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Chapter 524: The Elder Wand and the New Wand
Chapter 524: The Elder Wand and the New Wand
It seems they were on the same page—mainly Minerva and Severus—wanting to grade some of the summer assignments during lunch. As for Felix, he had much more free time than the other two.
However, he still sat in an armchair, holding a stack of essays to read.
For a while, the staff room was quiet, with only the sound of grading essays. The three professors had different methods: Professor Mcgonagall was the most meticulous, the "scratch" of her quill barely pausing, like a gentle rain brushing against leaves. Snape, on the other hand, would remain silent for long periods, then suddenly make forceful marks on the parchment. After a short while, Felix could roughly gauge the student's level and Severus's mood...
Felix wrote a series of page numbers at the end of an essay, indicating the content the student needed to review. After about half an hour, he stood up from his chair, stretched, and prepared to go outside for some fresh air. Snape, who had been silent the entire time, looked up, stared at Felix's back, and followed him out of the staff room.
Felix appeared in the courtyard, where a light rain was falling. He stood next to a tall pillar. The wide eaves extending from the castle's upper levels cast a large shadow, covering a small patch of shrubs.
Felix squinted, gazing at the blurry scene in the distance. A student was hopping around in the rain like a rabbit.
Magic was truly amazing and convenient. He couldn't remember how many times this thought had crossed his mind.
Snape appeared beside him at some point. Other students came out to the courtyard for a breath of fresh air, but whenever they approached, Snape would glare at them fiercely, sending them back. This allowed their conversation to proceed smoothly. Both gauged the atmosphere and spoke almost simultaneously—
"I heard you got a new wand", Snape said.
"I heard you recently took on a part-time job", Felix replied.
Snape's face stiffened, and he said softly, "Our Headmaster really trusts you... You should be careful, as this usually means he has new plans for you."
"Do you mean he intends to use me more?" Felix asked, finding it quite interesting how different people could see Dumbledore in such different ways. What about himself? How many faces did he have in the eyes of others?
"Use..." Snape repeated thoughtfully, "If you don't mind being a pawn, with every move tightly controlled... then yes."
"Scary~ He doesn't have Seer blood, does he? But I remember he doesn't really believe in prophecies", Felix exaggerated.
Snape gave him a sidelong glance, "Our Headmaster is a highly skilled chess player. He will analyze you thoroughly before the conversation even begins, making you believe that everything you do is your own choice, just as he hopes."
Felix tasted a familiar flavor, realizing he did something similar—preparing as much as possible before negotiations to leave no room for refusal. Thus, Snape's words sounded like a criticism of himself.
"Full of complaints, Severus."
"Just an observation", Snape said coolly, "So, the name of your new wand is 'Elder Wand'?" Although a bit awkward, Felix understood.
"Yes", he answered briefly.
"Is it an Ollivander's creation?" Snape pressed.
"Indeed, the craftsmanship is quite exquisite."
"But not everyone agrees", Snape said softly.
Felix's eyes darted, "Your part-time employer? Don't you think he's overstepping?"
"Some believe", Snape raised his voice, his black eyes fixed on the rain, "This wand has existed for a long time, kept by the Ollivander family, and only recently found a new owner."
Felix was slightly surprised, "That's unusual." Was Voldemort misunderstanding something? Felix pondered, recalling Voldemort's sudden retreat. The misunderstanding...
"Elder Wand?"
Snape fell silent. Felix considered this, so Lucius had told Voldemort about the incident at the wand shop? He carefully replayed his conversation with Mr. Ollivander, certain that his words had been full of mockery for fairy tales.
But who knows what Voldemort is thinking? His mind isn't quite right...
"Indeed, there are legends of various powerful wands throughout history—the Elder Wand, the Wand of Death, the Wand of Destiny... The tales of the Elder Wand are the most exaggerated, and its history is the bloodiest and cruelest... Of course, few people believe in these legends; those who know about them treat them as mere stories... But you can't rule out the possibility that these powerful wands once existed", Snape said in a low voice.
"Why is the history of the Elder Wand so bloody and cruel?" Felix asked, picking a familiar name.
Snape glanced at him.
"According to the legend, you can only become the true master of the Elder Wand by winning it from the previous owner. This usually means treachery and murder. There is a lot of evidence to support this—"
"So you believe in this?" Felix asked.
Snape didn't answer directly. He continued, "Several powerful Dark Wizards in history have proven its power with their lives. Of course, there is another school of thought that considers it all a coincidence, a fabrication by later researchers who drew conclusions from the limited number of wand owners, creating a false pattern. It's just a story that makes for good conversation."
"The wand I have isn't the Elder Wand", Felix sneered.
"Whether I believe it or not isn't important; my opinion doesn't count", Snape said with a shrug.
Felix was speechless. He had a new understanding of what Dumbledore had said before. How do you know what the enemy is thinking? You can infer it from their actions. At least in this case, Felix could draw a conclusion: Voldemort would not dare to confront him until he knew the truth about the Elder Wand.
The deterrent power of a fake Elder Wand was astonishing.
Even Felix couldn't help but be a little tempted—just like Voldemort feared Felix, Felix also feared Voldemort. Two wizards of equal strength, far surpassing the norm, naturally paid attention to each other's true thoughts.
Of course, Felix knew the Elder Wand in his possession was a fake. But what if there really was an invincible wand in the world, and he had named his new wand after it? Did this imply something? For example, that he would eventually obtain the real Elder Wand?
But Felix quickly dismissed this thought. He didn't want to believe in the existence of an invincible wand. How could a wand be stronger than a wizard?
Besides, the wand was just a transitional tool for him. He didn't need to spend too much energy on something he would eventually abandon. It would be better to focus on how to counter Voldemort's Killing Curse. He had at least three ideas—using the Size-Altering Charm to enlarge objects, the Seventh-Level Ironclad Spell, and transfiguring into magical creatures. But he needed more time to master these techniques.
Felix fell into deep thought. He had always underestimated the Size-Altering Charm, only thinking about how to shrink objects. But now, he realized that enlarging objects could also be a good strategy.
He could carry coins, pebbles, and nails with him and throw them at Voldemort when the time came... He could even throw rats.
...
"Who's there!" Snape suddenly shouted. He strode into the shadows, his robes billowing dramatically.
Felix snapped back to reality, just in time to hear Snape's furious voice yelling, "Eavesdropping on a professor! Fifty points from each of you! And detention!"
Felix blinked and moved a few steps to the side, getting a clearer view.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood together, looking dejected and sickly. Harry held a limp, floppy rope in his hand—the Extendable Ear invented by the Weasley twins.
The other end of the Extendable Ear was trembling at Snape's feet, and it seemed as if his nose had been twisted by anger.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was December. At the beginning of the month, please support us with your monthly votes~
(End of Chapter)
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