A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 89: Philosophies

Kingsley looked at Felix Harp, hesitating slightly, "I know your name, Felix Harp, but she's not an easy person to deal with... That woman is as bold as they come. Even if it's Minister Fudge himself, she might not listen."

Felix remained silent.

Dumbledore observed the scene, blinking his deep blue eyes. He connected this with Rita Skeeter's attitude earlier, and he had some guesses forming.

The old man bent down to carefully examine Fudge's condition and said, "The Basilisk is indeed a dreadful creature. Even without considering its gaze, its venom is extremely rare."

"Indeed," Kingsley nodded.

"But even the most potent venom pales in comparison to the desires of the human heart, just as Voldemort." Dumbledore said calmly, "As his power grew, so did his desires, crossing one boundary after another until he had no restraint left."

"Voldemort has glamorized his actions. He once said, 'Magic is might.' Felix, what's your take on that?"

Felix replied in a light, drifting manner, "Magic can bear many things – ambition, dreams, power, authority, awe... But these are just landscapes on the journey. You can pause briefly, but ultimately, you must move forward."

"Personally, I believe that magic is just magic, without the need or necessity to attach other accessories." He lifted his head, meeting Dumbledore's calm gaze.

Kingsley listened with puzzlement to the conversation between the two. How did they transition from a Basilisk to a mysterious figure? Wasn't he supposed to be dead long ago?

"Knock, knock!"

The infirmary's door swung open, and Lucius Malfoy tapped on it with his wand. He raised his head slightly, keeping half his face in the shadows. "Dumbledore, I need to speak with you privately."

"Ah, welcome, Lucius, welcome." Dumbledore stood up eagerly and walked out with him.

Felix also took his leave at an opportune moment.

Walking through the corridor that connected the Great Hall, Felix happened to catch a glimpse of Rita Skeeter's figure. She seemed extremely flustered, her makeup smudged on her face.

What was going on?

"Rita." Felix emerged from the shadows, startling her.

"Felix Harp! You, I..." Rita Skeeter stammered.

Something was amiss...

Felix looked into her eyes, his pale blue eyes faintly glowing.

Nervous, fierce, relieved...

What had she done?

He hesitated whether to delve deeper – there was a risk of being discovered. But Rita Skeeter lowered her head to avoid his gaze, "Apologies, Mr. Harp, I have something to attend to, a deadline to meet..." She hurriedly left.

"Rita," Felix called after her, "regarding Minister Fudge's injury, I hope it won't cause too much turmoil."

Rita Skeeter turned away from him, a cunning smile playing on her lips, "Mr. Harp, or should I say Felix, are you asking me to conceal the truth?"

"As long as you don't exaggerate or distort the facts, you know my stance."

Once she was gone, Felix sighed. He should refocus his attention on magical linguistics research.

However, there was also the matter of the Dueling class that needed resolving.

With the new term starting, he had to finalize the schedule and curriculum for the Dueling class.

After having lunch in the Great Hall, Felix descended into the castle's underground, ready to discuss the teaching content with Professor Snape.

Snape, clad in his black robes, welcomed him with an expressionless face.

"Please, have a seat, Felix."

Snape lifted the hem of his wizarding robe and sat across from Felix Harp. He waved his wand, causing a few pieces of parchment to float onto the table in front of them.

"These are some of my..." Snape stared into Felix's eyes, "...insights."

Felix picked up the parchment and examined it carefully, playfully remarking, "Professor, didn't you even offer a cup of tea?"

Snape curled the corner of his mouth, "You've never drunk anything I personally handed you."

Felix pursed his lips and fell silent.

During his school days, Snape had frightened him with Veritaserum, and this Christmas, he had received a small bottle of highly concentrated Veritaserum. He didn't dare to try any drink he received from him.

He carefully read through the contents on the parchment.

"Professor, are you suggesting that we learn one spell per class?" Felix looked at Snape with some confusion.

"Felix, many spells related to dueling come with a certain level of danger. If you don't slow down, they will bring you various unexpected surprises." Snape emphasized the word 'surprises.'

Felix pondered for a moment, "So, one class every two weeks. That means we'll learn two spells per month."

Snape said indifferently, "In one school year, you can learn more than a dozen spells. As long as they're well-balanced, they can provide complete protection." He added with his usual sarcastic tone, "Some students graduate without even being able to perform a proper Shield Charm."

Indeed, that was the reality of Hogwarts. Peace had lasted for too long, and young wizards were learning spells just to pass exams.

Once the exams were over, obscure spells were left by the wayside.

According to the normal teaching order, fourth-year students should have mastered the Shield Charm. Unfortunately, this spell was taught in the Dark Arts Defense class, and as for that class at Hogwarts...

It was a complex situation.

Many fifth-year students reached the peak of their spellcasting abilities, as according to the requirements of the Ordinary Wizarding Level (OWLs) exams, core subjects had to be examined, which naturally included Dark Arts Defense, Charms, Transfiguration, and other practical courses.

However, after fifth year, students started choosing advanced classes based on their grades and career plans. Some less academically inclined students might only take one or two courses.

If they happened to choose theory-heavy subjects, their spellcasting ability would plummet drastically, like a dive.

By the time they graduated, they would likely have returned most of the spells they had learned to their professors.

Felix brushed his ring on his left hand and pulled out a stack of parchment, saying, "Professor, this is my teaching plan for the first spell. I'd appreciate any feedback."

Snape took the parchment, casually flipping through two pages, but then his expression became serious.

"This is..."

Snape buried his head in the parchment, immersing himself in the magical skill tree that Felix had constructed. He occasionally wielded his wand, making motions in the air.

"Felix, is this how you understand the spell?"

Felix replied gently, "It's just my personal understanding of learning spells. There might be some gaps."

Snape's finger traced the parchment, swiftly reconstructing the spell in his mind.

After a while, he waved his wand, emitting a dazzling red light that sent a chair three meters away flying, breaking it into pieces mid-air.

"Professor Snape, what was that?" Felix asked him. The spell he just cast wasn't too strong; in fact, it was too weak! It didn't even match the Disarming Charm's intensity when he defeated Lockhart.

Snape contemplated deeply within himself and then slowly opened his eyes. "I just suppressed my knowledge of the Disarming Charm and reconstructed it according to your design."

It suddenly dawned on Felix.

Snape was not only a Potions Master but also had a profound understanding of spells.

He had used memory magic to suppress his own understanding of the Disarming Charm and then relearned it according to Felix's plan in an extremely short time.

This wasn't particularly difficult for Snape; he had all his accumulated magical knowledge, related theories, and techniques. After some contemplation, he effortlessly cast the spell according to Felix's plan.

A different young wizard wouldn't be able to do something similar.

Snape's action further validated the feasibility of Felix's theory. The current success rate remained astonishingly at one hundred percent.

However, Felix's focus shifted soon enough. He began to inquire about the practical techniques of memory magic from Snape...

He had something to attend to in the morning, so Chapter Two would have to be moved to the afternoon.

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