Chapter 330: Gifts
Chapter 330: Gifts
After some haggling, Felix purchased three sets of equipment for each of them. Then, he took Lupin and the twins through the streets of London, naming various Muggle companies and buying a variety of items.
Back at the Future World Company in Diagon Alley, Felix piled the items in the hall, forming a small mountain that drew a crowd. The company's new employees gathered around, curious about both the strange items and the company's never-before-seen owner.
Felix led them to sit together and held a brief meeting.
"I'll be staying here for the next while, working with everyone to create the company's first product", Felix said. "And we'll also be developing some magical machinery."
Penelope reminded him, "Professor Hup, oh, sorry, boss—"
"That's fine", Felix smiled. "You can still call me professor, or Hep."
"…Alright, professor", Penelope said, a bit nervously, but quickly getting into the work mode. "We need to consider the Ministry of Magic's stance, especially the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Artifacts."
"You mean the department overseen by Arthur Weasley?" Felix said, hinting at something.
Penelope's face turned slightly red, but she pretended not to hear. "The department's role is to prevent the use of magic on Muggle-made items, fearing they might end up back in Muggle stores or homes."
Felix noticed similar concerns on the faces of others. He thought for a moment and replied seriously, "That is indeed a concern, but I've studied the relevant laws carefully. They don't significantly impact us. We just need to register the few engraving machines with the Ministry of Magic."
"Following this, you'll find that the entire law is aimed at one goal: preventing the exposure of the magical world."
"To summarize, the prohibition on the misuse of Muggle items has three main points", Felix said, looking around at the confused faces and ticking off the points on his fingers. "First, no malicious casting to prank Muggles. Second, no selling enchanted products that resemble Muggle items, especially those unique to them, like a toaster." He smiled. "Of course, nothing is absolute. The Ministry of Magic has a list of permitted items, so it's not entirely forbidden."
"Third, no unauthorized modifications to add additional functions. The laws in this area are vague, possibly because many homes already have prohibited items, often without the owners even knowing. So, the only important point to remember is—" he drew out the words and spoke softly, "don't use them in front of Muggles."
The Weasley twins exchanged a glance, and Fred whispered, "Dad's intentions are crystal clear." He knew that his father had drafted this law, driven by his curiosity about the Muggle world and the many loopholes he had left for himself.
Before Arthur Weasley, the Ministry of Magic had no laws regarding Muggle items. But as more and more cases of misuse emerged, the Ministry finally decided to create laws around it. Mr. Weasley drafted these laws and became the head of the department in this context.
Felix continued, "One of our goals is to improve and transform Muggle items. This means not just simple replication, but drawing inspiration from the wisdom they demonstrate, rather than specific items."
"For example, a magic lamp works entirely differently from a Muggle electric lamp. The only similarity is that they both emit light."
The group chuckled, their hidden worries dissipating. Most of them lacked the courage to openly defy the Ministry of Magic.
"Throughout this process, you'll see that we are working with conceptual ideas—more convenient, more practical lighting methods. We don't need to learn how to harness electricity or study the materials and principles of electric lamps. Instead, we consider how to achieve our desired effects using magic."
Felix looked around at the group and said solemnly, "I don't want to see prejudice against the non-magical world in 'Future World.' Any specific individual or group, if they have distinct characteristics, will not be universally liked. To put it bluntly, some will see the good, and others will see the bad."
"I don't want you to get bogged down in these trivial matters. With an appreciative heart, you'll find that the outside world has achieved remarkable progress over the past few centuries. The wisdom, ideas, and achievements they have displayed are all worth learning from."
In the following days, Felix stayed in the standing castle of Future World, working alongside Lupin, Penelope, and several seventh-year graduates who had mastered the Ancient Magic of Luminos to complete the design of the magic lamps.
The most challenging part was how to store the Runic Script sequence of Ancient Magic in a physical object. Felix combed through all the materials left by Nicolas Flamel and finally found an enchanting material that resembled flowing mercury. He used magic to shape it.
This process required a lot of trial and error. Snape even came over to protest because the materials were being consumed too quickly, but he ended up joining Felix's research.
The basic chandeliers, candelabra, and lanterns were completed one after another. Then, a Ravenclaw graduate witch suggested using Transfiguration to design a lamp in the shape of an eagle. When activated, the eagle would flap its wings, fly into the air, and emit a bright light ball.
This idea received unanimous praise from the 17 Ravenclaw House graduates employed by the company. Soon, more designs for the magic lamps were proposed, including a majestic lion with an awakening function, a playful badger that could follow its owner around, and a snake-shaped lamp with green gemstones.
Felix added several fire dragon designs and used Transfiguration to make the light emitted by the lamps take the shape of dragon breath.
The engraving machine they had purchased also came in handy. Felix hadn't expected to use it so soon. He made some simple modifications and had the employees familiarize themselves with its operation during their free time, encouraging them to suggest improvements.
A wizard named Fink David had an idea. While playing with the engraving machine, a flash of inspiration struck him. He suggested creating a set of Runic Script cards, similar to Chocolate Frog Cards, with the basic engraving done by the machine.
Felix found this idea intriguing and further refined it. The machine would handle the engraving, and then a layer of enchanting material would be applied to the cards. Wizards could use their fingers to trace the runes on the cards, practicing the corresponding Runic Scripts.
Felix felt that this would be a valuable teaching tool for his Ancient Runes class this year. He happily placed an order, securing the company's first business deal.
