Chapter 249: The Origin of a Name
Chapter 249: The Origin of a Name
In the old district of London, at the city cemetery, the sun stubbornly clung to the sky, unwilling to set.
Felix, clad in a dark Windcloak, stood before a tombstone.
"Lock", Felix murmured, "you must be wondering what happened today. Only in front of you can I open my heart..."
"I did something good, saving a pair of war heroes; but it seems I also did something not so good. I meticulously planned, thinking I could manipulate people's hearts, but the outcome was far from what I expected."
"I understand what Dumbledore was trying to say, about how negative and positive emotions can enhance magic, but he was so vague about it..." he said with a slight frown.
"I, too, once advanced rapidly in dark magic through negative emotions. Although I later abandoned it, I found that it never truly left me."
"Seeing Neville, I couldn't help but envy him."
"He has his parents by his side, friends who care for him, and even if his talents are not outstanding, there are kind classmates who help and encourage him. When he's bullied by students from other houses, someone always stands up for him."
Felix spoke softly, "I know I should be happy, that I was the one who made this happen, but, Lock, I feel lonely."
"Why wasn't I so lucky back then?"
His Windcloak stirred despite the lack of wind, and dark Magic naturally radiated from him, writhing and clawing at the air but restrained within a certain boundary.
Despite Felix's usual calm and rational demeanor, he was not immune to its influence.
Among the people he knew, only Snape truly understood him. Snape had once asked him, "Has anyone truly entered your heart?" He had deftly changed the subject at the time.
The answer, of course, was no.
The sky grew darker, and occasional visitors to the cemetery would stop by, place a bouquet of flowers, and leave in silence. Until—
"Felix? Felix Hepworth?" a stranger's voice called from behind him.
Felix turned in surprise. He wasn't surprised to see a young couple, but rather that they knew his name.
They were clearly ordinary people.
Felix stared at the man for a moment before tentatively saying, "Jim?"
The man laughed, "I'm impressed you remember me. I left the orphanage when you were only nine, right?"
"I have a good memory", Felix shrugged. "How did you recognize me?"
Jim explained, "Black hair, standing in front of Evan's tombstone, and the right age. I took a guess, and it turned out to be you." He introduced the woman beside him, "This is my wife, Rebecca."
Rebecca, a warm and cheerful redhead, glanced at Felix and playfully nudged Jim's chest, "You never mentioned you had such a handsome friend."
Jim complained, "We haven't seen each other in a long time. Back then, he was just a little troublemaker, full of mischief..."
"Full of mischief, huh?" Rebecca said with a laugh.
"Ahem, what I mean is, he was mischievous and clever. He used to set traps with the older kids to deal with the bullies, and he was quite famous in the orphanage back then."
Felix watched them banter, "You two seem to have a great relationship... What brings you here today?"
Jim replied, "I just got back to London and came with Rebecca to visit the graves. When we were leaving, I saw you. I wasn't sure at first, so I circled around. The light was dim on the other side, making it hard to see clearly."
Felix immediately reined in the Magic that had been seeping out. Jim shook his head, was it just a trick of the light? It seemed to brighten slightly.
Jim extended an invitation to Felix, "We're planning to visit Old Dean. Rebecca hasn't met the Head of House yet. Would you like to join us?"
"Of course." Felix readily agreed.
The three of them got into a taxi and drove through the streets. Felix gazed curiously at the scenery, noting that some orange lights were already starting to illuminate the area.
"Felix, I haven't asked you yet, where do you work?"
"Previously at Niel Company in London, now I'm in Scotland. I can come back once a year."
Rebecca said in surprise, "That's the rising Niel Company, it's quite famous now. Why did you leave?"
Felix smiled, "I found a better fit."
The taxi stopped in front of an old house in the old town. The shadows on the walls were mottled, and snow covered the courtyard.
"Head of House, we're here to see you", Jim called out excitedly. After a moment, an old man with white hair emerged.
The old man put on his glasses and looked closely. "Jim", he said, then he glanced at Felix and smiled, "Lucky Felix, it's you. Didn't you visit a few months ago?"
"I had some business to take care of and ran into Jim, so we came together", Felix explained, changing the subject, "Let's go inside and talk. Jim brought his wife."
Sitting on the old brown sofa, Felix nearly summoned a beer from the fridge, but he managed to stop himself in time.
Phew, almost exposed.
The four of them drank chilled beer and chatted casually. Soon, the conversation turned to Felix's recent life. He portrayed himself as a professional manager working in Scotland but traveling the world.
His extensive experience ensured he wouldn't slip up.
Jim asked a question, "Head of House, why do you always call him 'Lucky Felix'?"
Old Dean grinned, "Well, when we found him as a baby, he was in a large water tank, three feet deep. He didn't drown but was swimming happily. Isn't that lucky?"
Indeed, 'Felix' means lucky in English.
"What about my last name?" Felix couldn't help but ask.
"Hmm, let me think", Old Dean pondered, "You were different from the other children. You only cried when you were hungry or thirsty, and you always called for help when other kids soiled their pants."
Felix's face darkened. It wasn't because of the smell; he just couldn't stand it and called for help quickly.
"... So some of the caretakers called you Helper, meaning someone who provides help", Old Dean chuckled.
Felix had never heard this story before. Some people had called him 'Assistant,' but the pronunciation was different from his last name.
"It's a phonetic translation, you know. It can't be too literal, or it would make me seem uncultured..." Old Dean complained, but he later admitted he had never been to school.
Jim summarized, "So, Felix's name means a lucky Helper? What about me? What about me?"
"You?" Old Dean rolled his eyes, "You didn't show any special traits, so it was just a random name."
Jim looked hurt and hid in Rebecca's arms, making her push him away.
Old Dean invited them to stay for dinner and then sent them off.
"It's nice of you to visit, but go on, take care of your own business!"
After leaving Old Dean's house, Felix said goodbye to Jim and walked into a dark alley, apparating away.
When he returned to his office, he saw a figure standing by the door. He suddenly remembered he had forgotten to cancel his Runic Script tutoring session for the day. "Professor Hup!" Hermione greeted him enthusiastically.
(End of Chapter)
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