Chapter 646: A Fulfilling Holiday
Chapter 646: A Fulfilling Holiday
Chapter 646: A Fulfilling Holiday
Twenty or so students lined up in the courtyard, where the air was bitterly cold but still. White breath misted from their mouths as they looked up at the bright, full moon.
"Full moon", Ron muttered.
No surprise, Harry knew he was thinking of Lupin. Harry couldn't help but feel a pang of longing; at this time, Lupin would have taken the Wolfsbane Potion and hidden himself away in a secret place.
Harry knew he didn't want anyone to see him transform.
"From the full moon to the next, if you fail at any point, you must start over. I don't want any of you to jeopardize your health", Professor Mcgonagall announced sternly, pausing for effect. "Everyone come up and collect a Mandrake leaf."
One by one, the students approached, then retreated to huddle and whisper excitedly. When it was Harry's turn, he stepped forward. Professor Mcgonagall nodded at him and handed him a green leaf. Harry took it, watching it glow faintly in the moonlight.
Just as Harry was about to leave, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up to see Professor Hup holding Valen, who was carrying a stack of parchment. "Precautions and recipes", Felix reminded him.
Harry took the parchment from Valen, moved to the side, and read the text by the light of his wand.
Most of the content was familiar, but a few points were marked in red ink. He read the third one: for the next month, their dining location would be changed to Classroom 11 on the ground floor of the castle, where a House-elf would prepare their meals.
Harry's heart sank.
Ernie Macmillan had once told a rather unpleasant joke about his uncle, who, while trying to learn the Animagus transformation, avoided swallowing Mandrake leaves by inserting a funnel into his throat and consuming liquid meals. Ernie described it vividly, and the group eventually surrounded him, forcing him to admit the story was fabricated. His uncle had indeed tried to become an Animagus but gave up after only a week.
"Check your leaves; during the full moon, the edges of the Mandrake leaves will glow white, similar to the glow from the mandrake root... If there are no issues, place it in your mouth", Professor Mcgonagall instructed.
Harry checked his leaf multiple times, confirmed it was correct, and placed it in his mouth. The bitter taste mingled with the aftertaste of the Christmas feast. He saw Draco frown and look away.
Sirius had told him about the Malfoy family's recent situation the night before. In short, it was a mixed bag. Because he had switched sides mid-way, he avoided the retribution that befell his "despicable friends" and managed to rally a few remaining Pureblood Families, maintaining his influence. However, this also earned him the resentment of former Death Eaters, such as the Crabbe and Goyle families.
Sirius gave an example from a few weeks ago.
Lucius Malfoy, who had been low-key since the war, suddenly gave an interview to the Daily Prophet, detailing the dangers and contributions of his time as a spy—"Some papers say Potter, Weasley, and Granger used the Ouroboros Ring for help in the graveyard that night... That's not entirely accurate. I was also risking my life to inform Mr. Hep, but due to my important mission, I couldn't reveal my contributions to the public..."
"The Ministry of Magic is tallying up the honors", Sirius explained. "He's trying to secure an Order of Merlin for the Malfoy family, but he's wasting his efforts. His actions were only enough to avoid prison... But Snape might receive a significant award. Now we know where his intelligence came from..."
Harry suddenly understood why Eldred Worple, Professor Slughorn's former student and author of "Brotherhood of Blood: My Life Among the Vampires", had been pestering Snape at the dinner. Clearly, he wanted to write a book about Snape's experiences, but Snape had coldly refused.
...
Back in the dormitory, Harry looked shrewdly at Ron and Neville.
"What about me?" he complained.
"At least you don't snore", Ron grumbled, closing his eyes with a martyred expression. "Hurry up, I hardly had the nerve to decide this."
Harry looked at him, then at Neville, who was too nervous to speak.
"Alright."
The Petrificus Totalus and Stupefy spells flashed alternately. Ron and Neville fell stiffly to the ground. Harry used the Levitation Charm to move them to their beds, covered them with blankets, and then climbed into his own warm, cozy bed. The wind howled outside, but Harry felt a chill in his heart.
