Chapter 230: The Fidelius Charm
Chapter 230: The Fidelius Charm
Professor Flitwick wanted to see him?
Albert was a little surprised as his interactions with the Charms professor had been limited. He didn't think their relationship was close enough for an invitation to tea.
Perhaps it was about his thesis? Nonetheless, this was a good opportunity. Maybe he could find an excuse to ask Professor Flitwick for a signature to borrow books from the Restricted Section.
He only needed to borrow books from the Restricted Section twice more to complete that task.
But what excuse could he use?
On his way to Professor Flitwick's office on the eighth floor of the West Tower, Albert pondered this question. However, when he knocked on the wooden door, he still hadn't come up with a good idea.
"Professor, did you call for me?"
This was Albert's first time in Professor Flitwick's office, and he found it a little unusual. It was likely due to the professor's height; there was a movable staircase to reach the higher shelves, and the chair behind the professor's desk was raised, with a small stool next to it to step on.
"Anderson, please take a seat," Professor Flitwick said calmly. "The paper you wrote last time has been published in this issue of Charms Innovations."
As he spoke, he placed a copy of Charms Innovations in front of Albert and turned to the page with the thesis.
"Katrina just told me," Albert said.
"It's like this," Professor Flitwick continued. "The editor-in-chief of Charms Innovations wants to meet you. He sent me a letter." The professor pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to Albert. "He thought it would be presumptuous to write to you directly."
"I understand," Albert said, taking the letter. "If he had done that, I probably would have thought it was a prank." He looked at Professor Flitwick. "May I open it now?"
"Oh, of course," the professor chuckled. "He thinks highly of your talent."
Albert smiled and opened the letter, scanning its contents. The writer politely pointed out a few minor flaws in his thesis and expressed a desire to correspond, hoping that Albert would continue to publish his Charms research in Charms Innovations.
Albert felt that Mr. Ephias was a bit too enthusiastic.
"Isn't the editor-in-chief of Charms Innovations called Ephias Doge?" Albert asked, looking up at Professor Flitwick with a puzzled expression.
"Ephias isn't the editor-in-chief," the professor explained with a smile, "but he's the one who truly influences the magazine. He's retired now."
"I see," Albert nodded, indicating that he understood.
"Anderson," Professor Flitwick said kindly, "whether you plan to work for the Ministry of Magic, focus on Charms research, or do something else, it can't hurt to network with people in this field."
"Thank you, Professor," Albert said. Although he had no immediate plans in that direction, he appreciated the professor's goodwill.
"By the way, Professor," Albert said, putting away the letter, "when I was researching protection charms in the library the other day, I came across two advanced charms."
"Advanced charms?" Professor Flitwick raised an eyebrow.
"The Guardian Charm and the Fidelius Charm," Albert continued. "I'm very interested in them, but I could only find information about the Guardian Charm. Do you know where I can find resources on the Fidelius Charm?"
Professor Flitwick was a little taken aback. He hadn't expected Albert to delve into such advanced magic already. So he asked cautiously, "Have you started learning the Guardian Charm already?"
"Erm, I started practicing two weeks ago," Albert said, then paused, reflecting for a moment. "This charm is quite difficult... Apparently, the Guardian Charm can summon a physical guardian, but I can't quite understand what that means. Does it mean that instead of the charm expelling a burst of white light, it will manifest a tangible guardian?"
Albert began to steer the conversation in the direction he needed.
"Your idea is not wrong. However, the Guardian Charm is an extremely advanced spell, usually used to ward off Dementors." Professor Flitwick thought for a moment before advising, "When casting the spell, you need to concentrate and think of the happiest thing in your heart, because the Guardian Charm advocates happiness and hope. But it requires a very strong magical power as a foundation, and this spell may be too much for you at the moment. Even if you can't temporarily summon a physical guardian, don't worry, you still have a lot of room to grow."
"I know." Albert nodded and continued, "What about the Fidelius Charm? I heard it's a powerful and complex protection spell."
"Yes, very complex." Professor Flitwick seemed to be considering whether to tell Albert, "It involves using magic to hide a secret within the soul of a living person."
"Hide a secret within the soul?"
"Yes, keep that secret hidden in the heart of the chosen Secret-Keeper, and from then on, no one else will be able to discover the secret. Of course, unless the Secret-Keeper intends to leak it."
"So, the Fidelius Charm is suitable for hiding things?" Albert pretended that he hadn't quite understood, and in fact, he was a bit confused himself.
He remembered that the Fidelius Charm could hide people, making it so that no one but the Secret-Keeper could find them. But from what Professor Flitwick was implying, it seemed that this spell had other uses, or perhaps his original understanding of the Fidelius Charm was incorrect.
"Of course, your understanding is not wrong." Professor Flitwick nodded after a few seconds of silence.
"Professor, do you know this magic?" Albert suddenly asked, "I want to learn this spell."
"I do know it, but..." Professor Flitwick looked intently at Albert and asked, "The Fidelius Charm is too difficult for you at the moment. By the way, what do you want to use it for?"
"My diary." Albert answered without hesitation, "That way, I won't have to worry about someone reading my diary in secret."
Professor Flitwick was left speechless. He really couldn't understand Albert's way of thinking.
Noticing the professor's silence, Albert continued, "Professor, is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry also protected by the Fidelius Charm?"
"No, the scope of Hogwarts is too large, and after the death of the Secret-Keeper of the Fidelius Charm, all those who knew of its existence would automatically become Secret-Keepers. The more people who know, the more its power would be weakened and it would become unreliable." Professor Flitwick shook his head.
"I still want to learn this spell. Can you teach me?" Albert asked, "I think it's a very practical spell."
"Before that, you need to master Ancient Runes..." Professor Flitwick's words paused as he suddenly realized that the student before him seemed to have a high level of proficiency in Ancient Runes.
"Ancient Runes? Is the Fidelius Charm written in Ancient Runes instead of English?" Albert frowned, "Professor, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"The Guardian Charm has been recorded since ancient times." Albert voiced his confusion, "Wizards of the past used Ancient Runes, so why is the Guardian Charm now cast in English instead of Ancient Runes? Also, I believe it's taboo to mispronounce a spell, but as far as I know, casting the same spell in another language doesn't seem to be an issue. So, what is the significance of the language we use for our spells?"
"The essence of a spell is the incantation!" Professor Flitwick didn't directly answer Albert's question but instead gave a puzzling response.
(End of Chapter)
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