Chapter 668: Practical Assessment Content
Chapter 668: Practical Assessment Content
Snape caught the Elder Wand, his eyes still filled with disbelief. He could feel the magic within him becoming more active, his power increasing. The wand seemed to silently urge him to cast a spell.
He restrained the impulse and slowly walked over, placing the wand on his desk. The wand rolled a few times, bumping into the base of a silver ornament, trembling for a moment before settling down.
"Is that it?" Snape licked his lips, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Yes, that's it." Dumbledore nodded. "The Elder Wand is the most emotionless and cold-hearted of all wands. It only considers power. It follows the strongest. Now that I've been disarmed by 'Expelliarmus' and my magical strength is inferior to yours, you have rightfully won the wand."
"But I cannot possess it." Snape said coldly, his eyes still fixed on the Elder Wand.
"Severus", Dumbledore sighed, "I wish I had never owned it. Throughout history, countless people have been obsessed with the Elder Wand's immense power, yet how many have found happiness? None at all!"
Snape was momentarily dazed, his gaze shifting away.
"Fawkes will take you back." Dumbledore said softly at last.
The Phoenix on its perch spread its wings and flew straight toward Snape, its golden claws gently grasping his shoulder. Snape turned his head, falling into a brief silence.
"Who do you hope the wand will ultimately pass to, and who will it be used against?"
"That is your concern", Dumbledore said calmly. "I hope it will never be needed, and that it remains a permanent mystery. This means the wizarding world will not undergo significant changes."
Snape stared, speechless for a long time. The Fawkes on his shoulder made a series of "clicking" sounds out of boredom.
"It also means you've given Snape something to do, so he won't look like a dead man all the time", the portrait of Headmaster Black said slyly as the man and bird turned into fire and disappeared from the office. "When are you planning to hang yourself on the wall, Dumbledore? I'd like to visit you—ouch!"
A thick wand appeared in his frame and began poking him repeatedly.
"You—how—dare—say—such—irresponsible—things!" a witch said angrily.
Amid the "thuds" and cries of pain, Dumbledore smiled faintly, stroking the Resurrection Stone Ring, then took out a quill and parchment to write a letter. It was short, and he waited for the ink to dry.
A soft glow, and Fawkes returned.
"Deliver this letter to Barbatus", Dumbledore said cheerfully to the Phoenix.
...
The next morning.
"I still find it hard to believe", Harry whispered at the breakfast table, glancing at the staff table. Some professors were enjoying their breakfast, including Professor Barbatus.
Could this man have instigated the Wizard-Muggle War half a century ago? Harry tried to see traces of his younger days on Professor Barbatus's wrinkled face, but his gaze landed on his grayish-white hair. Had it once been a brilliant gold?
"Dumbledore knows about this, Harry. He personally recruited Professor Barbatus to the school, so whether or not it's the same person, it's not as important as the upcoming exam", Hermione said firmly. "We wasted the entire evening discussing it yesterday and got nothing done. It's a crime."
Ron, who had been eager to join the discussion, immediately propped his chin on his arm and flipped the scrambled eggs on his plate. But Hermione didn't let them off, continuing with enthusiasm, "We must review thoroughly this weekend. Because of the Animagus training, we're already two weeks behind schedule!"
"Speaking of which, I have to go to Professor Mcgonagall's office tonight to fill out some forms", Harry said dejectedly.
"Oh, right, that will probably take about two hours", Hermione said knowledgeably. "Professor Mcgonagall will represent the Ministry of Magic and go over a series of regulations, such as where and when Animagi are prohibited from transforming. There are 47 rules in total..."
"Stop, Hermione, I'm going to have nightmares", Ron grumbled. He suddenly looked across the long table, "Hey, when did they get so close?"
Harry looked up and saw Neville and Hannah leaning in, chatting and eating together.
Hannah lent her Transfiguration notes to Neville, probably to help him study a bit more,” Hermione said dismissively. Neville wasn’t qualified for the advanced Transfiguration class this semester, but he planned to take the makeup exam this year.
“Neville can borrow our notes,” Ron said immediately.
“Oh, Ron, you silly thing.”
Harry regretfully noticed the conversation was cut short. He thought about giving Ron some advice on how to be less blunt. After they finished their meal, they headed to their last Ancient Runes class of the week. Before leaving the Great Hall, Harry instinctively glanced at the staff table again.
Hermione followed his gaze and said sadly, “If Professor Barbatus really is… that person, Neville must be so heartbroken.”
“Yeah, being close to two Dark Wizard professors in a row would make anyone uncomfortable,” Ron said, picking the worst possible moment to bring it up. “Come to think of it, Professor Slughorn’s only real flaw is being a bit snobbish.”
