Chapter 542: The Value of Ancient Runic Script
Chapter 542: The Value of Ancient Runic Script
At nine in the morning, Felix stood in front of the mirror, dressed and ready to go.
“Chirp?”
Valen put on a small scarf and looked at him expectantly.
“Oh, sorry, I can’t take you with me,” Felix said, lowering his head. “I’m not sure if it will be dangerous, so it’s best for you to stay home.”
He took a memory disk out of the ring. The disk drew a graceful arc in the air and landed steadily on the small square table in the office.
The intricate runic script circuit on the edge of the memory disk lit up, and a mist swirled in the center.
“Besides replaying memories, the employees at the company have found new applications for it. Tsk, it’s starting to look more and more like the future I imagined…” Felix waved his hand again, and a plate of snacks and a jug of juice appeared. “You can see the live feed through it; it’s practically the same…”
“Hmph!”
Valen stomped off to the sofa, clearly upset that the Dark Lord wouldn’t take him!
The foyer was dimly lit, with many students peering out at a protruding platform outside, their breath melting the frost on the castle walls, causing wet streams to trickle down the rough surfaces.
“Why won’t they let us go? It’s right in Hogsmeade! What are they thinking?” a student grumbled.
“I heard it’s for our safety…”
“You must be joking! With Dumbledore and Professor Hup here, what danger could there be? Even if it’s the Dark Lord…” The student’s voice trailed off.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in a corner of the foyer. Ron said hopefully, “Can’t Sirius take us?”
“He’s being left behind too,” Harry said gloomily.
Ron glared enviously at Percy, who was chatting with Dumbledore, his face flushed with excitement. “There are more people than expected! I mean, they’re all top-notch in their respective fields.”
When Felix descended the spiral staircase, the foyer fell silent for a moment, then the chatter grew louder.
“Professor, we support you!” a student called out enthusiastically.
Felix smiled at him. “Ten points to Slytherin.” The student was taken aback, and the Great Hall erupted in cheers. Felix finally managed to push through the crowd and said to Dumbledore and Percy, “Let’s go, are we all set?”
“We’re ready,” Percy said hurriedly. “The Ministry has assigned two hundred staff members, including fifty Aurors and enforcers, for which they’ve taken a day off.”
Felix nodded and then looked at Dumbledore without a word.
“Alastor is there,” Dumbledore said succinctly.
“On the school side—”
“Other professors are here, and Fawkes will summon me if needed.”
Percy seemed a bit bewildered by their conversation but managed to answer Felix’s next question.
“What about Madam Bones?”
“She’s in Hogsmeade. She’s meeting with the Ministers of Magic from several European countries and the Headmasters of magic schools from around the world.” Percy said eagerly. “Some of them arrived early and have been wandering Diagon Alley for days, probably with a lot of questions on their minds.”
They walked down the white stone steps toward the school’s main entrance, leaving the eager students behind.
Harry and Hermione watched Professor Hup’s retreating figure with mixed feelings. Harry muttered, “Living with the professor every day, I almost forget how far behind I am. No matter how hard I try, I might only ever see his back.”
“Professor will become a legend, like the most famous wizards in history,” Hermione said, her lips pressed together, but her expression showed her reluctance.
“Do you think his legend will include our names?” Ron asked, interested.
Harry and Hermione didn’t respond.
“Of course it will,” a firm voice said.
They turned to Neville, who was startled by their looks and stammered, “Like in a storybook, there are always multiple characters, right?”
“You mean the supporting characters?” Ron wasn’t very pleased. “Sounds like Malfoy’s rhetoric. By the way, Harry, what has she been writing about you lately?”
“Her serialized story?” Harry said grimly. “She describes me as a ranch hand, whose job is to shovel horse manure every day.”
…
Felix stood in the center of Hogsmeade’s square, surrounded by layer upon layer of wizards from all over the world, each with different purposes, but all now focused on the young man in the center.
