Chapter 563: A Conversation Among Men
Chapter 563: A Conversation Among Men
Christmas arrived as scheduled.
The school was cold and empty, with few people around. Felix believed this was due to the daily newspaper reports detailing the latest developments, subtly reminding students that a Dark Lord was lurking outside the peaceful campus. This made them even more eager to be with their families during the holiday.
"It's not as bad as it seems", Professor Mcgonagall said, "During the last war, people always felt their lives were hanging by a thread, and decisions were made quickly."
"Like what?"
"Like getting married right after graduation, and young couples eloping to foreign countries... It happened quite often." Professor Mcgonagall's tone carried a hint of disapproval.
Two seats away, Professor Sinistra was describing a spectacular solar eclipse she had witnessed, while Trelawney, who had been silent, looked at her thoughtfully: "Last summer, I saw an eerie shadow on Jupiter with my Third Eye. It might correspond to what's happening now... I regret not issuing a warning earlier, but I had a bad cold at the time..."
Her words were too suggestive, and the others at the table turned to look at her.
Professor Sinistra asked with interest, "Are you talking about the comet impact on Jupiter? I observed it from start to finish. It began with a massive explosion, followed by a huge cloud of dark dust that lasted for months."
Trelawney clutched the beaded necklace around her neck, "Hmm... we might be talking about different things. You see, people with the Third Eye see things differently from ordinary people..."
Felix glanced sideways and then turned his head resolutely.
"Alright", Professor Sinistra said, smacking her lips and focusing on the beef pie on her plate. Dumbledore also turned his gaze away and rejoined the conversation between Professor Burbage and Professor Sprout, "I can't wait to see the latest developments, Cuthbert. I must say, this type of research is very meaningful, and there's hardly any risk involved..."
"Yes, Pomona has been a great help to me", Professor Burbage said, burping. Professor Sprout smiled and poured her a glass of wine.
"Where's Sirius?" Professor Flitwick looked around.
"He went home for the holidays, with his godson", Felix said.
"You mean Potter... I find it hard to associate him with the word 'father,' probably because of the impression he left on me before... But I must say, he's a competent professor, much better than I expected", Professor Flitwick said, sniffing emotionally, thus missing Snape's disdainful snort.
Felix thought about it. Whether it was the information he had gathered from the Fat Lady about his school days or his more dazzling achievements as the first Death Eater and the first to escape from Azkaban, Sirius Black's professor title seemed less prominent...
But Sirius had become much more stable now.
The wind howled, but the fire in the Black Family Manor burned brightly.
Sirius, who had just been praised by Felix for his stability, was now being scolded. Mrs. Weasley, with her short, stocky figure, exploded with energy, "You just disappeared! Vanished without a trace! Do you know how worried we were? We thought the Dark Lord had captured you, and if that were the case, it wouldn't be so bad", she said angrily, "And you took Harry with you?"
Sirius slumped on the sofa, his right hand, hidden from Mrs. Weasley's view, fiddled with a Muggle chess piece hidden in a stone crevice. Harry, standing nearby, hardly dared to breathe. Mrs. Weasley ranted for half an hour, during which Ginny, Ron, Lupin, and Tonks appeared at the door, but none of them had the courage to interrupt her.
It wasn't until Mr. Weasley returned that she remembered the beef stew on the stove and rushed to the kitchen.
"Get back to work, all of you", she shouted at Ginny and Ron, who were standing at the foot of the stairs. Sirius, who had been looking dejected, stopped fiddling and perked up his ears. When the footsteps faded, he jumped off the sofa, made a face at the group downstairs, and Ginny stared in amazement.
"Don't listen to her, Harry. A man has to go through some adventures... Besides, I scouted the place beforehand", he winked at Harry and bounded up the stairs.
Ron confirmed that their mom had really left, then leaned in to Harry, "Where did you go?"
"To visit a grave", Harry whispered through gritted teeth.
Ron opened his mouth but eventually patted Harry's shoulder silently, "Don't think about it. I have something to show you. While you were gone, Ginny asked Tonks about a lot of Auror training programs. We think some of them could be useful at the frontline lookout..."
Harry perked up. "I'll go take a look—before dinner. Is it in Ginny's room?" He looked toward the stairs, but Ginny had disappeared.
As he took a few steps, he noticed Ron staring at him strangely.
"I'm warning you... if you plan to do anything with Ginny, I won't allow it", he whispered, as if he had been rehearsing the words in his head for a long time.
