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Chapter 118: Discussion (Available on the 31st)
Chapter 118: Discussion (Available on the 31st)
The day before Valentine's Day, Hogwarts was brimming with a restless, youthful energy, bringing the entire school to life.
Among the young wizards, various tips for confessing their feelings began to circulate. From the best methods and locations—under the mistletoe being the most popular—to what clothes to wear, a comprehensive set of guidelines was formed.
There was even a sudden surge in low-quality love potions. Several professors had to impose detentions on a few students to curb this trend.
As a result, the focus of the young wizards shifted to the star students of each house. They started discussing which wizard was the most handsome and which witch was the most beautiful...
Some of the more popular ones even had dedicated admirers, such as Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff. He was already very well-liked, and his talent shown in several dueling classes had quickly expanded his fame across other years and houses.
Harry was also feeling a bit troubled. The combination of his savior status and the school's special contribution award had kept his fame consistently high. After displaying the Basilisk's corpse, the fear people had for the Basilisk had transformed into a sense of awe towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
But this awe was particularly pronounced towards Harry, as he had demonstrated exceptional combat skills—his Disarming Charm even surpassed many older students.
This had earned him a group of admirers.
"Harry, those girls are looking at you again. Can't you do something about it?" Hermione said, her mood visibly irritated.
Harry looked at a group of young witches in the corner of the Library, feeling quite helpless. They were being quite bold, staring at him intently, and when he glanced their way, they would hide their faces behind their books and giggle.
Ginny was writing her homework nearby, occasionally glancing at Harry when she flipped a page.
Before long, Harry's problem was solved when the librarian, Madam Pince, waved her wand and shooed away the noisy girls.
He let out a long sigh of relief.
Ron, on the other hand, was somewhat envious. The people who enjoyed his stories were mostly boys, and the excitement was gradually fading.
As the three of them walked out of the Library, they began discussing the new professor.
"Hope the new professor is better. I don't want another Lockhart or Quirinus Quirrell..." Ron said, still haunted by the memories of those two.
"I can actually learn something from Dueling Class", Harry said, not particularly concerned. He was most satisfied with his Dueling Class this year, though it only met twice a month.
"Harry, Dueling Class and Defense Against the Dark Arts are different. Defense teaches you to protect yourself from danger, while dueling is just one way to do that", Hermione explained. "Actually, Snape's theory aligns well with the requirements of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Ron looked at her in shock, as if she had made a controversial statement.
"Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm just being objective", Hermione said.
Harry didn't respond. He wasn't opposed to Snape's views on dueling; he just didn't like Snape as a person.
On this point, they were in sync. He didn't like Snape, and Snape didn't like him.
So he changed the subject. "Have you heard any rumors about the new professor? Don't mention the Kobolds..."
As they spoke, a Kobold passed by them with a grim expression. After Dumbledore agreed to the Kobolds' Valentine's Day performance, they had brought their entire team of twelve to the school.
These green-skinned, short creatures wandered around the school, becoming a unique sight for February.
Harry was relieved they didn't usually wear golden wings and carry harps.
The three watched as the Kobold disappeared from sight. Hermione replied to Harry's earlier question, "The new professor is named Damocles Belby, a potion master who recently invented the Wolfsbane Potion and received an Order of Merlin."
"Potion master? Wolfsbane Potion?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"Order of Merlin? The thing Lockhart was boasting about?" Ron said with disgust.
The young witch first addressed Harry, "The Wolfsbane Potion is a new invention this year. It allows werewolves to remain conscious during their transformation on a full moon—" She then looked at Ron, "Professor Belby received a second-class Order of Merlin, which is different from Lockhart's."
Harry nodded.
"How do you know all this?" Ron asked curiously.
"I found out from Professor Hep. He and the new professor are good friends, and he was the one who recommended him to Dumbledore", the young witch explained.
Ron whistled, "Why would he recommend his friend? I mean... the curse?"
Hermione shook her head; she couldn't understand Professor Hep's reasoning either.
Privately, she thought Professor Hep had been a bit careless. But she still defended him to Ron, "The new professor is only teaching for half a semester. I suppose he thought the risk was minimal." She said this without much conviction.
Ron muttered, "There's still a risk."
That evening, their questions were somewhat answered in the common room.
Ginny said a bit uncomfortably, "Luna's mother died in a magical accident. She told me that if you want to research something new, you're bound to encounter various dangers..."
"Unless you do nothing."
In the Ancient Runes Office.
Felix was sorting through his haul. Over the weekend, he and Snape had divided the Basilisk's materials.
The other professors showed little interest, except for Kettleburn and Hagrid, who visited a few times.
Professor Kettleburn's attitude was the most straightforward. He looked regretful and said, "If we could raise it... I mean, with proper preparation, of course."
Given the professor's exaggerated experiences, Felix was skeptical.
Hagrid's reaction was more complex. He stroked the Basilisk's scales with his large hand, looking somewhat sad, "I was expelled because of it. My father had just passed away, and he loved me so much... It was a dark time."
He wiped his eyes with a dirty handkerchief, sharing his sorrow with Felix.
But before Felix could think of something to comfort him, Hagrid had already composed himself. He examined the Basilisk's fangs and hollow eyes, saying, "Truly a fascinating creature, isn't it?"
...
Before Felix lay the green, glowing Basilisk skin, the separated scales, and a dozen fangs.
These were the results of his processing—originally, the Basilisk's scales were inseparable from its skin, just like most snakes. The scales were actually the outer layer of the skin and keratin buildup.
But with magic, everything was possible. He easily separated the scales from the Basilisk skin.
The Basilisk had an extremely strong resistance to magic. In a horizontal comparison, it could rival a fire dragon. Even if a physical spell hit its thick scales, it might only leave a shallow dent.
Felix considered using the Basilisk skin to make a close-fitting soft armor, which would render most spells ineffective against him.
As for the scales, Felix hadn't yet decided how to use them—these things were magically inert.
He could only hope that Professor Snape would find a use for the Basilisk scales, preferably turning them into rare potion ingredients.
(End of Chapter)
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