Chapter 162: Uncle and Nephew
Chapter 162: Uncle and Nephew
Felix was indeed very curious, especially about the perspective of a philosophy professor.
A buzz of discussion filled the large classroom as the students tried to place themselves in the scenario he had set up, grappling with a question they had never seriously considered before—
‘If magic really existed, how would we face it?’
The professor observed the reactions of the others and felt it necessary to address the question seriously.
He turned to Felix and asked, "In your scenario, are there enough magicians to be a significant presence?"
"Not many, but they can't be ignored."
"Would they be considered evil in the conventional sense, from a group perspective?"
"Discussing a group without considering the proportion can lead to fallacies, professor. In my view, they are equivalent to ordinary people."
The professor and Felix engaged in a back-and-forth, skirting sensitive topics like the overall strength of magicians, claiming they hadn't thought it through yet.
The other students were also drawn into the dynamic exchange between the two, shifting their gaze between the professor and Felix.
In the crowd, a young student with brown curly hair was sweating profusely, his face filled with fear as he stared at Felix.
The professor smiled with satisfaction, "It seems you have thought deeply about this question, which will help our discussion."
Felix explained, "I plan to write a fantasy work, something like 'The Chronicles of Narnia.'"
To complete his new book, he had deliberately collected a batch of fairy tales during the holidays, only to discover that the series had been published as early as the 1950s.
"Is that so..." The professor pondered for a moment, then lifted his head and said, "Setting aside the philosophical aspect, as a scholar, my view is communication."
"Communication?" Felix repeated, unsatisfied with the answer. "Professor, I want to write a 'realistic' novel, where the content can stand up to scrutiny."
"My answer remains the same. Regardless of the final outcome, the first step between two unfamiliar groups is to deepen their understanding of each other."
The open class ended, and the students filed out.
The young student with brown curly hair hurriedly ran into the restroom, knocking someone over in the process.
"Sorry, please forgive me."
On the other side, Felix politely took his leave.
Amandine shrugged, looking carefree.
"Alright, if you ever have the chance to visit France, come find me, and I'll show you around Paris."
As Felix walked out of the prestigious university, slowly pondering under a row of sycamore trees, he keenly sensed someone watching him.
He turned a corner and entered a narrow alley.
The brown-haired young man and a middle-aged man with a full beard hurriedly appeared, chasing after Felix into the alley. After two turns, they found themselves at a dead end.
The middle-aged man suddenly turned around, wand raised, looking formidable, but the next second, his wand flew out of his hand like a short stick.
A man with black hair and light blue eyes stood calmly, twirling an ebony wand in his hand.
Maxwell Colbert opened his mouth, watching his oak wand obediently float in front of the young man across from him.
The incident had happened too quickly and silently, leaving him no time to react.
"Uncle, he disappeared, did he Apparate away?" The curly-haired youth stared at the empty wall, turning around when he realized his uncle wasn't responding.
"It's him, it's him, he's the one who exposed the existence of the magical world!" The youth blurted out in a jumbled mix of French.
Felix gave a wry smile, "I know the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy better than you. Which rule did I break?"
The curly-haired youth looked indignant, "I saw it with my own eyes, heard it with my own ears, you can't deny it. Hey, why is Uncle's wand over there?"
Maxwell Colbert, with a scowl, scolded, "Shut up, Calami."
He turned to Felix, "I think there's been a misunderstanding. You're here for the conference on Muggle issues, right?"
“Misunderstanding?”
“Exactly, I am an Auror from the French Ministry of Magic, Maxwell Colbert. I’m responsible for the security of this conference. My nephew is studying at the University of Paris, and he might have made a mistake.”
“I’m sorry, I might have misunderstood.” Calami said slowly, reaching to retrieve the wand from his back.
Felix raised an eyebrow and flicked his fingers, causing the young Calami’s wand to fly out of his hand.
The two faces, one young and one older, stared at each other as the man opposite them said with satisfaction—
“Now we can have a proper conversation.”
…
In a restaurant on a street in the Fifth Arrondissement of Paris.
Felix took the menu from the server, “A salad, a bowl of French fish soup, a plate of salt-baked snails, and the main course will be beef bourguignon. Hmm… we’ll have the dessert later. That’s all.”
He handed the menu to his opposite companions, “And you?”
Maxwell was still hesitating, but his nephew Calami had already taken the menu, “Uncle, what would you like? How about this blue cheese?”
Maxwell pointed at Felix and told the server, “The same as him.”
Calami, however, ordered a variety of peculiar dishes.
“The waiter suggested a light wine to pair with your meal,” the server said.
Felix had no objections, but the other two were completely clueless.
The server noted down their orders and quickly left.
Maxwell Colbert said with a complex expression, “I now believe you are an expert in Muggle Studies. What’s your name?”
“Though a bit late, let me introduce myself. My name is Felix Hep, and I’ve published two books on Muggle Studies.”
Maxwell was silent for a moment before he spoke, “Given your reputation, I’ll temporarily believe you have no intention of exposing the magical world. However, I will check. As for your attack on an Auror—”
“What Auror? I was facing an unidentified wizard. After just learning about attacks on Muggle Studies experts, it’s perfectly normal to be a bit on edge, isn’t it?”
Maxwell’s expression turned serious, “You know about the attacks? How did you find out?”
“Emerson Kain, Alice Alpha, Galsworthy Moor…” Felix listed a series of names, and Maxwell’s face grew increasingly grim.
These were all names of officials from the French Ministry of Magic.
“My sources are extensive,” Felix said, picking up his knife and fork with a gentle smile, “Perhaps I can recommend one or two to you?”
Throughout the meal, Maxwell seemed rather dejected, eating silently without tasting a thing.
Calami, on the other hand, quickly warmed up to Felix.
“You’re studying at the University of Paris, how did that come about?” Felix asked, steering the conversation to a topic he was interested in.
Calami replied, “It was arranged by my mother’s side—oh, I’m a Halfblood—so I’m an auditor, no certificate or anything.”
Felix understood the situation.
After leaving the restaurant, Calami was sent off, and Felix used Apparition to bring Maxwell to Place Furstenberg in Paris.
This was the location of the French Ministry of Magic headquarters.
In the center of the square, four ancient trees surrounded a bronze statue. As they stepped into the circle of trees, their figures vanished, and the people around them paid no attention.
Standing next to the statue, the roots of the four trees suddenly came to life, intertwining to form a birdcage elevator. Felix felt a slight tremor under his feet as the elevator began to descend.
He glanced at Maxwell and returned his wand to him.
“Thank you,” Maxwell said sincerely.
He didn’t want anyone to know what had happened today. These embarrassing experiences, he planned to keep buried in his heart forever.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
