Chapter 116: Invitation
Chapter 116: Invitation
Belby looked at him in confusion. "You want me to go back to the furnace and be remade?"
"Let's find a place to sit and chat. How about the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade?" Felix suggested.
"Sure thing." Belby spoke to his brother briefly and then quickly joined Felix.
Snape had already left, so the two of them used apparition to arrive directly at the Three Broomsticks pub.
"That was an incredible experience, Felix. I didn't feel any discomfort at all", Belby marveled. "I usually don't use it for my travels unless it's absolutely necessary..."
Felix and Belby entered the pub. It was a weekend, and the place was filled with young wizards from Hogwarts, mostly couples. They looked surprised as Professor Hep and a stranger walked in.
"Is that Professor Hep's friend?" Crema Vera wondered, while the girl next to her stared curiously at the two men.
Felix chose a corner table. Madame Rosmerta came over to take their order and brought their drinks within a minute.
"A cup of mead."
"A pear and lemon cordial."
She turned and left.
Felix tapped the table, and the surrounding noise suddenly dimmed.
"Felix, what's going on?"
"It's best if the young wizards don't overhear our conversation", Felix said, nodding toward a few curious young wizards nearby, some of whom he recognized.
Next, Felix filled him in on the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's situation.
"Ah, I see... I haven't really paid much attention to that", Belby said.
"There's something important I need to warn you about, regarding the rumors that this course is cursed..." Felix avoided mentioning Voldemort, referring to the curse's source as a powerful wizard.
"Um..." Belby hesitated. "So, according to you, I only need to teach for a few months, and the curse won't affect me?"
"Based on the past few decades, that seems to be the case. Most of the wizards who have taught Defense Against the Dark Arts are still alive and well, except for a few—"
"But they all had their own reasons. Damocles, you are an excellent wizard, and your teaching period will be much shorter, so the risk is almost negligible."
Felix spoke sincerely. "Hogwarts has the largest collection of books in the world. I think it would be very beneficial for you at this stage."
Because they were friends, he gave this advice. He knew how passionate Damocles was about potions and how extensive the library at Hogwarts was.
In a way, they were kindred spirits, both climbing the mountain of magic.
Belby's eyes lit up. "Indeed... I've spent over a decade researching the Wolfsbane Potion, and the biggest challenge has always been the lack of similar research materials."
Potion masters are generally quite reclusive wizards, with limited social interactions. This is partly due to the nature of potions—brewing one can take one or two months, and making improvements requires hundreds of trials.
His thoughts began to race. Perhaps he could use this time to recharge—'recharge' was a term he had picked up from the Muggle world.
Moreover, there was another potion master at Hogwarts with whom he could exchange ideas;
And the dual allure of the Forbidden Forest and Professor Sprout's greenhouse...
"If I agree to teach, do you have any advice, Felix?" Belby asked, already feeling swayed.
Felix thought for a moment and said, "I suggest you prepare a few magical defensive items—I can provide them. No, no, don't worry, I just like to be proactive in dealing with potential issues." He added, noticing Belby's expression.
"Secondly, when you talk to Dumbledore, ask him for more details about the course, especially about the former Defense Against the Dark Arts professors—how they are doing now. You might even visit some of them."
"Finally, prepare in advance. The young wizards at Hogwarts might surprise you with their level of skill."
Belby smiled. "I graduated from Hogwarts too, Felix. I know what my level was back then."
……
That day, Felix told Dumbledore about it.
"So, we will soon be welcoming an excellent professor?" Dumbledore's face lit up with surprise. "To be honest, I was just about to send out the job advertisement."
"Headmaster Dumbledore, Belby is just considering it. You’ll need to discuss the specifics with him. I won’t be involved in that. However, he is one of my few close friends, and I hope you can ensure his safety."
Dumbledore's deep blue eyes looked at Felix, and he smiled warmly. "Of course."
Over the next few days, Felix didn’t pay much attention to the matter. He continued his regular routine of teaching, answering questions, and studying magic.
This rhythmic life made him lose track of time.
A week passed quickly.
On a sunny afternoon, the snow on the castle began to melt, with melting snow water trickling down the eaves.
The Weasley Twins cornered him after class.
They playfully handed him two coins, and Felix took them, suspecting they had somehow broken their "Hot Knuts."
But to his surprise, the coins were intact and had something extra.
Felix rubbed the Warmnut in his hand and looked at the twins, who returned his gaze with mischievous eyes.
"Is this a test?"
He felt the magic inside and, after a few seconds, he pinched one of the coins and infused it with Magic. The other Warmnut quickly became scalding hot, and its surface became uneven.
Felix examined the coin closely. Several abbreviated letters appeared on the scalding coin, and he tried to decipher them. The most fitting sentence was—
'Filch is coming, run!'
Felix: "…This is your night-walking gadget?"
"Uh, Professor Hep", Fred said, "don’t you think this could be a useful emergency item? Aurors could use it during raids on the dark market, to patch up defense gaps, for example."
"Or for couples to send secret signals. The words are just placeholders", George added.
Ha ha.
Felix didn’t buy it. They must have created this primarily for night-walking.
And what dark market… I think you’re implying something.
But— their ideas were quite innovative. As they mentioned, both scenarios had some practical potential.
"So, why did you come to me?" he asked.
"Professor Hep, we’ve run into some problems. For instance, the words on the coins are fixed, and we can’t change them."
"The coins are also too small to write much on."
"Right, we hope to develop a two-way communication device, something like a two-way mirror, but—"
"—cheaper!"
"—easier to make!"
They looked at Professor Hep eagerly, hoping he could help them with their dilemma.
Over the years, many of the twins’ prank gadgets were self-developed, but many ideas remained unrealized and were shelved.
Fortunately, Professor Hep had promised to be available for their questions whenever they needed help.
After the twins finished speaking, Felix fell into deep thought, standing motionless.
A few minutes later—
The twins exchanged glances, and Fred said hesitantly, "We just need a little hint…"
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Reader note: Belby’s name is Damocles Belby. I missed a character earlier…
Now, I’ll correct it.
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(End of Chapter)
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