A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 391: Persuasion

Evening had fallen.

Felix emerged from the Great Hall after finishing his dinner and was intercepted in the corridor by the anxious Cedric and Roger Davies.

"Weather magic? That's quite an obscure branch of magic," Felix looked at Cedric with some surprise.

"I think it's well-suited for the first task," Cedric said with clarity. "When you can't overpower, you can try circumventing with tactics like concealment, obscuring sight, and the like. I found a spell in the library these past days, Fog Veil. It can create a mist out of thin air. That way, I won't need to rely on the combination of the Aguamenti spell and the Exploding Charm anymore."

"Are you thinking of delving deep into this?" Felix thought carefully for a moment and then spoke slowly, "It's not a bad idea, but keep in mind that dragon flames can counteract mist. Have you considered that?"

"Professor Flitwick gave me some advice. He said the essential spells for dragon tamers are Extinguishing Charms, specialized magic to extinguish the flames of dragons."

Felix nodded approvingly. "That's true, but it requires a lot of practice."

"Exactly. The spell is quite challenging. We're not sure if we can reach the proficiency of those dragon tamers before the tournament. So, we need a backup plan. In the Room of Requirement, we've been studying dragons extensively, learning the specifics about each breed. Collins came up with an idea—"

"Why isn't she here?"

"Oh, uh, she confiscated a batch of unauthorized badges and is filling out forms…"

Felix nodded slightly. "Go on, what's her idea?"

"Professor Sprout's Greenhouse Eight inspired her. You know, there are a total of seven greenhouses in the school. Counting the virtual one in Room of Requirement, that makes eight…" Cedric explained. "Professor Sprout's memory replica has conjured numerous rare magical plants, but the rarer they are, the more… peculiar they tend to be."

He carefully selected his words. He, Roger, and Collins had tried once and were soundly taught a lesson by the powerful and odd magical plants inside. Devil's Snare, Whomping Willow, Blackthorn, Exploding Berries, Spurt, and countless others they didn't even recognize.

It was only when Sprout's memory replica came out that they were rescued. Roger Davies had been swallowed by a giant umbrella-like plant, leaving only his legs flailing outside. Though they knew he wasn't in mortal danger, the experience left them quite shaken.

This experience made Cedric a bit wary of their usually cheerful head of house.

However, precisely due to that memorable challenge, they instinctively leaned toward that direction as they studied dragon lore and thought of strategies.

"Professor Sprout was a bit reluctant," Cedric took out some blackish clumps from his pocket, "but she still gave us some precious Blackthorn seeds."

He looked at Roger Davies beside him. "Roger knows Growth Charms and is decent at potion-making. Following Professor Sprout's method, we can cultivate a batch of fast-growing Blackthorns."

"The only drawback is that this approach can't become a standard method against opponents. Blackthorn seeds are precious, and using potions and Growth Charms damages their original structure, causing them to wither quickly."

Felix pondered for a moment in his mind. Wasn't that similar to what his little assistant had in her bead bag? Her bag even contained some Devil's Snare, though it was processed with ancient runes.

Felix thought quietly for a moment and then looked at the two of them.

"I originally planned to cover this part during the weekend, explaining the mutual restraints and cooperation of spells, testing the spells you excel at, devising strategies based on your strengths, and then practicing repeatedly using the advantage of Room of Requirement. But since you've already developed your own ideas…" Felix pulled out a piece of parchment and quickly wrote down the names of a few books and a string of spells.

"There's some material on weather magic here. You can take a look." Suddenly, he frowned and retracted the extended piece of parchment. "I digressed a bit. When it comes to expertise in weather magic, apart from the tent merchant, Newt Scamander comes to mind."

"Mr. Scamander?" Cedric and Roger Davies looked at him curiously.

"Ah, yes," Felix's expression became reminiscent. "He and his wife live in Dorset. I visited them once during the holidays, and that's where I learned this. They have a massive underground chamber expanded with Undetectable Extension Charms. It's filled with magical creatures from all around the world that need care."

Cedric and Roger Davies blinked, seemingly realizing something.

"As you might know, different magical creatures thrive in different environments. For this reason, Newt has divided the area into multiple sections, each with distinct terrain and weather. There are volcanoes, pools, thunderclouds, dense forests… It's not vast, but it's incredibly comprehensive."