"Everyone knows that the perfection of any field of study cannot be achieved by just one or two individuals. It requires building upon the foundations laid by predecessors. This is why I am standing here—"
"Isn't it because of the old wand?" a Wizard asked in a raspy voice.
"Part of it, yes", Felix replied, looking at him, "but the misunderstanding caused by my wand is a personal matter, and I will address it during the breaks in my speech. Of course, if you want to experience Ancient Magic firsthand... that's not impossible, but you'll need to sign up first." He pointed to a table in the corner, where two Aurors were stationed.
"Let me continue—any advancement in a magical discipline brings us tangible benefits. Take the Wolfsbane Potion, for instance... for centuries, we were helpless against the werewolf virus. Once infected, there was no cure. But now we've broken the first brick, and I can almost foresee the future: more refined and affordable potion recipes will be developed; countless analyses and essays will be written; new theories will emerge; and someone might even invent more targeted spells based on the potion's principles..."
"This is not a fantasy. It has been a recurring theme over the past few millennia, like an invisible hand, pushing the entire Wizard community forward, bit by bit."
Lupin stood beneath the giant projection screen, his fists clenched in excitement. If Felix was right, he would be willing to put all his savings into this endeavor.
The Wizards were clearly more interested in Felix's speech. They watched intently as he paced in the center of the venue, recounting his experiences studying Ancient Runic Script:
"...and for this reason, every magical discipline has its significance." Felix smiled. "They each offer a unique perspective on our innate abilities—magic, gradually and steadily expanding our understanding of it."
Hundreds of Billywig-shaped magical devices in the sky scanned the venue, capturing the excited faces of the audience. White flashes and purple mist from magical cameras occasionally illuminated the corners, and hundreds of Quills trembled with excitement.
Moreover, Felix's words were broadcast via radio to thousands of Wizard households.
Felix held his wand by the ends, but the wand no longer held the same allure it did at the beginning. Over two thousand Wizards from around the world stared at his face, at his toes that lifted slightly in excitement.
"A new discipline, however, clearly holds even greater value, such as Ancient Runic Script. Why do I insist on digging it up from the past? Because it still has much unexplored potential, and in the context of modern magic, it can be integrated with many other disciplines, like modern spells—"
He waved his wand, and 'Flowing' Runic Script combined with the Shield Charm to form a shallow green, wave-like magical barrier. 'Light' Runic Script combined with the Fire Spell, creating bright white flames that danced around him. More and more Runic Scripts appeared in the air, merging with modern spells to form colorful magical ripples.
"Or Alchemy—"
He pointed to the giant projection screen behind the audience.
"Our knowledge of ancient Wizards is limited. We can only piece together fragments from incomplete manuscripts and abandoned ruins. This disconnect not only makes it difficult for us to inherit the legacy of ancient Wizards but also leads us to misjudge that era."
"For example, the power of ancient Wizards came at the cost of severely weakening other abilities. From some ancient manuscripts, I discovered that an ancient Wizard—back then, it was a master-apprentice system—even if they mastered several powerful Ancient Magics at a young age, they still had more mundane concerns than modern Wizards. Moving required sorting through dozens of boxes, and the most advanced means of long-distance travel was a Broomstick... They might even have to clean their own homes and cook their own meals, as not everyone knew utility magic."
The Wizards in the audience fell into thought. With Felix Hep's appearance, a question was repeatedly raised: Was Ancient Runic Script, and the ancient Wizards it represented, truly as powerful as the legends suggested?
Wizards have their myths, or perhaps legends. But many people automatically categorize them alongside the stories in Tales of Beedle the Bard, few willing to believe that the magical wonders depicted in the stories actually happened in reality—mountains split, seas divided, a single spell capable of destroying the world...
Some believe, some doubt, and some are indifferent. But today, Felix provided a new perspective: What is the true measure of power? Is it the strength of the individual or the collective? Is it the raw power of magic or its convenience?
(End of Chapter)
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