Chapter 617: Hep's Adorer
Chapter 617: Hep's Adorer
Felix caressed the Ancient Runes Yearbook in his hands. The gold lettering below read "1992-1996 Compilation." This hefty reference book was the first to comprehensively and systematically document the development and collection of Ancient Runes. Because it was unprecedented, its content was particularly rich.
The book was divided into three parts.
"In short, it covers the past, present, and future of the study of Ancient Runes."
Felix flipped to the first page. The preface briefly introduced the time, place, and reason for the compilation, followed by a long list of names, each on a separate line, with their basic information summarized in small, italicized letters.
For example, Hermione Granger's name was followed by a bright emerald green ink note: Female, Hogwarts (student), 16, 27.
"Gender, school, age... I understand these, but what does this mean?"
Mrs. Granger pointed to the number '27' and asked. Hermione looked up and said, "That's the number of essays cited in the Yearbook, marked with an asterisk below."
"The number of cited essays?" Mrs. Granger blinked in confusion, then lowered her head to find the footnote at the bottom of the page. "...Because this is the first compilation of the Yearbook, it specifically includes the number of essays published and cited in this book from 1992 to 1996."
She felt even more confused. It wasn't that she couldn't understand the text, but rather— "You published 27 essays?"
She exchanged a look with her husband, who said with interest, "I haven't had the chance to ask yet—I read in the Daily Prophet that the number was 42, but our clever and rebellious daughter once told her parents that only a third of the content could be trusted..."
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I was talking about my predictions about the war situation, and you know how many rumors I've debunked... The numbers are real, both of them. One is the total number of essays I've published, and the other only counts those in the field of Ancient Runes."
"This says 'published and cited in this book'..." Mrs. Granger hesitated.
"Obviously, right? Not all published essays are cited. For example, overview articles aren't as popular because that's what the Yearbook does and does better: summarize the past, examine the present, and envision the future."
"It's a bit like the medical journals I've read", Mr. Granger said with interest.
"Something like that", Hermione agreed.
Mrs. Granger paused on the page, her eyes scanning for familiar names. "Harry Potter, cited 6 essays, Ron Weasley... 4, huh? Luna Lovegood, she's only fifteen, and her number of cited essays is 5..."
"She writes a lot", Hermione said with a slight hum.
"What's wrong?" Mrs. Granger smiled. "Is this 'Miss Love and Beauty' your rival at school?"
"Not at all!" Hermione blushed, but her mother laughed even harder. She walked over, flipping a few pages of the thick yearbook, muttering, "You should really see... The first part summarizes important events, essay literature, and statistical data. I remember she had three essay excerpts... Ah, here they are!"
Mrs. Granger curiously read the essay titles:
"Replicating the Extinct Magical Creatures: The Horned Snorebeast Using Ancient Runes... Sounds quite professional."
Hermione pointed to the small print, "This essay is unverified and speculative, but it's highly innovative and has great potential... Mr. Heap gave it a high evaluation..." She pouted as she spoke.
"Isn't this just magical conjecture? I'm not very familiar with it... Maybe it's similar to scientific conjecture?" Mr. Granger asked with a smile.
"Alright, I just..." Hermione sighed, unable to help but murmur, "Even a different magical creature would have been better. Why the Horned Snorebeast? The topic is so broad, covering Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, the Patronus Charm, and even ghosts..."
"Ghosts?"
...
"No, spirits!" On the hill outside Ottery St. Catchpole village, in a house that looked like a large cart, Xenophilius said. His cotton-candy-like white hair was tousled on his shoulders, and he displayed the golden chain around his neck: "What a wonderful coincidence! I wear the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, and my daughter tells me about the prophecy of the Resurrection Stone."
“Dad, aren’t you researching goblin engineering magic anymore?” Luna said as she worked on repairing the goblin’s house.
“Oh, no… there are more important things,” Xenophilius stammered. “Luna, listen— I don’t know much about centaurs. They kicked me when I tried to befriend them, but that doesn’t matter; it was a long time ago… They’re very good at divination.”
“Right, I’ve been looking forward to a grand party,” Luna said cheerfully.
“A party?” Xenophilius was confused.
“I saw it in a fire divination—many people shooting fireworks into the sky…” Luna swayed her head dreamily. “Oh, um,” Xenophilius stared wide-eyed, “has it already happened? I heard someone created a meteor shower to celebrate a victory…”
“But that’s different, and I think I’ll be there,” Luna said eagerly.
“Alright… let’s get back to the point, Luna,” Xenophilius said seriously.
Luna nodded, her eyes fixed on her father. The triangular eye symbol hanging from his neck glinted on his chest.
“First, this needs to be kept secret—”
“Can I tell Ginny?”
“Of course, you’re friends.”
“What about Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville…” Luna counted on her fingers. Xenophilius said, “If they’re trustworthy—yes, you can even form a small team, but don’t draw too much attention. I don’t want to hear that my daughter is loudly searching for the Resurrection Stone. Some wishes lose their power when spoken aloud.”
He hesitated, “To be honest, I’m not sure if I should tell you, given the slim chances…”
“What is it?”
“Headmaster Dumbledore wrote back, inviting me for an interview… Oh, no, no, don’t get too excited yet, there are other candidates.” But soon they began preparing for a celebration, “Freshwater color ball fish soup! Gurdyroots! Dirigible plums!” Xenophilius shouted happily as he added various ingredients to the pot.
They ended up with a concentrated mixture.
“Don’t worry about me, you have an interview to attend,” Luna said.
