Chapter 450: The Game
Chapter 450: The Game
In the Potions Professor's office, Felix and Snape were playing a game of Wizard Chess.
Felix made the opening move with the white king's pawn, while Snape countered with the Sicilian Defense. The game progressed into the middlegame, with pieces being exchanged back and forth. However, neither of their minds was fully on the board.
"Felix, how is the Boomslang Pup Mucus working?"
"Pretty well. It seems to have undergone some unknown changes, which I believe are beneficial..." Snape moved one of his black pawns forward and said softly, "This might be a new approach—using different magical properties to treat materials to 'eliminate' certain stubborn traits."
"Isn't there also a similar concept in potions where ingredients neutralize each other? Oh... I see." Felix said, moving his queen forward two spaces and capturing one of Snape's pawns.
Snape calmly moved his bishop, "Most average wizards can't discern the subtle differences, and this is a crucial factor in determining whether they will achieve success in potion-making..."
Felix's white knight trembled under the threat of Snape's black bishop, repeatedly shouting, "Save me! Save me!"
Felix coldly issued the command, and his white queen moved three spaces diagonally, her gaze shifting between two of Snape's pawns. Snape focused for a few seconds and then abandoned one of the pawns.
At this point, Felix moved his knight into enemy territory. "Charge!" the piece enthusiastically shouted.
"You're right", Felix responded to Snape. "But we also need to consider the varying levels of the new students."
"I've already considered that. The potion formulas for the first year are extremely simple, giving them ample time to adapt", Snape said slowly. "Unless they can't read or have no logical reasoning skills."
Felix recalled that this was indeed the case. The first-year Potions Class textbook contained very few formulas, mostly focusing on introducing common potion ingredients, brewing precautions, and general characteristics of potions. Even the existing dozen or so potion formulas were described in great detail, with step-by-step instructions, including how many times to stir and what reactions to expect. The book also included common errors and their corrections.
At this moment, Snape's black knight moved towards the center of the board, launching an attack. Felix moved his rook to counter. The tension on the board grew, but the two of them continued their leisurely chat.
"Many students are discussing using Ancient Runic Script to enhance modern magic. Some have already made significant progress", Snape said softly.
"I know..." Felix stared at the board, sensing something was amiss in the center. After a moment of contemplation, he discovered a hidden trap. He glanced at Snape, thinking, "Is he trying to distract me?"
He decisively moved his knight back. The black pawn immediately followed, and the white bishop moved forward to capture it. The black knight then countered, capturing the white bishop. Suddenly, the white queen appeared and took the black knight. The black queen moved forward to counter, and in the end, Felix used one of his remaining pawns to capture the black queen.
After a series of intense exchanges, Felix took a deep breath.
"Actually, the integration of Ancient Runic Script and modern magic is a dead end."
"A dead end?" Snape looked at him with a mix of surprise and skepticism, momentarily forgetting his move.
"Right", Felix thought carefully, "more accurately, it's a detour. Like a tributary of a river that eventually merges back into the main stream."
"I've never heard of this theory", Snape said slowly, fidgeting with a struggling black knight in his hand.
Felix smiled and explained, "Take the 'Waterflow' Runic Script and the Water Creation Spell as an example. Their magical principles partially overlap, so the Runic Script can enhance the spell. However, this enhancement isn't universal, and its effectiveness can vary from person to person..."
"Vary from person to person?" Snape pondered the phrase.
"Exactly. For instance, the level of mastery over Runic Script is a fundamental prerequisite. While there are shortcuts, someone has to be willing to teach them... Additionally, the choice of spell is crucial. The students are enthusiastically experimenting, and they should be able to achieve some results before their enthusiasm wanes... There are also issues with casting time and the timing of the spell."
Felix continued, "This is just the fusion of a single Runic Script with modern magic. What about integrating two, three, or even more Runic Scripts? Runic Script circuits, sequences, and Ancient Magic? You'll find that the further you go, the more Ancient Runic Script dominates, which defeats the purpose."
"Then why—?" Snape took a deep breath.
"I was mistaken in the past", Felix said calmly, "I was too focused on climbing higher, seeking the deeper mysteries. I naturally discarded paths that were clearly unsuitable, like this one—transforming modern magic into Ancient Magic to break through various tangible and intangible limitations. But clearly, that's not what I want."
Especially now that he had the Book of Runes, Felix thought to himself.
Snape fell silent for a moment, "So, you think revealing it now would be more effective?"
