Chapter 216: Reason to Break Out?
Chapter 216: Reason to Break Out?
"You've thought this through quite thoroughly. What impresses me most is that you managed to revise it seven times", Felix praised.
The twins beamed, "It's all because of you. You always give us so many suggestions that we feel like it's never good enough."
Felix looked at them, "So, what's your plan?"
Fred said, "For now, we're just promoting it around the school. Quite a few people are interested in buying."
Felix thought for a moment, "The production process must take a lot of time, and you have your Owls exams coming up..."
Fred pleaded, "Professor, please don't make things difficult for us. We still have plenty of time."
George added, "Yeah, we've dropped our elective classes, and some of the core subjects aren't really necessary—"
"Astronomy—"
"History of Magic—"
Felix gave them a disapproving look.
"You can't force us, you know. We haven't neglected our studies at all. Professor Flitwick even praised us", Fred defended himself and George.
Felix couldn't argue with them, and deep down, he believed that restricting the twins wasn't a good idea. Providing them with a broader stage and watching them thrive might be the best approach.
He mused, "Try to keep a low profile this year. After your Owls exams, I'll take you to see some things."
Under the stunned gazes of Harry and the others, the twins winked at them and strutted away.
Before leaving, Fred patted Ron on the shoulder, "Ron, you can write this down on the parchment: the item for the assessment is the Lover's Mirror, priced at three Galleons, and it might go up."
Ron turned to Harry, "Did you hear that?"
"Of course", Harry replied, still thinking about the Lover's Mirror. As he was lost in thought, he saw the girl who made his heart skip a beat.
Cho Chang and her friends appeared. They looked around and saw that several students were already sitting in the corners, working on Magical Automatons, inscribing Runic Scripts.
Her friend muttered something about Cedric.
Professor Hep was surrounded by a few students, shaking his head at a crucifix-shaped amulet. The student next to him looked disappointed.
Cho Chang approached Hermione, "Hello, we're here for the assessment."
Hermione had just finished filling out a form and wiped the sweat from her forehead, "Oh, please wait a moment." She pulled out a new parchment and said smoothly, "Name, year, and house."
"Chang, fourth year, Ravenclaw."
"Marietta Edgecombe, fourth year, Ravenclaw."
Hermione noted it down on the parchment, "What are you here to assess... Harry?"
Harry had unknowingly moved closer, stammering, "I just came to check, Hermione, to see if I can help..."
"I'm fine", Hermione didn't notice his expression and turned to the two girls, who quickly replied, "An essay, both of us."
"Put your essays on the large table over there. There are clips and quills next to it. The results will be announced in about one to two weeks."
After she finished speaking, Harry said to Cho Chang and her friend, "I'll show you where to go."
Cho Chang glanced at him and nodded. The three of them walked away.
Hermione faintly heard Harry introducing himself to them...
Around eleven o'clock, a group of third-year Slytherins arrived—Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson, and Crabbe and Goyle.
Ron walked over excitedly and taunted, "I didn't think you lot would actually show up, Malfoy. You must be eager to show us some Ancient Magic, right? After all, you are a Malfoy!"
Draco glanced at him with disdain, "Weasley, where Potter goes, you follow. Are you his sidekick?"
Ron looked surprised and turned to Crabbe and Goyle, "Hey, guys, is that how Malfoy sees you? He doesn't have any friends?"
Pansy impatiently said, "Just get us registered. I have no interest in your clown act."
Ron's face turned red, "Sorry, you'll have to write it yourselves." He pushed a stack of parchment into Malfoy's arms.
On the other side, Daphne strolled over to Hermione, "Hey, little Gryffindor brat!"
Hermione glared at her, "You?" Her voice sharpened, filled with hostility, "I haven't had the chance to ask you yet, do you like your Magical Automaton?"
During the first Ancient Runic Script class at the start of the term, both of them had vied for the same type of Magical Automaton, but Hermione had managed to secure it first.
Daphne said haughtily, "Sorry, I found a Senior and traded with her."
Hermione fell silent for a moment before suddenly retorting, "My Magical Automaton is more powerful!"
"Nonsense!"
"Want to try it out?"
"Sure, do you think I'm afraid of you?"
...
Felix wiped the sweat from his brow. He had spent the entire morning evaluating dozens of peculiar alchemical creations. Apart from a few that were acceptable, the rest left him speechless.
For example, a small bottle that emitted a strong, pungent odor. The student had confidently claimed it contained a powerful protective spell that could repel a rabid werewolf.
But after multiple checks, Felix confirmed it was just coated with bubotuber pus, which was quite dangerous. He confiscated it on the spot.
Cedric finally finished his task. Felix, after reviewing his work, couldn't help but praise him, "You've mastered fifty-two Runic Scripts, very impressive. Did you learn all of this on your own?"
Cedric replied, "I sought advice from Seniors; they gave me some pointers."
...
By two o'clock in the afternoon, Felix watched the last student leave. He thanked Harry and Ron, who bid their farewells, looking exhausted. They needed to go back and catch up on sleep.
Hermione, who was the Assistant for the Runic Script class, stayed behind. The two of them looked at the hundreds of essays, and Felix sighed, "A massive workload. We'll have to work overtime tonight."
"Let's sort these essays first, just like we do with the Duelling Class assignments. I'll mark the errors, and you can provide the annotations."
Hermione nodded.
Felix suddenly looked at her, "You look much better. Have you managed to cope with the Time-Turner?"
Hermione replied, "I talked to Percy, and he gave me a lot of useful advice."
She counted on her fingers, "I need to record the actual time I experience, eat something every four hours, and rest for at least half an hour. I don't need to be so precise about the time I return to, I can go a bit earlier to leave some buffer time. He also recommended some abandoned classrooms he used to use. And Madam Pomfrey has some obscure potions that can alleviate fatigue and improve sleep quality..."
"Sounds good", Felix said.
"Indeed. He used it for three whole years, so he's very experienced. Percy told me he's always kept this secret, even from his girlfriend."
They sorted the essays by year, then began grading them. The content was familiar to both of them. The main reference book for the essays was Felix's own "Exploring Ancient Runic Script", and they had read the other reference books many times.
Hermione was also familiar with the material, as the reference books for the essays were the same ones she had read last year—Professor Hep had reused the questions from last year's assessment.
Felix quickly skimmed through the familiar parts, focusing on capturing the unique insights of the young wizards.
Time passed, and Classroom Seven remained brightly lit.
"It's about time. Let's continue tomorrow."
"Professor, should I come in the morning?"
"No, I have something to do in the morning. I need to visit St. Mungo's."
"The magical hospital?" Hermione looked at him anxiously. Was the professor ill? Even Madam Pomfrey couldn't cure him?
"I'm visiting two friends", Felix said briefly.
Hermione nodded. She suddenly remembered her earlier question, "Professor, do you know how Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban?"
Felix thought for a moment, "I'm not sure. He comes from the ancient Black Family and was once a Death Eater, so he might have known some very secretive magic and used it."
"But why did he wait so long to escape?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
The question made Felix fall silent, "Yes, why did he wait so long? Did he just find the opportunity, or was there a reason he had to risk escaping?"
(End of Chapter)
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