He hesitated for a long time about casting a Stupefy on himself. After all, not everyone had the courage to face two stiff bodies and still sleep soundly. He tossed and turned in bed for a while, then finally pulled out a roll of magical tape from under Ron's bed and sealed his own mouth shut.
Throughout the process, Harry forced himself not to look at Ron's stiff face in the moonlight. He climbed back into bed, staring at the ceiling and counting numbers. He didn't know how long it had been—definitely well into the night—when drowsiness finally overcame him, and he drifted off to sleep.
When he woke up, he could still feel the Mandrake leaf in his mouth, but the bitter taste had intensified, seeping into his teeth. Despite this, his mood was generally cheerful. He eagerly woke up Ron and Neville to share his method with them.
"That's great, I feel a bit more confident now", Ron said, his neck stiff. "But there's one problem, I think I got a crick in my neck..."
Over the next few days, Felix didn't pay much attention to the students.
He was busy himself—Tom Riddle, who had been in Classroom Seven, had graduated two years ago, but he still couldn't master the Patronus Charm. Recently, however, Riddle had gained inspiration from Peeves. By secretly collecting the emotions of students around the school, he managed to produce a somewhat convincing Patronus.
Felix was pleased with this development, as it meant Riddle was even more dependent on the school.
Felix also obtained the notes from Snape and Damocles Belby on their improvements to the Wolfsbane Potion, preparing to gain a thorough understanding of werewolves. Snape generously provided him with some werewolf blood and hair.
"You'll find—some scholars argue that 'werewolves are just beasts in human form,' and that's not an exaggeration. Their blood is completely tainted."
Felix shrugged, "You'd be surprised, compared to me, werewolves are practically normal."
Snape, of course, didn't believe him. This was evident from his insincere suggestion to study 'him.' Felix snorted at the idea, mentally categorizing his former Head of House as a 'foolish wizard'...
"Still, practice your acceptance speech more! Lupin says the promotion of the magic television isn't going well, so most wizard families rely on the radio to listen to the award ceremony. They'll take any unnecessary pauses in your speech as stammering."
"Imagine how unwise it would be to have your teaching skills questioned by parents because of this..."
Felix's well-intentioned advice didn't earn him any favors—instead, he faced closed doors for several days. The former Potions professor and current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor refused to speak to him, always meeting him with a cold demeanor. When Felix sought other professors for support, only Dumbledore showed any sympathy.
"Severus is indeed a man of few words, but for the sake of Hogwarts' image—" When he said this, Professor Mcgonagall and Grindelwald stared at him expressionlessly. "—at least try to convince him to change his clothes and get a haircut."
Felix didn't know how Dumbledore managed it, but on the day of the award ceremony, Snape, though still in black, was no longer wearing his usual wizard robes. Instead, he wore a suit with a high-collared white shirt underneath.
Snape received the Order of Merlin, First Class. "For his second daring mission as a spy, providing the side of justice with a continuous flow of valuable intelligence", Madam Bones announced loudly. Harry followed, also receiving the First Class medal, his award directly related to Voldemort's downfall. Although no one knew the details, with Dumbledore and Felix Hep as witnesses, no one raised any questions.
Of course, Ron and Hermione didn't receive any awards. They still held the Order of Merlin, Second Class medals for bravery.
"It's all because the war ended too quickly", Ron muttered under his breath.
"Oh, shut up!" Hermione snapped.
Because of the Mandrake leaf in his mouth, Harry's speech was unusually concise. His mental state had been affected by the special diet, and when he came down, Ron and Hermione heard someone whisper, "This boy seems a bit dim. Could he still be suffering from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse?"
His words made a group of uninformed wizards sniffle emotionally.
That evening, the Ministry of Magic held a grand banquet, but Harry left early, feeling dejected. He returned to eat his bland dinner—small cubes of dry jelly and specially processed vegetable meatballs, supposedly rich in nutrients and creating a strong sense of fullness when swallowed.
Most importantly, the entire meal was compressed into less than a minute, minimizing the risk of any unexpected incidents.
This led to a significant loss of enjoyment for the students.
