Chapter 213: Reputation
Chapter 213: Reputation
But Hermione's good mood didn't last long. A fifth-year Senior approached her, asking, "I heard you can break solid wooden railings with your bare hands? That must be the effect of a practical Runic Script, right? Can you demonstrate it?"
Hermione stared at her in disbelief. Are you asking me to perform this in front of everyone?
The Senior also realized the inappropriateness and whispered, "We can do it privately. I have two copper flasks prepared..."
Hermione felt her spirits plummet. Seeing that more people were starting to gather, she panicked and said, "I have something urgent to do. I'll be back to the dorm for a moment, and I'll return right away!" She then hurriedly ran off.
Hiding in her dorm for a while, she finally thought of a solution.
This time, she was mentally prepared. She returned to the common room, cleared her throat, and announced, "Regarding the proficiency level mentioned in the Runic Script Club's announcement, it's something like this." She drew her wand and slowly traced a golden Runic Script in the air.
A group of students curiously gathered around.
The magical symbol gradually took shape, solidifying in mid-air. Everyone watched in silence.
Hermione explained, "Achieving this is already quite difficult. It involves a basic grasp of practical Runic Scripts, continuously familiarizing and exploring their meanings to make them stable for a short period."
After a few minutes, Hermione waved her hand, and the golden Runic Script flew into her palm. "This is the Runic Script symbolizing light, which we learned in third year. Pay attention; the key is to manifest the magical meaning it represents—" The symbol on her palm suddenly burst into a bright, white light.
The young wizards were mesmerized. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed to have worked, and no one was asking her to perform—
At that moment, the twins appeared. Fred asked, "Hermione, I remember you also mastered a powerful Runic Script. Which one is it?"
Hermione glared at him, saying nothing. A layer of light enveloped her hand—her control over the Runic Script representing "Buffalo strength" was even stronger.
Fred shrank back, joking, "You're not thinking of—"
"That's exactly what I'm thinking", Hermione confirmed, taking a step forward.
Seeing the situation, Fred quickly pulled George away, and many Gryffindor students laughed. Their prankster friend, Lee Jordan, whistled excitedly.
Afterward, they returned to their seats and whispered to each other.
It had been about five days since the Runic Script Club's recruitment announcement was posted. Many students who planned to sign up had already taken action, but a few were still hesitating.
This hesitation was mostly due to not wanting to write a seven-foot-long essay, hoping to find a better way—usually, a better way meant discovering a shortcut to quickly master a practical Runic Script.
Ron was particularly obsessed with this idea. Despite Hermione telling him at least ten times that it was impossible, he remained undeterred.
Hermione angrily reminded him and Harry, "There are less than two weeks until the end of the month. You can't expect to write a seven-foot-long essay in the last few days. Unless you don't plan to join the Runic Script Club, remember that the first recruitment period has the most lenient conditions. It won't be this easy later on!"
"Alright, alright", Ron yawned. "But Harry and I haven't managed to borrow Professor Hep's book. We were too late..."
Hermione pulled two identical books from her beaded purse, titled Exploring Ancient Runic Scripts, and handed them over. "Here, you can borrow these for now."
Ron looked at her with admiration. "Hermione, you're a genius. How did you know we couldn't get the book?"
Harry was equally amazed. "Yeah, and Professor Trelawney said you have no divination talent. She should see this."
Hermione huffed, "I bought these at Flourish and Blotts. They're not from the Library."
"Did you buy two copies?" Harry asked.
"One for detailed study, with notes all over it, and the other for collection", Hermione explained matter-of-factly.
As a result, Harry and Ron both fought over the book with notes. In the end, they preferred to read it together rather than touch the blank Exploring Ancient Runic Scripts. This left Hermione exasperated.
In different corners of the school, young wizards had varying attitudes toward the matter. Some gave up early, others went through the motions half-heartedly, while a few worked diligently in secret.
Over the next few days, Felix appeared extremely busy. He could be seen during class, but the moment the bell rang, he would hurry off.
After that, finding this professor was out of the question.
He also kept his promise, handing over all the daily testing and grading for third and fourth years to his assistant, which significantly lightened his load.
Felix had several regular commitments: his communication with Nicolas Flamel was unwavering, taking place roughly every two to three days;
With Flitwick's help, the Duelling Class became much easier to manage;
Experiments with the Size-Altering Charm could only be done when he had free time, much to the chagrin of the Acromantula;
Most of his time, however, was spent in the Library, searching for information on Memory Magic. Many techniques were hidden in passing remarks, even the authors themselves had overlooked them, but Felix uncovered them;
He paid particular attention to Rowena Ravenclaw's materials, poring over her twelve volumes of manuscripts again and again.
The results were significant—Felix had almost fully understood the intricate structure of the stable memories Rowena Ravenclaw had left him. It was a curious turn of events; he had initially aimed to create a Patronus infused with the owner's thoughts, but what Rowena Ravenclaw provided far exceeded his expectations.
This was especially evident during his recent visits to St. Mungo's.
In discussions with Dumbledore, Felix, who usually avoided making definitive statements, expressed confidence: "The treatment plan is clear—first, roughly categorize the memories by age to form a general outline; then, use memory nodes to stabilize them and prevent their decay. As long as more than half is completed, the rest can recover on its own."
Dumbledore nodded in approval: "Felix, you have solved a major problem that has plagued the wizarding world. This method can not only be used to treat memory fragmentation caused by the Cruciatus Curse but also for particularly stubborn memory damage."
Felix was taken aback, "I haven't had time to think about it further, I've been so busy lately." Mainly because no one around him had such a need.
Dumbledore shook his head, "A close friend of mine was hit by Lockhart's Memory Magic, causing irreversible damage. Not just him, there are many other cases of Memory Magic abuse where people don't receive effective treatment...
Felix, this could earn you the St. Mungo's Medical Badge and the Order of Merlin Badge." He winked, hinting at the implications.
Felix immediately understood the Headmaster's meaning.
This was a great opportunity to gain recognition. With a bit of effort, he could be hailed as the "Nemesis of the Cruciatus Curse", the "Savior of Memory Damage", or the "Master of Memory Magic."
Felix's heart raced. Among his public labels, 'Muggle Research Expert' and 'Hogwarts Professor' were widely recognized, bringing him significant advantages in social interactions.
However, in the eyes of a few, he might still be seen as a 'Traitor to Ancient Runes' or a 'Dark Lord Recruit,' neither of which were particularly friendly titles.
The former referred to the old fogies in the Ancient Runes Association, while the latter was from some Pureblood Families he had intimidated.
Although he disliked tedious socializing and political maneuvering, he didn't mind expanding his influence.
Both the St. Mungo's Medical Badge and the Order of Merlin Badge were highly prestigious.
He suppressed his excitement and said noncommittally, "Dumbledore, some of the magic I've developed is very important to me. I don't want to reveal it just yet."
Dumbledore was entirely understanding. He calmly replied, "No one will force you to hand over your magic, Felix. In fact, most healers can't match your level... in the field of Memory Magic alone, you are nearly at the pinnacle of the wizarding world."
"My suggestion is to compile a treatment method that is far below your current level but still effective..."
(End of Chapter)
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