Chapter 34: Runic Script Creations and Halloween
Chapter 34: Runic Script Creations and Halloween
Through a rather talkative note left by someone named Chagus Gant, Felix confirmed that this ancient book belonged to a family called "Gant", or at least they had possessed it for a long time.
The notes that followed were full of praise for this great-grandfather.
And not just from one person.
This made Felix enjoy reading the comments.
The Runic Script creation Felix was preparing to complete also came from this ancient book. It was called a "Runic Script creation" rather than an "Alchemy Artifact" because its internal circuitry was entirely constructed using Runic Scripts, with no traces of later Alchemy.
Many people couldn't tell the difference, but Felix was an exception—Runic Scripts could be used in Ancient Magic and also inscribed on objects, as they were a language, a language of magic.
Their essence was the ancient wizards' exploration and summary of magic.
Alchemy, on the other hand, partly inherited from Ancient Runes and developed independently, with the goal of "imbuing items with magic to give them special magical functions."
Thus, the symbols used in Alchemy could not be called a language, but merely magical symbols.
However, Alchemy had its advantages. To imbue various items with magic, many great wizards experimented with numerous methods, leaving behind enchanting techniques that seemed almost unbelievable.
The pinnacle of this field was the French Alchemist Nicolas Flamel.
Compared to Alchemy, Runic Script creations were considered "antiques." This was one reason Felix believed the notes were from a very old era.
...
The Runic Script creation Felix wanted to complete was called the "Binding Vine." It utilized the natural growth properties of magical vines to launch surprise attacks. The advantage was that it required no incantation, and its activation was stable and unaffected by external interference.
However, when it came to its actual power, opinions varied. At least, Felix had his doubts.
But he didn't prioritize its power. What he valued was the underlying philosophy: the approach to creating Runic Script creations and the technique of combining opposing magical properties.
The unicorn represented purity and kindness;
The Devil's Net was an aggressively magical plant that always attacked small animals and unfortunate humans, hunting being its instinct.
Under normal circumstances, these two magical properties were difficult to combine. Felix, following the ancient book's method, used the Whomping Willow to balance this opposition—despite its violent behavior, the Whomping Willow was fundamentally a neutral plant.
Felix waved his wand, dispersing the unicorn hair mat into clear water. Almost instantly, the water turned pitch black.
Felix: "..."
He changed the water several times before the unicorn hair was finally clean, then dried it with magic.
Only then did the unicorn hair reveal its true form—soft, smooth, and long white strands that stretched out, emitting a gentle, flowing light, as if made of solidified mercury.
The other two main ingredients required time to cultivate. The Devil's Net needed to grow a bit more, and the Whomping Willow branches had to be infused with magic to make them more flexible for transformation.
Felix estimated that the preparations would take at least until the end of November.
However, he could start thinking about how to optimize the Runic Script circuits...
Days passed, and Felix completed the first large-scale unified exams for all five grades, as he had promised at the start of the school year.
The weekend before Halloween, he was still busy grading papers.
Fortunately, he wasn't alone; another Assistant was working overtime with him.
At ten o'clock in the evening.
Hermione stifled a yawn, glancing at Professor Hup.
"Professor, I've finished grading."
Felix looked up. "I still have some left, but you can go home. Have a good Halloween party."
Hermione said goodnight and left the office. As she walked, she looked forward to the event in three days. However, she wasn't planning to attend the school-organized party but the 500th anniversary of Gryffindor's ghost, Nearly Headless Nick.
Back in the common room, many Gryffindor young wizards were still working on their homework.
Ron let out a wail; he was still eight inches short on his Potions essay and a foot short on his History of Magic essay.
"Why do they assign so much homework before Halloween!"
Ron voiced the thoughts of many young wizards, who nodded in agreement before continuing to work on their assignments.
Hermione, seated next to Harry and Ron, bluntly said, "If you had started your homework earlier, you wouldn't be in this mess."
She was busier than anyone else, not only with her assignments but also with her duties as an Ancient Runes Assistant. Additionally, she was practicing the Runic Script taught by Professor Hup. So far, she had mastered 19 Runic Scripts.
Professor Hup said she had a chance to independently complete an Alchemy Artifact this year.
Ron pouted, "Stop nagging and lend me your History of Magic essay."
"You need to do your own work!"
"I just need a reference, right, Harry?"
Harry quickly nodded.
In the end, Hermione lent them her essay.
Over the next two days, the festive atmosphere in the school grew more intense. Despite the torrential rain outside and the sky as dark as ink, the rooms inside were bright and cheerful.
Professor Flitwick decorated the Great Hall with live bats, Professor Mcgonagall transfigured huge, colorful decorations, and Hagrid's enormous pumpkins finally found their purpose, carved into hollow lanterns large enough to fit three or four people inside.
Rumors spread around the school that Dumbledore had booked a skeleton dance troupe to entertain during the holiday.
Everyone was eagerly looking forward to the Halloween party.
Only Harry and Ron were glum, as Harry had reluctantly agreed to attend Nearly Headless Nick's five-hundredth deathday celebration, and Ron, supporting his friend, decided to accompany him.
As the decorations in the Great Hall became more elaborate, their smiles grew more bitter.
This bitterness reached its peak on the afternoon of Halloween.
At seven o'clock, the trio made their way through the corridor to the feast. Passing by the Great Hall, they saw it decked out in lights and flickering candles. The giant pumpkin lanterns were as large as carriages, and some young wizards had already chosen their seats, chatting and laughing.
As Harry squeezed through the crowd, he even saw one of the twins directing a ghost doll to chase after young wizards, spraying black smoke in their faces, while the Magical Automaton emitted eerie creaking sounds.
The day before, Felix had announced the grades and fulfilled his promise, giving a custom-made Magical Automaton to the top student in each year. These Automatons were more powerful and had more "moves."
However, the top student in the fourth year was not one of the twins but Cedric from Hufflepuff, who consistently held the top spot. However, when it was time to choose his prize, the twins talked him into selecting the ghost doll.
Now, he sat with his friends, his gaze fixed on a third-year Ravenclaw girl. He suddenly regretted not choosing a prettier doll and giving it to this girl.
While Cedric's thoughts swirled, the path ahead for Harry, Ron, and Hermione was winding and steep. They descended to the basement, the sounds of merriment growing fainter, mirroring their somber moods.
Passing through a cold corridor lined with black candles, they saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at the door of a room, welcoming guests. He was dressed in a black velvet cloak.
"Welcome, my dear friends, it's wonderful that you could come..."
At the same moment, Dumbledore announced the official start of the Halloween party, and the young wizards' cheers echoed through the Great Hall.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances. In the blue glow of the candles, their faces looked grim. They took a deep breath and walked in, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
(End of Chapter)
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