"Diggory reminded me, and I went along with it", Felix shook his head slightly, staring at the board for a moment before looking away. "Of course, upon reflection, it does have significant benefits for promoting Ancient Runic Script..."
The game on the chessboard had entered the endgame phase, and the situation was becoming clearer. The recent battle of pieces had taken a lot of his mental effort, especially since he didn't want to cheat using the Mind Chamber or the mind acceleration spell.
Felix lounged back on the sofa, watching Snape concentrate, and continued the previous conversation: "Although I don't need it, Diggory's unexpected discovery reminded me of something: Ancient Runic Script might have originated from me, but I hope that after me, there will be a proliferation of ideas. So I encourage them to submit articles to the magazine."
Snape suddenly looked up, surprised.
"Discussing the pros and cons of combining Ancient Runic Script with modern magic, as well as some good examples... I designed a structure for the essays, and if they follow this format and have a bit of luck, they can get published in the magazine." Felix explained. "Of course, I mean the members of the Rune Club." He added, then moved his white pawn forward, the white soldier drawing a curved sword to dramatically threaten the opponent's knight. "I also suggested that the students send their articles to two places, one specifically to the Ancient Runic Script Association."
Snape's expression showed understanding.
His student's relationship with the Ancient Runic Script Association had never been good. The old scholars who had spent their lives studying the evolution of runes found it hard to accept Felix's theories. Their general view was that Ancient Runic Script was a language, merely borrowing some "forms" from predecessors.
Now, it seemed that when these students grew up, forming a "New Ancient Runic Script Association" was not impossible. Or rather, it was almost inevitable. This year, more than half of the Hogwarts graduates had chosen Ancient Runic Script, and over a fifth of the year had taken advanced classes in it. Their understanding and perception of Ancient Runic Script aligned with what Felix hoped for.
A frightening fact was that Felix had only been onboarding for less than three years. In other words, the students who graduated in the past two years hadn't started learning from him from the beginning. According to this standard, only the current fifth-year students—those preparing for their O.W.L. exams—were the first batch to have received Felix's Ancient Runic Script education from third year.
As for the old scholars, their only option was to voice their criticism in the margins of newspapers, condemning this ideology, or to consider separating the 'practical' Ancient Runic Script from the rest, denying its existence, and splitting it off. After all, this part of Ancient Runic Script was a small proportion...
This was probably the best approach, Snape thought. Like a lizard shedding its tail to survive, it might be embarrassing, but at least it would preserve their own integrity.
Felix toyed with a chess piece and said with a smile, "I've made some new discoveries recently. Some of the Runic Scripts we previously thought were purely translational might be simplified or transformed versions of practical Runic Scripts. Yes, the transformation might be significant..."
This insight came from the Book of Runes.
Snape was speechless.
With the final step blocked, what else could the Ancient Runic Script Association do besides concede defeat?
...
Headquarters of the Ancient Runic Script Association.
Compared to large organizations like the Extraordinary Potions Association and St. Mungo's Magical Medical Association, the Ancient Runic Script Association's headquarters looked particularly shabby. The total number of members was only about thirty, a result of the association's repeated lowering of standards over decades.
"Have you seen it? It's normal for the Ancient Runic Script field to produce a valuable article once every few years, but in the past half-month, I've received six or seven highly innovative essays..."
"Do their studies have anything to do with us?" a grumpy old man slammed his hand on the table.
"Old Vera, don't let your personal emotions cloud your judgment. Your granddaughter works at 'Future World' company, but that shouldn't affect the impartiality of our association."
The old man glared at his friend in frustration.
"Think about it. These essays have been published in the Daily Prophet and Wizard Weekly, and they've even caught the attention of the Ministry of Magic—"
"What's it got to do with them?" the old man asked, eyes wide.
"Ha! This involves at least three departments: the Experimental Spell Committee, the Wizarding Examination Authority, and the Auror Office." The man said slowly, "I heard they even plan to compile a booklet on Ancient Runic Script under Felix Hepworth's leadership, so the publishing department might get involved too..."
"The Wizarding Examination Authority is involved too?" the old man asked.
"Giselda was patient, planning to wait and see the results this year... but things have changed too quickly, and she can't sit still. This is almost a revolution in modern spells!"
"Is it that exaggerated?" the old man didn't believe it.
"At the very least, it's a supplement. I've already made concessions; you can't argue with me!" the man said, puffing out his cheeks and glaring.
"Alright", the old man smacked his lips, silent for a moment, "Do you know Professor Marchbank? Can she take me along?"
...
It seems a new chapter will be out soon.
...
(End of Chapter)
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