Chapter 557: Great Hall Recruitment
Chapter 557: Great Hall Recruitment
Chapter 557: Great Hall Recruitment
Felix woke up to the loud commotion in the castle.
He shook his head, and the castle seemed to have its own emotions. He knew it was an illusion, but the feeling was quite captivating. As Felix washed up, he imagined that every brick in the school had come to life, eager to participate in a grand event.
It was the last weekend of November, and the school had promised to allow student groups that had been approved by the Student Council to recruit new members. Although Felix thought it was unnecessary—many clubs had already started snatching up new members days in advance, and they probably had enough by now—the mood he sensed upon waking up suggested he might have been wrong.
After getting ready, Felix brought Valen to the Great Hall. He realized he had underestimated the students' enthusiasm.
The Great Hall was bustling with noise, packed with students. Felix instinctively switched to the Dementor's perspective, and the sight before him felt like being in a sea of joy. The four long tables had been pushed to the corners, replaced by stalls that stood like reefs, each one generating waves of intense emotions. Colorful banners and shouts filled the air.
Felix strolled to a corner of the Great Hall, where Professor Mcgonagall and Professor Flitwick stood together. Professor Mcgonagall's face was stiff; she found it hard to ignore the numerous rule violations around her.
"Oh, Minerva, don't be too strict", the good-natured Professor Flitwick said. He took out his wand and waved it in the air like a conductor, and from the tip of the wand, colorful ribbons and a group of chirping birds flew out. The birds flew in a neat formation, occasionally circling a lone student.
Felix squinted; they seemed to be a flock of eaglets? Under the golden, soft down, there was a layer of fine bronze feathers.
He was lost in thought, suddenly remembering his first year when he had made similar modifications to the Great Hall. He had conjured a large green snake on the ceiling, and Severus had joined in. Felix grinned and extended his finger, and a large Fwooper materialized in the air.
With a bird's head, a slender neck, blue-green feathers, and freely spreading wings, the Fwooper's gleaming plumes shone as it lowered its head, revealing a pair of calm amber eyes.
The students in the Great Hall fell silent for a moment, then started chattering even more.
"A Fwooper! I've only seen them in pictures, but I never imagined they would be so beautiful", Justin Finch-Fletchley said in amazement.
"I saw one in Classroom Seven", Susan Bones said, but she was also transfixed by the ceiling. "They were hiding in a bamboo grove and a ceramic town."
"What's a ceramic town?" Justin asked.
"A town made entirely of porcelain. Professor Hup's memory invited me to visit, saying it was—" Susan Bones thought for a moment, "a beta test. Yes, that's the term."
"A beta test?" Justin understood the term. "It sounds interesting. I wonder when it will open."
On the other side, Professor Mcgonagall glared at Felix, uncomfortable with his polite yet challenging gaze. Her chest swelled, and she finally waved her wand, causing the chairs in the corner to flip and transform into various sizes of golden lions.
When Dumbledore arrived, the Great Hall was in a chaotic state: golden eaglets were soaring everywhere, a blue-green Fwooper was carrying a few students overhead, and a group of badgers perched on the walls, staring unblinkingly at Peeves.
Peeves was dressed up and floated in the air, looking adorable and surprisingly not causing any trouble.
This indicated one thing: the students in the Great Hall were radiating happiness, which Peeves could sense.
Dumbledore felt something rub against his feet. He looked down to see a fluffy Gryffindor lion looking up at him.
Dumbledore smiled, took out his wand, and pointed it downward. The dark, cold floor turned into a grass-green carpet. Amidst the cheers, Dumbledore left politely, scanning the crowd as he walked. He soon found the very noticeable person.
"Severus", Dumbledore stood beside Snape, taking in the bustling scene in the Great Hall, fiddling with his thumb. "If I were attending a grand event, I would never wear a black robe."
"I'm sorry, but I only have one color", Snape said coldly.
"Sometimes a change of pace is good. What about silver? Or green?" Dumbledore said, then gazed at the students milling about. After a while, he whispered, "Keep an eye on Felix."
"Who?"
"Felix, Felix Hep." Dumbledore almost whispered.
"You're mad, Dumbledore?" Snape shouted. A student holding a Muggle movie poster, about ten feet away, flinched and dropped the poster, which fluttered to the floor. Snape stared at the movie title with disgust, "The Lion King? The Lion King?"
The student, trembling, picked up the poster and ran away.
Snape calmed down, but his tone was even sharper. He lowered his voice, "Have you gone senile?"
Dumbledore looked exasperated, "I am old, but not senile." But Snape continued to scrutinize him, as if trying to see if he was an imposter. The hooked nose just didn't seem right.
