Chapter 568: The Wall of Mysteries
Chapter 568: The Wall of Mysteries
Felix pursed his lips.
"Cut the jokes, I have a question: how do I act like myself?" the Memory Body frowned, seemingly genuinely troubled.
"Just don't be too out of character", Felix replied.
The Memory Body made a rude gesture, and Felix, with a dark expression, asked, "Where did you learn that?"
"From a student", the Memory Body said irresponsibly. "I can tell you his name; I remember it clearly."
Felix stepped out of Classroom 7 and arrived at the Room of Requirement, then reappeared at the Shrieking Shack. After a few apparitions, he stood near an abandoned warehouse. Inside, a man was tied up, his massive body covered in tangled gray hair and a bushy beard, his eyes deeply sunken, and his dirty fingers ending in long yellow nails. He looked more like a beast than a human.
Felix noticed the floor was covered with scratch marks.
"Fenrir Greyback?"
Greyback made a muffled sound, his mouth stuffed with a cloth.
"Oh, I forgot", Felix said insincerely. He waved his wand, and the cloth was removed. The man spat on the ground, revealing sharp teeth and a mouth sore at the corner of his lips. He glared up from the floor, incredulous. "Felix Hepworth? You sent someone to capture me?"
"Yes. What did Voldemort want you to do?" Felix's sharp gaze pierced Fenrir's eyes like a sword. After a moment, Greyback's eyes glazed over, and he fell limp on the ground, motionless.
"Voldemort didn't brand you? Oh, sorry, he might not think much of you", Felix said.
Like a corpse, Greyback moved, his eyes regaining a fierce glint. He whispered, "... It was a collaboration..."
"Collaboration? Do you really think you're qualified?"
Felix cast a Stunning Spell, and the werewolf fell flat.
After a long while, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks suddenly appeared from the air, their wands raised, cautiously scanning the area. "Is this the address?" Tonks whispered. "Yes, that's what the note that suddenly appeared on my desk said", Lupin replied, suspecting who it might be but unable to elaborate with Tonks nearby, in case it was something illicit.
"It's over there", Tonks said warily. They moved step by step to the edge of the warehouse, working in perfect sync, which made Lupin feel even more disheartened.
The lock on the warehouse was no obstacle. He pulled open the heavy iron door and froze when he saw what was inside.
Meanwhile, Felix had returned to Classroom 7. Regardless of what Lupin planned to do, he intended to intervene. However, he estimated that as long as Lupin remained rational, he wouldn't kill Greyback, even though the werewolf had bitten him as a child.
So, Felix cast a spell on Greyback, letting his sins and body wither together.
The students in Classroom 7, still in class, were completely unaware of what had transpired, not even noticing the change in professors. They only knew that Professor Hep had brought them to Classroom 7, leading them to a clearing in the forest where they sat on large, bare tree stumps. Vines hung from the sky, and Professor Hep sat unceremoniously in a hammock woven from vines, giving them a lesson.
"Does anyone know what we've been learning recently... Yes, that's right, good memory... Huh, didn't I tell you? Combining the twelve cores of protective amulets with Runic Script forms an Ancient Magic... Didn't I say that? How sly... No matter, I'll demonstrate it for you..."
"Professor is quite lively today", Fred commented, watching the Memory Body swinging on a swing.
"Maybe trying a different style", George said. "Always maintaining the same persona can be tiring."
"Fair point. We should give it a try."
Suddenly, a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed their professor. The students looked at each other in confusion. Before they could react, the professor reappeared. Felix cleared his throat and addressed the stunned students on the tree stumps. "Ahem, does anyone know what I was just talking about? There's extra credit..."
After class, the students filed out of the classroom.
"Professor must have been slacking off, probably went to have tea with Professor Mcgonagall."
"Why Professor Mcgonagall?"
"Well, don't you think she had a lot of grace in her youth? I wish I could be as elegant when I grow up."
In the afternoon, Felix noticed many new faces around the school, at least a dozen adult wizards. He only recognized a few. There were people from the Wizarding Examinations Authority and the Apparition Test Center. Two stood out—Dolores Umbridge and Chester Avery.
"Tsk, tsk, no challenge at all", Felix said. "No, can't be too complacent", he added, his gaze sweeping over the dozen adult wizards present. Perhaps one of them was the real insider.
Dumbledore warmly welcomed them and then chatted quietly with his old friend Professor Toffey.