“Quite the revelation,” Hermione said.
Another round of verbal sparring at the table ended as Felix shared his teaching experience with a few professors.
“Thank you, Felix,” Professor Mcgonagall said, but she couldn’t hold back her protest. “I don’t think it’s responsible to have older students create exams for younger ones.”
“But we have to admit, Minerva,” Slughorn said, seemingly convinced, “the lower-year courses are quite simple, and the content isn’t particularly challenging. From an efficiency standpoint—”
Professor Mcgonagall glared at him fiercely, and Slughorn wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Minerva,” Felix said calmly, “most sixth and seventh-year students are adults now. We can’t treat them as mere students. They need to experience some responsibility—”
“At the cost of abdicating part of our responsibilities as professors? I’m shocked,” Professor Mcgonagall said heatedly.
Felix shrugged and noticed Grindelwald’s mocking expression. He quickly turned his attention, “Professor Barbatus, you must have finished the final exam for your class, right? After all, you only teach one year.”
It was well known that Grindelwald only taught sixth and seventh years, with the seventh-year N.E.W.T. exams being overseen by the Ministry of Magic.
“I plan to submit it along with the detention reports,” Grindelwald said. “What’s the phrase? Striving for perfection… Professor Burbage?”
Kettleburn looked up, pointing to himself in confusion.
“I’ve written a few essays on Muggle Studies and need someone to check the formatting. I can’t think of a better person for the job,” Grindelwald said, bowing slightly.
“Oh, of course, I’d be happy to help,” Professor Burbage said enthusiastically.
“Can I see them?” Dumbledore interjected.
“Sure,” Grindelwald said lightly. “I admit, some of my past views were extreme and need correction… Muggles have their merits. For instance, their recent gun control legislation—could you pass me the raspberry jam?” Dumbledore hesitated but quickly handed him the jam dish. “Thanks—” Grindelwald continued, “I’ve been following this: the new law has already led to the collection of over ten thousand firearms…”
“I remember reading about it in the newspaper. Are those like Muggle wands?” Professor Flitwick asked, intrigued.
“Sort of, but they serve only one purpose: killing,” Grindelwald said softly. “In my time, these things were widespread, and Muggles kept pushing for more efficient ways to kill. They have a talent for it.”
“Oh, oh,” Professor Flitwick looked a bit dazed. “I can’t understand why anyone would specialize in that.”
“Misusing magic can also lead to serious violence,” Dumbledore warned.
“But magic is more than just violence,” Grindelwald said calmly. “We use it to grow crops—” he looked at Burbage, who smiled slightly; “to ease labor—” he nodded to Flitwick, who politely put down his fork; “and to seek truth—” his gaze swept over Felix, who looked back curiously; “and, of course, love.”
His gaze swept around the room, finally settling on Dumbledore.
"Love is a great magic. That's your view, isn't it, Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"That's right", Dumbledore replied, a look of surprise on his face.
"How marvelous", Grindelwald mused. "I often imagine what it would be like for wizards and Muggles to communicate."
Felix put down his knife and fork, watching Grindelwald intently, unsure what he was getting at. Grindelwald's words took Felix by surprise.
"...a close and fruitful exchange, where wizards don't live in fear, and Muggles can benefit from magic... But I believe such an exchange won't happen overnight. It won't start with goodwill; there will be setbacks. We must be more proactive in facing the future... In this process, old methods won't work—Voldemort's approach was particularly unpopular. We must unite all viable forces to ensure internal stability."
The professors were impressed by this insight.
They had heard about Professor Barbatus's hostility toward Muggles, but from his words today, it seemed he had refined his thinking. Professor Mcgonagall even offered him a small plate of pastries.
"You can try these, Professor Barbatus", she said politely.
"Thank you", Grindelwald replied with a courteous nod. "These ideas have emerged during my teaching. Even the more naive ones have contributed to my transformation..."
A few minutes later, the professors left to teach their classes.
Felix tried to piece together the unspoken meaning in Grindelwald's words. It was essential, as Grindelwald had directed his remarks at him and Dumbledore, or more precisely, as a carefully prepared message for Dumbledore.
He mentioned his former radical views... of course, otherwise, he wouldn't have gathered the Saints and declared war on the established Wizarding World. Then there was the topic of Muggle weapons—was it important? Perhaps it was just a lead-in, a setup for the real point:
The exposure of the magical world is inevitable, and only by uniting all possible forces can we face it.
And the Saints... are a significant force.
As Felix pushed open the door to the Ancient Runes classroom, he sketched out a rough outline in his mind:
With the school year drawing to a close, Grindelwald's brief respite from Nurmengard was about to end. If he didn't want to return to that cold fortress, he needed to take action. Even after a relatively peaceful half-year, he was acutely aware of his situation.