Dumbledore knew he had to provide an explanation. He gazed at the Weasley Twins, who were waving a large banner in the distance, and sighed, saying, “Felix is doing something extremely dangerous.”
“What is it?” Snape asked instinctively. “Breaking Ministry of Magic laws? He’s no stranger to breaking rules.”
“No, Severus, it’s much more serious than that,” Dumbledore replied. “It involves a person you only need to know this: in some ways, he is even more dangerous than Voldemort… In any case, I cannot make an accurate judgment. You were his teacher; you know him best.”
“No one knows Felix Hep,” Snape said with a malicious tone. “If he ever sends you a Killing Curse, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“To be honest, I’m not too concerned about that,” Dumbledore said with a smile. “So, could you keep an eye on him, please?”
…
Fred and George Weasley stood on a wooden crate, a row of empty Butterbeer bottles in front of them. Seven or eight young wizards squatted in front of the bottles, watching the fireworks that exploded inside with envious expressions.
“Bottle fireworks!” Fred said excitedly. “Just sign up, and you can get one for free.” He pointed to a poster hanging nearby, which flashed in colorful letters: “Defend the School Rules to the Death!”
A student carefully read the introduction below the large letters: Still struggling to understand the complex school rules? Or have you been deducted points and sent to detention for breaking them, feeling too ashamed to face others? Have you been mocked by your peers for your clumsy rule-breaking? If you have the same concerns, all the answers are in the ‘Defend the School Rules Club’! We will guide you through each rule and provide authoritative interpretations of new additions each year, helping you navigate your seven years at school!
The student felt something was off and looked up to see a beaming face. “How about it?” George winked. “Are you tempted? Don’t miss this opportunity, friend. You can sign up first, and we’ll provide three free training sessions. If you have a knack for it, you’ll grasp the essence quickly…”
Two minutes later, the boy left, bewildered, clutching a Butterbeer bottle.
“Be careful not to break the bottle!” George called out kindly, then sighed contentedly. A deliberately hushed voice suddenly whispered in his ear, “What happens if it breaks?” George jumped and turned to see two students who were wrapped up tightly.
“Harry? Ron?” George said in surprise.
“It’s us,” Harry mumbled.
George examined them for a long time before bursting into laughter. “Hermione has been looking for you…”
“Yes, we know,” Ron said vaguely. “We’ve dodged her twice already.”
Harry’s gaze passed over George’s shoulder, and he could see the stalls of the ‘D.A. (Dumbledore’s Army)’, ‘S.P.E.W.’, ‘The Cornish Pixie Must Exist’, and the ‘Harry Potter Fan Club’ forming a loose square. Neville, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and the Creevey brothers were busily working.
Harry shuddered. He knew the ‘Harry Potter Fan Club’ stall was covered in a curtain of photos of ‘Harry Potter’. His battle with the fire dragon hung at the top, and he had no idea how Colin had managed to capture it. His head took up a third of the frame, while the other two-thirds showed the fearsome Hungarian Tree Hornet. Ron and Hermione were clapping in the corner, looking like accidental onlookers…
A crowd gathered, pointing and discussing. Harry was horrified to see Draco Malfoy scrutinizing his photo with unmistakable disdain. Not far away, Mafalda was excitedly asking Dennis Creevey questions, and Dennis was enthusiastically explaining. She then took out a small green notebook and a Quill.
“Do you mind if I take notes?”
“Oh, of course not.”
Two sharp voices cut through the noisy Great Hall, reaching Harry’s ears.
Between Malfoy and Mafalda, Harry wasn’t sure who he was more afraid of seeing. Before this school year, it would have been Draco Malfoy, as he would undoubtedly come up with a bunch of lies to mock him. But now, Harry hesitated—Mafalda could spin any story.
Then he noticed something even more alarming: Professor Hup and Sirius were walking over, stopping in front of the ‘Harry Potter Fan Club’ stall, examining the photos with interest. Sirius’s eyes seemed to be gleaming…
“Hey, Harry.” Harry’s shoulder was suddenly tapped, making him jump. He turned to see Luna.
“What are you doing here?” Harry whispered, regretting not taking a sip of Felix Felicis before coming.
“Hermione has been looking for you,” Luna said. “I saw how busy she was, so I volunteered to help.”
“A lot of people signed up?” Ron asked, surprised. Was S.P.E.W. that popular?
“Yes, they’re almost overwhelmed,” Luna said, blinking her large eyes.
Even though Luna’s tone didn’t carry any accusation, Harry still felt a faint sense of guilt, both towards Hermione and Neville. After all, he was the founder of the D.A., but he had left everything to others.
Harry hesitated for a moment, but when he saw Professor Hup walk over, his hesitation vanished. If the professor asked him about the ‘Harry Potter Fan Club’, he would be mortified.
