused.
"Professor Broad is a famous wizard. Befriend him, and you'll learn a lot. If you want to improve, you need to communicate with talented people," Isabelle advised.
"Thank you for the reminder," Albert said, still bewildered, before skating off.
Is Broad really just a famous wizard? Albert wondered. He resolved to research him later. Something about Broad seemed strange.
By the time Albert finished his lap and returned, Lee Jordan was still struggling with Mario's help.
Fred and George, however, had long since disappeared.
"Where are the Weasley brothers?" Albert asked.
"They gave up," Danny shrugged. "Only Lee Jordan is still persisting—but he's fallen quite a bit."