“Oh, thank you, my daughter,” Xenophilius wiped his eyes, “I won’t let you face this alone. If the interview goes well, I’ll take you to meet an insightful ghost who might be interested in your essay…” He drank it in one go.
“How does it taste?” Luna asked curiously.
“It’s okay,” Xenophilius swayed his head and smacked his lips, “maybe a bit too much dirigible plum. The book says they’re slightly toxic, though that’s not entirely reliable since they also enhance one’s receptivity to unusual things… But…”
He rubbed his stomach and brought over the Ancient Runes Yearbook, “Let’s see what they say about your essay. I should note down the key points to ask Dumbledore…” He flipped through the pages, “Hmm, why isn’t it here? Only the sections on puppeteers and prank merchants…”
“You’ve gone too far, Dad,” Luna said.
“No, I think this is fate. Look—” He pointed to the section on puppeteers: “‘Puppets’ is just a concept. I don’t want people to focus only on the materials and techniques. It can be anything that helps us with work, life, and studies using magic… See?”
Not far from there, over a hill, the Diggorys lived next to the Burrow, only a few hundred feet apart. The Diggorys had moved there due to the war, and they and the Weasleys supported each other.
“Your child is excellent, Mr. Diggory.”
The praise from Cho Chang’s father and Mr. Diggory’s hearty laughter echoed through the neat and tidy house.
Cedric and Cho Chang couldn’t stand the scrutiny and atmosphere inside, so they came out for some fresh air, whispering to each other as they walked.
“They’re really… in a rush,” Cho Chang said angrily, looking at Cedric hesitantly, “You… really don’t plan to join the Ministry of Magic?” Cedric shook his head slightly, “I’ve already rented a shop in Diagon Alley.”
“Diagon Alley?” Cho Chang said, somewhat disappointed, “I thought you’d choose Hogsmeade.” She had one more year before graduation.
Cedric smiled brightly, “Don’t worry, I won’t forget Hogsmeade weekends. I chose Diagon Alley because Fred, George, and the Castle are there, making research much more convenient… Remember the one-time space capsules? I think they have great potential and are a good match for my puppets.”
They walked into an old garage.
Fred and George Weasley were crouching on the ground, studying something. "What are they doing here? Didn’t you say they were busy opening a new branch?" Cho Chang whispered. "They were dragged back by Mrs. Weasley", Cedric whispered back.
The twins, who had their backs to them, looked up. "I think someone was talking about us."
"I was just stating the facts..." Cedric shrugged. "How are the Puffskeins coming along?"
"Everything’s going well, except they’ve gotten even dumber", Fred sighed.
"Maybe that’s a good thing. You know, witches like cute and dimwitted things", George said. Cho Chang glared at him. "Oh, sorry, I meant pets." Before long, Cho Chang's arms and shoulders were covered with small, fluffy pink and purple balls, chirping away and looking just as unintelligent as Fred and George had said.
George gave Cedric a look that said, "See? I told you so."
Cedric laughed.
"Ginny likes these little guys too", Fred said. "How’s the new shop coming along?"
"It opens in a few days", Cedric said. "Besides the usual products, I’ve also created a Transfiguration Smoke."
"Show us!" Fred and George said in unison.
Cedric pulled a teacup from his pocket, shook it vigorously, and then tilted it. A fine, liquid-like smoke poured out, spreading across the workbench like a growing crystal cluster.
"They’re actually a single entity. You’ll find it easier to perform Transfiguration on them, like this."
Cedric waved his wand, and the smoke, now resembling a crystal cluster, effortlessly took on various shapes. "It has some strength. You can turn it into a chair, a simple tent, or even creatures. Even first and second-year students can handle it easily."
Finally, they saw a vividly detailed model of Hogwarts Castle.
"To perform Transfiguration, you need to understand the object you’re transforming. This smoke can help with that", Cedric said hesitantly. "So, it’s actually a tool for learning Transfiguration."
"Maybe more than that", Fred said, patting Cedric on the shoulder. "This thing has a lot of potential..."
In the evening, at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
Felix sat in the dimly lit Great Hall, listening to a piano recital.
François Clutoy performed flawlessly. As he took his bow, the audience erupted in thunderous applause. Despite his calm demeanor, he was moved to tears. As the audience filed out, they were still immersed in the atmosphere created by the music.
Camera flashes illuminated the stage, and microphones were pushed forward.
"Mr. Clutoy, can you tell us what the goddess and angels in your compositions represent? Are they your aspirations for a better life?"
"Have you gained any new insights into religion?"
Clutoy squinted slightly, as if he saw a familiar face in the audience. Felix smiled at him.
"Mr. Clutoy?"
"Oh", Clutoy gazed at the empty seats, lost in thought. "Both pieces refer to the same thing. If I must differentiate, one might be what is seen, and the other what is imagined."
"When sorrow comes, I hope we all encounter an angel."
...
Harry received the supplementary book list and the Quidditch Captain Badge just before the last week of the holidays. He looked at them repeatedly, feeling very excited.
"Anything you need to buy?" Sirius asked. "Yes!" Harry glanced at the list, reading it over twice in surprise. "Sixth-year Defense Against the Dark Arts: 'Encountering the Faceless Fiend'—"
"Ah, that book is quite famous", Sirius said.
"Also—" Harry swallowed.
"Anything else?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"Three more books: 'Struggle of Muggles,' 'How Muggles Think,' and 'Muggles’ 'Magic.'’"
"Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?" Sirius almost fell off his chair.
"No", Harry said.
Sirius stroked his chin. "Sounds like the new professor is a fan of Felix’s."(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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