This period had also given him insight into Dumbledore's half-century of changes.
Today, in late April, he finally laid his cards on the table. He was willing to accept Dumbledore's terms and become a stabilizing force in the Wizarding World.
The question was, what would Dumbledore do?
Below the podium, the students were whispering.
"Professor Hep is daydreaming again?"
"Shh, keep it down, or he might hear."
"Do you think the professor knows the truth?" Harry whispered. "Of course he does", Ron said confidently. "He's probably thinking about it right now. Too bad I don't know Legilimency... What do you think, Hermione?"
"Maybe he's considering how to fly to the moon", Hermione said with a light scoff.
"Ha, you're getting funny."
Felix cleared his throat, and the students fell silent.
"I just had an idea for this year's practical Final Exam. Would you like to hear it?"
The students stared at him, taken aback.
Hermione massaged her forehead.
"If Professor Mcgonagall heard this, she wouldn't be happy."
"Who cares!" Ron said cheerfully, a broad smile on his face. Harry also smiled, knowing he could at least do well in two subjects: Ancient Runes and Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Oh, and Transfiguration, too—he was now an Animagus.
Hermione's recent progress in Transfiguration had left him envious. She always handled techniques requiring precise magical control with ease. Apart from the need for wandcasting, her advanced human transfiguration skills were almost on par with Tonks's Metamorphmagus abilities.
At last, the students snapped out of their trance. One of the girls suddenly exclaimed, "Professor, I love you!" The classroom erupted in laughter, the atmosphere becoming lively. A few boys joined in with their own teasing.
"Very amusing", Felix said with a straight face. "When I get back, I'll check the Valentine's Day cards I received. If I don't find your names—" He nodded at the bold students. "I'll find a way to keep you after class."
"Let's get back to the subject", he continued, pulling a black Wizard Chess piece from his pocket. "I don't mind resisting the pressure from the Ministry of Magic's Wizarding Examination Authority to give more than half of you an 'Outstanding' grade. The criteria for outstanding is simple:"
"By the exam date, improve your skills to a level that satisfies me."
"The questions will naturally be more difficult, but that's the price of knowing the exam content in advance."
However, the students were fixated on the knight piece in his hand, barely paying attention to Felix's words. To them, this seemed like an incredible deal.
Felix opened his palm, and the piece burst into a blaze of fire. A Swift with a golden-red glow appeared, circling above the students' heads. After a moment, it returned to the professor's hand and transformed back into a Wizard Chess piece.
"Awesome", Ron whispered, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I'd trade a hundred Galleons for a set of Wizard Chess like that. No, make it two hundred!"
Harry and Hermione grinned, knowing Felix's demonstration had hit Ron's sweet spot.
Felix resumed the lesson.
"You don't need to reach my level, but the concept is the same. Construct a completely enclosed structure using Ancient Runes while demonstrating a certain level of magical ability—let's review the fourteenth Runic Script rule."
Several students raised their hands.
"Miss Greengrass... very good, five points to Slytherin."
"Ancient Magic is a combination of magical characters with special sequences and specific magical functions, known as Runic Script sequences. This means that there are many combinations of characters that have no practical meaning and cannot be called Runic Script sequences, nor do they have any relation to Ancient Magic."
"For example, what you saw in the practical class..."
Harry immediately recalled the intricate, needle-like Runic Script.
"Imagine building with Runic Symbols like you would with building blocks. It could be a strange creature, a golden trophy, or a beautiful house, or even a small chess piece like the one I have here... I want you to cleverly integrate a runic circuit into this process."
"Take, for instance, Luna Lovegood from fifth year. She created a Runic Script Fire Cup that releases a blue flame. It has no real destructive power, but it's quite interesting, isn't it? You can consider that the threshold for an 'Outstanding' grade."
Hermione raised her hand.
Felix nodded at her.
"Hermione Granger?"
"Um—Professor? Is the chess piece in your hand also integrated with a runic circuit?" Hermione asked, familiar with the golden fire on the Swift, which was the first Ancient Magic she had mastered.
"Not just that", Felix smiled. "The structure of this piece is actually quite complex. It includes Runic Script sequences, a runic circuit, and meaningless magical characters that fill in the gaps. They all work together to form a complete and structured entity, resulting in what you see here." He directed his last sentence to the entire class.
In fact, Felix had omitted the role of Memory Magic, but it wasn't significant.
"…I don't require you to incorporate Ancient Magic, as that would be too difficult. However, since Granger mentioned it, I'll mention that anyone who does will receive extra credit."
(End of Chapter)
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