Chapter 359: Shifting Focus
Chapter 359: Shifting Focus
Draco Malfoy's slightly pointed face turned to one of shock. He eagerly lifted his head, staring intently at Felix, as if trying to read the true meaning from the professor's calm expression.
"Plenty of sleep brings a sense of satisfaction, but I don't tell that to just anyone", Felix said. "Another comparable experience is a hearty meal, though you'll have to wait until Halloween for that. There will be many exotic dishes..."
After Felix left, Draco remained in place, his pale gray eyes darting back and forth, unsure if he had just narrowly escaped a predicament.
Professor Hup was known to be a man who disliked trouble, a fact that was generally acknowledged by the entire school.
For instance, he would often assign homework through the 'Answer Parchment' to save time on grading. Similarly, while his in-class tests were as frequent as those of other professors, he was the only one who required students to answer in a fixed format.
Rumors circulated that this made it easier for a highly specialized Magical Automaton to grade the tests.
There were other signs as well. Professor Hup rarely gave detentions and seldom deducted points. More than one Hufflepuff student had encountered the professor in the kitchen, where they would discuss the nuances of fish preparation. The 'Fishbone Removal Spell' that he had improved from the 'Deboning Spell' once became a sensation in the school.
However, if a student dared to ask about this in class or expressed interest in learning culinary spells, their homework load would immediately increase, and the trend gradually subsided.
Now, Draco Malfoy was pondering whether Professor Hup's assignment from Professor Mcgonagall would be forgotten if he didn't bring it up again.
He spent the next two days on edge, being cautious in Ancient Runes and Potions classes, avoiding eye contact with the professors. He even refrained from joining in when Neville Longbottom melted his cauldron—a rare occurrence, as Longbottom's grades had been steadily improving.
Care of Magical Creatures was also difficult, as he had to endure the mocking glances of the Gryffindor students, especially that Weasley, who would grin at him and pretend to dust off his pants, making Draco secretly want to cast a nasty curse. If only he could make Weasley vomit slugs again, but he couldn't find the spell in the Library.
As usual, Hagrid made them care for Exploding Snails in class, and the students were reluctant. These were slimy, gray creatures, somewhat like large shell-less lobsters, with numerous legs that wriggled and squirmed, spewing a mucus-like substance as they crawled around in their box.
Despite his dislike for Gryffindors, Draco felt a bit of satisfaction when the girl named "Lavender Brown" screamed "Disgusting!" while feeding the six-inch creatures lettuce. However, Crabbe, the brainless one, tipped over the terrarium, causing the Exploding Snails to scatter, their tails sparking as they fled. The smell of decay filled the air, making them all feel nauseous and unable to stand straight.
Thursday was a special day, and he saw Moody again.
Moody was as mad as ever, openly demonstrating Unforgivable Curses in class. When discussing the Killing Curse, Moody grinned and said, "The Avada Kedavra requires a great deal of magical power—any of you can take out your wands, point them at me, and cast this spell. I doubt I would do more than bleed a little from the nose."
For a moment, he felt a dark temptation, similar to what Professor Hup had mentioned, but he found himself unable to muster the courage to point his wand at that ugly nose.
On Friday, he saw Professor Hup again and was surprised to find that the Ancient Runes classroom had been completely transformed. Soft light illuminated the room brightly, and he looked up with the other students at the magical lamps shaped like the animals representing the four houses.
"Professor Hup, will other classrooms in Hogwarts also be fitted with magical lamps?" a girl raised her hand to ask.
"Your question is not directly related to the class, Miss Patil. However, I can reveal that people from the 'Future World' will be visiting the school in a couple of days to discuss this matter", Felix smiled.
"I personally believe that magical lamps are far superior to oil lamps or magical fires. At least, you won't have to worry about straining your eyes while studying in the classroom or the Library."
Below the podium, Harry and Ron were whispering—
"Isn't the 'Future World' Professor Hup's project?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"Maybe he's still teaching at the school and it's not very convenient", Harry said, his heart filled with a bit of anticipation. "Perhaps we'll get to see Professor Lupin."
"And Penelope", Ron added without thinking, inadvertently revealing some information. "Before the term started, Percy brought her home, and Mum mentioned marriage. It scared her off."
Felix cleared his throat and scanned the room, and the young wizards below quieted down.
He clapped his hands. "Alright, students. Today we'll be translating a manuscript. You've encountered excerpts from it in your third year..."
For the remaining twenty minutes, Felix assigned the students to study independently. Hermione finished the assignment on the Answer Parchment in just ten minutes, while Harry and Ron were still struggling with their Quills, racking their brains.
"How do you do it?" Ron asked her.
"It's all memorization, no thinking required. It's much easier than making up some miserable stories to fool Trelawney", Hermione said, glancing at the professor who was sitting behind the desk, holding a half-real, half-illusory book and occasionally tossing a few Runic Symbols into it.
"The Book of Runes..." she murmured.
"What?" Harry asked. He had just completed the last part of his assignment with a few minutes left before the class ended and looked up just in time to hear Hermione's whisper.
"The Book of Runes", Hermione repeated. "I wish I could do that too." Professor Felix turned another page. She blinked, as if she had seen a flash of black lightning.
Ron whispered to Harry, "I'll accept anything as long as it doesn't involve S.P.E.W."
Harry couldn't help but chuckle. Hermione had been combing through the Library for information on House-elves, furious about the unfair treatment they had endured for centuries, and had founded a charity organization—the House-Elf Liberation Organization, whose acronym was the same as "S.P.E.W."
"You shouldn't say that. You're the treasurer of the organization", Hermione said, her emotions running high.
"Yeah", Ron replied, "and Harry is the secretary. Do you want us to write down every word you say? We're busy, and we have Champion Training this weekend..."
"That's for sixth and seventh years", Hermione raised an eyebrow, giving him a stern look.
"But the notice board doesn't say only sixth and seventh years can attend. Can't we just check it out?" Ron muttered, seeking support from Harry, who nodded vigorously.
Hermione was about to say more when the bell rang. Ron and Harry immediately ran out and stood by the door, looking around from a distance. Hermione took a while to come out, and when they met again, she looked very excited.
"I asked Professor Hup! To get into the kitchen, you just need to find the pear in the Fruit Basket Portrait and tickle it", Hermione said, beaming. "It seems the professor supports me."
"He agreed!?" Ron asked, incredulous. "He agreed to wear the S.P.E.W. badge? What position did you give him?"
"Oh, no", Hermione's face fell. "Professor said he needs to think about it carefully, but—"
"Professor suggested I visit the kitchen, talk to the House-elves, and write a Report on the Actual Conditions of House-Elves in the Hogwarts Kitchen."
Ron whispered his thoughts. "I bet Professor Hup just couldn't say no, so he gave her something to do."
Harry thought about Professor Hup's reaction when asked to join the strange organization and agreed with Ron's guess. Maybe that was the real reason.
He was secretly angry with himself for not thinking of this method. If he had known, they wouldn't have had to hold meetings, discuss the organization's founding declaration, and draft regulations.
...
On Saturday morning, the sky was overcast. Students gathered in Room Seven in small groups, and more people showed up than expected. Many first and second-year students brought candies and snacks, eager to see the spectacle.
Harry remembered this place well. When the Runes Club was selecting members, he and Ron had helped Hermione with the registration, filling out forms and explaining the rules to the students.
He had also won the third-year dueling competition here, defeating Malfoy and earning the reward of learning Apparition three years early.
However, after the summer break, the magic in the room had faded. From a distance, the white wall plaster was visible, marking the boundaries of the room, and half of the ceiling could be seen through the blue, clear sky.
(End of Chapter)
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