Felix Harp stepped out of the Hog's Head Inn, exhaling a long breath.
Never underestimate anyone!
Look at that, even a dark wizard harbors ambitions of glimpsing the Dark Lord's secrets. Is one's own ideal of "exploring the essence of magic" perhaps too modest?
Felix pondered this seriously, ultimately concluding that his own ideals were loftier.
As for the contract with Crane, contract be damned!
Stirring up trouble right under Dumbledore's nose, did he think he was invincible?
Moreover, he had long known the answer to the problem.
What was the secret of Voldemort's leap into death? Horcruxes, of course—Felix had some concept of that. So, as long as he refrained from researching Horcruxes, the contract would naturally dissolve after a year.
Because the prophecy stated, "The Dark Lord's relic shall stay at Hogwarts for only a year," which meant it was but a passing guest. Hence, the contract between them only needed to last a year—this was Crane's idea.
Felix, on the other hand, speculated that the relic had probably been destroyed by the main group of characters.
The main group of characters never had a peaceful year at school, maybe he would only find tranquility after they graduated.
Yet this also reminded him that this year's "plot" crisis came from Voldemort's relic, the Horcrux.
Which one of the Horcruxes could it be?
This was the question Felix had been pondering since he returned to his office.
He vaguely remembered that there were seven Horcruxes in total, mostly relics of the Hogwarts Four Founders, which conveniently matched Harry and his friends' seven-year school career. Did that mean one Horcrux would be destroyed each year?
Ravenclaw's Diadem, Slytherin's Locket, Hufflepuff's Cup—these he knew. So, by that logic, Gryffindor's Sword was also a Horcrux?
Then, which one was destroyed last year? The first book seemed to be called "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," so, was the Philosopher's Stone a Horcrux?
Felix guessed irresponsibly.
The information at his disposal was quite useless, firstly because he couldn't prove what he said, as he didn't know where Voldemort had hidden the Horcruxes; secondly, it was too taboo. Felix himself was already in a precarious position, and suddenly revealing to Dumbledore that he was researching Horcruxes... well, that would not be wise, would it?
So, he decided to let things take their course, at most giving a nudge.
This also counted as a favor to his assistant (a tool), Miss Hermione Granger.
Yes, this assistant position had already been reserved for her, for reasons that were hard to put into words.
The only two remaining candidates had already dropped out: the Weasley twins had found him yesterday and voluntarily withdrawn. Because they were busy with Quidditch training this week, and they anticipated spending every weekend of the coming year on it.
From what Felix gathered, they were implying that he should put Wood, the guy named Wood, in detention for a year. That way, they'd have time to do other things.
Could he agree to that? Professors using their authority for personal gain, is that how it goes?
The main issue was the terms hadn't been settled; the time they were asking for was just too long!
For no reason at all, to lock a student in detention for a whole school year—Snape wouldn't even do that.
This left Felix rather speechless. He had initially intended to do a favor for Professor McGonagall, and it had turned into this.
Were there any promising candidates in the other houses...?
Fortunately, Miss Granger was extremely reliable. He saw her in the library every day, and it was clear she was working tirelessly, her eyes sporting three pluses of darkness.
The next day, in the library.
Another unremarkable day, Felix chose a book titled "Duelling Chronicles" from the Restricted Section and read it with relish.
This book mainly records the hidden stories of various wizarding duels throughout history. The reason it's in the Restricted Section is due to the presence of numerous mature-rated scenes. In the era when magic laws were less stringent, dark magic thrived due to its rapid learning curve, immense power, and eerie mystique. Thus, dueling back then was both bloody and brutal, and often quite bizarre.
For instance, in one image Felix Harp saw, an unfortunate wizard's head was irreversibly "pumpkinized." Not in the sense of inflating to the size of a pumpkin, but turning completely into a "vegetative state."
What's even more miraculous was that the loser remained alive, only dying three years later.
The book also contained various combat techniques, some quite extreme. Felix even came across methods of integrating curses into ordinary spells.
New skills acquired!
As noon approached, Felix left the library, ready to enjoy his lunch.
On the other side, Hermione hesitated briefly before resolutely following.
"Professor! Professor Harp."
Felix halted his steps. "Is there something you need, Miss Granger?" He hadn't informed Hermione that she was the sole candidate for the assistant position. Acquiring more knowledge was never a bad thing.
"Well, you see, I read from a book that some exceptionally gifted wizards can hear things others can't. Is that true?" Hermione asked, her breath steady.
Felix was taken aback. Could it be about The One Who Knows? But he quickly discarded that unlikely idea.
"Could you be more specific? Your conditions are quite broad."
Hermione thought for a moment and then carefully organized her words. "It's a short story, about a young wizard and... his father, transcribing materials in a castle. Suddenly, the young wizard hears something strange, but his father knows nothing about it!"
Strange, why did Hermione always hesitate on the word "father"?
The thought flashed through Felix's mind, and he considered it seriously before answering, "Many of these stories are actually fabricated, so what you heard might not necessarily be true. However, we can discuss it for now."
Hermione nodded eagerly.
"The first possibility is that the young wizard is lying, hoping to gain his father's attention. That sort of thing is quite common in the Muggle world," Felix began with what he believed to be the most likely answer.
Seeing Hermione about to interject, he shook his head. "The second possibility is that they were transcribing dangerous magical materials. You see, some ancient magical manuscripts contain magical power or have been treated by their previous owners. Unauthorized contact can easily lead to dangerous consequences."
Seeing Hermione deep in thought, he added, "The Hogwarts Restricted Section holds quite a few books of this sort."
But they're all bound by magical chains, and young wizards are strictly forbidden to peek—unless you have the professor's handwritten signature.
"The third possibility," Felix slightly raised his voice, "is that the young wizard awakened some sort of gift, such as prophecy, perception, or perhaps suddenly gained proficiency in a certain language."
"Could you elaborate, Professor?"
"Well, you know, some young wizards possess extraordinary gifts, like affinity for animals or exceptional wandless magic skills. Rarer still is the gift of prophecy; Professor Trelawney's ancestors apparently had this gift... Oh, Professor Trelawney teaches Divination; you might take her class next year."
"As for language aptitude, it's often linked to their ancestry. If their ancestors were skilled in, say, Mermish, this aptitude might be passed down to the next generation or suddenly appear in their bloodline centuries later."
Felix offered a casual example, "For instance, the young wizard in your story might have had ancestors who spoke Mermish, and that day he happened to overhear some chatty Mr. Rat's ramblings."
Hermione continued pondering even after Professor Harp's figure had left. Could it be that Harry's ancestors included an eccentric wizard who could speak Rat? She felt rather baffled.
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