Chapter 378: Entry
Chapter 378: Entry
When Professor Mcgonagall stopped speaking, Felix noticed Snape's expression suddenly became peculiar. He tried to appear nonchalant and said lightly, "We must take them seriously, those Dark Magic spells..."
He let the parchment slip from his fingertips.
"Those things hidden beneath dangerous emotions are elusive and unpredictable, always surprising everyone. If Hogwarts students are unprepared, they will find themselves like headless chickens when the time comes."
"Time comes!" Moody repeated loudly, his nose missing a chunk of flesh pointing at Snape. "To face or to use? What do you think I've been doing for the past two months?"
Snape and Moody stared at each other.
After a moment of silence, Flitwick interjected uneasily, "I think we all agree that we will never teach students Dark Magic—"
Snape glanced at him.
"You're right."
"Exactly!" Flitwick seemed encouraged and said with some enthusiasm, "But we can't let students pretend they don't see it. Dark Magic is a vast category of magic. In certain situations and scenarios, they can be more advantageous."
Professor Mcgonagall said impatiently, "You're confusing me, Filius. Do you agree with Ilvermorny's suggestion or not?"
Felix suddenly said, "Professor Flitwick and I are on the same page—accept Ilvermorny's proposal. They have two main intentions: one is to test the abilities of Hogwarts' chosen champions before the other three schools arrive."
"Not just them, all five schools will do the same. If we look at past competition information, we'll see that there is an option to ally with the weaker side against the stronger one. Now, with five schools participating and three champions each, the situation is even more complex and unpredictable. Therefore, each school wants to know its position to formulate an appropriate strategy."
The professors nodded, acknowledging his words.
"What about Ilvermorny's second intention?"
"Of course, to practice Dark Magic intensively", Felix said. "Ilvermorny is not as averse to Dark Magic as we are, but I must remind everyone that they teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, not Dark Magic itself!"
"This means that most of the spells on this list, their students won't know!"
"You mean, Felix, we can understand which Dark Magic spells Ilvermorny has chosen through the students' sparring sessions?" Professor Mcgonagall asked. Moody's fake eye kept spinning, as if thinking rapidly.
"Exactly", Felix glanced at the parchment in his hand. "There are about fifty Dark Magic spells here, diverse and specialized. Apart from Durmstrang, it's impossible for students from other schools to know them all. The best strategy is to pick the useful ones. Traditional schools like Beauxbatons might even refuse to use Dark Magic, just like Hogwarts."
Mcgonagall frowned, thinking. "Among the five schools, Beauxbatons' attitude toward Dark Magic is indeed similar to Hogwarts, just as you said. As for the remaining three... Durmstrang is a given; their students will know most of the spells on the list. Ilvermorny will pick selectively, and the only uncertain one is Wagadu..."
"Do you have any thoughts on Wagadu?"
Felix shook his head lightly. "I don't know much about it. The information I have is hearsay and can't be relied upon."
Mcgonagall looked at the other professors and made a decision. "Then, I will agree to Ilvermorny's request." She looked at the group. "Can we find alternative spells to replace some of the obscure magic effects on this list?"
"Of course", Flitwick said in a high-pitched voice. "For example, the corrosive Dark Magic spells can be replaced with the Softening Charm, which can soften the scales of magical creatures or hard rocks."
"Feasible", Moody grunted.
"I have no problem with that", Felix said. "Also, we can change our approach—we don't have to mimic everything. We can find ways to defend against certain spells, like 'Blood Tracking.' If students are aware of how to avoid being tracked, they can stay out of danger."
...
After the meeting, the professors dispersed.
Felix pulled Snape along to Flitwick's office as a guest. Flitwick brought out some cookies and tea, and over snacks and drinks, they managed to analyze a significant portion of the Dark Magic spells on the list.
Among the three, Flitwick is a master of spells, well-versed and knowledgeable. His command of spells is not limited to dark magic and other categories, while Snape's interest is more straightforward, evident from his previous statements at the meeting.
As for Felix, he has also dedicated time to studying dark magic, but the quantity he knows pales in comparison to the other two.
In fact, his strategy is very similar to that of Ilvermorny—choosing only what is suitable.
The Fiendfyre Curse is a standard powerful dark magic spell, but it is one of his specialties. Its power has reached a certain peak, and only the Shield Charm has the potential to surpass it; otherwise, most spells are on par with the Fiendfyre Curse.
The next day, on the weekend, the Hogwarts champions gathered on a temporary practice field between the Quidditch Pitch and the Forbidden Forest. This area was designated for students from the two schools to practice and hone their magical skills.
However, this didn't concern Harry and his friends much.
Professor Mcgonagall prohibited them from participating, focusing only on the dozen or so candidates from the sixth and seventh years, ignoring the younger students.
"Why didn't they call us!" Ron complained.
"Because we're not even close to being champions, and apart from what Professor Moody taught us, we have no experience with dark magic", Hermione loudly stated, also reminding the surrounding, eager students.
"Who says so", Ron muttered, "if you find Professor Hup's memory in Classroom Seven and choose the black market, you'll see a room full of Dark Wizards—ending in chaos every time."
It wasn't just Harry and Ron who felt left out.
Neville, the Weasley Twins, Susan Bones, and Eddie Emmerich were also there, hiding in the shade. Too young to participate, they could only watch the older students and Ilvermorny's champions practice, with professors providing guidance.
"You look like a bunch of abandoned Hippogriffs", a drawling voice came from behind them.
Harry felt a wave of irritation, turning to glare at Draco Malfoy, unsurprised to see Crabbe and Goyle by his side. However, Malfoy was also accompanied by two others, the Greengrass sisters.
In a way, the younger sister, Astoria, was more famous, especially for her habit of riding a giant serpent around the Black Lake.
Harry had never spoken to her, but Hermione had. Interestingly, she barely counted as Daphne Greengrass's friend, or perhaps, rival? Harry couldn't quite figure it out; they always argued when they met, yet never came to blows.
Hermione's opinion of Astoria was that of a spoiled little girl with a very immature mindset. Her only redeeming quality was that she had no prejudice against Muggle-born wizards.
"Granger, I'm going to duel you on behalf of my sister!" Astoria pointed at Hermione, shouting.
But her bravado was quickly quelled by Daphne, who patted her head.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry said sternly.
"Don't lump me in with you", Draco sneered, "if I wanted to watch, I would do so openly, not hide here like a bunch of whiny babies..."
He stopped speaking when everyone's eyes blazed with anger, and a few had already drawn their wands, looking at him menacingly.
"Let's go", Draco Malfoy said, "I'm going to greet my Ilvermorny friends!" He strutted off, leading the Slytherin students toward the practice field.
"I have a good relationship with Viktor, and the Graves family is well-respected in the American magical community..." His boastful voice drifted back to them, making everyone's blood boil.
The remaining group looked at each other, and Fred suddenly said, "We know people from Ilvermorny too."
"Right", Harry quickly agreed.
"So..." Ron looked at them eagerly.
"Shall we go see?" Fred suggested.
"Great idea", George answered without hesitation.
After a moment of silence, they marched in unison toward the practice field.
(End of Chapter)
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