Harry was speechless, "How could—"
Their conversation was unexpectedly interrupted when Mrs. Weasley poked her head in from the doorway. "Dinner is ready, children, go wash your hands. Where's Ginny?"
Harry and Ron both flinched, quickly dropping the previous topic. "Didn't she go to find you?" Ron mumbled.
"None of you are ever any trouble..." Mrs. Weasley's voice faded as she walked away.
Malfoy Manor.
Draco Malfoy sat at an elaborately decorated dining table, a magnificent golden fireplace roaring with flames. He was making a clatter with his silver plate.
"Draco, mind your manners", Narcissa said. "If you're finished, you can go see the Christmas tree. A few more gifts arrived from the elders while you were napping."
Draco licked his lips and sat up straight, looking at Lucius. "I, I have something to tell you."
"Is it about school?" Lucius slowly put down his fork, wiped his mouth, and then leisurely picked up his wine glass.
"No", Draco said breathlessly.
"Then what is it?" Mrs. Malfoy looked at her son in confusion. Her skin was pale, but her high cheekbones made her appear somewhat harsh at first glance.
Draco didn't answer his mother's question. He looked at Lucius and stammered, "Father, I want to talk to you alone... a man-to-man talk."
Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a strange glance. "So, you think you can take on the responsibility?" Lucius put down his wine glass and wiped his mouth again with a white cloth, leaning back in his chair and staring intently at his son.
"Draco..." Narcissa's voice carried a clear warning.
"I think I can", Draco said stubbornly.
"Very well, very well", Lucius said in a low voice. "Follow me." Draco quickly jumped up from his chair. "Bring your wand", Lucius said coldly. Draco's expression froze.
...
The next day, the weather was clear, and Felix arrived early in Diagon Alley.
"These are...?" Lupin looked at him curiously as he took out a scroll of parchment.
"A plan and some information on Squibs", Felix explained. "Some addresses might be outdated, so it's fine if you can't find them."
Lupin first unrolled the plan, his lips moving as he read the green ink. His expression grew increasingly serious, "A wand that can identify a Squib's casting, based on Magic frequency... each person's is different?"
"Exactly. The Magic frequency is a precise measurement of the Magic waves. Each Wizard's Magic has subtle differences, a unique characteristic. In theory, you can accurately identify the casting Wizard through Magic frequency..."
"But in practice?" Lupin asked shrewdly.
"In practice, it's more complicated. If you have strong control over your Magic and intend to hide it... you can alter your Magic frequency." Felix said in a cryptic tone. "But it must be admitted, the process is very difficult... extremely difficult..."
That's why Felix could create a specialized wand. This wand could only recognize a specific Magic frequency. For outsiders to mimic it would be purely by chance, and even after thousands of attempts, they would have no success.
Lupin looked at Felix, sensing a sly smile. He lowered his head and continued reading the plan. "Sirius Black took Harry to Godric's Hollow yesterday", he said as he read.
"Did they run into any trouble?" Felix asked, the "trouble" he referred to being Voldemort, whose whereabouts were unknown.
"No, they went and came back quickly, not staying too long", Lupin said with a smile. "Although they still got a scolding from Molly, I think it was a lesson he needed... This plan doesn't need to be rushed, right?"
Felix nodded slightly. "Start with those settled in the Wizarding world, and don't make too much of a fuss."
Lupin thought for a moment. "Felix, you don't need to focus solely on Squibs. Some Wizards... their casting abilities are actually quite poor."
"You mean—"
"We can place an ad in the newspaper, something like 'Quick Spell Casting' correspondence courses." Lupin had a nostalgic look. "I used to make a living this way for a while. It was a relaxing time, just writing letters every day, and only occasionally having visitors. I honed my teaching skills during that period... but it didn't last long."
The topic abruptly ended, and Felix guessed the rest wouldn't be pleasant.
Lupin took out a quill and tilted his head, pondering the ad copy. His serious expression made Felix hesitant to disturb him. Felix wandered around Lupin's office, analyzing his strategy for Squibs.
According to Felix's plan, once everything settled and the Wizarding world was revealed, there would inevitably be substantial interaction. But this interaction wouldn't be completely open and unrestricted; Wizards wouldn't be flying around everywhere.
Someone would need to travel between the Wizarding and Muggle worlds.