"Professor Machi Ban didn’t come this time?" Dumbledore said gently.
"She’s busy preparing the exams. The Apparition Test Center is leading the effort, but they’re short on staff, so they’ve temporarily borrowed a few people from the Ministry", Professor Toffey explained.
The adult Wizards in the crowd looked around with a slight excitement. They rarely had the chance to return after graduation, and being back at school made them feel young again. They were eagerly chatting about amusing stories from their school days.
"Can we walk around?" a round-faced witch asked.
"Of course, Corina", Dumbledore said, pointing to Professor Mcgonagall with his gloved hand. "Minerva will take care of everything." The round-faced witch flinched at the name and said in a weak voice, "Professor Mcgonagall, good morning."
"It’s afternoon, Miss Corina", Professor Mcgonagall said sternly.
"Oh... good afternoon."
"Amos! Come take a look, I found something interesting", said Wizard Wiggy Tewkesbury, wearing an old-fashioned hat, in the entrance hall. "Goodness, so much has changed! It wasn’t here last year!"
He was the Apparition instructor from the Ministry of Magic and visited the school almost every year. He pressed his unusually pale face against the notice board, looking amazed.
"Is it a club?" Amos Diggory asked from the entrance of the Great Hall. "I heard Cedric mention it during the holidays..."
Wiggy Tewkesbury didn’t answer. Instead, he carefully pulled out a colorful parchment from the bottom of the notice board and said admiringly, "This looks like a newspaper? Let me see."
"The Niffler Chronicles are selling well, filmed by a Niffler—what? I didn’t know that—The Weasley Twins were caught by Filch for yelling at a suit of armor late at night—tut, must be exam stress, back in my day, well—Filch makes a grand appearance, dispelling Squib rumors—Professor Sinistra’s schedule is all over the place, often waking up at noon—Professor Burbage wants to change Muggle Studies to farming lessons, and students are complaining—ha, this is too interesting. The newspaper is called 'The Riddle Wall'?"
"Do you like the name? I named it myself; it’s from a song", a voice asked. "Oh, um", Wiggy Tewkesbury lowered his head and looked at the little girl who had suddenly appeared, then at the newspaper. "Is this your newspaper?"
"Yes."
Wiggy Tewkesbury stared at the parchment and asked tentatively, "Little girl, are you Mafalda?"
Mafalda nodded proudly and smoothly changed the subject. "So, can you tell me what you do?"
"Are you interviewing me, little girl? You’re only in first year, right?"
"This isn’t for the interview; I’ve interviewed many important people", Mafalda straightened her chest, trying to look taller.
Wiggy Tewkesbury found this amusing. "Really? Who have you interviewed?"
"Let me think. Three Order of Merlin recipients, three Anti-Dark Magic Alliance members, the Quidditch team captain, the Head Boy and Head Girl, last year’s Triwizard Tournament participants, and some future celebrities... and I plan to interview professors. And Headmaster Dumbledore", Mafalda said matter-of-factly.
The two adult Wizards were increasingly surprised. "Is Cedric Diggory on your list?" Amos asked eagerly. "I’m his father."
"Yes! He’s in the category of future celebrities, the kind who will end up on Chocolate Frog Cards."
"You can predict that?" Wiggy Tewkesbury found this quite absurd and wanted to hear the girl’s reasoning.
"Yes, he’s published several articles in 'New Interpretations of Magical Runes,' but the real reason is his Familiar Club, which recently changed its name", Mafalda said, tilting her head as she looked at the yellowed notice on the wall. "Not just him, I have a feeling that many of these clubs will become major players in the future. I’m witnessing history firsthand..."
Amos Diggory and Wiggy Tewkesbury exchanged glances. Amos admitted he was somewhat convinced; he had been troubled by a family matter, and this little girl seemed to offer an answer. But Wiggy Tewkesbury couldn’t forget what he had just seen on the notice board. He couldn’t imagine how 'S.P.E.W.' or the 'Horned Snorkack Must Exist Club' could become major players.
He knew the origin of the Horned Snorkack; it was from a third-rate magical tabloid whose editor seemed a bit off...
"So, little girl with a keen sense of smell, what about you? What’s your role?" Wiggy Tewkesbury asked.
"Me? I’m just a recorder of history", Mafalda said cheerfully. "Of course, that doesn’t stop me from making money. So, are you willing to be interviewed? I can pay you, two sickles each..."
(End of Chapter)
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