Chapter 327: Magic Factory
Chapter 327: Magic Factory
Once the fight began, it was hard to stop. Lupin struggled to control the spell, while Felix fought for control over the transfigured entity. Half of the scattered stones turned into Kneazles, and the other half transformed into chubby Nifflers. The Nifflers, with their comical gait, plopped down on the Kneazles, causing them to let out pitiful cries.
On the other side, Snape's spells were rapid and relentless. He didn't dodge the spells flying at him but instead relied on his exceptional reflexes to deflect them at the last moment. His casting speed was at least twice as fast as the average person's.
However, Felix was no slouch either. It seemed as though he had no limits. While suppressing Lupin, he still managed to spare a hand to counter Snape, occasionally using gestures to cast spells and conjure mobile golden shields.
Snape felt nauseous, and he couldn't think of a better word to describe it. The golden shields had excellent resistance to spells, and they pressed toward him, withstanding two or three spells at a time. Forced to act, he used a more powerful spell to pin them in place, but the next second, the shields transformed into sleek Slytherins, skillfully slithering on the ground.
What surprised him even more was that for some simple spells, even when he hit Felix, the spells would slide off his chest.
"Human-form armoring charm... Professor, I admit I was a bit careless. It isn't my most powerful defensive spell. If you had used the cutting spell earlier, I might have bled a little."
As the fight drew to a close, Snape and Lupin combined their efforts to release a small Black Gale. The building hummed with a trembling sound, and the pebbles on the ground were torn up and sucked into the vortex, making the scene even more terrifying.
The Black Gale stood about fifty to sixty feet tall, occupying a third of the castle, and emitted a wailing sound. The few of them were forced to retreat.
"This is more like it", Felix said with a smile. It would be easy to dodge, but to defeat it head-on would require some effort. Besides, his goal was never to win.
At that moment, the lights in the castle began to flicker. Felix looked up to see the chandelier at the top being violently shaken by the Black Gale, groaning under the strain.
A milky white sphere was sucked down and pulled into the vortex, beginning to twist and swell under the external force. Bright beams of light pierced through the Black Gale, like countless light swords tearing through a broken sack. The light illuminated the dark space and cast a flickering glow on their faces.
Finally, the light beams and the Black Gale disappeared together.
Snape paused for a moment, "Boring." He put away his wand, preparing to leave.
"Don't go, Professor", Felix held him back, grinning. "After the welcoming ceremony, we need to discuss the future of the company."
"That's your future company", Snape said coldly.
"It's our 'future,'" Felix looked at him.
Ten minutes later, Felix bowed to Dobby, his face full of apology. "I'm sorry, Dobby."
"Leave it to me, Mr. Heap. Dobby finally has something to do", the house-elf said, patting his chest. His long, slender fingers glowed, and the debris on the floor returned to its original position.
Snape, Lupin, and Felix made their way to a large room on the second floor and sat down, forming a triangle.
Felix spoke sincerely, "Professor Lupin, Severus and I spend most of our time teaching at Hogwarts. We don't have much energy to spare for this. I can set the broad strategy, but the specific management will have to be handled by you."
Perhaps exhausted from the fight, Snape didn't object.
Lupin thought for a moment, "What do you need me to do?"
"Learn."
"Learn?" Lupin asked, puzzled.
Felix explained, "When Dumbledore interviewed me, he mentioned that I hoped to introduce wisdom from the non-magical world. The magical world has been isolated for too long, and even minor adaptations of things taken for granted outside can profoundly change the entire magical world. Therefore, learning is essential."
Snape gave Felix a meaningful look. In the temporary office at the L.C.A Building, he had seen some documents, and even if only a fraction of them were realized, it would bring about a revolutionary change in the magical world.
Starting with the lives of all Wizards, it was just as cunning as ever.
Felix pulled out a stack of parchment and made it float in front of Lupin. "I don't want to create any groundbreaking products, but rather—what's the word? Like a spring rain, silently nourishing, making the company's products an indispensable part of every Wizard's life without them even noticing."
"We can start with Wizard families, for example, magical lamps or magical air conditioners. Imagine a small box that can maintain the temperature within a twenty-foot radius at the most comfortable level."
Lupin fiddled with the small box that floated in front of him. He tried infusing it with a bit of magic, and the temperature around him immediately dropped, like a gentle March breeze bringing a cool, refreshing sensation.
"That's just an example. In fact, I've made some similar prototypes. You can understand them as such, and you can improve upon them and imagine different applications."
"Then the profit...", Lupin was already convinced. He saw this as a good thing and began to consider the company's development.
"Profit isn't a concern for now", Felix nodded. "Besides what I mentioned, I hope you can find suitable magic, not limited to Ancient Runes, Alchemy, or obscure spells. It would be best to establish effective standards and procedures."
"Remus, we are making history."
Lupin admitted he was swayed. His heart slowly came alive, finding new meaning.
"How many people are in the company now?" Lupin asked.
"You, me, Severus, Dobby, and Miss Clearwater, who just left", Felix counted on his fingers. "I've scheduled the other interviews for the next week, about three hundred people in total."
Lupin felt a bit dizzy. "Are you saying... you want me to..."
"Well, since you'll be in charge of the research and development team, it's best if you review them personally. But I can provide a list of candidates I think are suitable, which might be helpful", Felix said.
"I'll help too, this summer", he added.
Lupin found the word "help" a bit grating. This was fundamentally not his company. "What about the full moon...?"
"Severus will be responsible for providing the Wolfsbane Potion and some alchemical materials", Felix said. He had inherited a vast amount of alchemical knowledge from Nicolas Flamel, and among this, the most impressive were the various enchantment material formulas.
Some alchemical symbols could only be activated with specific enchantment materials, which was initially a disadvantage. However, as the formulas improved over time, they became mainstream.
Just solving the issue of entry-level talent made it the first choice for Wizards, and the decline of Ancient Runes was not without reason.
"Besides, this summer, we need to do one more thing", Felix said. "We need to build a magic factory."
"A magic... factory?" Lupin asked. He understood each word individually, but together, they were confusing.
"Right", Felix waved his wand, and a golden mist spread, forming an image of an automated production line. "Consider this my imagination for now. Such unmanned production lines don't exist in the real world, at least not yet."
"This concept comes from the non-magical world. We don't need to adopt it wholesale but can pick the suitable parts that complement magic. For example, high-precision engraving... or mass production of repetitive tasks..."
"I've contacted a machinery manufacturer. Once you finish the recruitment, we can go and check it out together", Felix said with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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