Ideally, someone with connections to both sides would serve as a bridge, but bridges come in different forms. In Felix's mind, young wizards from Muggle families—along with Purebloods willing to embrace the new Wizarding world—represented the core of the future magical community. However, they would ultimately remain in the magical world.
They were unlikely to serve as direct windows to the outside world, showcasing the magical world. That would undoubtedly be a waste.
However, during the initial opening period, it was essential to set up some 'windows for mutual communication.' Felix thought of Squibs and the relatives of young wizards from Muggle families as suitable alternatives. These people had known about the existence of magic from an early age and occasionally experienced its wonders firsthand. At the very least, most of the parents of young wizards had accompanied their children to Diagon Alley to buy books.
It wouldn't be practical for them to research magic, but the new era would inevitably bring about many new professions, many of which would be well-suited for them.
Felix let his imagination run wild: first, tour guides would be essential. They could guide wizards to science museums, museums, and other places, as well as ordinary people on one-day tours of the magical world. Additionally, there would be new-age writers who would describe their experiences in the magical world from the perspective of ordinary people, Squibs, or relatives of wizards, unraveling the mysteries of magic.
The benefits were obvious: unfamiliarity breeds suspicion, and only through understanding can barriers be broken down.
Of course, there would also be magical merchants. Potions, gourmet foods, animated comic strips—these items would need to be managed by someone. Making wizards haggle over every last detail in business deals would be too much to ask. They had spent their entire lives figuring out that 1 Galleon equals 17 Sickles, and 1 Sickle equals 29 Knuts. Felix suspected that many wizards couldn't make sense of the decimal system.
But if the parents of young wizards were willing, Felix would welcome it. He was particularly optimistic about the parents of Justin Finch-Fletchley, whom he had met before...
Felix's only concern was the mindset of Squibs. He could sense a mix of longing and jealousy in Filch, a Squib. For Filch, it didn't matter who ruled the magical world or how many wizards died in the war; the more deaths, the happier he was.
The only thing Filch remembered were those who had helped him, like Madam Pince. Felix wasn't sure if he counted as one of them.
Filch's situation reflected the thoughts of the marginalized Squib community, which was quite representative. Of course, others probably wouldn't be as extreme as Filch.
In most cases, once a wizard child was confirmed to be a Squib, they were sent to Muggle schools early (Filch didn't go because of the war). These people rarely had any further entanglements with the magical world when they grew up. Like Mafalda's father, he married and had children like any ordinary person. If it weren't for his daughter being a wizard, he would have pretended that the magical world didn't exist for his entire life.
So, Filch was an exception, a rather extreme one. After all, not all Squibs had the opportunity to see hundreds of students bouncing around as soon as they opened their eyes.
...
Felix casually picked up a copy of the Werewolf Code of Conduct from his desk. It was clear that Lupin had been reading it frequently, as the corners were worn out. He opened the book, and the pages automatically fixed themselves to a certain page in the middle—“No, Felix!” Lupin shouted in panic, reaching out to grab the book. His effort was too forceful, and he knocked the book out of Felix's hands.
A photo fluttered out of the rolling Werewolf Code of Conduct and spiraled to the ground. The woman in the photo, with her distinctive short pink hair, winked at him playfully.
Felix was taken aback. "Oh, sorry, I didn't see anything", he said, turning around. As expected, he heard the sound of teeth grinding. Thankfully, Lupin didn't lunge at him. After a few seconds, he turned back to see Lupin, who had cleaned up the scene, panting heavily in his chair.
"Don't say anything", Lupin said after a while, burying his face in his hands, his voice hoarse.
"I think Tonks is—"
"Don't say anything!" Lupin said urgently, his chest heaving.
Felix put away his playful expression and nodded silently. Everyone has their secrets... As he left Hogwarts, Felix took out a two-way mirror and said into it, "Give me Greyback."
A disguised, sharp voice came from the other end, "Oh... he's hiding deep... and he might not even be in Britain..."
"Aren't you not in Britain either?" Felix said lazily.
"I'm not hanging around with him! That guy could be hiding in some cave in a random small country, surrounded by a bunch of werewolves!" the person said angrily.
"Reconciliation requires sincerity, remember? You came to me first", Felix reminded him.
The mirror transmitted heavy breathing, as if the person was struggling to contain their anger. Felix waited a moment and said calmly, "Give me the person. I don't care how you do it. Once you succeed, our grudges will be settled. It's tiring to remember your name, Mr. Shafik."
(End of Chapter)
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