With the drastic reduction in entertainment options, Harry was surprised to find that he completed all his homework in less than a week, leaving him with nothing to do for the remaining days until just before the start of term, when Professor Hup finally seemed to remember them and gathered them together.
"How many of you are still on track?" Felix asked.
A flurry of hands shot up, and Harry turned to look around, noting that the number was surprisingly high. "Fifteen of you, not bad", Felix nodded. "It seems the practice over the past two weeks has been effective. Today, we're here for a summary, and to harness the collective wisdom of the group."
The students—those who had failed included—stared at Professor Hup.
Felix waved the parchment in his hand. "Remember the forms you filled out in Duelling Class starting from second year? Of course, Duelling Class is only available from second to fourth year, conveniently avoiding the first year's flying class and the fifth year's O.W.L. exams, and it's combined with the spell proficiency tests..."
"This form records each of your spell learning speeds, preferences, and methods. Over the past four years, the accumulated data has filled an entire wall of cabinets."
"Undoubtedly, it's a treasure trove waiting to be explored", Felix said confidently.
"You've all experienced group discussions. We'll use a similar approach. Share the problems you find difficult, and together, we'll brainstorm solutions."
The students exchanged glances, but upon reflection, they agreed it was a good idea. After a moment, a student finally stood up, mentioning their feelings of depression and lethargy.
Others around them nodded in agreement, sharing the same symptoms.
"Yeah, we can't do anything that brings us joy, can't eat well, can't sleep well, and can't even speak loudly", a Ravenclaw girl said with a high-pitched voice. "It's like a nightmare."
The other students turned their gazes to Felix.
"Don't look at me. I said to discuss among yourselves", he said sternly.
"How about a potion? Like the Joy Elixir?" Ron suggested.
"Oh, no", Ernie replied, deflating the mood. "I asked Professor Mcgonagall, and she said potions have a chance of contaminating the Mandrake leaves."
The students began to brainstorm, and the suggestions became increasingly far-fetched, but Felix didn't discourage them. Instead, he had Hermione record everything. Eventually, Neville provided a solution.
"I—uh, I tried something", Neville said softly, his teeth clenched to keep the Mandrake leaves from falling out. "I used the Daydream Charm."
"Daydream Charm? What's that?" a student asked.
"Hey! I know—" Ron exclaimed excitedly.
"The Daydream Charm creates a realistic dream. I only thought of it yesterday... Anyway, I talked to my heart's content in there, and when I came out, I felt much better", Neville explained his experience.
"Talking to yourself? What did you say?"
"Uh... I recited the Herbology textbook out loud", Neville admitted reluctantly, causing the others to burst into laughter. However, when Professor Hup encouraged him to try it on others, everyone's opinion changed.
Felix also gave it a try.
After Neville cast the charm, Felix found himself on a peak in the mountains surrounding Hogwarts. The surroundings were vast and quiet. From a professional perspective, the dream had several flaws, but at least—
He tried shouting a couple of times, and his voice carried far, with excellent echo effects, effectively helping to vent his emotions.
The discussion continued. Harry also raised his issue, hoping to find a way to speak loudly and safely. As the team captain, he often needed to shout to explain tactics or correct players' mistakes.
To his surprise, a solution was quickly proposed.
"Use the Sonorus Charm—" Hermione said, who was taking notes.
"Cover your mouth with a scarf!" Susan Bones suggested.
"Combine the two", Ron proposed.
Harry's eyes lit up, and the other students shared his excitement. This solution seemed better, and they decided to try it out.
Of course, the discussion wasn't always smooth. When it came to "how to suppress the bitterness of the Mandrake", the numerous methods led to a debate about food preferences, causing the students to argue heatedly.
One student, in the midst of their rant, accidentally spat out the Mandrake leaf. Everyone froze, and the room fell silent. Even the student who had done it stared at the leaf on the floor, as if in disbelief at their own stupidity.
"Ahem—Percy just gave us a bad example", Felix said, slightly uncomfortable. "This reminds us to stay calm for the rest of the time...
I personally recommend wearing a calm-inducing talisman. It will help you stay focused", he added.
(End of Chapter)
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