https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-118-Discussion-Available-on-the-31st-/13456880/
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Chapter 119: Valentine's Day (Available on the 31st)
Chapter 119: Valentine's Day (Available on the 31st)
Felix stared at the greenish basilisk skin in front of him, pondering the method of preparation.
'First, I need to remove the impurities. This step can be similar to the process for binding vines, but the properties of a basilisk and Whomping Willow branches are completely different...'
...
February 14th, Valentine's Day.
When the young wizards woke up early to have breakfast in the Great Hall, they found that the walls were adorned with large, dazzling pink flowers, and heart-shaped confetti kept falling from the light blue ceiling.
Even the usual corridors were decorated with holly and mistletoe wreaths.
Many young wizards and witches were smiling foolishly while eating.
On this day, the professors would turn a blind eye and not interfere too much—though don't expect them to be particularly cheerful.
"I bet Percy is green with envy right now", Ron said, pointing to a few couples holding hands in the distance—Ron and Percy had reconciled, but he couldn't resist the occasional jibe.
But this had nothing to do with them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried to their classes after breakfast.
By evening, they dragged their weary bodies to the Great Hall, where the long tables were already filled with many young wizards.
As expected, they saw Kobolds dressed as little cupids, standing on a makeshift platform, playing harps with serious faces—though it wasn't bad, at least it didn't make anyone want to flee.
The two smallest Kobolds, who seemed to have yet to master the skill, stood near the entrance, a few meters inside, pulling out handfuls of colorful confetti from their pockets. Whenever two or more young wizards passed by, they would be showered with the confetti.
Harry and his friends watched as Dean and Neville walked through a rain of colored confetti. Neville stood awkwardly, while Dean muttered something incomprehensible and quickly ran away.
The long tables erupted in laughter.
Neville scratched his head and laughed along, his round face turning a rosy hue.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly dodged the pair of Kobolds by the wall.
Soon, one group after another fell victim to the confetti attack. If it was a couple, they would laugh it off without much awkwardness, but if it was just friends, their expressions were enough to make the other young wizards laugh for half the day.
At the teachers' table,
Belby, looking at the lively scene, said in surprise, "I didn't expect Hogwarts to celebrate Valentine's Day now. Back in my time, we had to be secretive about it."
Felix replied, "Maybe it's to welcome you."
"Cut the jokes, Felix", the middle-aged wizard said, turning to look around. "Where's Professor Snape?"
"He won't like this scene. He might come a bit later."
"True, he looks quite serious", Belby said. "Our last meeting was too brief; we didn't get to discuss much. He had some insightful ideas..."
"About the Wolfsbane Potion?"
"Exactly. He seems to have ideas for improving the Wolfsbane Potion. I hope we can collaborate. I'm willing to provide the initial research materials."
"Have you considered inviting others?" Felix asked curiously.
"I thought about it, but... not many are interested", Belby said regretfully. "Professor Slughorn did offer some suggestions, but he refused to get involved."
"Slughorn?" Felix had heard this name before.
"Yes, he was my Potions Professor. Now he's retired and travels a lot, making him hard to reach."
After a few minutes, the other professors arrived one by one.
Professor Flitwick sat down in the empty seat next to Felix, and Professor Mcgonagall took the seat next to Flitwick.
Snape chose a seat from a distance.
Just as Harry was getting incredibly bored listening to Kobold play the same tune for the seventh time, the banquet finally began.
Dumbledore tapped his glass, quieting the young wizards, and he smiled as he introduced their new professor.
"I am honored to introduce to you, Damocles Belby, who has generously agreed to fill the vacancy in Defense Against the Dark Arts for the second half of this year."
The young wizards clapped half-heartedly, their enthusiasm already worn down by the previous professors.
Belby stood up and bowed to the crowd, "It is a great honor to return to Hogwarts after so many years. Although I will only be here for a semester, I will do my best to fulfill my duties..."
Belby's words were sincere, and his appearance and attire were far less flamboyant than Lockhart's, which immediately won him some limited favor from the young wizards.
The most direct evidence was that when he sat down, the applause from the young wizards was much more uniform and louder.
Snape, sitting to the side, scowled and stared coldly at the goblet in front of him.
The other professors were generally welcoming, although it was a bit odd that Belby, who had earned the Order of Merlin for inventing the Wolfsbane Potion, would come to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. But at least he was a man of genuine talent.
Certainly better than Lockhart, who was always planning pajama parties.
The long tables were now filled with various delicacies, and the young wizards, tired from a long day, began to feast.
Professor Flitwick, sitting next to Felix, whispered to him.
"Felix, I heard that you're using a new teaching aid in your class?"
"That's right, Filius. I call it Answering Parchment."
Professor Mcgonagall, sitting a few seats away, subtly slowed her chewing.
"Please don't take this the wrong way—I saw it from a student, and I found it very useful for spell theory."
"Are you thinking of using Answering Parchment in your spell class?"
Flitwick stammered, "The Wizarding Exams are only a few months away, but some of the young wizards' theory scores are still a concern."
He looked at Felix, "If there's anything you need, I'm here to help..."
Felix smiled lightly, "Filius, I have no objections. However, I have encountered some challenges—adding more subjects would require improvements to the existing system, and it's not something I can do alone. I would like to invite you to work on it with me."
"I would be delighted", Flitwick said enthusiastically.
Professor Mcgonagall seized the opportunity to chime in, "I can help as well."
Felix replied, "Minerva, I had envisioned including all the subjects at Hogwarts, but this would require a professor of high standing to make it happen."
Professor Mcgonagall thought for a moment, "I will gather the opinions of others. This is a good idea. But how do you plan to integrate so many subjects on one parchment?"
"By using Synchronization Magic", he explained. "The parchments the young wizards use are simple magical devices for receiving information. The Runic Scripts and alchemical methods used are relatively straightforward. I also have a Dragonhide Scroll that stores recent Wizarding Exam questions."
"However, this means the young wizards can only use the Answering Parchment at Hogwarts."
"Hmm, a one-to-many system..." Flitwick mused. "This idea sounds familiar."
(End of Chapter)
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