"We completely overlooked this!" Cedric exclaimed with excitement. He glanced at Roger Davies. Both of them seemed to have had the same idea: they were itching to go to the Room of Requirement right now.

As they left in their excited state, Felix pondered, realizing he hadn't paid much attention in the past few days. He hadn't expected these young champions to be so proactive. Were Harry and the others the same way?

Were they also working hard behind the scenes?

He pursed his lips, good students with initiative were a joy to teach. He began to look forward to tomorrow.

However, tonight he had an important meeting to attend.

Late at night, the darkness was profound, shrouded in a misty haze.

The November night was already quite cold, especially on the exposed mountaintop where the wind howled and trees swayed like ghostly shadows.

Felix Harp sat on a bare rock, mentally calculating the time of the full moon. Unbeknownst to him, the time had passed eleven o'clock.

"Psst!"

Suddenly, a figure emerged, wearing a hood and a valuable fur-lined cloak.

Felix glanced at the stranger. "Lucius, your cane looks quite exquisite."

"It's a wand."

Lucius lowered his hood, speaking deliberately. His pale blond hair looked silver-gray in the night. He exhaled a cold breath, meeting Felix's eyes and shivered unexpectedly, emitting a muted groan.

"Legilimens?" he said irritably.

"Relax, I don't usually resort to such rough methods. But given that you seek to collaborate with me, I need to test your capabilities first… It's the foundation of any cooperation."

Lucius frowned.

He realized something was amiss. Prior to this, or more accurately, before the Quidditch World Cup, his attitude toward Felix had been neither too warm nor too distant. Except for representing a few pure-blood families at Sirius Black's brother Regulus Black's funeral, where he attempted to integrate a dazzling new star into his group, he had not taken any significant actions.

Unfortunately, that attempt had failed.

However, later on, Felix had subtly indicated his willingness to collaborate. His style of speaking at that funeral was quite familiar to Lucius. In his imagination, Felix was preparing to enter politics and join the Ministry of Magic. Of course, he wouldn't bother with ordinary positions; it would have to be the Minister's position, likely even the seat Fudge held.

To become Minister of Magic, one would inevitably require support from a portion of the families. And Malfoy had the power to sway a significant number of people's attitudes.

But that wasn't the only possibility. Because at some point, Felix's personal influence had become extremely far-reaching. Lucius gazed at Felix with his astute, calculating eyes. He had a vague sense that Felix was emulating someone.

Dumbledore!

Same academic achievements, same impressive abilities, same fondness for Muggles, and even—both became professors at Hogwarts, nurturing generations of students inclined toward them.

The only difference was that Felix also opened a company, managed by that werewolf.

How could Lucius not know who Lupin was? A member of the first generation of the Order of the Phoenix. For Felix to employ someone recommended by Dumbledore, what did that signify?

Carefully savoring the implications behind Felix's words, beads of fine sweat formed on Lucius Malfoy's forehead in the cold wind. He contemplated for a while, then smoothly spoke, "You must have misspoken, Mr. Harp. It is you who seeks to collaborate with the Malfoy family."

"Oh, really," Felix said softly. "It seems you're not aware of how perilous your situation is. Putting aside your despicable conduct at the Quidditch World Cup, even though I'm quite tempted to cast a hex on you… Let me remind you of something—the diary."

Lucius Malfoy's face turned ashen in an instant. "Mr. Harp, I fail to understand your meaning."

"There are certain matters I won't divulge, as they involve your son and my students. In this regard, our intentions align." Felix said, "However, I need you to be clear about where the danger lies, so you won't remain oblivious during the reckoning."

"The Chamber of Secrets has nothing to do with the Malfoy family, even less so with Draco." Lucius tightened his grip on his splendid wand. "Moreover, that person is already dead!"

Felix gazed deeply at him. "If you wish to believe that, feel free. But it doesn't stop you from pondering it when you have spare time. Now, allow me to tell you a story, about a clever young wizard who—coincidentally—had the same hair color as you…"

"...and thus, he triumphed over one of Voldemort's Horcruxes—the diary that contained his precious memories." Felix didn't mention Horcruxes, but Lucius's face had already drained of color. "As a professor at the school, I saw through the malevolence of that dark magical object and destroyed it without hesitation. In doing so, together with this astute young wizard, I protected all the students in the school, particularly those from Muggle backgrounds."

"A splendid victory, wouldn't you say, Lucius?"

>

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