...
"Can I interview you?" Mafalda asked.
"What? Me?" Dennis Creevey looked at her helplessly, and Mafalda nodded. "Oh, okay."
"What year are you in?"
"Second year."
"So you started last year?" Mafalda said excitedly.
"Yep, that photo was taken by me", Dennis said proudly, pointing to the picture of the Hungarian Tree Hornet.
On the other side, Sirius signed the registration form cheerfully. "So that's all?"
"Of course!" Colin Creevey said excitedly, diving under the counter to grab a large box. "All the photos are in here, carefully selected by me."
Sirius happily left with the complete set of photos of his godson.
"Dennis! I can't believe it, our club has recruited a professor!" Colin exclaimed, turning to hug his brother, but Dennis was nowhere to be found. He looked around and saw Dennis chatting with a girl near the S.P.E.W. booth.
Hermione was distributing 'Dumbledore's Army' flyers with Neville and Ginny, occasionally answering questions like "What is a Crumple-Horned Snorkack?" Hermione's face was puffed up with frustration. To avoid delays, she had deliberately placed the two club booths next to each other. However, her side was completely empty, and none of the three new students who had promised to come showed up today! In contrast, 'Dumbledore's Army' was very popular, with a steady stream of inquiries, and the registration forms were quickly filling up into a thick stack.
Hermione gazed gloomily at the bustling Great Hall, feeling sad: compared to the House-elf Rights Promotion Association, music, movies, magical paintings, and rough-and-tumble fighting were clearly more appealing.
At that moment, a small black, round creature suddenly jumped onto the table.
"Chirp?"
"Valen?" Hermione looked up and saw Valen holding a special wand, the tip glowing, looking like it was waving two fluorescent sticks. "Oh", Hermione felt a warm feeling inside, and she picked up Valen, rubbing its face against hers. "Plop—" A small notebook the size of a palm fell out of the Niffler's pocket and landed on the table.
"Expert's Diary?" Hermione struggled to read the crooked letters on the notebook. She looked at Valen in confusion, who blushed and pulled away, picking up the fallen notebook and slipping away. Hermione thought for a few seconds and smiled.
"What's this?" a voice asked.
"The Dumbledore's Army. You can think of it as a reserve Auror training program. Although it's voluntary, we aim to provide as professional training as possible, and..." Hermione recited her pitch automatically. "Um, professor?"
Felix smiled and nodded at her.
"Unpopular?" he asked, glancing at the stack of blank registration forms on the table.
"Perhaps it's just not the right time", Hermione said dejectedly.
"If you just want to attract some members, you could try the Weasley Twins' approach", Felix suggested. They both looked at the 'Die-Hard Rule Keepers' club, which was packed, in stark contrast to their booth.
"But I don't want to—" Hermione bit her lip, hesitating.
"Hello?" a voice interrupted, and Mafalda peeked at them. She had just finished an interview with Dennis and was now executing her plan. "Can I have a registration form?"
Hermione's eyes widened. "You want to join S.P.E.W.?"
Mafalda shrugged. "If you agree—"
"I agree!" Hermione said quickly. "You're interested in House-elves too? What do you think? I feel the name is a bit outdated, but it's a good first goal for the organization... I mean, different from my initial idea, I hope the new charter can unite all beings with human-like intelligence, each contributing what they can. Even from a military perspective, wizards have an absolute advantage, so this is the time to show grace..."
Felix twirled a quill in his hand, listening silently. He thought his assistant was always refining her ideas. In his view, equality was unnecessary, as he wouldn't do something that was both difficult and unrewarding. However, eliminating hatred and forming a broad magical alliance led by wizards was valuable.
After some thought, he took a registration form and started filling it out.
Mafalda was a bit taken aback by Hermione's enthusiasm. "Oh, um", she stammered, "I should probably tell you. Including your club, I've joined twenty-seven clubs..."
Hermione's joy froze on her face.
"Are you joking? Or did you join every club you could?"
"Of course not!" Mafalda said indignantly. "I definitely talk to them first, at least to make sure they're not just a passing fad..." Her voice trailed off, sounding unconvincing.
They stared at each other for a moment, and finally, Hermione relented. "Alright, here's the form... wait, this one is already filled out... Professor?" Hermione looked around and saw Harry and Ron sneaking over from the other side, wrapped up like mummies.
"You—still—know—how—to come back?" Hermione shouted at them.
"Professor left?" Harry and Ron's eyes darted around, avoiding hers. Harry stammered, "Great, um, I mean... why are you here?" He glared at Mafalda.
Mafalda held her head high with pride.
(End of Chapter)
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