Soon, Professor Snape strode into the room with brisk steps. As his wand swished through the air, the windows closed tightly and the curtains drew shut. A heavy and eerie atmosphere settled upon the entire classroom, and the young wizards fell instantly silent.
Hermione promptly closed her book, ready to focus on the lesson.
After finishing their first Herbology class of the afternoon, the trio was quite exhausted as they hurried to the Great Hall for the Charms lesson. The hall had transformed significantly; four long tables were moved to the corners, leaving a circular raised platform in the center, about twenty feet in diameter and three feet high.
"What's that?" Ron inquired.
"Perhaps it's where the professor will stand? Seems like there's quite a crowd today," Harry glanced around. Merlin's beard, most of the school's students had gathered, including many first and second-year witches and wizards.
Is he really this popular, or is it another Lockhart situation? Harry mumbled to himself.
While Harry was only thinking that, Ron had already spoken it aloud, muttering, "It couldn't be another Lockhart, could it?"
"No, it's not. I've had contact with Professor Harp, and his nonverbal spells are extraordinary! And unlike Lockhart, he..." Hermione started hesitatingly.
"What kind of spells?" Harry didn't catch that.
"Nonverbal spells. Some particularly skilled wizards can cast various curses without uttering an incantation, making it exceptionally convenient to hex people silently," Ron explained.
Both of them missed the young witch's opinion on Lockhart.
Is there even a need to discuss this matter?
Hermione shot Ron a glance.
Harry, on the other hand, contemplated a bit more. So, this professor sounds promising, then? He felt a bit more anticipation for the upcoming Charms class.
Honestly, neither he nor Ron wanted to come, does this even concern them? They were dragged here by Hermione's insistence; according to her, "It's important for third-years to learn about elective courses in advance, isn't it?"
And Hermione also wanted to assess Felix's teaching abilities. Although she had already read Felix's work, "Exploring Ancient Magical Texts," which had bolstered her confidence in this new professor.
Hmm, just like her confidence in Professor Lockhart.
Ten more minutes passed, during which a steady stream of students arrived. Several professors also joined in, as if it weren't a class but a grand party.
Harry caught sight of Lockhart and quickly lowered his head, avoiding the gaze of this professor caught in "controversy."
Meeting him is never a good thing!
These days, he had been in quite some discomfort. The sources of his distress were threefold: Quidditch training, Lockhart, and a first-year newcomer named Colin Creevey.
Except for Quidditch training, which was both painful and exhilarating, the other two, he did his best to steer clear of!
Right on time, Felix's figure appeared. He was dressed in a light blue robe – the same color as his eyes. His hair was slightly ruffled, and he wore a gentle smile, appearing to be about seventeen or eighteen years old.
He really does resemble Lockhart!
Whispers from many lower-year students filled the air; they were truly taken aback by this appearance.
Felix made his way through the crowd, gracefully leaped onto the platform, wand in hand. He surveyed the surroundings, and gradually, the crowd grew hushed.
In Harry's eyes, the professor used his wand to trace a mysterious symbol. The next moment, his voice resonated in his ears – not loud, but incredibly clear, as if the professor was speaking right beside him.
"We shall officially begin the class."
Felix Harp gazed at the young wizards below. "I, Felix Harp, currently hold the position of professor for the subject Ancient Magical Scripts." He waved his wand, tracing his own name in the air.
Without delay, he posed the first question.
"Who can tell me what Ancient Magical Scripts are?"
Swish!
Instinctively, Hermione raised her hand. Before she could even process it, her body acted on its own.
"Miss Granger," Felix nodded in her direction.
Hermione spoke up, "Ancient Magical Scripts, also known as Ancient Runes, were a type of language used by wizards hundreds of years ago. Ancient wizards used it to record magic. Consequently, modern wizards primarily study how to translate these magical manuscripts. However, Ancient Magical Scripts were also a source of power for ancient wizards."
She added the last sentence after reading "Exploring Ancient Magical Texts."
"Very well, Gryffindor, 5 points."
Felix began to explain the history and evolution of Ancient Magical Scripts. He moved swiftly; these details were not of great importance, at least, not in his estimation.
The young wizards couldn't retain such intricate details anyway.
"You need to remember one thing – Ancient Magical Scripts are a bridge, connecting ancient magic to modern magic, and furthermore, connecting ancient alchemy to modern alchemy."
Seeing the young wizards below buzzing with discussion, Felix nodded in satisfaction.
"But Professor, why do we mostly learn how to translate Ancient Magical Scripts?" a Ravenclaw senior student raised her hand and questioned.
Felix looked at her, "There are primarily two reasons."
"The first reason is that the translation-focused approach is indeed the prevailing viewpoint in the current magical world."
"In my opinion, Ancient Magical Scripts can be divided into two aspects: ancient language and magical text. The former was a language used by ancient wizards, while the latter was a form of power they mastered. However, over the course of many centuries, they blended together, making it difficult for later generations to distinguish between them."
"The former represents the mainstream viewpoint – they inherit and study ancient magical manuscripts. This is genuinely useful; after all, much of our knowledge about ancient wizards comes from these individuals."
"This route is relatively straightforward for beginners; even you, as you are now, can follow it."
"But if you wish to directly harness the power of ancient wizards through Ancient Magical Scripts, it's extremely, extremely difficult. Not only do you need exceptional magical proficiency, but you also require remarkable research skills."
The young wizards listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion. They grasped the gist of it. The study of Ancient Magical Scripts can be approached in two main ways: translation-focused, which is easier to start with and doesn't demand much from the wizard's individual aptitude; and power-focused, which is much harder to pursue, only suited for the elite and scholarly.
Felix paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in, before smiling and saying, "Returning to the previous question, as for the second reason—because there are no exams for it."
The young wizards suddenly found themselves speechless; this reason was quite strong.
"However, personally, I believe…" Felix continued, "that providing you with practical applications in delving a bit into Ancient Magical Scripts will effectively ignite your enthusiasm for this subject."
"Are you going to teach us ancient magic?" one of the twins exclaimed.
Felix shook his head, "No, ancient magic is renowned for its great power and difficulty to tame. I have no intention of imparting such knowledge to you all. Moreover, my research in this area has only just begun."
"Alright! The theoretical part concludes here. As an introductory class, I won't delve too deep into the specialized knowledge—"
"Next, it's time for a demonstration."
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