Soon, the first set of one hundred Runic Script cards was finalized. It could be seen as a simplified version of Hermione using a rune carving knife to engrave Runic Scripts on chestnut wood. The primary consideration was the stability of the magic. Once successful, the card would display the corresponding magical symbol, such as a waterfall or a ball of fire. Of course, these were only magical illusions.
The twins proposed a prank version. If the magic was interrupted, the card would emit a shrill scream and loudly mock the user.
"This is inspired by life", Fred remarked reflectively.
Felix, fearing that young wizards might become collectively depressed, did not adopt this idea. He valued the cards' role in assisting with the study of Runic Scripts. However, the twins were enthusiastic and tried adding a few fake cards to a stack of real ones. If someone attempted to infuse magic into these fake cards, they would transform into a nest of rats that would scurry around.
George chuckled, "We can give it to Harry as a birthday gift."
...
On the morning of July 31st.
When Harry opened his gifts, he was a bit confused. Professor Hep and the Weasley Twins had given him identical gifts, both consisting of a stack of cards with the same instructions.
However, the Weasley Twins' instructions featured a peculiar smiley face, which made Harry a bit uneasy.
Curious, he followed the instructions, trying to trace the runes on the card with his finger and infuse it with magic. At the moment of success, a green and vibrant wand tree appeared as a shadow, gently swaying and rustling.
Harry watched for a while, then tried other cards with great interest. This way, he learned many unfamiliar Runic Scripts. However, he eventually noticed the difference between the two gifts.
After a failed attempt, one of the cards emitted a loud "bang", and purple smoke exploded. The card transformed into several fat rats that scurried around the narrow spaces of the room, giving him a big fright. He tried to chase the little creatures out from under the bed, but they only squeaked louder.
Hearing Uncle Vernon's snores, he refrained from any drastic actions and waited quietly. After a while, the fat rats came out, gathered together, and in a puff of purple smoke, transformed back into a card.
Harry opened the other gifts and found that Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid had given him three enormous cakes. This meant that Dudley's diet plan had no impact on him. In fact, apart from breakfast, he usually slipped over to the house Sirius rented and stayed there until evening.
Beyond satisfying his longing for family, Harry discovered an unexpected benefit: he could cast spells outside of school. At Mrs. Figg's neighbor's house, Harry could use Sirius' spare wand. Sirius had mentioned that the wand he had taken from a Dark Wizard wasn't very comfortable to use, so he had gone to Ollivanders to get a new one.
Harry ended up using the dragon heartstring wand, though he found it less comfortable than his own. However, being able to cast spells was enough to satisfy him. He and Sirius practiced dueling in the house, which they had fortified with the Impervius Charm. This started as a protest against the boring TV programs one afternoon, but Sirius unexpectedly became very enthusiastic about the game.
He taught Harry several dueling techniques, but he soon realized that Harry had already developed his own fighting style, though it was still a bit immature. Harry's skill level was high, making their dueling games feel more like real battles.
Sirius more than once called out Harry's father's name with enthusiasm, which made Harry feel both heartbroken and touched.
In the middle of all this, the Ministry of Magic sent him a letter warning him about casting spells outside of school. Sirius sent back a Howler, and the Ministry didn't follow up.
Harry was initially worried, but Sirius explained, "This law is mainly aimed at Muggle-born students to prevent them from exposing magic to Muggles. Do you really think they care about the children of wizard families?"
Harry was happily convinced and even wrote about it in a letter to Hermione. Hermione responded that she wanted to send a Howler to the Ministry too, which made Harry laugh brightly. However, his smile faded when he read further and saw that Hermione mentioned she was researching curses.
...
In his bedroom, Harry opened Sirius' gift box, which was only the size of his palm, square and compact. When he touched the lid, he heard a noise from inside. Harry paused, not worried about a curse but concerned that Sirius might have sent him something strange.
Harry had long noticed that his godfather was sometimes less mature than he was. For example, Sirius couldn't cook and was terrible at household magic. If it weren't for Kreacher, Sirius would probably have ended up living with the Dursleys and getting into a fight with them on the first day.
He carefully opened the lid, and a golden, round object flew out. Harry instinctively reached out to catch it, his heart pounding. Through the gaps in his fingers, he saw a beautiful, gleaming Golden Snitch. Harry's eyes lit up; this gift was exactly what he wanted.
Inside the box was also a note:
'Dear Harry,
I've been wanting to give you this for a long time. I found it in Felix's office; it only had one wing intact at the time. I asked Felix to fix it and made some interesting modifications, but I'll let you discover them yourself. It wouldn't be fun if I told you all the secrets.
Also, when we were at school, James used to steal the Golden Snitch from the Quidditch team to show off and catch Lily's attention. I strongly recommend you try it.
Your godfather, Sirius.'
Harry smiled, loosening his grip. The Golden Snitch slowly spread its wings and zoomed off. He scanned the room and quickly spotted it, catching it smoothly as it flew past his left ear.
Harry shook it vigorously, and the Golden Snitch settled down, resting in his hand. He heard a faint rustling sound and placed the Snitch to his ear, gently shaking it. The sound became more noticeable this time.
Harry pressed a spot on the Snitch's surface, and its metal shell suddenly opened. Harry noticed that something was inside and tilted the opening toward the bed. "Rattle, rattle!"
A pile of various snacks spilled onto the bed, rolling everywhere—Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes, Ginger Newt Biscuits, Dragon Liver Cheese, and a Honeydukes Candy Box.
"Wow", Harry exclaimed.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
